wrestling / TV Reports
Hall’s AEW Collision Review 12.21.24
Image Credit: AEW
Loading...Collision
Date: December 21, 2024
Location: Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City, New York
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness
It’s the final Collision before Worlds End and that means it is time to really hammer in the Continental Classic. That is going to make for some good action here as the pressure is starting to mount. Odds are we are also going to get some more set up for the pay per view, which needs some work. Let’s get to it.
Ian Riccaboni is in the ring to start and the Costco Guys are here. They run down the card and promise that a bunch of people will bring the BOOM. They probably say it ten times in less than two minutes, which does in fact get annoying rather quickly.
Continental Classic Gold League: Will Ospreay (6 points) vs. Ricochet (6 points)
Instead of streamers, the fans throw a bunch of toilet paper at Ricochet, which has Ospreay cracking up. They take their time to start with Ospreay grabbing a headlock takeover as commentary talks about Ring Of Honor Final Battle. Ricochet can’t flip away and gets caught in an armbar. Ospreay flips out of a headscissors and grabs another armbar. Ricochet cuts off a handspring though and sends him into the corner for a crash to the floor.
The big dive lets Ricochet pick up some toilet paper and we take a break. Back with Ospreay hitting a spinning kick to the face for two, followed by a forearm for the same. The Styles Clash is blocked and Ricochet tries a poisonrana, only to get spun into a Clash for two. The threat of the Hidden Blade sends Ricochet to the apron, where Ricochet hits a Death Valley Driver (really an AA but the former sounds better).
Back in and a springboard 450 gives Ricochet two but the Spirit Gun misses. Ospreay manages a Stundog Millionaire but the Oscutter is countered into a cutter. Now the Death Valley Driver connects but the Spirit Gun is cut off by the Hidden Blade to leave them both down. Ospreay wins a slugout but the referee gets bumped. Ospreay’s tiger driver 99 gets no count so he goes up top, but Ricochet kicks the referee into the ropes for the crotching. The Spirit Gun finishes Ospreay at 14:28.
Rating: B. Ospreay’s rough patch continues but there is a good chance that he’ll win the block to set up a rematch with Kyle Fletcher in the finals. Other than that, this was an example of a match built on the idea of a match that happened a good while ago. Thankfully they did something different though, which made it a lot more enjoyable than what it would have been as some tribute to their older stuff.
Gold League Standings
Ricochet – 9 points (1 match left)
Darby Allin – 6 points (2 matches left)
Claudio Castagnoli – 6 points (2 matches left)
Will Ospreay – 6 points (1 match left)
Brody King – 6 points (1 match left)
Komander – 0 points (1 match left)
Video on Darby Allin vs. Claudio Castagnoli.
Here are Adam Cole and MJF, the latter with security, for a chat. MJF loves the idea of Cole being intimidating, but Cole should be afraid of other things. Like spray tan, a crack in the floor, or a cavity. After all, Cole’s dentist isn’t seeing him anymore. MJF laughs at the fans not liking him before saying Cole has been looking like a crack bay-bay as of late. Cole asks if that was his last line and talks about how MJF has done a lot.
The reality though is Cole is the longest reigning World Champion in multiple companies because he is that good. They bicker about who was going to turn on whom first before MJF shifts his focus to the Cole getting hurt and becoming a liability. He promises to end Cole at Worlds End but Cole wants to end this right now. The fight is on with Cole bating up security until MJF gets in a low blow to drop him. The Undisputed Kingdom chases MJF off. It was good to have these two face to face after so may months apart, but ultimately it just reminds you how long this has been going and how much I just want the story to end.
We look at Mercedes Mone retaining her titles.
Kris Statlander wants the TBS Title back and thinks it will make some amends after she has had some issues. She officially challenges Mone at Worlds End. Remember when we didn’t have so many rematches around here?
Orange Cassidy says that while he can’t get along with Hangman Page and Jay White, they need to take the World Title from Jon Moxley. See you on Dynamite.
Kris Statlander vs. Penelope Ford
Statlander powers her into the corner to start and hits a running clothesline. Ford manages to escape a delayed vertical suplex by switching it into a sleeper, which is reversed into the delayed suplex for two instead. A superplex attempt is blocked and Ford grabs a Blockbuster for two of her own, meaning some choking can take us to a break.
Back with Ford missing some slingshot knees to the apron, allowing Statlander to dropkick her out to the floor. A spinning Falcon Arrow gives Statlander two but Ford flips out of a German suplex. They both dodge clotheslines until Ford grabs a springboard poisonrana for two. Ford’s moonsault misses though and Statlander rolls some German suplexes. Staturday Night Fever finishes Ford at 9:00.
Rating: C+. I’m not sure if Statlander should be needing this much time to beat Ford on the way to a rematch with Mercedes Mone but Ford didn’t look bad in there. She’s still finding her footing after her long layoff, but she does seem to have a pretty firm ceiling to what she can do. Statlander winning here is a good thing, though it probably should have been more dominant.
Post match Mercedes Mone comes out to say she was going to take Worlds End off and go to the Ritz in Boston. Instead, she’ll teach Statlander a lesson.
Here are the Costco Guys for a chat, by which I mean another BOOM. Cue Chris Jericho and the Learning Tree to cut them off though, asking if they got permission from (former) Mayor De Blasio to be here. Big Justice (12 years old) calls Jericho a jackass, so Jericho says if that means King Of New York, that makes him the biggest jackass in New York.
They shop in bodegas in New York, like his favorite one, which is a Walgreens over in Flushing. Jericho has no time for people with stupid gimmicks like BOOM and scissoring. Cue Anthony Bowens (on his own) to take exception to that. Big Bill isn’t impressed and is loudly cheered as a result. Bowens issues the challenge to Jericho, who says “not tonight” and leaves instead. Scissoring ensues. Yep, these guys are getting annoying rather quickly.
The Vendetta talks about how they’re ready for anyone but Toni Storm comes in to introduce herself. Deonna Purrazzo isn’t buying this and a match between Storm and Taya is made for Dynamite. This doesn’t feel so much like Storm has amnesia but rather that she’s just a fangirl. When did Storm ever act like this?
Continental Classic Blue League: Shelton Benjamin (6 points) vs. Daniel Garcia (4 points)
Non-title. Garcia drives him into the corner to start and chops away, earning himself a glare. Benjamin muscles him up for a backdrop and hits a few slams before throwing Garcia outside. That means some rams into various things and we head back inside, where Garcia reaches out to the fans for help like an old school hero should. Another backdrop cuts off the comeback attempt and we take a break.
Back with Garcia hitting a running dropkick but getting launched with some release German suplexes. They fight to the floor where Benjamin hits an overhead belly to belly. Garcia knocks him into a chair though and hits the big running dropkick. As you might have expected, Benjamin isn’t having that and hits a clothesline to take him down again.
They get back up and Garcia hits a dragon screw legwhip in the ropes, setting up the Sharpshooter. That’s reversed into something like an STF, with Benjamin letting go before he can make the ropes. Instead Benjamin kicks him in the face, leaving Garcia mostly out. Benjamin picks him up and of course gets rolled up for the pin at 12:15.
Rating: B. I was getting into this one more as Garcia didn’t so much beat Benjamin as much as he survived. Benjamin was throwing him all over the place and completely dominating until he got suckered in at the end. That’s a nice way to go and it keeps the champion from getting pinned again, which is always a perk.
Blue League Standings
Kyle Fletcher – 9 points (1 match remaining)
Kazuchika Okada – 7 points (1 match remaining)
Daniel Garcia – 7 points (1 match remaining)
Mark Briscoe – 6 points (1 match remaining)
Shelton Benjamin – 6 points (1 match remaining)
The Beast Mortos – 0 points (1 match remaining)
Post match the Hurt Syndicate runs in for the beatdown but Mark Briscoe and Swerve Strickland make the save. The locker room comes out to break it up. Swerve said he was going to get his hands on Bobby Lashley by the end of 2024 and that’s just what he did. Swerve vs. Lashley continuing is not a bad idea.
Continental Classic Blue League: Mark Briscoe (6 points) vs. The Beast Mortos (0 points)
They slug it out to start and trade running clotheslines in the corner until Mortos grabs a swinging backslide for two. Briscoe gets his own near fall and they stare at each other a bit. Mortos goes a bit more simple by running him over, followed by a spear as we take an early break. Back with Briscoe knocking him to the floor for a dropkick through the ropes, followed by a running flip dive.
A release German suplex drops Mortos on the apron and a twisting dive takes him down again. There’s another running flip dive, only for Briscoe to miss the Froggy Bow. Mortos hits a powerbomb onto the knee and a Samoan drop gets two. The Death Valley Driver into the Froggy Bow sets up the Jay Driller for the pin at 11:37
Rating: B-. This was a bit flip dive heavy from Briscoe, but at least he got the win. That being said, if he was going to beat Mortos clean, drop either the Jay Driller or the kickout from the Froggy Bow. Just have one of the two moves beat him as otherwise it’s just extending the match without gaining much of anything.
Blue League Standings
Kyle Fletcher – 9 points (1 match remaining)
Mark Briscoe – 9 points (0 matches remaining)
Kazuchika Okada – 7 points (1 match remaining)
Daniel Garcia – 7 points (1 match remaining)
Shelton Benjamin – 6 points (1 match remaining)
The Beast Mortos – 0 points (0 matches remaining)
Julia Hart doesn’t know why Jamie Hayter doesn’t like her and they can fight on January 1.
Mariah May suggests that she could be Thunder Rosa’s new mama, which earns her a beating from Rosa. The beating comes into the arena and security has to break it up.
Continental Classic Gold League: Darby Allin (6 points) vs. Claudio Castagnoli (6 points)
Allin starts fast on the floor but gets flipped onto the ramp for his efforts. That’s shrugged off and Allin climbs the set for a dive to put Castagnoli down. They go inside for the opening bell and Swiss Death gives Castagnoli an early two. The Swing goes on for a rather long time and Allin crashes out to the floor as we take a break.
Back with Allin sending him outside for a change and hitting a suicide dive. Allin grabs a choke on the floor but Castagnoli sends him through a table for his efforts. They get back inside for Allin to grab some rollups for two each, only to get sent outside again (Allin: “Oh f***.”). Castagnoli swings him head first into the steps, followed by a running clothesline for two. They go up top where Allin grabs a super reverse DDT but the Coffin Drop hits raised knees. Castagnoli powerbombs him for two so it’s time to bring in a chair. The referee takes that away and knocks Allin silly with brass knuckles for the pin at 11:17.
Rating: B. This was a violent match (shocking with Allin I know) but I liked the ending the most, as it felt like something a villain would do. Jon Moxley tends to either out tough or out smart his opponents far too often while Castagnoli flat out cheated to win there. That’s what the Death Riders need to do a lot more often and it made for a more logical finish here. Good main event, with Castagnoli being an interesting option for a possible spot in the final four.
Gold League Standings
Claudio Castagnoli – 9 points (1 match left)
Ricochet – 9 points (1 match left)
Darby Allin – 6 points (1 match left)
Will Ospreay – 6 points (1 match left)
Brody King – 6 points (1 match left)
Komander – 0 points (1 match left)
Post match Castagnoli goes after Allin again but Will Ospreay comes in to cut it off to end the show.
Results
Ricochet b. Will Ospreay – Spirit Gun
Kris Statlander b. Penelope Ford – Staturday Night Fever
Daniel Garcia b. Shelton Benjamin – Rollup
Mark Briscoe b. The Beast Mortos – Jay Driller
Claudio Castagnoli b. Darby Allin – Punch with brass knuckles
