By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@DonThePredictor)
AEW Collision (Episode 67)
Cedar Rapids, Iowa at Alliant Energy PowerHouse
Aired live October 26, 2024 on TNT
[Hour One] Collision opened with a video recapping the show-closing angle on Dynamite involving the Blackpool Combat Club, Chuck Taylor and Orange Cassidy. Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuiness checked in on commentary as Schiavone noted that Orange Cassidy would offer remarks on Dynamite and Mc plugged his upcoming sit down interview with Wheeler Yuta. We went to the ring for the opening match….
1. Jay White (w/Juice Robinson) vs. Shane Taylor (w/Lee Moriarty). The match started with some basic chain wrestling with White targeting Taylor’s leg. Taylor gained the advantage when Moriarty distracted White. Robinson jumped on the apron which drew the attention of the referee. This allowed Moriarty to trip up White. Taylor was on offense as the show went to its first picture-in-picture break. [C]
Coming out of the break, White made a comeback, once again targeting Taylor’s legs. The two exchanged offense and near falls. Down the stretch, Moriarty attempted to interfere and was taken out by Robinson. White blocked a package piledriver and hit the Bladerunner for the pinfall.
Jay White defeated Shane Taylor in about 9:36.
After the match, White took the mic and said Taylor hits harder than he does. He then said Hangman Adam Page hits harder than he does but White still has the better record at 5-0. He acknowledged that Page would like to hang him over the top rope by his belt and offered Page a shot at redemption by challenging him to a match at Full Gear.
Don’s Take: A solid opener. I always enjoy when wrestlers employ the old school tactic of working on a body part, especially in the case of the big men. And it looks like they’re running back Page and White which is fine for what it is.
Lexy Nair was backstage with Ricochet and asked him about the card MVP gave him. Ricochet said they had a history but he was looking to do things on his own. Lio Rush entered the frame and told Ricochet not to overlook him tonight because if Rush beats him, Ricochet would move to the back of the line for an AEW International Title match… [C]
Lexy Nair was backstage with the newly bald Kyle Fletcher. Fletcher said he was here to watch Ricochet for Konosuke Takeshita and Don Callis. He once again called out Will Ospreay to meet him on Dynamite. He said if Ospreay showed up, we won’t see him again for a long time but if he doesn’t, it will be proof that Ospreay is a coward. Fletcher said he’d like to face someone new and upcoming on next week’s Collision so that he can prove that he’s no longer the future, but the “now.”
3. “The Outrunners” Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum) vs. “MxM Collection” Mansoor and Mason Madden). Magnum and Mansoor engaged in a pose down. Magnum had the early advantage until Maddon tagged in and worked him over. Johnny TV was shown looking on from backstage. Magnum made the hot tag to Floyd as the duo cleared the ring of the heels as the show went to a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Coming out of the break, the heels worked over Magnum again. Magnum made the hot tag to Floyd after MxM missed a double elbow .Floyd hit the heels with a series of strikes and body slams. The running issue was that he would have a hard time slamming Madden. This was solved when they slammed him together. There was back and forth action down the stretch until The Outrunners hit Total Recall for the win.
The Outrunners defeated MxM Collection in about 11:09.
Don’s Take: A fine win and a title run for the Outrunners could be engaging.
Nigel McGuinness was with Wheeler Yuta. McGuinness asked him why he tried to suffocate Bryan Danielson and permanently injure Yuta’s trainer, Chuck Taylor. Yuta mocked McGuinness and said they did to Danielson what McGuinness couldn’t do. McGuinness called him a smug bastard and Yuta said that they gave Danielson a warrior’s death and did him a favor by getting him out of the way. Yuta said he doesn’t enjoy any of it but owes everything to the Blackpool Combat Club. He said everything they do is for the greater good and stormed of… [C]
Don’s Take: A decent interview and I wouldn’t be surprised if this leads to McGuinness’ next in-ring appearance.
Jake Roberts, Rush, Dralistico, and The Beast Mortos cut a backstage promo on FTR. Roberts said they were going work on Harwood’s bad shoulder…
[Hour Two]
4. Ricochet vs. Lio Rush. Dante Martin, Darius Martin, Action Andretti, and Leila Grey accompanied Rush onto the stage. This was pretty even in the early part of the match. At one point Ricochet hit Rush with a knee strike dazing him. Ricochet offered to help him up but Rush took the chance to sling Ricochet out of the ring as the show went to a picture-in-picture break.[C]
Down the stretch, the match had the quick fast-paced action you’d expect with Ricochet hitting the Hidden Blade for the win.
Ricochet defeated Lio Rush in about 11:22.
Don’s Take: A fun match and one I’d like to see them run back down the road with a story behind it.
Lexy Nair was backstage with Harley Cameron who was painted up like something out of “Cats.” Cameron began to cut a promo on Thunder Rosa until Rosa entered the picture and challenged Cameron to a “Dia de los Muertos” match on next week’s Collision so that she can teach her what the face paint really means… [C]
Lexy Nair was backstage with The Beast Mortos, Matt Taven, and Roderick Strong. Strong and Taven offered Mortos some candy. Mike Bennett answered dressed like Mortos and began grunting like him. Bennett said they were going trick-or-treating and left the set…
Don’s Take: What does it say about me that I am getting a kick out of this?
5. Anna Jay vs. Viva Van. Both received a televised entrance. A sign in the front row caught my eye – “Anna Jay has not improved”. Ouch. In any case, I expect this to be a squash but Van had her share of offense as we went to a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Coming out of the break, the two exchanged strikes and went back and forth until Jay hit the Widow’s Peak for the win.
Anna Jay defeated Viva Van in about 9:47.
Don’s Take: I know AEW needs new women’s stars and perhaps they see something in Van but as Jay is the next challenger for Mariah May, this was way too long and competitive to build my interest in Jay’s title match next week on Collision.
Mariah May cut a backstage promo on Anna Jay, saying that if Jay left the business tomorrow no one would care. She had a nice line about girls believing that they should never give up weren’t good enough to get the job done in the first place. May said she’s the best wrestler in AEW and Japan and said she was glad Jay said that it was “sink or swim” because she’s going to drown. May said that Jay didn’t beat the champ, but she would face the champ…
Tony Schiavone ran down the upcoming Dynamite and Collision lineups, including a preview of the Adam Cole-Buddy Matthews match for Dynamite… [C]
Lexy Nair was backstage with Kyle O’Reilly and Tomohiro Ishii, who cut a promo on Chris Jericho and The Learning Tree. O’Reilly also touched on Orange Cassidy and said he never saw him this livid. He added that Cassidy will speak for himself on Dynamite. Nair asked him why he was watching the United Kingdom. O’Reilly said he watches everything in AEW and is happy with the Conglomeration…
6. “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler vs. Rush and Dralistico (w/Jake Roberts). The match started about 43 minutes into the second hour so we know we’re getting a long one. The two teams started exchanging chops with FTR eventually getting the advantage. During this, Tony Schiavone noted that Tony Khan had made Jay White vs. Adam Page official for Full Gear. FTR hit German suplexes on both Rush and Dralistico sending them to the floor. Both teams battled on the floor for a bit and back in the ring, Dralistico distracted Harwood which allowed Rush to run him into the ring post as the show went to a picture-in-picture break. [C]
The heels maintained the advantage on Harwood who eventually made the hot tag to Wheeler. Wheeler cleaned house until he was pulled off the top rope into a big takedown by Dralisitco. Harwood tagged back in to face Rush. Down the stretch, a ton of action on both sides, including a blocked Shatter Machine attempt when Rush pulled Wheeler out of the ring. There was also a miscue where Harwood and Wheeler collided. In an amusing spot, the referee clearly didn’t know who the legal man was as Harwood covered Dralistico for a near fall. Almost immediately, Rush rolled up Harwood without a tag, which also gained a near fall.
The finish saw The Beast Mortos appear and hit Harwood allowing Rush to roll him up for a near fall. Wheeler threw Dralistico into Mortos who was on the apron. Dralistico stumbled into the Shatter Machine for the win.
“FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler defeated Rush and Dralistico in about 16:35.
After the match, Rush and Dralistco continued the attack on FTR until the Outrunners made the save. FTR and the Outrunners posed to end the show…
Don’s Take: A good main event. I was hoping with Jake Roberts at their side, we would’ve gotten a showcase win for the revamped LFI faction, especially since FTR can absorb a loss. I’m not quite sure where they are going with this alliance between FTR and the Outrunners. It’s fun, but given the state of the tag division, I’m not sure you want FTR engaging in undercard comedy gags – even though the Outrunners are getting over.
This was an edition of Collision that was just “there.” As usual, there was some good wrestling with little in the way of storyline advancement. And that’s a wrap for tonight. Dot Net Members can check out Will Pruett’s audio review of this show and I’ll be back next week with my WWE Crown Jewel picks. Until then!
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