After a spirited match between the two, AEW World Champion MJF is still the champion after defeating Adam Cole in the main event of Sunday’s All In at London’s Wembley Stadium.
While the match featured neither man turning on the other as some expected, there were moments between the two where that nearly came to be. Late in the match, Roderick Strong appeared to assist Cole, hitting a low blow to MJF that surprised the challenger. Cole instinctively hit a Panama Sunrise and his Boom strike to the back of MJF’s head that only got a slow two count as referee Bryce Remsburg was recovering from being hit with his own Panama Sunrise.
Strong tossed the title belt to Cole in hopes he would use it, but Cole refused after initially thinking about it. MJF got the pin with an inside cradle as Strong left in disgust. Afterward, Cole sat in the corner irate and MJF tried to make good with him, but Cole simply tossed the Ring of Honor Tag Team titles MJF handed him that they won earlier on the show. MJF turned his back as Cole had done weeks ago, saying if all Cole cared about was the title, he should do what he needs to do. Cole thought about it and then the two hugged it out, celebrating to end the show.
These friends & #ROH Tag Team Champions Adam Cole & MJF went to war for the #AEW World Championship!
The two had a physical match where Cole would take advantage of MJF’s reluctance to go to wherever he needed to in order to win. Cole hit a sheer drop brainbuster on MJF on the steel steps at one point, later dropping MJF with a tombstone on the announce table after MJF couldn’t do the same out of friendship.
The match was restarted after both men hit each other with a clothesline (“double clothesline!”) which led to a double pin. Cole asked MJF for another five minutes which MJF refused, saying they needed to go as long as it took to declare a winner.
MJF continues the title reign that started last November while Cole is now 0-1-1 against MJF. They also share the aforementioned ROH Tag Team titles.
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No new matches were announced for next Sunday’s AEW All Out, nor for this Wednesday’s Dynamite.
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In what can best be described as wild and violent bloodbath, Orange Cassidy, Eddie Kingston, Best Friends and Penta El Zero Miedo were successful in the Stadium Stampede match, picking up the win over the Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta) and Santana & Ortiz.
The end came when Cassidy nailed Castagnoli with an Orange Punch via a sticky taped fist adorned with glass.
The bout was more of a hardcore match than the previous Stampedes as barbed wire boards, tables and ladders were used in addition to skewers to Moxley’s head by Penta El Zero Miedo.
At one point, Penta appeared to be injured following a Moxley piledriver spot on a chair as medical personnel brought him to the back. However, it was planned as he later emerged as his Penta Oscuro character, delivering a sunset bomb off a ladder to Santana even after several rungs of the ladder broke beforehand.
— šš«šššš§ (@WrestlingCovers) August 27, 2023
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In their trilogy match, AEW Tag Team Champions FTR retained the titles with a win over the Young Bucks, denying the Jackson brothers their company-record third title reign.
Both teams emptied out the tank, using several of their signature moves against each other including a Shatter Machine by the Bucks and the FTR Trigger by the champions.
In the end, Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler countered a Meltzer Driver with a mid-air Shatter Machine to get the pin and successful title defense. Afterward, FTR offered their hands in respect but the Bucks declined and walked away.
It’s FTR’s sixth title defense in their second reign with the titles.
Other Notes:
Sting & Darby Allin came out to Metallica’s “Seek & Destroy” which Sting used during part of his run in WCW from 1999-2001.
Flash Garments and DJ Whoo Kid came out with Swerve Strickland with Garments rapping Strickland’s entrance music.
Saraya came out to Queen’s “We Will Rock You” along with multiple members of her family as part of her entrance.
Grado made his AEW on-screen debut during the pre-show, joining Paul Wight and Anthony Ogogo to lay out Jeff Jarrett, Satnam Singh, Sonjay Dutt & Jay Lethal as the heels were running down UK wrestling. Stateside, Grado worked primarily for Impact Wrestling.
Hours before they headline AEW All In, MJF and Adam Cole defeated Aussie Open to win the titles on the Zero Hour pre-show.
The finish of the match saw Cole pin Kyle Fletcher following a double clothesline. MJF had hit a “Kangaroo Kick” on both Fletcher and Mark Davis moments earlier.
The new champions briefly celebrated with their belts after the match. They then had a short staredown as Cole handed MJF the AEW world title belt. Cole left the ring as MJF held up the title, leaving MJF to celebrate with his two belts.
Better Than You Bay Bay are now the 67th champions in ROH tag title lineage. They are the 41st team to win the belts. Aussie Open’s title reign ends after 37 days and four successful title defenses. They beat The Lucha Bros for the belts at ROH Death Before Dishonor on July 21.
With less than hours to go before the kickoff of AEW All In from London’s Wembley Stadium, allow me to present a Josh Nason’s Punch-Out special audio version of my preview & prediction column from Sports Illustrated this past week with some additional thoughts.
I talk about how despite what the haters (Hayters?) will say, Sunday is a massive accomplishment for both AEW and the wrestling business. I go into why there is so much hand-wringing about the show which is actually pretty simple: the fact All Out is seven days away.
I give full predictions on today’s show and how I think it will play into All Out, including some early thoughts on next Sunday’s card.
I also give some thoughts on the passing of Terry Funk and Bray Wyatt and how both men made their way into my wrestling viewing life.
It’s one of the biggest days in pro wrestling history and I’m here for it.
The biggest wrestling show of the year has to be just that. Sunday’s All In (1 PM Eastern from London’s Wembley Stadium), the most important show since AEW became a proper company, needs to be canāt miss (sports) entertainment. This should be a card full of massive feuds, dream matches, and worthwhile conclusions to long-simmering stories.
Not having Kenny Omega in a singles match or CM Punk trying to regain the title he never lost are just some of the more egregious misses.
The lead-up to what should be AEW’s magnum opus has unfolded with a lamentable lack of finesse, leaving even their most ardent supporters with shrugged shoulders. This is a haphazardly constructed card, devoid of any narrative finesse that defines the truly historic shows.
But what am I even saying? When the bell rings, all of this will probably be forgotten, and the performers will deliver like they always do. Consistently relying on high-quality in-ring performances to make up for subpar builds is a dangerous rope to walk and itās become a rope AEW increasingly finds themselves crossing.
These misses wonāt be felt in this particular box office, but you only get one chance to run “the biggest wrestling show of all time.” You canāt just slap a “part 2ā or an āAgainā at the end of that moniker and expect folks to buy in. By running a second major show the following week, they put themselves in an unwinnable position. They have to try and book for two shows at the same time when the focus should be entirely on All In.
Fans will forgive a subpar All Out card and Chicago will get over it if they run a B-show. Book for the show that people could remember forever, not the one they will forget by the following Dynamite. The lineup for All Out somehow being better than All In will be my Joker origin story.
AEW is in desperate need of good news and solid momentum. This is the biggest two-week stretch in the short promotionās history. Sunday in sunny London town will, for better or worse, define the future of AEW.
Now, as always, letās preview the action.
AEW Trios Champions House of Black (Buddy Matthews, Brody King & Malakai Black) defend against The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) and Billy Gunn
I donāt even care that this got announced four days before the show. I was smiling like a goon when Gunn came out on Wednesday night. Getting The Acclaimed on the Wembley card is a great call. They arenāt as popular as they were at their peak, but the crowd still loves them and is really going to love Gunn being back. The number one thing a wrestling show should do is make the crowd happy and few things make a crowd happier than an Acclaimed live entrance.
I love The House of Black. They have been workhorses on Collision and the individual styles of King, Matthews and Black fit so well together. Their presentation is top-notch and they never disappoint in the ring. But this is really about giving the fans what they want and Daddy Ass/Bad Ass getting some gold will do exactly that.
Prediction: The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn win the titles
Darby Allin & Sting vs. Christian Cage & Swerve Strickland
I had a wonderful preview written about this match. The booking wasnāt complicated; it was straightforward and simple. Strickland and Allin are rivals from the same area, Fox and Allin have a long history, and Sting is Sting. Throw in some Nick Wayne-related assault, and folks, that was a story worth telling. No winks and nods to the internet, no meta commentary about the state of wrestling just paint-by-numbers storytelling. It was the best-booked match on the card.
For reasons that remain unclear, Fox was replaced with Christian Cage. (At least it wasnāt Brian Cage!) Even if this was done because Fox had visa issues, is injured, or whatever, this is such a confusing mess. At best, itās another example of sloppy decision-making with little foresight. If there was even a risk that he might not be able to make the trip, why have him there in the first place? Itās a shame, because Fox was a great fit with Swerve, and someone who grinded on the indies as long as he did deserved a spot on the card.
If nothing else, All In will do one thing that fans should remember forever: give Sting a massive, well-deserved platform. 80,000+ people going absolute nuts for the 64-year-old Stinger is going to be incredible. He spent much of the internet age of wrestling in TNA before his far too brief WWE run. His one WrestleMania moment was nowhere near good enough for a performer of his caliber. Few things are worse booking decisions than having HHH beat Sting at WrestleMania. On Saturday, The Icon will get to cap his career on the biggest stage, a stage he so deeply deserves.
Prediction: Sting & Allin
The Golden Elite (Hangman Page, Kenny Omega & Kota Ibushi) vs. Bullet Club Gold (Juice Robinson & Jay White) and Konosuke Takeshita
Again, if this is truly the biggest wrestling show in history, having Omega in a multi-man match is a huge miss. No slight to anyone in the match, but there are levels to this. Omega is a man who broke and rebroke the star rating system that this site popularized. This is also a man held together by KT tape and positive thoughts. He doesnāt have a ton of big matches left in him. If this isnāt the place to use one of the bullets left in that chamber, what is? Maybe they are saving the big singles match with Takeshita for All Out, but that should happen in London, not Chicago.
Collision has become the best weekly wrestling show due in large part to Bullet Club Gold aka The Bang Bang Gang which is one of the silliest and best monikers in wrestling. They should lose the Bullet Club part completely and just go by that. Whiteās sense of humor and timing has been a revelation. Collision puts all of its talents in positions to succeed and gives them time do to so. It is consistently the best weekly wrestling show.
Prediction: The Golden Elite
Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta) & Santana and Ortiz vs. Eddie Kingston, Penta El Zero Miedo, Orange Cassidy & Best Friends (Trent Beretta & Chuck Taylor) in a Stadium Stampede match
It broke my heart to delete “and Rey Fenix” rom the match listing. Fenix is one of the best wrestlers in the world, and there are very few people who can replace him and what he is capable of doing in the ring. Itās a huge bummer heās missing the show, but it is a delight seeing Santana and Ortiz back together in AEW. Santana, with his hair looking straight-up delicious, is the goods. Look for him to show out on Sunday. Hopefully he and Ortiz put any issues they had to bed because they are such a good team.
Iām never going to turn my nose up at a Stadium Stampede match, but this is not a feud that warrants a spectacle like this. More than most matches on the card, this seems like a way to clearly set up matches at All Out like Moxley vs. Cassidy and Kingston vs. Castagnoli. Both will be great, but using one of AEWās signature spectacles to get there is backward. This should be the blow-off to a program, not a transition into the next stage.
Prediction: Blackpool Combat Club & Santana and Ortiz
Will Ospreay vs. Chris Jericho
Another match that came out of nowhere and a match that would have been better served by more than one week of build. Can Jericho even work a Ospreay match now? Iām a bit worried that he will try to keep up with one of the more insane people in modern wrestling who wrestles such a physical, taxing style. Not only that, he has to wrestle Ospreay after a live performance of Judas. Brother is going to be gasping for air before the bell even rings.
Who are we supposed to root for here? Is Jericho supposed to be the sympathetic babyface after being so terrible to his friends that they all left him? How is the audience supposed to root for him when he just tried to link up with someone well-established as the most loathsome character on AEW programming? Not only that, but Ospreay is the hometown boy. There is a zero percent chance heās getting booed no matter how hard he tries.
Ospreay beat Omega in a match thatās on the shortlist for match of the year. He finally beat Okada. There is no chance he loses in a home game.
Prediction: Will Ospreay
AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida defends against Toni Storm, Saraya and Britt Baker in a four-way
Each wrestler brings something unique to this match and AEW in general. Shida is a well-deserving, wholesome champion. Storm is the best overall talent in the division and is doing incredible work with her failed Hollywood glamour character who throws footwear at backstage interviewers. Saraya brings, by far, the most notoriety, name recognition, and Britishness. Baker is the homegrown talent conspicuously absent from the main stage and premier spotlight. Four great talents who should be able to create something lasting and meaningful on Saturday.
Rather than put together a cohesive story, AEW fell back on hastily spinning up a tournament to get the Womenās title match on the card: a crutch they too often lean on. The song remains the same, no matter how many times the record gets spun. There had been such little interaction between the four of them that I had to double-check this match was happening. Dynamite had an Adam Cole and MJF sit-down but this only got a 60 second pretape, a Ruby Soho singles match, and a tag team main event on Rampage.
Shida just won the title three weeks ago and AEW rarely hot potatoes their World championships. Iāve seen some talk of crowning Saraya because of where the show is, but I canāt see that happening
Prediction: Shida retains
AEW Tag Team Champions FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) defend against the Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
As is federally mandated (attention FBI, CIA, Homeland Security, etc.), no major wrestling show can exist without someone, somewhere claiming to be the greatest of all time.
Exhausting in a vacuum, the claims and subsequent discussions are completely warranted here. I donāt write much about WWE on this site, nor do I have any real desire to, but itās these two teams along with The Usos that make up the conversation for the greatest tag team of the modern generation and perhaps all-time. The main difference between The Usos, who are legitimately great, and these two teams, is that both the brothers Jackson and FTR have had enough memorable, historic matches that I donāt even need to list them here. Naming a memorable Usos match? Thatās a much bigger challenge. They have had countless matches with The New Day, but how many stand out? How many compare to The Bucks Ladder Wars with The Briscoes or FTRās trilogy with those same Briscoes? The answer is they donāt. Thatās why these are the two best tag teams of the modern era and two of the best in history.
Both teams have proven themselves across multiple companies and wildly different match types. A complaint directed towards a lot of Young Bucks matches is they all follow the same formula with the same moves, and sure, Iāll somewhat allow for that. You canāt say that about FTR. They have proven (actually, beyond proven) that they can wrestle any style, against any opponent, in any match type. Thatās true greatness, and thatās why they are the best to ever do it. They had people in a full lather about a tag team match on a Saturday night in the middle of the summer. If thatās not greatness, I donāt know what is.
Bell-to-bell, this should be the best match on the card as no one does high-stakes tag team wrestling like AEW. Before Cash Wheelerās legal situation, I thought it was Top Guys, over. The last thing AEW needs right now is more uncertainty and putting the title on The Bucks is the safer, more stable move
Prediction: The Young Bucks win the titles
CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe
Punkās gravitational pull is unlike anything else in this industry. Like him or not, he is the sun that everything in AEW orbits around. When heās on screen, he commands our eyes and ears. He demands we put down our phones and pay attention. When heās not on screen, weāre wondering where he is. In a world increasingly full of NPCs – non-playable characters if youāre nasty – he is the Main Character, the star attraction. Of course, drama and intrigue follow him wherever he goes; itās what makes him special. It made him special in WWE, it made him special in his unfortunate attempt at MMA, and keeps him special today in AEW. Historical greatness is frequently divisive, so why should he be any different?
At risk of being lost in this gravity, is Joe from Samoa. The only reason he hasnāt been swallowed by it completely is through his sheer force of will and talent. The true king of television is exactly that. He is appointment viewing no matter how long (or short) the match may be. Bar for bar, he is the most consistently excellent promo in the company (full apologies to Eddie Kingston, Jon Moxley, etc.) and remains their most believable mic artist. Like so many of our favorites, heās closer to the end than the beginning and his current run is as good as anything heās ever done. Long may he reign.
Even though Iād love to see Joe take this, there are so many other stories to be told and money to be made with Punk as the uncrowned champion. He keeps his belt.
Prediction: CM Punk
AEW World Champion MJF defends against Adam Cole
Even though this is not for me, Iāll still admit this pairing has been a shocking delight. Even though this is the most WWE thing AEW has ever done, the charisma and chemistry between the two carries the day. From the pre-taped vignettes to the live promos and everything in between, it all works far better than an enemy-turned-friend program should which is a testament to the singular talents of Cole and MJF.
The major issue with all of this is that it isnāt big enough for the main event of the biggest show in company history. It lacks the gravitas. Like everything else on the card, it needed more time — more time to establish them as a team and more time to make the inevitable turn that much more powerful.
The easy booking here is in the Cole turn, not MJF. MJF getting screwed over by Cole (and maybe big Rod Strong) sets MJF up for the chance to work as a true face for the first time. And itās not like the audience can hate him more than they usually do. His turning on Cole wonāt add to his character; it would just be more of the same. But Cole — fresh off a long absence and joyous return — turning on MJF would give this program legs and establish a new top-of-the-card heel for the babyfaces to feud with. Allowing MJF to have the crowd fully behind him would be something new and exciting. However, there is a huge Punk-related āBUTā here.
Regardless of who wins, it would be inexcusable for the show to end without Punk coming out to confront the winner. If thatās the case, it makes more sense for him to confront MJF than Cole. Closing the show with the two biggest stars in the company setting up the next big title program will give AEW some needed momentum heading into 2024.
Hours before they will take each other on for the AEW World title, MJF & Adam Cole will challenge Aussie Open for the Ring of Honor Tag Team titles as part of the AEW All In Zero Hour pre-show.
The pay-per-view event is set for London’s Wembley Stadium on Sunday, August 27th.
On this past Wednesday’s Dynamite, Cole said during a promo with MJF that he has never won the titles in his time there and suggested to him that they challenge for them ahead of their singles match against each other.
After a squash win on Friday’s Rampage, Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher) accepted the challenge after mocking MJF & Cole. The duo won the titles at July’s Death Before Dishonor and will be looking for their third title defense.
Former adversaries MJF & Cole were paired up in the recent Blind eliminator tag team tournament to earn an AEW Tag Team title shot. After winning it, they fell short in their challenge of reigning champions FTR.
Here’s the updated card:
AEW World Champion MJF defends against Adam Cole
AEW Tag Team Champions FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) defend against The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson)
AEW Women’s Champion Hikaru Shida defends against Toni Storm, Saraya and either Britt Baker or The Bunny
Sting & Darby Allin vs. Swerve Strickland & AR Fox in a coffin match
Zero Hour pre-show: ROH Tag Team Champions Aussie Open (Mark Davis & Kyle Fletcher) defend against MJF & Adam Cole
The saga between Adam Cole and MJF continued on AEW Dynamite.
Wednesdayās show saw the two issue a challenge to the ROH Tag Team Champions Aussie Open for a match on the All In Zero Hour, just hours prior to their main event title match. After Roderick Strong confronted Cole and left with The Kingdom, Cole confronted MJF over the way he treated Strong. There was a tense moment, but eventually they hugged it out.
āSomeoneās turning here,ā Alvarez said on Wrestling Observer Radio Thursday morning.
The question seems to be when, not if the turn is happening. The two were paired together in Blind Eliminator Tag Team title tournament they ended up winning, but failed to win the titles. Despite that, they have remained friends, and it was MJF that offered Cole the title match for All In.
āDonāt rush it,ā Meltzer said.
āEvery week thereās an issue where the fans chant for them to hug it out,ā Alvarez pointed out the continued tension between the two.
āWhen the ratings start falling, thatās when I would split them,ā Meltzer said. I would not split them early, itās not easy to get something thatās hot.ā
MJF and Adam Cole may be wrestling twice in the same day.
Cole issued the challenge on Wednesday’s Dynamite to the ROH Tag Team Champions Aussie Open for a match on All Inās pre-show, known as Zero Hour. Cole pitched the idea to MJF who at first balked at the idea of wrestling twice in one night. But he eventually agreed, saying he was a sucker for a cheap pop.
The two are already scheduled to main event All In on August 27. Cole said during the promo that while heās won the ROH World and Television titles, heās never held the Tag Team titles, listing some of the top teams who have held that title including Kings of Wrestling and reDRagon. After MJF agreed to the title match, Roderick Strong came out and confronted Cole, upset that he didnāt want to team with him. He left with The Kingdom, who consoled Strong as they walked away.
MJF blew it off and told Cole that he didn’t need Strong, but Cole got mad and shoved MJF, saying that Strong was his friend too. Cole immediately apologized, with MJF shrugging it off and telling Cole to check in on Strong as the promo ended.
The card for this Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite was rounded out Friday with the Young Bucks vs. Jeff & Matt Hardy as the featured new attraction.
In a backstage promo on Rampage, Matt & Nick Jackson said they were going to get back into the tag team division when they invited the Hardys to join them on-screen. Matt Hardy then suggested if they were getting back into the deep end, they should face them right from the start and the match was made.
The two teams have squared off several times throughout the years, but just once in AEW when the Hardys defeated the Bucks at 2022’s Double or Nothing.
In another tag team match, the Blackpool Combat Club’s Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli will take on the Lucha Brothers following Moxley & Castagnoli’s victory over Best Friends Friday in their parking lot fight.
After their rematch for the AEW World title was made Wednesday for this month’s All In at London’s Wembley Stadium, champion MJF and Adam Cole will be on the show.
The additions join the previously announced FTW title match between champion Jack Perry and Rob Van Dam.
Here’s the current lineup:
The Hardys (Matt & Jeff Hardy) vs. The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson)
MJF & Adam Cole appearance
Blackpool Combat Club (Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli) vs. Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo & Rey Fenix)
FTW Champion Jack Perry defends against Rob Van Dam
The AEW World Championship match for All In is set.
Adam Cole will challenge MJF for the title at Wembley Stadium on August 27. The match was confirmed on Wednesday’s Dynamite after MJF decided to give Cole a championship match, offering a contract. Cole signed the contract, hugging MJF as the segment ended and the two celebrated.
AEW also confirmed that All In will air live on pay-per-view and Bleacher Report starting at 1 pm ET, with the Zero Hour pre-show starting at noon ET.
MJF came out on Dynamite Wednesday talking about how he has battled both ADD and Rejection Sensitive Disorder, and how as a result of that often rejected and stabbed people in the back before they could do it to him. He said he used to do that because he was scared, but is no longer scared and thanked the fans for showing they cared. He then asked Adam Cole to come out. Cole came to the ring and thanked MJF for sharing his story, saying he was not alone as for years he was a jerk as well because he was scared. MJF then said he would give Cole a title match at All In as he promised earlier, and offered him the contract.
Here is the current lineup for All In in London:
AEW World Championship: MJF defends against Adam Cole
Wrestling Observer Live with Bryan Alvarez and Mike Sempervive is back with tons to talk about including the SummerSlam card and what changes have been made, All In on PPV, Max and Cole do big numbers with FTR, the world famous RAW report and tons more. A fun show as always so check it out~!
MJF and Adam Cole failed in their bid to capture the AEW Tag Team titles on Dynamite.
FTR retained their titles in the main event of Saturdayās show. Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio said he was stunned watching the finish.
āThey better have a hell of a storyline because Iām watching this match and itās just like…I rarely get stunned by finishes…I did not think this was a good thing,ā he said āWhatever the storyline is, I hope itās really good…I just thought this was the night.”
Later, Meltzer explained why he felt the titles should have changed hands.
āThis was the perfect opportunity for a couple of weeks title run. Just a thing where you do it and go back with it or donāt go back with it, you can hold two belts for a little while.ā
In regards to the eventual breakup between the two, both Meltzer and Alvarez thought it shouldnāt happen anytime soon, and any plans for them can always be pushed back.
āThey should not break up anytime soon, Meltzer said. āTheir merch is selling. Thatās why I thought they should win the titles, go with the frickinā momentum.ā
āThe fact is, they should have won the titles,ā Alvarez said. āIt was the easiest thing to do. Whatever plan you got for MJF and Adam Cole, you can always do it later, ācause itās fake.ā
Wrestling Observer Radio with Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer is back with tons to talk about including the UFC recap with Ryan Frederick, Great American Bash NXT preview for Sunday, plus RAW and Dynamite previews, Rey Mysterio update, and full reviews of Collision and Smackdown. A fun show as always so check it out~!
Timestamps:
Start: UFC 291 recap
30:23: Bryan’s Defy thoughts, Rey Mysterio injury update
34:36: NXT Great American Bash, WWE Raw, AEW Dynamite lineups
FTR will look to continue their run of recent success as they defend the AEW Tag Team titles against AEW World Champion MJF & Adam Cole on Saturday’s AEW Collision from Hartford, Connecticut.
FTR is coming off a match of the year candidate against Jay White & Juice Robinson and will now face Cole & MJF, winners of the Blind Eliminator tag team tournament.
Amid a two-match losing streak, former AEW World Champion CM Punk will be on hand to give his thoughts about his current situation.
In a ladder match for his stolen mask, Andrade El Idolo will take on Buddy Matthews of the House of Black, the rest of which are banned from the arena.
Bullet Club Gold’s Juice Robinson & The Gunns will take on AAA Mega Champion El Hijo del Vikingo, Darius Martin & Action Andretti.
ROH TV Champion Samoa Joe faces Gravity while former ROH Women’s Champion Mercedes Martinez makes her Collision debut against Kiera Hogan.
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The cold open promos feature Darby Allin asking for a fight, and the challengers and champions hyping up the AEW Tag Team Title match tonight. Elton John reminds us that Saturday Night is Alright For Fighting before Ian Riccaboni and Nigel McGuinness officially welcome us to AEW Collision.
Ladder Match for Andradeās Mask: Andrade El Idolo defeated Buddy Matthews
This was a fun time. These two worked hard and did some wild spots here. Andrade won the mask, but has he won the feud? Time will tell.
This is a rematch from their stellar encounter on the debut episode of Collision. Andrade had new gear on, looking like a Latino Diesel. The two went after each other early, with Andrade sending Matthews to the floor after a chop exchange. Andrade climbed a ladder on the outside and hit a moonsault to Matthews on the floor. Andrade took some time to get a number of ladders into the ring. Matthews got some strikes in, but Andrade sent him into a ladder before hitting the three Amigos.
Matthews avoided the third suplex but did not avoid a hip toss into a ladder in the corner. Andrade went for a ladder-assisted double knee attack in the corner, but Matthews flung the ladder in Andradeās face. Matthews went to the doctor to have his shoulder checked on as we went to picture-in-picture commercial. On the small screen, the doctor seemingly pulled Matthewsā shoulder into place.
We came back from commercial to Matthews ragdolling Andrade around the ringside area. Matthews built a ladder bridge between the ring and the announce table and sent Andrade into it with a flapjack. They fought on the apron, with both men teasing falls onto the ladder bridge. Eventually, Andrade ended up running into a double-arm DDT onto the ladder.
Matthews set up a table in the corner of the ring, driving Andrade head-first into the table multiple times. Matthews went for the mask, but Andrade tipped him off the ladder before hitting a back elbow that sent Matthews onto a ladder bridge on the other side of the ring. Andrade climbed the ladder on the other side of Matthews, then dared Matthews to meet him at the top. They fought on top of the ladder before Andrade hit a sunset flip powerbomb onto the ladder bridge.
Andrade went for the mask, but Matthews pulled him down into a knee strike. Julia Hart produced handcuffs, helping Matthews lock Andrade on the ringpost. Matthews went to hit Andrade with a chair, but Andrade kicked the chair into Matthewsā face. Andrade grabbed the key from Hart and unlocked himself before locking Matthews into the cuffs. Andrade went for the mask, but Julia Hart climbed onto his back. Matthews went to stop Andrade, but Andrade sent him to the floor. Andrade then pushed Hart into Matthews, both of them going through Chekovās Table at ringside. Andrade then grabbed the mask to win.
Backstage, Tony Schiavone attempted to talk to Miro, but Miro was quickly attacked with a chair by Aaron Solo of QTV. Miro quickly dispatched Solo. Darby Allin came out for a match with an unknown opponent.
Darby Allin defeated Minoru Suzuki
Well, Iāll be damned, itās Minoru Suzuki! The announcers recapped the recent history between these two, with run-ins at Forbidden Door and the Royal Rampage. Allin got a jumpstart to the match, booting Suzuki off the apron before hitting a suicide dive. Allin dropkicked Suzuki out of a chair before throwing him into the ring to officially start the match.
Allin laid in strikes to Suzuki before Suzuki dropped him with a forearm shot. Suzuki battered Allin, landing a Penalty Kick for a nearfall. Suzuki ripped the tape off of Allinās waist as we went to a picture-in-picture commercial.
We came back from break with Allin laying in chops to Suzuki, only for Suzuki to drop him with a single shot across the chest. Allin tried fighting back, but Suzuki dropped him again. Suzuki offered a free shot, with Allin taking several shots before landing a Code Red for a nearfall. Allin went for a Coffin Splash in the corner, but Suzuki caught him in a choke. Allin avoided the Gotch Style Piledriver, hitting a springboard Coffin Splash. Allin went for the Coffin Drop, but Suzuki caught him in a rear-naked choke. Allin rolled back, stacking Suzuki on his shoulders for the flash pin and the victory in this surprising encounter.
After the match, TNT Champion Luchasaurus and Christian Cage sarcastically said that Allin looks ready for his shot at Luchasaurus and the TNT Title. But with Allinās issues with Swerve Strickland and AR Fox, he needs to focus before All Out. Cage said that the TNT Title meant much more now than it did when Allin held it.
We got a hype video for the AEW Womenās Title match this Wednesday at Dynamite 200. Toni Storm called Hikaru Shida a stupid cow, noting that she was a pandemic champion. āMuch like the pandemic, weāre all glad itās over.ā Storm said that Shida would be using her kendo stick as a crutch when Storm was done with her.
Samoa Joe defeated Gravity
Gravity avoided Joe and did some spacewalking before catching Joe with a hurricanrana and a lucha armdrag. Joe cut him off with elbows in the corner. Gravity went for a dive, but Joe spacewalked away to a big pop from the crowd and a hearty laugh from me. Joe ended proceedings with a Muscle Buster.
CM Punk Speaks
OK, thereās a lot to cover here. Punk officially crowning himself the Real World Champion makes the road to Wembley very interesting, especially with the Ricky Starks match coming next week as opposed to Wembley. However, with next week’s Collision going head-to-head with Summerslam, I can understand hyping a “World Title” match with CM Punk involved. There were also a few comments that could be seen as veiled shots at the Elite, keeping that issue simmering.
Tony Schiavone welcomed CM Punk, who came out with the red bag he came out with on the debut episode of Collision. Schiavone straight-up asked Punk what was in the bag. Punk noted that despite his travel issues and only getting to the building 2 hours ago, he always made his towns. Punk brought up Wembley Stadium, saying that maybe weāll know if heās wrestling there by the end of the night.
He pivoted to Ricky Starks, noting that Starks has beaten him twice. Punk said that itās not really about whatās in the bag, itās that heās been left holding the bag. Itās a burden he has to carry because heās the adult in the room. Punk opened the bag and revealed the AEW World Championship that still carries his nameplate and his blood from last September, calling himself the Real World Champion. He spraypainted a black X on the title, noting that the X has been his logo since 1997. It means that heās straight edge, which means heās better than you. It means heās the Best In The World. No one has beaten him for the title, which means heās still the Real World Champion.
Ricky Starks came out, then asked for a proper entrance with full music, which he got. Starks said that whatever Punk claims is his, Starks is owed it because heās beaten him twice. Starks said that from his vantage point, heās the World Champion and the face of Collision. The fans split chants of Rickyās Title/CM Punk as Punk requested a special guest referee. Starks said it didnāt matter who it was ā whether it was Dave Prazak, Julio Dinero, or an old friend from Stamford ā he would beat Punk again.
Punk accepts the challenge for next week on Collision. Punk tells Schiavone to tell Starks who the guest referee will be next week. Schiavone announced that the special guest referee will be Ricky āThe Dragonā Steamboat, who has a history with Punk going back to Ring of Honor in 2004.
We got a video package highlighting Adam Cole and MJFās last month before hyping the main event title match against FTR.
Bullet Club Gold (Austin Gunn, Colton Gunn & Juice Robinson) defeated Action Andretti, Darius Martin & El Hijo del Vikingo
The match went to commercial quickly after it started. Bullet Club pulled out a cardboard cutout of Jay White from under the ring. Back from the break, Vikingo got through both Gunns to make a hot tag to Andretti.
Andretti missed a split-legged moonsault on Colton before rolling through and hitting a Pele Kick to Austin. He dropped Colton before avoiding a senton from Robinson. Martin and Andretti launched Vikingo onto all three opponents on the floor. The Gunns got control back, isolating Martin before hitting the 3:10 To Yuma for the win.
Mercedes Martinez defeated Kiera Hogan
Martinez booted Hogan into the corner to start. Hogan came back with a dropkick off the top rope, but Martinez cut her off with a facebuster. Martinez hit a twisting suplex for a nearfall. Hogan dropped Martinez with a low enzuigiri, but Martinez cut her off on the top rope. She hit a Tower Of London-style neckbreaker for a nearfall before we went to a picture-in-picture commercial.
Back from the break as Hogan hit a low kick in the ropes for a nearfall. Hogan ran wild with kicks and set up her finisher, but Martinez rolled out and hit a Saito Suplex. Martinez hit a running forearm to the back of the neck before locking in the Brass City Stretch for the win. Martinez refused to release the hold after the match, bringing out TBS Champion Kris Statlander for the save. Martinez feigned bailing out before coming back in and dropped Statlander with the title. Willow Nightingale made the save, making sure Martinez left the premises.
AEW World Tag Team Title Match: FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) defeated Adam Cole & MJF
This was an awesome main event, with the beloved makeshift team taking on the experienced tag team and coming up just short. I was banking on a turn happening here between Cole and MJF, but it looks like Better Than You Bay Bay will live on.
FTR came out to boos, as this crowd was firmly behind Cole and MJF. We got dueling chants for both teams by the time the bell rang as Cole and Harwood started off. FTR cut off Cole after Harwood led Cole into a Wheeler shoulder block. Cole hit an enzuigiri before teasing the double clothesline, but Harwood held onto Wheeler to keep it from happening.
MJF tagged in, asking for Harwood to tag in. MJF went to bash Harwoodāsā¦groin in, but Harwood avoided it. As MJF and Harwood went back and forth, the announcement was made that whoever won this match would defend the titles next week on Collision against Brian Cage & Big Bill, who earned a title shot on last nightās Rampage. MJF feigned an ankle injury before things got heated with Harwood. Both teams had a tense face-off as we went to commercial.
Harwood held MJF in a Camel Clutch as we came back from the break. MJF went to split the uprights to get out of the hold, but Harwood caught his legs and tagged in Wheeler. MJF got caught by FTR on a tag attempt, but MJF dropped both of them with stereo DDTs. FTR went for the Double Clothesline, but MJF ducked and made the tag to Cole.
Cole ran wild, landing pump kicks on both men before dropping Wheeler with an Ushigoroshi for a nearfall. Cole avoided a double team from FTR but got caught with a crossbody from Harwood for a nearfall. Harwood went to the well again, but Cole caught him with a superkick for a nearfall. Cole and MJF went for a double clothesline again, but Harwood ducked it and tagged in Wheeler. Wheeler and MJF went back and forth in Tombstone position, but Cole superkicked Wheeler, allowing MJF to hit his Tombstone for a nearfall.
They called for the Double Clothesline, but Harwood yanked MJF out of the ring. Cole got caught with a lariat from Wheeler before FTR set Cole up on the top rope. Cole knocked them both off, but Harwood shoved Wheeler into the buckles to knock Cole down. FTR then hit the Powerplex for a nearfall. Harwood then allowed MJF to tag in, with the men trading strikes and flash pins before Harwood hit the Rebound Powerbomb ā Rebowerbomb? ā for a nearfall.
Harwood set up the Panama Sunrise on MJF, but Cole dropped him down. Cole took the referee as MJF hit the Shattered Dreams on Harwood for a nearfall that Wheeler broke up. Cole went for the Boom, but Wheeler drilled him with a lariat. FTR set up Cole for a Shatter Machine, but MJF shoved Cole out of the way. MJF countered the Shatter Machine, setting up Wheeler for a Heatseeker Piledriver. Harwood then rolled up MJF from behind to score the win and retain the titles.
After the match, Cole shook hands with FTR before consoling a disappointed MJF. Cole handed MJF the World Title, telling him that they lost the match, not just MJF. With tears in his eyes, MJF set Cole up for a belt shot. Cole knew the shot was coming and held his arms up. But MJF threw the belt down. Cole turned around and gave MJF a hug to a huge reaction. MJF posed with the title as they announced Kris Statlander vs. Mercedes Martinez for the TBS Title for next week. They hung around in the ring for a few minutes, but they remained on good terms as we faded out.
