‘AEW: Collision’ Review (Jan 13th 2024)
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, Kevin Kelly and Tony Schiavone calling the action, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Adam Copeland def. Lee Moriarty
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Collision kicked off with the “Cope Open”! Copeland whipped Moriarty into the turnbuckles. Copeland clubbed Lee with forearms. Copeland swept out Lee’s legs. Moriarty wrenched Copeland’s arm over the top rope and followed up with a dropkick. Moriarty went for the Border City Stretch. Copeland powered himself to the ropes, reaching out and grabbing the bottom rope, forcing the ref to break the hold. Moriarty climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Copeland knocked Moriarty off balance. Copeland tossed Lee with an avalanche fallaway slam. Copeland was contemplating a spear, but Shane Taylor distracted him from the arena floor. Moriarty capitalized and booted Copeland. Copeland went outside and speared Taylor and, in the process, Moriarty torpedoed Copeland with a tope. Back in the ring, Copeland pummeled Lee with stiff shots. Copeland cracked Lee with a backbreaker. Copeland applied the Grindhouse and made Moriarty tap out!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: ROH World Six-Man Championship Match – The Mogul Embassy (Bishop Kaun, Toa Liona & Brian Cage) def. Lance Archer & The Righteous (Dutch & Vincent)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Archer and Cage shoved one another. Cage took down Archer with a vertical suplex. Archer wiped out Cage with a lariat. Cage came back with a German Suplex. The Gates of Agony used tandem offense on Vincent. Toa splashed Vincent after a drop toe hold. Bishop Kaun and Vincent slugged it out in the center of the ring. Things broke down quickly with both teams brawling around ringside! Archer choke slammed Kaun. Cage entered the ring and drilled Archer with a Death Valley Driver. Vincent jumped in but Toa hit a Samoan Drop. Vincent grabbed Toa and nailed him with the Bossman Slam and then flipped over the top rope, wiping out the champs. Archer was looking for the Black Out on Kaun, but Prince Nana grabbed Archer’s boot. Jake “The Snake” Roberts knocked out Nana with one punch! Toa pounced Vincent in the ring! The Gates of Agony double teamed Vincent but Archer ran in to make the save. Cage nailed Archer with a twisting neck breaker. Bishop Kaun used his finisher and flattened Vincent for the pinfall victory!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Dustin Rhodes def. Willie Mack
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Dustin arm dragged Mack to the mat. Dustin staggered Willie with a strike to the face. Willie Mack cracked Dustin in the head with a kick. Willie splashed Dustin with a standing moonsault for a near fall. Willie Mack climbed to the top and went for the six-star frog splash, but Dustin dodged it. Dustin followed up with a Canadian Destroyer and then a power slam! Dustin planted Mack with the Cross Rhodes and pinned him!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: “Hangman” Adam Page def. The Workhorsemen’s JD Drake
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Hangman used a side headlock takeover on Drake. Hangman chopped Drake in the corner. Hangman connected with a running moonsault. Page dropkicked Drake into Anthony Henry. JD Drake blasted Page with a big blow. Hangman landed a top rope plancha on Drake. Page followed up with a crossbody press from the top rope for a near fall. Hangman hoisted up Drake and drilled him with a Death Valley Driver! JD Drake fired back with a belly-to-belly suplex and then a cannonball splash! JD Drake went for a moonsault, but Hangman got out of the way. Hangman blasted Drake with the Buckshot Lariat and pinned JD Drake!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: Deonna Purrazzo def. Red Velvet
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Red Velvet was looking for a thrust kick, but Deonna put the brakes on. Red Velvet snuck in a dropkick though. Deonna grabbed Red Velvet in a Fujiwara armbar, but Velvet grabbed the ropes. Deonna cracked Red Velvet with a baseball dropkick. Red Velvet shocked Deonna with a Japanese style arm drag. Red Velvet continued to work over Purrazzo’s arm. Deonna rocked Red Velvet with a big pump kick! Deonna grabbed Red Velvet’s arms and pulled back, forcing Red Velvet to tap out to the Venus de Milo!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: HOOK def. Kevin Matthews
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Matthews charged at Hook, trying to blindside him. Hook saw him coming and suplexed Matthews all over the ring. Hook hurled KM on the ramp with another suplex! Hook locked on the Red Rum and Kevin Matthews tapped out!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #7: The House of Black (Brody King, Buddy Matthews & Malakai Black) def. Daniel Garcia & FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Matt Menard joined the commentary team for this match. Dax smashed Buddy with a guillotine leg drop. FTR hit a double catapult on Buddy. Cash followed up with a brain buster. Garcia tagged in but ate a boot from Buddy. Malakai Black tagged in and took down Garcia with a big arm drag. Garcia ducked a roundhouse kick from Black. Black and Garcia taunted one another. Brody King entered the fray and FTR knocked him over the top rope with a lariat. The House of Black gathered outside the ring to rethink their strategy. Back in the ring, big bad Brody and Dax the ax battled it out! Brody power bombed Dax. Malakai tagged in and Malakai and Buddy Matthews double teamed Dax, cutting the ring in half, preventing him from making the tag. The House of Black were relentless in their assault on Dax Harwood. Harwood finally managed to make the tag to Garcia. Daniel Garcia had fists of fire, taking the fight right to Buddy and Malakai! Garcia held the ropes open and Cash flew out with a tope suicida onto the entire House of Black! Garcia spiked Black with a brain buster for a near fall! FTR picked up Brody and Garcia jumped off the top rope and they spiked Brody with a triple team piledriver! Black rocked Garcia with a roundhouse kick. Garcia put Black on his shoulders and Dax jumped off the top with a big bulldog for a two-count! Dax superplexed Black and Garcia jumped for the splash, but Black raised his knees in defense. Matthews tagged himself in. Matthews power bombed Dax twice for a near fall. Dax crunched Buddy with a piledriver for a two-count! Brody distracted the ref from the apron and Black nailed Dax with a round kick. Buddy curb stomped Dax and scored the victory.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
Another week, another good episode of Collision. Good, but not great. Whilst his show did have some great matches – namely the main event and the Page/Drake match – the rest of the card was decent but average. Nice to see Deonna Purrazzo make her in-ring match debut, fingers crossed she gets over with the AEW audience as much as she did with the TNA one – she definitely deserves to. Whilst it felt a little too much like a squash match, it was good to see both Dustin Rhodes AND Willie Mack on AEW TV again!
