‘AEW: Collision’ Review (Mar 30th 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, Ian Riccaboni and Tony Schiavone calling the action, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: TNT Championship Match – Adam Copeland def. Matt Cardona
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The match opened with a series of hip tosses. Cardona charged at Copeland outside the ring, and Copeland caught him with a clothesline. Cardona gouged Copeland in the eyes and then shoved him off the apron and into the steel ring steps. Cardona climbed the turnbuckles but Copeland yanked Cardona’s legs out from under him. Cardona fired back with a chop. Cardona was searching for a superplex, but Copeland countered with a bulldog off the top for a near fall! Matt Cardona spiked Copeland with the Impaler for a two-count, hitting the champ with his own move. Cardona went for the Radio Silence, but Copeland countered with a powerbomb for a near fall! Copeland tried for a spear, but Cardona stunned Copeland with the Radio Silence for a two-count! Cardona ran in for the spear but Copeland lured Cardona in and speared Cardona, scoring the pin and retaining the championship!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) def. The Infantry (Shawn Dean & Carlie Bravo)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The winning team faces the winner of Top Flight vs. Starks & Big Bill. Carlie, clearly having done his homework, took Dax off his feet with a couple of dropkicks. Dean came in and the Infantry hit FTR with stereo dropkicks. Cash rocked Shawn Dean with European uppercuts. Dean body slammed Cash and then dropped an elbow on him. Cash caught Dean in midair and planted him hard on the mat. Dax tagged in and superplexed Carlie Bravo. The Infantry hit beautiful tandem offense on Dax Wheeler, almost scoring an upset. Dean DDT’ed Cash. Dax inadvertently collided into Cash and Carlie rolled up a dazed Dax for a near fall. FTR recovered with the Shatter Machine on Carlie and scored the pin, advancing to the next round!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Kyle O’Reilly def. The Workhorsemen’s JD Drake
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Drake drilled Kyle with a dropkick. Kyle dodged a Vader Bomb from Drake. Kyle pummeled Drake with violent round kicks and then swept out Drake’s leg. Kyle smashed Drake with an axe kick. Kyle applied an arm bar and Drake tapped out!s
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin) def. Ricky Starks & Big Bill!
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Starks took down Darius with an arm drag. Dante tagged in and crashed into Starks with a clothesline. Big Bill grabbed a tag, but Dante used his quickness and chopped Bill. This only angered the monster, as Big Bill served up a chest chop of his own. Top Flight hit a double dropkick on Big Bill! They followed up with a double dropkick to Starks. Starks grabbed Darius’ leg from outside the ring, tripping up Darius. Big Bill blasted Darius with a pump kick. Big Bill splashed Dante in the corner. Big Bill tried a second time, but this time Dante dodged it. Dante jumped off the top turnbuckle and wiped out Big Bill. Darius tagged in and used the turnbuckles for a wallwalk moonsault on Starks. Dante almost scored with a headstand pin on Starks. Darius blocked a spear from Starks. Darius used Dante as a launching pad, spiked Starks with a DDT, and scored the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: Thunder Rosa def. Lady Frost
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Thunder Rosa chopped Lady Frost in the corner. Lady Frost fired back with a quick right hand. Lady Frost stomped Rosa in the corner. Thunder Rosa retaliated with a running lariat. Thunder Rosa used a drop toe hold on Lady Frost. Thunder Rosa blasted Frost with a running dropkick. Lady Frost rallied back with a Chiller Driller for a near fall, almost scoring a major upset. Thunder Rosa retaliated with a backstabber and a Tijuana Bomb, pinning Lady Frost!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #6: Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli & Katsuyori Shibata def. Lance Archer & The Righteous (Dutch & Vincent)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Shibata jumped on Archer’s back with a sleeper. Archer chucked Shibata to the mat. Shibata ducked a big boot from Archer. Dutch tagged in, and Claudio entered the ring. Claudio powered Dutch into the corner. Dutch kicked Claudio and body slammed Claudio. Claudio picked up Dutch, slammed him, and then stomped on Dutch. Bryan tagged in and slugged it out with Vincent. Danielson flew to the outside with a tope on Dutch! Danielson jumped off the apron with a diving knee to Archer. Dutch body slammed Archer on Danielson. Archer body slammed Dutch on Danielson. Dutch planted Danielson with the Bossman slam for a near fall! Danielson tried to fight back with a shotgun dropkick off the top to Dutch. Danielson made the tag to Claudio. Claudio and Archer traded lariats. Claudio took down Archer with a hurracanrana. Claudio was looking for the Giant Swing on Archer but the Righteous ran in to break it up. Shibata ran in and charged at both members of the Righteous with dropkicks in the corner. Shibata and Claudio hit tandem offense on Archer. Claudio captured Archer in the Giant Swing! Claudio locked Archer in the Sharp Shooter! Dutch jumped in and broke it up. Shibata dumped the Righteous out of the ring. When Shibata turned around, Archer booted Shibata. Archer planted Claudio with a chokeslam. Vincent smashed Claudio with the Death From Above for a near fall! Shibata lit up Vincent with forearms. Shibata suplexed Vincent and then applied a cross arm breaker. Dutch broke up the submission. Shibata applied a sleeper on Vincent in the center of the ring. Shibata clocked Vincent with the PK and pinned Vincent!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
The Collision hot streak seems to have come to and end with this week’s episode. Not that this show was bad, it just wasn’t as amazing as we’ve seen in previous weeks from the Saturday night fight show. There was a nice surprise to open the show, with Matt Cardona making a guest appearance in the Cope Open (even though he’d just been on Impact with Steph De Lander… the joys of pre-tapes); the tag matches were good, though if I’m honest I don’t think FTR should be in the running for the tag titles… again; and it was nice to see JD Drake in action even if it was to lose against a returning Kyle O’Reilly. Lady Frost and Thunder Rosa delivered, as did the 6-man tag main event, but everything didn’t seem as thrilling as we’ve seen from this show in recent weeks. Still, this was a lot better than Rampage!
