‘AEW: Collision’ Review (Dec 16th 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, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Continental Classic Tournament Blue League Match – Claudio Castagnoli def. Andrade El Idolo
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Claudio Castagnoli locked up with Andrade and back him into the corner. Andrade powered out and rammed Claudio with a shoulder block. Claudio fired back with a standing clothesline. Andrade connected with a crossbody for a two-count. Andrade jumped over the top rope to Claudio on the arena floor, but Claudio countered with a European uppercut. Andrade used two dragon screw leg whips, but Claudio couldn’t be contained and blasted Andrade El Idolo with a pop up European uppercut. Claudio hurled Andrade around the ring with the Big Swing! Claudio applied the sharpshooter. Andrade escaped and reversed the sharpshooter into a figure four. Claudio used his upper body strength to reach the bottom rope and force the ref to break the hold. Andrade climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Claudio met him up there. Andrade took down Claudio with a sunset flip powerbomb. Andrade charged at Claudio and crashed into him with a running knee strike. Andrade exposed the top turnbuckle but Claudio superplexed him. Andrade rallied back with two suplexes of his own. Andrade blasted Claudio with a pump kick and then a spinning back elbow for a near fall! Claudio knocked Andrade off the top turnbuckle and Andrade landed hard on the exposed turnbuckle. As the ref turned his back to put the turnbuckle pad back on, Claudio cracked Andrade with a low blow. Claudio followed up with a Gotch style piledriver and pinned Andrade!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Abadon def. Jazmin Allure
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Abadon grounded and pounded Allure. Jazmin retaliated with a thrust kick, but Abadon absorbed it. Abadon ended things with the Black Dahlia and pinned Allure.
My Score: 1 out of 5
Match #3: AEW International Title Match – Orange Cassidy def. “Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Orange tried mind games, but Keith chopped at Cassidy. Orange ran off the ropes, but Keith countered with a boot to Orange’s head. Orange Cassidy fired back with a tornado DDT and then a tope suicida to Bryan Keith. Bryan Keith headbutted Orange and followed up with an exploder suplex off the top rope. Orange countered a gut wrench suplex attempt with a Beach Break for a near fall on Bryan Keith! The Bounty Hunter fired back with a stunner for a near fall on the champ. Cassidy rolled up Keith out of nowhere and pinned him!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Texas Street Fight Match – Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale def. Mercedes Martinez & Diamante
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Mercedes smashed a bottle over Willow’s head! Kris spiked Diamante with a DDT onto a baseball bat wrapped in barbed wire. Kris and Willow rammed Mercedes with a metal step ladder. Mercedes cracked Willow with a crowbar across the back. Mercedes booted Willow in the head. Willow pounced Diamante and then smashed a board against Diamante’s back. Statlander rocked Mercedes with Saturday Night Fever for a near fall. Diamante cracked Kris with a briefcase. Diamante opened the briefcase and dumped the contents all over the mat—shards of glass and thumbtacks! Mercedes dug Kris’ face into the tacks. Mercedes power bombed Willow off the apron and through a table on the arena floor. Kris Statlander had her hand wrapped with a steel chain. Statlander hit the knockout blow on Diamante and then pinned her!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #5: Brian Cage def. Kerry Wright
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Cage clobbered Kerry right out of the gate! Cage German suplexed Wright. Cage power bombed Kerry and then crushed him with the Drill Claw, scoring the pin!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #6: Continental Classic Tournament Blue League Match – Eddie Kingston def. Daniel Garcia
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Daniel Garcia and Eddie Kingston traded chops. Eddie used a back heel trip on Garcia. Daniel Garcia stunned Kingston with a dragon screw leg whip off the apron. Kingston fired back with a belly to belly suplex. Kingston nailed Garcia with a DDT. Kingston blasted Garcia with machine gun rapid fire chops. Kingston was like a man possessed. Garcia mocked Kingston. Garcia got his second wind and broke through the defense of Kingston. Garcia applied a kneebar on Kingston, but Kingston managed to reach the ropes. Garcia put Kingston in a leg lock, but Eddie grabbed the ropes and escaped one more time. Garcia charged at Kingston, but Kingston countered with an exploder and then a spinning back fist for a two-count. Garcia rocked Kingston with a suplex. Kingston’s leg gave out and Garcia grabbed him and hurled him with another stiff suplex for a near fall. Kingston fired back with a half and half suplex and then a spinning back fist and scored the pin on Garcia!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #7: Continental Classic Tournament Blue League Match – Bryan Danielson def. Brody King
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Danielson kicked at Brody’s legs. Brody went after Bryan’s surgically repaired eye. Brody chopped Danielson in the throat! Brody splashed Danielson in the corner with a cannonball. Brody smashed Danielson’s head across the announcers’ desk. Brody whipped Danielson into the steel barricade. Brody put Danielson on a chair and then splashed him, sandwiching Danielson between himself and the barricade. Danielson was able to regain some momentum with a diving knee off the apron. Danielson hit a missile dropkick. Danielson returned to kicking Brody and inflicting damage to Brody’s knee. Brody retaliated with a lariat off the second turnbuckle. Brody was looking for a cannonball, but Bryan tripped up Brody and applied a single crab. Brody kicked himself free, stunning Danielson. The American Dragon chopped away at big Brody with round kicks. Danielson grabbed Brody’s wrists and began stomping on him. Danielson switched to the hammer and anvil elbow strikes. Brody mustered the strength for a Death Valley Driver on Danielson for a near fall. Danielson used his trademark knee strike on Brody, but Brody kicked out at one! Brody smashed Danielson with a lariat for a near fall! Danielson smacked Brody in the face with the running knee and then caught him in the back of the head with another knee strike, finally scoring the pin on Brody King!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Score: 4/5
Another solid, SOLID, episode of Collision. Whereas this week’s Rampage felt carried by the magnificent Trios match, there was a more great matches across the entire of this show. From the Continental Classic matches, which once again turn out to be some of the best work we’ve seen this year in AEW, to the fantastic women’s tag match – a Texas Street Fight that walked the fine line between a street fight and a bloodbath, erring on the right side of the line so as to make this one feel hard-hitting but not exploitative. Which will placate those who don’t like to see all the blood and guts in AEW, especially from the women’s division. Overall an UNMISSABLE week of Collision!
