‘AEW: Collision’ Review (Aug 12th 2023)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW’s latest television show, Collision, which brings wrestling back to Saturday nights! We’ve got the commentary team of Nigel McGuiness and Ian Riccaboni calling the action, with Jim Ross joining commentary for the CM Punk match as he did last week… someone’s got to be in Punks’ corner given the recent rumours regarding his actions at this show), so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) def. Iron Savages (Bronson & Boulder)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Bowens traded forearms with Bronson. Bowens got the upper hand, and then tagged out to Max. Boulder got chopped by Max. Boulder held up both members of the Acclaimed and hurled them overhead and to the mat. Bowens cleaned house on the Iron Savages. Boulder and Bronson planted Bowens. Caster ran in to break up the pin attempt on Bowens. Caster springboard dropkicked Bronson off the shoulders of Boulder. Jack Jameson jumped into the ring and Bowens nailed him with Scissor Me Timbers. The Acclaimed hit double FameAssers on their opponents and scored the victory.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: Diamante & Mercedes Martinez def. Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Diamante and Statlander slugged it out. Willow tagged in and splashed Diamante for a near fall. She booted Diamante in the face. Martinez and Diamante double dropkicked Willow after placing her in the Paradise Lock. Willow rallied back by choke slamming Diamante onto a prone Martinez. Statlander grabbed the hot tag and dished out clotheslines to the opposition. Kris and Willow hit their opponents with double sentons. Diamante rocked Kris with a cutter. Martinez threw Diamante over the top rope and out onto her opponents outside the ring. Willow came back with a pounce onto Martinez. Kris smashed Diamante with a fisherman busterman spin driver. Martinez rolled up Willow and pinned her, with the help of Diamante giving leverage to Martinez.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Samoa Joe def. Andrew Everett
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Samoa Joe jabbed at Everett. Joe crushed Andrew in the corner with a splash. Samoa Joe rocked Everett with a lariat and then locked in his submission to force the tap out!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #4: Luchasaurus def. Brock Anderson
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Brock Anderson jumped into the ring and the match began! Luchasaurus booted Brock in the face. He followed up with another thrust kick. Luchasaurus planted Brock hard onto the mat. Brock battled back with right hands to Luchasaurus. The champ choke slammed Brock. Luchasaurus plowed into Brock with a lariat from behind and then pinned him!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: AEW World Trios Championship Match – The House of Black (Brody King, Buddy Matthews & Malakai Black) def. CMFTR (FTR & CM Punk)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Buddy backed Punk into the turnbuckles. Buddy blasted Punk with a shoulder block. Cash Wheeler tagged in. Cash used an arm drag on Buddy and tagged in Dax Harwood. Dax suplexed Buddy Matthews and followed up with a leg drop. Brody King grabbed a tag and chopped Dax in the chest. Dax used some smash mouth tactics to bring Brody to his feet. FTR dropkicked Brody, knocking him to the arena floor. Malakai Black tagged in. Punk ducked a roundhouse kick from Black. Both teams entered the ring and began to brawl. Brody King helped isolate Dax into the House of Black’s corner. Harwood DDT’ed Malakai Black! Dax tagged out to CM Punk. Punk nailed Buddy with a running knee strike. Punk hoisted up Buddy for the GTS, but Buddy escaped. Punk rocked Buddy with a clothesline. Punk climbed to the top turnbuckle. Julia Hart distracted the ref just long enough for Malakai Black to knock Punk down. Brody tagged in and ran into Punk with a cannonball in the corner! Brody followed up with a snap suplex. Punk was caught in the wrong corner. Punk came back out of nowhere with a GTS on Buddy Matthews. Punk tagged out to Wheeler. Cash cut Brody King down to size. He caught Black with a powerslam. FTR sent all three members of the House of Black out of the ring. Wheeler flew out, through the ropes and right at the House of Black. Cash nailed Brody with a bulldog off the top rope. Brody rallied back with a double DDT on FTR! Dax and Cash cut off his momentum with a superplex! Punk dropped an elbow off the top rope and onto Brody for a near fall! CMFTR blasted Brody with a Super Shatter Machine! But Buddy hit a meteora on Cash! Harwood got nailed with a running knee from Black. Punk and Black dropped one another with massive kicks. Punk drove Black into the barricade with a tope suicida! Harwood hit a diving headbutt on Brody King! Out of the shadows, Samoa Joe grabbed CM Punk and locked on a sleeper in the front row! Julia Hart jumped onto the ring apron and distracted the referee. Brody wrecked Dax with a spinning lariat and pinned him!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
This was a pretty decent, if not remarkable, episode of Collision. I do hope this isn’t going to be the norm for the show as it’s had a lot stronger weeks than the past two. At least we got a great 4-woman tag match this week, especially given that it featured Diamante and Mercedes Martinez – who seemed to have been relegated to ROH in recent weeks. The finish to this one was a surprise too, if I was a betting man I would’ve said the faces would have scored the win but no… It was a great twist on audience expectations, that’s for sure! And despite getting “squashed” by Luchasaurs, Brock Anderson looked the stronger he’s ever looked in AEW, I do hope this is also a sign of things to come. As for the main event, it was another great multi-man match with two teams that have delivered since day one and that was also the case here, with House of Black having one of their best matches of recent memory (as in they actually had decent competition for once).
