By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Collision (Episode 29)
Charlotte, North Carolina at Bojangles Coliseum
Aired live January 6, 2024 on TNT
[Hour One] The Collision opening aired… Tony Schiavone checked in on commentary and was accompanied by Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness. Dasha was the ring announcer…
Ric Flair made his entrance. Sting and Darby Allin’s entrance followed and they headed to the ring with Flair. “The Workhorsemen” Anthony Henry and JD Drake were already at ringside and attacked Allin before the opening bell. Drake slammed a chair over Sting’s back. Sting no-sold it and worked over Drake on the floor. Henry got the better of Allin and then hit Sting.
1. Sting and Darby Allin (w/Ric Flair) vs. “The Workhorsemen” Anthony Henry and JD Drake. Referee Bryce Remsburg checked on Allin and held off the heels before calling for the opening bell. Allin was isolated to start. Allin avoided a top rope move from Drake. Sting tagged in. Allin put Drake down with a Code Red and then Sting followed up with a Stinger flash.
Sting cleared Henry from the ring. Allin went up top and executed a Coffin Drop onto Henry on the floor. In the ring, Sting performed a Scorpion Death Drop on Drake and then pinned him.
Sting and Darby Allin beat “The Workhorsemen” Anthony Henry and JD Drake in 2:50.
After the match, Flair joined Sting and Allin inside the ring and they all played to the crowd. They went to ringside where Flair took some selfies with a fan in the front row who was dressed up like him…
Powell’s POV: Progress! Typically, AEW referees reward the heels for attacking the babyfaces before the opening bell by just starting the match while the babyface is wearing. Anyway, the match was laid out nicely with the underdog heels attacking the babyfaces before the bell, and then the babyfaces came back and won decisively.
A video package recapped Konosuke Takeshita beating Darby Allin on Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite, followed by Callis challenging Allin and Sting to face Takeshita on Powerhouse Hobbs…
Trent Beretta made his entrance for the Continental Crown Championship match. Eddie Kingston followed and he wore the Continental Crown Championship belt around his waist while carrying the ROH and NJPW Strong Openweight Titles in his hands…
2. Eddie Kingston vs. Trent Beretta for the Continental Crown Championship. Kingston threw an early chop to Beretta’s face (Beretta appeared to block it with his hand or arm), which sent Beretta to ringside. Kelly said the move was not illegal, yet added that there is a line. Beretta returned to the ring with a bloody nose. Kingston was on the offensive going into a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Beretta’s mother Sue was in the crowd. Beretta battled back and hit Kingston with a suicide dive. Beretta rolled Kingston back inside the ring and went to the ropes, but Kingston cut him off and joined him on the ropes. Beretta went for a sunset bomb, but Kingston held the ropes. Beretta pulled Kingston free and then powerbombed him and got a two count.
Kingston came right back with an exploder suplex and a DDT, which led to a two count. Beretta regained control and used a piledriver to get a near fall. Kingston rallied with an exploder, a back fist, and a Northern Lights Bomb and went for the pin, but Beretta kicked out. Kingston followed up with a brainbuster and scored the pin…
Eddie Kingston defeated Trent Beretta in 15:15 to retain the Continental Crown Championship.
Powell’s POV: It appeared that Beretta got his hand or arm up to block Kingston’s chop to the face and then bladed while he was down at ringside, but I could be mistaken. Either way, it was a well worked match. There was no real mystery due to Kingston just winning the championship and Beretta not feeling like a real threat to win, but they filled the fifteen minutes nicely.
Footage aired of a pre-taped interview that Tony Schiavone conducted with Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander. Schiavone asked about Stokely Hathaway’s recent actions. They spoke about keeping their momentum rolling. Statlander had some type of reptile on her shoulder throughout the interview… [C]
Footage aired of Hook at an outdoor setting. He said he has the highest winning percentage in AEW and then declared that he was going after Samoa Joe at the AEW World Championship…
3. ROH Tag Team Champions Matt Taven and Mike Bennett (w/Roderick Strong) vs. Komander and Bryan Keith in a Proving Ground match. Both entrances were televised. Strong did not wear a neck brace, so I guess that was all part of Adam Cole’s master plan to, um, not win the AEW World Championship? Schiavone noted that there was a ten-minute time limit. The teams shook hands before the match to adhere to the Code of Honor.
Schiavone noted that there was a ten-minute time limit. The teams shook hands before the match to adhere to the Code of Honor. The champions were on the offensive heading into an early PIP break. [C] Kelly noted that every Proving Ground match has been won by the champions and the challengers never made it to the time limit draw.
Komander took a hot tag after Keith had been isolated. Komander worked over Taven and Bennett. Taven was seated on the top rope and started to fight back, but Keith came in and headbutted him. Komander stood on the shoulders of Keith and then superplexed Taven. Keith took a tag and then launched Komander onto Taven and Bennett on the floor.
Keith was setting up for a move on Taven when Bennett returned and broke it up with a clothesline. Bennett took out Komander with a piledriver. Taven performed Just The Tip on Keith. Taven and Bennett performed a double team move on Keith and then Taven pinned him…
ROH Tag Team Champions Matt Taven and Mike Bennett defeated Komander and Bryan Keith in 8:35 in a Proving Ground match.
Powell’s POV: A good match. The crowd got up for Komander’s big spots, but it didn’t seem like they ever bought in to the possibility of the champions losing. It also seemed like Schiavone lost track of the time because he was acting like they were closer to the ten-minute time limit than they actually were. By the way, is it my sound system or there something off with the audio tonight?
Renee Paquette interviewed Jay White, Austin Gunn, and Colten Gunn and asked about their relationship with Billy Gunn and The Acclaimed. Before they could answer, Gunn, Max Caster, and Anthony Bowens walked onto the set. The teams bickered. Bowens was the only way to get to the top is with factions. He pointed to Jay White’s history in Japan and Bill’s success in a faction. Bowens told them to think about it… [C]
Adam Copeland made his entrance and delivered an in-ring promo. Copeland recalled Christian Cage saying that he had to go to the back of the line. Copeland noted that because he won the TNT Championship, he gets an automatic rematch. Copeland took issue with Christian Cage claiming that he’s been given opportunities. Copeland said the truth is that he just worked harder.
Copeland said Cage wants him to start at the bottom and earn his rematch. Copeland said he works hard and would do just that. He noted he was wearing his gear and would have na open challenge.
Maria Kanellis-Bennett, Griff Garrison, and Cole Karter walked out together. Garrison introduced himself and said some people were probably wondering who he was. He said he’s the guy who steps up and faces a Hall of Famer. He told Copeland to look at him because he’s the guy who accepted his challenge.
Copeland said he likes Garrison and appreciates him trying to step up, but he was starting from sea level to Mount Everest. Garrison slapped Copeland, who said that makes him like him event more, but now he had to beat his ass…
4. Adam Copeland vs. Griff Garrison (w/Maria Kanellis-Bennett, Cole Karter). Copeland booted Garrison in the face to start the match. Copeland dominated and was about to go for his spear, but Maria distracted him and then Karter tripped him. Garrison took advantage of the distraction and was on the offensive for a stretch.
[Hour Two] Copeland kicked Karter through the ropes. Copeland put Garrison down with a top rope crossbody block that led to a two count. Copeland charged Garrison, who dropped him with a discus punch that led to a near fall. Copeland came back with a superplex and an Impaler DDT. Copeland hooked in a submission hold and got the win.
Adam Copeland defeated Griff Garrison in 6:40.
After the match, Karter dropkicked Copeland. Karter went for a top rope 450 splash that Copeland avoided. Copeland speared Karter…
Powell’s POV: No one took Garrison seriously as a threat to win and it didn’t feel like he or Karter got much out of this beyond the experience of working with a legend.
Ric Flair, Sting, and Darby Allin were on the backstage interview set. Flair spoke about Sting’s retirement match and then shifted the focus to Sting and Allin returning to Daily’s Place at Wednesday’s Dynamite. Sting said he won’t be coasting through his last few weeks and spoke about facing Konosuke Takeshita and Powerhouse Hobbs…
5. Skye Blue vs. Kiera Hogan. Both entrances were televised. Blue was in offensive control going into a PIP break. [C] Schiavone said the Sting and Allin vs. Hobbs and Takeshita match would be a Texas Tornado match. Late in the match, Hogan hit a couple of superkicks. Hogan ran at Blue, who hoisted her up and performed a TKO style move. Blue applied a submission hold and got the win…
Skye Blue beat Kiera Hogan in 8:00.
The broadcast team hyped the two remaining matches… [C]
Powell’s POV: A solid match with a predictable outcome.
Claudio Castagnoli made his entrance while he was featured in a pre-taped promo. Castagnoli challenged Hangman Page to face him in a match on Dynamite. Castagnoli’s opponent was already in the ring…
6. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Andrew Everett. Everett dropkicked Castagnoli, but Castagnoli came right back with a chokeslam. Castagnoli performed the Giant Swing. Everett came back with a leg lariat and an overhead kick. Castagnoli went for a shooting star press. Castagnoli performed the Neutralizer. He picked up Everett and put him down with a King Kong Lariat and scored the pin…
Claudio Castagnoli beat Andrew Everett in 3:15.
Powell’s POV: This was just a quick spotlight match. Castagnoli wanted to hit Everett with a European uppercut while he was performing the shooting star press, but the timing was off so he aborted the punch.
AEW Tag Team Champions Ricky Starks and Big Bill were interviewed by Lexi Nair on the backstage interview set. Starks recalled debuting in AEW at Daily’s Place in a TNT Title match that he lost to Cody Rhodes. Starks talk about facing Sammy Guevara on Dynamite. Bill challenged Guevara and Chris Jericho to face them for the AEW Tag Team Titles in a street fight on next week’s Battle of the Belts special… [C]
Powell’s POV: There were some boos when Jericho’s name was mentioned by Bill.
Entrances for the main event took place with Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews out first. Dasha said the match would be one fall or television time remaining. The FTR entrance followed. Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler stopped at ringside to greet Harwood’s daughter, who was in the front row…
7. “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler vs. Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews. There were “FTR” chants before the opening bell. Black ducked an early Harwood punch and then sat down crosslegged in front of him. Harwood also sat down and gave Black the bird. Black left the ring and walked over to Harwood’s daughter. FTR followed, causing Black to return to the ring and join Matthews in sitting down going into a PIP break. [C]
Kelly noted that Harwood’s wife was also at ringside with his daughter. Black performed a top rope moonsault onto Wheeler on the floor. Wheeler was isolated by the heels. He was on the verge of tagging out when Matthews booted Harwood and knocked him off the apron. Mathews kicked Wheeler and then covered him for a two count heading into the last PIP break. [C]
Harwood performed a brainbuster on Black that led to a near fall. Harwood rolled Black into a pin, but Black’s kickout launched him into a cheap shot thrown by Matthews from the floor. Black hit Harwood with a back elbow and covered him for a two count.
Harwood battled back and superplexed Black before Wheeler followed up with a top rope splash. Harwood went for the cover, but Matthews performed a meteotra from the top rope onto a standing Wheeler, causing both men to crash into and break up the pin attempt. A “this is awesome” chant broke out.
Wheeler went for a suicide dive on both opponents, but they caught him and hit him with a simultaneous knee strikes. Black and Matthews tossed Wheeler over the broadcast desk. Black brought a chair to the ring when he and Matthews returned. Harwood punched Black before he could use the chair.
Harwood and Wheeler hit the Shatter Machine on Matthews. Black had the pin but Black broke it up. A short time later, FTR performed a spike piledriver on Black on the apron, which drew “holy shit” chants.
Brody King walked out with a cast on his right hand. Daniel Garcia ran out behind Matthews and slammed a chair over his back. King no-sold the first shot, but Garcia hit him with another and then tossed the chair at King’s head. When Harwood tried to return to the ring. Matthews hit him with a Stomp and went for a cover, but Harwood put his foot on the ropes. Matthews powerbombed Harwood and rolled onto him for a pin, but Harwood reversed it and got the three count.
“FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler defeated Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews in 21:30.
After the match, Garcia entered the ring and celebrated with FTR. Matthews ran in and hit them from behind, and then the House of Black trio put the boots to FTR and Garcia. Matthews Stomped Wheeler’s head onto a chair. King and Matthews held a chair in front of Harwood’s head and then Black hit it with a spin kick. Harwood’s wife and daughter were shown watching casually.
Julia Hart was shown smirking while she ran the ring bell while the beatdown continued. McGuinness said it seemed to be a ten bell salute from Hart. A “House of Black” chant broke out while they stood tall. Schiavone ran through the lineup for Dynamite and also hyped Saturday’s Battle of the Belts special…
Powell’s POV: A very good main event. I didn’t really understand the issue between the two teams, so at least this post match beatdown gives the feud a little juice. You never know what you’re going to get from family members at ringside. Harwood’s wife and daughter didn’t really sell the attack, but at least they didn’t laugh as we’ve seen some family members do over the years.
Overall, the show got off to a solid start with the first two matches and closed with a strong main event. The problem was that they featured several throwaway spotlight matches in between. There was nothing wrong with any of those spotlight matches individually. Heck, even the opening match was a brief spotlight match, which is fine. But wedging so many in the middle of the show added up to a lot of channel changing material and made this feel like a B-show. Will Pruett’s audio review of Collision are typically available on Sunday mornings for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of Collision by grading it below.
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Umm….so do WWE refs…and TNA refs….ect ect…..