Sambus’ AEW Collision Review 11.25.23

Hello and welcome to 411’s live coverage of this week’s AEW Collision! The Continental Classic kicked off this past Wednesday on Dynamite with some fine outings, and tonight we have the first offerings from the Blue League. We will see Daniel Garcia vs Claudio Castagnoli in a first time singles bout, and Eddie Kingston vs Brody King in a surefire MEATFEST. Plus FTR will be in action, and Adam Copeland speaks, presumably to reflect on taking out The Prodigy Nick Wayne in front of his own mother a few days ago. It’s a big night ahead of us, so let’s get straight to the action!

Location: Pittsburg, PA
Venue: Petersen Events Center
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly & Tony Schiavone

 

Eddie Kingston starts the pre-show promos, and he will see Brody out there. Brody King promises that violence is the answer. Garcia is familiar with Claudio, and he is ready to get in the ring and win wrestling’s greatest tournament. Opening credits.

 

Match One: [Contintental Classic: Blue League] Daniel Garcia vs Claudio Castagnoli

Garcia jumps at the get-go and Claudio catches him into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Body slam from the BCC member but Garcia kicks his way out of the corner and locks in a guillotine….Claudio suplexes his way out of it. Chops by Garcia, uppercut in return from Claudio.

Garcia battles back out of the corner, but again a big uppercut takes him back down. Claudio to the apron, misses a swing and Garcia locks in a sleeper before nailing a shoulder block to send Claudio off the apron to the floor below. Garcia follows him out, hits a drive-by kick while Claudio is seated on a chair by the barricade. Goes for one again but Claudio catches him and hits a Giant Swing against the barricade , from one side to the other. We head to PIP as Claudio grabs a drink of water.

Back in the ring, a body slam from Claudio keeps him in control. Rear chinlock applied and Garcia battles out, big slap to Claudio and into another guillotine. Claudio again goes for a suplex to get out of it but Garcia telegraphed it and transitions into a chinlock. Claudio backs into the corner to break the hold. Rollup by Garcia for 2, then gets an ankle lock! Claudio kicks his way out, Garcia back with a pinfall for 2, big lariat from Claudio to ground him.

Running uppercut in the corner, short-arm clothesline gets 2 for Claudio. Hammer and anvil elbows follow, he goes for the Ricola Bomb but Garcia rolls through….but Claudio again rolls through into the sharpshooter! Garcia tries for the ropes but can’t make it, eventually gets Claudio into a pinning predicament. Pop-up uppercut out of nowhere! 1, 2, no! Another european uppercut and the Ricola Bomb finishes Garcia at 10.27.

Your winner by pinfall: Claudio Castagnoli

Rating: ***1/4 – Good stuff here, it’s good to see some guaranteed ‘clean’ matches with definitive finishes. Garcia had a few hope spots but Claudio was too much for him ultimately.

Eddie Kingston is here to explain how important this tournament is. He is putting his ROH Championship on the line as well as the NJPW Openweight Championship as he wants to make this the most prestigious tournament. Kingston has to go get ready so wants to wrap it up.

Making his way to the ring is the newly crowned Killswitch (f.k.a. Luchasaurus) for a handicap match.

 

Match Two: Killswitch vs The Boys

Big Boot to start while Killswitch’s music is still playing. This is 2-on-1 by the way. Brandon springboards in but gets chokeslammed for his efforts. Another chokeslam to Brandon, this time onto the apron to the floor!! Killswitch turns his attention to Brent and hits a huge lariat from behind for the win at 1.20.

Your winner by pinfall: Killswitch

Rating: N/R – LuchaSQUASHus

Killswitch grabs a chair and chokeslams Brent onto the open chair. Brandon back in…but here comes Adam Copeland! He enters the ring from behind with a chair and smacks Killswitch repeatedly in the back. He wails away on him and pulls off the chair leg before locking in a crossface with the chair leg across the mouth! Copeland is setting up for the conchairto…HITS IT. Killswitch is out.

Copeland is celebrating on the buckles when Killswitch begins to stir! Adam jumps down and hits a curb stomp to the chair to knock him back down. He grabs the chair again and goes for another conchairto…he hits it again! Copeland has his sights firmly set on the Patriarchy.

Post-break, Lexi Nair is waiting for Adam Copeland. Copeland tells her to go, he’s fuming. He talks to Jay, Christian Cage, the Patriarch. This is all on him, it’s his fault, because of his anxieties. Copeland told him that their friendship was stronger than anything, but that didn’t seem to mean anything to Cage. Cage knows Copeland has a short fuse…when he said he would break Copeland’s neck, that was it. Cage is threatening Copeland’s kids future. So he’s hunting him. Go to the hospital and ask the Prodigy what happens. Ask Killswitch. Copeland will hurt him. He will take the TNT title as it’s the most important thing in Cage’s world. Dec 6th, Christian Cage vs Adam Copeland for the TNT title on Dynamite.

 

Match Three: House of Black (Malakai Black & Buddy Matthews) vs Komander & Gravity

Nice mix of styles here, this could be good. Gravity and Matthews start this one out, trading headlocks and shoulder blocks. Kitchen sink knocks Gravity head over heels. Headscissor into a German suplex from Gravity, but a boot to the face from Buddy and a tag to Black…bit of miscommunication with Gravity but Black comes back with a big forearm. Tag to Komander but he pauses, back elbow by Black and another big boot to Gravity sends him out of the ring, allowing Komander to come in. Springboard off the middle rope, hesitation kick by Black and a German suplex on Komander gets 2.

Buddy back in, hangs Komander on the top rope, tags Black in who kicks him in the chest and biels him back in the ring. 1, 2, no. Sunset flip by Komander but Black sits out for the pin, 1, 2, no. Buddy in, stomp to the hand, kick to the back, multiple! 1, 2, no.

Komander tries to dive for a tag but Buddy catches him, takes him to the HoB corner and tags in Black. Komander ducks a double team and makes the tag to Gravity. Diving crossbody takes out both men, following up with chops to both of them. Oooooh DAMN Buddy went to throw Gravity in to the corner towards Black, who was waiting with a sick knee to the face, that rocked him.

Satellite DDT from Komander on Buddy. Gutbuster to Black! 1, 2, no! Komander back to the top rope, but a distraction allows Black to kick him, tag in Buddy. Gravity in and sends Buddy to the outside, dives over the ropes but the HoB catch him, place him back on the apron….but here comes Komander with the rope-walk-con-hilo. That setup was all over the place, there is a communication breakdown somewhere here.

Shooting star from Komander is met with knees…rising knee lifts from both members of HoB to Komander & Gravity. They lift Gravity into a double knee, back elbow to Komander. Black sits in his trademark pose and waits for Komander to crawl towards him…stomp by Buddy gets the 3 count at 11:19.

Your winners by pinfall: House of Black

Rating: **3/4 – A little awkward at first as Gravity did not seem to be on the same page as the HoB, it recovered for a while and then went downhill again. Komander seemed fine and hit his usual notes, but Gravity seemed to be on a completely different page, which derailed a fair bit of this. Shame as the other action was decent!

Action Andretti & Darius Martin are backstage, and they feel their bond has grown over the last 8 months. They will be in Martin’s hometown this coming week. There’s been one thing missing…DANTE MARTIN. He’s back, and it’s time to take flight.

 

Match Four: [TBS Championship – House Rules (No count-outs)] Julia Hart vs Lady Frost

First defence for our new TBS champion. Tie up to begin, Julai catches a chop attempt and hyper-extends the arm, followed by a kick to the back. Frost back up, forearm to the face of Hart, chop to the chest, springs out of the corner but misses a swing and Julia heads outside to recuperate. Hart takes out the legs on the apron and throws Frost into the barricade twice.

Hart grabs a chair but Bryce Remsburg reminds her that it’s just no countout, not no DQ. Hart sets up the chair but Frost lifts Hart and drops her on the steel steps. Frost heads up to the top of the steps and goes for a moonsault, avoided by Hart and the champion capitalises with a boot to the face. He sits Frost in the chair, takes a run up and nails a running clothesline to take Frost backwards over the chair.

Back inside the ring for the pin, 1, 2, no. Frost comes back with a kick and a clothesline of her own, but Hart hits a low running clothesline from behind and shouts that the house always wins. Hartless Lock applied and Lady Frost taps at 5:09.

Your winner by submission and STILL TBS Champion: Julia Hart

Rating: **3/4 – Perfectly fine outing, not long enough for much more than this. Lady Frost had a good showing for the time allowed!

Lexi Nair is backstage with Don Callis & Powerhouse Hobbs. Callis has a 173 IQ but he can’t figure out the calculation that got Jericho and Omega a tag title shot, considering Hobbs broke them the last time he got his hands on them. Hobbs is a one-man wrecking crew and he can take them out alone. Hobbs says it’s simple – he’s big, he’s black, and he’s jacked, and anyone can get it.

 

Match Five: FTR vs The Righteous (Vincent & Dutch)

Vincent & Cash to start, with Vincent laying in shots to the injured ribs of Wheeler. Big back elbow by Cash and a tag to Dax, who gets a running elbow drop for 2. Kick to the chest by Vincent and a running back elbow, tag to Dutch. Clothesline takes down Dax, charges into the corner, Dax misses a springboard and Dutch grabs him into a bearhug, but Dax bites his way out of it. The Righteous are dumped to the outside, allowing FTR to have a little breather.

FTR head round to throw their opponents into the barricade. Dax chases Vincent but Dutch is hiding and jumps out to take Dax by surprise with a running crossbody. Vincent and Dax back in the ring now, as Vincent starts clubbing away at him in the corner before tagging Dutch back in. Hammering blow to the shoulder on Dax, quick tag to Vincent again. Dax enters a chop battle with Vincent, but the Righteous member locks in a chinlock.

Dax sunset flips in over Vincent, but a tag to Dutch has been made and he hits a biiiig standing splash on Dax for 2. Powerbomb by Dutch, climbs to the middle rope for a senton but Dax avoids it. Tag to Vincent, Dax goes through the legs and tags in Wheeler.

Uppecuts and chops to both members of the Righteous by Cash, flying forearm to Dutch! Vincent with a standing switch exchange with Cash….oh but a blind tag and Dutch in with the big bossman slam for 2!

Vincent looks for the assisted shiranui, avoided by Cash, Dutch sent to the floor, tag to Dax and the Shatter Machine follows! 1, 2, 3. FTR pick up the win at 9:08.

Your winners by pinfall: FTR

Rating: *** – Traditional tag encounter here; good clean fun with a house show vibe.

As FTR’s music plays, Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews heads out saying there is no one to save FTR…they even namedrop CM Punk! This place is not the brotherhood that FTR think it is. The lights go out, and when they come back on…FTR are still standing in the ring but the House of Black have disappeared.

They replay the Action Andretti/Darius Martin/Dante Martin promo from earlier as apparently it was cut short on the TNT broadcast.

Tony Schiavone stands in the ring to welcome the AEW Tag Team Champions, Ricky Starks & Big Bill. The champs make their way to the ring as we recap their victory in the ladder match from Full Gear.

Tony asks them about attacking Chris Jericho after the media scrum. Starks thought there would be more of a fight from Jericho. Big Bill says rather than the Golden Jets, they look like the Golden Girls. Starks and Bill prove they don’t know each other that well, they don’t know when their birthdays are. Bill always knew he’d make it back to the top, even when he was at the lowest point of his life. When everyone counted him out, called him washed, said he’d never make it back, he always knew he’d make it back to the top. Standing in this ring with Starks, he can say it got it right, he made it back to the top.

As for Chris and Kenny, they have the accolades…but Bill thinks they don’t know what they’re dealing with. They’re gonna embarrass Omega and Jericho. Starks says there’s two types of people – those who say they’re the best, and those who prove it.

 

Match Six: ‘Limitless’ Keith Lee vs Lee Moriarty

Moriarty is from Pittsburgh so gets the hometown pop in his Collision debut. ‘Lee’ chants from the crowd but Keith Lee isn’t sure which Lee they’re talking about. They avoid each other’s strikes to begin, with Moriarty ducking a leaping kick from Lee, coming back with a roundhouse.

POUNCE from Lee as Moriarty attempts a rope run! We go to PIP as Lee sends Moriarty into the buckles and hits the double chop to the chest. Moriarty recovers on the outside while Lee basks in his glory. Inside the ring, dropkick to the knee from Moriarty and a dropkick from behind, boot to the face and a sliding bulldog gets a 1 count for Moriarty.

Moriarty wrings the arm, backs Lee into the buckles and gives him his own double chest chop! Lee laughs it off and hits another of his own. One more in the corner! He goes for another but Moriarty ducks and fires off a series of kicks until Lee pushes him away. Triangle hold attempt by Moriarty but Lee catches him and pulls him up with one arm in a bicep curl. BIG clothesline by Lee takes Moriarty down. Lee charges in, avoided, Moriarty tries to bash his head into the buckles but Lee pushes him away again. Diving bulldog from the buckles as Moriarty gets a 2 count.

Lee grabs a kick attempt, misses a second but pie faces Moriarty to the apron…Moriarty springboards back in but shrugged off, into the biiiig powerslam which gets the 3 at 7:22.

Your winner by pinfall: Keith Lee

Rating: *** – I enjoyed seeing Keith Lee in a longer showing than the recent squash matches he’s had as of late. Moriarty looked pretty good too. Fine TV match here.

Lexi Nair is backstage catching up with Keith Lee. What’s next for him? Lee wanted to come here and say how great Moriarty is…but he’s no Keith Lee. Lee is tired of the mistreatment, the lack of opportunity…so he’s here to take it. That means…’him’. Lee warns ‘him’ that he knows who he is. Intriguing.

Match Seven: [Contintental Classic: Blue League] Eddie Kingston vs Brody King

The big men tie up as Eddie is backed into the corner. Clean break. Side headlock and a shoulder block to Brody, one in return for Eddie. They trade shoulder blocks with neither man going down. This turns into a slapfest, as they take turns chopping the chest. Eddie wrings the arm and continues the assault but Brody gets a sledgehammer blow to the back.

Cannonball connects in the corner! Eddie rolls to the floor as the referee begins the count. Big boot takes Eddie off the apron and King follows him out. More chops exchanged, and King stomps on his opponent on the floor before whipping Eddie into the steel steps. King charges in but a drop toe hold sends King face first into the steps. Kingston breaks the count and heads back out, but King sets Eddie against the barricade and nails a running crossbody. Wow there was NO give from that barricade!

Eddie swings wildly but King gets him back in the ring. Brody wraps his leg around the head and neck, choking him against the ropes. Scoop slam and a senton from Brody as we go to PIP.

They fire each other up with more chops but a headbutt takes Eddie out again. Brody whips Eddie into the opposite turnbuckle and Eddie flips him off as he falls to his knees. Boot to the face of the seated Kingston, back to his feet looking for the Exploder but King easily avoids it. Brody stis Eddie on the top turnbuckle, heads up top for a suplex but Eddie fires back with punches to the gut. Eddie with a headbutt to send him back down, but King straight back up for a superplex off the middle rope.

King sends him into the turnbuckle again but Eddie almost collapses, he has nothing left. But no, running clothesline from Eddie! And a desperation lariat from the ROH champion floors both men! Back to their feet, Eddie gets a corner clothesline and starts the machine gun chops. Exploder, no Brody switches and gets a German! Eddie tries to power through but can’t, he stumbles…but hits a backfist to Brody!! 1, 2, NO!

To their feet again, they go toe to toe for a chop battle as Kingston pulls the straps down. These are some big time chops here. Enziguri and a DDT from Eddie!! 1, 2, no! Eddie is looking for a suplex, can’t do it, tries for a powerbomb, can’t manage either but Brody stumbles…catches Eddie into a Bossman slam. King goes doe a running clothesline but Eddie catches him into the Exploder! Half and Half to follow! Backdrop driver! 1, 2, NOOO! Brody kicked out!

Piledriver from Brody, 1, 2, but Eddie has his feet under the ropes so breaks the count. Eddie is almost out on his feet, absorbing forearms, but Eddie ducks and hits another backfist. Pump kick and the Gonzo Bomb from Brody!! 1, 2, 3!! Brody picks up the 3 points at 16:41.

Your winner by pinfall: Brody King

Rating: ***3/4 – We got the proverbial ‘big meat men slapping meat’ deal here and it was all kinds of awesome. Somewhat of an upset and a significant win for Brody King, who has the chance to come out of this tournament looking like a (bigger) star. Great showing from both men, and Eddie’s selling of the beating he received throughout was top notch.

That’s all for tonight folks! Thanks for joining us!

7.3

The final score: review Good

The 411

For those closely following the Continental Classic, this will be must-watch as Garcia and Claudio had a fun match to begin the show, and Kingston vs King delivered the riotous big man match we were all hoping for. Outside of the Blue League, we didn't see anything notable in terms of in-ring action, but Keith Lee revealed he has specific intentions, Dante Martin returned from injury, and the House of Black appear to have their sights set on FTR, giving us a tantalising taste of some future plans and storylines.