AEW Collision 1/27/2024

AEW Collision 1/27/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/aew-collision-1202024.html

Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli vs Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty

 

They go out to brawl as soon as this starts. Mox topes Shane and chokes him with a shirt. Lee is sent into the rails and euro'd by CC. Shane misses a splash on Mox. Shane and CC trade shots and CC short arm clotheslines him. Lee stops a giant swing attempt and Shane knees CC in the body. Mox rushes Lee out then Shane nails Mox from behind. Mox is sent into the steps.

Shane is sent into the rails then side steps, making CC go over the rails. Shane legdrops CC on the apron then Lee underhook suplexes him. Lee armlocks him and CC tries to forearm his way out. Shane hits a big forearm on CC then slams and legdrops him for 2.

CC deadlift suplexes Shane. Mox finally gets in and hits kicks on Lee. Mox running knees Lee then release suplexes him. Mox hits corner punches on Lee. Lee kicks Mox in the hand and he goes for a 2nd rope dropkick on him. CC moves Mox out of the way, catches Lee and giant swings him.

CC and Shane trade forearms and CC lariat flurries him. CC lariats him over the top. Lee bridge pins Mox for 2 then takes a cutter. CC euros Shane then he and Mox hit a hart attack on Shane. Lee comes off the top rope and takes a CC euro. Mox reverse curb stomps Shane then puts him in a sleeper. Mox then tps him out.

It was an okay opener but it went a little longer than it needed to. There was a lot of brawling here as expected.

Lexi interviews Komander, Roderick Strong and The Kingdom. Strong says he has an International Title match on March 3rd. He said Komander could be International champ tonight and be champ for 5 weeks. He said Komander can only win with their help. Strong then asks if they havea deal and shakes his hand. Komander is confused.

AEW International Title - Orange Cassidy (c) vs Komander

They shake hands and hug. OC armdrags him and they both try pin attempts. OC goes to put his hands in his pockets and Kom throws him over. Kom puts him in a gori special then OC puts his hands in his pockets during it. OC spinning headscissors him.

OC stunners him then tornado ddt's him. Strong and The Kingdom come down as we go to PiP break. Kom springboard twisting crossbodies him then tornado ddt's him. We go to break and return. Music randomly hits as they trade strikes. OC hits corner stomps. Kom comes off the 2nd rope and hits a canadian destroyer then fireman's carry gutbusters him.

Kom top rope frogsplashes him for 2. OC rolls him up then Kom spinning high kicks him. Kom face kicks him then OC hits a beach break for 2. They go up top. OC is stuck on the 2nd rope and Kom springboard hurricanrana's him down. Kom hurricanrana's him for 2.

Kom goes up top to walk the top rope. Strong distracts the ref and Kom ends up doing a corkscrew dive on Taven and Bennett. Kom celebrated so he meant to do it. He then runs in, takes an orange punch and OC wins it.

I didn't get this one at all. Strong interfered to help Komander and Komander ended up diving on Taven/Bennett, then came in and got beat. It made him look like a total idiot. The match wasn't that good. Komander had issues with lifting OC and OC did his usual pockets routine.

Strong has words with OC after. He teases giving OC his belt but then just drops it instead.

We go to the back and Matt Menard finds Daniel Garcia down and bloodied.

Toni Storm says she hopes Deonna is happy. She said she assaulted her butler. She said they are knuckle deep and there's no pulling out now. Mariah May invited Toni to watch her match on Collision. Toni said it sounds fantastic but then says she can't go because she had racehorses put down there. Toni tells Deonna this is just the beginning and it's not over yet. 

Mariah May vs Lady Frost

 

May pie faces her and is pushed. Frost hits forearms then takes a forearm flurry. May double chops her. Frost flipping neckbreakers her for 2. May goes over her in the corner then pulls her down by the hair. May shotgun dropkicks her.

We go to PiP break and return. Frost rolls her up for 2 then takes a release german. Frost no sells it and release germans her on her head. Frost does a spinning schwein for 2. May top rope dropkicks her and Frost step up kicks her in the corner. Frost forward cartwheel cannonballs her.

Frost gets caught going up top. May cradle shocks her and wins it.

It was a Japanese style match and one of the better matches I've seen May in. It was stiff and ended before they could do too much. I will never understand why Frost is doing jobs here when she's better than most of the women's roster.

Swerve Strickland does a promo. He said AEW wants him and Page going at it again and again. Swerve said they are big business so he gets it. Swerve said he's picking someone for the Mogul Embassy in the Dealer's Choice match against Page and it's Toa Leona. Toa then yells in Samoan. 

Adam Page does a promo. He said Toa is a good choice. He said Toa has never been pinned or submitted in AEW but it will be his first. Page said he doesn't have to tell Swerve who his opponent is and said he will have to wait "the whole f'n show" to find out, which hints at it being Rob Van Dam.

AEW Continental Crown Title Match - Eddie Kingston (c) vs Willie Mack

Mack flying face kicks him then running brainbusters him for 2. Mack pump kicks him. Mack corner cannonballs him then standing moonsaults him. Eddie hits chops and kicks while Mack is seated.  Mack flying shining wizards him. Mack tries to do a standing ssp and lands on his head on top of Eddie in a scary moment.

Mack misses a corner cannonball then Eddie exploders him. Eddie sitout powerbombs him for 2. They trade chops. Mack punches him and blocks an enzugiri. Mack hits a stunner then Eddie gets his knees up on Mack's frogsplash attempt. Eddie then uraken's him and wins it.

I didn't like this. It was slow and Mack nearly killed himself with the botched standing ssp. 

Bryan Danielson vs Yuji Nagata

 

Bryan walks past Eddie as Eddie leaves. Eddie stares at him from the ramp and makes a face. Eddie then goes to do commentary and said that was cute, saying Bryan is still mad he beat him. Bryan and Yuji had a tag match in 2004. I suppose that lead up to this, because nothing else did as this match is totally out of left field.

Yuji wristlocks him and Tony said he called a match of his 25 years ago. Bryan armdrags him then Yuji hits corner forearms and stomps. Bryan underhook suplexes him then goes for the armbar. Yuji hits shots in the corner.

We go to PiP break and return. Yuji bangs Bryan's arm over his shoulder then Bryan dropkicks him in the knee. Bryan hits kicks to the leg then dropkicks him in the leg. Bryan busaiku knees him then bangs his knee on the post. Bryan top rope dropkicks Yuji for 2.

Yuji exploders Bryan. They trade shots and Yuji crossfaces him. Bryan leg locks him and Yuji kicks him out of it. Bryan hits forearms and takes a running face kick. They trade headbutts on the 2nd rope then Yuji exploders him off the top. Yuji crossfaces him then armbars him. Yuji then does the killer Nagata face.

Yuji enzugiri's him and Bryan dropkicks him in the knee. Bryan exploders him. They trade kicks and Bryan high kicks him. Bryan then hits a busaiku knee and wins it.

It was a decent match. Was there any build to it? No. Is it leading anywhere? Probably not. I'm sure it'll be a fun gem for people to check out in 10 years or so when Bryan's retired, but it didn't accomplish a lot else. It was nice to see it though.

They shake hands after.

Bryan bows on the ramp and gives Eddie the finger .Eddie then laughs.

We go to medical and FTR are waiting to hear about Daniel Garcia. FTR said they will go out there whether he is clear or not. Mark Briscoe comes in and said they have been to war against each other. He said he would love to go to war on their side and said he will be with them if Garcia can't wrestle. Dax said they need somebody, they will call him as they are blood brothers.

Brian Cage is interviewed by Renee. He said his crew isn't the ROH 6 Man Champs or the AEW 6 Man Champs. He asks why is everyone talking about Hook. He said he sits around and eats chips. He said the FTW title wouldn't be anything without him and mentions them teaming together in Team Tazz. He said all we hear about is Hook and Hook is the size of his left leg. Hook walks in and says he can have a shot anytime he want.

Serena Deeb vs Robyn Renegade

Deeb has a flag that says "Deeb's Dojo" on it. Robyn is dressed up all like Saraya here. Deeb side headlocks her then headlock takeovers her. Robyn side headlock takeovers her then is put in a single leg crab. Robyn ropebreaks.

Deeb escapes a full nelson and they slap each other. Deeb flying lariats her then neckbreakers her over the 2nd rope. Deeb spinning neckbreakers her. Deeb hits the detox and bangs Robyn's knee off the mat. Deeb then hits the tequila sunrise and wins it.

It wasn't anything special and was a squash. 

Deeb gets on the mic after. She asked if the crowd missed her. She said she questioned if and how she was coming back and said it feels good to be back. She said she is here to elevate the women's division and to put the wrestling back in All Elite Wrestling. She said she is back to become champion. She said this is not just what she does, it is who she is. She said she is back. 

They do a quick video saying 4 luchadores will come next week - Mistico, Rocky Romero, Mascara Dorada and Hechicero. At least they did something to introduce them here. I don't really get it though. AEW already has a bunch of luchadores who don't draw and I don't see why they need more.

Escape the Cage Match - FTR and Mark Briscoe vs The House of Black

Mark Briscoe came out after FTR here and replaced Daniel Garcia. The lights went out and Mark got jumped by HOB on the stage. He was thrown off the stage through a table. Brody is thrown into a rail and hit with a chair by Cash and Dax gets stomped by Black.  Dax hits shots on Buddy and Black stops it, knocking the ref over in the process. Brody throws Cash into the cage from the outside. Buddy is suplexed on the ramp and Brody crossbodies Cash against the rails.

Dax is catapulted into the cage from the outside. Daniel Garcia arrives with a chair. He hits Black and Buddy with the chair then throws it at Brody. Buddy is sent into the rails and knocks a fans drink on himself. Black back body drops DG on the ramp.

They finally start to get in the cage. Dax is 3v1'd and takes a double chokeslam sitout bomb. Cash climbs the top of the cage then crossbodies HOB and DG.  Everyone pairs off and fights in the corners. Dax, DG and Cash go into the cage. Dax spinebusters Black and Brody black hole slams Cash. DG is thrown into the cage then thrown into a Brody forearm. Dax takes a double pop-up knee. Dax sends Black into the cage. Brody is then sent into the cage.

DG and FTR have the door opened for them to leave but DG said they need to punish them more. Black takes a big rig then Brody double lariats FTR. Brody is double shouldered into the cage then has his head banged off the cage. Cash curbstomps Buddy. Black knees DG then Dax brianbusters Black. Everyone is down.

Bordy and Dax trade chops on the ropes. Brody then essentailly takes a back body drop off the ropes. Dax goes to escape. He's on the steps behind the door and Brody spears the door. Both men are out of the cage and have escaped.

DG and Cash are sent into the cage. Buddy kicks Cash and Black boots DG and Dax. Buddy and Black go to escape and get stopped. DG superplexes Black then Cash splashes Black off the top. Buddy then top rope meteora's Cash. Cash gets crotched on the top rope. Buddy and Cash hang on the outside of the cage near a table. Buddy hangs from the cage then Cash has his head banged off of it. Cash falls through the table outside and escapes the cage. Buddy climbs back into the cage instead of escaping it per Blacks orders. DG throws Black into the cage and Buddy escapes the match as he falls down.

DG climbs the cage and is pulled down into a knee. DG ankle locks Black then is sent into the cage. Black kicks him then is lariated over. DG climbs the cage and Julia Hart mists him. Dax yells at her. Black goes to walk out of the cage door and DG yells at him. Black comes back in and knocks the chair out that he's leaning on.

Black misses a spinning high kick then is piledrivered on the chair. DG climbs the cage while Black goes to escape out of the door. Mark Briscoe comes down and hits Black with the cage door then DG escapes the cage and wins it.

I thought it was a good match. I didn't love the Briscoe/Garcia stuff. It made sense otherwise and was your usual cage match with people getting sent into the cage. The faces had the odd stacked against them, outsmarted the heels and won it. I would have liked to have seen some blood here and I'm shocked we didn't get any. I feel like they were told not to bleed though because AEW is never shy about blood.

Overall thoughts: It was a good show overall. I liked 4 of the matches and the main was good, but not a classic.