5 Big Takeaways from AEW Fyter Fest (July 13, 2022)

Claudio Castagnoli picked up a huge victory on this week's edition of AEW Dynamite

AEW Dynamite was week one of the promotion's special annual event, Fyter Fest, and it did not disappoint. It originated in the colonial city of Savannah, Georgia, and presented a stacked card.

This week kicked off AEW Fyter Fest 2022, and it seems like the company is already gearing up for All Out. There were multiple advertisements for the mega upcoming show in Chicago and if this week is any indication, it should be an interesting build for the event.

With three title bouts and one switch, there was plenty to keep the AEW faithful on the edge of their seats.

There were several good moments, but a handful of them really stood out. Here are five takeaways from this week's episode of AEW Dynamite.

#5. Despite a great finish, the tag team title match should NOT have been this week's main event

Not much more to add here, except to say that both of the other two championship bouts should've been in this spot. The World and TNT title showdowns were far superior.

In many ways, it seems like Tony Khan books these cards backwards. He often starts the show with a marquee match, rather saving it for later. No one can be sure if he's doing it consistently on purpose, or if he has some misguided logic here.

Having said that, the three teams involved told a great story for what they were given. With Swerve Strickland and Keith Lee winning gold, it's likely they will continue their love/hate him partnership.

#4. The TNT title match that kicked off the show was filled with a lot of fun spots

Dynamite started with one of the more entertaining showdowns of the evening. Newly crowned TNT Champion Wardlow defended his title against crowd favorite Orange Cassidy.

Just like any other match that Freshly Squeezed has been in, there were plenty of antics. But it really worked in this bout, and some of the spots were reminiscent of a vaudeville show. In that same vein, Danhausen even got in on the act, but his 'magic potion' had no effect on the champ.

NOT THE POCKETS!!!!!!! 😭 @orangecassidy @RealWardlow #AEWDynamite https://t.co/3WtjYkGbYM

Once the comedy was over, the two men engaged in an incredibly high octane match. And despite the size difference, Cassidy was able to get into some offense while still appearing as the underdog. He put up a hell of a fight before eventually suffering the loss.

Solid efforts in the ring were put in from Wardlow and Cassidy, but the best part of the bout was how they worked in humor without hurting Wardlow's more serious character.

#3. Claudio Castagnoli looks like a future World Champion in AEW

The reception that the former Cesaro received from the AEW audience has been fantastic, and the change of scenery seems to have lit a fire under him. He displayed that again this week.

Long known as one of the strongest grapplers pound-for-pound in the industry today, he flexed that muscle against the massive Jake Hager.

The match was a highlight reel, with Claudio playing all the hits. For years, fans wondered when he would get his chance to stand top in WWE, but it never happened.

With the momentum he currently has now in All Elite Wrestling, look for Claudio to be in the mix for the World Championship by the end of the year.

#2. Chris Jericho delivered one of the best promos

The Wizard responded to Eddie Kingston's challenge with a scathing monologue that got deeply personal at times. Not only did Jericho agree to a Barbed Wire Everywhere match, he added a little spice to the equation.

He closed by letting the Mad King know that he wasn't facing Le Champion and would be taking on The Painmaker.

The Painmaker is back in business 😤 Are you ready @MadKing1981? #AEWDynamite #FyterFest https://t.co/cG3XyAofKR

Jericho has never been a slouch in the promo department, but it seems like he has lost some of his edge over the last several months. This was more in line with the Y2J that we've known for almost 30 years.

Considering he is trading barbs with another microphone master in Kingston, we can probably expect to see more speeches like the excellent one we got this week.

#1. Jon Moxley and Konosuke Takeshita left it all in the ring

The interim AEW World title was on the line as Mox and Takeshita left plenty of scrap iron laying around the arena. Both men were bloodied during the bout and Mox won the match after a series of moves that led to a Paradigm hift.

An absolute blowout between the two, and Takeshita should definitely be making some more appearances in All Elite Wrestling. The crowd loved him and even appeared to turn on Moxley in moments during the match.

It will be interesting to see what happens when CM Punk returns with the original championship. In the meantime, hopefully The Wild Thing will rack up a string of convincing wins, so he's ready to go when The Best in the World comes back. That confrontation should make for a great main event someday.