wrestling / TV Reports
Sambus’ AEW Collision Review 01.06.24
Image Credit: AEW
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Hey team! Welcome to 411’s live coverage of the first edition of AEW Collision in 2024! Hope you all had a fantastic NYE and the new year brings you good health and happiness.
We sadly had to say goodbye to the Continental Classic last week, which provided consistently terrific in-ring content on this show over the past two months, but we were treated to a banger of a finale at the World’s End PPV so that sweetened the deal. Onto the next chapter of Collision!
Tonight we see our new Continental Crown Champion make his first defence of the title, as Eddie Kingston defends against Trent Beretta. Perhaps even bigger than that, we’re getting FTR vs House of Black in a match that has been building for months and promises to tear the house down. And yes, Skye Blue will be in action against Kiera Hogan…I’ll let the comments section handle that one…
Location: Charlotte, NC
Venue: Bojangles Coliseum
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly & Tony Schiavone
And here we go! No cold open promos, we go straight to the opening credits, and Ric Flair makes his way out to the hometown crowd as we join the ringside area.
Match One: Sting & Darby Allin (w/ Ric Flair) vs The WorkHorsemen (JD Drake & Anthony Henry)
Henry attacks Allin as Darby makes his way to the ring, but Sting throws a chair back in Drake’s face. Flair gets involved with a chop, and Sting drives Drake into the barricade. Darby up but gets dropped on the apron by Henry. Henry now throws Sting into the barricade, and follows up with a running kick to Darby against the railing. Darby is rolled into the ring as Bryce Remsburg checks on him…and rings the bell, this one is on!
Henry with a clothesline in the corner and a running power slam, and Drake with a flying headbutt off the top for 2. Drake tags Henry back in, and he hits the Porject Ciampa powerbomb to the knees on Darby which also gets a 2 count. Quick tag to Drake who chops Darby in the corner. Darby tries to crawl to Sting but Drake is ahead of him and he takes Sting off the apron. Drake up to the top rope, moonsault but it misses. Code Red by Darby! Stinger Splash on Drake. Henry tags himself in but Sting throws him out. Darby up top, Coffin Drop off the top! Sting with the Scorpion Death Drop on Drake in the middle of the ring, 1, 2, 3. Sting gets the pinfall at 2:50.
Your winners by pinfall: Sting & Darby Allin
Rating: N/R – Another occasion where The WorkHorsemen do their damndest to get a great showcase in their under 5 minutes of screentime. Best jobbers in the company, bar none. The world needs more WorkHorsemen!
Match Two: [AEW Continental Crown Championship] Eddie Kingston (c) vs Trent Beretta
Pre-match inset promo highlights the history between these two, specifically their interactions during the wild Stadium Stampede at All In: London last year. Nice touch to make this mean even more than just a throwaway title defense.
Lockup, clean break, lockup again, and another clean break in the corner. Snapmare by Eddie, followed by a kick to the spine and a series of chops. Tornado DDT by Trent, and a snap suplex to stay in control. Eddie takes back control, clothesline in the corner and the machine gun chops. Trent tries to rally back but Eddie fires off a chop to the face! Ohh Trent appears to be busted open! Trent with a springboard crossbody off the top but misses. Saito Suplex by Eddie on the floor! We go to PIP as Trent pours blood on the floor.
Quick shot of the crowd and SUE IS HERE. Eddie brings Trent back into the ring. Double clothesline takes both guys down as Trent is starting to wear the crimson mask. Eddie has Trent downed in the corner and hits a running face wash. Trent with a boot back, jumps to the middle rope but Eddie sweeps the legs to knock him back down. Chops by Eddie but Trent fights back with a rising knee out of nowhere! They battle to their feet and trade forearms, with Trent getting the upper hand, knocking Eddie against the ropes and down to the canvas. He follows up with a running dropkick to send Eddie to the outside. Trent with a tope suicida to take Eddie out on the floor.
Eddie and Trent up on the buckles now, sunset flip by Trent and he follows up with a powerbomb out of the corner! 1, 2, no! Looking for the Dudebuster but Eddie counters with an Exploder. Enziguri by Eddie and a DDT for the 1, 2, no! Eddie looks for the half and half but Trent counters with a German! He holds on, another German suplex! A third German with the release this time. Trent with the running knee and a Gotch-style piledriver! 1, 2, NO!! Eddie kicks out!
Both guys battle on their knees, getting to their feet to trade more chops and forearms. Roaring elbow by Beretta, sloppy half and half by Trent as he is exhausted…he goes for a lariat but Eddie with the Exploder. Backfist to the Future from Eddie, Northern Lights Driver, he goes for the pin 1, 2, NO TRENT KICKS OUT! EMERALD FLOWSION by Eddie finally gets the pinfall at 15:12.
Your winner and STILL AEW Continental Crown Champion: Eddie Kingston
Rating: ***1/2 – Big Match Trent showed up to this one, this was all fire. Trent knows how to switch things up for the big time, and that’s exactly what he did here. He survived a ton of Eddie’s offense, so Kingston eventually had to pull out the Emerald Flowsion to ensure the win. Nice.
Tony Schiavone earlier in the day talks to Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale (with an actual lizard on Statlander’s shoulder). Tony asks about Stokely Hathaway taking an interest in them. Willow thinks it’s weird, but she wants to focus on the hot start to the year she’s had, and she wants it to keep rolling. Kris says 2023 was huge for them, and this year will be bigger and better. They are the best women’s wrestlers in AEW…and her lizard agrees.
Back from break, Hook says his win percentage is second to none. He wants another championship…he has his crosshairs set on you, Samoa Joe. Hook is coming for the World Title!
Match Three: [Proving Ground Match] Komander & ‘The Bounty Hunter’ Bryan Keith vs ROH Tag Team Champions Undisputed Kingdom (Mike Bennett & Matt Taven w/ Roderick Strong)
Bennett & Komander start this off as Bennett wails away in the corner. Tag to Taven, who whips Komander off the buckles and hits a pendulum backbreaker – Roddy approves! 1, 2, no. Komander kicks his way out of the corner but gets tossed to the apron, comes back in with a hurracanrana. Tag to Keith who unleashes a series of chops and a big boot off the ropes. Tag to Bennett who gets a punch to the jaw which catches Keith off guard as we go to PIP.
Bennett chokes out Keith against the bottom turnbuckle. To their feet, Keith gets into a chop exchange with Bennett. Jumping Enziguri from Keith, but Bennett comes back with a DVD into the buckles! Taven tagged in for the pin, 1, 2, no. Vertical suplex by Taven gets another 2. Bennett tagged in, delivers a spinebuster, Taven makes the cover and the ref starts counting but realises Bennett was the legal man, awkward. Bennett tries for a piledriver but Keith flips him overhead, only to roll through and Bennett catches him with a Kimura! Bryan Keith makes the ropes to break the hold but Bennett continues the assault before tagging in Taven. Double team elbow drop gets a 2 for the ROH tag champs.
Faceplant into the side chokehold by Taven, but Keith rolls him up for a 2 count. Tag to Bennett, chops in the corner on Keith, but Keith avoids a running shot and hits an overhead throw on Bennett into the buckles. Taven and Komander tagged in! Komander with a crossbody and a headscissor DDT. Komander boots Bennett to the outside, and Keith headbutts Taven on the buckles. Komander stands on Keith’s shoulders for the assisted superplex on Taven! Woah!
Keith boots Bennett off the apron, and Keith gives an assist to Komander to toss him over the top rope to take out both members of the Kingdom. Knee to the face on Taven, he goes for an underhook but Bennett interrupts. Piledriver on Komander, and the Just the Tip running knee from Taven connnects on Keith. Double team Powerbomb/Zig Zag connects, allowing the champions to win at 8:28.
Your winners by pinfall: The Undisputed Kingdom
Rating: *** – Decent tag, and Komander & Keith were fun as a thrown together tag team, I could happily watch more of them together. This was about giving the Undisputed Kingdom a definitive win, which it did, although perhaps it took a little too long for them to get there.
Renee Paquette is with Bullet Club Gold backstage, asking about their relationship with the Acclaimed…and here come the Acclaimed. Jay White says this is none of their business, this all started when Adam Cole laid his hands on them. The Gunns and the Acclaimed square up to each other. Bowens says everyone needs to calm down. Bowens says the only way to get to the top in wrestling is through factions. Billy Gunn knows a thing or two about big factions. Bowens tells the Gunns to think about. Everyone walks off, but Austin stays and says to Renee that it kinda makes sense…
Coming back from the break, Adam Copeland makes his way to the ring after his emotional victory and subsequent defeat by Christian Cage at World’s End.
Copeland reminds everything that him and Cage beat the living hell out of each other, and he beat him for the championship. But now he has to go to the back of the line. Cage thinks Copeland has always had his opportunities handed to him. But when it comes down to it, Copeland just works harder. Cage wants him to earn his title shot? He will start doing that right here tonight. He’ll start from the bottom because he works hard. He’s in his gear and ready for a fight, so he’s throwing out an open challenge, the Cope Open. Who wants it?
Griiff Garrison and Cole Karter come out, accompanied by Maria Kanellis! Ha. Griff takes the mic to introduce himself. Who the F is Griff Garrison? Griff is a guy that steps up to the plate against a hall of famer. Look at him and show him respect since he’s the one that accepted the challenge.
Copeland says Griff reminds him of himself when he was his age. You are stepping up from below sea level to Mount Everest. Griff slaps Copeland…and that makes Copeland like him even more.
Match Four: Adam Copeland vs Griff Garrison
Big boot by Copeland. Chops in the corner. Fisherman suplex by Copeland, and more chops to the chest. Big back body drop to Griff. Adam stomps away on Griff in the corner, whips him into the buckles and hits a snake eyes and a clothesline. Griff struggles to get up in the corner. Copeland is maybe looking for the spear but Maria Kanellis grabs the ankle. Karter does the same on the opposite side of the ring, allowing Griff to take advantage. Hard whip into the corner by Garrison and a vertical suplex gets a 2. Griff locks in a rear chinlock. Wheelbarrow facebuster by Griff gets another 2 count. Griff gets Copeland on his shoulders but Copeland with the reverse DDT to escape.
Copeland is sent into the ropes but he dropkicks Karter on the outside. Crossbody off the top gets 2. Copeland looks for the spear but Griff with a roaring elbow to interrupt it! 1, 2, no. Copeland to the top rope and nails some headbutts on Griff before delivering the top rope superplex! He hangs on and hits an Impaler DDT before locking in the modified crossface for the submission victory at 6:37.
Your winner by submission: Adam Copeland
Rating: **1/2 – Nice to see Griff! All a bit perfunctory but it accomplished what it needed to, and Copeland was pretty giving.
Cole Karter straight in as the bell rings, dropkick to Copeland. Tries for a 450, misses, but Copeland with a spear to stand tall.
Backstage, Ric Flair is standing with Sting & Darby Allin. Flair says next week in Jacksonville, Sting & Darby vs Takehista & Hobbs in a Tornado Tag. Sting says he won’t be coasting his way through his final weeks of active competition. The only thing that’s sure about Sting is that at Daily’s Place, it’s gonna be Showtime.
Match Five: Skye Blue vs Kiera Hogan
They lockup to begin as Hogan backs Blue into the corner, clean break. Side headlock by Blue, and then she uses the boot to choke Hogan out against the buckles. Hogan with a drop toe hold into the ropes and a hip attack. Kick to the chest gets a 1 count. Blue with a clothesline to the back and a running kick to the head. They head to the outside and trade blows, with Blue getting a big chop to the chest on Hogan. Hogan retaliates, holding Blue against the barricade and hitting a chop of her own, but Blue comes back with a snap suplex on the floor. Combination kicks by Hogan, misses a leg drop and Blue capitalises.
Blue pulls the hair to send Hogan to the canvas. Hogan battles back, but Blue with a knee to the midsection and another hair toss. Blue ascends to the middle rope, but jumps into a thrust kick from Hogan. Flying forearm and a dropkick from Hogan, followed up by a clothesline in the corner. Sliding kick to Blue, neckbreaker and a pin attempt which gets a 2 for Kiera. They fight in the corner now, Hogan climbing up for the 10 count punches but Blue interrupts halfway through and hits the Cheeky Nandos! Powerbomb asttempt, no, thrust kick by Blue, and one from Hogan in return! Blue gets Hogan on her shoulders, TKO! Transitions into the Dragon Sleeper for the submission at 8:49.
Your winner by pinfall: Skye Blue
Rating: **1/2 – This felt a little labored and slow paced, but built to a good finishing sequence. TKO into the Dragon Sleeper is an awesome combo for Skye, looks badass.
Next we get a quick look at Serena Deeb, which appears to be the same video from last week? Deeb is ready to return.
Match Six: Claudio Castagnoli vs Andrew Everett
Inset promo from Claudio, addressing Hangman. He doesn’t need a reason to fight, the job is to fight. Claudio wants Hangman on Dynamite this coming week. Nice!
Dropkick from Everett right out the gate! But Claudio dumps him with a huge body slam. Claudio gets a goozle and a huuuge chokeslam as Everett is so good at taking bumps like that. Everett rolls to the outside to recover and Claudio follows, getting the big running uppercut against the barricade. He rolls Andrew back in and gets the Giant Swing! As he lets go, Everett almost flies out of the ring. Claudio sends him into the buckles and Everett collapses. Everett flips onto the apron and hits a springboard leg lariat and a Pele kick, but Claudio tosses him to the apron again. Kick to Claudio, Everett up top, dives with an SSP but Claudio was waiting for him. Neutralizer, and a big clothesline gets the 3 at 3:15.
Your winner by pinfall: Claudio Castagnoli
Rating: N/R – Squash. They were clearly looking for a big uppercut out of that SSP but the timing was off which was a shame as that visual would have been awesome. Still, nice dominant win for Claudio before his match with Hangman Adam Page on Dynamite.
Lexy Nair is with the AEW Tag Team Champions Big Bill & Ricky Starks. Starks will be facing Sammy Guevara in Daily’s Place this coming week. Starks will be returning to Daily’s Place as a champion, which seems fitting to him. His history with Sammy will go out the window next week however, as he will manhandle Sammy. Big Bill issues a challenge as he wants Sammy & Jericho at Battle of the Belts next week in a Street Fight…if Sammy can get past Starks on Wednesday.
We still have half an hour left as the House of Black make their way to the ring for the main event, which means this is getting a goooood amount of time. Banger incoming!
Match Seven: FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) vs House of Black (Buddy Matthews & Malakai Black)
Dax’s family is at ringside, which will undoubtedly play a role here! Dax and Buddy start this one out, Buddy with a right hand out of the corner, and Dax with a chop in return. Dax tags in Wheeler as Buddy wrings the arm. Short arm drag, but Cash reverses and gets a side headlock. Shoulder blocks are exchanged, drop toeholds exchanged, and Cash tags in Dax for the double team Russian leg sweep. Matthews tags in Black. Shoulder block by Dax, standing switch, kick to the chest attempt by Black but Dax catches the leg. Black sits on the mat…so Dax sits down in front of him and flips the finger! Black heads over to Dax’s family but FTR run him off. Buddy and Black pose in the ring as we go to PIP.
Dax and Black slow things down a little in the ring, and then we get a series of quick tags by House of Black. Black off the ropes, but Dax won’t go down on a shoulder block. Scoop slam to Black, tag to Cash, assisted leg drop gets a 2 count for Wheeler, before he hits Buddy off the apron. Big kick in response by Black, and they get into an uppercut exchange. Suplex by Matthews, float over into a pinfall attempt for 2.
Elbow drop by Dax on Buddy now, but Buddy gets Dax in the House of Black corner, allowing Black to come in for a sliding dropkick. Dax manages to tag in Cash though. Cash to the apron, battling both members, but Buddy manages to hit a back suplex on the apron, and Malakai capitalises with a moonsault off the middle turnbuckle to the floor to take out Cash. Wheeler is rolled back in, Black keeps control with stomps to the back and a snapmare takeover, followed by a kneedrop to the face. HoB continue the quick tags and double teams until Cash finally escapes with both members of HoB spilling to the floor. Buddy again tries to stop the tag but Cash sends him back outside. Cash is there, ready to tag, but Buddy up on the apron to take out Dax at the last second.
Matthews with a kick to the back and locks in a tight side headlock to keep Cash grounded. Nigel and Tony are having an absolute blast on commentary by the way. Wheeler gets a rolling Code Red out of the corner for 2! Powerslam off the ropes gives him some space as both men are down. Matthews tags in Black, but Cash makes the tag to Dax! Punches to both Black and Buddy, flying forearm by Dax. Clothesline to Matthews! Dax climbs the buckles and hits a crossbody back to take out Buddy. Back body drop on Buddy and a sheer drop Brainbuster on Black, 1, 2, no!
Dax gets a rollup off the ropes for 2, Black kicks out and sends Dax towards the ropes, allowing Buddy to get a cheapshot. Dax gets another rollup for 2. Black heads to the top rope, Dax sweeps the legs as Cash climbs at the opposite side…Power and the Glory connects! Dax makes the cover, 1, 2, BUDDY COMES FLYING IN WITH A METEORA ON CASH TO BREAK UP THE PIN! Daaayum.
Cash flips Buddy to the outside, Black sent out as well. Cash with the suicide dive, no, they catch him! Double team rising kick, and House of Black toss Wheeler into the announcer’s table. Black grabs a steel chair and brings it into the ring. Malakai makes eye contact with Dax’s wife and daughter while carrying the chair, but Dax comes in to take on both members of HoB. Cash makes his way back in, Shatter Machine on Buddy! 1, 2, NO, Black makes the save!
Cash and Black battle on the apron. Kicks by Black, Cash escapes through the legs and Dax is right there, SPIKE PILEDRIVER ON THE APRON by FTR on Black!
Brody King makes his way down to ringside, but here comes Daniel Garcia from behind with a steel chair! He knocks out Brody and plays cheerleader for FTR, cheering Dax on and willing him to his feet. Dax tries to e-enter the ring but Buddy is right there with a stomp to the head. 1, 2, Dax gets a foot on the ropes! Buddy with a powerbomb but Dax rolls through and flips into a pinning combination. 1, 2, 3! FTR pick up the win at 21:31.
Your winners by pinfall: FTR
Rating: **** – This had showstealer written all over it, and of course they delivered. Tremendous encounter here, with a ‘different’ kind of traditional tag team match presented, with both teams spending the early portion using quick tags before we got to the face-in-peril stretch with Cash. FTR are so good at keeping things fresh – watch this against all their other highly praised Collision matches from this past year, and all will feel unique in their own way. Let’s not sleep on the House of Black either – they’ve been massively rejuvenated in the past month or two, and looked top tier in this, despite the defeat.
Post-match, Garcia poses with FTR but here come all 3 members of FTR to attack from behind. Matthews stomps Cash’s head into the steel chair! Buddy and King hold the chair by Dax’s face, allowing Black to deliver Black Mass to knock Dax out in front of his family. The TBS champion Julia Hart slowly, ominously rings the bell at ringside as King delivers the Gonzo Bomb to Garcia. House of Black stand tall as tonight’s broadcast comes to a close.
