AEW Collision 4/6/2024
Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/03/aew-collision-3302024.html
AEW Tag Title Tournament Semifinals - FTR vs Top Flight
Dax shoulders Darius over. Darius armdrags him then rolls him up. They stare down and Cash wristlocks him. Darius rolls and headflips out then takes him down. Darius armdrags him then Cash backslides him. Cash takes forearms from both then Dante kicks Cash in the back. Cash rolls out. Dax takes Dante down by the wrist then Dante armdrags him twice.
Dax pulls his hair, forearms and shoulders him. Dante sunset flips him then armdrags him. Darius jumps over Dante's back onto Dax's arm. FTR double shoulders Darius over then Darius takes shots in the corner. Cash slams Darius then Dante top rope double stomps Cash's arm. Cash slams and stomps him.
Dante back elbows Dax on the ropes then 2nd rope twisting crossbodies him. Dante dropkicks both opponents then Dante slingshot swantons FTR. Cash takes a Darius dropkick. Dante leg lariats Dax off the apron off of Darius' back. Dante runs into a Cash lariat outside.
We go to PiP break and return. Dax goes to superplex Dante but Dante rolls onto him. Darius to rope crossbodies Cash then cradles him. Dax hits shots on Darius. Darius fights his way out of the corner and cradles Dax for 2. Dax takes a jumping knee then Darius plants and pele kicks Cash. Darius bulldogs Dax through the ropes. Dante topes Cash then Darius flatliners Dax off the bottom rope.
Dante sperkicks Cash off the apron then Dax gets his knees up on Dante's top rope splash. FTR block a sunset flip together then Darius top rope crossbodies Dax. Top Flight get stereo 2 counts. Darius germans Dax then Cash brainbusters Darius. Dante spin kicks Cash. Dante twists off the 2nd rope and is caught with a shatter machine. FTR win it.
The finish was clever here. This was really slowed and toned down here compared to what Top Flight usually do and it was probably for the better. It wasn't great but it was an okay opener here.
We get a package on Kazuchika Okada.
Pac vs Encore Moore
Moore kind of has a D'Angelo Dinero thing going on. Pac running boots him and foot chokes him in the corner. Moore's head is banged off the buckles then he is thrown hard into the corner. Pac suplexes Moore several times. Pac running euros him then goes up top. Pac opts not to do the black arrow then taps him out with his brutalizer.
This was just a random short squash.
Pac gets on the mic after. He said he's done waiting for opportunities and said he will take things into his own hands. He said he's on a mission to remind people who he is. He says he's the best bloody wrestler on the face of planet earth. He said he is calling out Kazuchika Okada. He said he thinks Okada can't take him out and said he will "eagerly wait" for a response.
Renee interviews Bryan Danielson. Bryan asks what the vest version possible of him is. He said Will Opsreay doesn't quit. Renee asks how much this match is for him and how much it is for the fans. Bryan said he wants to test himself. He said the fans might enjoy it but that's not why he is doing it.
I don't know what this was supposed to do but it did little to get me excited for Will vs Bryan.
Hook and Chris Jericho vs Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty
Jericho and Shane go at it. Shane hits a punch flurry and forearms him down. Shane corner lariats him then hits another punch combo in the corner. Jericho comes off the 2nd rope at him then Shane takes a double suplex. Lee stomps on Hook and Hook release northern lights suplexes him.
Jericho chops Lee. Jericho springboard dropkicks Shane on the apron then Lee running face kicks him. We go to PiP break and return. Shane uranage's Jericho. Jericho gets his knees up on Shane's splash. Jericho lionsaults Lee. Hook gets in and hits lariats on Lee. Hook hip throws Lee then northern lights suplexes him. Shane is pulled over the top. Hook top rope double axe handles Shane outside.
Lee spin kicks Jericho then lifting flatliners him. Lee border city stretches him then Jericho crabs Lee. Hook then goes for a hold on Lee while he's in it and exploders Shane. Jericho then taps Lee out with the crab.
It was short and not that much. The heels controlled it early then the faces won as expected.
Anthony Ogogo then returns and jumps both Hook and Jericho in a surprise. Ogogo boots Jericho then Shane comes to help out Ogogo. Ogogo hits a hard punch on Jericho and knocks him out. The heels then hold up a "Shane Taylor Promotions" banner and bury Jericho under it.
Dustin Rhodes does a promo. He said he keeps hearing he's underappreciated and he says he is right. He said he gave his blood, sweat and tears to fans. He said he's been in every town and fought all kinds of wrestlers. He said he remembers his dad winning the title and said he used to hold it up. He said he told his dad he'd become champ one day and said he still hasn't accomplished that. He asks Samoa Joe for a title shot on Dynamite. He said Joe hasn't faced anyone like him. He said all he wants is an opportunity he dreamt of his entire life.
This was a really good promo/package but it goes against Joe's "you need to earn it" motto with his title shots and it defeats the purpose of a rankings system.
Will Ospreay is interviewed by Renee. He said everyone in AEW is quicker but there's more test of wills in Japan and more grappling. He says it's an honor to wrestle Bryan Danielson but he doesn't see it as being any different than his other matches. He said he's the greatest wrestler ever and asked if Bryan was at his level at age 30. He said he's here to prove he's the best and said it's the best wrestlers performing where wrestlers wrestle.
The House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King and Buddy Matthews) vs Bryan Keith, Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal
We go to PiP break and return. CD backslides him then cradles him. CD ducks a high kick and backdrops Black. Matt tags in and hits kicks on Buddy. Matt rotation headscissors Buddy then hits a high kick. Matt jumping knees him. Buddy pop-up knees Matt. Matt takes a fire htunder from Brody then Bryan low dropkicks Brody.
Bryan takes a big lariat from Brody then Bryan takes a triple team in the corner. Bryan rolls up Buddy off a pumphandle then Buddy pumping knees him. Buddy does a wrist clutch death valley driver on Bryan and wins it.
It wasn't bad and they gave Bryan some shine here. The winner was never really in doubt though and the jobbers weren't treated like real threats.
Adam Copeland's music hits and he nails Brody from behind. Black stares him down then Adam takes a 2v1. Mark Briscoe and FTR then come out to help. The Young Bucks then come down and fight with FTR. Adam chairs and spears Brody. Mark uppercuts Buddy and throws a chair at him. Adam spears Buddy. Black stares down FTR, Mark and Adam then leaves. One of the Bucks gets in and slides out after nearly getting caught.
Rocky Romero is interviewed by Lexi. He said he won titles all over the world but hadn't won one in AEW. he said he knows he can't be hotshotted into a title match but wants an eliminator match against Roderick Strong. He said there is no one more international than him.
The Undisputed Kingdom walk in minus Cole. Strong asks if he's seen what he's been doing. Strong says it's laughable if he thinks he can them...uh him. He said he has a 1% chance but he can tell his grandkids they got beat by a wrestling legend.
They show a graphic saying The Young Bucks will air footage from All In, showing what happened there for the first time in never seen before footage. On the surface it sounds weird, but it was later said by Dave Meltzer than this will be footage of the Punk/Jack Perry fight. There's nothing about showing that footage that makes any sense. Punk's gone and he ain't coming back. Perry's a heel and hasn't been around for months. No matter how you spin this, the only way it could be some positive if it leads to a one night ratings boost. Otherwise, it's going to suck and be counter productive.
Chris Jericho and Hook are interviewed. Jericho said he's p!ssed off. He congratulates them for laying them out 3v1. Jericho said they don't have a 3rd man. Hook then says he has one. Katsuyori Shibata then walks in. He says he will have their backs and said through Siri that Shane Taylor Promotions is going down.
Yuka Sakazaki vs Trish Adora
Yuka hasn't been on TV for a long time. Trish wristlocks her and hits the arm. Yuka does it back to her. Trish shoulders her over then rolls her into a kick. Yuka sliding lariats her for 2 then Trish swinging backbreakers her.
We go to PiP break and return. Trish crossfaces her. Yuka cartwheels on the ropes then top rope dropkicks her. Trish suplexes her. They trade forearms and Yuka forearm combos her. Trish hits a big forearm then takes a spinning high kick. Trish germans her then Yuka hits a northern lights bomb.
Trish double underhook suplexes her then hits a bubba bomb for 2. Yuka does a spinning hammerlock drop on her then springboard splashes her for the win.
I wasn't a fan of this. Yuka was brought back in cold here. This needed to be a short and quick one but Yuka ended up going to a longer and slower match with Trish, who isn't established.
Serena Deeb comes out after and claps.
Matt Menard and Daniel Garcia talk. Matt says Garcia is 25 and hasn't even scratched the surface of his prime. He said Garcia got a big win last night. He said big wins are expected and Matt said he wants more. Garcia said he gets to get inspired and motivated each week here by Takeshita, Will and Okada. He said it's time he inserts himself in coversations with them. Garcia said they are coming for more.
Claudio Castagnoli vs The Butcher
They lock up and CC side headlocks him. They shoulder battle and Butch bites his head. Butch then lariats him. CC flying shoulders him then slams him. CC then does a weird run into a double stomp.
CC takes a boot and backbreaker. Butcher suplexes him then chinlocks him. Butch hits forearms to the back then they trade shots. Butch half-nelson backbreakers him then crossfaces him. CC death valley drivers him then hits a euro combo in the corner.
CC short arm lariats him then giant swings him. CC hits a neutralizer and wins it.
It was a short one. It was okay for what it was but far from the best they could have done here.
Julia Hart and Skye Blue do a promo in the HoB house. Julia said when you want to address the TBS Title, you address her. She said she's glad Willow can make people smile. She said her smile will disappear. Julia said she's beaten Willow twice and said she will be facing Mercedes and says why not roll the dice with her. She says she's the forever face of TBS.
Samoa Joe does a promo. He said the biggest part of being champ is managing perceptions. He said Dustin Rhodes' words didn't go unnoticed. Joe asks if Dustin is so big and tough, why isn't he here as champ? He said men like him don't possess the one thing they need around here - fear of him. Joe said he doesn't deserve a title chance, but he will give him a fight. He said if Dustin beats him, he will be the #1 contender though. Joe says there will be consequences and pain for those who speak his name.
Penta El Zero Miedo vs Komander
This is a bizarre main especially since these two have been partners at times recently. Penta spin kicks him in the gut then is rolled up off a pin attempt. Kom is rolled up then they headflip and get up at the same time. Kom spinning high kicks him then then headscissors him. Kom goes for a handspring and is low dropkicked.
Kom is popped up and hurricanrana's Penta out of it. Kom goes for a tope but is caught with a gorilla press and dropped on the steps. We go to PiP break and return.
Kom flips over Penta's back then does a rotation headscissors. Kom topes Penta then Penta slingblades him. Penta hits a canadian destroyer for 2. Kom rolls him up. Penta slingshots in and rolls into a standing spanish fly. Penta then triangle springboard canadian destroyers Kom on the apron. Penta then kind of runs at him and you could call it Kom backdropping him on the stage.
They trade forearms on their knees. Penta superkicks him then hits a made in Japan for 2. Kom escapes a top rope move then Kom walks up the buckles into a tornillo splash on Penta. Kom ropewalk dropkicks him. Kom walks up the buckles and blind springboard moonsaults outside. Kom ropewalk SSP's and is caught with a codebreaker. Penta hits a package piledriver and wins it.
I hated this and it was indy no-selling garbage with floor and apron moves meaning absolutely nothing.
Adam Copeland comes out after and stares down Penta.
Overall thoughts: It was an unusual episode of Collision and I'd probably give it a 4-5 out of 10. The opener was okay. The Hook and Jericho tag was nothing too special but lead to the return of Anthony Ogogo. Dustin Rhodes had a good promo but also went against the rankings system (that was later addressed). The House of Black trios match was okay. Yuka Sakazaki didn't have a great return match. Claudio/Butcher was short but okay for what it was. The main was indy garbage.
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