AEW Collision 7/22/2023

AEW Collision 7/22/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/aew-collision-7152023.html 

The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn say they become trios champs tonight. Andretti and Darius say they are bullet proof and stay ready. The Bullet Club say the bang bang gang is alive and well. They say they will mop up the floor with the young boys. Ricky Starks arrives and said we are celebrating in absolute style.

Tony Schiavone interviews Ricky Starks in the ring. They had a bunch of fireworks for Starks. The crowd chants, "you deserve it". Starks has a bag with him and says nothing's in there, he just wanted to show it off since he bought it after winning the tournament. Starks says, "what does it matter?" in regards to the controversy and said anyone else would have done the same thing. Starks said he won by any means necessary. He said he had no disrespect for Liger and said he is me and doesn't need comparisons. He said he doesn't want to be a pillar as he stands on his own. He then asks people to tell him how many Owen Hart Tournaments the other pillars won.

CM Punk comes into the ring without music. Punk said he's not mad at anyone, he's kind of proud of him. Punk said he can't say he has never cheated. Punk said if the NJ Devils did what he did, maybe they make it out of the first round. He asks if Starks can live with knowing he can't beat him without cheating and then leaves. 

Starks says something about his bag not being as heavy as Punk's. Punk walks back to the ring and asks him if he wants a shot at what's in the bag. Punk says he is the real world's champ. Christian then comes out with Luchasaurus. Christian says they are obligated to come out tonight as the TNT champ and said this is taking too long. Christian asked what kind of man carried around a title he didn't win? Christian says he and Lucha are the faces of TNT now and forever. Darby Allin then comes out behind him and takes the mic.

Darby said he hates the term pillar and said anyone who is with the company is a pillar in his eyes. Darby asks who is the champ between Christian and Lucha. He says he will be the new face of TNT and will put respect behind the TNT name. He said Lucha took too many drugs and thinks he is a dinosaur. Darby said they should have Punk and Darby vs Starks and Luchasaurus. He says Christian doesn't wrestle anymore, so he can't do it.

I don't love this being a tag match but they got a lot done here and I thought it was a decent segment.

Andrade el Idolo was blocked from entering the arena and told to leave. Rhtt Titus was one of the security members, which is sad.

 Jay White and Juice Robinson vs Action Andretti and Darius Martin 

Jay stomps on Darius in the corner and hits chops. Darius hits a nice dropkick on Juice and Juice takes a springboard tornillo from AA. AA walks up the buckles and does rope tricks to armdrag Juice. The heels take dropkicks and a double dropkick. Juice leg lariats AA then Jay hits corner spears on AA. AA has his neck catapulted into the bottom rope then Juice bridging neckbreakers him on the floor. Jay then throws Darius into the rails.

We go to PiP break and return. AA rolls up Juice and step up enzugiri's him. Darius gets the hot tag in and beats up on the heels. Darius does his ddt + reverse ddt combo on both heels. Darius bulldogs Jay over the bottom rope then top rope crossbodies him for 2. Darius plancha's Juice outside then lariats Jay over the top. AA does a seated moonsaults to the outside. Jay is shotgun dropkicked into a german suplex.

AA hits kicks on Juice with an enzugiri to finish it. AA goes up top and is left in the tree of woe by Juice. Juice hits corner cannonballs on both opponents. Then AA takes a tazzmission suplex. Juice does an odd facelock driver on AA then Jay blade runners AA for the win.

Good tag match here. The heels were heels and the faces were faces with some flying. Very well done. Darius and Andretti are so much better than Dante and Darius and I do think they should keep AA and Darius together even once Dante comes back.

The Gunns help Jay and Juice beat up the faces after. 

Miro vs Nick Comoroto

Nick jumps him during his entrance and makes him roll down the ramp. Miro is sent into the steps. Nick hits a reverse F-U then corner splashes and spears him. Miro germans Nick then pump superkicks him. Miro then camel clutches him and wins it.

It was short but done very well with both guys getting to look good. I don't like people getting attacked before the bell though and not getting punished for it.

AEW Trios Title - The House of Black vs The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn

Max raps on his way to ring and Buddy runs out fast and hits him with a jumping knee. He pounds on him then Bowens goes into the rail. Everyone's fighting and Black sends Bowens into the rail again while Brody crossbodies Billy against the rails. Black spinning back elbows Max. Brody sentons Max then is thrown out.

Max nearly tags Bowens but Bowens is pulled off the apron. Max superkicks Buddy, who goes out of the ring. Billy hits corner splashes then Brody hits a big lariat on him. Black spinning high kicks Billy and gets the win.

It was short and mostly a squash but it was alright.

Billy takes off his shoes after and leaves them in the ring, signifying that he's retiring. The crowd chants for Billy. Bowens shakes his head and The Acclaimed looked disappointed.

FTR come out and talk to Schiavone in the ring. They say they face MJF and Adam Cole next. Cash asks if Cole if he trusts MJF and says he doesn't. Cash said he saw the type of person MJF is each week. Cash says Cole/MJF won't beat FTR next week. Dax talks about his dad making him get a job and said he feels like MJF/Cole are taking the tag titles as a joke. Dax references the comedy skits and talks about the double clothesline. He complains about them taking a dance break during their big tag match. He talks about his injuries and said he did it to make FTR the best in wrestling. FTR says there will be no dance breaks and comedy next week and says they will give them something the real world never threatened them with - an @ss kicking. I liked this one because it brought up Pinnacle and FTR would naturally have issues with dance breaks and comedy.

Skye Blue vs Taya Valkyrie

Taya pats her on the head and pushes her over. Taya bullies her around and Skye hits some shots. Taya shoulders her over and Skye hits a step up knee. Sky armdrags her off the 2nd rope and hits a terrible high kick from the apron. Taya knocks her off the apron then spears her.

Skye makes a comeback in the ring then takes a blue thunder for 2. We go to PiP break and return. Skye hits forearms then is lariated. They trade shots and Skye dropkicks her. Skye hits a step up knee and does the sweeping leg kick on the ground. Skye top rope crossbodies her for 2.

Taya sliding germans her then hits a big lariat. Taya curbstomps her and wins it.

Like most Skye Blue matches, it wasn't anything special. Skye's offense still does not look good and there's only so much you can do with it. At least Taya got a win for a change.

Taya got on the mic after. She said New Jersey is worse than she thought. She said she knows things haven't been going her way lately but she got the victory against one of their own tonight. Taya says Britt got a win recently too. She said Britt won against an "extra" and "someone kind of not on their level". Taya says that's not that special and says they should fight on Wednesday. She says, "come play with me, Britt".

Collision next week vs FTR vs Cole/MJF, Buddy Matthews vs Andrade  in a ladder match for Andrade's mask and Vikingo/Andretti/Darius vs Juice and The Gunn's.

CM Punk and Darby Allin vs Ricky Starks and Christian Cage

 

Christian and Starks over who is going in first and nearly get counted out. Starks rolls up Punk then avoids the go to sleep. Christian is tagged in when he doesn't want to be and Punk hiptosses him in. Chrisian has his head banged off the buckles then Punk hits corner punches. Punk hiptosses him and Darby puts Christian in la magistral.

Darby backslides Christian then Punk is double teamed. Punk trips Starks onto Christian though he doesn't hit it clean. Punk suplexes Starks then Starks and Christian are double clotheslined over the top. The crowd chants "double clothesline" then Punk planchas both opponents. Darby coffin drops his opponents off the top.

We go to PiP break and return. Christian stands on Punk's neck over the 2nd rope. Starks backdrops Punk. Starks stops Punk from making the tag. Starks walks the top rope and hits Punk on his way down. Scorpio Sky is seen watching from the seats. Punk is worked on then neckbreakers Starks. Darby gets the hot tag in and stunners Christian over the back. He hits a code red on Starks then he does a hard tope into Starks. Darby tries to tope Luchasaurus but just bounces off of him. Darby is thrown into the under part of the table.

Darby's shoulder goes into the post. Darby then takes snake eyes and a stiff lariat. We go to PiP break and return. Starks hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Darby. Christian hits a reverse ddt on Darby then misses a top rope headbutt. Stakrs pulls down Punk from getting the tag in then Punk chases him. Darby is stomped on by Starks.

Darby is whipped into the corner and knocks over Christian, then he tags in Punk. Punk slams both opponents and hits bad dropkicks on Christian. Punk does Bam Bam Bigelow's cartwheel and jump since he's in New Jersey then does a lariat + bulldog combo. Punk hits a pepsi twist on Christian then top rope crossbodies him. Punk back body drops him off the top then hits a top rope elbow for 2.

Punk and Starks trade shots then Punk high kicks him. Darby springboards and eats a spear in mid-air. Starks goes for something up top then takes a reverse ddt off the top. Punk hits a go to sleep on Christian on the floor and Lucha crotches Darby on the top rope. Darby rolls up Starks then Starks grabs the bottom rope and pins him.

I felt like this was the response to the long FTR/Bullet Club match last week with Punk and crew wanting to show that they could do it too. I liked the finish here as it pushes Starks' heel turn. I liked that they had him hold the rope again and if they keep doing it, they might even make a double clothesline esque spot out of it that the crowd pops for. The match was long but not that great. The mid-air spear was cool but it could have went half the time and not lost anything.

Overall thoughts: This was a strong show. Only the women's match wasn't that good but they've had worse nights. Turning Starks heel again was a good move here and it feels like he's back on track after taking a long vacation or something.