AEW Collision 3/30/2024

AEW Collision 3/30/2024

The last episode of Collision is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/03/aew-collision-3162024.html 

Adam Copeland comes out to talk. He said he closed the book on the Christian feud and is restarting The Cope Open. He said his title will be on the line during these matches and asks who is coming out to step up to the challenge.

TNT Title - Adam Copeland (c) vs Matt Cardona

Why? Just why? Adam shoulders him open then Matt hiptosses him. Adam upkicks him, hits a hiptoss and has the same thing happen to him. Matt shoulders Adam over then they try to dropkick eac hother at the same time. Matt hits knees to the gut then stomps on him. Adam is thrown into the corner but he slides out and taunts him. Adam lariats him on the floor. Matt rakes Adam's eyes then pushes him into the steps. We go to PiP break and return.

Adam is thrown down backwards then Adam chinlocks him. They crossbody, lariat and face kick each other at the same time. Matt is pulled off the 2nd rope then Adam throws him down off the buckles. Adam then jumps off the buckles and diving bulldogs him for 2. Adam pulls him down backwards with a headbuster for 2.

Adam goes up and comes back in and gets the rope kicked into his crotch. Matt hits Adam's own impaler ddt on him for 2. Adam misses a spear and buckle bombs Matt. Adam sitout powerbombs him for 2. Adam goes for a spear but takes a leg lariat. Adam spears him and gets the win.

Look, it was an okay match, but this was completely pointless. It's not going to help ratings. There's a lot of people on the roster who could have had a good match here, Matt's probably not going to be used regularly and it obviously doesn't really help anyone. 

The lights go out then Malakai Black teleports in the ring. Black stares down Adam then Buddy Matthews nails Adam from behind. 

Mark Briscoe comes out to help and is popped up into a knee. Eddie Kingston, looking like a bum, then comes out. The lights go out and The House of Black leaves. By the way, Eddie and Mark are fighting in an ROH PPV main event next week and had no issues or anything here.

We see an FTR interview from earlier in the day. Cash said he doesn't think they are favorites to win the tag title tournament. They say the strategy for tonight is to not look past The Infantry. Dax says it's March Madness and they shouldn't look past the Cinderella team. Dax said they love Cinderella teams and stories but it ends tonight.

The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn are interviewed. Billy said he's p!ssed off at Jay White. He said he can get past him hitting him with a chair but not him coming into his house. He said Jay talks about selling out MSG but he's sold that out more times. He said he's facing Jay White next week and said we will see how good he really is.

Max gets on the mic. He said The Gunn's should stay in the back during that match and Max said his team will stay in the back too during this. Max says there's no way the "twinkblade" beats Billy Gunn in a fight. Bowens said Jay White proved he was a coward last night. He said The Bullet Club ran like cowards when they saw Billy Gunn. Bowens said the demise of Bullet Club Gold begins next week. 

AEW Tag Title Tournament Quarterfinals - The Infantry vs FTR

I believe The Infantry have new music here. Dax side headlocks Dean then Dax fireman's carry takeovers him. Dax headlock takeovers him and gets headscissored. Dean hits armdrags.

Bravo shoulders over Dax then armdrags and dropkicks him. Dean then hits dropkicks too and FTR go out. Cash spears Dean on the ropes then Dean hits chops and gut shuts on him. Bravo slams Cash then elbow drops him. Bravo is caught in mid-air with a Cash powerslam. Dax chops Bravo then superplexes him.

We go to PiP break and return. Dax chops Bravo outside. Bravo's plancha is caught by both FTR members then Dean tope con hilos al of them over. Bravo top rope crossbodies Dax then Dax rolls through. Bravo uses the ropes to flip over and cradle Dax in a cool spot.

Cash is pushed off the ropes to the floor and CB crossbodies Dax. Bravo is powerbombed by Dax then Cash germans him. FTR go for a double suplex and Dean spears Cash hard. Infantry hit stereo superkicks. Dax then takes a jumping neckbreaker for 2.

Bravo ddt's Cash then is thrown out by Dax. FTR block a sunset flip and Dean helps it go through. Bravo back rolls Dax then FTR run into each other. Bravo rolls up Dax for 2. Dax flips Cash backwards so they can hit a shatter machine on Bravo. Dax picks up the win.

It had some sloppy moments but it was a good tag with The Infantry trying to pull the upset off here. I loved the finish with Dax flipping his own partner backwards to hit the shatter machine. Dean's dive to the outside was nice here and he ended up on the ramp out of it somehow. 

Lexi Nair interviews Big Bill and Ricky Starks. Bill says they aren't looking past Top Flight. Bill said they are a 16 seed and his team is a 1 seed. Bill said Top Flight aren't going to the dance and they will dance on them. Starks says they will beat Top Flight then FTR. Starks says history will repeat itself and they will beat FTR.

Mark Briscoe, Adam Copeland and Eddie Kingston do a promo. Adam says the TNT title makes him a marked man. He said if HoB wants to get in his business he's got backup. He challenges them to a 6-man with Eddie and Mark at Dynasty. Mark brings up Eddie saying they fight at Supercard of Honor and asks for a dogfight. Mark said House of Black is in for a long night at Dynasty. Eddie mocks their magic and said they will spit up blood and teeth at Dynasty.

Kyle O'Reilly vs JD Drake

JD hits a big chop then bangs Kyle's head off his knee. JD put him in the cobra clutch and they trade leg kicks. JD shining wizards him for 2. JD misses a vader bomb and cannonball. Kyle hits strikes on him and kicks to the chest. Kyle legsweeps him. Kyle axe kicks him then forearms him down. Kyle goes for the armbar and wins via tap out.

It was short and not that good. Kyle is not yet back to his old self and this was not as clean as it should have been.

The Undisputed Kingdom lift up Kyle after and celebrate with him. 

AEW Tag Title Tournament Quarterfinals - Ricky Starks and Big Bill vs Top Flight

Darius and Starks go at it. Starks hits shots then Darius slams him down. Darius hits an armdrag then armlocks him. Starks armdrags him then Darius backslides him. Darius suplexes him then Dante slingshot swantons him. Bill gets in. Dante chops him then hits a dropkick. Bill takes a double dropkick then Dante jumps off Darius' back to kick him off the apron. Starks takes a double dropkick then Dante takes a big boot from Bill.

We go to PiP break and return. Bill throws Dante in from the outside through the ropes. Bill splashes Dante then misses a splash. Dante top rope flip dives him. Darius gets in and hits shots on both opponents. He atomic drops Starks then uses the buckles to pele kick him. Darius dropkicks Bill and Bill gets sent out. Darius has Starks in a pin and Starks' shoulders are totally down but they say Ricky got his shoulders up.

Darius tornado ddt's Starks off of Dante and wins it. Starks appears to be hurt and is checked on after. They cut away from it and don't mention it, so it seems like Starks got hurt and they ended the match.

The finish was definitely botched here, possibly twice in a row. The finish came out of nowhere and didn't fit the match at all. It was going okay until that happened.

Christopher Daniels does a promo. He said he's been in AEW since Day 1. He said it's not about how long you have been here but who you have beaten. He asks Malakai Black if he will accept a match for some reason.

Thunder Rosa vs Lady Frost

Rosa throws her over with a fireman's carry. Lady forward cartwheels out of a wristlock then is tripped. Rosa shoulders her over and Lady kips up. Rosa armdrags her then uses the ropes to springboard headscissor her. Rosa dropkicks her over. Lady does like a buckshot from the buckles and hurricanrana's her. Lady then does a flipping neckbreaker for 2. Lady hits chops and boots. Lady flips over on the buckles and is lariated. We then go to PiP break and return.

Lady hits corner spears and a step up kick on the ropes. Rosa sunset flips her and they trade chops. Rosa lariats her and back elbows her. Rosa dropkicks her against the bottom rope. Lady cartwheels into an air raid crash on her. Rosa backcrackers her then Rosa hits a package side powerbomb and wins it.

Rosa brings up Toni Storm after and says to put some respect on her name.

It was a good little back and forth match. Lady finally had a good showing on live TV without any botches and she matched up well with Rosa.

Renee interviews Toni Storm, Mariah May and Luther. Renee tells her there will be a match for a title shot next week against Toni. It's Thunder Rosa vs Mariah May. Toni asks her if this was the plan all along and if she had been plotting this. Toni kisses her and calls her a genius. She says she sees herself in May and likes it.  She said Rosa will never get to sniff the leather of the title again.

They do a video on Will Ospreay while shilling upcoming matches.

Bryan Danielson, Claudio Castagnoli and Katsuyori Shibata vs Lance Archer and The Righteous

KS and Lance trade forearms. Lance forearms him then face kicks him. KS dropkicks him in the knee then hits forearms. KS climbs on Lance's back and sleepers him. Lance throws him over and they stand off. Dutch and CC lock up. Dutch slams CC then Dutch shoulders him over.

CC leapfrogs Dutch then hits a flying shoulder. CC slams him then double stomps him. Bryan hits euros on Dutch then Dutch bodyblocks him. Vincent hits shots on Bryan then Bryan flying kicks Dutch off the apron. Bryan hits punches on Vincent, flips over him then topes Dutch outside. Bryan flying knees Lance off the apron then Bryan is thrown into the rails.  We go to PiP break and return. 

Dutch beats up on Bryan then Bryan Lebell locks him. Lance breaks it up. Dutch hits shots on Bryan then slams Lance onto him. Lance then slams Dutch onto Bryan. Dutch hits a black hole slam on Bryan for 2. Dutch and Bryan fight on the 2nd rope then Bryan knocks him off. Bryan top rope dropkicks him.

CC and Lance lariat battle. CC hurricanrana's him then hits a flurry of shots in the corner. CC cutters him while he's on the 2nd rope. CC and KS hit running shots in the corner. Lance takes shots from both then KS slaps him. CC giant swings him. CC sharpshooters him then Dutch side slams CC. Dutch shiranui's Bryan then KS hits forearms on Dutch and Vincent.

Dutch is pulled out and Vincent is back body dropped out. Lance boots Ks in the head which is dumb considering Shibata's injuries. Lance big boots CC then uranage's him. Vincent swantons CC then is suplexed. KS face kicks Vincent in the corner then hits a corner dropkick. KS suplexes him then does an armbar.

Bryan is thrown out and KS throws Lance out. Vincent rolls up KS for 2 and hits forearms. KS sleepers him then PK's him to win it.

It was a decent and long trios match as expected here. Nothing too wild and the big men dominated for a bite here before eventually being put down. The result was never in doubt due to The Righteous never getting any major wins and due to Lance losing so often. I didn't like Shibata taking boots to the head when he really shouldn't be wrestling due to head injuries.

Overall thoughts: It was a good night of wrestling here but there wasn't a lot going on storyline wise was usual. Matt Cardona came in for unknown reasons and lost. FTR beat Infantry in a good tag. Kyle O'Reilly didn't look that good in his 2nd match back. Starks got hurt in his tag match and they definitely pulled an audible on the finish. Lady Frost and Thunder Rosa meshed well together and the main was long but fine.