‘AEW: Collision’ Review (May 25th 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: Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia & Hiroshi Tanahashi def. Lance Archer & The Righteous (Dutch & Vincent)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
“Daddy Magic” Matt Menard joined the broadcast booth for this match. Dutch and Claudio rammed into each other like two bulls. Dutch slammed Claudio with ease. Claudio fired back with a big double stomp to Dutch. Garcia and Vincent tagged in. Garcia kicked Vincent repeatedly in the corner. Garcia dropped Vincent on his back with a suplex. Garcia tagged in Tanahashi. Archer tagged in but ate some forearms from Tanahashi. “The Ace” leveled Archer with a running forearm, but Archer came back with a big cross body. Claudio grabbed Dutch and hurled him around the ring with the Giant Swing! Archer cut him off though. Claudio picked up Archer with a massive vertical suplex. Tanahashi climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Archer clipped him with a running knee strike. The Righteous double teamed Tanahashi and Vincent tried to cover Tanahashi, but Claudio broke up the pin attempt. Tanahashi dropped Vincent with the Sling Blade. Tanahashi finished off Vincent with the High Fly Flow from the top rope and pinned Vincent! Tanahashi and Garcia celebrated by dancing after the match, but Claudio just walked off.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: The Lucha Bros (Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix) def. The Gunns (Austin & Colten Gunn)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
If the Lucha Bros win tonight, the titles will be on the line tomorrow in the Bang Bang Gang vs. the Death Triangle match at Double Or Nothing. The Lucha Bros attempted a double thrust kick, but the Gunns ducked it, and the Lucha Bros inadvertently kicked one another. The Gunns double suplexed Penta, with Austin covering Penta for a near fall. Austin tied Penta’s mask to the bottom rope and Colten hit Penta while Austin distracted the referee. Rey Fenix entered the fray and hit a double cross body press from the top rope onto the Gunns. Rey splashed Colten for a near fall. Rey went back up top, but Austin knocked him down. Austin smashed Rey Fenix with the Fame Asser, but Penta jumped in to break up Austin’s pin attempt. The Gunns went for the 3:10 to Yuma but the Lucha Bros escaped. The Lucha Bros set up Austin with the Fear Factor. Rey Fenix stuffed Austin, Penta spiked Austin and then scored the pin!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Kyle O’Reilly def. KM
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kyle had KM in a guillotine. KM stumbled backwards. Kyle quickly applied an arm bar and forced KM to tap out!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #4: House of Black (Buddy Matthews & Brody King) def. The Acclaimed (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens), The Infantry (Capt. Shawn Dean & Carlie Bravo) and Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Brody and Toa stared at one another. They collided in the center of the ring and traded forearms. Buddy grabbed the ropes, lowered them, and Toa tumbled out of the ring. Brody hit a tope and crash landed onto a pile of both teams outside the ring. Buddy superplexed Max Caster for a two-count. Buddy body slammed Caster and Brody followed up with a big senton splash. The Infantry hit a double thrust kick on Buddy. Then the Infantry and Caster knocked Brody down with a triple thrust kick. The Infantry tried to kick and slug Brody King down. They went for a double suplex, but Brody blocked it. Buddy and Brody wiped out the Infantry in the ring. Brody cannonballed Carlie in the corner while Buddy dropkicked Carlie. Buddy covered Carlie and grabbed the pin for the victory!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: Mariah May def. Leyla Hirsch
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Mariah chopped Leyla. Leyla fired back with forearms and then a belly to belly suplex. Mariah rallied back with a shotgun dropkick. Leyla went for a moonsault, but Mariah moved out of the way. Mariah blasted Leyla with a pump kick and then a beautiful back drop driver. Mariah went for the hip attack, but Leyla dodged it and nailed Mariah with a German Suplex. Mariah headbutted Leyla and smashed her with a knee strike and then pinned Leyla!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #6: Bryan Danielson & FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) def. Jay Lethal, Jeff Jarrett, & Satnam Singh
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jarrett took down Danielson with arm drags. Lethal tagged in. Danielson leveled Lethal with a kick to the spin. Dax grabbed a tag and he and Cash worked Lethal over in the corner. Cash battered Lethal with punches and then an atomic drop. Satnam grabbed Cash by the throat and dropped him across the top rope. Satnam walloped Cash with a gigantic chop to the chest. Dax tagged in and cleaned house on Lethal and Jarrett. Dax rolled up Lethal in a small package for a near fall. Satnam entered the match. He palmed Dax Harwood by the throat and bounced him off the mat repeatedly. Satnam put a claw on Dax. Cash jumped in to make the save but Satnam threw Cash out of the ring. Danielson took the fight to Jarrett with strikes and kicks. Danielson followed up with a running lariat. Danielson put Jarrett in the LeBell Lock but Lethal ran into the ring to break up the move. Cash and Danielson wiped out Jarrett and Lethal with topes. Satnam charged at Dax, Dax moved, and Satnam collided with the steel ring post. Back in the ring, FTR and Danielson surrounded Satnam. All three of them took turns kicking Satnam. Dax and Cash nailed Satnam with an FTR Trigger! Jarrett tried for the Stroke on Danielson, but Danielson blocked it. Karen Jarrett slid in the guitar to Jeff. The ref saw this and took the guitar back. Karen and the ref were arguing. As the ref was distracted, Sonjay slid a chair to Jeff. Jeff went to hit Danielson with the chair, but Danielson moved, and Jeff accidentally hit Satnam! Danielson rocked Jeff Jarrett with a knee strike! FTR crushed Lethal with the Shatter Machine. Danielson covered Jarrett and pinned him!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
Another limp go-home show for AEW. Which is odd… Tony Khan and co. typically hit all the right notes on a build to a pay-per-view but not the past week it seems. The wrestling was fine but it didn’t feel like there were any high stakes here – even with the stipulation of the Lucha Bros/Gunns tag match. On the plus side, once again Willow Nightingale knocked it out of the park with her promo AND we got NJPW President and wrestling icon Hiroshi Tanahashi. So I can’t complain in the slightest.
