AEW Collision 7/1/2023

AEW Collision 7/1/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/06/aew-collision-6242023.html

Hobbs says its the end of the road for Rhodes. Dustin said he's doing this for Owen. Strong says he will beat Joe and win the Owen Hart Tournament. Joe said he will be the next Owen Hart Tournament champ.

MJF vs Kip Morst

MJF jumps Kip and stomps him. MJF hits a piledriver over the 2nd rope and gives up the pin attempt. MJF then wins with a lebell lock in no time at all.

MJF made more racial slurs and called the crowd hillbillies. MJF said he beat one guy from Hamilton and will beat the next one to get to the ring. A fat guy comes out and then Ethan Page pushes him aside. Page asks for a mic. MJF says he's not on his level and gets the mic slapped away. Page said we aren't doing this crap. Page said MJF and everyone else doesn't know what he's capable of. He said MJF isn't like his dad and is lazy and entitled. Page said he's not on his level because he's not a bare minimum b*tch.

Page said MJF is not his champion and he's there when MJF isn't. Page said he was called last minute to get here and his wife asked when he would get rewarded for this. He said now is the time and tells him to put the title on the line against him.

AEW Title - MJF (c) vs Ethan Page

MJF rushes him and is stomped in the corner. Page goes for the razor's edge then is clipped. MJF ddt's the leg and leglocks him. MJf hits an alabama slam and single leg crabs him. We go to break and return with Page hitting a cutter through the ropes. Page hits punches and jumping hurricanrana's him. Page facekicks him then hits an iconoslam. Page powerslams him for 2. Page cutters him and is crotched up top. Page hits a 2nd rope powerslam and his knee gives out on the razor's edge attempt. MJF dragon screws him through the ropes then short piledrivers him. for the win.

I would have liked the finish to involve the knee but it was a decent match. They did a good job of putting over Page here and did more for him than they probably have altogether in his AEW run so far.

Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinals - Powerhouse Hobbs vs Dustin Rhodes

They bump shoulders and Dustin flying shoulders him. Hobbs pounds on him in the corner. Dustin gets caught up top and Hobbs tries to gorilla press him. He can't and QT trips Dustin. Hobbs then body blocks Dustin from behind. Hobbs bangs Dustin's head off the apron then QT runs Dustin's head into the post. Dustin bleeds as we go to break.

We return with Hobbs in control. Dustin hits some lcotheslines and a drop down punch. Hobbs blocks his powerslam and Sutin hits a cross roads. Dustin then piledrivers him for 2. Dustin hits a code red for 2. Hobbs cornersplashes him then spinebusters him for 2. Dustin powerslams him for 2. QT punches Dustin then Hobbs wins with a spinebuster.

This match didn't do much for Hobbs. Hobbs really only won via cheating here and it still took him forever to do it. Why Dustin had to be protected so hard is beyond me. It was fine and all, but it went longer than it needed to and it certainly did not put over Hobbs.

Strong said it's been 17 years since he fought Joe and Joe's always been an inspiration for him. Strong says it's his opportunity to beat someone he has always looked up to. Joe said he will be victorious and Strong has not learned his lesson. Strong's been at this for 17 years and he's still really not much of a promo.

Miro vs Anthony Henry

Miro mudhole stomps him in the corner then belly to belly suplexes him. Miro suplexes him then does a nice gutwrench suplex. Miro chest clubs him then suplexes him again. Henry double stomps him off the top and hits some strikes. Henry dropkicks his knee and hits a step up enzugiri. Henry hits forearms then is splashed and swinging side slammed. Miro pump kicks him and camel clutches him to win it.

This was just a squash as expected.

Jay White, Juice Robinson and The Gunn Club come out to talk with Tony. Jay says they have new gold members of the Bullet Club Gold. He calls the Gunns the Golden Gunns and the Top Shelf Gunns. Jay says Juice will wipe the floor with Starks tonight. The Gunn's talk about teams they beat and Colten said they are the best team in the world. Austin then says they have two words for you if you aren't down with that - guns up. Tony said the Bullet Club is banned from ringside tonight against Starks. Jay tells him no more talking. Jay then says Punk returned with a bag of goodies. He said if the goody in the bag is made of gold or is his AEW title somehow, leave it in the bag. Jay says Bullet Club Gold beat FTR, so FTR should put their tag titles up against them in a tag title match.

CM Punk, Starks and FTR are then interviewed in the locker room. Punk says if Jay wants to know what's in the bag, go to the AEW site and buy a replica belt. Punk say Jay is hiding behind Juice and the Gunn's. Punk said he doesn't need bodyguards, he has friends - Dax and Cash. Cash said they said the Gunn's are the future but said when it's game 7, the Gunns are shooting blanks. FTR said if Jay and Juice want to fight tonight or next week, let's do it. Starks says if Juice is out there alone, Bullet Club will be down like last time and Ricky Starks will be up.

Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinal - Juice Robinson vs Ricky Starks

Bullet Club is banned from ringside. Starks shoulders over Juice then hiptosses and headlock takeovers him. Stakrs shoulders him over and Starks trips over Juice on the drop down. Juice drops elbows on the leg. they trade forearms and Juice slams his leg against the ropes.

We go to PiP break and return. Juice hits chops and punches in the corner then running lariats him. Juice cannonballs him in the corner and facekicks him. Starks tells him to bring it on and Juice lariats him. Starks tells him to come on then Starks back body drops him. Starks lariats him then ddt's him. Starks hits snake eyes then a tornado ddt for 2. Juice stun guns him and hits a side kick for 2.

Juice puts him in the texas cloverleaf and Starks ropebreaks. Juice rolls him up then Starks hits something like a powerbomb from the side. Starks blocks Juice's top rope hurricanrana and Juice spears him. Starks then spears him and rolls him up to win it.

The finish wasn't done that well and felt a little random. It just didn't match the flow of the match. The crowd was not good here and the match was slower and a little longer than it needed to be, which dragged it down. The match wasn't awful though.

Bullet Club Gold then come down to the ring. Punk and FTR then come out to save Starks as the Bullet Club run away.

Christian and Luchasaurus are interviewed. Shawn Spears walks in and wants to know why the title is on Christian's shoulders and not Lucha. Shawn says he wants to talk to the champ, not Christian. Christian says Shawn doesn't seize his opportunities, isn't dangerous and will never be dangerous. Shawn said everyone is capable of being dangerous, you just need to meet the right person. He says he'll see Lucha soon then leaves and Lucha growls.

TBS Title - Kris Statlander vs Lady Frost

They say Lady Frost is the granddaughter of Tony Marino, who used to wrestle. Kris hip throws her then backdrops her. Kris shoulders her then backbreakers her. We go to PiP break and return. Kris hits a spinning ki-krusher move for 2 then Frost germans her. Frost tornado ddt's her and spinning high kicks her for 2. Kris is hurricanrana'd then spinning lariats her. Kris then hits a package tombstone and wins it.

Kris was not good here, with multiple sloppy moments. This was the usual women's match that wasn't any good. It's a real shame too because Frost is the one who loses out here by having a bad match.

Andrade El Idolo is interviewed. He said he is here for his mask. He said the House of Black stole his mask and said to show their face. The House of Black then appear on video. Black says to let the house carve out of his past and says it's all in good time.

Owen Hart Tournament Quarterfinal - Samoa Joe vs Roderick Strong

CM Punk came out on commentary for this. Strong hits chops and forearms then Joe drops him with a forearm. Strong jumping single leg dropkicks him and is thrown out. Strong dropkicks him through the ropes. They trade chops on the floor and Joe forearms him on the floor. They trade more forearms and Joe hits a nice running back elbow.

Joe pounds on him in the corner then hits a corner uranage. Joe continues the beat down and Strong hits a nice flying knee. Joe atomic drops, facekicks and sentons him for 2. Joe misses a senton then Strong flying clotheslines him. Strong dropkicks him then hits his own knee with a backbreaker on him. Strong flying kicks him for 2.

Strong dropkicks him then hits an olympic slam. Strong jumping knees him then is caught with a choke. Joe wins it via choke out.

It went too long, it was slow and I don't think anyone believed Strong had any chance of winning this one. A shame too since everything they did looked good.

Joe grabs a chair after and motions towards CM Punk. Punk then grabs one too. Joe then goes in the ring and emerald flowsion's Strong on the chair. Strong is stretchered out with CM Punk watching. The angle really didn't work as people regularly kick out of moves on chairs, off the apron, off the top and on the floor regularly in AEW. It would takes years of AEW not doing stuff like that for this to work the way they want it to.

Overall thoughts: The crowd was bad all night long and the matches were slower paced, which didn't help. The show wasn't bad, but they need to decide if they are going to just be a continuation of Dynamite or if they are going to be their own brand. The show is in the middle right now and without separate titles, PPV's and wrestlers, it's making it hard to move forward. It feels like half the show is being booked by one person and the other half of it is booked by Tony.