It’s Wednesday night, and you know what that means …
All Elite Wrestling returns from the Gas South Arena in Duluth, GA. at 8/7c tonight on TBS for this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite.
On tap for the special Fyter Fest edition of the weekly AEW on TBS show, which is also the ALL IN 2023 “go-home” episode, is Aussie Open vs. The Hardys for the ROH Tag-Team titles, Skye Blue vs. Ruby Soho, Renee Paquette’s interview with Adam Cole & MJF, as well as the Chris Jericho vs. Will Ospreay contract signing for ALL IN 2023.
Also scheduled for the show is FTR and Young Bucks in a face-to-face interview, Jon Moxley vs. Rey Fenix, the retiring of the FTW title with Jack Perry, Darby Allin & Nick Wayne vs. Swerve Strickland & AR Fox, as well as The Elite vs. Juice Robinson & The Gunns.
Featured below are complete AEW Dynamite: Fyter Fest results from Wednesday, August 23, 2023. The following report was written by PWMania.com reporter Matt Boone (@MattBoone0709) as the show aired live from 8-10pm EST. on TBS.
AEW DYNAMITE: FYTER FEST RESULTS (8/23/2023)
The show kicks off the an “In Memory Of” graphic in honor of the late pro wrestling legend Terry Funk. We then hear the usual “Light the fuse …” theme before shooting live inside Gas South Arena in Duluth, GA.
The Elite & FTR Brawl With Bullet Club Gold & Konosuke Takeshita
Excalibur welcomes us to the special Fyter Fest edition of Dynamite, which is the go-home show for ALL IN 2023. We hear the familiar sounds of The Elite’s theme song and out comes the trio of Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks for Trios action in our opening contest.
The fan-favorites settle into the ring and then their music dies down. The lights in the building go out and then the spotlight shines on the top of the stage for the usual entrance for The Gunns, who are joined by fellow Bullet Club Gold member Juice Robinson.
Colten and Austin Gunn make their way down to the squared circle alongside “Rock Hard” Juice Robinson, but are met half way on the ramp by Nick and Matt Jackson and “The Cleaner” Kenny Omega. The six men brawl it out, with Jackson hitting a big dive through the ropes onto the heels.
We hear the commentators point out that the bell hasn’t sounded to make this match official yet. The referee gets knocked out. Jay White comes out and joins in on the fun. The Gunns beat down The Young Bucks in the ring and connect with their double-team finisher on Nick. They go for it on Matt but he fights back with super kicks.
Jay White hits the ring and connects with his finisher on Matt. Omega hits the ring and White goes for the Bladerunner on him, but he fights back. Colten tries to join in but gets hit with a snap-dragon suplex. Austin goes for a move but Omega takes him out with a snap dragon as well.
“Switchblade” once again hits the ring and starts chopping the p*ss out of Omega, but Omega meets him in the ropes with a big V-Trigger. He does the hand gun salute sign and then goes for another V-Trigger on White, but is met running off the ropes by a lariat from Konosuke Takeshita that turns him inside out.
FTR runs out and helps even things up, beating down The Gunns while everyone else continues to duke it out. Omega and Takeshita are left alone in the ring. Omega hits him with a big knee but Takeshita flees the scene when Omega hoists him up for a One Winged Angel. The opening segment wraps up on that note. No match ever takes place.
Renee Paquette Sits Down With MJF
We shoot backstage and MJF sits down with Renee Paquette to talk about how he’s gonna be “chubbed up” with excitement at Wembley Stadium in London, England to perform in front of over 80,000 fans at ALL IN.
He goes on to talk about how he’s like the 2023 version of the British Bulldog if he were good-looking and a good public speaker. He jokes about buying everyone in the building a pint, but then says he’s gonna make “that mark Tony Khan pay for it.”
MJF jokes about how he’s opening and closing the show, because he’s wrestling twice thanks to Adam Cole. He then mentions how ALL IN doesn’t happen if all of the people that came before him didn’t pave the road. Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino, Dusty Rhodes, The Rock and others are named specifically by “The Devil.”
Paquette questions the legitimacy of his friendship with Cole. She shows a compilation of footage over the past few weeks of them nearly attacking the other. He admits he’s still learning as he does, he says he’s not working us when he says he’s learning how to be a friend with Adam Cole.
He explains what Cole has taught him, such as the ability to trust and let his guard down. He says Adam is like his brother and sometimes brothers fight. At the end of the day, brothers hug it out. He says they always hug it out. He says he’s our scumbag, not just any scumbag. He asks to go on this journey with him.
Jon Moxley vs. Rey Fenix
Now we return inside the Gas South Arena where “The Dapper Yapper” Justin Roberts handles the ring introduction of one-half of our next match, as Jon Moxley makes his custom entrance through the crowd to the ring. As he does, we head to a pre-match commercial break.
When we return from the break, we see Mox has settled in the ring. His music dies down and the familiar sounds of the theme for The Lucha Bros hits. Out comes Rey Fenix accompanied by Alex Abrahantes. Fireworks and pyro erupts as the masked fan-favorite heads to the ring for our next match of the evening.
The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with this one. Fenix charges across the ring and starts blasting Mox with rapid-fire punches. He backs him into the corner and works him over. Mox fights back and the fans break out in dueling “Let’s go Moxley!” and “Let’s go Fenix!” chants.
Fenix dropkicks Mox out of the ring and then hits a wild dive onto him on the floor for a big pop from the Georgia crowd. Mox ends up fighting back and slapping a sleeper hold on him on the floor. He tears and rips at the mask of Fenix as the fans boo him.
Mox blasts Fenix and he takes a scary bump. Abrahantes goes to check on him and then Mox goes back to work on him, slamming him into the barricade — twice. He rolls him back into the ring and follows in after him and continues to go to work on him. The fans start chanting “We want tables!”
We see Mox run over Fenix with a big lariat and then goes for the cover. Fenix kicks out at the count of two. After that, Excalibur talks us into a mid-match commercial as this hard-hitting bout continues.
As we settle in from the break, we see Mox still dominating the action, but Fenix starts to slowly fight back. He lays Mox out and connects with a picture-perfect top-rope frog splash for a super close near fall. The crowd erupts with a loud “This is Awesome!” chant.
The two exchange hard overhand chops and stiff forearms back-and-forth for what seems like forever. Mox walks into a super kick. Fenix heads to the top-rope but Mox stops him and climbs up after him. He goes for a super plex but Fenix fights it.
Mox bites his face and then hits an Avalance Death Rider off the top-rope for a super close near fall, which somehow Fenix kicks out of. Mox slaps the bulldog choke on him and Fenix fades. Mox wins.
Winner: Jon Moxley
Santana Returns During Crowbar Attack Of Rey Fenix
After the match, Mox’s fellow Blackpool Combat Club members Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta hit the ring with crowbars. Before they can do anything, out comes Santana, Ortiz and Eddie Kingston. The crowd pops big for Santana’s return for the first time in over a year.
We see Santana take out Penta El Zero Miedo and Eddie Kingston. Best Friends come out and runs off the Blackpool Combat Club. We see everyone recovering following the chaos. Fenix is laid out after a crowbar attack from the BCC in the ring. A bunch of people run to the ring to check on Fenix. They stretcher him out.
Eddie Kingston Yells At Renee Paquette
When we return from the break, we see Fenix being put into the back of an ambulance and rushed to the hospital as the commentators talk with their serious voices. Eddie Kingston is shown looking super emotional and then annoyed that a camera is in his face.
Renee Paquette tries to get a word from them. Kingston says you saw what your husband just did. He pushes the mic out of his face and tells her to go away. He says he’ll fix this at Wembley on Sunday.
Sammy Guevara Confronted By Former J.A.S. Members
We shoot to “earlier today” footage of Renee Paquette talking to Sammy Guevara. She brings up being the only one who had his back when the Don Callis Family attacked him.
Before he can talk, up comes Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard and Angelo Parker asking what the hell he was doing. They remind him that Jericho said yes to joining the Don Callis Family and that only happened because things went south.
Guevara says he’s just being a good friend to Chris like he said he would. They remind him how Jericho can be. They walk off. Garcia hangs around and looks at Guevara super sad. The fans “awwww!” and the segment wraps up.
ALL IN Contract Signing Between Chris Jericho & Will Ospreay
Now we return inside the Gas South Arena where the ring is decked out with a red carpet and table, as it’s time for the ALL IN contract signing between Chris Jericho and Will Ospreay.
Out first, introduced by Tony Schiavone in the ring, comes Will Ospreay accompanied by Don Callis. The fans boo as The Don Callis Family duo make their way to the ring for the contract signing.
Tony Schiavone then introduces Chris Jericho and out he comes with Sammy Guevara standing by his side. Callis speaks first and says he threw away 34 years of friendship and chose Ospreay over Jericho. He says Jericho once nearly died in London. He says Ospreay will ensure that happens on Sunday.
Ospreay tells everyone to shut up. Ospreay asks Jericho if he’s taking this match seriously, or if this is a vanity project just so he can say his band performed at Wembley Stadium. He tells Jericho how serious this is to him, noting this match is gonna change his life.
He says the day before ALL IN he’s doing an indy show, just so he can make as much money as possible to support his family. He then looks into the camera and mentions how his contract comes up in six months with NJPW. He says if he beats Jericho at ALL IN, he knows anyone will pay millions and millions to sign him.
He says he’s better than Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Kenny Omega and Jericho. He touts beating Omega, Kazuchika Okada and eventually Jericho in a small span of time. He signs the contract.
Jericho mentions how years ago everyone, including the “Meltzer’s,” were predicted Ospreay would be in a wheelchair in his 30s like his hero The Dynamite Kid. He reveals he called Ospreay back then and told him to calm down and he’d be the best in the business.
He says he listened to him and now here he is. He says he didn’t need to attack him. This match was supposed to happen at the Tokyo Dome before the lock down. He says ALL IN isn’t a vanity project for him and his band. He says it’s the biggest match of his 30-plus year career.
Jericho says it’s bigger than any WrestleMania. It’s bigger than any Tokyo Dome. It’s the biggest match of his career. He says he’s got to win. He tells him not to make him regret saving him from being in a wheel chair. Ospreay slaps the mic out of his hand. Security has to hold them back.
Renee Paquette Sits Down With Adam Cole
When we return from the break, we see Renee Paquette sitting with Adam Cole for their one-on-one interview ahead of Sunday’s ALL IN. She asks him about his relationship with MJF and shows a video package.
Cole talks about what his friendship with MJF means to him and then they shift the conversation to talk about how he will be opening and closing the show in matches for the ROH Tag-Team titles with MJF and the AEW World title against MJF.
She then brings up Roderick Strong and shows some video highlights of their relationship, including some moments where Cole spoke to Strong about how he’s just playing MJF, as well as near attacks Cole made on MJF behind his back — the same way MJF nearly did the same to him a few times.
Adam gets upset after the video. He stands up and says he’s gonna leave now. He says he can’t understand why it’s so hard to process that there’s no issues with he and MJF. He storms off.
Tornado Tag-Team Match
Darby Allin & Nick Wayne vs. Swerve Strickland & AR Fox
Now we head back inside the Gas South Arena where we hear the familiar sounds of Darby Allin’s theme. Out comes the face-painted fan-favorite accompanied by Nick Wayne. The two head to the ring for scheduled tag-team action.
Their music dies down and now the theme for Shane “Swerve” Strickland hits. Out comes The Mogul Embassy leader accompanied by his tag-team partner AR Fox, as well as Prince Nana. The two head to the ring for what Excalibur calls a “big time grudge match.”
The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with this one. We see Darby and Swerve fighting on the floor while AR Fox blasts Wayne with a drop kick in the ring. Swerve bashes Allin into the barricade on the floor.
Fox is still wearing the bloody tank-top that Nick Wayne was wearing when they savagely attacked him at his wrestling school. Fox hits a wild high spot from the ring to the floor and The Mogul Embassy duo continue to beat down Allin and Wayne.
Wayne hits a crazy double Wayne’s World off the top of the ring post to the floor. Darby then hits a Coffin Drop on the floor. On that note, we shift gears and head into a mid-match commercial break as this match continues.
When we return from the break, we see the fight has spilled into the crowd. The commentators inform us of Swerve getting on the phone with Nick Wayne’s mom and taunting her while they beat on him on the floor.
Swerve and AR Fox hit a double-team neck-breaker off the ropes that looked like it was going to nearly paralyze the AEW newcomer. They go for the follow-up pin but Darby breaks it up just in time. Darby launches onto Swerve on the floor on the commentary table.
Moments later, we see Swerve hit a Swerve Stomp on Darby on a steel chair set up on the floor. They head back into the ring to double-team Wayne. They hit a crazy corkscrew brainbuster for a close near fall. Fox goes for a 450 splash but misses. Wayne rolls him up and scores the win as Darby holds onto Swerve to stop him from breaking it up.
Winners: Darby Allin & Nick Wayne
The Mogul Embassy Fires AR Fox, Darby Allin Forgives Him
Once the match wraps up, a psycho-sounding and semi-emotional sounding Shane “Swerve” Strickland tells AR Fox he blames everything on him. He reveals to him that this was always a test. He says he can’t even beat an 18 year old child that he wiped the floor with.
He says he can’t trust him. He says he can’t trust him in this match, so he damn sure can’t trust him in front of 80,000 people at Wembley. He tells Prince Nana to handle his light work. Prince Nana tells him on behalf of The Mogul Embassy, he is fired. He is attacked from behind and hit with a Drill Claw by Brian Cage.
Now Sting with his baseball bat comes back out with Darby Allin and Nick Wayne. The three head to the ring and run off Swerve, Brian Cage and Prince Nana. Darby gets on the mic and says he owes AR Fox his life. He forgives him. He tells him he loves him. Allin tells Swerve he’s dumber than he thought. He asks who he’s got to fight their team at ALL IN.
Swerve smiles, as does Prince Nana and Brian Cage. As they continue laughing, out comes Luchasaurus and Christian Cage. Cage brings up Nick Wayne’s father being dead. He says he heard he was a wrestler. He says he’s never heard of him so he must not have been any good.
He tells him to reconsider so he doesn’t have to see a coffin door closed on someone he loves a second time at such a young age. The fans loudly chant “Assh*le” at him. The segment wraps up on that note.
Renee Paquette Sits Down With FTR & The Young Bucks
We shoot backstage and see Renee Paquette is seated with FTR and The Young Bucks. The two teams thank each other for coming to the other’s defense. FTR tells them not to thank them. They didn’t do it for them. They want them healthy so they can find out once and for all who is the best tag-team of all-time at AEW ALL IN 2023 this Sunday.
Matt Jackson tells them that they don’t need to win this to cement their legacy, but FTR does. Cash Wheeler says he isn’t even going to dignify that but agrees that their match on Sunday is the biggest in their career as well.
Dax Harwood mentions this is how they feed their family, so it’s more important than just the titles. Nick Jackson mocks him for always talking about his family. Dax tells him easy. He asks how does he feed his daughter, by the way. Dax again tells him to cool it. He reminds them that they helped them have a job. He mentions giving them their name on their YouTube show.
Harwood stutters bad in response to that then finishes by saying they’re gonna crack their foundation in front of 80,000 fans. Paquette wraps it up after that and we head to a commercial break. Victory — Young Bucks. Top guys [verbally knocked] — out.
Ruby Soho vs. Skye Blue
When we return from the break, we see highlights from AEW Rampage: Fight For The Fallen from last week. Saraya & Toni Storm vs. Britt Baker & Hikaru Shida is announced for this Friday in a video package that airs.
From there, we then return inside Gas South Arena where Ruby Soho makes her way out to the tune of The Outcasts theme. Toni Storm comes out with her but stops and heads to the back. As Soho heads to the ring, a split-screen interview with her from earlier today airs. She mentions having her sights set on the TBS Women’s Championship.
Soho settles in the ring and her music dies down. Now the theme for Skye Blue hits and out she comes for this scheduled one-on-one bout in the AEW women’s singles division. A split-screen interview with her airs as well.
The two brawl before the bell a bit. Soho beats Blue down on the floor and brings her back in the ring, where the bell sounds to get this one officially off-and-running. Soho keeps beating down an already beaten down Blue, stomping away at her in the corner.
As Skye Blue starts to fight back and settle into the offensive driver’s seat for the first time in the bout, we shift gears and head into a mid-match commercial break as the action continues.
We return from the break to see Blue still beating Soho down as the fans come to life in Duluth. Blue hits a flying cross-body splash off the top-rope for a close near fall. Blue hits an arm-whip into a neck-breaker moments later for a close near fall. Soho reverses her for an attempt of her own. They roll back-and-forth a bunch with repeated pin attempts.
They start to duke it out again and Skye connects with her Skye-Fall trademark spot for a super close near fall. She looks for Code Blue but Soho sees it coming and avoids it. Soho takes over seconds later and hits Destination Unknown for the pin fall victory. Good match.
Winner: Ruby Soho
Renee Paquette Talks To Roderick Strong & The Kingdom
We shoot backstage and Renee Paquette is standing by with Roderick Strong and The Kingdom. Strong, still in a neck brace, of course, is asked about the friendship between MJF and Adam Cole.
Strong vows that by the end of the night at AEW ALL IN 2023, we’re gonna find out who the real MJF is and who the real Adam Cole is. The quick backstage interview segment wraps up on that note.
The Acclaimed Call Out The House Of Black, Billy Gunn Returns
A House of Black video package airs showing the latest in their ongoing rivalry with The Acclaimed and the retired Billy Gunn, whose boots they still have possession of.
The video wraps up and out comes The Acclaimed without their shirts on. No rapping. Anthony Bowens gets on the mic and says enough fun. They say go ahead and turn the lights out and let’s fight.
Ask and you shall receive!
The lights in the Gas South Arena go out and then the familiar sounds of The House of Black theme hits as smoke billows from the entrance way. Out they come with Julia Hart and they head down to the ringside area.
When the lights come back on, we see Malakai Black, Brody King, Buddy Matthews and Julia Hart surronding the ring on the apron. Max Caster and Anthony Bowens stare them down from inside the ring.
The House of Black finally hit the ring and beat down Caster and Bowens as the fans boo. King has the bloody chain from Caster from last week wrapped around his fist. He goes to deck them with it but the sounds of The Acclaimed theme hits again.
Out comes Billy Gunn to a mega pop from the Duluth crowd. As he heads to the ring, all of The House of Black exit the squared circle and retreat. Gunn grabs a mic and tells The House of Black to hold on one second.
Gunn tells them that they wanted his attention and now they’ve got it. He reminds everyone that he unlaced his boots and left them in the ring. He says he did the two hardest things he’s ever had to do. Walk out on Max and Anthony and leave behind a really good career.
He says he was okay with that until last week when they jumped Max and Anthony and busted them open. He says they hurt one of his kids. That wasn’t good enough. Then they took his boots and destroyed them. He says they tried to destroy a legacy he spent 32 years building.
ROH World Tag-Team Championships
Aussie Open (C) vs. The Hardys
It’s main event time!
After Excalibur speed-reads through matches for Saturday’s Collision and updates to the lineup for ALL IN, as well as the current card for ALL OUT the following week, we shoot back inside the Gas South Arena for our final match of the evening.
With that said, the iconic sounds of The Hardys theme hits and out comes Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy to a rock star reaction from the Georgia crowd. They settle into the ring as we shift gears and head into a pre-match commercial break.
When we return from the break, we see The Hardys settled in the ring and their music dies down. The theme for Aussie Open hits and out comes Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis for the latest defense of their ROH World Tag-Team Championships.
The fight breaks out early, as all four men start duking it out and brawling before the bell sounds. After Aussie Open gain the offensive advantage, the bell does sound and the match gets officially off-and-running. We see the champs start off in the lead but The Hardys take over as we head into a mid-match commercial break.
Matt Hardy is shown firing up and taking over, beating down Kyle Fletcher when we return from the final break of the evening. The fans chant “DELETE! DELETE!” as he beats him down in the corner. He goes for the Twist of Fate but Davis hits the ring to break it up before he can.
Excalibur points out that AEW has been given clearance to run long tonight, and they will stick with this action despite the fact that we are past the 10 o’clock hour now.
Fletcher power bombs Matt Hardy and tags in Davis. Davis picks up where he left off, taking it to Matt. The two hit some double-team spots and ultimately finish this one off with the victory to retain their ROH World Tag-Team Championships heading into their scheduled defense against MJF and Adam Cole at AEW ALL IN this Sunday.
Winners and STILL ROH World Tag-Team Champions: Aussie Open
MJF & Adam Cole Take Out Aussie Open, Hug It Out
Once the match wraps up, Aussie Open gets on the mic and says there will not be any kangaroo kicks or double clotheslines this weekend at ALL IN. They vow to retain the ROH World Tag-Team Championships.
The theme for MJF and Adam Cole hits and out comes the Bro-Mance of AEW. The AEW World Champion and his best bud settle in the ring and have a stare down with Aussie Open as the fans react.
MJF and Adam Cole turn to leave but Aussie Open tries sneak-attacking them. They stomp them out in opposing corners of the ring as the fans boo. They pose on the ropes in the corner. The two recover and beat down the champs.
We see MJF and Adam Cole fire up the crowd and then get them to chant “Double clothesline!” They set up Davis for one but he runs away. Fletcher is still in the ring. MJF signals for a kangaroo kick. He goes for it but Davis attacks him from behind.
Cole super kicks him. Fletcher goes to attack Cole but MJF makes the save. MJF holds Fletcher and Cole goes to super kick him. Fletcher avoids it and escapes the ring. MJF catches Cole’s kick before he accidentally hits him. They stare each other down and the fans chant “Hug it out!”
Instead, MJF turns and picks up his title and then stares Cole down and raisesit in the air. Cole extends his hand for a handshake. MJF pushes past him and doesn’t. He stops and thinks. He then slips the Dynamite diamond ring on his hand. He tells Cole to turn around and then the two do indeed hug it out for a huge pop.
That’s how this week’s Fyter Fest edition of Dynamite goes off the air. Thanks for joining us!
