‘AEW: Collision’ Review (May 11th 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 Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness calling the action, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli) def. Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Darius took down Danielson with an arm drag. Darius hit a shoulder tackle and then a back slide for a near fall on the “American Dragon.” Dante tagged in and he put Danielson in a wrist lock. Danielson managed to reach his corner and Claudio tagged in, blasting Dante with a European Uppercut. Top Flight used crisp tandem offense on Claudio. Danielson tagged in and put Darius in the Romero Special. Claudio tagged in and charged at Darius with a running European Uppercut as Danielson had Darius tied up. Darius and Danielson traded chops. Danielson unleashed a flurry of kicks to Darius, but Darius used the top turnbuckle pad to connect with a Pele kick. Dante and Claudio tagged in for their respective teams. Dante caught Claudio with a flying cross body press. Dante hit Danielson with a tope suicida. Dante climbed to the top and nailed Claudio with a five star frog splash for a two-count. Out of nowhere Claudio grabbed Dante and hurled him around the ring with the Giant Swing! Claudio locked Dante in the sharpshooter. Darius jumped in to break up the hold and planted Claudio with a flatliner. Darius followed up with a tope suicida to Danielson. Dante hit a springboard moonsault on Claudio, but Claudio kicked out at the two-count. Top Flight tried their combo offense on Claudio but Claudio dodged it and Danielson drilled Dante with a running knee strike. Claudio clocked Darius with a running European Uppercut and scored the pin for the Blackpool Combat Club!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Will Ospreay def. Lee Moriarty
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Moriarty and Ospreay chain wrestled at the start of the match, feeling one another out. Ospreay took down Moriarty with a hurracanrana and followed up with a big cross body press over the top rope and onto Moriarty on the arena floor. Moriarty charged at Will, but Will countered with a big back body drop and then a front pump kick. Will walloped Moriarty with a flying forearm. Will thought about using the Tiger Driver 91 and then decided against it. His hesitation cost him as Lee hoisted up Will and planted him for a near fall. Lee smacked Will with a lariat in the corner. Will rallied back with a torture rack into a powerbomb for a near fall on Moriarty! Shane Taylor jumped on the apron, but Will leveled him with a thrust kick. Ospreay went for the Os-Cutter, but Lee countered with a Border City Stretch! Will transitioned and cradled Lee for a two-count. Will cracked Lee with a back elbow. Will smashed Lee with the Storm Breaker and pinned Lee!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Brian Cage & The Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) def. Evan Rivers & The Voros Twins
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Cage manhandled Evan Rivers. Gates of Agony went after the Voros Twins, picking them apart one by one. The Gates of Agony picked up Evan Rivers and tossed him into the waiting arms of Brian Cage, who proceeded to powerbomb Rivers for the pinfall victory!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #4: Daniel Garcia def. KM
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Garcia cracked KM with forearms. KM fired back with a short arm lariat. Garcia rallied by stomping KM in the corner. Garcia applied the dragon sleeper and KM tapped out!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #5: Dax Harwood def. “Dynamite Kid” Tommy Billington
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Dax used a side headlock to take down Dynamite Kid. Billington stunned Dax with two headbutts. Billington brought down Dax with a running shoulder tackle. Dax sent Dynamite Kid down with a back elbow. Dax used a snap suplex. Billington fired back with a shotgun dropkick. Billington charged at Dax and both men crashed to the arena floor after a running cross body press from Billington. Dynamite Kid jumped off the top turnbuckle to the outside and wiped out Dax. “Dynamite Kid” Tommy Billington connected with a shotgun dropkick to Dax. Billington followed up with a big elbow from the top rope for a near fall on Dax! Harwood hoisted Billington onto the top turnbuckle. Billington fought back with repeated headbutts to Dax, finally chopping Dax off the turnbuckle and back to the mat. Dax climbed back up and superplexed Billington. Dax caught Billington with two German Suplexes. Billington did a standing switch and dished out a German Suplex of his own! Billington suplexed Dax a second time. Dax escaped and dragon suplexed Dynamite! Billington escaped a piledriver attempt from Dax and rolled Dax up with an inside cradle for a near fall. Billington jump on Dax’s shoulders but Dax countered with a slingshot powerbomb for the pin!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #6: Thunder Rosa def. Robyn Renegade
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Thunder Rosa took down Robyn with arm whips and followed up with a dropkick. Thunder Rosa cracked Robyn with chops to the chest. Robyn served up double handed chops of her own. Thunder Rosa kicked Robyn in the face. Outside the ring, Robyn pump kicked Thunder Rosa, knocking Thunder Rosa against the guardrail. Back in the ring, Robyn double stomped Thunder Rosa as Thunder Rosa was draped across the middle rope. Thunder Rosa retaliated with a running lariat and then a lung blower. Thuner Rosa charged at Robyn and basement dropkicked Robyn. Robyn tried to regain momentum with a moonsault, but Thunder Rosa dodged it. Thunder Rosa double stomped Robyn right on the spine. Thunder Rosa applied a cobra clutch and forced Robyn to tap out!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #6: Cope Open for the TNT Title – Adam Copeland def. Kyle O’Reilly
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kyle used a side headlock takeover on Copeland. Kyle battered Copeland with knee strikes. Copeland came back with a gut buster on Kyle. Copeland followed up with a hammer throw on Kyle into the top turnbuckle pad. Copeland charged at Kyle with a cross chop to the throat, knocking Kyle to the arena floor. Copeland tried for an elbow drop but O’Reilly countered, catching Copeland with an arm bar. Copeland escaped and applied a cross face submission. Kyle swung his hips and managed to reach the ropes with his foot, getting the rope break. Kyle rocked Copeland with knee strikes and then a leg sweep. Kyle connected with a running forearm shot. Kyle hit a belly to back suplex and then transitioned right into a leg lock. Copeland barely reached the ropes, forcing the ref to break the hold. Kyle wrenched on Copeland’s arm, planting him shoulder first on the apron. Kyle dropped a knee from the top turnbuckle. Kyle applied a Fujiwara arm bar. Copeland escaped and planted Kyle on the mat. Kyle dodged a spear from Copeland and then rolled Copeland up for a two-count! Copeland grabbed a rear naked choke, but Kyle escaped and locked on an arm bar. Copeland fought his way out of it. Kyle drilled Copeland off the top rope shoulder first onto the mat! Copeland hit Kyle with a liver shot and Kyle collapsed to the mat. Copeland speared Kyle but Kyle countered with the body scissors. Copeland powered himself off the mat and spiked Kyle with the Impaler DDT! Copeland speared Kyle and finally scored the pin in a hard fought match!
My Score: 3.75 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
A truly solid episode of Collision this week. We did get a couple of unnecessary squash matches in the middle of the show but other than that, this week’s Collision delivered on the wrestling action. The show opened strong with two great back-to-back matches featuring some of AEW’s biggest names; then came the mid-sho match between Dax Harwood and Dynamite Kid – the debut in AEW for the latter, who is the nephew of THE Dynamite Kid, one half of the British Invasion of WWE all those years ago (and as a Brit Kid and the British Bulldog felt ICONIC watching shows at home)! Thunder Rosa’s match seemed to deflate the attending crowd somewhat but that didn’t matter when the main event came around, pitting two fantastic wrestlers against each other in a match that did not disappoint – with an intriguing end to the match that posits a question about Copeland’s current motivations. Hopefully that bodes well for a dominant arse-kicking run and NOT a heel turn (though heelish Copeland wouldn’t bee too bad I suppose). Overall a great show!
