‘AEW: Collision’ Review (Jul 20th 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: Darby Allin def. The Beast Mortos
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Beast Mortos swung Darby around the ring with a headlock. Darby escaped but the Beast rammed into Darby with a shoulder tackle. Darby blasted the Beast with a shotgun dropkick, followed up by a tope suicida. Darby attempted a jumping hurracanrana off the apron, but the Beast Mortos caught him and flung Darby into the steel ring steps. The Beast Mortos slammed Darby with a Samoan Drop for a two-count. The Beast Mortos charged at Darby, but Darby dodged him. Darby nailed the Beast with a Coffin Drop from the top rope to the Beast on the arena floor! The Beast Mortos cracked Darby with a headbutt and then wiped out Darby with a tornillo through the middle and top rope. The Beast speared Darby, folding Darby up like an accordion. Darby rallied back with a Code Red for a near fall. Darby climbed to the top turnbuckle, but the Beast Mortos met Darby up there. The Beast Mortos press slammed Darby off the top rope! Darby regained momentum by hitting an avalanche crucifix bomb and then a coffin drop and pinned the Beast Mortos!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: Hikaru Shida def. Skye Blue
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Blue charged at Shida and booted Shida in the head. They traded forearm shots to the head. Shida got the upper hand and dropkicked Skye Blue. Shida connected with a crossbody press to the outside on Blue, knocking the wind out of Skye. Blue tweaked her ankle from the impact and collapsed. Shida was declared the winner due to referee stoppage.
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #3: Rey Fenix def. Tony Nese
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Nese hit a flurry of kicks to Rey Fenix. Nese worked on Rey Fenix’s knee. Rey Fenix got to his feet and went to take flight, but Nese slid out of the way. Woods and Daivari surrounded Rey Fenix, allowing Nese to ambush Rey Fenix. The Premier Athletes began to triple team Rey Fenix outside the ringBack in the ring, Nese power bombed Rey Fenix. Nese lowered his knee pad, looking for the running knee strike, but Rey Fenix countered with a hurracanrana. Rey Fenix followed up with a thrust kick off the ropes. Rey Fenix took flight, jumping over the top rope and diving onto all three Premier Athletes. Tony Nese connected with a 450 splash for a near fall on Rey Fenix! Fenix ran the ropes and punted Nese in the head. Rey Fenix rocked Nese with a top rope frog splash and pinned Tony Nese!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #4: Roderick Strong def. Tomohiro Ishii
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
They began the match trading chops. Neither man backed down during the chop fest! Ishii ran through a chop and knocked down Roddy with a shoulder block. Ishii followed up with a vertical suplex for a two-count. Roddy grabbed Ishii and planted him hard on the ring apron! Ishii came back with a power slam. Ishii battered Strong in the corner. Ishii nailed Strong with a German release suplex. Ishii drilled with a stalling avalanche suplex from the middle rope for a near fall. Ishii rammed Roddy with a headbutt. Roderick caught Ishii with an Olympic Slam and then a gut buster for a near fall! Ishii hit a left handed lariat. The ROH World Tag Team Champions Matt Taven and Mike Bennett ran down to distract the referee while Roddy stunned Ishii with a low blow. Roderick Strong followed up with a jumping knee strike and pinned Ishii!
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #5: Hologram def. Gringo Loco
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Hologram hit a twisting hurracanrana! Hologram jumped over the top rope, wiped out Gringo Loco and then landed on his feet! Hologram dodged a top rope tornillo from Gringo Loco. Hologram, smooth as silk, jumped off the top rope and nailed Gringo Loco with a hurracanrana to the floor. Hologram caught Gringo Loco with a heel kick. Hologram finished off Gringo Loco with the Portal Bomb—an airplane spin-torture rack combo into a power bomb for the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: Deonna Purrazzo def. Thunder Rosa
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Thunder Rosa splashed Deonna with a senton. Thunder Rosa followed up with a cross body, but Deonna kicked out at the one-count. Deonna drilled Thunder Rosa with a draping DDT. Deonna superplexed Thunder Rosa onto the lumberjills outside the ring. Deonna nailed Thunder Rosa with a lung blower for a near fall. Thunder Rosa fired back with a running dropkick. Thunder Rosa planted Deonna with a spinning Death Valley Driver for a near fall. Deonna applied a cross arm breaker out of nowhere. Thunder Rosa escaped but Deonna hurled Thunder Rosa with a suplex. Thunder Rosa speared Deonna Purrazzo, knocking Deonna through the ropes and to the lumberjills on the arena floor! Taya Valkyrie handed Deonna a turnbuckle while the ref was distracted, knocking out Thunder Rosa and pinning her!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #7: Undisputed World Trios Championship Match – The Patriarchy (Christian Cage, Killswitch & Nick Wayne) def. The Bang Bang Gang (Juice Robinson & The Gunns — Austin & Colten)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The winners of this match will be crowned new AEW World Trios Champions! Austin Gunn got the upper hand on Nick Wayne. Nick had enough and tagged out to Christian Cage. Juice entered the match and Christian Cage quickly tagged out to Killswitch. Juice chopped at Killswitch, but Killswitch knocked down Juice Robinson with a single strike! Christian Cage turned the tide in the match, kicking Juice in the back when Juice hit the ropes. Colten and Austin utilized quick tags, working over Nick Wayne. Austin charged at Nick in the corner, but Nick moved out of the way. Austin’s momentum carried him over the turnbuckles and down onto the arena floor. Killswitch planted Austin onto the mat with ease. Austin fought his way over to Juice and made the tag. Juice jumped out of the way of Wayne’s World from Nick and jabbed away at “the Prodigy”. Juice splashed Nick Wayne with a cannonball in the corner. Juice rocked Nick with a jackhammer! The Bang Bang Gang triple teamed Christian Cage. Juice blocked a low blow from Nick Wayne and hit a folding power bomb on Nick Wayne for a near fall. Killswitch choke slammed Juice off the top rope! Christian followed up with a frog splash for a near fall! Killswitch inadvertently headbutted Christian Cage when Juice ducked. Juice reversed the kill switch from Christian Cage, but Christian grabbed the referee. While the ref was dealing with Christian Cage, Mother Wayne blinded Juice with hairspray in the eyes! Christian Cage nailed Juice with the Killswitch and pinned Juice!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
Definitely a slight improvement over last week’s show, this episode of Collision suffered somewhat by not only having to work around the unfortunate injury to Skye Blue – which clearly had a huge impact on the rest of the show and much more noticeably the match that immediately followed it, which felt like it had filler added to make up for the time! Skye apparently has a broken leg – according to a social media from Kyle Fletcher – so she’ll be out for a good few weeks sadly. The other way this week’s show suffered was the location. Urgh… The whole thing felt like part-TNA, part-NWA, the small venue really did nothing for the show, in fact I thought it hurt it somewhat. Though the crowd sounded a lot more rabid in the more enclosed space! As for the matches, nothing disappointed at all, with decent matches across the board, the stand-out by far being Ishii and Roderick Strong – which looked like it would deliver on paper and did on screen too! This is definitely a Collision episode headed in the right direction.
