AEW Collision 4/27/2024

AEW Collision 4/27/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/04/aew-collision-4202024.html

The show started at 8:23PM due to the NBA Playoffs.

Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana come out. Nana says Swerve is the boss of bosses, the anointed one and one hell of a wrestler.

Swerve said it's been a week in wrestling. Cole can walk. Willow is the TBS champ. Adam Copeland got misted, Bryan/Will tore the house down then Jack Perry returned and struck Tony Khan. Swerve said Tony put all of his faith in him. Swerve then said they put Tony in a neckbrace and there's no telling when we will see him in good condition.

Swerve said The Elite doing that to Khan was a b!tch move. Swerve said he made history and said the real best in the world holds the title. Swerve said his daughter feels like she doesn't know him.

Swerve said they should have an open challenge tonight where he puts the belt on the line. Why this is needed when there's rankings, I don't know. Claudio Castagnoli comes out and says Swerve is on. Swerve said he'll see him tonight. He tries to do his line and CC takes the mic away. CC says it will be his house tonight.

Tony Schiavone said Tony Khan had experienced multiple head issues. He said he was told my doctor's he can't travel and will run things remotely. Nigel asks who will run things if something happens and he said it has to be the EVP's.

Unified Trios Titles - Bang Bang Gang (Jay White and The Gunn's) vs Top Flight and Action Andretti

They were called the Bang Bang Gang over Bullet Club Gold here. Jay and Dante start us off. Jay shoulders him over. Dante hits forearms and chops then is dragon screwed. Dante is hit in the gut then takes a kneelift and a lariat.

Austin suplexes Dante. Dante topes Jay through the ropes, ducking a shot from Austin. Darius gets in and hits a mid-air sprinebuster. He enzugiri's Austin. AA then tope con gilos Colten. Darius hits a bottom rope flatliner on Austin for 2.

Darius slides out and takes a running lariat from Jay. Darius is gordbustered on the apron and we go to PiP break. We return and Jay is pushed into the rails. Darius hits forearms on Jay then enzugiri's him. A gets in and hits forearms on the heels. AA handspring double back elbows The Gunn's. AA misses a split legged moonsault, back rolls into an enzugiri off of it then standing spanish flies Austin for 2.

Dante jumps off of Darius' back and flip dives on the heels. Darius hits a tornado ddt and Top Flight are sent into the rails. AA goes up top and is crotched. Jay uranage's Dante, who springboards on him. Darius takes a 310 to Yuma. AA flips out of a suplex and hits a superkick. He then shotgun dropkicks Jay into the buckles. AA then is caught with a bladerunner and pinned.

It was a decent tag here with a lot of action and the heels winning as expected. I really liked AA's moonsault into a roll and enzugiri here.

We see clips from the Bucks/FTR match. Tony says FTR is banged up and not here tonight.

The House of Black say the match went the way they said it would at Dynasty. Brody said he has 2 wins over the TNT champ now. Black says they accept The Cope Open but won't say which one Adam will fight. Buddy says when Adam finds out, the world finds out.

Rey Fenix vs The Beast Mortos

Beast chops him then Rey chops back. Beast hits chops and punches. Rey springboards and is caught, Beast rolls over his back then powerslams him after rolls. Beast tornillo topes outside then hits corner lariats. Rey spin kicks him then Beast slingblade bulldogs him. Beast crucifix drivers him then flips him with a lariat for 2.

Beast ddt's Rey's leg. Beast kneebreakers him then spins his legs into a figure four variation. Rey goes out and Beast rips at Rey's mask. Rey is sent into the post. Beast rips the mask inside again and again. Beast wraps Rey's leg around the rope and shoulders him over. We go to PiP break and return.  

Beast headbutts Rey. Rey boots him out of the corner then headscissors him over. Rey spin kicks him and hits superkicks. Rey spins Beast into a gutbuster for 2. Beast pops him up, Rey lands on his shoulders and kicks him in the  head. Rey springboards and is speared in mid-air.

Beast misses a corner charge and goes out. Rey top rope tornillos him to the floor. Inside, Beast drops him on his knees then does a spinning gori special drop for 2. Rey kips up and hits superkicks on Beast. Rey walks the top rope and kicks Beast in the head. Rey superkicks him then top rope splashes him for 2. Rey then rolls Beast up and wins it.

They did way too much here and it went on for too long. It was entertaining but it just kept going and going, making a pinfall seem more and more unlikely. It's not surprising but it's a shame because they can do some cool things together. 

Orange Cassidy is interviewed. There's audio problems with something else playing. He said he's worried about Trent and Chuck tonight fighting in a parking lot. Kris Statlander comes in, says "he needs us" and they leave.

Rush vs Martin Stone

Stone takes a rebound german and a flying knee. Stone is thrown into the rails then hits stomps. Rush whips Stone with wires and hits a forearm. Stone is belly to belly suplexed into the buckles. Rush flying forearms him then basement dropkicks him. Rush then gets the win.

It was a quick squash where Rush got the win.

Rush attacks Stone after then hits another corner basement dropkick. 

Serena Deeb is interviewed. She said her message is simple. She said one one hand we have Toni Storm and on the other have the undefeated professor, who is the #1 contender. She says failure is not an option and it's now or never. She said it's time to prove she should hold the gold and do something she hasn't done. She said this isn't a movie, this is real life.

Toni Storm vs Anna Jay
 
They lock up and Jay wristlocks her. Toni side headlocks her then headlock takeovers her. Toni hits shots then Anna spinning heel kicks her in the corner. Anna hits a hip attack then Toni hits a thesz press with punches. Toni hits hip attacks. Anna gets on the apron and Toni hip attacks her into Mariah May, who talks trash to Anna. Anna neckbreakers Toni over the middle rope. We go to PiP break and return.

Toni backstabbers her while she's on the 2nd rope then perfectplexes her for 2. Anna side kicks her then does a gori special drop. Toni double chokeslam bombs her for 2. Anna flatliners Toni then puts her in the grounded choke/queen slayer.

Toni drops Anna backwards to escape it then Toni hip attacks her in the corner. Toni hits a storm zero and wins it.

It was an okay match here. No botches or anything and lots of hip attacks here from Toni. Anna lost as expected.

Chuck Taylor and OC are playing with a dog. Chuck says not to interfere and says he needs to do this on his own.

The Acclaimed vs The Grizzled Young Veterans

Max rapped about sending The Vets back to the Impact Zone and some other obscene stuff.

Gibson and Max start us off. Max side headlocks him then Drake throws Max down by the arm and kips up. Max sunset flips Drake and Bowens neckbreakers him onto Max's knees. They trade forearms and Max takes a double lariat. Bowens suplexes Drake. Bowens hits swinging neckbreaker on Gibson.

Max uppercuts Gibson. Max takes a dropkick in the knee and then the side of the head. Drake jumps off of Gibson's back to leg lariat Bowens on the apron. We go to break and return. 

Max throws Gibson out then Gibson pulls him out. Drake blindside topes Max then Gibson chinlocks Max. Max avoids a double team and tags out. Bowens comes in and hits shots on both opponents. Bowens over the back fameassers Gibson.

Drake takes corner attacks then is slammed. Bowens legdrops Drake in the nuts off the 2nd rope. Drake takes a nasty two person bomb for 2. Gibson holds Max for a Drake dropkick. Max is back bodydropped on the ramp and kicks a light over on accident.

Bowens avoids a double team then running knees Drake. Gibson codebreakers Bowens in the corner then Drake coast to coast dropkicks Bowens. The Vets talk trash to Billy Gunn outside. Max lariats Drake over the top then Bowens superkicks Gibson. Bigson takes the arrival and the mic drop and is pinned.

It was a decent tag here. I don't like The Vets losing in their AEW debut but losing in your debut is an AEW hallmark. I'd be up for a rematch between the teams. The back body drop on the ramp looked like it hurt and The Vets put out a good effort here.

Katsuyori Shibata is interviewed. He talks via a translator. He said he will chop down the learning tree and take Jericho's FTW title. He says he will fight Shane Taylor Promotions alone.

Daniel Garcia comes up to Shibata. He said if he needs help, he will fight with him. Shibata agrees via translator and says save the last dance for him.

AEW Title - Swerve Strickland (c) vs Claudio Castagnoli

CC takes him down and front face locks him. They battle for leverage. Swerve bridges and monkey flips him. CC then monkey flips him as they hold on. The bridge at the same time while doing the knucklelock and end up doing a stare down.

CC rolls him up then CC catches him in mid-air and hits a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. They fight on the ramp and stage. Swerve hurricanrana's him onto the stage then top rope crossbodies him. Swerve hits neckbreakers then neckbreakers him over the middle rope. They fight with CC on the apron and Swerve inside. Swerve kicks him as he tries to get in.

Swerve is then gorilla pressed into the side of the stage. CC running euros him into the stage and we go to PiP break. We return and CC running face kicks him. Swerve pump kicks him from the apron. Swerve rolls into a jumping flatliner for 2.

Swerve hiptosses him then CC euros him. They go outside. Swerve is popped up onto the stage then Swerve fosbury flops him off the stage. Swerve hits a 450 off the top for 2. CC hits an M-Bison stomp while Swerve is seated.

They trade euros and Swerve hits shots to the gut. Swerve spin kicks him then CC running lariats him. Swerve suplexes him then hits a top rope double stomp. Swerve misses a kick to the side of the head and takes a giant swing. CC sharpshooters him then turns it into a crossface. CC hits a downward elbow flurry then hits a bunch of strikes. CC running lariats him for 2. Swerve ddt's him.

Swerve goes for an M.Bison stomp, gets stuck on CC's shoulders then is dropped down and takes a euro uppercut. CC hits euros then Swerve backslides him. Swerve germans him then pump kicks him. They scream at each other. CC pops him up and Swerve M. Bison stomps him off of it. Swerve hits the kick to the side of the head and wins it.

It was a solid match here with them putting out a lot of effort and coming up with some creative spots. They matched up better than expected and I think the match helped out Swerve some.  

CC and Swerve shake hands after.

Overall thoughts: It was a very heavy in-ring wrestling show as usual. Everything except the squash got enough time. The main, semi-main and opener were good so I'd give this one a good rating overall.