AEW Collision 6/1/2024

AEW Collision 6/1/2024

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2024/05/aew-collision-5252024.html

Tony Schiavone welcomes us to the show and brings out FTR. Tony says he never saw anything like what he saw at Anarchy in the Arena. Cash says it's embarrassing to be out there knowing they didn't get the job done.  Cash said they would die for AEW but they aren't dead yet.

Dax said he struggled with some of the things that went down in the match and asks if it's even worth it anymore. He then said it is worth it and will  take his last breath for AEW if he has to. He says The Elite will have to worry as long as they are around. He says one day, Bryan Danielson, Darby and FTR will be back and it will be the summer of AEW and they will whip their @sses.

We see a Jack Perry interview from after DoN. He asks what else they could have done. He says blood, sweat and tears in the bare minimum. He says he was set on fire and asks when people will believe in the spirit of AEW more than him. He said the company turned its back on him. He said you can either hate him or come with him as he will continue to shape the future through blood, sweat and fire.

They talk about the AEW TNT Title qualifiers that will take place in a ladder match.  

Roderick Strong vs Lio Rush

Lio cartwheels over him when he drops down and Strong hits a flurry of shots on him. Strong suplexes him. Lio hits chops then takes some chops. Strong gutbusters him. Strong drops him chest first on the mat. Strong throws him on a double underhook suplex. Strong armlocks him and grabs him by the hair. Taven puts on Lio's jacket outside.

Strong boots him out of the corner and Lio throws him out. Lio topes him twice. We go to PiP break and return. Strong has Lio in a chinlock and olympic slams him for 2. Strong throws him hard into the buckles and Lio goes out. Taven boots Lio outside.

Lio slides out from Strong inside, upkicks him and kicks him. They trade shots and Lio rolls him up for 2. Lio ddt's him. Lio asai moonsaults outside onto Taven and Bennett after they distract him. Strong dropkicks him through the ropes. Lio hurricanrana's him then stunners him off the bottom rope for 2.

Lio goes up top and knocks down either Bennett or Taven. Lio gets caught on a frogsplash then takes a backbreaker. Strong wins.

Thoughts: In Lio's first AEW singles match in his return, he loses in typical fashion. What was the point of this? They couldn't give him Action Andretti or someone to beat? The match was fine but had a lot of unnecessary interference which added little to this one.

Kyle O'Reilly does a promo. He says he faces the best wrestler alive today and doesn't plan on having a great match. He plans on beating Will Ospreay tonight as efficiently and as violently as possible. He said Will beat a who's who of people but not him. He said he's one of the few men to kick out of the hidden blade. He says Will and everyone is counting him out but he refuses to leave empty handed.

The Undisputed Kingdom go yell at Tony Khan. Strong said he was supposed to be the last man in the gauntlet. He said Will got lucky at DoN and he should be #1 contender. He said he wants Swerve on Wednesday and go to Forbidden Door as the champ. Tony agrees.

Thoughts: Well, this was stupid. Will had to win a gauntlet to get a title shot. Strong just had to ask, after losing the gauntlet.

Katsuyori Shibata and Daniel Garcia vs The Workhorsemen

KS and Henry grapple. Henry hits chest kicks against the ropes and mocks his pose. KS running knees him and kicks him in the back. DG running boots Henry. DG is double teamed. JD chops him. DG ducks chops and hits punches.

JD is dropkicked in the knee. Henry trips KS then JD shining wizards KS. Henry hits leg kicks and knees on KS then KS does an STO. DG hits twists and shouts on Henry. Henry kicks him in the gut then DG hits another twist and shout.

We go to PiP break and return. DG is double teamed with clubs. DG backdrops JD. KS comes in and hits running facekicks on Henry. He then pump kicks JD and corner dropkicks Henry. KS does an underhook suplex to Henry. KS hits chops and punches on Henry while DG dances. DG corner meteora's Henry then sitout powerbombs him.

JD belly to belly suplexes DG then Henry corner meteora's DG. Henry top rope double stomps DG then JD top rope moonsaults DG for 2. DG and KS each put chokes on their opponents. JD takes a pump kick and is sleepered. DG punches JD then KS hits a PK on JD. DG pins JD.

Thoughts: It was a decent match here. I'm not real sure what this does for DG though. I'm sure JD and Henry liked the rare chance to get a full length match on TV.

Kris Statlander and Stokeley Hathaway do a promo. They said they have a gift for Willow and it's trash can. They say it's because Willow is garbage. Kris says she will destroy and decimate anyone who gets in her way next week. Stoke then says "and take out the trash".

Thunder Rosa vs Reina Dorada

I think Reina is from AAA. She has this goofy mask on with someone's face on it. There was no intro or explanation for why she's here.

Rosa takes her down and pulls on her mouth. Rosa rolls her around with the front facelock. Rosa waistlock takedowns her. Reina armdrags her then Rosa armdrags her. Rosa springboard armdrags her then dropkicks her over.

Rosa pulls Reina's arms back then chops her chest. Reina chops her and is slapped. Rosa forearms her down. Rosa hits a dominator for 2. Rosa then does something like a cobra clutch while sitting on her back.

Thoughts: It was a short squash here. Reina lost in her debut in typical AEW fashion. There was no hype or explanation for why she was here over someone else.

Cage of Agony vs Danny Rose, Ricky Gee and KM

These names man, jeez. The ref has atleast 5 inches on the one jobber. One of the jobbers is pounced by Toa to start. Toa hits running corner moves on Gee and throws him. KM gets in and is spinebusted by Cage. Cage release germans him. Cage does his 2nd rope deadlift superplex in on him.

Rose comes off the top and is caught and fallaway slammed by Cage. Kaun hits a stiff lariat on Gee then a stiff shotgun dropkick. One of the jobbers then takes a giant throw up in the air and lands down hard. Cage of Agony then pick up the win.

Thoughts: I hate to see KM used as a jobber since he's bigger than almost everyone on the show. Cage of Agony had a good squash here though and looked big and bad.

Toni Storm does a promo on Saraya. She calls Mariah May her offspring. May says she has never been in the ring with Saraya before. They make sexual puns and leave.

Claudio Castagnoli vs Johnny TV

JTV kicks him and side headlocks him. CC side headlocks him then shoulders him over. JTV jumps up and is caught with a backbreaker. JTV cravates him then CC backslides him. CC double stomps JTV for 2. CC delay suplexes him. CC goes to giant swing him and Taya holds onto JTV. The ref takes Taya out of the ring. JTV low blows and springboard enzugiri's CC.

We go to PiP break and return. JTV has him in a guillotine and is headbutted. CC suplexes him. CC hits euros then running facekicks him for 2. CC hits euros then his a moonlight drive for 2. Taya slaps CC then CC goes after her. JTV then tornillo dives CC over the post. JTV gets crotched on the top then takes a reverse superplex for 2. CC sharpshooters JTV and Taya pulls JTV ot the ropes. CC pulls Taya in. The ref tells Taya to leave.

JTV has his low blow blocked by CC then CC giant swings him. CC running lariats him and wins it.

Thoughts: It was disappointing due to all of the shenanigans from Taya. Johnny should have been DQ'd and Taya should have been ejected from ringside but neither happened. What the two did get to do was good but it was far from the best they could have done. When you want AEW to go all out, they never do.

We get a video on The Premier Athletes that was shown on ROH.

We get a video on Royce Isaacs and Jerrol Nelson, The West Coast Wrecking Crew.

Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty vs The West Coast Wrecking Crew

Lee takes down Royce and basement dropkicks him. Lee boots him then hammerlocks him. Royce shoulders him over then powerslams Lee then he jumps up. Lee is dragon screwed then Royce hits a sliding lariat for 2. Lee is dropkicked in the knee then takes a fisherman suplex from Lee.

Royce is flatlinered into the buckles. Shane knees Royce in the body. She beats up on Royce and Royce knees him in the face. Nelson euros Shane then hits chops and punches on him. Nelson hits a nice dropkick on Shane and flying shoulders him. Shane headbutts and uranage's Nelson. Shane then hits a big splash on Nelson for 2.

Lee dropkicks Royce out. Nelson back elbows Shane out of the corner then boots him. Nelson comes off the 2nd rope and takes a forearm. Shane package piledrivers Nelson and wins it.

Thoughts: It was a cold match that was completely random. Royce and Nelson were naturally defeated in their TV debuts here in true AEW fashion. It was fine for what it was and at least it got Shane and Lee a win.

Anthony Ogogo knocks out Nelson after.

The Iron Savages and Jacked Jameson do a promo. They say the trios division must be vegans because they don't want any of this beef. Jameson says they will book travel for trios teams and book them on a direct flight to Titty City. Killswitch then comes in for some reason and beats them all up, making them look like total idiots.

AEW International Title - Will Ospreay (c) vs Kyle O'Reilly

Will shoots in and they mat wrestle. Kyle wristlocks him. Will shoulders him over. Kyle side headlocks him, walks on his back and facekicks him. Will flying headscissors him then plancha's him outside.

We go to PiP break and return. Kyle hits strikes and legsweeps him. Kyle works the arms and hits strikes. We see Matt Menard and Daniel Garcia watching this. Will hits forearms and chops. Will step up enzugiri's him and springboard forearm's him for 2.

Will hits Kawada kicks on the apron then Kyle pulls Will's down onto the apron. Will's leg gets stuck in the ropes and Kyle diving knees him off the top. Will sunset flips him and Kyle turns it into an armbar. Will is thrown into the rails shoulder first then Kyle dropkicks him against the rails.

We go to PiP break and return. Kyle facekicks Will then Will suplexes him. Will tiger drivers him for 2.  Will is crotched up top. Will misses a 450 and superkicks him. Will goes to springboard and has his leg kicked out. Kyle legsweeps him and Will kips up to enzugiri him.

Will goes for the os cutter and is armbarred. Kyle triangles him and Will deadlift powerbombs him out of it. Will hits kicks on Kyle then Kyle regalplexes him for 2. Kyle PK's him and takes a hidden blade. Will runs into a knee. They get on all fours and trade headbutts. They trade forearms on their knees.

Kyle spinning forearms him, Will hits a stunner and a flying hidden blade. Will hits a stormbreaker and wins it.

Thoughts: I wasn't that interested in that one. You knew it was going long as it was the main and typically these main events on Collision go 20+. Kyle was obviously not winning this one but it still took Will a long time to put him down. Kyle did a lot of strikes and arm work here and Will was able to overcome it and win. 

Swerve does a promo on Will Ospreay after. He says they will be doing this at Forbidden Door and says this is his first time being on the main card of it. He says Will is so great but has yet to main event a PPV while he has. He complains about Strong getting a title shot because he complained. He says Strong isn't the gatekeeper of wrestling or the bully of Swerve. He says he will beat his @ss now. He said he will give Will what he wants and will face him at Forbidden Door.

Overall thoughts: AEW has about 10,000 people on their roster and instead of doing things with them, they filled the show up with random people who aren't under contract. The people not under contract all lost which made them look bad and since nobody really knows them anyway, wins over them meant next to nothing. This was a poor show filled with decent but meaningless matches. The main only existed here to be a good match and nothing else. Anyone could have thrown darts at names on a dartboard and came up with a similar or better line-up to this one.