By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Collision (Episode 57)
Arlington, Texas at Esports Stadium Arlington
Aired live August 10, 2024 on TNT
[Hour One] The Collision opening aired… Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness were on commentary, and Arkady Aura was the ring announcer. Entrances for the opening tag team match took place…
1. Darby Allin and Hologram vs. Tony Nese and Josh Woods (w/Mark Sterling, Ariya Daivari). Sterling had his right arm in a sling. He cut a promo on his way to the ring and insulted the Texas fans. Daivari also spoke about how Hologram’s face would be permanently black and blue after this match.
Allin, who had athletic tape on his right shoulder, performed a Destroyer on Nese for an ealry near fall. Woods tagged in and executed a gut-wrench suplex on Allin. Woods followed up with another suplex and then taunted Hologram.
Nese tagged in and was caught in an inside cradle by Allin for a two count. Allin went for a tag, but Woods pulled Hologram off the apron to stop it. Nese rolled up Allin for a near fall.
A graphic had a countdown clock to Swerve Strickland’s open challenge at roughly the top of the hour. Hologram took a hot tag and worked over both opponents. Woods and Nese battled back and hit a double team move. Woods had Hologram pinned, but Allin broke it up.
Hologram ran the ropes and had his legs grabbed by Sterling. Allin performed a Coffin Drop onto Sterling and Daivari. Hologram rolled Woods into a pin and got the three count…
Darby Allin and Hologram defeated Tony Nese and Josh Woods in 8:45.
Powell’s POV: Good tag team action with the obvious outcome.
Dustin Rhodes narrated a video package about Texas Bull Rope matches. He noted that his father put bull rope on his wrist in 1978 and set the standard for brutality. Dustin said he’s been in bull rope matches and you don’t agree to be in one unless you’re prepared to put your body through hell and drag your opponent. Dustin said Thunder Rosa embodies the Texas spirit, and Deonna Purrazzo is a ruthless mastermind. “Arlington ain’t gonna be the same after this,” Dustin closed…
Powell’s POV: That was great. AEW often fails to present key matches properly, but they got it right this time.
Entrances for the Texas Bull Rope match took place…
2. Thunder Rosa vs. Deonna Purrazzo in a Texas Bull Rope match. Schiavone noted that Dustin spoke in the video about dragging opponents and how there are bull rope matches where the goal is to touch all four corners, but he stated that this match would end via pinfall or submission.
Purrazzo battered Rosa’s head with the cowbell on the bull rope. Rosa bled heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C] Rosa pulled Purrazzo from the ropes and tossed her onto a few chairs that were in the middle of the ring. Rosa covered Purrazzo for a two count.
Rosa wedged a chair in between the ropes and ran Purrazzo’s head into it. There was also a table leaned in the opposite corner. Rosa dropkicked a chair into the face of the seated Purrazzo in the corner. Rosa covered Purrazzo, who was also bleeding from the forehead, for a two count.
Rosa went up top and was cut off. Purrazzo hung up Rosa in a tree of woe and then jabbed a chair into her abdomen several times. Purrazzo speared Rosa, who fell from the ropes and was covered for a two count. The crowd chanted for tables.
A short time later, Purrazzo set up the table that had been leading in a corner of the ring and then placed Rosa on top of it. Rosa, who had a crimson mask, cut off Purrazzo on the ropes and then bulldogged her through the table. Rosa hit a Fire Thunder Driver and scored the pin…
Thunder Rosa defeated Deonna Purrazzo in 10:45 in a Texas Bull Rope match.
Powell’s POV: Hard work from both wrestlers to make this a gritty bull rope match. Many female wrestlers tend to lack creative direction if they are not in the mix for a title Rosa and Purrazzo are exceptions because they’ve had a quality feud together. I’m hardly a stickler for move names, but it did grab my attention that Schiavone referred to Rosa’s finisher as a shoulder breaker.
An intentionally cheesy Outrunners video package aired… [C] Entrances for the next tag team match took place…
3. “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler vs. “The Outrunners” Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum. McGuinness said The Outrunners put the pro in prophylactic. Nice. FTR cleared The Outrunners from the ring and then mocked their posing going into a PIP break. [C]
Harwood performed fix German suplexes in a row on Floyd and then piledrove him. Harwood covered Floyd and then moved out of the way when Magnum tried to hit him. Wheeler slammed Magnum, and then he and Harwood hit Floyd with the Shatter Machine. Harwood covered Floyd and got the three count…
“FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler defeated “The Outrunners” Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum in 9:20.
Powell’s POV: A spotlight match for FTR. Harwood ditched the weight belt and looks like he’s already dropped the weight he appeared to add while his back was injured. Hopefully that’s a sign that he’s on the road to a full recovery.
Schiavone said Tony Khan just informed him that The Young Bucks vs. The Acclaimed for the AEW Tag Team Titles will take place on Wednesday’s Dynamite…
Backstage, Lexi Nair interviewed Kip Sabian. The interview was interrupted by Nick Wayne, who asked why he’s still in the business. Wayne said he’s the youngest champion in AEW history, whereas Sabian is just a nobody after five years.
Wayne said he’s tried of playing games with Sabian and said he would put an end to it on Rampage when they meet in a singles match. Wayne said Sabian’s father died a loser and he would make sure that Sabian goes out the same way… [C]
A video package recapped MJF beating Kyle Fletcher on Dynamite and included comments from MJF from after the match. MJF said he doesn’t let his brothers in arms get hurt like Will Ospreay allowed Fletcher to get hurt.
The video shifted to footage of Ospreay talking to Fletcher after Dynamite and telling him that nobody deserves to be hit with a Tiger Driver 91. Fletcher suggested that if there’s one person who deserves to take the move, it’s MJF. MJF spoke about hitting Ospreay’s buddy Michael Oku and Ospreay with Tiger Drivers in upcoming matches…
4. Rush vs. Preston Vance. Both entrances were televised. Don Callis was shown watching the match on a backstage television. The match spilled over to ringside and Rush bit the forehead of Vance, who bladed.
Back in the ring, Vance got a little offense, including a discus lariat. Rush came back and hit Vance with a series of headbutts while Preston was down in the corner. Preston bled from the forehead. Rush hit him with Bull’s Horns and then pinned him.
Rush defeated Preston Vance in 4:05.
After the match, Callis was shown looking pleased by what he saw. Rush left the ring, but then came back. Eternal optimist Schiavone said he hoped that Rush was going to help Vance get up. Rather, Rush hit his finisher on Vance again.
[Hour Two] Rush looked under the ring for something, but a group of referees came out and surrounded him…
Powell’s POV: The production team made another oddball call by showing Vance as he was blading. Vance’s face was down, but it was still easy to see what he was doing. They could have told a better story with this match given the history between Rush and Vance. The idea was that Rush was ruthless even while working with a former partner, but they didn’t really put the work in ahead of time to make viewers care about Vance.
A Jack Perry video aired. It picked up where they left off on Dynamite with him watching a bunch of small television monitors. He grabbed an ax and then battered the screens. A single screen showed “Scapegoat” on it…
AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland made his entrance with a dancing Prince Nana. Swerve spoke about his AEW World Championship match with Bryan Danielson at Wembley Stadium. Swerve said he was having a warmup match and then passed the mic to Nana, who said the person that comes out would be going against the most dangerous man in AEW. Tomohiro Ishii made his entrance…
5. AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland (w/Prince Nana) vs. Tomohiro Ishii in an open challenge eliminator match. Schiavone ran through Ishii’s credentials as the match started. Ishii no-sold Swerve’s elbow strikes. Both men blocked moves and then Swerve chopped Ishii.
Swerve put Ishii down with a side suplex and then hit him with an elbow from the middle rope. Ishii rolled to the floor. Swerve performed a backflip dive onto Ishii heading into a PIP break. [C]
Ishii superplexed Swerve for a near fall. Both wrestlers traded Flatliners. They traded headbutts moments later. Swerve executed a brainbuster (that looked just like a suplex) for a near fall.
Ishii avoided a House Call kick and then suplexed Swerve. Ishii put Swerve down with a clothesline and then ran the ropes and turned him inside out with a lariat for a near fall. Swerve came back with a standing double stomp. Swerve hit the House Call and scored the pin…
AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland defeated Tomohiro Ishii in 12:20 in an open challenge eliminator match.
Powell’s POV: It was nice to see the AEW World Champion on Collision. I like Ishii and I like Swerve, but I can’t say that Ishii being the open challenger did much for me.
Claudio Castagnoli delivered a backstage promo and said he wants the Continental Championship before the Continental Classic begins. Castagnoli said he wants his match with Kazuchika Okada at Dynamite in Cardiff, Wales. Castagnoli said he would see Okada face-to-face on Dynamite…
Lexi Nair stood in the ring and introduced Kris Statlander and Stokley Hathaway, who made their entrance. Nair played footage from Rampage of Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro bonding over their dislike of Hathaway.
Nair said a challenge had been issued for the All In Zero Hour pre-show. Nair said it would be Willow and Ishii facing Statlander and a partner, but Hathaway cut her off before she could finish and spoke about finding a partner.
Nair informed him that the challenge was for Hathaway to team with Statlander in the match. Hathaway laughed and tried to decline, but Statlander took the mic and said they accept the challenge… [C]
Backstage, MxM Collection apologized to Top Flight and then mocked them. Darius Martin challenged them to a match on Collision. Mansoor said he couldn’t because he broke a nail. Lio Rush showed up and showed MxM Collection a text from Tony Khan instructing him to let them know that they will face Top Flight on next week’s Collision…
Hikaru Shida made her entrance while her opponent was already inside the ring..
6. Hikaru Shida vs. Aleah James. Shida dominated the match and hit a Falcon Arrow to get the three count…
Hikaru Shida defeated Aleah James in 1:40.
Jim Ross conducted a sit-down interview with Bryan Danielson, who recalled Ross signing him 24 years ago. Danielson said it was mind blowing to see a contract he signed with Ross’s signature next to it.
Ross asked Danielson about his body. Danielson said he thinks of his neck and concussions. He said he also thinks of all the ways his body has served him well. Danielson said he has put his body through a lot.
Danielson said a lot of wrestlers who have worked a long period of time didn’t put their bodies through what he did on the independent scene to get noticed. He said it’s likely that he will need to get neck surgery before the end of the year.
Ross asked Danielson if he’s prepared for what it will take to win his match with Swerve Strickland. Danielson said he’s had four opportunities to win the AEW World Championship. He said he would have said he was ready before those matches and each time he failed.
Danielson said he learned something in each of those losses. Danielson said he’s the most mentally strong that he’s ever been during his career and he believes that’s what will pull him through… [C]
Powell’s POV: Still no clarity on what’s happening at All In. Swerve vs. Danielson is billed as title vs. career. On Dynamite, Ross spoke of how Danielson is expected to retire win, lose, or draw. And now Danielson spoke about ending his career and an upcoming neck surgery. So is this Danielson’s retirement match regardless of the outcome? If so, why not just bill it as such rather than go with the title vs. career stipulation.
Lexi Nair interviewed Hikaru Shida in the backstage area. Shida recalled calling out Britt Baker and losing to her on Dynamite. Shida said they are 2-2 against one another and would settle the score someday, but for now she needs real competition and a chance to go to Wembley. Shida brought up Mercedes Mone and told her to put her TBS Title on the line. Shida said that when she wins the title, she will be the one who goes on to Wembley…
Schiavone said Tony Khan just told him that Mone vs. Shida for the TBS Title was official for Dynamite…
Powell’s POV: It was nice to hear from Shida, who doesn’t get much promo time or character development. She did a nice job of explaining why she was calling out Mone. And while I don’t think there’s any chance Shida wins on Wednesday, there was good implied logic in that she would then face her nemesis Baker at All in.
Entrances for the main event took place…
7. “House of Black” Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews vs. “Bullet Club Gold” Juice Robinson, Austin Gunn, and Colten Gunn for a shot at the AEW Trios Titles at All In. Christian Cage was the special referee and hilariously wore a long-sleeve turtleneck referee shirt. They cut to an early PIP break. [C]
Christian stopped the Gunns from running in and missed Matthews tagging in King, which led to bickering and the crowd pulling for House of Black. Matthews eventually made the tag. A short time later, King hit the Gunns with a suicide dive going into a PIP break. [C]
During the break, the House of Black members put all three BCG members on chairs against the barricade and then King hit them with a running crossbody block.
Late in the match, all six men were down in the ring. Christian started to count them all down. Christian reached a nine count when Matthews stood up. Christian speared Matthews and then finished the ten count.
“House of Black” Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews fought “Bullet Club Gold” Juice Robinson, Austin Gunn, and Colten Gunn to a draw in 16:10.
[Overrun] After the match, Killswitch, Nick Wayne, and Mother Wayne came out. Killswitch and Nick joined Christian in working over both teams. Christian slammed a chair over the knee of Matthews. Killswitch chokeslammed Colten onto the seat of a chair.
Cage performed his Killswitch finisher on Black on top of a chair. Schiavone questioned who would challenge for the AEW Trios Titles at All In, then hyped Dynamite for Wednesday night to close the show…
Powell’s POV: Let me guess, Tony Khan will rule that both teams will challenge The Patriarchy for the AEW Trios Titles at AEW All In? Yeah, I think we’ve all seen a variation of this before. Overall, a better than average edition of Collision despite the groaner finisher to the main event. The show felt more focussed and newsworthy, and some of the matches felt more meaningful and less random than usual.
Will Pruett has the night off while investigating whether ROH truly exists, so I will have more to say about Collision in my same night audio review for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let me know what you thought of Collision by grading the show below.
Danielson also said that he was retiring from FULL TIME in ring competition. I think he said that during the media scrum at the last ppv. The stips for the match are clear as mud.
The narrative on television has changed or at the very least is unclear. Jim Ross said during his sit-down interview with Swerve on Dynamite that Danielson is “talking like this will be it win, lose, or draw.” He didn’t say anything about part-time. There have been other instances where the broadcast team also made it seem like he’s retiring. Even if you think the media scrum was enough, put yourself in the spot of a viewer who only watches the television shows. It’s a mess. This is the stipulation for the main event of their biggest show of the year. It needs to be addressed. Furthermore, even if they do tell us that he’s going part-time, then isn’t the logical question what happens then? Shouldn’t the announcers be asking what will happen? Will he defend as a part-timer? Will he forfeit the title because he doesn’t intend to work frequently enough? Plenty of questions and it isn’t asking that much for them to give us some answers.
I agree with you 100 percent. They haven’t made anything clear.