wrestling / TV Reports
Sambus’ AEW Collision Review 08.19.23
Image Credit: AEW
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Howdy folks! Welcome to 411’s live coverage of the latest instalment of AEW Collision, as we guide you through your Saturday night entertainment! We are just 8 days away from the biggest show in AEW history, and all eyes are on Wembley Stadium.
Perhaps the bigger news from the past day or so is the circumstances surrounding Cash Wheeler and his arrest. FTR are scheduled to talk tonight on Collision, so it will be very interesting to see if that is addressed and whether or not it will affect the upcoming tag title match against the Young Bucks in London.
In terms of in-ring content, our main event tonight looks to be Darby Allin vs Christian Cage, which could be a neat little match and one I’m very much looking forward to. Signed earlier today, we’ll also see Jay White go one on one with Dalton Castle, and Samoa Joe will be in action!
Plus, now that the G1 is over, presumably we have Kevin Kelly back with us on commentary. Let’s find out now…
Location: Lexington, KY
Venue: Rupp Arena
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness & Kevin Kelly
Quick-fire talking heads kick us off, as Christian Cage says it’s Fight for the Fallen and he will fight with Darby Allin, and Allin will fall at his feet. Darby says it’s showtime, and he will wrap that turtleneck around Cage’s throat. Bang Bang Gang are in the house and says Dalton Castle’s spotlight is about to get snuffed out. Castle says he will suplex White so hard he’ll send him to Hades. Samoa Joe seeks answers from Punk and he will continue the violence until he gets one. And we that, we head to Elton John and our opening credits.
Samoa Joe is the first to make his way to the ring as we begin, set for a bout with some masked jobber. Woah, the masked jobber jumps him! Knee in the corner, Joe on his shoulders! GTS! He unmasks and the jobber is CM PUNK! Punk grabs a mic and shouts ‘I ACCEPT, BITCH!’ CM Punk vs Samoa Joe is official for All In: London, and it will be for the ‘Real’ World Championship.
Match One: Jay White (w/ Bullet Club Gold) vs Dalton Castle (w/ The Boys)
Castle gets a leg takedown to start this off but Jay makes the ropes. Castle takes Jay to the corner but White fights back out with a knee to the midsection and some clubbing blows. He tosses Castle to the outside but the Boys help throw Castle back in, allowing Castle to throw Jay to the mat with a big slam. Another slam keeps Dalton in control.
White turns the tables and gets some chops in the corner until Dalton rallies back with chops of his own. Misses a knee in the corner and Castle tumbles to the outside. The Gunns chase the Boys around the ring, while Jay gets a Gourdbuster onto the ring apron on Castle as we go to PIP.
Back inside the ring now, White hits a pendulum backbreaker but only gets a 1 count. Jay locks in a chinlock while driving the knee into the small of the back. Dalton battles back but receives a sweet DDT from Jay for 2.
They trade chops until Jay gets a low dropkick to the knee, but Dalton fires back with an overhead suplex. Back up to their feet, they trade chops again, and Jay gets an elbow to the face, right on the money! Clothesline in the corner from Castle, followed up by an atomic suplex. BIG German suplex to follow from Castle, 1, 2, no.
Castle is looking for an Alabama Slam but Jay holds onto the ropes. Castle charges and is sent over the ropes to the floor below. Jay goes out to meet him and drapes him over the announce table, chopping Castle for good measure. Another chop! He goes to throw Castle back in the ring, but Castle swings his legs round and NAILS a hurracanrana on the floor.
Juice is there for the distraction as the Gunns surround him, but the Boys dive onto the Gunns! Castke in the ring and Jay goes for the BladeRunner, reversed, but a uranagi from Jay gets a 2 count.
Jay lifts Castle up, Sleeper Suplex! And the Bladerunner connects for the 1, 2, 3 at 12:05.
Your winner by pinfall: Jay White
Rating: ***1/4 – They worked this smartly, with a decent pace, and Dalton got a chance to shine in his Collision debut. Fun way to the kick off the in-ring action tonight.
Back from break, Tony Schiavone is standing in the ring with Bullet Club Gold to talk about the Trios match against Page, Omega & Ibushi.
Jay White takes the mic and says he wants to talk about Kenny in his hospital bed. He advises Kenny to stay in that bed if he doesn’t want to be exposed on the biggest stage possible at Wembley next week. White says the people have been deceived into thinking the Elite were the pinnacle of Bullet Club. Jay will prove that Bullet Club Gold are a step ahead.
Juice says it took 2 minutes to put the great Kenny Omega in hospital, so what does Hangman Page think they’ll do on the biggest stage possible?
The Gunns talk about the Young Bucks cheating on Dynamite this past week. That won’t happen again, as this coming Wednesday, it’s the Elite vs the Gunns and Juice Robinson. But first, the Gunns want a warm-up match right now! If you ain’t down with that, BC have got two words for ya….”Gunns up!”
Here come the Iron Savages and Jack Jameson to take up the challenge.
Match Two: Bronson, Boulder & Jameson vs The Gunns & Juice Robinson
Bronson and Boulder start off strong, fully in control of Austin. Bronson gets hit from behind by Juice, allowing the Gunns to capitalise. Austin stomps him down in the corner and tags in Juice. Juice fires off a load of aggressive stomps and tags in Colten. Austin in too, and they double team Bronson before tagging Juice back in. Cannonball to Bronson! And Bullet Club Gold pose like The Elite to rub it in.
Knee to Bronson in the ropes, almost a V Trigger. Austin in now and he stomps Bronson in the corner and sends him to the outside as we go to picture-in-picture.
Juice takes Bronson down in the ring with a big headbutt, and then digs the fingers in the eyes! Bronson starts to fire back, but a knee to the midsection takes him down again. Juice heads up top, and an axe handle knocks Bronson down again. Bronson bashes the Gunns in the corner, avoids a double team attack and makes the tag to Boulder.
Boulder goes for a double suplex, Gunns avoid it but gets a double flatliner on them! He catches Juice in midair and slams him on top of the Gunns. Straps are down! BIG splash on top of Juice and Colten. Tags in Jameson but is immediately sent to the outside. Boulder goes for a splash in the corner, misses. Dropkick from Austin, and a Fameasser from Colten!
Left Hand of God by Juice to Bronson and a 3:10 to Yuma! Juice with a leg lariat to Jameson, followed by a falling DDT. Pinfall attempt, 1, 2, 3 at 9:30.
Your winners by pinfall: The Gunns & Juice Robinson
Rating: **1/2 – A little plodding and it slightly overstayed its welcome for a glorified squash, but BC Gold all needed to look good heading in to All In next week, so it can be forgiven.
The House of Black have a video message for us. We see them holding Billy Gunn’s boots, talking about funerals and the afterlife. They claim Gunn was living as a shadow of what he once was. They sent his boots to a trash compactor. “Rest in pain.”
Up next, we’ll be hearing from Ricky Starks.
Rush is on the phone to his manager and he wants Los Faccion Ingobernables to come to Mexico to address their recent losses. Preston Vance and Kommander are chilling at a bar in Mexico…and they get kidnapped and taken away in a van! What the heck?!
Tony Schiavone is with Ricky Starks to talk about his suspension for whipping Ricky Steamboat. Starks says his anger, his rage, doesn’t come from nothing. He meant it when he said he’d bring a war to AEW. He will bring chaos. The camera pans up to Big Bill…Starks says that chaos will come tonight. He’s putting that manager’s
Starks’ music hits and here he comes with Big Bill behind him.
Match Three: Big Bill (w/ ‘Absolute’ Ricky Starks) vs Derek Neal
Bill with a big clothesline in the corner as the bell rings. Neal fights back with a fist to the face! Bill is furious, whips him into the ropes and hits a big boot. Neal’s chances don’t look good. Goozle, chokeslam, and the academic pinfall at 1:07 gets the win for Big Bill.
Your winner by pinfall: Big Bill
Rating: N/R
Post-match, Starks continues the assault by whipping Neal repeatedly, before signalling Big Bill to toss Neal out of the ring. 2 weeks left of his suspension…sounds like he’ll be able to compete just in time for All Out…
Next up, we see footage from an indy show this past week, where Darby Allin and Sting accosted AR Fox and Swerve. Darby hypes up the coffin match at Wembley, as well as his warm-up match against them with Nick Wayne on Dynamite this coming week.
Match Four: Willow Nightingale vs Diamante
Diamante jumps onto the back of Willow as we kick things off, and Willow backs her into a corner. Clothesline and stomps on Diamante take her down. Big time suplex from Willow gets 2. Diamante drop toe holds Willow into the middle rope and fires off some clubbing blows before getting a boot to the chest. She goes for a hurracanrana but Willow puts the brakes on and slams her face first to the canvas.
On the apron, Willow controls the arm and gets a big clotheslines to take Diamante to the floor. And here comes Mercedes Martinez, strolling down the ramp. Willow and Diamante head back inside the ring now as Martinez calls the shots from outside the ring.
Body slam from Willow, and a running powerslam into the corner, but Diamante slides behind and clips the knee. Diamante takes control as we go to PIP.
The ref is distracted as Martinez chokes Willow in the ropes. Diamante ascends the buckles and rakes her forearm against the face of Willow…but Willow grabs her in the powerbomb position! No, Diamante slips out again and gets a roll up for 2. More choking from Mercedes, and Diamante capitalises with a knee to the back, wringing the arms back on Willow. Willow struggles to her feet and catches some strike attempts, getting some repeated clohteslines of her own. Hip attack in the corner! Big boot and Willow is fired up. Whipped off the ropes, she spinebusters Diamante for 2. Willow to the top rope, but immediately taken back down by Diamante, who gets the double knees in the corner. Shiranui from Diamante, 1, 2, no!
Thrust kick from Willow , and strikes are exchanged now, as Willow gets Diamante up on the top rope. Diamante goes for a powerbomb but Willow avoids and hits a dropkick from the middle rope…and Mercedes pulls Diamante to the outside for respite. WOAH here comes Kris Statlander from behind to take out Mercedes! Big suplex on the ramp! And Willow meets them on the outside with a POUNCE to Diamante into the barricade. She takes Diamante back in the ring, Doctor Bomb! 1, 2, 3! This one is over at 10:59.
Your winner by pinfall: Willow Nightingale
Rating: *** – Started to pick up towards the end, finishing at the right time with a decent climax. This did its job perfectly well.
We get a new video package for FTR vs Young Bucks. Gotta assume it’s still on if it’s being heavily advertised like this! This appears to be the ‘hearing from FTR’ segment advertised.
Lexi Nair is with Toni Storm to hype up the four-way women’s title match at All In: London. Storm says the last interviewer was very, very rude to her. Nair asks if Toni is confident that Saraya will have her back in London. Storm says they’re a sisterhood, and she’ll get the spotlight at Wembley.
Match Five: Powerhouse Hobbs vs Kevin Ku
I don’t like Ku’s outlook here! They grapple, and Hobbs bats down Ku on a dive attempt. Clothesline in the corner, gets Ku on the top rope and nails and back suplex off the top. Clubbing blow to the back of the neck, and again. Straps are down, and Hobbs nails the spinebuster for another academic pinfall at 1:58
Your winner by pinfall: Powerhouse Hobbs
Rating: N/R
Post-match, Hobbs locks in the Camel clutch/Game Over in a dig at Miro. The Redeemer Miro appears on screen! Miro used to rely on a book for guidance, and he also surrounded himself with distractions. But redemption is coming for you at All Out, Hobbs, and it will piss over your dead body. Hobbs will pray to Miro now!
Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness give us a full run down of All In and All Out. Jim Ross joins us for the main event.
Match Six: Darby Allin vs Christian Cage (w/ Luchasaurus)
Cage kisses the TNT title as he holds it up and hands it to referee Paul Turner. Cage whispers in the ear of Luchasaurus, ominously. Darby and Cage grapple, and Cage gives a clean break in the corner.
Darby breaks out of another grapple and gets a headlock takeover. After a hammerlock, Darby escapes some Cage offense with a flip off the ropes as Cage takes a breather on the floor.
Back in the ring, Cage quickly gains control, wringing the arm and sending Darby shoulder first into the buckles. Cage again wrings the arm and wrenches back on it, standing on the neck for good measure. He tosses darby hard to the outside, and Luchasaurus is there immediately, tossing Darby into the apron. Darby tries to get back in the ring, but Cage grabs him and wraps his arm around the ringpost, targeting the shoulder.
Cage gets a stomp to the outstretched arm on Darby, and hangs him arm-first over the ropes. That arm is being destroyed! Darby tries a few kicks, and gets a couple of blows to the face, but Cage quickly goes back to the arm. With Darby grounded and against the bottom rope, Cage stands on his back in his signature rope choke. He goes for a suplex but Darby gets a rollup, followed by a springboard crossbody for 2!
Backslide by Darby, 1, 2, no! Cage gets to the apron and hangs Darby in the ropes, creating a ricochet effect to snap the ropes back on Allin. Both men on the outside now, trading chops by the barricade. Cage tosses him back in, bends back the elbow and stomps hard on it, before heading out to grab the TNT title. He holds it in the corner and tells Darby to come get it.
Darby crawls….and Cage snatches it away, slamming Darby face first into the lowest turnbuckle instead. Body slam by Cage, followed by the inverted DDT. Darby gets a Code Red out of nowhere! 1, 2, no. Darby pulls the turtleneck over Cage’s face momentarily, but they collide heads and both men are down as we head to PIP.
Battling to their feet, they once again have the same idea and collide in the center of the ring. Turner starts the 10 count…gets to 7 and both men are up on their feet. They trade blows until a big slap from Christian takes Darby off his feet. Cage kicks him to the floor, and distracts the ref, allowing Luchasaurus to deliver a big right hand.
Darby back in the ring now and nails a mini-coffin drop off the middle rope, followed by a dropkick in the corner. Allin up top, but goes for a coffin drop to Luchasaurus on the outside! But Lucha catches him! Cage capitalises and blindsides Allin outside and gets him down by the barricade…but Darby moves and Cage misses an attack, hitting the barricade hard. Darby has Cage sitting on a chair now, and he ascends to the top turnbuckle, nailing a dropkick off the top rope to Cage on the floor below, booting him head over heels off the chair.
Cage is sent back inside the ring now, as Darby goes up top, looking for the Coffin Drop. Cage is on the apron! Ahhh Coffin Drop to the apron but Luchasaurus pulls Cage out of the way. Darby goes spine first into the apron! Paul Turner saw it and is sending Luchasaurus to the back!
While Turner deals with Lucha, Cage nails Darby with the TNT title. Turner turns around for the pinfall, 1, 2…no, Darby gets a foot on the ropes! Cage up and goes for a spear, misses, receives a dropkick into the corner. Darby hoists him up to the top rope, but Cage bites him! Sunset Flip Powerbomb and a SPEAR! 1, 2, NO! DARBY KICKS OUT.
Darby tries to fire back but Cage knocks him back down. Killswitch attempt but Darby reverses, jacknife from Darby! 1, 2, 3!! Darby picks up the win at 20:27.
Your winner by pinfall: Darby Allin
Rating: ***1/2 – Yep, Christian’s still got it. This was pretty technical with Cage’s limbwork, targeting the arm of Darby, and felt wonderfully methodical. Darby was kept grounded, going for his big crazy offense for the hope spots, and it just worked. Good stuff all round.
Tony Schiavone enters the ring to speak with Darby Allin. But Luchasaurus is back, and Christisn Cage attacks Darby from behind. Chokeslam on Darby from the TNT champion. Cage ‘pins’ Darby, and Luchasaurus forces Tony Schiavone to his knees to count the pinfall and announce them as the winners. Christian Cage and Luchasaurus celebrate with the championship as we fade out.
That’s it, we’re done for the night! Thanks for joining us everyone, it’s been a blast as always. You’ll have the company of someone else next week as I’ll be travelling to London for All In so will unfortunately miss coverage next week, followed by a holiday the week after. So have a great few weeks, enjoy the fantastic PPVs we have coming up, and I’ll see you for more Collision coverage RIGHT HERE on September 9th!
