Sambus’ AEW Collision Review 12.02.23

Hey 411ers! I’ve just got back from a week in Morocco, and was mid-flight home when Collision aired last night, so thanks to Lee Sanders as always for stepping up and hosting the live coverage. I briefly caught up on Dynamite and the Gold League matches, but now we turn our attention back to the Blue League, along with Bryan Danielson’s first Continental Classic matchup. Danielson/Kingston, Garcia/Andrade, and Claudio/King…yeah, this could ROCK. Let’s do it!

Location: Erie, PA
Venue: Erie Insurance Arena
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness & Kevin Kelly

Brody King is here to prove why he’s not just an upset win, he’s the most dominant wrestler in this tournament. Claudio says the time for talking is over – tonight, he takes the King’s head. CJ Perry is with Andrade and she says her client will destroy Garcia again and take home that fat check. Garcia gets mad when someone like Andrade comes in and thinks they can step on someone like him, and he’s not having it. Garcia wants to put someone like him in his place. Danielson doesn’t want depressed Eddie Kingston, he wants the Kingston that won the ROH title, he wants the best version of Kingston because if he doesn’t, Danielson will hurt him. Eddie Kingston gets that the cold open thing is what we do on Collision, but he doesn’t have time, he has to go get ready, as he doesn’t want to go 0-2 in this tournament. He doesn’t care about Danielson’s eye, his arm, he only cares about winning…so he’s going to bust him up.

Cue: Elton John

Opening pyro, and of note Nigel McGuinness is wearing a ‘Save the Clams’ t-shirt and I want one.

 

Match One: [Continental Classic: Blue League] Brody King vs Claudio Castagnoli

They go straight at each other from the opening bell with forearm shots. Brody with the chops now and a clothesline attempt but it doesn’t take Claudio off his feet. Clothesline from Claudio but the same response. More clotheslines traded but neither man can get the other down, until we get a running double clothesline to take them both off their feet and they roll to the outside. They continue the clothesline assault on the outside before rolling back in the ring and trading more forearm shots. Brody gets a boot to the face on Claudio to take control.

Big boot from Claudio in return, and a scoop slam! BIG BOI. Claudio clotheslines King over the top rope to the floor below, runs around the outside and nails a big running uppercut against the barricade. King is whipped into the barricade but comes straight back with a clothesline to Claudio. He whips Claudio into the barricade in return, sending Claudio over the barricade into the crowd as we go to PIP.

King suplexes Claudio over the barricade back to the ringside area. Chops to Castagnoli now, before ringing his bell by slamming him head first into the ringpost. Back in the ring, Claudio fights back but more chops take him down again. King grounds Claudio for a submission attempt but Claudio wrings the arm and gets back to his feet. Body slam by Brody and a standing senton to follow up. King prepares for an attack but Claudio comes OUT OF NOWHERE with a running uppercut, that was tremendous camera work.

Splash in the corner by King, Claudio goes behind, takes out the legs and goes for the Swing but King kicks him away, only for Claudio to come back with a double stomp! 1, 2, no. Brody off the ropes, Elevated uppercut by Claudio!! 1, 2, NO! Claudio signals for the Big Swing and gets it!! He steps through into the Sharpshooter…King reaches for the ropes but Claudio grabs the arm to prevent him. Eventually, King makes it to the ropes to break the hold.

German suplex by King! Cannonball! 1…no!! A one count kickout! DVD by Claudio, and King kicks out at 1 as well. Claudio goes for the Neutralizer but King flips him overhead,Claudio with the dive off the middle rope but met by a big forearm shot. Piledriver from King! 1, 2, no! Big time lariat gets the pinfall for Brody King at 12:32.

Your winner by pinfall: Brody King (6 points)

Rating: ***1/2 – Physical from the get-go, this is just what we wanted from these two, and King again has a great showing. If they continue at this rate, Brody King is a surefire made man when this is all over.

Jon Moxley speaks after Dynamite this past week, and is pretty banged up, and the last 4 years may be catching up with him. His neck, his back, his knees…he lives with pain every day, and he’s sick of it all. He’s pissed off at his body failing on him. He will do the only thing he knows – he will fight his way out of it. Every drop of sweat, will, and effort will go into this tournament. He will give every ounce of his being. There is no one in this tournament that can do to him anything worse than the demons he fights on a daily basis. If they think they can, please, take your shot.

An Abadon sighting on TV outside the Halloween season?! Nice!

 

Match Two: Abadon vs Kiera Hogan

Intimidation tactics to begin from Abadon. Hogan gets a shotgun dropkick in the corner but Abadon comes back with clubbing blows. They miss a kick, and get their legs kicked out. Hogan follows up with a hip attack and a thrust kick to the face, before a sliding low kick in the corner for 2.

Spinning sidewalk slam by Abadon as Hogan comes rebounding off the ropes. Splash in the corner, Abadon slips through the ropes onto the apron and gets a springboard cutter from the middle rope back in. Mule kick by Hogan and a neckbreaker gets a 2 count.

Running step up kick from Abadon, followed by a leg-assisted DDT (the Black Dahlia) gets the 3-count for Abadon at 3:41.

Your winner by pinfall: Abadon

Rating: N/R – Too short to rate but not a total squash. Good to see some action from talent not featured week-in, week-out.

Lights go out! When they come back on…Julia Hart is standing in the ring, looking approvingly at Abadon. Abadon approaches the TBS champion…and the lights go back out, allowing Julia Hart to disappear into thin air.

 

Samoa Joe is backstage with Alex Marvez to address being furious with MJF for accepting the tag challenge this coming Wednesday, but here comes Roderick Strong and the Kingdom to interrupt. Strong says he’s willing to forgive him for almost breaking his neck TWICE, but he wants to warn him that MJF is the devil. Strong’s best friend Adam is a fan of MJF, and MJF seems to like Joe, and as Cole’s good friend is a fan, that makes Joe Strong’s new best friend by proxy. Wednesday is a setup by the Devil, he’s probably plotting how to do it. Strong checks to see if Joe has been listening to him. Joe just laughs and walks away.

 

Match Three: [Continental Classic: Blue League] Daniel Garcia vs Andrade El Idolo

Daddy Magic has joined commentary and warns the ‘pervert’ camera man not to zoom in too close. Tie up to begin, side headlock from Andrade and a shoulder block to knock Garcia down. Garcia tries to throw Andrade to the outside but Andrade is tranquilo in the ropes. Andrade to the top rope, big crossbody off the top, follows up with chops in the corner. Garcia drops down to the mat and Andrade quickly realises, hitting a low dropkick to the midsection. Crossbody to the outside catches Garcia before he is rolled back in.

Dragon screw from Garcia and a seated dropkick to the face gets a 1 count. Andrade heads outside the ring, Garcia follows but Andrade with a kick to the midsection. They head back in the ring, knee to the midsection by Garcia, heads to the top rope but Andrade runs and pushes him, dumping him to the outside HARD.

Andrade drinks some Woo energy, giving a lil shoutout to Naitch. Back in the ring, Garcia fires up with a bunch of chops but an elbow from Andrade knocks him off his feet. Side headlock applied but Garcia hits a backdrop suplex to escape it. Multiple blows in the corner and a knee strike before he places Andrade into the Tree of Woe. He repeatedly punches the knee of Andrade and hits the tree of woe dropkick and a brainbuster for 2.

German suplex attempt by Garcia, no. Andrade hits a flying forearm off the ropes, kips up and signals for the double knees. Garcia is up though, misses a clothesline, allowing Andrade to go for the Three Amigos. Garcia escapes the third one and locks in a sleeper hold. Andrade elbows his way out though, until Garcia jumps onto his back and locks it back in. Andrade climbs the buckles with Garcia still on his back! Andrade spins around and gets a superplex off the top, before continuing the Three Amigos and covering. 1, 2, no.

Figure 4 attempt but Garcia reverses into the sharpshooter. Andrade escapes that and gets the Hammerlock DDT for the win at 11:03.

Your winner by pinfall: Andrade El Idolo (3 points)

Rating: *** – Pretty good stuff, despite a few minor miscommunications. Shame Andrade didn’t sell the knee considering Garcia did a good job repeatedly targeting it, but that’s a small gripe.

We recap the Gold League action from Dynamite this past week.

After commercial, we hear from Willie Mack! He addresses Wardlow. You don’t put your hands on Mack’s friends. He’s gonna have to reach out and touch him, and next week he better pack his lunch because Mack is a big boy. Wardlow vs Willie Mack appears to be on the cards at some point this coming week. Not a strong promo but Mack is definitely someone who should be getting more air time…even if he is about to be fed to Wardlow.

Roderick Strong shouts ‘DASHA!’ as he makes his way to the ring. Strong wants to say something to his new best friend by proxy, Samoa Joe. Everything he said backstage is true, Max is the devil, and Joe will find it out soon. Strong dedicates this next match to his best friend, and sends the Kingdom to the ring to beat their opponent’s asses.

 

Match Four: The Kingdom vs Iron Savages

All four men tee off in the ring before the referee can get control. Double crossbody from Boulder. Superkick by Bennett and a rebound Boston Bayonette. Another attempted but Boulder chokeslams him on the apron! Bear comes charging with a suicide dive and then faces off against Taven in the ring. Rollup by Taven gets 2.

Sitout chokebomb for 2 from Bear Bronson. Moonsault from Boulder misses. Superkick by Bennett, DVD, and Just the Tip connects by Taven. Taven over the top rope to take out Bronson. Double team Spike Piledriver connects for the 3 count at 2:30.

Your winners by pinfall: The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett)

Rating: N/R – Squash for the Neck Strong guys.

Roderick Strong assaults the savages from behind after the match, and the Kingdom help him back into his wheelchair.

Lexi Nair is standing by with Ethan Page, who has requested this time. Ever since losing to MJF in Canada, Page has had to regroup. He is in the best physical shape of his life and he is on a roll in ROH. So now he wants to check off something on his bucket list. AEW heads back to Canada next week, and if he wants to be the King of Canada, he needs his crown. That crown currently sits on someone else’s head. To be the King of Canada, Ethan Page has to beat Kenny Omega. The challenge has been thrown out!

We recap the history between Willow and Mercedes Martinez, and Willow has never had a singles win over her. A rematch is coming soon.

 

Match Five: The House of Black (Malakai Black & Buddy Matthews) vs Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal

Sydal and Matthews begin this one. Monkey flip exchange, Buddy tosses Sydal into the corner, Sydal to the top rope and hits a cross body but Buddy rolls through. Kick to the legs by Sydal, headscissors by Sydal but Buddy catches him. Back body drop reverses, high kick from Sydal and a tag to Daniels. Double team work from the veteran ROH team, standing moonsault by Sydal, and Daniels covers for 2.

Tag to Black, leg lariat from Daniels, step up kick in response by Black, and a tag to Buddy. Moonsault to the floor by Black to take out Daniels! Buddy and Black pose on the apron as we head to commercial break.

Back inside the ring, Black tags in again and traps the arm of Daniels, before transitioning into an abdominal stretch. Buddy back in, quick strikes, snapmare and a kick to the back gets a 2. Headlock by Buddy, but Daniels fights out of it. Springboard flatliner from Daniels gives him an opening. Buddy tags Black as Sydal is tagged in and comes in with a dropkick. Headscissor takedown, avoids a kick from Black, gets the FML driver (guillotine legdrop). Black catches an elbow on Sydal as he ascends the buckles. Duelling Meteoras! Buddy takes out Daniels as Sydal takes out Black! Rising knee from Sydal, goes for a dive but Black grabs the legs…CD with a suicide dive to Black! Angels Wings attempt, no, Black sweeps the legs, curb stomp by Buddy. Sydal into a knee from Black. Black Mass knockout kick rocks Daniels, allowing the House of Black to pick up the win at 8:40.

Your winners by pinfall: The House of Black

Rating: ***1/4 – Fun tag and a good showing for Daniels & Sydal who work as a great veteran team, providing a strong win for HoB. This got pretty wild in the closing minutes.

The lights go out…and here come FTR! Black on the mic, says he assumes that they are here because they’re joining the House of Black. Black knows they are family men…the only ‘family’ that have been there for FTR are the House of Black. Black has been a lot of things but he’s never told a lie. He places the microphone on the mat and offers it to Dax…

Dax reaches for it but it was a trap, Buddy attacks! Stomp to Wheeler. Buddy makes Dax watch as Black hits the Black Mass on Cash. Black takes the mic again to say that no one is coming for them. Another spin kick to Dax, and FTR have been taken out.

Renee Paquette is with Timeless Toni Storm. Storm misses RJ City already. She can’t believe she was unceremoniously interrupted by Skye Blue during her championship presentation last week. Her advice to Skye is to walk backwards as the only time anyone has anything nice to say to her is when they are taking picture of her bottom! But fine, Storm accepts – Blue can be the first challenger to her title. Storm is barefoot so she takes off Renee’s shoe to throw it at her.

Back from break, we hear from Skye Blue. Blue says that Storm’s midlife crisis is pathetic. She hasn’t met ‘this’ version of Skye Blue. So bring your butler, the blonde bimbo and the 1940s crap stuffed up that robe. Storm better bring her best, as Skye will have her chin up, her tits out, and she will shove that shoe right up her ass. Storm defends vs Skye Blue this Wednesday on Dynamite.

Adam Copeland vs Christian Cage hype video.

A pre-match promo from Kip Sabian for our next contest allows him to give us his hot take: Vikingo is the most over-rated wrestler on the AEW roster. That leads us into the match.

 

Match Six: El Hijo Del Vikingo vs Kip Sabian

Arm drag attempts from both guys until Vikingo jumps over the top rope for an arm wringer. Sabian sent to the floor, Vikingo goes to follow but puts the brakes on when Sabian moves. Kick to the face from the apron, springboard armdrag connects and a headscissor, followed by a dive attempt but Kip cuts him off with a kick to the face. Arabian Press from Sabian knocks Vikingo down on the outside.

Back in the ring, Sabian drives Vikingo head first into the buckles and whips him into the opposite buckles. Headbutt connects, boot to the gut, and a cannonball gets a 2 count. To their feet, they trade blows and get into a chopfest. Yikes Vikingo chops HARD. Tornado kick from Vikingo connects, and a torture rack knee lift hits the mark. Springboard Phoenix Splash from the other side of the ropes hits! 1, 2, no.

Sabian follows Vikingo up to the top rope, but punched to the apron. Sabian with a springboard hurracanrana, and a spinning Michinoku driver gets 2. Torture Rack from Sabian, Vikingo escapes, heads to the top, walks the ropes and hits a standing tornillo to the outside!! Double knees in the corner, followed by the 630 splash allows Vikingo to get the 1, 2, 3 at 8:05.

Your winner by pinfall: El Hijo Del Vikingo

Rating: *** – Vikingo has been relatively protected as of late by being placed in tag team/trios matches, preventing his offense from over-exposure. As such, a singles match here allowed him to stretch his wings a little and we had a fun match. Sabian is someone who has seemingly struggled to get over through his AEW tenure but he proved a good foil here.

 

Lexi Nair is backstage with Keith Lee asking who ‘he’ is. Here comes Shane Taylor who knows exactly who ‘he’ is. They have unfinished business, so he wants Shane Taylor vs Keith Lee at Final Battle, promising to give the people what they really want. Taylor will beat Lee in front of the entire world on the big stage. Lee accepts the challenge.

Post-break, Lexi Nair congratulates CJ Perry on her client’s big win, but here comes Miro. Perry prevents him from going in Andrade’s dressing room. She knows Miro thinks bad things will happen but she has to prove herself. She says he’s a grown man so she won’t stand in her way if she really wants to head inside, but if he has any love for her, he’ll let her do this. Let her find her own way. And don’t lay a hand on her client. Miro promises he won’t lay a hand on him.

 

Match Seven: [Continental Classic: Blue League] Bryan Danielson vs Eddie Kingston

Eyepatch Danielson is here, yessss! Here we go, test of strength, no they back off. Kingston blocks some kicks and Dragon backs away into the ropes. Kingston gets a few shots to the midsection in the corner as they lock up against the ropes, until the ref breaks them up. Danielson chops Eddie hard as he backs away. They trade a few kicks and blows, Dragon gets another chop in the corner, and Eddie fires back with a huge chop of his own, knocking Danielson to the mat.

Danielson grapples from behind, breaks away and they slap each other in the midsection. Eddie with a kick to the damaged arm…but Danielson capitalises from the momentary pause and grounds Eddie. Kick to the back of Eddie, chop to the chest, and Eddie wants more. Eddie pulls the straps down and asks for more! Another big chop. Kicks to the chest now, snapmare takeover, and a seated surfboard with the knee in the back. German suplex from Bryan! Eddie tries to get back to his feet, but falls. Dragon boots him on the apron, heads out to the floor with him, and Eddie catches him with a back suplex to the floor.

Kingston rolls Danielson back in but Dragon rolls through to the other side. Eddie continues to chop Dragon against the announcer’s table. Back inside, machine gun chops to the chest of Danielson, before Eddie sits him on the top buckle and heads up with him. He may be thinking Exploder here but Danielson fights out, headbutt! Elbows to the back of the neck and another headbutt, and a dropkick off the top sends Eddie to the canvas. Both men struggle to their feet and trade strikes. Eddie tries to lift Bryan into something but Danielson counters into a LeBell Lock attempt, can’t quite lock it in. Finally does! Rolls into a crossface, then back into the LeBell. Eddie rolls over and grounds Bryan with some hammering shots to the face and head. Slap to the face! Eddie continues the assault. Back suplex from Eddie, and a backfist!! 1, 2, no!

Vertical suplex by Eddie, 1, 2, no. Eddie with knees to the face! Piledriver attempt but Danielson escapes and hits a roundhouse kick. Eddie gets to his knees and is met by the Yes Kicks. Kingston catches a kick and fires off more chops, wow Danielson’s chest is red raw. Kicks to the arm and legs of Kingston, enziguri to Danielson! Half and half connects! Backfist caught, Danielson with a capture suplex, and both men are down.

More Yes kicks from Danielson as we are told there are 5 minutes remaining. Capture suplex again gets a 2. Danielson traps the arms and begins stomping the head of Kingston…but eventually has to give up due to exhaustion. Eddie flips Danielson off in his face, and Danielson responds with the Busaiku Knee for 3 at 16:51.

Your winner by pinfall: Bryan Danielson (3 points)

Rating: ***3/4 – Two weeks in a row that Kingston provides a banger of a main event on Collision. Kind of insane that Danielson can still wrestle at this level when recovering from orbital bone surgery; this was most certainly not a ‘night off’ for him. Good stuff, and now the question will be can Eddie recover in the face of a series of ‘must-win’ situations, or will his downward spiral continue?

Eddie Kingston vs Claudio Castagnoli and Bryan Danielon vs Andrade El Idolo are signed for next week’s episode, plus Kenny Omega vs Ethan Page. Damn that is a nice show on paper.

 

Blue League standings as of the end of tonight’s show:

Brody king: 6 points

Claudio Castagnoli: 3 points

Andrade El idolo: 3 points

Bryan Danielson: 3 points

Eddie Kingston: 0 points

Daniel Garcia: 0 points

8.0

The final score: review Very Good

The 411

The Continental Classic continues to provide solid structure to these shows, and tonight’s episode was particularly strong, with great tournament action and decent filler content in between that never felt too throwaway. Aside from the C2, I really enjoyed seeing some fresh faces on Collision, especially some TV time to individuals often relegated to ROH – keep it coming, Tony!