‘AEW: Collision’ Review (Feb 24th 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, Kevin Kelly and Tony Schiavone calling the action, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: No DQ Match – Powerhouse Hobbs def. Sammy Guevara
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Sammy came out of the gates strong, hitting Hobbs with a cutter and then a lariat over the top rope. Sammy used the steel ring steps as a launch pad, however, Hobbs caught Sammy and planted Sammy with the World’s Strongest Slam onto the ring steps. Hobbs smashed Sammy onto the ring apron over and over again, manhandling Sammy with ease. Hobbs ordered Kevin Kelly to stand up and give him his belt. Hobbs whipped Sammy with the leather belt. Sammy moved out of the way and connected with two thrust kicks to Hobbs. Sammy waffled Hobbs with a steel chair! Sammy nailed Hobbs with a cutter on the steps and then whipped Hobbs with the belt, turnaround being fair play. Sammy pulled a table from beneath the ring and set it up on the arena floor. Sammy pulled a second table out and set it up beside the first table. Sammy climbed to the top turnbuckle and leaped at Hobbs, but Hobbs countered by smashing Sammy through the tables with a spinebuster off the apron. Back in the ring, Sammy dodged a splash from Hobbs. Sammy hoisted up Hobbs on his shoulders and rocked Hobbs with the GTH for a near fall! Sammy grabbed a monitor from ringside and smashed it into Hobbs’ head. Sammy pulled out another table and placed it in the ring, but Hobbs was waiting for him with a lariat. Sammy fired back with a thrust kick. Sammy went for a cutter but got caught by Hobbs who countered with the World’s Strongest Slam. Hobbs set up two tables at ringside. Hobbs picked up Sammy and charged at the ring post, but Sammy escaped and shoved Hobbs headfirst into the post. Sammy took two beer bottles from fans at ringside and cracked them over Hobbs’ head. Sammy pulled a giant ladder from beneath the ring and slid it into the ring. Sammy climbed the ladder and nailed Hobbs with a senton, crashing through the tables. Sammy climbed the turnbuckles, but Hobbs shoved the referee who collided with Sammy. Hobbs hit the World’s Strongest Slam of the turnbuckles, smashing Sammy through tables and pinning Sammy!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) def. Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor & Lee Moriarty)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Cash hit Lee with a back elbow and took him down with an arm whip. Dax tagged in and dropped a running elbow on the back of Lee’s head. Taylor grabbed a tag and Dax slid under Taylor’s legs, taking a step back. Dax connected with a shotgun dropkick, but Taylor answered with a lariat. Taylor cracked Dax with a knee strike to the head. Taylor followed up with a side slam. Taylor tried for a splash off the turnbuckles, but Dax rolled out of the way. Moriarty tagged in but so did Cash! Cash Wheeler cleaned house on Taylor and Moriarty. Cash lifted up Lee for a vertical suplex, but Taylor tripped Cash. Taylor walloped Cash with a right hand from the apron while Lee rolled up Cash for a near fall. Cash picked up Lee and held him up for the Doomsday Device. Dax drilled Moriarty and scored the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Thunder Rosa def. Lady Bird Monroe
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Thunder Rosa chopped at Monroe. Thunder Rosa drove a knee into Monroe’s face and followed up with a flying dropkick. Thunder Rosa planted Monroe with the Tijuana Bomb and scored the pinfall victory!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #4: Bang Bang Scissor Gang (Jay White, Daddy Ass & Colten Gunn) def. The Iron Savages
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Bronson was shoved into Beefcake Boulder by Billy! Colten dropkicked Bronson after getting the tag. The Iron Savages triple teamed Colten in the corner. Beefcake Boulder planted Colten hard with a vertical suplex. Jay White tagged in and cleaned house on the Iron Savages. White chopped Jack in the corner. Jay White finished Jack with the Blade Runner and pinned him in decisive fashion!
My Score: 2 out of 5
Match #5: Malakai Black def. “The Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Keith booted Black in the face. Keith followed up with strikes in the corner. Black caught Keith in the left knee with a round kick. Black smashed Keith in the head with a forearm. Black blasted Keith with a straight kick, knocking Keith out of the ring. Keith got back in and wiped out Black with an exploder suplex! Keith followed up with a neck breaker across the knee for a near fall. Bryan Keith drilled Malakai with a DDT off the turnbuckles. Keith clocked Black with a rising headbutt. Black answered with his own headbutt. Black crushed Keith with a double foot stomp from the top rope. Black stunned Keith with a German Suplex for a near fall. Keith power bombed Black out of nowhere for a two-count! Keith charged at Black but Black smashed Keith with a spinning heel kick and pinned Keith!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: Serena Deeb def. Lady Frost
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Lady Frost dropkicked Deeb in the back. Deeb knocked Frost to the mat with a shoulder tackle. Deeb hit Frost with a dragon screw leg whip. Serena Deeb stunned Frost with a swinging neck breaker. Frost planted Deeb with the Chiller Driller, but Deeb kicked out at the two-count. Deeb ducked a spinning heel kick. Deeb clocked Frost with a clothesline. Deeb applied a single leg Boston Crab and Lady Frost tapped out!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #7: Bryan Danielson def. Jun Akiyama
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
They chain wrestled at the start of the match. Danielson stomped on the back of Jun’s knees. Jun transitioned to a cross arm breaker, but Bryan rolled through and escaped. Danielson went back to working on Akiyama’s legs. Jun gouged Danielson’s eye to escape. Akiyama began to work on Danielson’s arm with a hammerlock. Danielson rolled, knocking Jun out of the ring. Danielson tried to capitalize with a tope suicida, but Jun countered with a forearm. Danielson suplexed Jun on the arena floor. Danielson blasted Akiyama with a shotgun dropkick off the top turnbuckle. Danielson charged at Akiyama, but Akiyama countered with a lariat. Danielson applied the Le Bell Lock! Akiyama reached the ropes with his boots, forcing the ref to break the hold. Danielson climbed to the top turnbuckle but Akiyama decked Danielson with a right hand. Danielson headbutted Jun. Danielson jumped off the top but Jun countered with a big knee and a piledriver for a near fall! Akiyama went for a running knee strike, but Danielson captured it and put Jun in an ankle lock. Danielson sent Jun flying overhead with a release German Suplex. Danielson dished out kicks, but Akiyama fired back with an Exploder for a two-count. Akiyama snatched Danielson in a guillotine choke. Danielson reached the ropes with his boot and the ref broke the hold. Akiyama nailed Danielson with an Exploder and then a knee strike! Danielson and Akiyama had the same idea—charging at one another with running knee strikes! Both men collided and fell to the mat. Both men slugged one another, trading forearms in the center of the ring. Danielson went down in a heap. Danielson drilled Jun with a knee strike right under the chin. Danielson charged at Jun with the running knee strike and pinned Akiyama!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
Guess what? AEW did it again… despite skipping a show last week, we have yet another tremendous episode of Collision (technically the fourth in a row for the Saturday show) with matches that delivered well, told great stories and showcased the best of each wrestler’s abilities… all in the space of two hours! This was a very fast-paced show that didn’t let up which, for me, is the way a wrestling show should be. The only downside? What the hell is going on with the Bang Bang Scissor Gang? It’s a crap multi-man team, involved in crap matches and rubbish promos for the most part. I guess they’ve run out of ideas for BOTH tag teams and are just trying to give them TV time no matter how ridiculous? Jay White needs to get out of this ASAP and get on a singles title run IMHO. As for The Acclaimed, it’s a shame to see how far they’ve fallen down the card since losing the tag titles.