‘AEW: Collision’ Review (Sept 30th 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 Kevin Kelly calling the action, with JR commentating on the main event as well this week, so let’s get into the review!

Match #1: Andrade El Idolo def. Juice Robinson

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Andrade started things off fast with a double leg takedown and went for the figure four. Juice retreated outside the ring to collect his thoughts and regroup. Andrade hit the three amigos suplexes. Andrade climbed to the top turnbuckle and wiped out Bullet Club Gold on the outside with a moonsault. As Andrade was trying to get back in the ring, Juice shoved him back out. Juice distracted the ref while the Gunns stomped a mudhole into Andrade. Juice planted Andrade face first right on the edge of the ring. Juice smashed Andrade in the corner with the running cannonball. Juice followed up with a suplex and then blew snot rockets onto Andrade, showing complete disrespect for his opponent. Andrade slapped Juice and cranked him with a dragon screw leg whip. Hot and flexible CJ was shown scouting the match on the monitor backstage. Juice grabbed the ref and used him as a human shield. Juice thumbed Andrade in the eye and then powerbombed Andrade for a near fall. Juice connected with a high flying press from the top turnbuckle. Andrade rallied back, going for the Figure 8, but the Gunns tried to interfere. The ref ejected the Gunns from ringside! Andrade drilled Juice with a back elbow for a two-count. Andrade spiked Juice with a DDT and pinned him!

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Match #2: The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) def. Best Friends (Chuck Taylor & Trent Beretta)

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

The Kingdom walked to the ring with their rolling luggage bags. Trent nailed Bennett with forearms and chops. Chuck Taylor tagged in, and Best Friends hit a double shoulder tackle on Bennett. Taylor used a back suplex on Mike Bennett. Trent tagged back in and chopped Bennett’s chest. Taven grabbed a tag and drilled Trent with a dropkick off the turnbuckles. Outside the ring, Trent charged at Bennett, but Bennett countered by using Trent’s momentum and sending him soaring into the steel guardrail. Bennett followed up with a drop toehold on Taylor onto a steel chair. Trent rocked the Kingdom with a double dropkick off the turnbuckles. He followed up with a big swinging DDT on Taven for a near fall. Taven fired back with a running knee strike. Bennett was looking for a piledriver on the ring steps, but Trent countered with a Death Valley Driver. Chuck Taylor hoisted Bennett on his shoulders and Trent followed through with a knee strike from the stop rope. Best Friends spiked the Kingdom with stereo piledrivers. Trent covered Bennett but Bennett got his boot on the bottom rope before the three-count. As the ref was distracted, Bennett hit two low blows on Taylor. The Kingdom nailed Taylor with a spiked piledriver, and Bennett scored the pin!

My Score: 3 out of 5

Match #3: Julia Hart def. Vertvixen

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Julia charged at Vertvixen with a running clothesline. Julia slammed Vertvixen’s head on the mat repeatedly. Julia followed up with a cartwheel forearm. Julia Hart splashed Vertvixen with a moonsault from the top rope and then pinned her!

My Score: 0 out of 5

Match #4: Chris Jericho & Kenny Omega def. Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona)

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Jericho chopped at Toa, but Toa answered with a headbutt. Kaun tagged in and rocked Jericho with a lariat. The Gates of Agony pummeled Jericho in their corner. Omega tagged in and hit Toa with a flying cross body press. Omega and Jericho double suplexed Toa Liona. Omega and Jericho took down Toa with double shoulder blocks. Prince Nana distracted Omega. Toa rammed Omega and Omega inadvertently knocked Jericho off the apron! Bishop Kaun used a backstabber on Omega and then Toa followed up with a running elbow, proving to be a truly effective combo. Jericho tagged in and cleaned house on the Gates of Agony. Jericho dropped a double ax handle on Bishop and followed up with the Lion Sault! Jericho tried for the lion tamer, but Kaun kicked Jericho away. Toa blasted Jericho with a back elbow. Jericho fired back with a dropkick off the turnbuckles to Toa. Omega cracked Bishop with the V Trigger. Kenny followed up with the terminator dive to the outside on Toa. Jericho applied the lion tamer to Bishop and forced him to tap!

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #5: The Righteous (Vincent & Dutch) def. Travis Williams & Judas Icarus

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Williams dropkicked Vincent in the corner. Vincent cracked Icarus with a running elbow and then tagged out to Dutch. Dutch dished out overhand chops to the competition. Dutch planted Williams with the Bossman slam. Vincent finished off Icarus and pinned him.

My Score: 0 out of 5

Match #6: 8-Man Tag Match – Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher & Mark Davis), Big Bill & Ricky Starks def. FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) & Blackpool Combat Club (Wheeler Yuta & Bryan Danielson)

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Zach Sabre Jr. was on commentary for this match. Jim Ross was also at the broadcast booth to provide his main event analysis. Wheeler grappled on the mat with Kyle Fletcher. They got to their feet and Yuta chopped Fletcher and then backdropped him. Dax tagged in and Mark Davis suplexed him. Things broke down with both teams brawling outside the ring. Ref Aubrey Edwards regained control of the match. Cash dropkicked Davis and then suplexed Fletcher. Cash cradled Fletcher for a near fall. Yuta grabbed a blind tag. Yuta jumped off the top turnbuckle with a flying forearm to Fletcher. Wheeler Yuta wiped out Fletcher with a German Suplex. Big Bill booted Yuta right in the face. Fletcher tagged in and he and Davis double teamed Yuta with a sit out powerbomb. Danielson tagged in and fired into Starks with chops and kicks! Danielson rocketed at Starks with a tope suicida. Danielson dropkicked Starks from the top rope. Danielson charged at Starks, but Starks countered with a clothesline. Starks drilled Danielson with a DDT. Big Bill tagged in. Big Bill went for a choke slam, but Danielson countered and applied the LeBell Lock. Fletcher kicked Danielson from behind, breaking the submission hold. Cash and Danielson held Big Bill while Wheeler dropkicked him from the top. Dax followed up with a diving headbutt to Big Bill. Dax slugged Big Bill with knife edge chops. Dax tried for a sharpshooter on Big Bill, but Bill kicked him away. Big Bill chokeslammed Dax and then Starks speared him, and Starks scored the pin on Dax Harwood!

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Final Verdict: 3.5/5

A big improvement over Rampage, this week’s episode of Collision was one hell of a preview for the weekend’s Wrestledream PPV. The main event was as chaotic as expected for an 8-man tag but closing on a face-to-face between Bryan Danielson and Zach Sabre Jr. was a HUGE tease for their upcoming match. We got a couple of squash matches – another from The Righteous (as per Rampage, well used to put the team over with the AEW crowd) and Julia Hart continued her winning streak. I do wonder what her match against Kris Statlander has in store (this review was written BEFORE Wrestledream), I hope Hart pulls out the kinds of moves we’ve seen recently – the spider suplex and that fantastic “floating” moonsault – and delivers some surprising competition for the TBS Champ. Things were great from the get-go, with Andrade and Juice Robinson delivering a great match, probably one of Robinson’s best in AEW in my opinion. Even The Kingdom, who against all odds have made the “neck” gimmick work, worked well against Best Friends – in yet another match that felt like one of their best in AEW.