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Join 411’s Live AEW Collision Coverage
Image Credit: AEW
Yo yo yo good peeps of 411! It’s Saturday night, it’s time for Collision, which means it’s time for yours truly, Theo Sambus, to down some late-night coffee in prep for tonight’s live coverage. And it’s once again a show that on paper looks rather appetizing.
Takeshita vs Shibata? Yes please. Komander vs Okada? $2 says Komander takes a flip bump on a Rainmaker. Plus, I’m STOKED for the 4-way #1 Contenders match for the TBS championship, pitting Deonna Purrazzo, Queen Aminata, Yuka Sakazaki and Serena Deeb against each other – 4 women who have all been deserving of more TV time lately, all now getting a chance of facing Mercedes Mone on Dynamite.
Alongside that, we have the hotly anticipated face-to-face meeting between Toni Storm and Mariah May, with huge questions on everyone’s minds…will Storm continue to play it straight for some Toni Time, or will we see some Timeless cracks start to appear?
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Venue: Daily’s Place
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone, & Jim Ross
COLD OPEN~! Christian Cage is confident that Nick Wayne will be victorious and will allow him to speak. Wayne says he will embarass and dismantle Joe with a smile on his face. Cage will then become the next AEW champion. Toni Storm will give Mariah May her utmost respect. May just laughs! Samoa Joe says the son will suffer the sins of the father, and Wayne will suffer them in total. I know this is old hat at this point, but these cold opens are such good shit, pal.
We are live in Jacksonville, and Tony Schiavone reveals that Jim Ross has joined the commentary desk this evening.
Samoa Joe vs Nick Wayne (w/ The Patriarchy)
The Patriarchy start to walk towards Joe but here come HOOK and Shibata to level the playing field. Wayne and Joe lock up as the bell rings, Wayne tries to apply a headlock but Joe swats him like a fly. Kick to the midsection, Joe sidesteps and sweeps the legs and hits the senton, then jabs in the corner. Muscle Buster attempt but Wayne rakes the eyes while in position! Wayne grabs the leg, dragon screw leg whip, and he starts working over the knees of Joe, bringing up over to the ringpost and wringing the leg around it.
Wayne grabs the ref, allowing Cage to deliver some damage to the leg too. Joe to the floor, Wayne up top, diving moonsault to take out Joe on the outside. Back in the ring, Wayne charges into the corner and gets planted with an ST-Joe. Code Red in response from Wayne, 1, 2, no. He looks for Wayne’s World, Joe avoids it and comes back with a lariat. Muscle Buster attempt, Cage is pulled off the apron by Shibata, and Joe nails the Muscle Buster for the 1, 2, 3.
Winner: Samoa Joe
Time: 5:27
Rating: ** – Wayne didn’t get much of a look in, as expected, but this was about giving Joe a dominant victory in his return.
*We go to a video package recapping the Ospreay/Omega vs Don Callis Family brawl from Dynamite this past week.
[Non-title Champion vs Champion] Kazuchika Okada vs Komander (w/ Alex Abrahantes)
Okada puts his hand out fora show of respect but Komander doesn’t trust him and fakes him out. Series of kicks from Komander, dropkick, Okada rakes the eyes and goes for a suplex but Komander slips out behind him and transitions into an octopus stretch. Tope suicida by the ROH TV champion, back in the ring Okada TAKES HIS FACE OFF with a boot, yeah that connected flush! Komander backs out to the ramp, springboards in for a nice armdrag, gets a bit cute on a roll over the ropes and Okada catches him, hitting a DDT on the floor.
Okada with a back elbow in the corner, and they’ve slowed the pace down a little, with Komander possibly hurt. Okada waits for Komander to get to his feet, then hits another DDT for 2. Money Clip applied, Komander works out of it and tries a hurracanrana out of the corner, Okada puts the brakes on and delivers a powerbomb. Wheelbarrow bulldog from Komander, 1, 2, no. Springboard attempt caught by Okada, and he hits him with the Air Raid Crash across the knee. Body slam, Okada heads up top for the patented elbow, nails it. RAINMAKER MIDDLE FINGER POSE! Rainmaker itself is ducked and Komander hits a sweet hurracanrana and a superkick. Enziguri from the apron, Mexican Destroyer! Komander climbs the ropes for the Cielito maybe, no, Okada rolls to the floor so Komander hits a moonsault from the top rope instead. Back in the ring, Okada turns it around, RAINMAKER! (Boooo no flip bump, take my $2) 1, 2, 3.
Winner: Kazuchika Okada
Time: 8:58
Rating: *** – I’m not sure what we get from a non-title match like this, and it was a little slow in the middle portion, but we got some fun flippy shizzle towards to the finish.
*Okada pulls Komander to his feet to shake his hand…and then attacks him from behind with a double axe handle.
*Powerhouse Hobbs is waiting in the parking lot for Big Bill. Bill throws a brick from off-screen! He still has his backpack on as Hobbs attacks, smacking Bill with a baking tray. Trash can lid to the gut, Hobbs grabs the trash can itself but gets big booted. Hobbs pulls off a section of fencing, but now security intervene to restore order. Both men are held back as Bill shouts that he’s got him!
*Back from break, the Costco Guys Big Boom AJ and Big Justice are here. The Undisputed Kingdom show up, and Cole wants to do the BOOM with them. They deliver the BOOM, and AJ says the Undisputed Kingdom get 5 BOOMS.
Daniel Garcia & 2point0 vs Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, & Roderick Strong
Shane Taylor Promotions are watching at ringside, making this feel like 2020 all over again! Garcia and Cole to start, evenly matched trading side headlocks, they both go for a right hand but pull back. Cole tags in Strong, and Garcia makes the tag to Daddy Magic. Decent Daddy Magic chant from Daily’s Place! Menard briefly works the arm then tags in Parker. Jumping knee drop, Strong pushes him back into their corner and tags in O’Reilly for some double teaming. They double suplex Parker on top of Menard. Blind tag to Garcia, who gets dumped to the floor, and O’Reilly comes off the apron with a knee to Menard, only for Garcia to come in with a running kick.
Inside the ring, Menard with kicks to the midsection. Parker asks who wants a body slam, delivers one to O’Reilly and tags in Garcia, who responds with one of his own. Menard back in, another body slam, quick tags between these guys as Parker delivers the 10 count punches in the corner. 10 from Menard, 10 from Garcia too! Assisted elbow drop off the back of Menard gives Parker a 2 count. 2.0 get shoved into each other, and we get a triple clothesline spot as O’Reilly takes them out but he gets clotheslined too. O’Reilly makes the tag to Cole, Garcia in too, pump kick from Cole, back drop driver by Garcia and he levels Cole with a lariat. Brainbuster across the knee, tag to Strong, leaping leg lariat to Parker. Chops galore, uranage backbreaker to Menard, End of Heartache to Parker, backbreaker to Garcia. Strong is a house of fire!
Enziguri whiffed Menard and now Strong and O’Reilly work together. Parker tries to fight them both off, Garcia runs into a superkick from Cole. High-Low from O’Reilly and Strong give the UK the 1, 2, 3.
Winners: The Undisputed Kingdom
Time: 9:51
Rating: **3/4 – Menard was entertaining, mouthing off on his opponents. No real substance here, although I’m down for a Garcia-Cole feud.
*All six men face off and shake hands.
*Max Caster is backstage, reflecting on his partner and mentor turning their backs on him. That could have ruined his life but the response is overwhelming. He’s not just the best wrestler alive, he’s a survivor. So he’s issuing an open challenge series, he wants to see where the survivors are. This is where the best wrestle, but you can’t be better than the best wrestler alive.
*2 second Hologram promo briefly flashes up!
*Lexy Nair is with Dante and Darius Martin, and they are unable to find Action or Lio Rush. Darius is surprised that Dante is surprised by that. Darius gets in the face of Dante and says it was his boy that messed it all up. Darius wants to send Lio Rush packing.
*Tony Schiavone is in the ring to host the face-to-face between Mariah May and Storm. Mariah May is the first to make her way out. Mariah says “alright Tony, let’s get this shit over with”. Schiavone now brings Toni Storm to the ring.
May says when she looks at Storm, she sees nothing. When she thinks about her, she feels nothing. In the hearts of every one of these fans, Storm is nothing. Toni looks a little crushed by that. May says she’s a joke, a meme, they laugh at her then they forget about her. Mariah does not care about her and never has, she was the dumbest, easiest one she used to dominate this entire game. If she has to remind her again in Australia, so be it. As good as she feels right now, she will get off humiliating her in her home. OH I SAY!
Storm takes the mic and says she’s Mariah’s biggest fan. She’s amazing, an inspiration. One day, Storm wants to be just like her. Storm hands Schiavone the mic, and then goes in for a hug! Storm hugs her around the waist….and May slaps her across the face! May sends Schiavone out of the ring, and then clocks Storm with the Women’s championship. She continues to wail away on Storm, whipping her repeatedly with the title belt. Referees try to pull her back, but May breaks free and plants a kiss on the cheek of Storm. She spits on the fallen body of Toni Storm and exits the ring.
Storm grabs the mic and says “What makes you think I’ve forgotten? What makes you think our dance is done?” Every drop of blood, she will feel forever. But now it’s her moment in the sun. Storm takes her top off! They say the hardest role you ever play is yourself. Toni pulls her shorts down and she is in her Timeless gear! What you just witnessed was the performance of a life time. May came from her womb, and Storm will shove her back up there, and rip her tits off! Timeless Toni Storm is back, for reals this time! Glorious.
*We get a preview for Moxley and Claudio on AEW Close-up with Renee Paquette later this week, which looks interesting with Moxley fully in character.
Gates of Agony vs Hounds of Hell (Buddy Matthews & Brody King w/ Julia Hart)
Matthews and Kaun start out, shoulder block from Matthews, Kaun stays on his feet. Kaun’s been bulking up I feel, looking beefy. Liona in, shoulder block to Matthews, and King tags himself in. The two bigger men face off now, charging in for stereo shoulder blocks and descend into a slugfest. Chops from King, tag to Kaun, crescent kick as Kaun climbs the buckles…the ref was giving the 5 count but COUNTS TO 7?!! ERM?!! King takes on both men. Enziguri from Matthews, spin kick, rising knee, and a low bridge sends Gates of Agony to the floor. Matthews with a tope con hilo to take out both men.
On the apron, Matthews hits a rising knee but gets his legs swept from under him, and Liona hits a senton. Kaun whips Matthews between the apron and the barricade, sends him back in the ring, where Liona hits a splash for 2. Liona applies a nerve grip, Matthews tries for a tag but Kaun blocks it. Boots by Matthews, shotgun dropkick from Kaun but King takes a swing at him. Liona sends King into the barricade on the floor, and now Matthews is getting double teamed in the ring. Matthews sidesteps and sends Liona into Kaun, and makes the tag to Brody King. Lariats all over the place, running crossbody and he plants Liona on top of Kaun. DVD! 1, 2, no.
Samoan Drop by Liona gets a 2. Kaun in as they attempt a double team, but Matthews chop blocks the legs to make the save. Boss Man Slam from King. Liona tries for a powerbomb, messes it up as he couldn’t get the grip, and King retaliates with a piledriver. Meteora from Matthews! Kaun is in place in the corner and we get the double team sliding dropkick/canonball combo for the 1, 2, 3.
Winners: Hounds of Hell
Time: 10:03
Rating: ** – Huge oversight on the referee’s part with the 5 count becoming a 7 count inexplicably. This is also a match that probably should have been a straight squash while we establish the ‘new’ Hounds of Hell – it really had no right going 10 minutes, especially against a team like Gates of Agony who have done sweet FA as of late.
*Lexy Nair is with Big Boom AJ and Big Justice, along with Harley Cameron. Cameron hypes their new song, and she has her guitar with her…but Deonna and Taya Valkyrie walk into shot and run them all down before re-asserting that she will win the 4-way tonight. OK, that was one way to use 30 seconds…
*Back from commercial, Lexy Nair is with Penelope Ford and Thunder Rosa who have agreed to no physicality. This place has history for both of them. Ford doesn’t care about the past, and it’s time AEW realises the star that Ford is. Ford challenges Rosa to a match and she will put La Mera Mera in the ground. Rosa will make it very very memorable for her.
[TBS Championship #1 Contenders Match] Deonna Purrazzo vs Queen Aminata vs Yuka Sakazaki vs Serena Deeb
Winner faces Mercedes for the title this Wednesday on Dynamite. Deeb goes for a quick cover, as does Sakazaki, but to no avail. Aminata delivers a vertical suplex to Deeb. Sakazaki with a sliding lariat on Aminata for 2, broken up by Deonna. Taya kicks at Yuka on the floor, meanwhile Aminata plants Deonna with a kick. Deeb with a suplex while in an Indian deathlock to Aminata for double the punishment. Deeb with the neckbreaker through the ropes to Aminata but gets dropkicked from behind. Dropkick from Sakazaki sends Aminata to the outside. Yuka to the top, big splash to the outside to take all three other women out. Taya stomps on Sakazaki on the outside again and helps Purrazzo to her feet.
Back inside the ring, spinning neckbreaker from Deeb gives her a 2 count over Yuka, and Deonna drives Aminata into the barricade. Aminata sets up Yuka and Deonna in the corner, Sakazaki back out but gets a spinning neckbreaker again. La Mistica from Deonna Purrazzo, Aminata tries to roll her into a pin attempt but no luck. Pump kick from Deonna! Double clothesline between Deonna and Aminata.
Deeb rolls back in, Sakazaki sends her to the corner, enziguri. Crossbody off the top, 1, 2, save by Purrazzo. Big right hand from Aminata, German from Deeb! Pepsi Twist connects on Aminata, 1, 2, kickout. Deeb to the outside, takes Aminata with her, and they tussle, bit of a catfight! Taya Valkyrie enters the ring to take out Sakazaki, double teaming her with Deonna but here comes Harley Cameron to make the save! Harley with an enziguri, pump kick to Harkey from Purrazzo though. Powerbomb by Deonna into the Fujiawara, Sakazaki rolls through into a mahistral cradle, 1, 2, 3!
Winner: Yuka Sakazaki
Time: 9:26
Rating: *** – The crowd didn’t come alive until the very end (which is bound to happen when putting all this under-utilized talent together), but this was decent. Harley making a proper babyface save was cool too as it seems like the company is really behind her.
*Lexy Nair asks the Hounds of Hell what their message is. When the Hounds bark, they bark together. Okada walks up, laughing at them. He says they bark like a bitch. Matthews says why doesn’t he put the Continental title on the line against him. Okada flips him off, and Matthews says maybe he’s the bitch then. The Hounds back away, and Okada waits til they’re out of earshot to say ‘I’m no bitch!’
*Back from the break, Big Bill is in the ring, furious that Hobbs assaulted him in the parking lot, and he’s going to ensure that Hobbs gets locked up for it. He wants Hobbs to hobble out here with his bum knee, and he’ll finish him off.
Hobbs answers the call, with security backing up out of the smoke, that looked so cool. Hobbs takes them out, more security arrive and Hobbs still destroys them all. Hobbs and Bill go at it in the ring! Bill goes to the knee as the sole weak spot, and Bill grabs his backpack, there’s something juicy in there I feel. He hits Hobbs with it…and yep, it’s the knee brace and some bricks! Big Bill pulls out some handcuffs and chokes Hobbs out with them. Hobbs is busted open from all that, and now they fight by the staging. Right hands from Bill as they make their way to the announcer’s table. Bill with a chair, chairshot to the back. More chairshots but Hobbs is defiant to the end. Shot to the gut, another to the back, and now they head back to the entrance way. Bill grabs the knee brace and jokingly hobbles around. Bill is looking monstrous here. He picks up a brick…goes to throw it but Hobbs with a low blow!
Hobbs battles back, another low blow…BELLY TO BACK SUPLEX OFF THE STAGING THROUGH A TABLE!! Big Boy Carnage in Daily’s Place!
* We head to a video package for the Don Callis Family in some kind of mansion. Very Sopranos-esque. Callis says this is not the same Kenny Omega that faded into the night, this is an Omega who lacks empathy, and he will not stop until he spills everyone’s blood. This Ospreay alliance cannot be allowed to take place. Brian Cage interrupts and says there’s 5 of the family, and only 2 of them. Callis says not to overlook them. Callis says you said there’s only five of us? He smiles and the video package cuts off, leaving us on a bit of a cliffhanger!
[AEW International Championship] Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs Katsuyori Shibata
Don Callis joins commentary for this one. Shibata with a body scissors, Takeshita works out of it and applies a Full Nelson. Shibata steps out of it, lovely technical exchange, and he escapes a head scissors. PK attempt, Takeshita ducks and rolls away. Shibata gets Takeshita in the corner but Takeshita fires up and out of it, kicking Shibata to the outside. They spill out into the stands, where Takeshita sits Shibata on a chair, but Shibata cuts off whatever he had planned. Shibata takes a run up and boots Takeshita backwards off the chair.
Shibata returns the champion to the ring, but no! Takeshita with a DDT on the apron to catch Shibata off-guard. Takeshita plants Shibata, heads to the middle rope and hits the big senton, 1, 2, no. Boston Crab locked in by Takeshita, treating Shibata like a Young Lion, and he sits down into it until Shibata rolls through. Elbow shots from Takeshita, hard forearms in the corner, Shibata wants more! Big right hand rocks him. Shibata with a big boot in the corner, uppercuts too. Shibata takes a run up, running dropkick and a floatover butterfly suplex for 2.
Kicks to the chest, Takeshita up and hits a German but Shibata is back up, kick to the chest. Exploder from Takeshita! Right hand, Shibata grabs the trunks and the fans pop as Takeshita’s ass shows, these Jacksonville pervs! Leg trip! Both men on their knees trading forearms. Brainbuster attempt, Shibata with a sleeper but Takeshita dives backwards…no, Shibata holds on! Center of the ring, nowhere to go. Takeshita back to his feet, backs Shibata into the corner, then pulls him round into a tombstone…BASTARD DRIVER! Into the Wheelbarrow German. Powerdrive Knee connects, but Shibata comes right back with a PK and both men are down. We are heading into overtime now as Shibata has a ripcord and kicks the chest. Abdominal stretch by Shibata and we see Don Callis exit the announce booth. Takeshita struggles towards the ropes as Callis approaches the ring. Suplex from Shibata, German by Takeshita. SLEEPER once more from Shibata! Shibata goes to run the ropes, Callis grabs the legs. Takeshita is hung up on the ropes, rollup by Shibata for 2! SLAP by Shibata, Blue Thunder Bomb from Takeshita, 1 COUNT KICKOUT. Takeshita is shocked, but fires up for a lariat and a right hand. Knee strike, Raging Fire! 1, 2, 3.
Winner and STILL AEW International Champion: Konosuke Takeshita
Time: 13:29
Rating: **** – That tiny bit of overtime really helped give this the time it needed as it would have felt too rushed if it was squeezed into a sub-10 minute match. What we got was everything you’d expect from Shibata and Takeshita on a good day, with fighting spirit in full force and both men taking huge amounts of punishment. A sorely needed great match to cap off the night well.
*Takeshita grabs his title to celebrate and we are out of time, fading to black. Thanks for joining us, folks! See you next time.
