‘AEW: Collision’ Review (Oct 21st 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, Kevin Kelly and Tony Schiavone calling the action, with JR commentating on the main event as well this week, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Bryan Danielson def. Andrade El Idolo
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
They chain wrestled to start the match, both men having a feeling out process. Bryan wrenched Andrade’s neck with a bow and arrow type submission. Andrade escaped and smiled at Danielson. Andrade was looking for the figure four, but Danielson kicked him away. Danielson and Andrade traded chops. Bryan began switching it up with kicks to Andrade. And then a headbutt. Danielson jumped off the apron with a running knee strike to Andrade. Andrade connected with a flying forearm. Andrade sent Danielson outside with a springboard dropkick. Andrade moonsaulted out of the ring and onto Danielson. Andrade smashed Danielson with a split legged moonsault for a near fall. Danielson headbutted Andrade and followed up with a dropkick from the top rope. Andrade came back with a dragon screw leg whip. Andrade had Bryan in the Tree of Woe and squashed him with a double stomp from the top. Danielson countered Andrade’s moonsault by raising his knees. He stomped on Andrade’s head and then applied the LeBell Lock. Andrade escaped and trapped Danielson in the figure four. Danielson grabbed the ropes to force the ref break. Danielson and Andrade traded cradles and pin attempts, with Danielson ultimately getting the win!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: Skye Blue def. Hollyhood Haley
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Skye Blue shoved Haley. Blue knocked Hollyhood off her feet, mounted her, and grounded and pounded her. Skye connected with a thrust kick and followed up with a running powerbomb. Skye Blue rolled up Haley and pinned her.
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #3: The Gunns (Austin & Colten Gunn) def. Outrunners
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Turbo used an arm drag on Colten. Colten fired back with a stiff strike and then he stomped Turbo in the corner of the ring. Austin tagged in and rammed the Outrunners together. The Gunns finished things off with the 3:10 to Yuma and pinned Turbo.
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #4: Jeff Jarrett def. Eddie Kingston
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
If Jeff Jarrett wins, Jay Lethal get a Ring Of Honor World Championship Match. Legendary Memphis announcer Dave Brown joined commentary for this match. Jarrett swung a trash can lid at Kingston and Kingston blocked it. Kingston whacked Jeff with a kendo stick. Jarrett blasted Eddie with a cooler. Jeff rammed Eddie into the guardrail. Kingston squeezed ketchup and mustard on Jarrett. Karen distracted Eddie and then Jay Lethal rocked Eddie with a cutter off the ramp and then through a table. Back in the ring, Jeff cracked Eddie with a lead pipe on the leg. Jarrett went to work on Eddie’s leg and knee with a trash can! Jarrett bashed Eddie with a bar tabletop. Jarrett locked in the figure four in the center of the ring. Eddie flipped off Jeff. Kingston reversed the figure four. Jay Lethal jumped off the top rope but Eddie rolled out of the way. Eddie chopped Lethal and Jarrett in the chest. Kingston fired off machine gun chops. Karen got in the ring and distracted Eddie, but Eddie cracked Jeff with a spinning back fist for a near fall. Jeff Jarrett went for the Lethal Injection, but Eddie countered with a half and half. Kingston wiped out Satnam with a guitar shot. Jeff smashed Eddie with the Stroke for a near fall! Satnam choke slammed Eddie and then Jarrett hit another Stroke. Lethal connected with the Lethal Injection. Jarrett covered Eddie and pinned him.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: Miro def. Action Andretti
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Miro battered Action in the corner. Andretti dropkicked Miro as Miro came rushing in. Miro clubbed Andretti with a lariat. Action came back with a jawbreaker to Miro. Miro ate a kick from Andretti. Action rocked Miro with shots in the corner, but Miro shoved him away. Action flipped over the top rope with a tope con hiro and landed on Miro, right in front of CJ Perry on the floor. Miro countered a cross body by planting Andretti. Miro went for the Game Over, but Action slipped out and then spiked Miro with a DDT! Action followed up with a shotgun dropkick! Action hit a springboard 450 but Miro kicked out immediately. Miro stunned Action with a thrust kick and then applied the Game Over. The ref stopped the match and awarded the victory to Miro.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #6: FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) vs. Bad Thad Brown & Darian Bengston (No Contest)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Bad Thad took advantage of Cash having his back turned but Cash came right back with a press slam. The arena lights went out again! When the lights returned, Malakai Black was standing in the ring. The lights went back out. This time when the lights came back on, the House of Black were standing there, and they ambushed FTR! Brody King cracked Cash with the cast on his wrist!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #7: AEW World Tag Team Championship Match – Big Bill & Ricky Starks def. Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jim Ross joined the broadcast team to provide his main event analysis. Big Bill mauled Yuta with overhead chops. Wheeler fought back but after being distracted by Starks, Big Bill shoved Yuta off the apron. Starks whipped Yuta into the guardrail. Big Bill planted Yuta with a Big Bossman slam! Bill hammered Yuta with an elbow drop. Claudio tagged in and cleaned house on Starks with European Uppercuts! Claudio clubbed Starks with lariats in the corner, shot after shot stinging Starks. Claudio dropkicked Starks after a single ax handle off the ropes. Claudio had a full head of steam and ran around the ring and cracked Starks with a European Uppercut, and then dished out a massive uppercut to Big Bill! Claudio connected with a running lariat on Starks in the center of the ring. Claudio put Starks in the Giant Swing! Yuta dropkicked the head of Starks. Big Bill ran in and tried to chokeslam Claudio and Yuta at the same time, but the BCC fought out of his grip. Yuta climbed to the top of Claudio’s back for the Fast Ball Special, but the House of Black ran to the ring and knocked Claudio down. Starks speared Yuta and pinned Yuta after the Rochambeau!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
News of the Night:
- The House of Black DOMINATED this week’s show, appearing after and during three matches in their grand return to AEW.
Final Verdict: 3/5
This week’s Collision started SUPER strong. Honestly, these Bryan Danielson “dream matches” are something else, and pretty much put the rest of the roster on notice. If Danielson can have these kinds of matches, more importantly if his OPPONENTS can have these matches against him, why can’t they have similar matches against each other?! Unfortunately that absolute banger was followed by not one but TWO squash matches, totally killing the momentum. Then we got the Eddie Kingston versus Jeff Jarrett match. And let’s be 100% honest here, even if he lost that match (I hope to god that’s just to give us a banger of a title match) Eddie carried this entire match, making Jarrett look good . Of course, Eddie could only lose after shenanigans… cause if it was clean the crowd would RIOT!! Miro surprisingly didn’t squash Action Andretti in their match, instead both men gave us a really competitive match that turned out to be one of the highlights of this week’s Collision. Another throwaway match followed, mainly because it was more of a “promo” for the House of Black. And then we got the main event… Another match that suffered from the inclusion of the House of Black, but thankfully that wasn’t until the END of this one! In truth, I expected Big Bill and Ricky Starks to be beltless after this match but the way they managed to put the champs over the “indestructible” BCC worked. Though how many more pins can Yuta eat for the faction?
