Sanders’ AEW Collision Review 8.26.23

Hello friends! Lee Sanders with you all as Sambus is away on vacation this weekend and next. I’ll be with you for AEW Collision coverage and review for the time being. Once again I hope you all are in the best of spirits as this week in the world of wrestling and entertainment has been a somber one. We are less than an hour away from AEW ALL IN at Wembley Stadium. My mind is far away from that but I’ll do my best to help take your minds off of the recent passings for the next little bit.

Once again from all of us here at 411Mania, condolences to the friends, family, and colleagues of Terry Funk, Bray Wyatt, and Bob Barker who all passed away this week, a day part from one another.

Arena: Gas South Arena
Location: Duluth, GA
Commentators: Caprice Coleman and Kevin Kelly

We are kicking things off with Jungle Jack Perry who has four men bringing out the FTW Championship on a plate like it’s a roasted hog with an apple in its mouth. Perry takes the title and puts it on a table in the middle of the ring as the fans are booing him left and right. Perry talks about how the FTW championship was a good title, it had its ups and downs, the best and worst of times. Instead of being sad that it’s over, Perry wants to celebrate the good times. Perry rolls footage of him with the title as he’s brushing his teeth, jogging, and eating breakfast with the damn thing! Now that was some pretty funny stuff. Perry says it’s time to send the title to a better place as he pulls a sledgehammer out from under the table. Right as he’s about to strike, the lights go black as a video package of HOOK working out plays. HOOK declares how he is the FTW Championship and that he’ll be coming for Perry to reclaim what is rightfully his. The lights come back on as HOOK lays Perry out, sending him onto the table and all as he follows up with a t-bone suplex to put him through the table! HOOK grabs a microphone and tells Perry; “Wembley…Sunday.” The challenge has been sent folks!

Recap of Adam Cole and MJF history leading into ALL IN is shown.

MATCH 1: Orange Cassidy, Penta El Zero Mindoro, and Eddie Kingston vs Butcher, Blade, and Kip Sabian

Penta and Kip kick things off with a few shoves. All six men get into the ring and brawl out! It spills to the outside as Eddie Kingston fights Blade for a bit before getting ambushed by Butcher. Butcher and Blade double team. Kingston rolls out as Penta gets in now. Penta with a series of kicks to Blade as he picks him up and tosses him into Butcher who’s in the corner. Kip swipes the ankles of Penta, and rams him groin first into the steel post without the referee seeing the move. Cassidy in now as he gets a rollup on Cassidy. Cassidy reverses it as Sabian connects with a headbutt. Cassidy comes back with a kick of his own. Cassidy gets suckered in for another double team by Butcher and Blade as Sabian gets a near fall. Cassidy with a hanging headlock on Sabian but it’s to no avail as Butcher and Blade jump him from behind while the referee is distracted by Sabian. Blade tagged in now as he delivers a neckbreaker to Cassidy as we head into our first set of ad breaks. And we are back to the action! Cassidy sends Sabian flying over the ropes to get in the tag to Penta who comes in with a series of slingblades on Blade and a thrust to Sabian. Penta follows up with a rolling ddt as Kingston is tagged in now. Kingston and Butcher clothesline each other but no one is budging. Kingston delivers his trademark machine gun chops to Sabian who’s in the corner after delivering a clothesline to him. Blade gets chops as well as Butcher grabs him only to get the orange punch by Cassidy! Cassidy follows up with an orange punch to Blade as Sabian is caught from the top rope by Kingston! Kingston turns it into an exploder as Cassidy delivers an orange lunch to Sabian while Penta is holding him. Great sequence as Penta turns it into his trademark falcon arrow while Kingston delivers a sliding lariat for the victory!

Winner: Team Cassidy (22 minutes)
Rating: ***
Decent opener.

We are back after a commercial break as Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta call out BCC for their disgusting acts they’ve done the past few weeks. They promise to hurt them in honor of Sue at ALL IN! BCC appears on the titantron as Moxley reminds Kingston that Kingston was the one who made the challenge for Stadium Stampede. Kingston even told them they could select their own tag partners for the match. Kingston is furious as he goes to chase down the BCC to end this segment…So we thought as Kingston is now seen in the back throwing equipment all over the place. He demands to know from the camera crew where BCC is but they don’t know. Kingston looks into the camera and tells Moxley to get out of his way as he doesn’t want to hurt him as he promises to hurt every one else. Claudio he wants to save for last as he wants to burn him!

FTR and Young Bucks video package is shown now. Of all the matches for ALL IN, I must say, I’m most excited for this one.

MATCH 2: Dark Orders’ John Silver and Alex Reynolds vs Action Andretti and Darius Martin

Andretti with the side headlock on Silver. Into the ropes as Silver is shoulder tackled. Silver no-sells it while posing as Andretti tries for a reach-around. Silver with a nice wrist lock as Andretti counters with a snapmare. Crucifix pin attempt by Andretti that backfires as Silver sends him into the corner where Reynolds is tagged. Darius tagged as they double team on Silver briefly. Darius sent crashing outside the ring by Reynolds as Reynolds gets in a blind tag to Silver. Silver with a rolling throwaway powerbomb on Andretti as he goes for the cover. It’s a near fall as the match continues on with Silver deliver kicks to the midsection. Silver and Reynolds with more synergy as they deliver a stereo set of dropkicks on Andretti as we head into our next set of ad breaks. We are back as Andretti tags Darius who’s coming in white hot with hard hits, back elbow, and an enziguri. A kickout by Reynolds as Andretti gets a blind tag now. Darius with a brain buster on Reynolds as Andretti follows up with a 450 splash from over the ropes! Silver breaks the hold as Darius sends him over the ropes. Silver with a solid kick to the gut of Darius followed by a series of kick exchanges from Andretti and Silver. Excellent combo finish of a clothesline, cutter, back suplex with pin to end this one as Dark Order is victorious!

Winner: Dark Order (8 minutes)
Rating: **
Damn good synergy and chemistry from Reynolds and Silver.

Footage is shown of AR Fox trying to apologize to Nick Wayne who storms off. Darby tells AR he knows he means well and to give it some time. Meanwhile, Acclaimed with Billy Gunn cutting a new music video. Sadly with Elon Musk Re-imagining Twitter, we can’t embed vids from them just like as this video is pretty good. If it’s available on YouTube, I’ll post below.

MATCH 3: Big Bill vs Vary Morales aka Essa Rios Lite

And a chokeslam later this is over…

Winner: Big Bill (1 minute 45 seconds)
Rating: NR
SQUASH, SQUASH, SQUASH!

Post-match Ricky tells Morales he reminded him of a young Steamboat as he smacks him on the back silly with his belt! Starks talks about not really feeling it as he promises he’ll have a bigger belt next week as he makes his exit.

Lexi is with Ruby Soho now as Ruby challenges Statlander for her TBS Championship at ALL OUT in Chicago.

MATCH 4: Willow vs Robyn Renegade

Robyn with the reach-around as it’s countered. Willow slams her on the ground and welcomes Robyn to try again. Robyn with a kick to the midsection and a headlock as Willow powers out of it. Robyn trips her to land face first on the turnbuckle but Willow comes back with a shoulder bump and the splash for a near fall. Willow with a series of snap suplex followed by a fisherman suplex with pin attempt that gets her a two count. Willow with a chop as Robyn races outside and is embraced by her sister when Willow kicks her silly in the head. Robyn takes advantage by swiping Willow’s leg to have her land face first on the side apron. Robyn is in the drivers seat now as we head into a commercial break. We are back as Willow connects with a kick to the head, followed by a spinebuster! Willow misses a cannonball as no one is home as Robyn connects with a missile dropkick for a near fall. Robyn with a bicycle kick to send Willow crashing outside as both sisters try to suplex Willow. Willow reverses it and suplexes them at the same time as she sends Robyn back in the ring and connects with a powerbomb for the win.

Winner: Willow Nightingale (5 minutes)
Rating: NR
Willow did everything right in this match, as did Robyn but this was a glorified squash match, make no mistake about it folks. I love that the past handful of shows now how Willow been coming out dressed like an American Gladiator which was one of my favorite shows back in the day!

A video hype package for Miro vs Powerhouse Hobbs at ALL OUT is shown. Meanwhile, Kris Statlander is talking about putting Ruby in timeout as she accepts Ruby’s challenge for ALL OUT.

MATCH 5: Keith Lee vs Zicky Dice

Bit of showboating from Dice as Lee rocks him from out of nowhere with DA POUNCE! Lee follows up with the Big Bang Catastrophe to end this one.

Winner: Keith Lee (1 minute 45 seconds)
Rating: NR
SQUASH, SQUASH, SQUASH!

Samoa Joe joins us now as he talks about wanting to be at commentary for the main event despite CM Punk not being professional and ambushing him in a golden outfit last week. Joe promises Punk will get the beating he rightfully deserves this Sunday at ALL IN. Joe joins Caprice and Kelly as we head into a dimmer break.

Caprice Coleman and Kevin Kelly run down the entire card for ALL IN as we get a special video package for CM Punk vs Samoa Joe.

MATCH 6: HOOK, CM Punk, Darby Allin, and Sting vs Jay White, Luchasaurus, Swerve Strickland, and Brian Cage

Swerve and Punk kick this one off with a lockup as Swerve sends him to the corner. Swerve with a leg scissors takedown as Punk looks on irritated. Punk with a headlock as he’s sent into the ropes and is able to shoulder tackle Swerve. Swerve is caught off the ropes to be setup in the GTS, when Swerve quickly escapes to get White. Speaking of White, he demands Sting as Punk is about to go for the tag when Jay attacks him from behind! The two are trading off knife-edge chops as Punk is caught at the knee. Punk rebounds with a back body drop as HOOK is at tagged. HOOK with a nice arm wrench as Darby is tagged. Nice wristlock control by Darby as Punk is tagged back in now. Just as Sting was about to get tagged, Luchasaurus is tagged as Darby is tagged. Blind tag made to Sting who goes in with chops and a stinger splash as Darby follows, then Sting again! Punk is caught by Luchasaurus as Punk quickly rebounds on offense. Christian swipes at his legs to give Luchasaurus the opening he needs to attack Punk as we head into our next set of commercials. AEW COLLISION is back as Punk is trying to fight out of the corner of heels as Punk has been isolated and destroyed in the last five minutes. Swerve tagged as he’s delivering elbow strikes to the kidneys of Punk. Swerve rolls up Punk to hit him with a vertical suplex as it was a great sequence. Swerve misses a stomp attempt from the top rope as Punk tags HOOK! HOOK with a fury of strikes to the rib cage and an overhead toss as Jay distracts him. Swerve hits him from behind as Jay sends HOOK into the barricades! HOOK manages to get back into the ring in time before the ten count as Brian Cage is tagged now. How about that folks, Cage in the ring and Cage outside the ring…I wonder if Christian Cage is the legal man in this one after all as it was never really established who the fourth man was for the heels. We’ll know soon after this last set of ad breaks. We are back folks as Brian Cage curls HOOK repeatedly before dropping him on his ass. HOOK comes back with a standing-capture suplex as Cage fights off Sting, Darby, and Punk from getting a tag. HOOK rebounds with a reversal suplex as he tags in Punk! Punk is slugging all the heels now to a symphony of boos. Scoop slam to Jay White as Punk climbs to the top rope for a Macho Man elbow drop! Punk thinking GTS when Strickland catches him with a rake to the eyes! HOOK with a t-bone suplex on Swerce while Luchasaurus catches him with a chokeslam! Sting is in and he catches Luchasaurus with the scorpion deathdrop! Jay White clips on the knees of Sting as Darby comes in for the save and code red! Cage with an F5 on Darby as Punk catches Cage with the GTS and the rear naked chokeslam, Joe’s own finisher! This pisses Joe off as all Hell breaks loose! Joe goes right after Punk to brawl after the match! Perry comes out to attack HOOK, meanwhile, Sting and Darby are attacking Swerve. It is pure chaos to end this episode of Collision! What anarchy, what a finish!

Winner: Team Punk (22 minutes)
Rating: ***
Solid main event with a great finish.

End of Show

For more great talk of all things wrestling and beyond, be sure to follow me on Twitter @THERCWRSHOW and check me out on YouTube.com/thercwrshow Enjoy the weekend y’all!

7.5

The final score: review Good

The 411

A well rounded great go-home edition of Collision to setup ALL IN. Whether you’re an AEW fan or a wrestling fan, after watching this episode you just can’t help but root AEW on for this Sunday. They are basically setting it up for other promotions to come in and do something hopefully on a regular basis as well. I’m appreciating the emphasis of this show embracing and pushing younger talent while establishing them at the same time. This includes Willow, Ricky Starks, and Hobbs. Dark Orders’ Reynolds and Silver continue to crush it as a tag team but I can’t help but wonder if maybe it’s time to move on from that name and direction. I could’ve personally done with one more women’s match for this card but that’s just me. A half point deduction taken off for the series of back-to-back squash matches as that was just silly. Still, an overall good episode to get hyped for ALL IN! For more great talk of all things wrestling and beyond, be sure to follow me on Twitter @THERCWRSHOW and check me out on YouTube.com/thercwrshow Enjoy the weekend y’all!