By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW Collision (Episode 43)
Jacksonville, Florida at Daily’s Place
Aired April 27, 2024 on TNT
[Hour One] Collision started at 8:23 ET (due to NBA coverage) with a recap of Swerve Strickland beating Samoa Joe to win the AEW World Championship at AEW Dynasty… The broadcast team of Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness checked in…
AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland made his entrance along with a dancing Prince Nana. A graphic noted that Strickland’s challenger at AEW Double Or Nothing will be revealed on Wednesday’s edition of AEW Dynamite.
Nana introduced Strickland as the boss of bosses, the anointed one in pro wrestling, and one hell of a wrestler. Swerve took the mic while a “Thank you, Swerve” chant broke out. Swerve spoke about what a week it’s been in AEW. He mentioned Willow Nightingale winning the AEW Women’s Championship, Adam Cole walking, and Adam Copeland being misted, Bryan Danielson and Will Ospreay tearing the house down.
Swerve brought up Jack Perry returning and striking Tony Khan. Swerve said Khan put all of his faith in him. Swerve recalled the Young Bucks hitting Khan “with whatever the name of their move is.” Swerve said he’s done some horrible things, but four elite athletes beating up a non-fighter “sounds like a bitch move to me.” A “bitch move” broke out.
Swerve said the most important thing that happened this week was him winning history by beating Samoa Joe to become the AEW World Champion. Swerve recalled his oldest daughter saying she’s proud of him, yet saying that she feels like she doesn’t know him.
Swerve brought up all the missed birthdays, games, and events. He said he can make up for lost time, but he can blaze the trail as AEW World Champion and make sure it was all worth it. Swerve said he was in a giving mood and said he wanted to hold an open challenge for the championship.
Claudio Castagnoli walked out dressed in a suit. Castagnoli entered the ring and took a lap around Swerve, who went to speak, but Castagnoli pulled the microphone toward his face and said, ‘You’re on.”
Swerve said he would be seeing Castagnoli later tonight “in whose house?” Castagnoli took the mic and said, “It’s going to be mine,” then dropped the mic and exited the ring. Schiavone said Tony Khan just told him that the match was official for later in the night…
Powell’s POV: A good initial promo from Swerve. I still think it should have taken place on Dynamite, but perhaps more people will see it tonight coming out of the NBA playoff game. Unfortunately for AEW, the game was a blowout, so I’m guessing their lead-in number won’t be as strong as it would have been had it been a competitive game.
A video package focused on The Elite attacking Tony Khan. Matthew Jackson closed the video by saying, “The Elite has arrived”…
Schiavone and McGuinness spoke from their desk on the stage. Schiavone said Tony Khan was told that he could not travel due to his injuries, but he would still be able to run the show remotely. McGuinness questioned who would run things if things got out of control, then questioned whether it would be the EVPs. Schiavone told him that he’s out of his mind…
Ring announcer Bobby Cruise delivered the introductions for the trios match. Gunn Club brought out the AEW Trios Title belts and the ROH Six-Man Tag Title belts…
1. Jay White, Austin Gunn, and Colten Gunn vs. Dante Martin, Darius Martin, and Action Andretti for the Unified Trios Championship. Schiavone said White wanted the match because Dante cost White during the Casino Gauntlet match on Dynamite. White picked up Darius in suplex position on the floor and slammed him face first on the apron heading into a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Late in the match, White attempted a suplex on Andretti, who landed on his feet. White avoided a springboard move and then hit the Bladerunner and scored the pin…
Jay White, Austin Gunn, and Colten Gunn defeated Dante Martin, Darius Martin, and Action Andretti in 11:15 to retain the Unified Trios Championship.
Powell’s POV: A solid match with the expected outcome. Do we really need two sets of title belts for trios champions? Then again, it’s not like I would justify the expense of creating yet another batch of new title belts for trios champions.
Footage aired of The Young Bucks beating FTR in a ladder match to win the AEW Tag Titles with help from Jack Perry at AEW Dynasty…
The Collision theme song played while Schiavone hyped Rey Fenix’s return for after the break… [C]
A House of Black video aired. Brody King boasted that he now has two wins over the TNT Champion. Malakai Black said they might take Copeland up on the Cope Open and it could be either him, King, or Buddy Matthews. “Me first, Winnipeg, you’ll find out when the rest of the world finds out,” Matthews said…
Schiavone said Matthews issued a challenge for the TNT Title for Wednesday’s Dynamite…
Powell’s POV: He did? I think Tony Schiavone and I watched different video packages. By the way, Bobby Cruise is the ring announcer. I mistakenly listed Justin Roberts earlier, but I changed it above to avoid further confusion.
2. Rey Fenix (w/Alex Abrahantes) vs. The Beast Mortos. Mortos was formerly known as Black Taurus. Both entrances were televised. Mortos performed an early power slam that caused Fenix to roll to ringside. Mortos hit him with a twisting suicide dive and landed on his feet.
Mortos turned Fenix inside out with a lariat. Mortos mugged for the hard camera and then covered Fenix for a two count. Mortos continued to dominate Fenix heading into a PIP break. [C] Fenix rallied until he went for a springboard move and was speared by Mortos.
Fenix avoided a charging Mortos, who tumbled to the floor. Fenix went up top and performed a spinning dive onto Mortos the floor. Back in the ring, Mortos came back with a variation of a lungblower and then followed up with a neckbreaker for a near fall.
Fenix came back with some kicks and then went up top and hit a frogsplash for a near fall. Fenix went for a rolling move, but Mortos grabbed him by the throat. Fenix countered into a pin and got the three count…
Rey Fenix defeated The Beast Mortos in 15:10.
Powell’s POV: A good match with Mortos dominating the majority of the match before Fenix pulled it out in the end. There was a story to tell here with Mortos taking advantage of a rusty opponent in Fenix’s return match, but Schiavone didn’t really go there. Rather, it came off like another long competitive match with the expected outcome. That said, it was good to see Fenix back after his long injury layoff.
A video package focused on Trent Beretta and Chuck Taylor to set up their Parking Lot Fight…
Backstage, Orange Cassidy was interviewed by new backstage interviewer Arkady Aura, who was not identified by name. Cassidy said he’s afraid of what Beretta and Taylor would do to one another. Kris Statlander showed up and said “he needs us”…
Rush made his entrance to a flat reaction while Schiavone welcomed Arkady Aura to the team. Martin Stone was already inside the ring…
3. Rush vs. Martin Stone. Rush performed a German suplex and followed with a running knee. Rush sent Stone to ringside and then ran him into the barricade twice. Rush put the boots to Stone until the referee pulled him off and told him to return to the ring.
Rush slid a chair inside the ring, which the referee felt the need to clear while turning his back to the wrestlers. Rush whipped Stone with production cables. Back in the ring, Rush tossed Stone into the corner and then hit him with a running punch. Rush followed up with Bull’s Horns and scored the pin.
Rush defeated Martin Stone in 2:20.
Rush left the ring and then decided to return to dish out more punishment. Rush hit Stone with Bull’s Horns again. A “Rush” chant broke out…
Schiavone hyped Toni Storm vs. Anna Jay for after the break… An ad for Dynamite questioned what The Elite have in store for Kenny Omega’s return… [C]
Powell’s POV: It was good to get a lopsided squash match to shake things up as opposed to another long match with a predictable outcome. The crowd was very quiet during Rush’s entrance and throughout the match, but they did chant his name afterward.
[Hour Two] Footage aired from Dynamite of Toni Storm saving Mariah May from an Anna Jay attack, along with Serena Deeb’s promo…
Serena Deeb was interviewed by Aura in the backstage area. Deeb said she’s the undefeated number one contender to the AEW Women’s Championship. She said failure is not an option. Deeb told Storm that this is not a move, it’s real life…
AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm made her black and white entrance with Mariah May and Luther. The entrance of Anna Jay followed…
4. AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm (w/Mariah May, Luther) vs. Anna Jay in a non-title match. The broadcast team said Jay has won 59 matches in AEW. Jay went to the apron early and was mocked by May. Storm hit Jay with a hip attack that knocked her into May. Storm checked on May and tried to return to the ring, but May performed a neckbreaker over the middle rope heading into a PIP break. [C]
Late in the match, Storm caught Jay in the Queen Slayer. Storm got to her feet and then fell backward to break the hold. The screen went black and white while Storm ran and then it went to color while she hit the hip attack in the corner. Storm followed up with Storm Zero and scored the pin…
AEW Women’s Champion Toni Storm beat Anna Jay in 9:20 in a non-title match.
Powell’s POV: A solid win for Storm in a rare non-title match in AEW. They typically go with Eliminator matches or even Proving Ground matches in ROH. By the way, I just ran a story on the main page about Drew McIntyre re-signing with WWE.
A shot of the parking lot was shown and then Chuck Taylor was shown putting his shoes on. Orange Cassidy handed him a dog. Taylor told Cassidy not to interfere regardless of what happened during his parking lot fight with Trent Beretta. Taylor handed the dog back to Cassidy… [C]
The Grizzled Young Vets made their entrance. The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn followed. Max Caster rapped on his way to the ring and included a line about dropping his opponents on their neck like Tony Khan, sending them back to the Impact Zone, and how they don’t bite the pillow when they get up in their ass…
5. “Grizzled Young Vets” Zack Gibson and James Drake vs. “The Acclaimed” Max Caster and Anthony Bowens (w/Billy Gunn). The Vets had a nice series of move that concluded with Gibson launching Drake into Bowens to knock him off the apron heading into a PIP break. [C]
The Vets sent Caster over the top rope and he crashed onto one of the light boxes on the stage. Gibson performed a lungblower on Bowens and held him in position while Drake performed a missile dropkick from another corner of the ring. Drake covered Bowens for a two count.
Drake taunted Gunn, who climbed onto the apron before dropping down after being warned by the referee. The momentary distraction allowed Caster and Bowens to take offensive control. Bowens put Gibson down and then Caster hit the Mic Drop and scored the pin…
“The Acclaimed” Max Caster and Anthony Bowens defeated “Grizzled Young Vets” Zack Gibson and James Drake in 12:10.
Powell’s POV: Boo! Okay, so the outcome is perfectly logical if the Vets haven’t signed with AEW.
Highlights aired from two weeks ago on Collision of Shane Taylor attacking Katsuyori Shibata before Hook made the save…
Shibata was interviewed by Aura. Shibata used his phone to say that he will knock down the Learning Tree and take the FTW Title. he also said he would fight Shane Taylor Promotions alone on Rampage. Daniel Garcia showed up and said he’s battled Shibata in the past, but he respects him and offered to help him. Shibata used his phone to accept and told Garcia to save the last dance for him…
Entrances for the main event took place…
6. Swerve Strickland (w/Prince Nana) vs. Claudio Castagnoli for the AEW World Championship. Bobby Cruise delivered in-ring introductions for the title match. Castagnoli performed an early tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Schiavone announced that Tony Khan had just booked Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty vs. Katsuyori Shibata and Daniel Garcia for Rampage.
A short time later, Swerve threw a kick from the apron. Castagnoli pressed Swerve over his head and threw him into the barrier, which Schiavone called a rock solid concrete barrier. Castagnoli followed up with a running uppercut and then stood on a table and played to the crowd heading into a PIP break. [C]
Later, Castagnoli tried to launch Swerve at ringside, but Swerve ended up on top of the barrier and then hit a standing Castagnoli with a moonsault. Back inside the ring, Swerve hit a 450 splash from the top rope for a near fall. A “this is awesome” chant broke out.
Castagnoli tripped Swerve and then hit him with a standing double stomp. Swerve sat up and looked angry while he turned and glared at his opponent. Swerve hit Castagnoli with an uppercut, which led to both men trading uppercuts. Swerve threw body shots and a kick, but Castagnoli put him dow with a clothesline, which led to both men staying down.
Swerve rolled over and then executed a suplex. Swerve went up top and performed a double stomp, which led to a near fall. Swerve followed up with a House Call kick, but Castagnoli cut him off and performed a giant swing and then applied a Sharpshooter.
Castagnoli transitioned into a cross face. Swerve rolled him into a pin for a two count to break the hold. Castagnoli went for a Neutralizer, but Swerve avoided it. Castagnoli hit a big clothesline for a two count.
Swerve came back with a DDT. Swerve went up top and went for a Swerve Stomp, but Castagnoli stuffed it and hit an uppercut, which led to another near fall. Swerve avoided an uppercut and used a backslide to get a two count. Swerve performed a German suplex. Castagnoli cut off a standing double stomp attempt. Castagnoli popped up Swerve, who double stomped him. Swerve hit the House Call and scored the pin…
Swerve Strickland defeated Claudio Castagnoli in 21:05 to retain the AEW World Championship.
Swerve offered a handshake to Castagnoli, who accepted. It appeared as though Casatagnoli told Swerve something about Nana, who was dancing in the corner, but the broadcast team didn’t acknowledge it…
Powell’s POV: A good main event and first title defense for Swerve. There was no mystery regarding the outcome simply due to the circumstances of it being Swerve’s first title defense, but they did their best to create drama. A case can be made for this being a little too competitive as opposed to really spotlighting the new champion, but it was a very good match and obviously Swerve went over clean in the end.
Will Pruett’s weekly audio reviews of AEW Collision are available exclusively for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). Let us know what you thought of Collision by grading the show below.
Join me for my live review of AEW Rampage in a separate report available via the main page.
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