The 2020 Fight for the Fallen was the second annual Fight for the Fallen professional wrestling charity event produced by All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The event aired on TNT as a television special episode of AEW's weekly television program, Wednesday Night Dynamite. For the event's charitable cause, it helped to raise money for COVID-19 relief. The event took place on July 15, 2020, at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida.
| Fight for the Fallen | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |||
| Promotion | All Elite Wrestling | ||
| Date | July 15, 2020 | ||
| City | Jacksonville, Florida | ||
| Venue | Daily's Place | ||
| Attendance | 0 (behind closed doors)[Note 1] | ||
| Fight for the Fallen chronology | |||
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| AEW Dynamite special episodes chronology | |||
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Production edit
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Commentators | Jim Ross |
| Excalibur | |
| Taz (1st hour) | |
| Chris Jericho (2nd hour) | |
| Ring announcer | Justin Roberts |
| Referees | Aubrey Edwards |
| Mike Posey | |
| Paul Turner | |
| Rick Knox | |
| Interviewers | Alex Marvez |
| Dasha Gonzalez |
Background edit
In June 2019, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) held a charity event titled Fight for the Fallen. All gate proceeds from the event were donated to victims of gun violence, which was a reference to the event's title.[1][2] AEW and event sponsor Farah & Farah, a personal injury law firm located in Jacksonville, Florida, raised more than US$150,000 and the proceeds from the gate were donated to the Jacksonville Victim Assistance Advisory Council.[3][4][5]
During Night 1 of Fyter Fest on July 1, 2020, it was announced that instead of airing on pay-per-view (PPV), the second Fight for the Fallen charity event would be broadcast as a special episode of AEW's weekly television program, Dynamite, on July 15. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that began affecting the industry in mid-March, the event was held behind closed doors at Daily's Place in Jacksonville. Also due to the pandemic, it was announced that this second Fight for the Fallen event would raise money for COVID-19 relief, which would be added to the $1 million already donated by AEW President and Chief Executive Officer Tony Khan and his father Shahid Khan. As fans were unable to attend the event, AEW launched an online donation drive and released a limited-edition Fight for the Fallen t-shirt on ShopAEW.com with 100% of the proceeds benefiting Florida's First Coast Relief Fund and Feeding Northeast Florida.[6]
Storylines edit
Fight for the Fallen featured professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and storylines. Wrestlers portrayed heroes, villains, or less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches.[7] Storylines were produced on AEW's weekly television program, Dynamite, the supplementary online streaming show, Dark, and The Young Bucks' YouTube series Being The Elite.
At Double or Nothing, the debuting Brian Cage won the nine-man Casino Ladder Match to earn a future AEW World Championship opportunity.[8] During the media scrum following Double or Nothing's broadcast, Tony Khan announced that Cage's championship match against Jon Moxley, who successfully defended the title against Mr. Brodie Lee that night, would main event Night 2 of Fyter Fest.[8][9] After Moxley's wife, WWE employee Renee Young, had tested positive for COVID-19, the match was rescheduled for Fight for the Fallen due to possible secondhand exposure; Moxley later tested negative twice.[10]
On July 13, Chris Jericho was announced as appearing in a non-wrestling role at the event.[11]
Reception edit
Television ratings edit
Fight for the Fallen averaged 788,000 television viewers on TNT and a 0.29 rating in AEW's key demographic.[12]
Results edit
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[16] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cody (c) (with Arn Anderson) defeated Sonny Kiss | Singles match for the AEW TNT Championship[13] | 10:45 | ||
| 2 | FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) defeated Lucha Brothers (Pentagón Jr. and Rey Fénix) | Tag team match[13] | 13:25 | ||
| 3 | The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) defeated Jurassic Express (Jungle Boy, Luchasaurus, and Marko Stunt) | Six-man tag team match[13] | 15:05 | ||
| 4 | The Nightmare Sisters (Allie and Brandi Rhodes) (with Dustin Rhodes) defeated Kenzie Paige and MJ Jenkins | Tag team match[14] | 2:00 | ||
| 5 | Jon Moxley (c) defeated Brian Cage (with Taz) by technical submission[Note 2] | Singles match for the AEW World Championship[15] | 15:00 | ||
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See also edit
Notes edit
- ^ The event was held without a paying audience due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, though it featured a live crowd of AEW wrestlers and personnel.
- ^ Cage's cornerman, Taz, threw in the towel while Cage was in a submission hold, allowing Moxley to win by submission.
References edit
- ^ "AEW - The Road to Fight for the Fallen - Episode 01". YouTube.com. Nightmare Family. June 26, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
- ^ "AEW reveals date and venue for Fight for the Fallen". F4WOnline.com. Wrestling Observer Newsletter. March 4, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
- ^ "Eddie Farah". FarahandFarah.com. Farah & Farah. Archived from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
- ^ "Farah & Farah is proud to sponsor @AEWrestling's #FightForTheFallen event on 7/13. Proceeds from the gate will go to Jacksonville's Victim Assistance Advisory Council to help victims of violent crimes. We hope to see you in the crowd! #AEW". Twitter.com. Farah & Farah. July 3, 2019. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- ^ Killam, Mike (July 15, 2019). "Donations to Continue After AEW Raises More Than $150,000 at Fight for the Fallen". ProWrestling.com. Archived from the original on July 3, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ^ AEW Staff (July 10, 2020). "AEW Announces Initiative To Support Northeast Florida's Response To COVID-19". All Elite Wrestling. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ Grabianowski, Ed (January 13, 2006). "How Pro Wrestling Works". HowStuffWorks, Inc. Discovery Communications. Archived from the original on November 29, 2013. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
- ^ a b Powell, Jason (May 23, 2020). "AEW Double Or Nothing results: Powell's live review of Cody vs. Lance Archer to become the first TNT Champion (Mike Tyson presents the belt), Jon Moxley vs. Brodie Lee for the AEW Championship, The Elite vs. The Inner Circle in a Stadium Stampede match". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- ^ DeFelice, Robert (May 24, 2020). "AEW Fyter Fest Returning In 2020, Will Feature Jon Moxley vs. Brian Cage For AEW World Title". Fightful. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
- ^ Thompson, Andrew (July 1, 2020). "AEW Fight For The Fallen scheduled for 7/15, Moxley vs. Cage set for the show". Post Wrestling. Retrieved July 1, 2020.
- ^ Jericho, Chris (July 13, 2020). "I've got something to say..... @aewontnt #AEWDynamite @james.hetfield". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ Metcalf, Mitch (July 16, 2020). "SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 7.15.2020". showbuzzdaily.com. Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on July 16, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2020.
- ^ a b c All Elite Wrestling [@AEWrestling] (July 9, 2020). "Fight for the Fallen is shaping up to be another PPV worthy card! Watch Fight for the Fallen for FREE on Wednesday, July 15th, at 8e7c on @TNTDrama. #AEWDynamite" (Tweet). Retrieved July 8, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ All Elite Wrestling (July 14, 2020). "New announcements for Fight for the Fallen. The Nightmare Sisters @alliewrestling & @thebrandirhodes will be in action, and Le Champion @chrisjerichofozzy has something to say on Wednesday. Watch Fight for the Fallen on Wednesday, July 15th, at 8e7c on @TNTDrama. #AEWDynamite #AEWonTNT". Instagram. Archived from the original on 2021-12-26. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
- ^ All Elite Wrestling [@AEWrestling] (July 2, 2020). "IN TWO WEEKS! Your #AEW World Champion @JonMoxley will defend his championship at #AEWFightForTheFallen against 'The Machine' @MrGMSI_BCage. Watch night one of #FyterFest NOW on @TNTDrama for more details. #AEWonTNT #AEWDynamite" (Tweet). Retrieved July 1, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ Powell, Jason (July 15, 2020). "7/15 AEW Dynamite results: Powell's live review of Fight For The Fallen featuring Jon Moxley vs. Brian Cage for the AEW Championship, Cody vs. Sonny Kiss for the TNT Championship, FTR vs. Pentagon Jr. and Rey Fenix, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks vs. Jurassic Express". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved July 15, 2020.