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Happy Saturday everyone! It’s looking like a particularly glorious Saturday in AEW land, as we are scheduled for the first CM Punk and Samoa Joe singles encounter in 18 years! With 6 previous matches against each other under their belt, Samoa Joe has come out on top every single time – is tonight the night CM Punk finally rights the wrong and gets a measure of justice? The Owen Hart Cup tournament continues on AEW Collision, with that cracking tournament semi-final main event capping off tonight’s action.

Not only that, we’ve got FTR in tag team action against Juice Robinson and Jay White, and Ricky Starks vs Powerhouse Hobbs in more semi-final tournament spots.

With all that on tap and more, let’s head down to ringside. Bring it on, Elton!

Location: Regina, Canada

Arena: Brandt Centre

Commentators: Nigel McGuinness and Kevin Kelly

Video package spiel. Starks says he only deals in absolutes. Hobbs says it’s the end of the line for Starks. Joe knows history will repeat itself. Punk doesn’t make the same mistake twice. OPENING CREDS.

CM Punk makes his way to the ring while Elton John still plays. Punk isn’t in his ring gear as of yet, and he calls for the mic.

Punk is happy to be alive. He’s got a big match against Joe, and he wants to detail the history. This is Hart Stampede country. Punk says tonight is the biggest match of his career. It feels like the finals, but it’s not – he’d be looking past Starks and Hobbs. But tonight, history will be made, time will stand still. 18 years since he’s stood in the ring with Samoa Joe. Scars, missing teeth because of that man. Punk wants to hear one name chanted: Owen Hart.

The crowd oblige and start an ‘Owen’ chant. If it wasn’t for Owen Hart, that locker room mignt be empty, and CM Punk wouldn’t be here. None of them would be here if it wasn’t for Owen Hart. Punk isn’t superstitious, he will walk under ladders, he will touch the trophy, because he will earn it.

He can’t promise a victory, he’s never beaten Samoa Joe. But he can promise he will pour his heart out until there is nothing left to give. For us, and for Owen.

Now we got to a video package to look at the Punk/Joe ROH trilogy, interspersed with comments from Punk and Joe. Punk is convinced he will beat Samoa Joe for the first time ever.

The first semi-final match up will be underway when Collision returns!

 

Match One: Owen Hart Cup Tournament Semi-Final: Powerhouse Hobbs (w/ QT Associates) vs Ricky Starks

Hobbs shoves Starks down to start, but Ricky retaliates in the corner. Hobbs gets some shots in in the corner and sends Starks to the apron, but Starks slides back in and clotheslines him over the top rope. Hobbs regroups with QT Marshall on the outside before re-entering the ring.

Hobbs with a clothesline to take Starks to the mat, and QT gets a cheap chokehold in while Aubry Edwards has her back turned. Hobbs maintains control with a back elbow when Starks attempts a run off the ropes. Hobbs gets a niiiiice stalling suplex and looks dominant so far. Whipped into the opposite buckle, Starks clutches his back after a hard whip. Hobbs stands on the midsection to rub it in as we go to PIP.

Pendulum backbreaker to Starks. Shortly followed up by a hotshot into the top rope. First pinfall attempt gets 2. Hobbs unleashes a few blows to the face out of frustration. Now Hobbs locks in a bearhug and Ricky appears to be fading as we come back from commercial.

Starks battles out of the bearhug and they trade shots until Hobbs gets a knee to the midsection. Starks off the ropes with a jumping clothesline, but he is driven into the buckles with a shoulder block to the midsection. Hobbs goes to the middle rope with Starks draped over his shoulders…but Starks drops down and gets a powerbomb! 1, 2, no.

Starks is on the apron now, waiting for Hobbs to get to his feet. Springboard, dodged, he went for a tornado DDT but they slightly botched it and it looked awkward. Hobbs gets a spinebuster but Aubrey is distracted by QT! QT is desperate for her to turn around but she won’t! Hobbs is livid at QT Marshall. Starks drives Hobbs into QR to knock him off the apron, and gets a spear to pick up the 1, 2, 3 at 10:44.

Your winner by pinfall and advancing to the finals: Ricky Starks

Rating: **3/4 – Surprisingly not very heated for these two. Fine apart from the DDT botch, but nothing to go out of your way to see.

After the match, QT and Hobbs are in the ring…QT is apologising but Powerhouse Hobbs shoves him down! Solow enters the ring but gets a spinebuster for his troubles as Hobbs removes the straps. Cameron enters the ring and pleads with Hobbs to back off, and he exits the ring.

 

Video package from Miro! Miro says many men have lost themselves, but not him. He is ready to fight anyone. No one can hurt the man who has nothing left to covet. He must walk the righteous path, and be what his God was not.

Tony Schiavone is with Willow Nightingale, who is not medically cleared to compete. Athena arrives and says she has ruined her Collision debut, and questions is the injury is legit. Willows says she will put her smile back on and turn up to Rampage for their match and win it, and then she’s coming for Athena’s ROH title. Athena says there’s no chance Willow will beat her, but maybe she’ll entertain a title match challenge IF Willow somehow can beat her.

Video package for Blood and Guts in 2 weeks. There will be a closer look at the match itself this Wednesday on Dynamite.

 

Match Two: Julia Hart (w/ Brody King) vs Bambi Hall

Lockup to start, clean break in the corner. Kicks to the hamstring from Julia, and Bambi with a shoulder block, but gets tripped in return. Strikes from Hart, and a back elbow, until Bambi fights back. Hart counters a slam attempt and takes out the legs, before locking in the Hartless for the submission win at 2:21.

Your winner by submission: Julia Hart

Rating: N/R – Squash for Julia as she continues to gain confidence and ring-time.

 

Malakai Black explains he took Andrade’s mask because Andrade lets the mask control him. He doesn’t understand that he became stronger without the mask, and is like a child, reaching for his favorite toy. Black wants to cut the last vein, and show the world how truly great Andrade can be.

Andrade is interviewed backstage and says he is a businessman. He is not a coward, unlike Black. His mask is everything to him, it’s about his family, his country, all Latin people. So when he has his mask on, he goes to business. When he takes it off, it’s time to fight, time to win.

 

Match Three: AEW World Tag Team Title Eliminator Match: FTR (c) vs Jay White & Juice Robinson

Jay and Dax to start things off. Leg takedown by Dax and Jay backs off into his corner. Go behind from Jay, reversed by Dax into a headlock takedown. Hip toss from Dax into another headlock. Jay gets the ropes.

White tags in Juice as Dax tags in Cash. Arm wring from Juice but Cash rolls through into an arm lock. Juice wriggles out, and gets a shoulder block, and another, but Cash monkey flips him over, and Juice rolls to the outside.

Back in the ring, Juice tags in Jay, and we get a standoff with both teams in the ring after some ducking and diving on the outside. The two teams tee off on each other, until Dax and Cash get stereo German suplexes! We go to picture-in-picture as all four men battle on the outside.

Cash and White are back in the ring now, but Dax is tagged in and gets a short leg drop for 2. Hard chop to the chest of Jay White, and Dax ducks the return attempt and fires off some more. Elbow drop by Dax before the tag to Cash.

Cash slams White into the buckles and hangs him in the tree of woe before a low dropkick to the face for 2. European uppercut, tag to Dax, who gets another chop to the chest of Jay in the corner.

White finally gets the tag to Juice, who whips Dax hard into the buckles chest-first. Suplex for a 1 count, and then Dax and Juice trade chops. Back elbow from Dax, Cash back in, and the assisted leg drop by Cash gets 2. Dropkick from Cash, another 2 count. Juice bites Cash in the corner briefly, and ascends the second rope to fire off some left hands until Cash gets an atomic drop in return on him. Cash gets the 10-count punches, with the tenth hitting Jay who has tried to interfere.

With the referee slightly distracted, we get a Gordbuster on the apron to Cash by Jay! Juice drives his shoulder into the midsection of Cash before tagging White in. Quick tags between Bullet Club Gold, and Juice gets a senton on Cash before getting a waistlock to ground one of the champions. Jay White back in, similarly with a waistlock. Jay goes for an Indian Death Lock and spits at Dax as he rears back into the Muta Lock. White and Dax battle on the outside until White slams him into the barricade.

White heads back inside the ring now and goes for a suplex on Cash, Cash reverses into a pin attempt but Juice distracts Paul Turner. Damn, White suplexes Cash HARD into the buckles, which gets a 2 count.

Suplex from Juice, tag to White. White goes for a back suplex but Cash flips into a body splash. Cash is free to make the tag, but Dax has been distracted by Juice! Cash clotheslines Juice to the outside, and White elevates Cash over the ropes on the opposite side to the floor as we go to commercial.

Juice to the top rope, White is holding back Cash, and Juice gets an axe handle slam off the top. Standing splash from Juice gets 2. Another waistlock applied to Cash, then flipped into almost a seated octopus. Cash battles out but Juice gets a back elbow to take him down again. Big punch from Juice, and again. But Cash gets a Belly-to-Belly suplex to get some breathing room. Tag to Jay and Cash finally gets the hot tag to Dax!

Dax with a flurry of offense, suplexing Jay onto Juice. Small package on White gets 2, clothesline in the corner and a German suplex on White. He keeps the hands locked and gets another! Standing switches from both men until Dax gets a huge brainbuster! 1, 2, no!

Dax sits Jay on the top rope, but Juice is up there too to push him off. Cash with a side suplex on the apron to Juice! Jay is still sitting on the ropes and Dax is prone! But Dax gets back up and goes for the superplex…hits it! Cash is there, Power and the Glory…only a 2 count!

Jay gets a sleeper suplex on Cash, snaps it off rapidly! Goes for the bladerunner but Dax stops it. This is breaking down as FTR go for the Big Rig but Juice interrupts. Jumping piledriver from FTR for the pin…but JUICE SAVES! This is getting seriously good now.

Juice and Dax are legal but White gets a blind tag. Regalplex from Jay gets 2. Double suplex attempt by BC Gld but Cash saves. Uranagi from Jay, and another to Dax but Dax escapes. Rebound powerbomb on White, 1, 2…no!!

Hard clothesline to Jay but he kicks out again. Juice with a leg lariat! Cash catches Juice in a powerslam, Bladerunner on Cash by Jay! All four are down. Jay and Dax trade blows on their feet now. Low dropkick from Jay takes Dax to his knees, and he follows up with hard chops to the chest. Blind tag to Juice but Dax takes on both guys. Big DDT from Juice, goes for the pinfall, Cash goes to break up the pin…but doesn’t make it! Bullet Club Gold get the pin at 28:10.

Your winners by pinfall: Juice Robinson and Jay White

Rating: **** – DAMN this got SO good down the line. Very traditional to begin with, with some extended face-in-peril sections, building up to a seriously hot finishing stretch. These guys nailed it tonight.

 

After the break, Tony Schiavone is with FTR. But BC Gold are here to gloat! White says they have the right to call themselves the best tag team in the world. They’ve beaten FTR twice now. And the only thing sweeter would be beating them twice in one night, two out of three falls. Looks like we’re getting it next week! That should be AWESOME.

 

Match Four: Scorpio Sky vs Action Andretti

Kicks from Scorpio to begin. Shoulder block takedown, trip from Sky into a headlock, but Action gets into an armlock. Sky counters out, gets a wuick hip toss into a la magistral, but Andretti gets back in control with another armlock. Off the ropes, Sky stomps hard on Action’s back as Action bends over. Kitchen sink to Andretti, and a rear chinlock from Sky as we’re in PIP now.

Backing Sky into the corner, Action gets some blows to the midsection, but Sky reverses and whips him into the opposite turnbuckle. Pendulum backbreaker, and Sky signals for one more. Gets it, and good Lord that looked vicious! Signals for another! Gets it again! Rear chinlock from Sky keeps Action grounded, until Action gets out of it and gets a flurry of offense. Combination neckbreaker from Action fires him up, and he gets the Tajiri handspring back elbow. Sky to the outside, Action with a suicide dive!

Sky is sent back into the ring, Action misses a springboard but gets a running spanish fly for 2. Blows to the back, kick from Sky, superkick from Andretti, John Woo kick into the corner by Andretti! Split-legged moonsault but Sky gets the knees up!

TKO from Sky! 1, 2, 3. Sky gets the win at 7:27.

Your winner by pinfall: Scorpio Sky

Rating: **1/2 – Extended squash but Action got a neat bit of offense in. Heel/face dynamic was a little unclear – possibly slightly odd to have a seemingly face Sky return against another babyface. Good to see Sky back in action though, he hasn’t missed a trick.

 

Match Five: Owen Hart Cup Tournament Semifinal Match: CM Punk vs Samoa Joe

Both men face off and we have a Big Fight Feel here! Joe goes for the roundhouse kick to begin but Punk avoids it. Tie up, Punk backed into the corner, Joe goes for a cheap chop, but Punk dodges and gets one himself.

Greco-roman knuckle-lock, Joe bears down on Punk but Punk fights back and gets a chop. They tie up again and Punk is in the ropes now. Punk gets a headlock on Joe and takes him to his knees before reeling off multiple shoulder blocks. Punk is wrenching on the head and neck, and this is reminiscent of the early parts of their famous ROH trilogy.

Jabs from Punk in the corner, goes for the splash off the top rope but Joe casually strolls away. Big chop to the upper back from Joe! Kick to the chest takes Punk down. Joe gets some shots in the corner to get Punk into a seated position…but Punk fires out, tries to rally back but Joe simply back elbows him down again.

Face wash time! Joe drives the boot across the face, but Punk stops it before he can get the big face wash. Punk jumps to the middle rope, but Joe shoves him off and over to the outside. Referee Paul Turner begins the count. Gets to 6 but Joe goes outside to join Punk and delivers more hard chops. Punk appears to be bleeding from the mouth.

Joe sits Punk on a steel chair and delivers the kick into the barricade, classic Joe! Takes him to the opposite side but Punk dodges that one. Punk off the apron with a diving clothesline!

Back in the ring, Joe takes out the legs of Punk and applies a chinlock, wrenching on the neck and head. Joe goes for a knee drop but Punk avoids it and gets a chop in. Leg lariat from Punk! Knee in the corner from Punk.  Bulldog attempt but Joe gets the Coquina Clutch in the center of the ring. Punk flips out of it with a standing sliced bread to break the hold.

Both men on their feet now, Joe gets the jabs, but Punk gets a kick. Knee in the corner, another running knee, one more! Clothesline takes Joe down, and Punk goes to the top rope. Elbow drop! 1, 2, kickout.

Punk calls for the G2S and gets Joe on his shoulders but Joe slips down into a crossface on the mat! Punk reaches the ropes. Kawada kicks from Joe, powerbomb attempt but Punk slips out, SNAP POWERSLAM from Joe! 1, 2, no.

Roundhouse kick from Punk for a pin, 1, 2, Joe gets the arm up! Punk returns to the top rope…but Joe is up, MUSCLE BUSTER ATTEMPT! Punk battles out, goes for a tornado DDT, Joe shrugs him off but Punk gets a neckbreaker. COQUINA CLUTCH from Joe but CM Punk with the victory roll…gets the three! CM Punk has finally beaten Samoa Joe at 15:36.

Your winner by pinfall and advancing to the finals: CM Punk

Rating: ***1/4 – Big time nostalgia here, so that was a lot of fun. They both looked pretty worn out early on, and I’m sure it was tough to follow that tag match from earlier. Pretty good, just not to the level of their ROH stuff, although did we really expect that in 2023?

 

Punk vs Ricky Starks in the final is set for next week. Joe and Punk face off after the match. Show of respect as they shake hands…but JOE GETS HIM IN THE COQUINA CLUTCH!! Haha! Joe screams he’s always been better than Punk. Joe grabs a steel chair but here come FTR to put a stop to that. Oh but out comes Ricky Starks! Starks stays on the ramp, looking on with concern at Punk. With that, we’re done for the night! Thanks for joining us folks! See you next time.