AEW Collision 12/23/2023

AEW Collision 12/23/2023

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2023/12/aew-collision-12162023.html 

No promos to start the show.

Continental Classic - Blue League - Bryan Danielson vs Claudio Castagnoli

CC = Claudio Castagnoli

CC shoulders him over. They do a test of strength and Bryan tries to surfboard him. Bryan stomps both of his knees into the mat. CC euros him then hits corner spears. CC euros him in the corner then slams him. CC elbow drops him for 2.

Bryan ties his legs and arms up then ends up lifting his legs into the air. CC monkey flips him, rolls back then is monkey flipped. They both bridge as they lock hands. Bryan then kicks him on the mat. CC eye pokes him. Bryan rolls him up then takes a lariat. Bryan blocks a giant swing attempt then lebell lock attempt.

CC rolls out and Bryan dropkicks him through the ropes. Bryan then jumping knees him off the apron. Bryan hits kicks to the chest outside. Bryan goes up top and takes a euro on his way down. CC running euros him then is tripped into the middle buckle.

Bryan flying kicks him in the corner. He goes for another and CC catches him and hits a giant swing. CC lariats him over the top then running euros him outside. We go to break and return. They fight up top. Bryan puts CC in tree of woe and hits kicks to the body. Bryan top rope backdrops him.

Bryan hits downward elbows then Bryan la mistica's him into a lebell lock. They go up top. Bryan goes for a hurricanrana and CC blocks it. CC 2nd rope twisting suplexes him for 2. CC goes for a ricola bomb and Bryan triangles him. CC hits a neutralizer/styles clash type of move out of it. Bryan flying knees him then hits reverse curb stomps. They holds hands and kick each other on the mat. CC sharpshooters him and we have one minute left before the time limit expires. CC hits a euro and the time limit expires.

It was a good wrestling match with the two matching up together well. It was what you would want and expect. Bryan advances to the Blue League Final with 10 points.

Swerve says the Gold League is the toughest tournament in the industry. Mox says most people would make excuses now. Jay says all 3 of them have 12 points and asks where they will go from here. Mox says the world doesn't care how you are feeling if you have a job to do. Swerve says this is a way to make his name even stronger and Mox says he needs to suck it up and get the job done. He says this isn't supposed to be easy.

AEW Trios Titles - The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn (c) vs Top Flight and Action Andretti

Max tells Dante to break a leg and said Action's career is dead after beating Jericho. Max shoulders Dairus over then Darius headlock takeovers him. Max headscissors him then armdrags him. Max sunset flips Darius then Bowens neckbreakers Darius onto Max's knees.

Darius snpamares Bowens then AA low dropkicks him. AA takes a neckbreaker from Bowens. Bowens chops and superkicks AA for 2. AA dropkicks Max then Billy throws AA out. Date and Billy argue outside then AA and Darius hit stereo dropkicks on The Acclaimed. Billy side slams AA and we go to PiP break.

We return and Billy hits his head on the buckle. AA enzugiri's Billy. Dante enzugiri's Max from the apron then top rope crossbodies him. Dairus bottom rope flatliners Bowens. Darius tornado ddt's Max off of Dante then AA running ssp's Max.

Billy is pounded on by all 3 opponents. Dante springboards and takes a punch off of it. Billy then cobra clutch slams AA. Billy tilt-a-whirl slams Darius. Bowens goes up to the 2nd rope then Max and Billy take stereo springboard dropkicks. Darius superkicks Bowens. Billy takes a handspring then Dante jumps off Darius's back to dropkick Billy off the apron. Top Flight then hit stereo topes outside. AA springboard 450's Max. AA misses a running SSP then Max rolls him up and wins it.

It was a fast paced match as expected. There was a lot of flying here and the two teams worked pretty well together. Action wore matching tights with Top Flight here and really could be confused for the 3rd brother if you weren't watching closely.

Hook is on steps and says he's fine if Yuta wants to fight him. He said let's do it on his turf in New York. He said he will see him then.

Keith Lee vs Brian Cage

They lock up and Brian side headlocks him. They shoulder battle. Keith blocks a hurricanrana then Cage headscissors him over. Lee then hurricanrana's him. Lee misses a corner charge and takes an enzugiri. Cage dropkicks him in the knee and misses a spin kick to the head. Cage 2nd rope twisting tornado ddt's him.

We go to PiP break and return. Lee forearms him then splashes him. Lee hits punches in the corner then does a dangerous release german. Cage 619's him. They go up top then superplexes him which shakes the ring. Cage hits kicks then F-5's him. Prince Nana brings a cinder block in the ring. Lee hits some shots then does his attitude adjustment jackhammer to win it.

Cage was awful here doing all kinds of flying stuff. The finish was stupid. A cinder block was brought in the ring and they didn't care or even try to remove it. 

Keith Lee gets on the mic after. He said almost a year ago, someone took him out for 2 months with the cinder block. He said he's been trying to send a message to him but he's not listening. Lee said he will make his message clear on Dynamite. He says he has a house to tear down and will tear it down brick by brick. It turns out "him" is Swerve. The never ending feud with these two continues...

Renee interviews Toni, Luther and Mariah May. Toni is asked about Mariah May helping her in her match. Toni doesn't remember her or know her name. May said she's medically cleared and her American wrestling license is ready. She is asked when she is debuting and she doesn't seem to know yet. Toni ignores her and said she can gain 8-11 pounds by gobbling up Riho at World's End. Toni then throws her shoe at Renee in a bad segment.

Christian Cage and Nick Wayne come out to talk. CC said people want to know why Nick's mom hit Adam Copeland with the TNT title. He said why should he explain it when Shayna Wayne can do it. Shayna Wayne comes out. Shayna's mad at getting booed and can't believe a mother is getting booed. She says "how dare you?". She said she did what she did because Nick Wayne is her son and baby boy. She said she saw Copeland hit him with a chair and protcted her son. She said she did what any mother would do. She said the only person who loves her son as much as she does is Christian Cage.

Christian says Copeland is a piece of crap. He said Shayna worked low end jobs to make her son's dreams come true. Cage said Copeland tried to take it away with a chair shot. Cage said  Adam should get this since his mom did the same thing. He said he wishes she was still alive so he could see her disown him. He said he scored the biggest win of his career in Montreal then scored against when he walked out of Montreal with Mother Wayne.

Cage says he will accept Adam's challenge but says he is no challenge. He says he is levels above him and is the best in the sport. Cage says he will take him behind the shed and put him down in Long Island for the last time.

I actually thought they did a good job of explaining Shayna's turn, but of course they forgot Christian and Lucha beating up on him previously, which hurts that explanation.

Big Bill and Ricky Starks are interviewed by Lexi. Bill says Kenny's diverticulitis is made up and says his uncle has gingivitis but is fine. Bill and Starks say Kenny doesn't have big guts to face them. Jericho then comes in. He says he's not forfeiting anything. He said he will find a partner, though he doesn't know who, and take the titles from them. Jericho then says Bill's uncle sucks.

Continental Classic - Blue League - Daniel Garcia vs Brody King

DG slaps him and is kicked for it. King splashes him then hits forearms. King cannonballs him for 2 then rakes his face on the ropes. King chops DG then forearms him out of the ring. DG guillotines him over the top rope then King hanging sleepers him off the apron. DG then falls down to the floor.

We go to PiP break and return. DG boots him in the corner then King bangs his head off the mat and sentons him for 2. King chops him down and DG tries to fire up. DG hits chops then running forearms him. King elbows him in the back of the neck then DG backdrops him for 2. King death valley drivers him then hits a big lariat for 2. King fire thunder drivers him for 2. King slaps him and DG takes him down and gets a surprise pin to win it.

I thought this was pretty good. It made sense with King destroying Garcia then Garcia rolling him up to win it. Garcia got some chances to fire up here as well like an underdog.

The lights go out after. The House of Black appear in the ring and grab Garcia. Matt Menard gets in the ring and is nailed by Buddy Matthews. FTR then come down. 

FTR get on the mic after. Dax says they want a first time ever match with the House of Black.

Thunder Rosa and Abadon vs Julia Hart and Skye Blue

This is Rosa's return. Rosa came to the ramp in a car. Skye gets the advantage on Abadon then Hart bangs Abadon's head off the mat. Hart gets her crossbody caught and she takes a swinging side slam off of it. Abadon then hits mounted punches. Ab sliding knees her.

Skye knocks Rosa off the apron then stomps on Ab. Ab's face is banged off the mat and she is double teamed. We go to break and return. Ab back kicks Hart then double flatliners both opponents. Rosa gets in and hits clotheslines on her opponents. Rosa pendulum double knees Toni then flying lariats Skye in the corner. She then pendulum double knees her. Rosa basement dropkicks her then northern lights suplexes her.

Rosa and Hart stare down. Ab nails Hart then Skye superkicks Ab. Skye superkicks Rosa's head into the buckle then superkicks her. Hart gets stuck in tree of woe then Skye is whipped into her. Rosa does a nasty side package piledriver that is sure to injure someone to win it.

It was a decent try. They got some of it right by having Rosa not come in until later, but she didn't really get that great hot tag in. The tree of woe spot was kind of complicated and Rosa's finish is way too dangerous for any AEW women's wrestler to try and take. I don't like Skye losing here in her official heel debut.

Continental Classic - Blue League - Andrade El Idolo vs Eddie Kingston

 

They stare down and push each other. Eddie wristlocks him then AEI top rope crossbodies him. Eddie knees him in the gut and snap mares him. Eddie flips him with a lariat then face locks him.

We then go to PiP break and return. AEI dropkicks him in the knee. AEI hits dragon screw leg whips and flying forearms him. AEI meteora's him in the corner. AEI hits three amigos then takes an enzugiri off a top rope dive. Eddie hits a corner lariat then machine gun chops. Eddie exploders him.

AEI sends him out then 2nd rope moonsaults him outside. AEI does a top rope moonsault into a moonsault. Eddie rams AEI in the corner then backdrops him. AEI is down and holding his neck. He backs up Eddie into the corner and hits back elbows. AEI spinning back elbows him then figure fours him. Eddie ropebreaks him. Eddie uraken's him twice then brainbusters him to win it.

I didn't think this was anything special. They didn't mesh that great as expected. AEI worked the knee for some of this and forgot about it the rest of the time. I thought it was just a very average match all around.

Bryan Danielson comes out after and stares down with Eddie.

Overall thoughts: The opener was good. The main was eh and Keith Lee vs Brian Cage was brought down by Cage doing stuff that doesn't fit his character. I thought it was above average.