‘AEW: Collision’ Review (Nov 25th 2023)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW’s latest television show, Collision, which was screened back to back with Rampage this week in three hours of LIVE wrestling! We’ve got the commentary team of Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness and Tony Schiavone calling the action, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Continental Classic Match – The Blue League: Claudio Castagnoli def. Daniel Garcia
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Claudio Castagnoli quickly hit Garcia with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Claudio followed up with a body slam. Garcia lunged at Claudio with a guillotine, but Claudio muscled his way out of it. Garcia chopped at Claudio, but Claudio fired back with a European Uppercut. Garcia charged at Claudio, knocking Claudio out of the ring with a running knee. Daniel hammered Claudio with stiff shots to the head. Garcia ran at Claudio, but Claudio caught him and swung him into the steel guardrail. Claudio applied a sharpshooter in the ring. Garcia managed to trap Claudio and cradle him for a near fall. Claudio blasted Garcia with a European Uppercut. Claudio rocked Garcia with the Ricola Bomb and pinned him, earning three points!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Killswitch (aka Luchasaurus) def. The Boys (Brent & Brandon Tate)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Brent was thrown overhead by Killswitch with a wheelbarrow suplex. Killswitch choke slammed Brandon over the top rope and down onto the edge of the ring! Killswitch clobbered Brent with a lariat to the back of the head and pinned him!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #3: The House of Black (Malakai Black & Buddy Matthews) def. Komander & Gravity
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Buddy punted Gravity in the face and tagged out to Black. Malakai had a flurry of strikes for Gravity. Komander had a blind tag and caught Black off guard with a hurracanrana. Black planted Komander with a German Suplex for a near fall. Komander connected with a shotgun dropkick off the top to both House of Black members. Komander nailed Black with a gut buster for a near fall. Gravity took flight with a tope con hiro but Black and Matthews caught him and blocked it. Komander walked the ropes from one turnbuckle from another and then springboarded off the top, taking out Black and Matthews on the arena floor. Komander and Gravity each jumped off turnbuckles, but Black and Matthews countered by raising their knees. Black cracked Gravity with a knee lift, and Matthews smashed Komander with a knee lift. Black ravaged Komander with a spinning back elbow and then sat on the mat, waiting for Komander to crawl to him. It was a trap. Buddy curb stomped Komander and then pinned him!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: TBS Championship Match – Julia Hart def. Lady Frost
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Lady Frost chose no count-outs for this match. Julia Hart whipped Lady Frost into the steel guardrail. The rules were favoring Julia Hart here. Julia picked up a steel chair and placed it on the ground after being admonished by the ref. Lady Frost tried for a moonsault off the ring steps, but Julia dodged it. Lady Frost landed on her feet, but Julia was one step ahead with a thrust kick to the challenger. Julia propped Lady Frost on the steel chair. Julia ran down the ramp and clotheslined a prone Lady Frost. Back in the ring, Julia applied the Heartless Submission and forced Lady Frost to tap out!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) def. The Righteous (Vincent & Dutch)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Dax used a lariat to knocked Dutch over the top rope. Dax backdropped Vincent out of the ring, and Vincent landed on Dutch. Back in the ring, Dutch splashed Dax for a two-count. Dutch was looking for a senton off the turnbuckles, but Dax dodged it. Vincent grabbed a tag, but Dax used a baseball slide through Vincent’s legs to tag out to Cash. Cash cleaned house on the Righteous. Dutch grabbed a blind tag and planted Cash with a bossman slam! Dax tagged in and FTR hit the Shatter Machine on Vincent, allowing Dax to score the pin.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: Keith Lee def. Lee Moriarty
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Lee Moriarty kicked Keith Lee on the thigh. Keith fired back with a kick of his own, but Moriarty ducked it. Keith Lee came back with a pounce on Moriarty. Lee Moriarty grabbed an arm bar, but Keith Lee pulled him up with a bicep curl. Keith Lee walloped Moriarty with a lariat. Moriarty stunned Keith with a bulldog from the top rope. Moriarty springboarded but Keith countered with a headbutt and then finished him off with a powerslam for the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #7: Continental Classic Match – The Blue League: Brody King def. Eddie Kingston
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Brody and Eddie traded shoulder blocks. Then they exchanged chops in the center of the ring. Brody battered Kingston in the corner with a running cannonball. Outside the ring, Brody pummeled Kingston with more chops and then whipped Kingston into the steel ring steps. Brody charged at Kingston, but Kingston countered with a drop toehold, sending Brody colliding into the steps. Brody rallied back, splashing Kingston against the barricade. Back in the ring Brody body slammed Kingston and then connected with a senton splash. Brody tried to whip Kingston into the turnbuckles, but Kingston’s legs gave out and he crumbled to the mat. Kingston collected himself and out of nowhere, in a desperate move, Kingston clubbed Brody with a lariat. Eddie went for an exploder suplex, but Brody countered with a German Suplex. Kingston shocked Brody with a spinning backfist for a near fall! They traded chops again! Brody switched to forearms. Eddie spiked Brody with a DDT for a near fall! Eddie charged at Brody King, but Brody planted Kingston. Brody was looking for a lariat, but Eddie countered with an exploder and then a half-and-half suplex. Kingston followed up with a third suplex for a two-count on Brody! Brody nailed Kingston with a piledriver for a two-count. Eddie ducked a lariat and cracked Brody with a spinning backfist! Brody decimated Kingston with Dante’s Inferno and then pinned him! Brody has earned three points!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This was yet another solid week for Collision, with only one squash match on the card. Across the board we got solid matches, especially the Continental Classic matches which – as I’ve stated in a previous review – have been a highlight of the past few weeks, putting good, clean, WRESTLING at the forefront which is, IMHO, how AEW started before this year’s odd choice to go down the “sports entertainment” storytelling route (I know, I know, wrestling needs stories but I think AEW has gone too far in that direction this year). The House of Black had a fantastic showing in this episode, with Brody King and Eddie Kingston really delivering a fantastic hard-hitting “meat” match!
