AEW Collision 7/29/2023

AEW Collision 7/29/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/07/aew-collision-7222023.html 

Darby says things aren't going too good for now and he's walking down to the ring and expects a fight. Cole and MJF say it's story time. MJF says he will bash Dax's nuts in, they will hit a double clothesline and become the AEW Tag Champs. FTR said tonight won't be a dance routine, it'll be a fight. 

Ladder match for Andrade's mask - Buddy Matthews vs Andrade El Idolo

Andrade double singlet straps on tonight. They chop each other and Buddy is lariated over the top. Andrade gets on the ladder outside and moonsaults onto Buddy. Buddy has his head banged off the apron then is put into the ladder. Andrade hits suplexes then Buddy is hiptossed into the ladder. Buddy throws a ladder at him.

We go to PiP break and return. Andrade is thrown into the ladder then has his head banged off the announcer's table. Andrade dives at Buddy on the apron but ends up getting ddt'd onto a bridged ladder. Andrade hits a spinning back elbow.

They fight on a ladder outside that has a ladder bridged into it from the bottom rope. Buddy takes a sunset bomb off the ladder onto the bridged ladder. Andrade is pulled off a ladder into a knee from Buddy. Andrade gets handcuffed to a rope. Buddy comes at him with a chair but is kicked and Buddy ends up getting the key off of it.

Julia Hart climbs on Andrade's back as he climbs the ladder. Julia is pushed off the ladder into Buddy and they both go through the table. Andrade then gets his mask and wins it.

It was long and slower paced. I'm not a huge fan of ladder matches and I didn't think this one was that great. 

Miro is interviewed by Tony Schiavone. Aaron Solo then attacks him with a chair for some reason and ends up taking the chair shot himself.

Darby Allin vs Minoru Suzuki

Darby dropkicks him off the apron and misses a tope on him, though they sell it like he hit it. Darby hits knees against the rails then dropkicks him from the apron while he's in a chair. They trade forearms and Darby is dropped. Suzuki running PK's him.

We go to break and return. Suzuki running knees him as he hangs off the apron then he chokes him with a shirt/towel. They trade chest chops. Suzuki goes for a piledriver but is back body dropped. Darby springboard coffin drops him from the 2nd rope. Darby tries to coffin drop him off the top rope, is caught in a choke then Darby back rolls and wins it.

There was no real build to this. The chest chop spot went on too long and it was not that good.

Christian and Luchasaurus get on the tron after. Christian said it seems Darby is ready for a TNT title shot, but Christian says he has to worry about Swerve and AR Fox. Christian says the title is more prestigeous now that it has ever been and he says he is not qualified to be champ. He says he will not touch the title again.   

Toni Storm calls Hikaru Shida a dumb, stupid cow and says she was just a pandemic champ. She says they will beat up each other on Dynamite and says she will beat her viciously if she uses her kendo stick on her and will need it just to get around.

Samoa Joe vs Gravity

No entrance for Gravity. Grav does his space walking taunt and Joe just watches it instead of running him over. Grav does the taunt again and hits a hurricanrana. Grav uses the ropes to armdrag him. Joe running elbows him. Grav comes off the top but Joe walks away, doing Grav's slow walk taunt. Joe hits punches then hits a muscle buster for the win.

It was a short squash with Joe winning.

CM Punk is interviewed by Tony Schiavone in the ring. He has his mysterious red bag with him. Punk asks if he's the first person to mention All-In and Wembley Stadium. He says maybe we will know by the end of the night if he's going to be there or not. Punk says Starks has a lot to do with what's in his bag. A "what's in the bag?" chants starts. Punk calls Starks a cheater and said he's not going to be nice anymore. He pulls the AEW Title out of the bag and says he's the real world's champion. He says the title has his name on it because he earned it and nobody pinned or submitted him for it. He says the title has his name and blood on it. He then spray paints it with a black "X" and says now it has his symbol on it. He says the title is his and belongs on Collision. He says he is the real world's champion.

Ricky Starks then comes out. His music doesn't play and Starks asks production to play his music and pretend like nobody just saw him. Starks said he is sold on gold and said he's biting him before he bites him. Starks says he's the real world champ and the face of Collision. Punk asks if he's the face of Collision or the face of cheating. Starks said the title should belong to him. Punk said they need to have a special ref if they have a match. Starks said he can bring out Dave Prazak or Julio Dinero since he has no friends here. Starks says it doesn't matter. Punk agrees to a match and tells Tony to do the honors to tell him the special ref. Punk says it will be Ricky Steamboat.

Punk's segment revealing the title was definitely based off of Flair doing the same thing in the WWF when he claimed to be "real world champion". I think it's a good move as if this is going to be a real brand, it has to have its own title. I have no idea what Starks was wearing here, but he looked like an old lady with it.

Darius Martin, Action Andretti and El Hijo de Vikingo vs The Gunn Club and Juice Robinson

DM = Darius Martin, AA = Action Andretti, Vik = Vikingo

Colten and DM start us off. DM crossbodies Colten and pounds on him. AA then does the same to Austin and they hit stereo double dropkicks. We go right to break and return. Vik's going for a tag but his partners are pulled down. Colten half-nelson slams Vik then rolls him into a double stomp. Vik kips down on an Austin lariat and tags in AA. AA cleans house and handspring double back elbows The Gunn's. AA back enzugiri's Colten then standing spanish flies Austin.

Juice accidentally sentons his own partner. The faces then get on the posts and throw Vik up together into a flip dive on the heels. Austin takes a shotgun dropkick into a german and AA is pushed into DM. Colten jumping forearms AA in the back of the head. DM then takes a 310 to Yuma and the heels win it.

It was short for how many people were involved. What we got was fine and action packed, but I was hoping for a much longer match.

They bring out a cutout of Jay White to pose with them after.

Kiera Hogan vs Mercedes Martinez

MM = Mercedes Martinez

This one is completely out of nowhere. They shake hands and MM running facekicks her. She stomps her in the corner then Kiera 2nd rope dropkicks her. Kiera goes for a wheelbarrow but is just dropped. MM suplexes her for 2. Kiera kicks her in the head while she's down then MM hits a briding neckbreaker for 2.

We go to break and return. MM hits palm thrusts when Keira rolls her up. Kiera hits two superkicks then MM hits a saito suplex. MM running forearmsh er in the back of the head then surfboards her. She hooks a dragon sleeper in throug hthat position and wins it.

It wasn't anything special and was just a match.

MM doesn't let go of the hold after then Kris Statlander comes down to save Kiera. MM grabs Kris' TBS title and nails her with it. Willow Nightingale then comes down for some reason to help out Kris and Kiera.

Dynamite this week has: Jericho and Takeshita vs Sammy and Daniel Garcia, Jack Perry going face to face with Jerry Lynn, Mox vs Trent vs Penta in an anything goes match, Aussie Open fighting Vikingo and Komander in an ROH tag title match and Toni vs Shida in a women's title match.

Collision next week has Punk vs Starks in an AEW Title match.

AEW Tag Titles - FTR vs MJF and Adam Cole

We get dueling "double clothesline" and "FTR" chants to start. Dax hits chops on Cole early then Cash slingshots in with a hsoulder on Cole while he runs the ropes. Cash shoulders over Cole then takes a back enzugiri. The faces call for the double clothesline but Cash avoids it.

Dax shoulders over MJF then slams him. MJF then slams him. MJF leapfrogs and starts holding his ankle. MJF then of course recovers and double throat chops Dax. The two slap each other then both teams get in each others faces. They hockey fight and go outside as we go to break.

We return and see that MJF had his head go into the post. FTR block an MJF tag but take a double ddt out of it. Cole gets the tag in and hits shots on Cash. Cole pump kicks him and neckbreakers him over the knee for 2. Cole backcrackers Cash then Dax 2nd rope twisting crossbodies Cole. Dax does it again and gets a superkick.

The faces call for the double clothesline but Fax avoids it and rolls up MJF. MJF rols up Cash for 2 then Cole superkicks FTR. Cash takes a superkick into a tombstone for 2. Dax pulls out MJF and sends him into the rail. Cash spinning lariats Cole. FTR hit a powerplex on Cole for 2.

MJF and Dax trade shots and MJF eye pokes him. MJF rolls him up for 2 then takes a slingshot ligerbomb for 2. Cole lariats Cash off the apron. Dax is sat on the 2nd buckle and MJF kicks the buckle into Dax's crotch. Cash euros Cole and MJF avoids a big rig. Dax rolls up MJF and gets the win.

It was a decent main event. Not super memorable or a classic and they could have gone a lot longer with this. This was very tame by AEW standards with almost no dangerous spots.

MJF is crying after. Cash says nobody can do what they do and to never give up on FTR. MJF says that he blew it and Cole says, "we blew it". Cole grabs MJF's title and hands it to him. MJF says, "I lost the match". MJF teases hitting Cole with the belt while he's not looking. Cole somehow sees it and tells him, "do what you gotta do" and holds his hands up. Cole says, "you didn't do it" then they hug.

I didn't think turning anyone was the right move here as people like the Cole/MJF team and who knows how long of a run it has.

Overall thoughts: It was an okay episode but nothing real special. Nothing really over delivered here and I don't think anyone will really remember this show within a few weeks or months. Andrade/Buddy was a slower paces and tame ladder match. The trios match could have been good but didn't have the time. Punk revealing that he's the real champ was probably the most notable thing on this show and the main was fine, but not a classic.