This Saturday, from the Daily’s Place Amphitheater in Jacksonville, Florida, All Elite Wrestling will host AEW Fight for the Fallen. With this being the third pay-per-view held under the AEW umbrella, it’s safe to say that the promotion will endeavor to sustain momentum following Fyter Fest, which took place last month. Much like Fyter Fest, Fight for the Fallen will feature a number of unique matchups, potentially with high stakes going into AEW’s weekly television show in the fall.
Fight for the Fallen is just around the corner and there have been numerous matches announced. It’s important to note that there may be one or two impromptu bouts, either during the main show or the Buy-In pre-show. Let’s run down the matches on the card and offer predictions heading into this Saturday’s show.
Pre-Show: Jimmy Havoc, Darby Allin, and Joey Janela vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Sammy Guevara, and Shawn Spears
“The Buy-In” pre-show will feature a six-man tag team match with a collection of combustible personalities. On the surface, the hardcore trio of Havoc, Allin, and Janela is utterly dangerous, as all three participants are known for hardcore wrestling and disregard for human safety. On the other side of the equation, the collective cockiness of Friedman, Guevara, and Spears can be harnessed to power a city. Perhaps the biggest wildcard is Spears, who is at the center of controversy following his chair shot to the head of Cody at Fyter Fest. Will Spears and his team be able to achieve victory, or will it belong to the opposing team of ultraviolent wrestlers?
Prediction: “The Buy-In,” in theory, is designed to convince skeptics to watch the main show. With this in mind, it makes sense to feature a tag team match with a collection of personalities, regardless of how mismatched they appear on the surface. When it comes to who will win, I give the nod to Friedman, Guevara, and Spears. The latter has generated considerable buzz following the aforementioned chair shot, and if the goal is for him to eventually face Cody, giving his team the win would be the appropriate move.
SoCal Uncensored (Frankie Kazarian and Scorpio Sky) vs. The Lucha Brothers (Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix)
When it comes to tag teams, short of The Young Bucks, SoCal Uncensored and The Lucha Brothers are arguably the premier entities in All Elite Wrestling. The trio of Daniels, Kazarian, and Sky has enjoyed immense popularity, since their formation in 2018, across various promotions. The Lucha Brothers achieved notoriety in Mexico, the United States, and around the world. This will be one of the matches to keep an eye on, especially as AEW’s weekly television show on TNT draws closer. Given the announcement of an AEW World Tag Team Championship tournament, these teams will undoubtedly be in the running.
Prediction: Since being signed to AEW, The Lucha Brothers have been on the receiving end of losses. Not only did they lose to The Young Bucks at Double or Nothing, but they, along with Laredo Kid, fell to The Elite at Fyter Fest. If The Lucha Brothers are going to appear as a threat in the promotion, I believe that they have to win here. SCU, as talented as they are, don’t need the win as badly, especially since they seem to be slotted in the role of veteran tandem that can take a loss here and there. My money is on Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix.
Hangman Page vs. Kip Sabian
Page has been pegged as “the future” of AEW and rightfully so. At Double or Nothing, he made a surprise appearance in the Casino Battle Royale, winning the match to punch his ticket for a future AEW World Championship match. Before he can face off against Chris Jericho at All Out, Page must go through “Superbad” himself, who made his AEW debut at Double or Nothing as well. He was also seen at Fyter Fest, scoping out Page during his four-way match against Havoc, Friedman, and Jungle Boy. With Page destined for world title contention and Sabian looking to make a name for himself, who will emerge victorious?
Prediction: Without getting into specifics, Page is the clear favorite going into this match. Not only has there been more attention on the wrestler in question, even dating before Double or Nothing, but he’s slated to face Jericho in an AEW World Championship main event. This shouldn’t take anything away from Sabian, however, who defeated Guevara in a singles match at Double or Nothing. He will undoubtedly bring the same high-flying style showcased in that bout to his showdown with Page, which may end up being a sleeper hit.
Brandi Rhodes vs. Allie
The only women’s match announced for AEW Fight for the Fallen pits AEW’s Chief Brand Officer against the promotion’s bubbly grappler with a bit of dark side. As someone who made her name across different independent promotions, Allie now finds herself in a marquee match at Fight for the Fallen against one of the executives of the promotion. With Allie coming off a victory at Fyter Fest against “The Librarian” Leva Bates, she will look to continue her winning ways against Rhodes. If there’s one thing that can be said about the CBO of AEW, though, she won’t let that victory come easily.
Prediction: On the surface, this match may not seem like much. Though far from a bad wrestler, Rhodes is considerably less experienced than many women’s wrestlers on the AEW roster. With that said, Allie has amassed tremendous popularity in the independent scene and through Impact Wrestling alike. She is just as capable between the ropes as she is playing a conflicted character on TV. Though Rhodes will put up a formidable fight, expect to see the former two-time Knockouts Champion pull out yet another victory.
The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) vs. Cody and Dustin Rhodes
At Double or Nothing, Cody and Dustin Rhodes had what many considered to be the match of the night at AEW Fight for the Fallen. Following their bloody, violent brawl, the Rhodes brothers embraced in a tearful, emotional moment. Beforehand, Cody proposed that his older brother be his partner for his upcoming tag team match against The Young Bucks at Fight for the Fallen. Since Double or Nothing, The Young Bucks have been instrumental in the promotion’s top-ranked matches. Expect this showdown between the two pairs of brothers, one etched in wrestling royalty and the other built from the ground up, to be no different.
Prediction: The Young Bucks have been dominant since the genesis of AEW. With them being victorious at Double or Nothing and Fyter Fest, they face yet another great challenge in the form of the Rhodes brothers at Fight for the Fallen. Cody and Dustin aren’t unfamiliar with one another, in terms of tag team wrestling, as they have won two tag team championships together. Though The Young Bucks have been enjoying something of a winning streak, I see it ending at Fight for the Fallen. My money is on the Rhodes boys coming away with their arms raised.
Kenny Omega vs. Cima
This may be the most unique match on the Fight for the Fallen card. Though Cima is just beginning to build a reputation in the United States, he is one of the faces of wrestling in China as the President of Oriental Wrestling Entertainment. Furthermore, he’s fresh off a victory against Daniels at Fyter Fest. However, at Fight for the Fallen, he will stand across one of the most popular wrestlers of the past half-decade in Omega. With Omega having Jon Moxley in his sights at All Out, Cima will prove to be a formidable challenge for the former IWGP Heavyweight Champion.
Prediction: Omega has had what many considered to be one of the most shocking losses in AEW’s short history, as he fell to Jericho in an opportunity to compete for the AEW World Championship. From there, the loss has been something of a black mark, and it makes me wonder how he will fare in his singles affair against Moxley. As capable and strong as Cima has looked, I don’t see him winning at AEW Fight for the Fallen. I believe that Omega will defeat Cima in a strong match before moving onward to All Out, where his rivalry with the Death Rider will come to a head.
AEW Fight for the Fallen takes place this Sunday, July 13th, from the Daily’s Place Amphitheater in Jacksonville, Florida. It will be streamed live, on B/R Live, for free. Tune in at 7:30 PM EST for “The Buy-In” pre-show, with the main show slated for 8:30 PM EST.
