‘AEW: Collision’ Review (Oct 7th 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 McGuinness and Ian Riccaboni calling the action, with JR commentating on the main event as well this week, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: AEW World Tag Team Title Match – Ricky Starks & Big Bill def. FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Starks charged FTR! He nailed Dax with a satellite DDT after bashing Dax’s shoulder into the steel ring post. Big Bill tagged in a slugged Dax with a vicious lariat, knocking Harwood over the top rope and onto the arena floor. Doc Sampson was checking on Cash on the arena floor. Starks ordered Big Bill to attack Cash. Big Bill choke slammed Wheeler onto the announcers’ table. Back in the ring, Dax avoided Big Bill, dodging several splash attempts. Dax had no one to tag out to. Big Bill choke slammed Harwood! Starks ordered Big Bill to hit the move again, and Big Bill choke slammed Harwood a second time. Starks said, “One more time!” Big Bill choke slammed Cash a third time! Big Bill held Harwood while Starks speared Harwood. Starks covered Harwood and pinned him! New AEW World Tag Team Champions… “Absolute” Ricky Starks and Big Bill!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Bryan Danielson def. Kyle Fletcher
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Fletcher blasted Bryan with a shoulder block. He followed up with a kick to Bryan Danielson’s bad arm. Bryan Danielson regained momentum, applying a surfboard submission onto Fletcher. Bryan transitioned into the mount and grounded and pounded Kyle Fletcher. Fletcher rocketed outside the ring with a tope suicida toward Danielson. Fletcher connected, but his own force carried him into the steel guardrail! Fletcher got back to his feet. Fletcher body slammed Danielson. Bryan got up and drilled Fletcher with round kicks for a near fall. Fletcher clipped Danielson with a kick and followed up with a brainbuster for a two-count. Danielson blocked a thrust kick and applied an ankle lock on Fletcher. Danielson threw Kyle overhead with a German Suplex. Fletcher fired back with a dragon suplex on the American Dragon. Fletcher planted Danielson with a Michinoku driver! Fletcher locked in a dragon sleeper. Fletcher put Danielson on the top rope. Fletcher hit a reverse suplex and went into the dragon sleeper again, but Danielson countered! Danielson escaped and put Fletcher in a European Clutch and pinned him!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Bullet Club Gold (Juice Robinson, and Austin & Colten Gunn) def. Metalik, Gravity, & Angelico
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Austin decked Gravity on the chin. Juice and Metalik tagged in for their respective teams. Metalik nailed Juice with a sling blade bulldog. Angelico tied up Juice and Gravity jumped from the top with a double foot stomp. Colten tagged in and drove his forearms into Gravity. Juice entered the fray and jabbed at Gravity. Austin wanted in. Austin used his left handed jabs on Gravity. Colten wanted in. Gravity could barely get to his feet and then rolled up Colten with an inside cradle for a near fall. Angelico applied a double submission to the Gunns. Juice ran in and punched Angelico right in the face! Metalik tagged in and hit a high cross body on the Gunns. He planted Austin with a hurracanrana. But the Gunns fired back with the 3:10 to Yuma. Juice planted Metalik on his head and scored the pin!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: AEW World Trios Championship Match – The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens, Max Caster & Daddy Ass) def. The Iron Savages (Boulder, Bronson & Jacked Jameson)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Bronson and Boulder double teamed Bowens. Bronson smashed him with a senton. The Iron Savages isolated Bowens. Boulder went for a moonsault, but Bowens rolled out of the way. Caster tagged in and cleaned house on the Iron Savages, dishing out back fists and thrust kicks. Caster connected with a cross body press on Jacked Jameson for a near fall. The Iron Savages double choke slammed Caster. Bowens came to the aid of his partner and broke up the pin attempt. Daddy Ass and Caster double suplexed Beefcake Boulder. Bowens hit Beefcake with the Scissor Me Timbers! Caster planted Jameson with the Arrival. Caster hit the Mic Drop and pinned Jameson!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #5: Toni Storm def. Kiera Hogan
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Toni handed Kiera a script and Kiera ripped it up! Hogan dodged the hip attack. Hogan hit a hip attack of her own. Toni flung Kiera across the ring by the hair! Hogan jumped off the top with a cross body for a two count. Toni knocked Hogan out of the ring with a hip attack. Kiera blasted Toni Storm with a missile drop kick. Kiera rammed into Toni with a hip attack and then a baseball slide for a two-count. Hogan hit a step-up leg drop on Toni Storm. Toni Storm nailed Hogan with a German Suplex. Storm rattled Hogan with her hip attack and then finished her off with the Storm Zero, grabbing the pinfall victory on Hogan!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: ROH World Championship Match – Eddie Kingston def. Komander
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jim Ross joined the broadcast booth to provide his main event analysis. Komander was frustrating Kingston with his lucha prowess. Kingston nailed Komander with rapid fire strikes to the chest and then an exploder suplex. Komander used a twisting corkscrew cross body and then a standing shooting star press for a near fall. Komander ran across the edge of the ring, flipped over the ring post and landed on Kingston on the arena floor. Komander followed up with a 450 splash for a near fall on the champ. Kingston knocked Komander from his perch on the top rope. Eddie met him up there and they jockeyed for position. Kingston headbutted Komander and then superplexed him, but Komander countered. Kingson clocked Komander with a short arm lariat. Eddie was looking for the Northern Lights Suplex, but Komander countered with a DDT. Kingston rocked Komander with a spinning backfist and pinned Komander!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
What a start to this week’s Collision! I hoped against all hope that Ricky Starks and Big Bill would pick up the win after Bill put Cash Wheeler through the announce table but I didn’t expect it. So I was over the moon when the duo scored the win – Ricky Starks needed a big win after his recent run of matches so getting the gold is a great topper to all that. The opener was followed by another superb Bryan Danielson match – if his “retirement” year is going to keep on like this then I don’t know what the hell we can expect in the future! The two trios matches were OK but they both felt a little throwaway, however I always appreciate seeing Bronson and Boulder on AEW programming. Running back the Toni Storm/Kira Hogan match so soon felt a little reductive but Storm’s new gimmick gave a whole new edge to the match. As for the main event I always love seeing Eddie Kingston in action and for him to be main eventing a show over some of AEW’s bigger names? Mind-blowing!
