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Join 411’s Live AEW Collision Coverage
Image Credit: AEW
Good evening, friends! Collision is back in the saddle after being pre-empted last week, and we’ve got another 3-hour run of AEW programming in store for us, with a live Rampage following tonight’s show. On paper, we’ve got some JUICY looking stuff lined up – Adam Copeland defends the TNT title against Vancouver’s own Kyle O’Reilly in Kyle’s highest profile match since returning.
Elsewhere, Will Ospreay makes his Collision in-ring debut against Lee Moriarty, Bryan Danielson returns to in-ring competition, tagging with Claudio Castagnoli against Top Flight, and Dax Harwood faces Tommy Billington. ‘Back in the day’ a prime Dynamite Kid against someone the caliber of Dax Harwood would be a surefire banger, so this is a really interesting matchup (albeit purely in name alone, as I have no idea what this generation’s Tommy Billington is like). With that in mind, let’s strap in and get to the action.
Location: Vancouver, BC
Venue: Rogers Arena
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness & Tony Schiavone
We are LIVE as Bryan Danielson’s music hits, and here come the Blackpool Combat Club ready for tag team action.
Match One: Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli vs Top Flight
Danielson squares off with Darius in the early goings. An arm drag by Darius grounds Danielson, and a shoulder block keeps him down. Backslide by Darius for 2. Danielson misses a roundhouse as Darius backs off to make some space between them. Dante in, double team chops and a snapmare keep Top Flight in control. Claudio tags in, tiaris takedown, corner clothesline from Dante, assisting Darius with a suplex/senton combo for a 2 count.
Claudio gets Darius in the corner with some uppercuts, and hangs him out to dry over the ropes. Danielson tagged in, goes up top, diving knee to the back of the neck on Martin. Danielson applies the surfboard stretch, tags Claudio while he still has the surfboard, and Claudio hits a running strike to the chest.
Dragon grabs the arm and wrings it over his shoulder, maintaining control, Darius tries to fight out with chops. Kicks to the chest by Danielson, chops in the corner, tag to Claudio, who delivers a series of body blows. Darius escapes with a low dropkick. Scoop slam and a stomp by Claudio, tag to Bryan. Yes kicks delivered to Darius, first in the center of the ring, then in the corner. Darius gets a Pele kick, posting off the buckles to catch Danielson in the back of the head. Claudio and Dante in, Dante tees off with a ton of strikes. Enziguri, springboard crossbody gets a 2 for Dante. Leaping knee to Claudio, suicide dive to the outside to take out Danielson, enziguri connects and now Dante follows up with the one touch frog splash, but just gets a 2.
Dragon pulls Darius off the apron to prevent a tag. Claudio capitalises on the distraction and gets the Giant Swing on Dante! Steps through into the Sharpshooter. Darius in with the low springboard flatliner! Darius takes on both Danielson and Claudio, but the numbers game gets him. Step up tornado DDT from Darius and he hits a suicide dive to Danielson on the outside, although he caught more rail than opponent. Springboard inside moonsault from Dante to Claudio in the ring gets a 2.
Danielson with the Busaiku Knee to Darius. Running European Uppercut connects and Claudio picks up the 1, 2, 3.
Winner: Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli
Time: 13:50
Rating: *** – Decent tag, great to have BD back in action. Top Flight normally get more offense than this, but they did take a fair bit of punishment.
Danielson takes the mic. and he wants a round of applause for Top Flight. Danielson heard the ‘AEW’ chant during the match, and it warmed his heart. The first Anarchy in the Arena almost ended his career. But the reason he’s willing to fight in one again at Double or Nothing is because he loves AEW. Claudio is shown heading to the back.
Danielson says Tony Khan has been at every single AEW show since its inception. This show tonight in Vancouver? The Bucks aren’t even here. Danielson is willing to fight because he loves AEW, what it represents, what it gives to the fans. He will do anything to protect it.
Match Two: Will Ospreay vs Lee Moriarty (w/ Shane Taylor)
The Undisputed Kingdom make their way to ringside as Roderick Strong is joining commentary for this one. Ospreay and Moriarty trade short headscissors and come to a standoff. Monkey flip by Ospreay, Moriarty twists out and kicks the arm away. Headscissors sends Moriarty to the floor, springboard crossbody by Ospreay to follow him out there. Strong holds up the championship belt as Ospreay walks past him.
Ospreay brings Moriarty back in the ring, but is distracted by Shane Taylor. Flatliner into the middle buckle by Moriarty. Lee boots Ospreay to the floor, allowing Shane Taylor to put the boots to him and smash him into the barricade. Back in the ring, Lee chops him in the corner, suplexes and floats over into a cover for 1. Lee drives his elbow into the face of Ospreay in the corner, grinding it in there. Cravate hold but Ospreay gets out of it, no Lee snapmares him over and twists the neck with his feet wrapped either side of the head.
Ospreay comes back with the handspring tornillo back elbow. Rights by Ospreay, back body drop. Running boot in the corner, Ospreay to the apron, flying forearm! 1, 2, no. Ospreay with Kawada kicks to the face, Moriarty grabs the hand and gets some joint manipulation, then lifts Ospreay into a reverse DDT. Enziguri, running clothesline by Moriarty, he goes up top but Will catches him, CHEEKY NANDOS. Torture Rack spinning sit-out powerbomb! 1, 2, no. Ospreay signals for the Oscutter but Shane Taylor gets to the apron…and gets superkicked. Moriarty blocks the Oscutter and locks in the Border City Stretch! Will rolls into a pinfall attempt for 2. Hidden Blade connects! Will hooks the arms, STORMBREAKER. 1, 2, 3.
Winner: Will Ospreay
Time: 10:26
Rating: ***1/4 – Good stuff here, and Moriarty got some nice shine.
Roderick Strong holds his title aloft on the apron and Ospreay locks eyes with him…allowing Shane Taylor to attack from behind. Strong promises to break Ospreay at Double or Nothing.
We see footage of Mercedes Mone throwing out the pitch for the Red Sox earlier today at Fenway Park. The contract signing between Mercedes and Willow Nightingale will take place this Wednesday on Dynamite.
Match Three: Brian Cage & Gates of Agony vs Evan Rivers & The Voros Twins
Cage immediately takes out Rivers with a German. The Gates bring in the twins, clothesline, spinebuster connects on one, even higher spinebuster on the other. GoA toss Rivers to Cage to drop him with an assisted powerbomb for the 3 count.
Winners: Brian Cage & The Gates of Agony
Time: 1:06
Rating: N/R – Yep, the squash we expected!
Tony Schiavone enters the ring to get words with the Mogul Embassy. Brian Cage says it’s not Swerve’s House anymore. For those that are a little slow, Cage says that Swerve is selfish. All he did was take and take and take until he needed them once again. That’s not the guidance they were looking for. What they needed was the guidance of the AEW EVPs, Matthew & Nicholas Jackson. The music of Swerve Strickland hits! Swerve comes from behind with the chain to take out both members of the Gates of Agony! Swerve dives in for his cutter, Cage catches him in a suplex, but Swerve escapes…HOUSE CALL! SWERVE STOMP OFF THE APRON TO LIONA! And one to Bishop Kaun for good measure.
Swerve grabs the chain and wraps it around the neck of Bishop Kaun, tying it around the ringpost too. Oh but here comes Toa Liona to take him out from behind, and Liona says this is Nana’s fault. Liona takes a big run up but Swerve cuts him off with a cinder block to the midsection! Swerve has a chair now as Cage backs up the ramp. Strickland pulls Liona onto the steel steps, traps the head…and cracks him in the head with the chair against the steel steps! Swerve is seething as he locks eyes with Brian Cage on the ramp.
Back from break, Swerve addresses us backstage. People have accused him of being soft since becoming World champion. Mogul Embassy, he brought them into the world, he can take them out of it…in his homestate of Washington, Swerve will welcome them to Who’s House?
Match Four: Daniel Garcia vs KM
Daddy Magic has joined commentary for this one. KM takes Garcia to the corner with some right hands, but Garcia fights back, looking for a suplex, can’t get it. Clothesline knocks Garcia down, and KM mocks the dance! Garcia stomps KM down in the corner, climbs the buckles and hits the 10 count punches, pausing to dance and grind in the face of KM. Garcia with a stalling side suplex. Dragon sleeper and KM taps out!
Winner: Daniel Garcia
Time: 2:08
Rating: N/R – Another squash, and a surprising one as KM is a big dude.
Looks like some fans dived into the ring as Garcia was exiting, they quickly shot away. Ref dealt with them swiftly it seems!
Match Five: Dax Harwood (w/ Cash Wheeler) vs ‘Dynamite Kid’ Tommy Billington
Billington is the nephew of the late Dynamite Kid, and uses the DK moniker himself. Armdrag by Billington, who certainly has his uncle’s intensity. Shoulder block by Dax, headbutts from Kid. Kid tries another armdrag but Dax rolls through. Nice little technical exchange of hammerlocks, Kid escapes, shoulders blocks of his own, finally downs Dax. Dax backs away on the floor as Kid jumps up the buckles.
Back elbow from Harwood grounds Kid, as does a big chop. Billington fires back out of the corner, but a biiig clothesline puts a stop to that. Snap suplex, leg drop, 1, 2, Kid kicks out. Dropkick by Kid, crossbody and both men go over the top rope to the floor as we head to PIP.
Back inside the ring, another huge chop destroys Billington. Snapmare and a chinlock applied by Harwood. Kid escapes with a back suplex and Dax rolls to the outside. Dynamite Kid to the top rope, diving crossbody. He heads back up, shotgun dropkick and a kip up and the crowd are feeling it. Clothesline and a snap suplex by Billington and he heads back up top, elbow drop! 1, 2, no. Dax lifts Kid onto the top rope, headbutt by Billington. Chops him down…but Dax is back up, standing on the top rope, massive superplex!
German suplex by Dax, holds on, another German, standing switch! Germans by DK now! Back elbow to break the gutwrench. Another standing switch, Dragon suplex by Dax!! Dax looks for a piledriver, but DK gets a small package, 1, 2, no! Owen Hart rollup, 1, 2, no. DK tries for a hurracanrana, Dax holds on…slingshot powerbomb by Dax, 1, 2, 3!
Winner: Dax Harwood
Time: 12:58
Rating: ***1/4 – Good first showing from Dynamite Kid, who feels appropriately old school. I get Dax heeling it up a little to get the crowd behind Billington, but that seems odd when Dax is about to be part of the big face Team AEW at Double or Nothing. Fun match though; style-wise, Dax was the perfect opponent.
Footage from post-Dynamite now as we hear from the Elite. Okada challenges Dax on Dynamite, and walks off. Jack Perry says this year, he’s never felt so alive, and he’s the keystone of this shit. Matthew Jackson accosts Christopher Daniels who is walking past, and say Daniels has made the most money of his career these past 5 years, so why would he even think about getting involved in their business. Daniels takes issue with them talking to him like a lackey – he earned this job. He was the Bucks friend when being their friend was the hardest thing in the world. So Daniels will happily see the Bucks in the ring.
Daniels is standing backstage live now. Daniels doesn’t forget the sacrifices he made. Matt & Nick have forgotten where they came from, but Daniels doesn’t forget how AEW was created. The Bucks want to make the 5 year anniversary about themselves, and he won’t let that happen. Daniels won’t stand for that, but as a form of punishment he apparently has to find a partner to face them in the ring. Well, he picks Matt Sydal, his longtime tag team partner. That EVP title won’t matter in the ring…someone’s getting punished in that ring, and not who the Bucks think.
We go to Dax and Cash backstage, where Dax says this marks 20 years of him doing this. After that great showing from Tommy Billington, Dax now has to face Okada this coming week on Dynamite. He says this won’t be no Young Boy patty-cake New Japan bullcrap. This is pro wrestling, this is AEW, where the best wrestle.
Match Six: Thunder Rosa vs Robyn Renegade
Renegade backs Rosa into the corner, seemingly a little cocky, and Rosa shoves her away. A chop by Rosa, another in the corner, but Robyn gets a double chop of her own. Roundhouse by Rosa, misses a dive to the floor and Renegade hits a pump kick on the outside. Back in the ring, Robyn gets a 2 count. Back elbow takes Rosa down. Rosa transitions into the Billy Goat’s Curse pendulum swing, pins her for 2. Camel Clutch applied and Renegade is HUMBLED. Rosa is sent into the corner, slips through to the apron but Robyn kicks her and hits a double stomp to the back of the neck, 1, 2, no.
Rosa escapes a slam, hits a running clothesline, and another, followed by a lungblower. Running dropkick to Robyn in the ropes, 1, 2, no. Pumphandle slam by Renegade, Rosa kicks Renegade away. Robyn heads up top, misses a moonsault, stomp by Rosa! Grounded Cobra clutch applied, Robyn taps!
Winner: Thunder Rosa
Time: 7:38
Rating: **1/2 – The crowd had been pretty good tonight but died off for this and didn’t recover. Perfunctory performance from both women – it did its job but nothing more.
Lexy Nair is backstage with Johnny TV and Taya. Taya is excited to be here, but Johnny thinks this town is full of VanLOSERS. Johnny TV is issuing a challenge to the Bastard Pac, and unlike others around here, he’s going to win.
Backstage video from Hook. He had his hesitations when Chris Jericho first made his offer. With the way things have gone, Hook is pissed off. Hook says Jericho doesn’t know who or what Hook can be, but he can’t wait to show him. Hook returns to action this coming week.
Signed for next week’s Collision – Will Ospreay vs Shane Taylor. I can dig that.
Match Seven: [AEW TNT Championship] Adam Copeland vs Kyle O’Reilly
Schiavone notes that this is the 100th defense of the TNT championship since its inception. Lockup to begin, they back off to get some space. Side headlock from Copeland, Kyle tries for a hammerlock, transitions into a side headlock of his own. They trade side headlock takedowns, until Kyle gets a hammerlock, and drives the knee into the arm. Running knee attack to the arm by O’Reilly.
Adam whips O’Reilly hard into the buckles. Gutbuster over the knee by Copeland, and another hammer throw into the buckles. Knee drop to the back, looks like Copeland is targeting the lower back/kidney area. Kyle tries for the standing guillotine, but Copeland hangs him up on the top rope, and then bashes him to the floor with a short spear. Basement dropkick knocks out O’Reilly, and fans start to boo Copeland a little.
The champ grabs an arm and leg and pulls Kyle hard against the ringpost. Back in the ring, snapmare takeover and body scissors is applied as O’Reilly tries to elbow his way out of it. Kyle manages to flip onto his front and forearms his way out, but a belly to back suplex keeps Copeland in control. Adam goes up to the middle rope, Kyle joins him up there…Copeland with a gutshot to knock him away. Misses an elbow drop, Kyle grabs the arm into an armbar! But Copeland rolls over, and locks in the Crossface. O’Reilly uses his legs to get the ropes.
Leaping knee by Kyle, suplex into a gutbuster by Copeland, and Kyle falls back into the ropes, rebound lariat! Kyle grabs a kick from Copeland, kicks of his own now. Leg sweep by O’Reilly. Running forearm shot in the corner, arm wringer and a back suplex into the legbar. Copeland inches towards the ropes….and he gets there. Kyle sweeps the legs again and they battle onto the apron. Arm wringer on the apron by Kyle O’Reilly. Kyle goes up top, diving knee drop to the spine, 1, 2, no. Armbar by Kyle, Copeland rolls through. Edgecution Sitout reverse DDT by Copeland. Big boots traded, rebound lariat but Copeland comes in for the spear! Avoided! Rear naked choke by Copeland, into a bulldog choke, Kyle rolls into a Fujiwara armbar! Copeland kicks him in the gut but Kyle with a rollup for 2.
Another pop-up gutbuster by Copeland and both men are down. They head up top, Kyle grabs the arm…leaping arm DDT off the ropes!! Kyle has wrist control, gutshot by Copeland and Kyle crumples to the mat. Copeland signals for the spear….NO, GUILLOTONE CHOKE!! Kyle has the guillotine locked in…but Copeland gets to his feet. Punch to the midsection, and the Impaler DDT connects. Kyle gets back to his feet, SPEAR!! 1, 2, 3.
Winner and STILL AEW TNT Champion: Adam Copeland
Time: ***3/4
Rating: A rather methodical start but it sure picked up in the latter half. Everyone bit on that spear/guillotine choke spot, that was perfectly pulled off. This was some GOOD STUFF right here.
Adam Copeland extends the hand to Kyle O’Reilly in a show of respect as we switch over to Rampage. Enjoy the rest of the night, folks! See you next week.
