By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Collision (Episode 23)
Los Angeles, California at the Kia Forum
Aired live November 17, 2023 on TNT
[Hour One] The Collision opening aired. Elton John did not record a special “Friday Night” version of the theme song for AEW (lazy bastard)… Pyro shot off on the stage and then Kevin Kelly welcomed viewers to the show and noted that he was joined by Nigel McGuinness on commentary. Kelly turned things over to Tony Schiavone, who was in the ring…
Schiavone introduced TNT Champion Christian Cage, who came out with Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne. Cage said it must be nice to have someone who will speak truth in a town that is filled with phony, plastic people. Cage said the fans would see Sting’s last match in Los Angeles and last match ever at Full Gear.
Cage said he’s tired of people labeling Sting an icon. Cage accused Sting of stealing a paycheck for the last fifteen years. He wondered what would happen to Darby Allin once his mentor retires. Cage said Allin could call him if he needs some fatherly advice.
Cage confirmed with Schiavone that Ric Flair will be in the corner of the babyfaces at Full Gear. Cage said Flair looks like the Crypt Keeper. Cage said Adam Copeland claims he came to reform their tag team, but he really wanted to steal his spotlight.
Cage said he was stuck in the trenches while Copeland was treated like the golden boy. He said they would find out whose career path served them better. Cage told “Beth” to keep the kids up late and bring them up close to the television, then said he would break Copeland’s neck at Full Gear.
Schiavone turned the focus to Cage defending the TNT Title on Rampage against the winner of a four-way on Collision. Cage said it didn’t matter which wrestler wins the four-way because he could beat them all. A “prove it” chant broke out. Cage said he would. Cage quoted “my good friend James Harden” as saying that he doesn’t work in the system, he is the system…
Powell’s POV: A good segment when it came to pushing the six-man tag match for Full Gear, but not so much when it was time to promote the TNT Title match for later tonight. Cage didn’t even mention his potential opponents by name.
Lexi Nair interviewed AEW Tag Team Champions Ricky Starks and Big Bill. The fact that they didn’t have to be pinned our submitted in the four-way at Full Gear was brought up by Bill, who said Starks spoke to Tony Khan(!). Starks said Khan let him choose the stipulation for the match. Starks said it will be a ladder match and a very short climb for Bill…
Entrances for the opening match took place…
1. Miro vs. Daniel Garcia. Schiavone joined the broadcast team. Miro was on the offensive heading into an early picture-in-picture break. [C] Garcia took a suplex on the floor during the break. He started to rally coming out of the break until Miro caught him with a big kick. Miro tried to stomp Garcia, who caught his foot and threw some shots at him while getting to his feet.
Garcia suplexed Miro. Garcia turned to the hard camera and set up to do his dance. Matt Menard ran out and talked him out of doing it. Miro charged at Garcia, who moved and then shoved Miro into Menard. Garcia got a near fall and then applied a crossface that Miro eventually rolled out of.
Garcia put Miro in a Sharpshooter and leaned all the way back. Miro teased tapping, but instead hooked his arm around the head of Garcia and drove it into the mat repeatedly in a cool counter. Miro grabbed Garcia and told him game over. Miro applied the Game Over submission hold moments later for the win…
Miro defeated Daniel Garcia in 10:10.
Powell’s POV: A nice opening match with Garcia showing heart along with some stupidity before Miro put him away. Menard was actually the voice of reason. Garcia’s dance is over and the fans wanted to see it. Of course, the same fans boo when he says he’s a sports entertainer, and it’s silly that he would turn away from a strong opponent in Miro so that he could dance.
Backstage, Lexi Nair interviewed Andrade El Idolo and CJ Perry. Andrade spoke briefly about his happiness with having Perry as his representation. Perry said Andrade is the best wrestler. She announced that Andrade would be in the Continental Classic. Andrade was caught off guard. Perry said she spoke with Tony Khan(!) and if Andrade wins, he will get an extra bonus. Perry whispered into his ear and then he smiled said he trusts her before shaking her hand… [C]
2. “Kings of the Black Throne” Malakai Black and Brody King vs. “The Boys” Brandon Tate and Brent Tate. The Boys, whose entrance was not televised, are now wearing strange masks (this started in ROH). Black and King dominated the match. King hit one of the Boys with a Gonzo Bomb and pinned him clean…
Malakai Black and Brody King defeated “The Boys” Brandon Tate and Brent Tate in 2:00.
Powell’s POV: A squash win for Black and King heading into the four-way ladder match at Full Gear. Meanwhile, Andrade is a fine addition to the G1 Climax style tournament. Bryan Danielson was previously announced as one of the twelve entrants.
A video package spotlighted the Kris Statlander vs. Julia Hart vs. Skye Blue match for the TBS Title at Full Gear. All three women spoke briefly…
Ring announcer Dasha delivered the introductions for the four-way match…
3. Trent Beretta vs. Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Komander vs. Brian Cage (w/Prince Nana) for a shot at the TNT Title on AEW Rampage. Nana sold his jaw during the entrances from the beating he took from Hangman Page on Dynamite. Komander performed an early crowd pleasing dive.
Komander went to the ropes a short time later, but Cage knocked him down. Cage suplexed Komander from outside the middle rope onto both of their opponents on the floor. Cage was getting the better of Komander in the ring heading into another PIP break. [C]
Kelly said it would likely be a Cage vs. Cage match (meaning it won’t be) and added that they are not related. Beretta performed suplexes on Komander and Penta, but Cage stuffed his suplex attempt. Beretta took Cage down with a Poison Rana. Cage shot right up and turned Beretta inside out with a clothesline and then sold the Posion Rana for a moment.
Cage hit Komander with a Facebuster and had him pinned until Penta broke it up with a kick. Penta went on an offensive flurry on all three opponents and picked up a close near fall on Beretta after hitting him with Made in Japan. Penta set up for his finisher on Beretta, but he had to release it to focus on his other opponents.
Penta hit Cage with a flip dive from the ring to the floor. Komander performed a dive onto Penta. Back in the ring, Komander had to roll through a top rope dive because Beretta moved. Beretta hit a move on Komander and pinned him clean moments later…
Trent Beretta defeated Komander, Penta El Zero Miedo, and Brian Cage in 9:45 to earn a shot at the TNT Title on AEW Rampage.
Powell’s POV: I’m surprised they didn’t put Penta over to give him a title shot in Los Angeles, but Beretta felt like the second most likely candidate. Although AEW really should have announced the four-way and the TNT Title match sooner, I like that they took this approach. I’m always baffled when they don’t have overlap between Rampage or Collision and the quarterly Battle of the Belts specials when they air on the same night, so this is a welcome change.
Footage aired of Powerhouse Hobbs slamming Paul Wight onto the hood of a car during the street fight on AEW Rampage…
Backstage, Nair interviewed Don Callis and Powerhouse Hobbs. Callis said Wight is done after being slammed on the car. Hobbs boasted that he took out the giant. He added that he’s “big, Black, and I’m jacked.” Hobbs said he knew Wight was resting in a hospital. “But stay away because anyone can get it”…
4. Wardlow vs. Evan Daniels. Wardlow jumped Daniels and then powerbombed him. Wardlow followed up with a Swanton Bomb. Wardlow powerbombed Daniels again. Wardlow was about to pick up Daniels, but the referee stepped in and called off the match…
Wardlow beat Evan Daniels in 1:00 via ref stoppage.
The broadcast team ran through the Full Gear lineup…
Powell’s POV: Another dominant squash win for Wardlow. If they want Wardlow to be a heel, then it feels like he needs to heel on the fans for getting behind MJF. Am I the only one shocked that they didn’t add another pay-per-view match and three more pre-show matches? I suppose the night is young.
AEW Tag Team Champions Ricky Starks and Big Bill made their entrance. The entrances for the Dax Harwood vs. Rush match followed. Cash Wheeler came out with Harwood and then returned to the back. Rush was accompanied by Preston Vance, Dralistico, and Jose, but only Jose went to ringside…
5. Dax Harwood vs. Rush (w/Jose). Ricky Starks sat in on commentary while Big Bill stood behind him. Harwood offered a handshake, but Rush kicked his hand away, which led to pushing and shoving from both wrestlers.
[Hour Two] Rush put Harwood down and kicked him. Harwood avoided Rush’s running senton attempt. Rush ran Harwood into the barricade on all four signs of the ring and then played to the crowd. Back inside the ring, Rush chopped Harwood, who spun him around in the corner and returned the favor. Both men continued to fire chops at one another.
Rush got Harwood down in the corner and then teased hitting him with his finisher. Harwood covered up and then Rush stopped short and struck his tranquilo pose heading into a PIP break. [C] Rush superplexed Harwood for a near fall.
A short time later, Rush ran Harwood into the ring post. Rush approached Starks at the broadcast table and pie-faced him. Rush returned to the ring where Harwood was down in the corner. Rush played to the crowd and then charged for his Bull’s Horns finisher, but Starks cut him off with a spear. Schiavone stated that Tony Khan(!) ruled it a no-contest.
Rush fought Dax Harwood to a no-contest in 14:20.
After the match, all hell broke loose with all of the wrestlers involved in the four-way ladder match brawling. Brody King and Big Bill looked at one another at ringside, then they both pulled a ladder out from underneath the ring and fought over it until Dralistico kicked the ladder. Security ran out and tried to keep the teams apart… [C]
Powell’s POV: We see a lot of pull apart brawls in wrestling, but this one was pretty chaotic in a a good way. Ladder matches are also overdone in pro wrestling and yet I’d be lying if I said it didn’t increase my level of interest in the AEW Tag Team Title match at Full Gear.
Backstage, Nair asked Action Andretti for an update on Darius Martin following an attack by The Kingdom. Before he could deliver the update, Matt Taven and Mike Bennett rolled Roderick Strong onto the interview set. Bennett said Martin has a bruised ego and a weak ass neck. Taven mocked Andretti’s “Gen Z bowl cut.” Andretti started to bark back until Strong yelled “Action!” Strong told Taven and Bennett that he found his next victim…
6. Buddy Matthews vs. Wheeler Yuta. Both entrances were televised. Early in the match, Yuta stuck his leg out and taunted Matthews, who was on his knees while telling him to grab it. Matthews tried and failed twice. Yuta dropkicked Matthews to ringside. Yuta went to the floor and was tossed into the barricade.
Both wrestlers wound up fighting on the barricade. Matthews got the better of it and tossed Yuta onto the side of the broadcast table heading into a PIP break. [C] Both wrestlers fought on the apron. Matthews picked up Yuta like he was going to suplex him and opted to toss him onto the top turnbuckle instead.
Yuta fought back and caught Matthews with kicks while seated on the top rope. With Matthews draped over the middle rope, Yuta jumped off the top rope and splashed the back of Matthews and ended up covering him for a two count. Matthews came back with a couple of kicks and a powerbomb for a two count, then followed up with a Stomp and got the pin…
Buddy Matthews beat Wheeler Yuta in 13:40.
After the match, Matthews went to ringside and grabbed a chair. Claudio Castagnoli ran out and entered the ring, causing Matthews to stay at ringside. Castagnoli got a mic and said that Matthews has been pissing him off for a few weeks. Castagnoli challenged Matthews to face him at Full Gear. Matthews indicated that he accepted the match…
Powell’s POV: I have no clue who they wanted the fans to side with, but this was a really good back and forth style match. Meanwhile, I set the over/under at three additional matches being announced for Full Gear when Jake Barnett and I teamed up for the Dot Net Weekly and Pro Wrestling Boom combo show earlier today. That’s one down and we still have 80 minutes of television and a full day of social media posts to go. For the record, I would have selected the over.
A video package aired on Orange Cassidy vs. Jon Moxley for the AEW International Championship… [C] Entrances for the women’s tag team match took place. Schiavone said the Castagnoli vs. Matthews match would be held on the pre-show…
7. AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida and TBS Champion Kris Statlander vs. Saraya and Ruby Soho. Schiavone mentioned that Angelo Parker had been “pitching woo” for Soho lately. Kelly and McGuinness had fun at Schiavone’s expense for using a term that one of them said came from the 1940s.
Julia Hart was shown watching the match on a backstage television. Skye Blue was shown watching elsewhere on another television. Saraya and Soho isolated Shida heading into a PIP break. [C] Parker was shown watching the match from the front row. Soho ran Statlander into the barricade in front of Parker, who showed off his Soho t-shirt. Parker and Soho exchanged smiles.
Back in the ring, Statlander put Soho on her shoulders after tagging Shida. Soho performed a Poison Rana on Statlander. Shida hit Soho with a missile dropkick, and then Saraya tagged in. A short time later, Shida knocked Soho off the apron. Saraya caught Shida with a kick and DDT’d her for a near fall.
Soho was down at ringside and was helped to her feet by Parker. Saraya was annoyed. Statlander clotheslined Parker and then prevented Soho from returning to the ring. In the ring, Shida hit the Kitana kick on Saraya and then pinned her…
AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida and TBS Champion Kris Statlander beat Saraya and Ruby Soho in 11:00.
Powell’s POV: I’m not sure the Soho and Parker story needed to steal so much of the spotlight away from the match unless it’s playing some part at Full Gear.
Tony Schiavone’s sit-down interview with AEW World Champion MJF was shown. MJF called Schiavone a “fat old prick” while thanking him for having him. MJF said he would do whatever it takes to keep the ROH Tag Team Titles because he told Adam Cole the titles would be waiting for him and he won’t let him down.
MJF said the AEW World Championship means everything to him. He said he was furious when Jay White stole the belt. He said he realized that he and White are similar. He said White stole the belt to prove something to himself. MJF said White will lose because nobody is on the level of the devil.
Schiavone noted that Full Gear marks one year to the day since MJF won the AEW World Championship. He asked about the likelihood of MJF keeping that title and the ROH Tag Titles in the same night. MJF said he feels pride and then spoke about likelihood.
MJF asked what the likelihood was of his mother conceiving him after she had just purchased a new diaphragm. He asked what the likelihood was of a Jew becoming a world champion. MJF said the odds are slim and none, but unfortunately for White and all of MJF’s detractors, he likes those odds…
Join me for my live review of AEW Rampage in a separate post available via the main page.
So is TNT or TBS gonna be the home of the Adam Copeland and Christian Cage show – The show that absolutely stinks of coolness.