AEW will make their Hammerstein Ballroom debut tonight with a live Christmas Collision episode featuring the latest chapter in a rivalry that goes back years.
In the Continental Classic Gold league, Will Ospreay will take on Ricochet. Both men are in a five-way tie with six points as the tournament enters its final week. They went to a no contest in their first AEW clash back in October.
In another Gold league match, Darby Allin and Claudio Castagnoli (six points each) will meet in a rematch from November.
In two Classic Blue league bouts, TNT Champion Daniel Garcia will face Shelton Benjamin for the first time while Mark Briscoe takes on The Beast Mortos.
Adam Cole and MJF will have a face-to-face confrontation ahead of their Worlds End match while TBS Champion Mercedes Mone will also be on hand to share some thoughts.
The card is rounded out by former TBS Champion Kris Statlander vs. Penelope Ford.
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The final Collision of 2024 comes to us live from Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Ian Riccaboni, Big Boom AJ, and Big Justice started the show in the ring, running down tonight’s card before Will Ospreay made his entrance for the opening match. Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuinness were on the call.
The final Collision of 2024 comes to us live from Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City. Ian Riccaboni, Big Boom AJ, and Big Justice started the show in the ring, running down tonight’s card before Will Ospreay made his entrance for the opening match. Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuinness were on the call.
Continental Classic 2024 Gold League Match – Ricochet [9] def. Will Ospreay [6]
Ricochet is in the driver’s seat in the Gold League, getting to 9 points with some underhanded tactics. Ricochet has been getting real heat over the last few weeks with this try-hard character he’s been rolling out. Meanwhile, Ospreay is on the back foot, as with one match left, he’ll need a lot of help to advance to the Continental Classic playoffs.
Ospreay got streamers on his entrance, while Ricochet got toilet paper thrown at him to Ospreay’s delight. Ricochet bailed from the ring after the first exchange to big boos. Another exchange ended with Ricochet dumping Ospreay onto the top rope before following him to the floor with a Fosbury Flop.
After a commercial break, Ospreay got on offense, hitting a Phenomenal Forearm for a nearfall. Ricochet fought out of a Styles Clash, hitting an Angel’s Wings for a nearfall. Ricochet had an uncharacteristic stumble on a Best Moonsault Ever attempt, allowing Ospreay to move out of the way. Ospreay caught a cartwheeling Ricochet on his shoulders before transitioning into a Styles Clash for a nearfall.
Ricochet rolled to the apron when the Hidden Blade was teased, leading Ospreay to follow. Ricochet popped Ospreay onto his shoulders and hit a Death Valley Driver on the apron. Ricochet followed with a Shooting Star Press off the apron to the floor, followed by a springboard 450 in the ring for a nearfall. Ricochet hit a head kick and a lifting reverse DDT for another nearfall in this offensive flurry.
The crowd was firmly behind Ospreay as Ricochet loaded up the Spirit Gun. Ospreay ducked, and a series of counters ended with Ricochet catching Ospreay with a cutter on an Oscutter attempt. Ricochet hit another Death Valley Driver, but Ospreay countered the Spirit Gun with a Hidden Blade to put both men down. They both agreed to stand up and trade forearms, with Ospreay winning the exchange.
Ospreay went for the Stormbreaker, but Ricochet forced Ospreay into the referee. Ospreay hit the Stormbreaker, but the referee was out. Ospreay went to the top rope, but Ricochet booted the referee into the ropes and knocked Ospreay down. Ricochet drilled a recovering Ospreay with the Spirit Gun to score the win to big boos.
MJF & Adam Cole Summit
This is the closest this feud has felt to having any juice in a long time, so I’ll call it a success. I’m still not personally invested in it at all, but the crowd here did seem to at least play along with the promo.
Adam Cole & MJF came to the ring, with MJF coming out with security. MJF started by reminding Cole that he turned on MJF first. MJF took some pot shots, including saying that his dentist isn’t seeing him anymore. He said that Cole had several shots at the World Title before MJF won it but blew it like he blew out his ankle. MJF said that Cole used to be Adam Cole Bay Bay, but now he looks like a crack bay-bay.
Cole asked if MJF was done before starting on his own. He could talk about MJF’s hair replacement surgeries or his politicking to get his girlfriend a job, but he wouldn’t go in depth on it. He had some regrets, but he didn’t regret turning on MJF. MJF made friends and stabbed them in the back all the time, Cole just did it better than him and he knew it. Cole got in MJF’s face and said that he knew MJF would have turned on him anyway, and MJF admitted to it.
MJF said that last year at Worlds End, he was going to turn on Cole. He didn’t care about Cole when their team started, but he started to once they became friends. But then Cole got hurt and became a liability. Cole wasn’t the Devil, he just beat the Devil to it. He promised to end Cole’s world at Worlds End. Cole said that he would end this face-to-face and punched MJF in the face. MJF’s security got involved, and Cole bumped all of them before MJF kicked him low. He went to punch Adam Cole with the Diamond Ring before the Undisputed Kingdom ran him off.
We got a recap of Mercedes Mone defending both of her titles this past week.
Kris Statlander was backstage with Lexy Nair, who asked her about her attempted reconciliation with Willow Nightingale. Statlander said that the conversation between her and Nightingale was between them for now and promised to handle Penelope Ford tonight. Statlander turned her attention to Mercedes Mone, saying that her downward spiral this year began when Mone entered the company. She believed that getting the TBS Title back would lead her to getting back some of what she lost and challenged Mone to round two at Worlds End.
Orange Cassidy was backstage with Lexy Nair. He said that he couldn’t have a conversation with Hangman Page or Jay White, so he just asked them to listen. Jon Moxley couldn’t escape the three of them at Worlds End, and they all knew Moxley had to be removed as champion. He asked for a temporary alliance to take Moxley out of the picture, then the three of them could work out the title between themselves.
Kris Statlander defeated Penelope Ford
I’ll take another Statlander/Mone match. With Statlander getting back into Willow Nightingale’s orbit, I can see all of this leading to a big three-way for the title down the line no matter who wins at Worlds End.
Statlander went for a stalling vertical suplex, but Ford transitioned to a sleeper hold. Statlander maneuvered Ford back into the suplex before completing it for a nearfall. Statlander got Ford onto her shoulders and went to the second rope, but Ford knocked Statlander to the mat and hit a blockbuster for a nearfall. Ford hit double knees to Statlander on the apron as we went to a commercial.
After a commercial, Ford missed the double knees before Statlander dropkicked her off of the apron. Statlander hit a spinning Fisherman buster for a nearfall. Ford ducked a corner boot and hit a Perfect-Plex for a nearfall. Statlander caught Ford on a handspring elbow, and a series of counters ended with a Ford springboard poisonrana for a nearfall. Statlander came back with a pair of German suplexes before landing Staturday Night Fever for the win.
Mercedes Mone came out after the match. She was planning to take the PPV off but decided to grant Statlander another beating. She accepted Statlander’s challenge for Worlds End.
Big Boom AJ, Chris Jericho, Anthony Bowens Summit
Not sure why the Costco Guys are still here, unless it’s just because they’re local. It is interesting to see Bowens by himself cutting a promo with the ROH World Champion. He was fine on his own here, and maybe a short Jericho program could be a test-run for a singles run after the teased Acclaimed split goes down.
After a commercial break, Big Boom AJ & Big Justice were hyping the crowd up when The Learning Tree interrupted them. Chris Jericho asked if they had a permit to be there from Mayor De Blasio, and Big Justice called him a jackass. Jericho said that he spoke for all New Yorkers when he said that they didn’t want Big Boom AJ there. They didn’t even have Costcos in New York, they had bodegas. Jericho said that New York wasn’t about silly gimmicks like Boom, or guys in bandit masks – referring to Bandido after his run-in at Final Battle – or people who scissor.
This brought out Anthony Bowens by himself, who told Jericho to shut the hell up. Big Bill said that people who asked for silence were afraid of the truth, and his hometown crowd chanted his name. Bowens challenged Jericho to fight him now, but The Learning Tree bailed. AJ went to hit his line, but Bowens interrupted him and scissored with them instead.
Deonna Purrazzo & Taya Valkyrie were backstage with Lexy Nair when Technicolor Toni Storm stumbled into the frame to introduce herself to them. Purrazzo didn’t feel like dealing with Storm, so she challenged Storm to take on Valkyrie on Dynamite.
Continental Classic 2024 Blue League Match – Daniel Garcia [7] defeated Shelton Benjamin [6]
Garcia stays alive with a win over Benjamin. The finish played into Benjamin’s weakness of “playing with his food” as MVP often calls it, as Garcia survived Benjamin’s onslaught to get the win with his now-trademark jackknife flash pin. Both men are still alive for the playoffs going into Dynamite, with win-and-in scenarios against Kyle Fletcher and Kazuchika Okada respectively. The post-match was great, as it both worked as a Heyman Special for the next match and a reminder of the Swerve/Lashley feud.
With a loss or a draw, Garcia would be eliminated from playoff contention. Matt Menard joined commentary for Garcia’s match, as always.
Garcia jumped Benjamin at the bell after the Hurt Syndicate’s attack on Dynamite. Benjamin dumped Garcia over his head and pinballed him to the floor and around the ringside area. Benjamin controlled Garcia as the crowd chanted We Hurt People. Garcia tried to come back with chops before Benjamin chopped him down and hit a back body drop as we went to commercial.
After the break, Garcia took Benjamin down with a dropkick, but Benjamin came back with a pair of German suplexes. Garcia blocked a German suplex off of the apron, but Benjamin caught Garcia on the floor and dumped him with a belly-to-belly suplex. Garcia dropped Benjamin with a drop toe hold onto a chair and laid in the ten punches, but Benjamin dropped him with a lariat. The crowd helped Garcia back to his feet, and Garcia hit a Dragon Screw Leg Whip on Benjamin.
Benjamin came back with another German Suplex, but Garcia dodged the knee lift in the corner and locked on the Dragon Tamer. Benjamin transitioned into an STF variant and forced Garcia to the ropes. Garcia caught Benjamin in a small package for a nearfall, but Benjamin kicked out and hit a superkick for a long nearfall. Justified This Is Awesome chants rang out as Garcia caught Benjamin with the jackknife pin to steal the win and stay alive in the tournament.
With this result, Mark Briscoe is officially eliminated. That didn’t stop Briscoe from coming out to make the save as the Hurt Syndicate went to attack Garcia after the match. Swerve Strickland joined the fray, jumping off of the top rope and Swerve Stomping all of the security. Strickland took the mic and reminded everyone of his promise to get his hands on Bobby Lashley by the end of the year.
Continental Classic 2024 Blue League Match – Mark Briscoe [9] defeated The Beast Mortos [0]
Another energetic, fun match on this Collision. Briscoe technically leads the block right now, but he needs some help on Dynamite to advance to the final. Briscoe needs Benjamin/Okada to go to a time-limit draw. In that case, he will advance to the playoff in second place behind either Daniel Garcia or Kyle Fletcher. It’s unlikely, but it’s not impossible.
This is the final match of the tournament for both Briscoe and Mortos. A win would keep Briscoe ever-so-slightly alive, as he would need some help on Dynamite to advance to the playoffs.
The two traded strikes to start before transitioning to flash pin attempts. Mortos dropped Briscoe with a shoulder block before Briscoe vaulted Mortos to the floor. Mortos cut off a Briscoe dive attempt with a spear as we went to a commercial. Mortos was in control after the break before Briscoe ducked a rising knee in the corner and sent Mortos to the floor. Briscoe hit a baseball slide, then followed it with a tope con hilo.
Mortos cut off the tope chair hilo, but Briscoe dumped Mortos on the apron with a German suplex. Briscoe hit a skytwister press from the top rope to the floor before hitting the tope chair hilo. Justified This Is Awesome chants rang out as Briscoe went for the Froggy Bow, but Mortos got his knees up and hit the Banebreaker and a powerbomb over the knees. Mortos hit a pop-up Samoan Drop for a big nearfall.
Mortos fought out of the Jay Driller, but a Death Valley Driver and a Froggy Bow scored Briscoe a nearfall. A second Froggy Bow landed, and a Jay Driller scored the win for Briscoe to keep his faint tournament hopes alive.
Continental Classic 2024 Gold League Match – Claudio Castagnoli [9] defeated Darby Allin [6]
A solid main event featuring Castagnoli pinballing Allin around some more. Castagnoli’s frustration at not being able to put Allin down was the key point of the finish, resorting to brass knuckles to beat him. I expect Allin to get his win back over Castagnoli at some point in the new year as the Death Rider feud continues. As far as the tournament goes, Ricochet and Castagnoli control their own destiny as the outright block leaders and will clinch playoff spots if they win their matches. An upset will open the door for the winner of the Brody King/Will Ospreay to sneak in.
Allin dove onto Castagnoli to start the match. Allin fought Castagnoli to the top of the ramp before climbing to the top of the entrance structure and diving onto him. The two crawled to the ring so the bell could ring, and Castagnoli immediately caught Allin with the Swiss Death uppercut for a nearfall. Castagnoli got Allin in the Giant Swing for nearly a minute before tossing him to the floor.
After the commercial, Allin sent Castagnoli to the floor before diving into him. Allin hit another suicida before hitting a Coffin Drop to the floor. Castagnoli dove onto Allin’s back in a sleeper hold, but Castagnoli dumped Allin through the ringside table to escape the hold. Allin beat the count and ducked the big lariat, scoring with several flash pins before Castagnoli double stomped his chest to shut him down.
Castagnoli deadlifted Allin up and bodyslammed him from the ring to the apron. He then drove Allin into the ringpost back first before swinging him into the ring stairs. Castagnoli hit a big lariat for a nearfall. Allin countered the Ricola Bomb into a Sunset Bomb for a nearfall. Castagnoli set Allin on the top rope and went for a superplex, but Allin reversed it into an Avalanche Scorpion Death Drop. A Coffin Drop met Castagnoli’s knees, but a Ricola Bomb only scored a two-count.
Another Ricola Bomb got another nearfall. Castagnoli went outside and got a chair. The referee took the chair away, but that allowed Castagnoli to pull out brass knuckles and knock out Allin. Castagnoli scored the pin and went to do more damage after the match but Will Ospreay returned the favor to Allin from last week’s Dynamite and ran Castagnoli off.
Collision will return on January 4th, 2025, so I will take this time to wish you all a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, a Krazy Kwanzaa, a Festivus for the rest of us, and a Happy New Year!
