AEW Collision results (3/7): Murphy’s review of CMLL World Heavyweight Champion Claudio Castagnoli vs. Konosuke Takeshita, FTR vs. The Rascalz for the AEW Tag Team Titles

“FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler defeated “The Rascalz” Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz to retain the AEW Tag Team Titles in 15:04.

After the match, FTR crossed paths with Mark Briscoe on the ramp. [C]

Don’s Take: This was a hot opener, and while I never really thought the Rascalz were a threat to the titles, I did buy into several of the near falls, as did the live crowd. I wouldn’t call this a “dream match,” but for someone who has watched the Rascalz in TNA, this didn’t disappoint, and I look forward to these two teams running it back.

Backstage, Hook was walking around recruiting members for the Opps. Once again, Shibata was running the camera. Anthony Bowens approached Hook and told him that he had thought about what Hook said last week. Bowens said he believes he can be a killer. Hook told him to prove himself and had Bowens take the camera from Shibata. Hook and Shibata approached an unnamed talent. Hook asked the talent if he was a wrestler and wanted to join the Opps. The talent said yes, so Hook gave him a test and asked him to try to get out of his Red Rum finisher. The talent could not. Bowens asked Hook what he should do next, and Hook told Bowens to continue following them…

2. Tommaso Ciampa vs. Daniel Garcia. Mark Briscoe sat in on commentary for the match. It was an even match to start. Heading into the commercial, Garcia crotched Ciampa and slammed his knee against the ring post. [C]

Garcia continued on offense until he jumped off the second rope and caught a knee to the face. Ciampa made the hot comeback but continued to favor the knee that Garcia had worked on. Ciampa slammed Garcia’s head into the announce table several times. Both traded offensive moves down the stretch. The finish saw Garcia pie face Briscoe at the announce desk and get rolled up by Ciampa back in the ring for a near fall. Garcia then reversed an Irish whip so that Ciampa would collide with Briscoe, who was climbing the apron. Stunned, Ciampa walked into a roll up by Garcia for the pin.

Daniel Garcia defeated Tommaso Ciampa in 10:14.

After the match, Briscoe and Ciampa argued. Briscoe offered Ciampa a handshake, but Ciampa pushed Briscoe’s hand away. Briscoe left the ring. FTR came out to confront Ciampa. Briscoe returned to the ring to back up Ciampa. The four men stared each other down. Ciampa and Briscoe left together, and when they reached the top of the ramp, Ciampa rammed Briscoe into the big screen (similar to how he turned on Johnny Gargano years ago). Ciampa continued the attack and left Briscoe lying after a running knee. FTR applauded from the ring while Ciampa looked back at them…

Don’s Take: Well, the heel turn didn’t take long. I’m just glad he didn’t become the 85^th member of the Don Callis Family. I like the decision, but hope that he doesn’t become an official member of FTR for the long-term. He can associate with them, but I’d much rather see him on his own.

A video recapped the history between Claudio Castagnoli and Konosuke Takeshita…

3. Swerve Strickland (w/Prince Nana) vs. Gravity. Gravity did not receive a televised entrance. Gravity got in a couple of spots, but this was all Strickland, who finished Gravity with the Swerve Stomp, followed by his House Call finisher for the win.

Swerve Strickland defeated Gravity in 3.59.

Don’s Take: This was a bit disappointing as I have really enjoyed Strickland’s mic work since the heel turn. I was hoping he’d destroy Gravity. He won in short order, but I just felt like he lacked the intensity that would match his recent mic work.

Kris Statlander was backstage “after Dynamite” and said she only speaks when she needs to, and now she needs to. She said that she’s beaten Thekla once, and Thekla has beaten her once. Statlander said once is not enough and announced that the two will meet at Revolution for the AEW Women’s Title in a two-out-of-three falls match. [C]

AEW Women’s Champion Thekla cut a screaming, rambling promo from the stage. First, she denied Kris Statlander’s challenge for a two-out-of-three falls match at Revolution, even though a graphic on the screen promoted the match. She told Statlander if she didn’t like it, she could kiss her toxic ass. Then she asked Statlander what made her think she could beat her twice. She said she sent Thunder Rosa to the graveyard and said that Rosa should have listened to Statlander. She ended by saying she would ruin Statlander’s life all over again because “everything you’re afraid of is everything I am.”

Don’s Take: Thekla definitely has something, but this promo was all over the place, modulating between repetition and screaming, while lacking a clear direction.

A quick video clip featured the upcoming “Close Up” interview on AEW’s YouTube channel this coming Tuesday. Renee Paquette will interview Jon Moxley. In the clip, he spoke briefly about Konosuke Takeshita.

[Hour Two] Entrances for the four-way tag team match took place…

4. “The Outrunners” Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum vs. “Private Party” Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen vs. “LFI” Rush and Dralistico vs. “The Swirl” Blake Christian and Lee Johnson in a four-way tag for $200,000. Dalton Castle joined the commentary team. Highlights early on included LFI and the Swirl ganging up on Private Party before facing off on each other. There was good action between LFI and the Swirl, with LFI standing tall heading into the commercial. [C]

Christian worked over Kassidy, who made the hot tag to Floyd. The Outrunners cleaned house on LFI and the Swirl. Down the stretch, this was an absolute spot fest that the crowd loved. Each team was showcased nicely, and in the end, it was Quen hoisting Johnson on his shoulders, and Kassidy coming off the top rope with a flying cutter for the win.

“Private Party” Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen defeated “The Outrunners” Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum, “LFI” Rush and Dralistico, and “The Swirl” Blake Christian and Lee Johnson in a four-way tag in 11:52 to win $200,000.

Don’s Take: I’m not into these four-way spot fests for the sake of a spot fest. The cash element does nothing for me because it rarely works itself into the storyline. I do realize that this has been a trope for as long as I have been a fan. It’s just not my thing. The live crowd ate this up, which ultimately is all that matters.

A video recapped the interaction between MJF and Hangman Page on Dynamite, including the Don Callis Family attacking Page and then defeating him, Mike Bailey, and Kevin Knight to win the Trios Titles…

Lexy Nair was backstage with Knight and Bailey. Knight spoke about how close he was to winning the AEW Heavyweight Title from MJF. Bailey said that Page’s issue with MJF made things difficult for them, but announced that they would get their Trios Titles back at Revolution when they team up with Mistico to face Mark Davis, Kazuchika Okada, and Kyle Fletcher. Fletcher defending the TNT Title against Bailey was also announced for this week’s Dynamite. Swerve Strickland entered the frame and told Knight that if he wants to be a killer, he needs to act like a killer. [C]

“Earlier today,” Renee Paquette was about to interview the AEW Women’s Tag Team Champions, Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron, but they were attacked by Lena Kross and Megan Bayne. Officials separated the two teams, and the champions were left lying…

5. “The Timeless Love Bombs” Toni Storm and Mina Shirakawa (w/Luther) vs. Megan Bayne and Lena Kross. The heels had the decisive advantage over Shirakawa early. Shirakawa made the hot tag to Storm, who eventually tossed Bayne and Kross to the floor, allowing Shirakawa to hit a dive on both. Storm attempted to hit Bayne with the hip attack as she was climbing back into the ring, but Bayne moved. Kross hoisted Storm on her shoulders and dropped her face-first on the apron. [C]

The heels worked over Storm, who eventually made the hot tag to Shirakawa. Lots of action down the stretch, including an impressive looking “Tower of Doom” spot by Kross taking out the three other women. There was also a fun spot where Shirakawa had Bayne in the figure-four leglock and both Storm and Kross took turns reversing the hold in favor of their respective teams.

The finish saw Marina Shafir emerge and pull Storm off the apron. Shafir locked in her Mother’s Milk finisher and the two rolled under the ring. Back in the ring, Bayne hit Shirakawa with a flying clothesline and Kross followed up with a Jack Hammer for the win.

Megan Bayne and Lena Kross defeated “The Timeless Love Bombs” Toni Storm and Mina Shirakawa in 12:51.

Don’s Take: This was fun. The outcome wasn’t in doubt since Bayne and Kross are being positioned for a tag team title shot, but this gave them a strong win. Interestingly, Storm was put in the “setup” position, but it was really designed to further her story with Shafir. I had not been familiar with Kross, but I’m impressed by what I saw. On a side note, Tony Schiavone announced throughout the night that the Revolution Zero Hour pre-show would be streaming on HBO Max and available to subscribers at no additional cost.

Mark Briscoe cut a rambling promo backstage. He said that since Tommaso Ciampa has been back, something has been off, but that when Ciampa back jumped him tonight, he said that this was the Ciampa he knew. Briscoe said that it was his fault that he let his guard down and didn’t trust his instincts. At the same time, he’s disappointed that Ciampa aligned himself with FTR. He spoke about the rivalry between FTR and the Briscoes and challenged Ciampa and FTR to a trios match on Dynamite, vs. him and the Young Bucks.

6. “The Dogs” Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors, and David Finlay vs. Cosmo Orion, GMO Kaminari, and Jaden Monroe. This was labeled a standby match, which is weird because it was advertised at the top of the show. This was a complete squash. Connors hit a brainbuster, Kidd hit a Gotch-style tombstone piledriver, and Finlay hit a suplex into a knee to the head for the pin (I am not sure who was on the receiving end of the pin)… [C]

“The Dogs” Gabe Kidd, Clark Connors, and David Finlay defeated Cosmo Orion, GMO Kaminari, and Jaden Monroe in 1:46.

Don’s Take: A basic squash to establish the new faction.

Toni Storm came out. The feed cut out briefly, but essentially, Storm challenged Shafir to a match at Revolution with everyone banned from ringside. She said that after that is done, she wants her AEW Women’s Title back…

Footage was shown from last night in Mexico, where Persephone defeated Mercedes Mone for the CMLL Women’s World Title…

Persephone will face Willow Nightingale for the TBS Championship on Dynamite. In addition, MJF and Hangman Page will have a press conference, and Mark Briscoe and the Young Bucks (Dem Bucks) will meet FTR and Tommaso Ciampa. The previously announced match between Mike Bailey and Kyle Fletcher for the TNT Title was also mentioned, along with Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy meeting Gabe Kidd and David Finlay…

7. CMLL World Champion Claudio Castagnoli (w/Marina Shafir) vs. Konosuke Takeshita in a non-title match. Jon Moxley sat in on commentary. I believe that this was listed as being for the CMLL World Championship, but this ended up being a non-title match. It was very even to start, but notable that Castagnoli concentrated his offense on Takeshita’s left arm. At one point, Takeshita mocked Shafir, and Shafir flipped him off. Good stuff. [C]

After the break, Schiavone asked Moxley and Shafir if Shafir accepts Toni Storm’s challenge. Shafir did, and I’ll be darned, the AEW graphics department had that up on the screen in three seconds as Tony Khan made that match official for Revolution.

Hot action down the stretch. At one point, Castagnoli grabbed a chair, which distracted the referee when he took it away. This allowed Castagnoli to grab the CMLL World Title, but Hechicero came out and prevented Castagnoli from using it. Takeshita hit Castagnoli with a running knee for a near fall. The two traded blows, and the finish saw Takeshita rolling out of a power bomb attempt and hitting another knee strike, followed by his Raging Fire finisher for the win.

Konosuke Takeshita defeated Claudio Castagnoli in 14:41.

After the match, Takeshita went face-to-face with Moxley at ringside. Hechicero attacked Moxley, but Takeshita backed Hechicero off. Moxley recovered and went after both Takeshita and Hechicero, with Castagnoli and Shafir joining the fray. Officials attempted to restore order as Collision went off the air.

Don’s Take: This was very good, even though the outcome was predictable. I assume we will get a tag match between these four either on Dynamite or Collision, which is the night before Revolution. Moxley and Takeshita at Revolution should be a blast.

A good edition of Collision with a couple of newsworthy items. They’re getting into a good pattern here, and it’s working for me. That’s all for me for tonight. Will Pruett’s great audio review of this show will be available for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). I’ll be back in a couple of weeks. Until then, enjoy wrestling!