By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@DonThePredictor)
AEW Collision (Episode 56)
Taped August 1, 2024 in Arlington, Texas at Esports Stadium Arlington
Aired August 3, 2024 on TNT
[Hour One] Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness checked in on commentary…
Christian Cage, Mother Wayne, Nick Wayne and Killswitch made their way to the ring. Cage said he would make this short and sweet as he hates the town and has a private plane waiting to take him out of it. He talked about winning the Trios Championship as a vehicle back to the World Heavyweight Championship. He also said he would use it as a gift for his family who supported him the last year. He added that what he holds are not belts but titles and that his family realizes that the Championships really mean.
Cage puts over Nick Wayne and announces that he is the youngest champion in AEW history. He presents Wayne with his title and turns to Killswitch. He said Killswitch has been the finisher and the muscle of the Patriarchy. He does all the dirty work when it’s needed and Cage said he appreciated that. He then added that Killswitch did not give birth to a prodigy – Mother Wayne did. Cage presented the title to her while Killswitch held his arms out. Killswitch grabbed Cage by the shoulder but before the segment could go any further, the House of Black (Malakai Black and Brody King) interrupted.
Cage reminded them that Buddy Matthews is injured and that they are no longer a Trios team. Cage assumed that they were out there for some fatherly advice. He said he didn’t believe all the hype for Black and wondered why they two of them would confront the three of them. Cage yelled, “what were you thinking?” Black said, “This…”
The lights went out and when they came back on, Matthews was standing with Black and King. The Patriarchy tried to escape, but Juice Robinson, Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn appeared on the stage. Cage, Killswitch and the Waynes escaped through the crowd. Nick was met by Kip Sabian who threw him over the barrier to ringside. The Bang Bang Gang threw Wayne in the ring and Black hit him with a Black Mask kick. The Bang Bang Gang and the House of Black faced off in the ring to end the segment….
Don’s Take: A good opening segment to further the storyline of Killswitch eventually growing tired of Christian’s abuse. I also liked the way they incorporated other Trios teams as a way to preview challengers for the Patriarchy down the road. It’s likely that a number one contenders match will be next.
A video recapped Sammy Guevara’s return on this week’s ROH TV….
Lexy Nair was backstage with Dustin Rhodes, Marshall Von Erich and Ross Von Erich. Rhodes spoke about how happy they are to team with each other and be the ROH Six Man Tag Team Champions. Sammy Guevara entered and said for five years he was stuck in a vortex. He can now make his own decisions and wants to earn Rhodes’ and the Von Erichs’ trust by teaming with them. Rhodes and Guevara shook hands.
1. Mistico and Hologram vs. Tony Nese and Ariya Daivari (w/Mark Sterling). Sterling did his usual pre-match mic schtick. Prior to the match, a video recapped Chris Jericho’s attack on Mistico at CMLL’s 91st anniversary show. The opening part of the match was all Hologram and Mistico before Nese and Daivari took over briefly on Hologram. Heading into the picture-in-picture break, Hologram made the hot tag. He and Mistico sent Nese and Daivari to the floor. [C]
Back from the break and the heels worked over Mistico. Mistico fought out of the attack and hot tagged Hologram who cleaned house. Down the stretch, Hologram attempted to pick Daivari up for a suplex but was distracted by Sterling. Hologram dove onto Sterling on the floor before he and Mistico sent Nese and Daivari to the floor. Hologram dove onto the pile at ringside, rolled Nese back in the ring and hit him with a 450 splash for the win.
Mistico and Hologram defeated Tony Nese and Ariya Daivariin about 9:40.
Don’s Take: A standard showcase match for the high flyers
A video recapped the storyline between Bryan Danielson, Swerve Strickland and Jeff Jarrett, which set up Danielson vs. Jarrett for Dynamite…
Mariah May came out and joined the commentary team. Toni Storm came out for her scheduled match and attacked May at the announce table. The two brawled all the way to the ring. Storm was attacked by her opponent.
2. Toni Storm vs. Rache Chanel. Chanel got in some brief offense, but this was all Storm who hit a hip attack in the corner and a piledriver for the win.
Toni Storm defeated Rache Chanel in about 0:55.
After the match, Storm stared from the ring at May who was on the stage.
Don’s Take: While I thought they may have gone to the May heel turn too soon, I’m enjoying the build to their match at All In. I also like that Storm is toning down the comedy aspects of her character and being a bit more serious.
Kyle Fletcher voiced over a video about his friendship with Will Ospreay. The video recapped the events from Dynamite which set up Fletcher vs. MJF for this coming week’s Dynamite. [C]
A video recapped MJF’s successful defense of the AEW International Title vs. Templario at CMLL’s 91st anniversary show….
3. Kyle Fletcher (w/Don Callis) vs. Brian Cage. Don Callis joined the commentary team and compared Fletcher to a young Barry Windham. It was Fletcher in the early going until they got out to the floor where Cage overpowered him. Fletcher recovered and hit a running cannonball on the ramp as the show went to a picture-in-picture break. [C]
After the break, Cage slammed Fletcher off the second rope. The two exchanged near falls down the stretch with Fletcher hitting the tombstone piledriver for the win.
Kyle Fletcher defeated Brian Cage in about 6:00.
After the match, Fletcher took the mic and talked about how MJF is a coward. He challenged MJF to put the American Title on the line on Dynamite. MJF appeared on the big screen and made fun of Fletcher’s accent and said he doesn’t deserve a shot at the title. He agreed to make the match an Eliminator match, meaning that Fletcher gets a title shot if he can beat MJF on Dynamite. [C]
Don’s Take: Fletcher vs. MJF should be good and it makes sense that the heel MJF wouldn’t offer Fletcher a title match without jumping through hoops. By the way, isn’t Callis a heel too? Who am I rooting for? Despite the added stipulation, there’s no reason to believe Fletcher has a shot here. Plus, this will likely play into the favor Callis asks of Will Ospreay. On a side note, I am digging MJF’s new “American Hero” character.
A video featured Bryan Danielson training with Wheeler Yuta for Danielson’s title match at All In. Danielson and Yuta both said he has never trained harder and that this is the biggest match of Danielson’s career….
Renee Paquette was backstage with Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal. Lethal and Dutt complained about Hangman Adam Page cost Jarrett opportunities at the World Title. Karen said Lethal and Dutt need to do something about page. Jeff said both he and Page lost opportunities, but he’s making the most of it. He spoke about how Swerve Strickland is the most dangerous man in AEW and that Bryan Danielson needs to be more than ready. He talked about Memphis and how they invented hardcore wrestling before it was called that. He then challenged Danielson to make their Dynamite match a No DQ match.
[Hour Two] 4. Lee Moriarty vs. Claudio Castagnoli vs. Tomohiro Ishii in a three-way for a shot at the AEW Continental Championship. The early part of the match saw Castagnoli and Ishii trading blows before all three competitors exchanged moves. Moriarty sent both opponents to the floor and dove onto them as the show went to a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Coming out of the break, all three men exchanged chops and moves until Castagnoli squared off with Ishii again. Down the stretch, there were a series of moves and near falls with many situations where Castagnoli or Ishii would hit a move on Moriarty, only to have the other try to steal the pin. In the end, it was Castagnoli hitting a face plant piledriver on Moriarty, with the pin being broken up by Ishii. Ishii hit a sliding clothesline on Moriarty but Castagnoli pulled him out of the ring. Castagnoli hit a flying European uppercut for the win.
Claudio Castagnoli defeated Lee Moriarty and Tomohiro Ishii in about 10:00 to earn a shot at the AEW Continental Championship.
After the match, Castagnoli offered a hand to Ishii but Ishii refused….[C]
Don’s Take: A fun match that sets up what should be a good match between Castagnoli and Kazuchika Okada. I have no reason to believe Castagnoli will win the title, but the match itself should be solid.
Backstage, Lexy Nair was with Dante and Darius Martin along with Leila Grey. Apparently Grey is Top Flight’s new valet in some kind of a flight attendant gimmick. MxM Collection (Mansoor and Mason Madden) interrupted and criticized Top Flight’s outfit. Top Flight said MxM is now on their no fly list.
Don’s Take: If you asked me to show you a visual depiction of AEW Rampage, I’d show you the graphic for this match…
5. Thunder Rosa vs. Taya Valkarie (w/Johnny TV). The two battled at the bell. Johnny distracted Rosa giving Valkarie the advantage. Rosa retaliated with a sliding lariat as the show went to a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Coming out of the break, it was all Thunder Rosa until Johnny pulled Valkarie to the floor. Johnny’s distraction allowed Valkarie to spear Rosa on the floor. Back in the ring, Valkarie continued the attack, but Rosa was able to fight back and hit Johnny with a sliding dropkick. Rosa reversed a German suplex attempt into a cobra clutch for the submission.
Thunder Rosa defeated Taya Valkarie in about 8:00.
After the match, Rosa called out Deonna Purrazzo. Purrazzo came out and wondered what Rosa wanted. She said Rosa was on a winning streak, just like Purrazzo who has beaten Rosa three times. Rosa challenged Purrazzo to a Texas Bullrope match for next week. Purrazzo didn’t actually accept and walked off; however, the crack video team was ready with the graphic to make it official. [C]
Don’s Take: Man, the feud between Rosa and Purrazzo will never end. Are they going for some record for the most stipulation matches?
6. Darby Allin, Mark Briscoe, Dax Harwood, and Cash Wheeler vs. The Beast Mortos, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, and Roderick Strong in an eight-man tag match. The match started with about 22 minutes left in the show so this will be a long one. The early part of the match saw the babyfaces working over Strong, Taven and Bennett. Mortos got some brief offense in but he was also overmatched. The advantage shifted when Strong hit an Olympic slam on Wheeler and threw him to the floor where he was attacked by the heel team. [C]
Coming out of the break, Wheeler hit a bulldog on Taven off the second rope and tried to make the hot tag but Strong and Bennett attacked the babyfaces on the apron to prevent it. Eventually, Wheeler took down Strong with a head scissors and tagged Briscoe who cleaned house.
Down the stretch, it was a series of moves, resulting in near falls broken up by the other team, including a Proton Pack by Taven and Bennett, as well as Jay Driller and Froggy Bow by Briscoe. Mortos overpowered Harwood and worked him over while the other heels prevented the tag. Harwood made the hot tag to Allin. More intense action down the stretch with the finish being Taven taking a superplex from Harwood, a splash from Wheeler, a Froggy Bow from Briscoe and a coffin drop from Allin for the pinfall.
Darby Allin, Mark Briscoe, Dax Harwood, and Cash Wheeler defeat The Beast Mortos, Matt Taven, Mike Bennett, and Roderick Strong in about 19:00 an eight-man tag match.
After the match, Harwood took the mic. In case you weren’t aware, he loves professional wrestling and AEW. He referred to FTR, Briscoe and Allin as the life blood of AEW. This brought out Max Caster, Anthony Bowens and Billy Gunn.
Caster asked where FTR was when they were in Blood and Guts and fighting the Young Bucks for the tag team titles. He said that Wheeler isn’t even good enough to be on TV when Harwood is injured. Bowens added that they’ve earned everyone’s respect and are not sure what else they have to do. He said the Acclaimed was the only team that was home grown and FTR doesn’t get to cut the line to face the Bucks. He reminded FTR that scoreboard says 1-0 in favor of the Acclaimed and that no one cares about FTR’s legacy. He told FTR to “nut up or shut up.
A shoving match ensued and Briscoe tried to play peacemaker saying, “This is what the Elite wants.” FTR offered the Acclaimed a handshake, but the Acclaimed walked off to end the show.
Don’s Take: An action-packed main event and yt seems like we are moving closer to an Acclaimed heel turn which should be a nice change of pace since the babyface act has cooled off severely. A match with FTR should be good and I’m hoping they can give it a good storyline to add to it. Tonight was a step in the right direction.
This was an average show which is not surprising since it was taped and aired three hours before it normally does due to SummerSlam. As usual, it had its moments from an in-ring standpoint but nothing really eventful in terms of storyline movement.
That’s all from me for tonight. I’ll be back ton Friday for Rampage. Until then! Will Pruett’s Collision audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons) will likely be delayed until Sunday or Monday this week.
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