‘AEW: Collision’ Review (Aug 24th 2024)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW’s, 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: The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Mark Briscoe, & Kyle O’Reilly) def. The Undisputed Kingdom (Roderick Strong, Mike Bennett, & Matt Taven)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Bennett and Briscoe traded chops. Briscoe applied a side headlock and then Kyle booted Bennett after a tag. Roderick entered the match and he and Kyle exchanged strikes. Kyle tossed Roddy with a big back body drop. Kyle wiped out Bennett and Taven with dragon screw leg whips. Orange tagged in and wiped out Bennett and Taven with a double hurracanrana. Orange spiked Roderick with a DDT. Bennett blocked a Beach Break and Taven jumped off the turnbuckle, spiking Orange with a piledriver. Briscoe grabbed a tag and cleaned house on the Undisputed Kingdom with his redneck Kungfu! Roddy planted Briscoe on the edge of a steel chair as the ref was distracted. Kyle applied an ankle lock on Mike Bennett. Kyle hit Bennett with a dragon screw and then Briscoe connected with the Froggy Bow! Orange dropped an elbow on Bennett, but the pin attempt was broken up by the Undisputed Kingdom. Bennett retaliated with a Death Valley Driver on Kyle. Roderick rocked Kyle with a back breaker for a two-count. Kyle caught Roddy in an arm bar and transitioned to an ankle lock. The submission was broken up as the other wrestlers fell on top of Kyle as they were brawling. Kyle managed to put the guillotine on Taven and won the match as Taven was unconscious!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Willow Nightingale def. Harley Cameron
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Willow body slammed Harley. Willow splashed Harley in the corner and then followed up with a series of lariats. Harley fired back with knee lifts and a Russian Leg Sweep. Harley cracked Willow with elbow strikes. Willow planted Harley with the Babe With The Powerbomb and picked up the pinfall victory!
My Score: 1.5 out of 5
Match #3: Katsuyori Shibata def. Jay Lethal
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Shibata pump kicked Lethal in the arm. Lethal rallied back with a cartwheel into a dropkick on Shibata. Lethal dropped elbows on Shibata’s leg, hammering it, tenderizing it for the figure four that he has in his arsenal. Lethal locked on the figure four in the center of the ring. Shibata escaped but Lethal was ready with the Lethal Combination. Lethal went for the King’s Elbow but Shibata countered, catching Lethal with an arm bar. Lethal scooted to the ropes, breaking the hold thanks to his boots touching the ropes. Shibata took down Lethal with an STO. Shibata applied the Iron Claw and transitioned to an arm bar, and Lethal had no choice but to tap out! Shibata extended his hand to Lethal after the match as a sign of respect, and Lethal accepted.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Kris Statlander & Stokely Hathaway def. Nina Samuels & Kid Lykos 2
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Statlander drilled Samuels and Kid Lykos 2 with a double lariat. Stokely planted Kid Lykos with a spinebuster. Statlander hoisted up Stokely and threw him on top of Kid Lykos 2, good enough for Stokely to pick up the pin!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #5: HOOK def. Big Bill
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Hook was hurled across the ring with a fallaway slam by Big Bill. Big Bill gouged at Hook’s injured eye. Big Bill splashed Hook in the corner. Big Bill charged at Hook with a massive boot to the face! Big Bill rag dolled Hook in a bear hug! Big Bill dropped several elbows onto Hook’s chest and went for the cover, but Hook kicked out at the two-count. Hook ducked a charging Big Bill. Hook pummeled Big Bill with relentless right handed strikes. Bryan Keith jumped into the ring but Hook suplexed him. Big Bill went for a choke slam, but Hook escaped. Hook jumped on Big Bill’s back with the Red Rum! Big Bill tapped out!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: Jeff Jarrett def. Ariya Daivari
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Daivari took down Jarrett with a double shoulder tackle and then taunted Jeff with a strut. Jarrett slugged Ariya. Jarrett rammed Daivari’s head into the steel ring steps. But back in the ring, Daivari caught Jarrett with a sleeper. Jarrett fought out of it, backing Daivari into the turnbuckles. Jarrett followed up with a belly to back suplex. Jarrett wiped out Daivari with a Russian Leg Sweep. Jarrett blocked a thrust kick. Jarrett rocked Daivari by drilling him with the Stroke and picked up a big victory tonight!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #7: PAC, Wheeler Yuta, and Claudio Castagnoli def. Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin), and Lio Rush
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Yuta put Darius in a bow and arrow submission. Darius escaped and blasted Wheeler with a dropkick. Dante grabbed a tag and Pac entered the fray. Dante dropkicked Pac. Claudio tagged in and Lio Rush insisted on Dante tagging him in. Claudio smashed Lio with a European Uppercut. Darius drilled Claudio with a DDT. Dante connected with a big cross body press on Pac for a near fall. Lio Rush rocketed out of the ring with a tope to Pac. Rush and Pac exchanged forearms in the center of the ring. Pac served up a flurry of offense, but Lio returned with a Blue Thunder Bomb. Pac nailed Lio with a suplex. Pac climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Dante stopped him with a kick. Darius followed up with a stunner. Lio frog splashed Pac, but the BCC broke up the pin attempt on Pac. Claudio put Lio in the Giant Swing and Wheeler dropkicked the spinning Rush. Pac blasted Rush with the Black Arrow and pinned Lio!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
This episode of Collision was a solid go-home show for the weekend’s All In London. It was also a lot of fun, giving fans a chance to see what we can expect from the pay-per-view proper, especially that lower-card stuff on Zero Hour etc. Nice to see PAC in a main event match – and one that has an effect on the All In trios match too. Though I’m guessing if PAC is teaming with members of the BCC that Penta and Fenix are gone from AEW and Death Triangle is well an truly over. Shame.
