By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Collision (Episode 26)
Taped December 5, 2023 in Montreal, Quebec at Bell Centre
Aired December 9, 2023 on TNT
[Hour One] Collision open with brief promos from Ethan Page, Kenny Omega, Bryan Danielson, Andrade El Idolo and CJ Perry, Claudio Castagnoli, and Eddie Kingston. Page spoke about his match with Omega as a Canadian battle and noted that he wasn’t feeling his best… The Collision opening theme played…
The broadcast team of Tony Schiavone, Kevin Kelly, and Nigel McGuinness checked in from ringside and ran through the scoring and leaderboard for the Continental Classic tournament. They noted that the Danielson vs. Castagnoli match would headline the show…
Entrances for the first tournament match took place with Dasha as the ring announcer…
1. Eddie Kingston vs. Claudio Castagnoli in a Continental Classic tournament Blue League match. Kelly said Kingston would be “virtually eliminated” if he failed to win. Castagnoli caught Kingston with a kick to start. Kingston came right back with a spinning back fist and a suplex. Castagnoli rolled to the floor. Kingston dove on him and then got him back in the ring and picked up an early two count.
Castagnoli countered a Kingston move attempt with a Neutralizer and got a two count. Castagnoli maintained offensive control and executed a giant swing before putting Kingston in a Sharpshooter. A short time later, Castagnoli dropkicked a seated Kingston in the corner and then covered him for a two count.
Castagnoli continued to be the aggressor and stuffed some Kingston chops with a short-arm clothesline, which led to another two count. Kingston threw a couple of punches before Castagnoli battered him with strikes in the corner. Castagnoli superplexed Kingston for yet another two count heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Castagnoli continued to get the better of Kingston coming out of the break but was unable to put him away. Kingston eventually rallied and threw chops. Castagnoli no-sold them, so Kingston dazed him with a jab. Kingston put Castagnoli down with a clothesline that led to a two count.
Castagnoli fought back and got two near falls before applying an STF. Kingston eventually reached the ropes to break the hold. Kingston stuffed a Ricola Bomb, but Castagnoli dropped him with an uppercut and got another near fall. Both men got to their feet and traded slaps.
Kingston caught Castagnoli with a spinning back fist, which Castagnoli no-sold before hitting Kingston with an uppercut. Kingston dropped him with another spinning back fist and acted shocked when it didn’t get the three count. Kingston connected with another spinning back fist. Kingston hoisted up Castgnoli, who countered into a rollup for a two count. Kingston reversed the pin and got the three count…
Eddie Kingston defeated Claudio Castagnoli in 18:00 to earn three points in the Continental Classic tournament.
Powell’s POV: Another good match in the series between Kingston and Castagnoli. I like the way Kingston fought from underneath for so long early given that this was essentially a do or die match for him in the tournament.
A Jon Moxley promo aired from Wednesday. He spoke about the difficulty of his matches and said they are supposed to be hard in the Continental Classic. Moxley said it’s very costly to stay on top of the industry. Moxley said it was right about now that Swerve Strickland would realize that it’s a price that he’s not willing to pay. Moxley said it would be a long night and suggested that Swerve pack a lunch when they meet on Dynamite…
Schiavone hyped the main event and the upcoming women’s match… [C]
Renee Paquette stood backstage with Hook and asked about his issues with Wheeler Yuta, who walked into the picture. Yuta called Hook a paper champion and said he’s an amateur champion. Yuta said Paquette could be interviewing honorable champions like him. Hook said it was really honorable when he kicked Katsuyori Shibata. Yuta challenged him to a match under FTW rules…
Powell’s POV: So is the unsanctioned FTW Title at stake or are they having a non-title match fought under FTW rules. Of course, it would also help if they actually reminded viewers what FTR rules are.
2. Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Martinez (w/Diamante). Both entrances were televised. Both wrestlers ended up at ringside. Martinez ran Willow into the barricade and then executed a draping neckbreaker off the barricade. [C] Willow took offensive control during the break.
Willow performed a missile dropkick from the middle rope and followed up with a cannonball splash in the corner. Willow went for the pin, but Martinez grabbed the bottom rope to break it. Diamante climbed onto the apron and was punched back to ringside by Willow.
Willow went for a move on Martinez before clutching her back. Martinez took advantage by executing a fisherman’s suplex for a near fall. Martinez followed up with a series of suplexes and then hoisted her up in Razor’s Edge position and slammed her down face first. Willow hooked Martinez into a pin and got the three count.
Willow Nightingale defeated Mercedes Martinez in roughly 10:00.
After the match, Martinez and Diamante put the boots to Willow. Diamante pulled a small ladder and a pipe under the ring to use as weapons. Kris Statlander’s entrance music played. While the heels looked at the stage, Statlander entered the ring behind them with a chain in hand and ended up running them off…
Powell’s POV: A solid match to set up an apparent tag team match on a future episode.
Paquette interviewed Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, and Jack Hager. Menard and Parker were going to talk about having a match in Montreal, but Hager interrupted to complain about Danhausen stuffing his hat down his pants. Hager said he had “bad hat fever” and wouldn’t be at ringside.
Once Hager left, Menard and Parker spoke about having a match in Montreal in front of friends and family, Ruby Soho showed up and had a moment with Parker. Saraya and Anna Jay also showed up. Menard dragged Parker away. Saraya said she would not be in the corner of Soho when she faces Riho next week because she has to prove something to her… [C]
A Swerve Strickland promo aired from after his match on AEW Dynamite. He spoke about being the leader of the company regardless of whether it’s in the ring on TMZ or when he was on the field with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Swerve addressed facing Jon Moxley. He said Moxley does violent things and so does he…
3. Wardlow vs. Willie Mack. Both entrances were televised. The broadcast team noted that Mack was out to avenge the beating that Wardlow gave AR Fox. Wardlow stuffed a takedown attempt. Mack threw a few punches, but Wardlow dropkicked him.
Wardlow charged Mack, who moved and pulled the top rope down, causing Wardlow to end up on the floor. Mack dove from the ring at Wardlow and didn’t take him off his feet. Back in the ring, Mack got Wardlow down and executed a standing moonsault for a one count.
Mack went for a running head-scissors takedown, but Wardlow caught him and powerbombed him. Wardlow followed up with another powerbomb and then turned Mack inside out with a clothesline. Wardlow performed a Last Ride style powerbomb and exited the ring while the referee checked on Mack and ruled he was unable to continue…
Wardlow defeated Willie Mack via ref stoppage in 3:15.
Powell’s POV: More of the same with Wardlow giving up minimal offense and ultimately dominating his opponents. That’s not a complaint. I like the way they are building him up again.
The broadcast team recapped footage of Ricky Starks and Big Bill attacking Chris Jericho after the Full Gear media session…
3. Kenny Omega vs. Ethan Page. Both entrances were televised. The broadcast team explained that Page was put through a table during a contract signing with Tony Nese on Thursday’s ROH on HonorClub.
Powell’s POV: So that’s what Page was talking about during his brief promo at the top of the show.
[Hour Two] Tony Nese was shown watching the match on a backstage television. Omega sent Page to the floor and then did the terminator mat clap. Omega ran the ropes with the intention of diving over the top rope, but Page returned to the apron, dove through the ropes, and put Omega down with a cutter. Nice move. Omega rolled to the floor to regroup before Page could grab him.
Omega eventually rallied while they were fighting at ringside and executed a moonsault off the barricade. Back inside the ring, Omega picked up a two count. Omega went for a suplex by the ropes and both men tumbled over the ropes to the floor heading into a PIP break. [C]
Omega powerbombed Page and then hit him with a V-Trigger. Omega made a cocky cover and only got a two count. Omega performed a rolling senton and then went for a second rope moonsault that Page avoided. Omega came back quickly and executed a snap dragon suplex.
Page got the better of a fight on the ropes and executed a powerslam from the middle rope for a near fall. Page set up for his Ego’s Edge move, but Omega slipped out and went for his own finisher before Page escaped and rolled him into a pin for a two count. Omega caught Page with a couple of V-Triggers and hit the One Winged Angel for the win.
Kenny Omega defeated Ethan Page in 12:40.
After the match, Omega helped Page to his feet and raised his arm before leaving him to have a moment in the ring. Omega went to the stage and then played to the crowd. Big Bill came out and hit him with a big boot to the head. Page left the ring and checked on Omega, while Bill stood in the entrance area with his tag title belt held over his head…
Powell’s POV: An entertaining match. There was no mystery regarding the outcome, especially since they felt the need to have the heavy underdog tell viewers that he wasn’t 100 percent going in. I’ve never understood why AEW hasn’t done more with Page. He’s in the best shape of his career and has mic skills to go along with good in-ring work. No, whatever he’s doing in ROH doesn’t count. Well, at least not to the masses.
Lexi Nair interviewed CJ Perry on the backstage interview set. Perry ran through Andrade El Idolo’s credentials and then said he has the tools to beat Bryan Danielson. Miro showed up and said that he’s Perry’s husband and can’t recall the last time she said so many good things about him. Miro couldn’t understand why Perry was so bothered by him telling her to stay home. Miro spoke about the dynamic between his mother and father. He said he wouldn’t touch Andrade during the tournament. “But once it’s finished, so is he,” Miro said… [C]
A Julia Hart promo aired. She spoke about seeing behind the masks people wear. She said she can’t seem to figure out Abadon…
4. Penta El Zero Miedo and Komander (w/Alex Abrahantes) vs. Matt Menard and Angelo Parker. Both entrances were televised and the Montreal crowd gave Menard and Parker a big hometown reaction. The fans sang the “Ole” song as the match started.
Penta did his usual hand gesture. Menard barked at him. There was a loud “Daddy Magic” chant for Menard. There was a handshake at the end of the Penta and Menard exchange, and then Menard took a cheap shot at him before both men tagged out. A short time later, Menard and Parker were working over Penta and Komander heading into a PIP break. [C]
Penta tagged in coming out of the break and cleared the ring. Penta and Komander teased dives and instead slid past their ducking opponents before superkicking them. A “this is awesome” chant broke out. Back in the ring, Menard put Penta in a Boston Crab that Komander broke up with a kick.
Komander tagged in and took a double team lung blower for a good near fall. Penta cleared Menard from the ring, and then he held up Parker in Fear Factor position while Komander walked the ropes and did a backflip into the spike portion, which led to Komander getting the pin…
Penta El Zero Miedo and Komander defeated Matt Menard and Angelo Parker in 10:00.
Powell’s POV: The live crowd had a lot of fun with the Menard and Parker homecoming, so why not have them get a win, even against another team? While the “this is awesome” chant felt a bit over the top, it was an enjoyable tag team match.
A video package aired on Shane Taylor and Keith Lee to set up their match for Friday’s ROH Final Battle event…
Schiavone ran through the previously advertised matches and segments for Wednesday’s “Winter is Coming” edition of Dynamite and then hyped the Collision main event… [C]
A brief video package aired on the Continental Classic matches from Dynamite that showed brief post match clips that included Mark Briscoe and Jay Lethal showing frustration over losing their matches…
Bryan Danielson made his entrance for the main event and slapped hands with a couple of his fans in the front row. Schiavone sent out best wishes to Jim Ross and said he is still “nursing injuries he sustained” and said he would be back with them soon. Schiavone said maybe they’ll see him in Oklahoma City. Andrade made his entrance with CJ Perry, who then headed to the back while he went to the ring…
5. Bryan Danielson vs. Andrade El Idolo in a Continental Classic tournament Blue League match. Danielson wore his eye patch. Danielson offered a handshake, which Andrade accepted. Early in the match, Andrade performed a series of dragon screw leg whips. Danielson came back and sent Andrade to the floor before diving through the ropes and hitting him with a suicide dive heading into a PIP break. [C]
During the break, Andrade booted Danielson’s bad eye and returned to the ring. When Danielson followed, Andrade kicked him and removed his eye patch. Andrade targeted the eye with kicks. Danielson bled above the eye coming out of the break. Danielson fought back and ended up going for a suicide dive, but Andrade hit him from the floor and then laughed while pointing at Danielson’s blood on his arm.
A short time later and with less than five minutes remaining in the time limit, Danielson caught Andrade on the ropes and suplexed him for a near fall. Danielson tried to hook Andrade into a submission hold, but Andrade got his foot on the ropes. Danielson went for his finisher, but Andrade sidestepped it and ended up putting Danielson down with a spinning elbow to the bad eye.
Nair announced there were two minutes remaining and then both men traded punches. Danielson threw a couple of kicks and then dropkicked Andrade in the corner. Andrade caught Danielson with another elbow and then hit double knees to the back of Danielson’s head. Andrade threw elbows at Danielson’s bad eye. Andrade hit his hammerlock DDT finisher and then scored the pin.
Andrade El Idolo defeated Bryan Danielson in 18:25 to earn three points in the Continental Classic tournament.
After the match, two trainers and Andrade checked on Danielson. Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta ran out. Castagnoli tried to pull Andrade away. Andrade shoved Castagnoli, who told Andrade to leave the ring. The updated blue league leaderboard showed Brody King and Andrade with six points in two matches, Danielson with six points in three matches, Castagnoli and Kingston with three points in three matches, and Daniel Garcia with no points in three matches. They also showed the gold lead leaderboard. Danielson was still down in the ring at the end of the show…
Powell’s POV: From an storyline standpoint, it makes sense for Andrade to target Danielson’s bad eye. But it’s hard not to worry about Danielson legitimately putting himself at risk for the sake of telling a story in the ring.
Overall, the two tournament matches delivered. Everything in between was solid to good, yet also fairly missable if you are short on time. Will Pruett’s weekly AEW Collision audio reviews are available exclusively for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let us know what you thought of the show by grading it below.
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