The Real Winners and Losers from AEW Fyter Fest, Night 2

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Photo credit: All Elite Wrestling

All Elite Wrestling kicked off its road tour with a bang as it hosted the first edition of Fyter Fest. Last week’s episode was easily one of the best episodes of AEW Dynamite this year. As such, it was going to be a tough act to follow.

However, night two of the company’s annual event was full of surprises for hardcore wrestling fans. GCW star and deathmatch legend, Nick Gage, made his AEW debut as Chris Jericho’s next opponent in MJF’s second labor. Later, Hikuleo appeared in the crowd to continue to tease an upcoming storyline with Bullet Club following Jay White’s arrival at Impact Slammiversary.

Still, Andrade El Idolo introduced the biggest surprise of the night, Chavo Guerrero Jr., as his new executive consultant. The former WWE star enjoyed a loud reaction as he came down to the ring and The Death Triangle followed.

AEW set up a lot of tremendous implications for the next few episodes ahead of All Out. But let’s take a look at the biggest winners and losers from night two of Fyter Fest.

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For starters, it was a pleasure to see Wheeler Yuta again following his network television debut on last week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.

The reigning IWTV Independent Wrestling champion has a bright future ahead of him and the company clearly sees something in the young allrounder. After all, Yuta has appeared on two editions of its flagship in a row after his match against Angelico on the July 6 episode of AEW Dark.

It’s not hard to see why the 24-year-old was asked back. He has charisma, an excellent technical background, and a dynamic moveset. Tonight, he and Darby Allin delivered a short but sweet contest where he likely made some new fans.

The Philadelphia native may have lost in both of his appearances but this certainly won’t be the last wrestling fans see of him. If AEW doesn’t sign the up-and-comer, someone will soon.

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If AEW fans know anything about Britt Baker at this point, it’s that she is tough as nails. The current women’s champion proved that again when she survived a powerbomb through a table to successfully retain her title this week.

Baker is undeniably the best character on the women’s roster, but she’s still finding her legs as its new flagbearer. Her first title defense went a long way to set the tone for her reign and give her a statement win over a former champion.

Straight away, Nyla Rose dominated the match but DMD remained resilient throughout, forcing several believable near falls. The Native Beast was no slouch either as she withstood every attack the Mayor Brittsburgh could muster.

Still, Baker eventually forced her to tap out with her finishing maneuver, the Lockjaw, to retain her title. Even more, she maintained her usual character traits even in this heel vs. heel match, which is a good sign for fans concerned that this would lead to a turn.

We can’t wait to see what’s next for the AEW Women’s World Championship with a host of new contenders waiting in the wings.

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We haven’t seen much of Andrade El Idolo on AEW programming yet, but the former NXT champion is drastically different in his new role.

The Mexican star is smooth and braggadocious, but he also has a menacing aura thanks to his new look. It has also helped him a ton that the company is allowing him to speak for himself more than WWE ever did.

Zelina Vega was a phenomenal manager, but this gives fans a chance to see more of his personality. CMLL viewers undoubtedly grinned from ear to ear as he said, “Tranquillo,” a nod to his roots as a member of Los Ingobernables. Of course, the original stable laid the groundwork for Tetsuya Naito’s counterpart with New Japan Pro Wrestling.

It’s unclear where El Idolo’s involvement with Death Triangle is heading but this will set the table for some incredible dream matches for the former luchador. The potential for a showdown with Penta El Zero M will be worth the price of admission.

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Lance Archer has to be the biggest winner of the night after his upset victory over Jon Moxley in the main event.

The Murderhawk Monster has a great look and a fun character, but he was due for a significant win as a member of the AEW roster. This was the only thing that has eluded Archer since his debut as Jake “The Snake” Roberts’ client last March.

The American Psycho failed to become the inaugural TNT champion at Double or Nothing 2020. Then, he climbed the ranks as the new number one contender for the AEW World Championship when won the Casino Battle Royale match at All Out. However, Archer fell to Moxley on the anniversary edition of Dynamite.

Archer was unable to defeat Miro in his second attempt to win the TNT title in May. So, the hometown star desperately needed this big win over his rival in a violent but wildly entertaining IWGP United States Championship match.

The Texas native will defend his new prize next week against Hikuleo at Fight for the Fallen in Charlotte, North Carolina.