Tag: death riders

It will be nice to (we hope) see the AEW World title again | Opinion

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: AEW

The following is opinion-based and reflects that of the author and not the website.

It has been 274 long days, but today, we finally get to see an old friend again after AEW All In: the AEW World title belt.

Trapped in an enhanced briefcase since last October’s WrestleDream, the symbol of everything that those in the company strive and compete for will see sunlight once again. It’s been basically four seasons worth of hiding for our old friend and we are now hours away from seeing it in all its glory.

That is definitely going to happen, right? There’s no way Hangman Page doesn’t come out of Arlington as your AEW World Champion for the second time and have the big moment with fireworks and the AEW good guys including Bryan Danielson and Darby Allin surrounding him, right?

(You nodding in approval.) Ok, good.

Because the opposite – Jon Moxley retaining the title – would be a really bad decision. No offense, Jon, but it’s time.

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I’m sure they are out there, but I don’t feel like there’s a big or vocal fan base for the Death Riders which perhaps was the idea to begin with. Being a heel in 2025 seems to be extremely hard for reasons I’ll write about another day, but Moxley and his crew have pulled off one aspect: no one seems to like them or like seeing them on TV.

At times, this fourth Moxley run has felt like, well, a lot. There was a little intrigue at first when he mentioned this whole movement was about something bigger which some took to wishcast Shane McMahon as the end all, be all behind it. That obviously didn’t happen and the group had a focus on, uh, something which has been disrupting matches and causing chaos just because. There seemed to be a focus on one point of them winning all the AEW titles, but that stopped and ended with the Trios titles. Why? Who knows. (Also, if Moxley hid the World title as a symbolic move, why didn’t they do the same when they won the Trios belts?) 

The remnants of the Blackpool Combat Club weren’t exactly elevated along the way. Claudio Castagnoli feels he’s always going to be Claudio Castagnoli while Wheeler Yuta does have a great opportunity to cash the hated heel checks for a long time. I keep forgetting PAC is part of the group but getting hurt a lot will do that. Gabe Kidd is a convenient fly-in part of the gang when they need him to be.

And then, there is Marina Shafir who has played the Chyna role in beating up men with relative ease but for some reason, has had no storyline interest in wrestling for any titles and also for some reason, only one woman has seemed to have an issue with her in Willow Nightingale. This feels like a situation where Tony Khan isn’t quite sure what to do with her. She has wrestled just three times in AEW and another three times in ROH since Moxley won the title which feels like a missed opportunity if you wanted to make the group really dominant.

The Death Riders as we know them are coming to a long-awaited end. What comes next (a heel Daniel Garcia sending Moxley packing on a vacation?) could be fun, but it can’t be this anymore. It just can’t.

**********

That brings us to that hidden title belt – the idea of which I have despised since I realized it was going to be a thing after Moxley won it. One thing I am a firm believer in is that the World title is the most important thing to a combat sports promotion — the North Star for anyone competing because why wouldn’t it be? If you’re not ultimately gunning for the top title, what’s the point?

AEW has had past issues with their World title not feeling like the most important angle/match on their pay-per-views, something Tony Khan has wisely course corrected in the last six months or so. Regardless of what happens today (outside a combo of a Moxley win and Swerve Strickland & Will Ospreay losing), there’s a sensible mix of top contenders and stories to be told that can result in true World title PPV headlining matches. 

But the only way that happens is with Page winning the title today and removing it from that god damn briefcase. As a wise man once said, cowboy up.

AEW All In preview & predictions: High noon in Texas

Posted on by Mike DellaCamera

The following is an opinion-based preview that reflects the views of the author and not the website.

Image: AEW

I desperately try to avoid comparisons between AEW and WWE as I don’t think they’re particularly helpful, nor do I enjoy the endless and atrocious discourse across (and between) the two fan bases.

I will, however, draw a comparison here because we’ve reached a clear inflection point in wrestling where the two major companies have never been more divergent. Only one of them has an interest in being what their name suggests: a wrestling company. Since you’re already reading this column, I’m certain that you, as smart as you are, can conclude that the company is All Elite Wrestling. We’re at the point where comparisons are less applicable than ever because the two companies are barely offering the same type of product.

AEW is back in form and offering a legitimate, alternative style of wrestling to the world. They are not consumed with celebrity appearances, social media views, imagined clout, or “telling stories” first. Instead, they are laser-focused on what matters to them — the actual wrestling — which is reflected in the quality of Saturday: the fourth All In event.

There is real motion behind their momentum, something that appeared in fits and starts for years, but now feels sustainable. This is a tremendous card, arguably one that has as much high-end talent as any in history, and the common theme is the quality of the matches and, more importantly, the performers.

The right people are in the right places. They are cooking with a balanced roster full of stars of today and tomorrow. No more chaff, no more filler. If someone is getting television time, it’s because they deserve those minutes and seconds. The bloat is gone, replaced with a group of young, talented wrestlers primed to take the next step toward the top of the card and the steadying hands of veterans that can help them get there.

The future has never been brighter for AEW and that is a great thing for the wrestling industry, regardless of what the clinically insane and chronically online detractors would like you to believe.

Let’s see how All In from Arlington, Texas (1 PM pre-show and 3 PM Eastern main card on PPV) shakes out.

Men’s & Women’s Casino Gauntlets: Winners gets a future World Championship match

At press time, we only knew a few of the many, many participants in these matches. We can assume a couple of surprises here and there to pop the crowd, but here are a handful of wrestlers that have a strong case for their participation and winning the match:

  • Brody King: In this column, we support anyone with such a strong wardrobe. He’s the type of talent tailor-made for a brief, hard-hitting program with whoever wins the main event. 
  • Ricochet: His character continues to evolve and get better. Seeing how he reacts to a title shot (and subsequent loss) would be worth watching.
  • Willow Nightingale: I will bang the drum for her until my arm falls off. She is the best pure babyface in the company, and a program between her and Mercedes Mone could heal our fractured country
  • Athena: I don’t book the shows so I won’t pretend to understand why Athena is not regularly featured, and in a top position, on proper AEW television. It’s one of life’s more puzzling mysteries.

Predictions: Brody King and Willow

AEW World Trios Champions The Opps (Samoa Joe, Powerhouse Hobbs & Katsuyori Shibata) defend against The Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta & Gabe Kidd)

The upgrade from Hook to Hobbs can’t be overstated. Hobbs adds a snarling menace to the group which pairs well with Shibata’s unsaid psychopathy and Samoa Joe’s everything. Having Hook in this group reminded me too much of potential unrealized, a time when “Send Hook” was a cute meme, but never became anything more. This is the grown-ups table now and the trios division is better for it. 

If Hobbs is the welcome upgrade to his trios, Gabe Kidd is the equivalent downgrade in his. Equal parts overexposed and annoying — he’s a madman, you know — Kidd’s presence only reminds me of how much I miss PAC whose AEW tenure continues to be plagued by consistent and unfortunate absences.

Prediction: The Opps retain

AEW World Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) defend against JetSpeed (Kevin Knight & Mike Bailey) and The Patriarchy (Christian Cage & Nick Wayne) in a three-way

This has been one of the silliest, clumsiest builds I can remember but it might not matter once the bell rings. Few have a more impressive resume working large-scale multi-man tag matches than Cage. His bona fides do not need repeating. Knight and Bailey have done wonderful work since being paired together with Bailey in particular being a revelation as I did not think his act would translate as well as it has on a weekly basis.

The Hurt Syndicate remains the all-powerful goliaths at the top of the tag team mountain. They have been so dominant that losing the titles should happen in a significant moment, not some haphazardly created three-way dance. The looming spectre of whatever is going to happen with MJF can’t be ignored, but it’s too soon for him to turn one way or the other. The status quo will hold deep in the heart of Texas. 

Prediction: The Hurt Syndicate retain

TNT Champion Adam Cole defends against Kyle Fletcher

Sometimes the future that’s promised never comes. Sometimes promise is only that. There are no guarantees in wrestling (or life!), especially in 2025. This here is a pairing of a future not fully recognized with one incandescent with potential. 

Fletcher should hold the World title in 2026, and this is hopefully the first stop on the express train. He improves with every match and every second spent on the microphone. This was the year everything came together for him. It was a delight watching him grow to become a main event-level talent. Most ascents to the top have a longer runway with the performer being eased into the biggest spots. Even though this was comparatively sudden, it feels completely right. Fletcher excelled with whatever was thrown his way, proving himself beyond ready for more and more still. His journey to the main event is close, but his ceiling is still tantalizingly far away.

Cole was once in Fletcher’s shoes — someone seen as a no-doubt main eventer in any major promotion; a true can’t miss talent. He reached the top in Ring of Honor, NXT, and Pro Wrestling Guerrilla. Technically, he made it to the top of AEW when he main evented the first All In at Wembley Stadium in a forgettable match with MJF. That was as good as it got for Cole.

Unfortunately, his circumstance is an all-too-painful reminder of how fleeting success can be. The window of opportunity is perilously small and can be snapped shut at a moment’s notice. Whether through injury, luck, or just the passing of time, Cole’s window is closed. Fletcher locks it shut at All In.

Prediction: Kyle Fletcher wins the title

Will Ospreay & Swerve Strickland vs. The Young Bucks 

The stip here: the Bucks put up their EVP status against a year of World title shots for Strickland and Ospreay.

The evil authority figure is a familiar and tired wrestling trope — a lazy escape hatch relied on to explain a lack of foresight and reaffirm poor booking. The decision to add a stipulation here is a clever and necessary one. It provides a simple storyline-based way to move the Young Bucks out from their positions of televised power and properly slot them as “regular” wrestlers.

I’m glad Ospreay and Swerve had to offer up something of substance, too. This particular stipulation adds so much intrigue to the match. Is Ospreay really going to go another year without challenging for the top title when he’s already a top babyface? Will Swerve be able to exist in a world where he can’t come after Hangman’s title? My inclination is to say neither of those things will happen. There is too much money in a Swerve/Hangman title program, and Ospreay needs the creative direction of driving towards the title. 

A moment, before the formal prediction, for an important conversation:

Since their return, Matthew and Nicholas Jackson have been doing some of the best work of their careers. Their multi-person tag matches have been full of creativity and innovation. While we are consumed with answering the question of who is the best ever, it’s never a fulfilling conversation, especially so in wrestling, where things are entirely subjective.

Whenever I’m reluctantly pulled into that conversation, I try to think about whether the performer(s) in question were the best at their particular style. The best technical wrestler is wholly different than the best brawler, the best flyer, etc. And for their specific brand of wrestling, the Young Bucks are the second to none. The Jacksons might not be your personal GOATs, but they are the most important and influential tag team of this century.  

If recent form holds, this is likely the best match of the night with Swerve and Ospreay freeing AEW from the kayfabe clutches of the Jacksons.

Prediction: Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland

AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada vs. AEW International Champion Kenny Omega for the new Unified Championship

This is the defining pro wrestling rivalry of the past 15 years. No series of matches did more for the growth of wrestling in the modern era. Omega and Okada opened new eyes and awakened long-dormant passions in fans. Saying AEW wouldn’t exist without this rivalry is not hyperbole; it’s fact. People wanted matches like this so badly that an entirely new wrestling company started. 

Rarely are two performers so perfectly made for each other. Omega was a unique mover, all tightly coiled explosion and suddenness. His violently snapping off the ground for a V-Trigger frequently required multiple rewinds. How could he cover so much distance, so fast? His in-your-face athleticism was matched by Okada’s grace. Okada was sublime; he was effortless. A star by any definition. It’s easy to get lost in grandeur, but we will be hard pressed to have another rivalry this meaningful and this good in our lifetimes. Two generational performers entered each other’s orbits at the perfect time, and we were lucky to be along for the ride.

It would be unfair to expect this match to measure up to the unreasonably high bar of their previous ones, especially considering they’re both in far different stages of their career. Okada is, generously, mailing in half of his matches, something he has earned the right to do. Sadly, Omega is rapidly breaking down. He’s only wrestled nine times this year and is still badly beaten up. We should all appreciate his big matches now because there are fewer of them left than any of us probably realizes. Even in his diminished physical state, he remains a special wrestling mind, one that should be able to capture a different type of magic in a different style of match, especially with his wrestling soulmate. 

If this is Omega’s last big run, he should get the win here. He means as much to AEW and wrestling as anyone. Give him the spotlight one more time.

Prediction: Kenny Omega

AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Mercedes Mone

This is the biggest women’s match they could book and it’s the biggest women’s match in either of the two major wrestling companies. Storm has been in the “Timeless” character for so long that it’s easy to overlook just how impressive she is. This character should be eliciting groans at this point but instead, it’s kept her at the top of the women’s division for almost two years. In the hands of any other performer, it would be relegated to backstage segments and enhancement matches. Storm has turned something laughable into something lasting. So much of the world is forgetful. “Timeless” Toni Storm is anything but.

Mone has a legitimate case to be wrestler of the year. But she isn’t just chasing 12-month accolades — she’s authoring a legacy. Saturday could be another an unforgettable chapter in a year already rich with highlights. If her current trajectory holds, we may soon be forced to talk about her not just as one of the greats right now, but one of the greatest ever.

The star-making turn of being the person to beat Mone is not something Storm needs or would likely appreciate.  The whole point of a run like the one she’s been on is not just about her, but it’s also about the person who beats inevitably beats her. The countless young, hungry, and talented women on the roster would better fit that bill.  

Prediction: Mercedes Mone wins the title

AEW World Champion Jon Moxley defends against Hangman Page in a Texas Death Match

It was always Hangman Page. No misguided notions about Darby Allin, no hoping for Samoa Joe to recapture the magic, it was always the cowboy. In a sea of stars and superstars, he remains the true north of AEW. Nothing speaks to the importance of his presence like his absence. The shows lacked a tight direction when he wasn’t around or was a background player. It was covered up by a focus on Bryan Danielson’s journey to the World title and subsequent retirement from full-time wrestling, but there was still a gap. It’s not a coincidence that AEW found its footing when the focus was back on Page.

Look no further than the Death Riders for proof of Hangman’s impact. For so long, both in this column and everywhere else on the internet, we bemoaned the overarching and overwhelming excess of the Death Riders. It was always the same. The matches, the finishes, the promos, whatever. Now there’s life. Is this results-based thinking? Perhaps. But for the first time since October, I find myself interested when their intro guitar riff introducing them hits the speakers. 

Moxley’s next chapter will be an interesting one. He’s approaching 40 with a lot of hard miles on his body. There is almost nothing left for him to accomplish in professional wrestling. He’s won every major title in every major company and has likely earned enough money for multiple lifetimes. He can start to take his foot off the gas or press it all the way down. With someone as unpredictable as Mox, any and everything is on the table. 

This always had to be a Texas Death Match. This was always going to be rife with run-ins and interference, so why not just put the whole world on the table? The possibilities for massive crowd reactions are endless. Here are just a few, ranked in order of how much they would move me:

  • Christopher Daniels runs in
  • Darby Allin returns
  • Kenny Omega and Kota Ibushi run off the Young Bucks
  • Willow Nightingale single-handedly fights off The Death Riders 
  • Swerve directly helps Page win the title
  • Danielson returns

Regardless of how many people get involved, there will only be two left at the end and only one can get their hand raised. When the confetti falls and the show closes, the cowboy from Halifax, Virginia, stands tall on top of the company he was always meant to carry.

Prediction: Hangman Adam Page wins the title

Mone vs. Athena, Ospreay vs. Takeshita part of new AEW Dynamite Spring Break Thru lineup

Posted on by Josh Nason

Three big Owen Hart Foundation tournament matches are now set for this Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite from Boston, Massachussetts — a night where Dynamite becomes the longest-running weekly prime time wrestling show on the Turner networks.

TBS Champion Mercedes Mone will take on reigning Ring of Honor Women’s World Champion Athena in a women’s Owen Hart Foundation tournament semifinal.

Athena punched her ticket on Saturday’s AEW Collision with a win over Harley Cameron in a quarterfinal bout while Mone defeated Julia Hart this past Sunday at Dynasty. While they have shared the ring many times before, this will be their first-ever singles match.

The winner will advance to the finals at May’s Double or Nothing where the winner earns a Women’s World title shot at July’s All In.

Will Ospreay will face Konosuke Takeshita in a men’s Owen Hart Foundation tournament semifinal.

Takeshita advanced by defeating Brody King on Saturday in the main event while Ospreay defeated Kevin Knight at last Sunday’s Dynasty to get to the semifinal. It will be the latest chapter in a rivalry that dates back nearly a year. The two have had just one singles match against each other which Ospreay won at 2023’s Revolution.

The winner will advance to the finals at May’s Double or Nothing where the winner earns a World title shot at July’s All In.

The Death Riders will defend the AEW Trios titles against The Opps.

As announced on Collision, AEW World Champion Jon Moxley will take PAC’s place in defending the titles following his injury on Dynamite. Samoa Joe offered up the challenge at the end of Dynamite this past Wednesday and it was made official Saturday. The Death Riders will look to extend a lengthy title run that has seen them defend the titles eight times.

AEW Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate will defend against The Gates of Agony.

After picking up a quick win on Saturday, the Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) issued a challenge to reigning AEW Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate for Boston, later confirmed on social media to be a confirmed title match.

The new additions join the previously announced Owen Hart Foundation tournament quarterfinal bout between Hangman Page and the wild card. The winner of that bout will face Kyle Fletcher in the other semifinal.

AEW Dynamite Spring Break Thru card | Boston, MA | Wednesday on TNT & Max:

  • Owen Hart Foundation tournament women’s semifinal: Mercedes Mone vs. Athena
  • Owen Hart Foundation tournament men’s semifinal: Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita
  • Owen Hart Foundation tournament men’s quarterfinal: Hangman Page vs. wild card
  • AEW Trios Champions The Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta) defends against The Opps (Samoa Joe, Hook & Katsuyori Shibata)
  • AEW Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate (Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin) defend against The Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona)

Jon Moxley to defend AEW Trios titles with Death Riders following PAC injury

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Jon Moxley is stepping in for PAC.

During Collision on Saturday, Tony Schiavone confirmed that PAC suffered an injury during his match against Swerve Strickland on this Wednesday’s Dynamite. As a result, it was announced that moving forward, Jon Moxley would be taking PAC’s place as interim champion and would defend the titles with Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta.

It was then announced that the Death Riders would face the Opps (Samoa Joe, Hook, and Katsuyori Shibata) on Dynamite Spring Breakthrough this coming Wednesday.

The match between Swerve and PAC ended early after PAC started to favor his knee after taking a buckle bomb. The match ended early, with Swerve hitting the house call for the win shortly thereafter.

The Opps have been on the Death Riders’ radar since Dynasty, when they attacked the Death Riders at ringside during the Moxley/Swerve Strickland match. The following Wednesday, Samoa Joe and Hook scored the win over Castagnoli and Yuta. However after the match, the Death Riders got the last laugh after a Marina Shafir distraction allowed Castagnoli to hit Hook with the neutralizer onto a chair. Joe got the last word, however, by saying they were coming for the Trios titles.

PAC suffers possible injury on AEW Dynamite

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: AEW

The first time ever match between former AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland and reigning AEW Trios Champion PAC as part of Wednesday’s Dynamite appeared to end early due to an apparent right foot injury by PAC.

Strickland hit a buckle bomb on PAC in the corner (seen below) which was followed by PAC nearly immediately favoring his right ankle/foot/Achilles area. Strickland flipped him out of the corner and hit a second rope elbow which was followed by him grabbing his right heel as the referee checked on him.

Strickland then choked him with his boot before PAC rolled to the outside of the ring where he was checked by AEW’s Doc Sampson. Strickland remained in the ring with the camera focused tightly on him.

PAC was helped up by Samson, said something to the referee, and slowly got back into the ring. He struggled to stand up while not putting any weight on the injured foot and was immediately hit by a superkick. Strickland then hit his Swerve Stomp off the top rope for the win.

PAC did not come out at the end of the show when his Death Riders teammates Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli lost to Samoa Joe and Hook followed by a post-match angle.

PAC was out of action from late-July 2023 through March 2024 with an undisclosed injury. Before that, he was out from March to July of 2023 due to getting a nose injury fixed, wrestling just three matches.

Mask vs. title challenge, AEW Trios title defense both set for AEW Dynasty

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: AEW

With less than two weeks to go, next month’s AEW Dynasty card is starting to round into shape after two title challenges that were made Wednesday.

During Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite, reigning Ring of Honor World Champion Chris Jericho offered to put his title on the line against former champion and recent rival Bandido in a title vs. mask match. Bandido wasn’t on the show to accept.

Jericho, fuming after Bandido took his brother Gravity’s mask back last Sunday at Collision, made the challenge and questioned whether it was worth it for Bandido to see his mother cry like she did at Revolution and to suffer the humiliation of being unmasked.

The two squared off on the February 22nd Collision with Jericho successfully defending the title. Bandido has put Jericho in his crosshairs since returning last December after a long injury absence.

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AEW Trios Champions Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta & PAC of the Death Riders will defend their titles against Rated FTR of Dax Harwood, Cash Wheeler and Cope.

Cope issued the challenge during a pre-taped sitdown interview with FTR and Tony Schiavone. Harwood addressed his actions from last week where he walked away from Cope and Wheeler, apologizing and seemingly getting on the same page again. Wheeler said he wanted the Trios titles and Cope then made the challenge.

The champions later accepted with PAC saying they challenged them to survive them at Dynasty. When Cope returned from injury in late-December, he targeted the Death Riders and recently went 0-2 in AEW World title challenges of faction leader Jon Moxley. Yuta will face Harwood this Saturday on Collision.

Here’s the updated lineup for Sunday, April 6th in Philadelphia, PA:

  • AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Megan Bayne
  • AEW World Champion Jon Moxley defends against Swerve Strickland
  • AEW International Champion Kenny Omega defends against Ricochet and Mike Bailey in a three-way
  • AEW Trios Champions Death Riders (Wheeler Yuta, PAC & Claudio Castagnoli) defend against Rated FTR (Cope, Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler)
  • ROH World Champion Chris Jericho defends against Bandido in a title vs. mask match*

*Not yet official

AEW Collision Slam Dunk Sunday live results: Trios title match

Posted on by Suit Williams

For the second straight night, AEW returns to TNT with a one-hour Slam Dunk Sunday edition of Collision from Omaha, Nebraska.

The special is headlined by AEW Trios Champions The Death Riders (Wheeler Yuta, PAC & Claudio Castagnoli) defending against Top Flight & AR Fox.

In a lucha showcase, Hologram & Komander will team up against The Beast Mortos & Dralistico.

Former ROH World Champion Bandido will take on Johnny TV and also hope to get his brother Gravity’s mask returned by Chris Jericho.

Harley Cameron will be in singles action.

The broadcast will also feature promos from AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm, Don Callis, Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong, and AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada.

The show is expected to start at 11 PM Eastern following NCAA men’s basketball tournament coverage.

**********

We’ve been waiting all day for Sunday Night, it’s Slam Dunk Sunday! We’re still in Omaha, Nebraska for another one-hour edition of Collision. Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuinness were on the call as the Trios Champions made their way to the ring for their seventh defense of the titles.

AEW World Trios Title Match – Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, PAC & Wheeler Yuta) (c) defeated AR Fox & Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin)

An energetic opener, with the crowd behind Fox after his performance against Will Ospreay on Wednesday’s Dynamite. The Cru issue with Top Flight needs to have some type of conclusion some time soon, as it’s been going on in the undercards for months.

The announcers made sure to bring up Fox & Top Flight’s win in the $300,000 Three Kings Christmas Casino Trios Battle Royal from a 2022 Rampage. I don’t know if anyone has got more out of winning one battle royal than these three have.

Yuta and Darius Martin started, but it didn’t take long for Castagnoli to take control of the match. Dante Martin sent Castagnoli flying to the floor with a headscissors and took PAC down before tagging in Fox. Fox sent Yuta to the floor and PAC to the apron, then hit a flipping stomp onto PAC before diving onto Yuta. Castagnoli took him down with a boot on the floor.

The Death Riders isolated Fox in the ring, but Fox ducked a lariat and got the tag into Darius, who quickly took out the Death Riders. The match broke down quickly, with Yuta scoring a Right Angle Slam on Darius as we went to a commercial. After the break, the crowd chanted for Fox to get the hot tag as the Death Riders isolated Darius. Instead, Dante got the hot tag and ran wild.

Dante hit a double springboard dive and tagged Fox in, who hit a step-up moonsault off of the ring post onto Castagnoli. Fox hit a big Swanton Bomb on Yuta for a nearfall. Castagnoli cut off Fox briefly, and PAC took down Top Flight with a low blow to both men on the outside. The Death Riders circled Fox, and while Fox fought valiantly, the Death Riders eventually ran a train of back elbows on him. PAC laid him out with a Tombstone, and the Fastball Special scored the win.

After the match, The Cru jumped Top Flight and choked them out with their chains. The referees ineffectively pointed and pulled at The Cru to stop them.

During this match, a special Dynamite was announced for April 16th titled Spring Break Thru. Tony Schiavone noted, without saying any trademarked show titles, that this would be the show where Dynamite surpassed WCW Monday Nitro for the longest-running primetime wrestling show in Turner history. I’m sure everyone will take that news with grace.

We got a recap of the TNT Title match from last night’s Slam Dunk Saturday show between champion Daniel Garcia & challenger Adam Cole. Lexy Nair’s guests at this time were the Undisputed Kingdom, who asked Cole if the draw felt worse than a loss. Cole said that he had Garcia beat and promised that there would be no interference and no time limit in their rematch. Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong talked about the waved-off handshakes from FTR, saying that they wouldn’t accept the disrespect for a third time.

After a commercial, Lexy Nair’s guest at this time was Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada, who talked about how he beat both members of the Hounds of Hell and “put those b****es to sleep.”

Bandido defeated Johnny TV

This was a showcase for Bandido, with the quick win over Johnny and getting his brother’s mask back from The Learning Tree. With Supercard of Honor coming up in May, a Title vs. Mask match that’s been built on AEW television would be a nice headliner.

Johnny threw his jacket at Bandido and started with the advantage. Bandido quickly came back and monkey flipped Johnny all the way over to his stomach. Bandido dropped Johnny with a one-armed Gorilla Press as we went to commercial. After the break, Bandido dropkicked a charging Johnny for a nearfall. Bandido hit the X-Knee, then landed the 21-Plex to score the win.

After the match, Bandido demanded Chris Jericho to bring his brother Gravity’s mask back. All three members of The Learning Tree came out, as Jericho had Gravity’s mask in hand. Jericho said that he wished it could be different, but he had to show people what happened when they took Chris Jericho too lightly. Bandido could ask his disgraced brother and weeping mother about that, as that’s what happened when you messed with Jericho.

Jericho refused to give Bandido the mask back, saying that he wanted Bandido to remember the shame he felt when Jericho took it. Jericho said that the only thing worse than taking a luchador’s mask was putting it on. Jericho put the mask on and asked if Bandido was going to stand there and cry like his mother. Bandido punched Jericho, then evaded the Learning Tree before swiping the mask off of Jericho’s face to a big pop. Bandido celebrated getting his brother’s mask back as Jericho held Big Bill and Keith back in the ring.

We got a Megan Bayne hype video. Bayne spoke about none of the other women having true power and called herself the All Elite Goddess. She said that this was her kingdom now.

Toni Storm was backstage, wondering who died and made Megan Bayne God. She promised to cut off the head of the mighty Megasus and stand tall with her title. The title match was made official for Dynasty.

Harley Cameron defeated Aminah Belmont

Cameron got a quick win with Her Finishing Move.

Lexy Nair’s guest at this time was Don Callis, who was asked about Kyle Fletcher. Callis said that having talent like Fletcher allowed the Family to put nights like Revolution behind them. Callis introduced Fletcher to the interview, who said that he was still destined to be the greatest of all time. He promised to be at Dynamite on Wednesday, and promised to make it clear what was next for him and the Family. Tony Khan later announced that Fletcher would be in action on Dynamite against Brody King.

Los Titanes Del Aire (Hologram & Komander) (w/Alex Abrahantes) defeated La Faccion Ingobernable (Dralistico & The Beast Mortos)

A sick lucha tag that I may have opened one of these shows with. This was eye-catching action with a hot crowd and standout characters. I also would have put the hype for Dynamite and Dynasty earlier on in the shows as well. We know the audiences for these post-sports shows dwindles toward the end of the night, so front-load them with big action and hype for the next shows.

As promised last night, Harley Cameron stuck around for commentary for this match. When asked about the identity of Harleygram, she didn’t know who she was, but she had a fantastic chest. I am inclined to agree.

We got some quick action to start, with Dralistico taking Komander off the apron with a headscissors and Mortos diving onto Hologram. Cameron said that she had to make a phone call, so she left the announce desk and went to the back. After a commercial, Titanes were on offense and Harleygram was rooting them on at ringside. Harleygram was wearing Harley Cameron’s gear, so hopefully Harley had something else in her bag.

Komander hit a step-up Phoenix Splash on Dralistico, and Hologram hit a Destroyer on Mortos. Hologram hit a massive dive onto Mortos, and Komander hit his rope-walk Shooting Star Press for a nearfall that Dralistico broke up. Dralistico tagged in and cut Komander off on the top rope, but Komander slipped free and hit a step-up poisonrana.

The match broke down into a Pier Six brawl with sick moves before Komander landed on top of Dralistico for a nearfall. Dralistico and Komander traded chops before Dralistico hit a springboard Destroyer for a nearfall. Dralistico hit a hurricane kick on Hologram, but Hologram came back with a big dive. Mortos chucked Abrahantes away, but got distracted by Harleygram. That allowed Komander to hit the rope-walk dive to the floor. Titanes put LFI away with a Portal Bomb into a rope-walk Shooting Star Press for the win.

During this match, the rest of the Dynamite card was announced: Toni Storm & Thunder Rosa vs. Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford, Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Mark Davis, Mark Briscoe vs. Konosuke Takeshita, Kenny Omega vs. Blake Christian, MJF answering MVP’s offer, and a sitdown interview with Rated FTR.

AEW Collision live results: Chris Jericho vs. Bandido ROH World title match

Posted on by Suit Williams

Chris Jericho will defend the Ring of Honor World title against former champion Bandido on tonight’s AEW Collision from Phoenix, Arizona.

Bandido has targeted Jericho since his December return from injury and this will be a rematch from September 2022.

The AEW Trios titles will be on the line as the Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, PAC & Wheeler Yuta) defend against TNT Champion Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard & Angelo Parker.

IWGP men’s Strong Champion Gabe Kidd will make his Collision debut as he takes on The Butcher while Max Caster will host another open challenge in search of his first win in months.

Hologram will make his in-ring return for the first time since last October as he battles The Beast Mortos, and Julia Hart will try to rebound from her January loss to Jamie Hayter as she takes on Queen Aminata.

The Murder Machines (Brian Cage & Lance Archer) will be in competition as they hope to score a future Tag Team title match.

**********

Collision began with several AEW stars walking through the back. Toni Storm was one of them until she got attacked by Mariah May, who dragged her to the stage and headbutted her. May took a microphone and called for a spotlight. May said that Storm never knew how to write an ending, and that May will write one in Storm’s blood. She wanted them to have a Hollywood ending at Revolution.

(I was hoping the Grand Slam Australia match was the blowoff, but in hindsight, they probably weren’t going to end this year-plus long feud at 1:30 AM on a Saturday.)

We cut from that to a recap of the Continental Championship match from last week’s Grand Slam: Australia. Kazuchika Okada was in the back, talking about how he put the dog down last week. He promised to do the same to anyone else who stepped up. The announce team for this week was the original Dynamite team of Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Jim Ross.

Hologram defeated The Beast Mortos

Hologram is still great, and his rollout continues to rock. His chemistry with Mortos is fantastic, as even if they flub a spot, they seem to transition into something just as cool as what they had planned. Komander teaming up with Hologram is a good sign, as those two can be a quality team in a quickly-rebuilding tag team division.

We got a recap of La Faccion Ingobernable attacking Hologram in October, putting him on the shelf until his return two weeks ago. We got a hot start, with Hologram taking Mortos to the floor with a triple-rotation headscissors and a hurricanrana off the top rope to the floor. Mortos evaded a splash off the top rope and pounced Hologram out of the ring, then followed him out with a tornillo to the floor.

After a commercial break, Hologram cut Mortos off on the top rope with a kick, but Mortos came back with an Avalanche Gorilla Press Slam for a nearfall. Mortos set Hologram up for another move off of the top rope, but Hologram reversed it into a top-rope headscissors. Hologram hit a big torpedo dive to the floor. Some more back and forth led to Mortos avoiding a springboard dive and hitting a sick crucifix bomb on the stage.

Mortos went for a gorilla press off the stage, but Hologram slipped away and hit a crucifix bomb on the stage. Hologram followed it with a ropewalk into a crucifix bomb for another nearfall. Mortos came back with a pop-up Samoan drop for a nearfall. Mortos hit a Bane-style backbreaker but lost Hologram on a powerbomb attempt, allowing Hologram to hit a Spanish Fly. Mortos immediately came back with a lariat.

Mortos took Hologram to the top rope again, but he countered another Gorilla Press into a headscissors before hitting the rolling sunset bomb for the pin and the win. After the match, Mortos jumped Hologram and tried to rip his mask off before Komander made the save to return the favor from two weeks ago. Hologram and Komander teamed up to take Mortos down and out with a double sliding kick.

We got a hype video for Speedball Mike Bailey, who Tony Schiavone said would be debuting soon in AEW.

Harley Cameron Town Hall

Lexy Nair was in the ring to interview Harley Cameron, who came out to a big ovation. Cameron talked about a little blonde girl in Australia who grew up with big dreams, watching wrestling with her grandmother. She told her grandmother that she would grow up to be a professional wrestler. That little girl was Harley Cameron…’s next door neighbor Suzette Dickinson. Cameron didn’t know what ever happened to Suzette, but she took Suzette’s dream and ran with it. Cameron promised to keep going until everyone in AEW felt the wrath.

(A good promo from Harley to rebound from last week’s loss. The loss didn’t hurt her in Phoenix, as she was still over with this crowd.)

Gabe Kidd defeated The Butcher

This was a very good showcase for Kidd, who has rocketed up my list of the best wrestlers in the world. The Butcher matched his style well as the two laid in heavy strikes, but Kidd won decisively. The Don Callis angle is very interesting as both men have feuded with Kenny Omega since he’s returned from injury.

The announcers put over Kidd’s performance at Wrestle Dynasty against Kenny Omega. Kidd charged Butcher at the bell and clubbered on him at the bell. Don Callis was seen watching backstage as Kidd took the Butcher over with a Saito suplex. Butcher took control on the floor with punches and chops, but Kidd sent Butcher up and over with an Exploder suplex.

Kidd rocked Butcher with a lariat on the floor, then sat cross-legged in the ring as Butcher crawled back to the ring. Kidd had Butcher’s handprint across his chest, and Butcher made sure to leave a few more with some chops across the ropes. Kidd hit a rebound lariat and a piledriver to get the win. Kidd laid in some shots after the bell.

Kyle Fletcher & Don Callis were backstage with Lexy Nair. Fletcher kept interrupting Nair, who eventually asked about Will Ospreay’s steel cage challenge for Revolution. Callis wanted Nair to stop trying to gaslight them. Callis said that Ospreay was physically impressive but mentally deficient. Fletcher accepted Ospreay’s challenge for Revolution.

(Revolution is a packed card already, but Fletcher/Ospreay III is my most anticipated match. If they stick the landing, this could be one of the most effective and best feuds in AEW’s short history.)

Julia Hart defeated Queen Aminata

A good TV win for Hart. I don’t know where exactly to fit her in, but Aminata needs to start being highlighted in this women’s division. Her work is clean, and I think she can hang with the top names in the division.

Aminata snuck a quick nearfall in before laying Hart out with a pair of strong kicks. Hart came back with a flurry in the corner as we went to a commercial. After the break, Aminata hit a pair of snap suplexes before hitting a twisting Perfect-Plex. A face wash boot in the corner scored Aminata a pair of nearfalls.

Hart came back with a thrust kick and a running forearm for a nearfall. Hart went up for a moonsault but caught boots from Aminata. Aminata hit a pair of German suplexes, but Hart cut off a third and caught Aminata in an Octopus Hold for the submission win.

Murder Machines (Brian Cage & Lance Archer) defeated two victims

Cage and Archer dragged their unnamed opponents to the ring and demolished them. They hit one of these poor geeks with the Murderbomb for the quick win.

After the match, Cage called out the Hurt Syndicate and said that this was a preview of what the Murder Machines were going to do to them. The Hurt Syndicate came out, with MVP asking who they thought they were calling out the champs. MVP called out the Murder Machines for making their hay on locals trying to make names for themselves. The Hurt Syndicate were the champions, and they called the shots. MVP said that if the Murder Machines beat a real tag team, then they would talk business.

We got a stylized video from Action Andretti & Lio Rush, announcing their new team name of The Cru.

We got a recap of Wednesday’s scene with Megan Bayne, Penelope Ford, Kris Statlander, & Thunder Rosa. We got video from after Dynamite with Statlander and Rosa, with Statlander saying to swing first the next time Ford & Bayne tried to laugh them off.

AEW World Trios Title Match – Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, PAC & Wheeler Yuta) (c) defeated Daniel Garcia, Angelo Parker, & Matt Menard

A solid trios title match for TV, and a solid defense for the Death Riders. Wheeler Yuta is getting a lot of good heat in these trios matches. This will sound like a wild comparison to make, but Yuta reminds me of Rocky Maivia in the Nation of Domination as the underling that gets the most heat of the group. The post-match angle was very good, with the babyface army working together long enough for Cope to take PAC out.

Parker & Yuta started as Excalibur brought up how PAC was the first man to hold two AEW titles simultaneously, and that TNT Champion Garcia had the chance to be the second. Castagnoli tagged in took control of Parker. Yuta tagged in as the crowd chanted We Hate Yuta. Parker snapped Yuta off the ropes and tagged in Menard, who ran wild and got a nearfall on PAC. Castagnoli cut him off as the match broke down. The challengers laid in the punches in the corner and posed as we went to a commercial break.

The champions were back in control as we came back, with Yuta tagging in and getting more Yuta Sucks chants. The champs ran an uppercut train on Menard in the corner for a nearfall. PAC feigned a springboard attack and mocked Menard for attempting to counter, but Menard caught him with a powerbomb. Garcia tagged in and ran wild with side suplexes, including getting Castagnoli up for one after some 2.0 assistance.

Garcia hit a Twist and Shout on Yuta for a nearfall, then locked him up in the Dragon Tamer. Parker fought off PAC as he tried to interfere, but Castagnoli lifted Garcia up into a Jackhammer to break the hold. Yuta and Garcia traded forearms, with Yuta resorting to biting Garcia’s head. Castagnoli tagged in and hit a lariat for a nearfall. Castagnoli swung Garcia into boots from PAC for a nearfall, prompting a Don Leo Jonathan reference from Jim Ross.

PAC went for the Black Arrow on Garcia, but 2.0 cut him off. Parker tagged in and took PAC down with a superplex for a nearfall that Yuta made the save on. Castagnoli cut off a double team elbow with an uppercut on Parker, allowing PAC to lock on the Brutalizer for the tapout and the win. PAC refused to release the hold as the champs laid boots in to Garcia and Menard. The Undisputed Kingdom came out to make the save, and the babyfaces fought off the Death Riders. Cole and Garcia stared each other down before bumping fists, and the Kingdom hit their finish on PAC.

Jon Moxley & Marina Shafir came out to even up the numbers, but Cope came out with a pair of chairs. The babyface army walled off the Death Riders as Cope hit PAC with a Con-Chair-To. The crowd chanted for an encore, so Cope obliged by hitting a second Con-Chair-To to PAC. The Death Riders looked dismayed as the ringside doctors checked on PAC.

Deonna Purazzo & Taya Valkyrie were backstage with Lexy Nair. They had issue with Harley Cameron getting all of this attention and told her to move to the back of the line or be moved out of the way.

Max Caster came out for his Best Wrestler Alive Open Challenge. He said that he was disrespected by “Hangperson” Adam Page, who attacked him before the bell and chased him around the building before he was ready. He asked whoever answered his challenge tonight should shake his hand like a man.

Best Wrestler Alive Open Challenge – Brody King defeated Max Caster

As someone who was sick of the Acclaimed, the turnaround I’ve done on them since the breakup angle is astounding. Caster being so overbearing that he turned his own teammates against him, then consistently getting beaten up in these open challenges has been very entertaining. My guess is that Anthony Bowens will answer one of these challenges at some point to get his singles run started.

King offered a handshake to start the match, then held onto Caster’s hand before chopping him down. Caster tried escaping a head trap, but failed as King chopped him in the chest. King hit his cannonball in the corner to win the match and send Caster to 0-3 in his Open Challenge Series.

The Outrunners were backstage with Lexy Nair, who congratulated them on their win on the Ring of Honor Global Wars show in Australia. They were talking their talk before The Hurt Syndicate walked past. The Outrunners asked about facing the Murder Machines, and what would happen if they won. MVP said that the good news is that if they beat the Murder Machines, they would get a title shot. The bad news was that if they beat the Murder Machines, they would get a title shot. Lashley and Benjamin chuckled as they walked away.

Harley Cameron vs. Deonna Purrazzo was announced for Wednesday’s Dynamite. Will Ospreay vs. Bryan Keith was also announced, as Don Callis put a bounty on Ospreay’s head ahead of Revolution.

ROH World Title Match – Chris Jericho (c) defeated Bandido

This was the best Chris Jericho singles match I’ve seen in a while. Bandido worked well with him and had the crowd behind him. Jericho got a clean win, but not in a manner that would kill Bandido’s momentum on his return. A very good main event to another quality episode of Collision.

Both men adhered to the Code of Honor, with both men pulling each other in before Jericho poked Bandido in the eyes. Bandido came back and sent Jericho to the floor, following him with a pair of dives to the floor. Bandido sent Jericho back in the ring and went for a springboard, but Jericho caught Bandido with a Codebreaker for a nearfall. Jericho hit the ten punches in the corner before taking Bandido off the top rope with a hurricanrana.

Bandido fought back with chops on the apron before taking Jericho off the apron with a headscissors to the floor. After a commercial break, Jericho took Bandido down to his knees with chops. Bandido fired back with chops of his own before poking Bandido in the eyes again. Bandido came back with a head kick and a top rope tornillo before hitting a pendulum facebuster for a nearfall.

Jericho came back with a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. The two traded boots and punches before they knocked each other down. The two went back-to-back and took their paces for a duel. Bandido went for the X-Plex, but Jericho caught Bandido’s leg and locked on the Walls of Jericho. Bandido got to the ropes, then picked Jericho up with a one-handed Gorilla Press Slam before scoring a nearfall with a Frog Splash.

Jericho cut Bandido off with a dropkick, but Bandido cut off his triangle dropkick with a Sunset Flip Powerbomb off the ropes for a nearfall. Jericho held onto the ropes on a dropkick attempt and hit a Lionsault for a nearfall. Bandido caught Jericho with an inside cradle for a nearfall before Jericho came back with a flying headscissors – which Schiavone noted he called “The Hi Spot” – for a nearfall.

Bandido cut Jericho off on the top rope and hit an avalanche moonsault powerslam for a nearfall. Bandido hit the X-Plex and went for the 21-Plex, but Jericho countered it into a Victory Roll for the win to retain the title.

Two title matches, Gabe Kidd return announced for AEW Collision

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: AEW

Two title matches and the return of NJPW star Gabe Kidd highlight this Saturday’s AEW Collision lineup, being taped Wednesday in Phoenix, Arizona.

After Bandido began targeting Ring of Honor World Champion Chris Jericho (seen above) at last December’s ROH Final Battle, the former ROH World Champion will get his shot at regaining the title he hasn’t held since late-2021.

It will be a rematch from a September 2022 Dynamite where Jericho successfully defended the title in his first title reign.

The AEW Trios titles will be on the line as the Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, PAC & Wheeler Yuta) will put the gold on the line against TNT Champion Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard & Angelo Parker. The champions recently defended against the Undisputed Kingdom’s Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong.

NJPW men’s Strong Champion Gabe Kidd will make his return to AEW for the first time since last June’s Forbidden Door against an opponent to be named. Kidd’s last AEW TV appearance came just before that PPV in a tag team match on Rampage.

Max Caster will held another open challenge in hopes of scoring his first AEW singles win since a June 2023 house show.

The Murder Machines (Brian Cage & Lance Archer) have called out AEW Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate in hopes of scoring a future title shot.

In a rematch from last October’s WrestleDream where they competed in a best-of-three falls match, Hologram will take on The Beast Mortos. Hologram picked up the win that night, but missed the better part of five months due to an injury and welcoming a new child into his family.

Here’s the current lineup with spoilers from the show coming shortly to our website:

  • ROH World Champion Chris Jericho defends against Bandido
  • AEW Trios Champions The Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, PAC & Wheeler Yuta) defend against TNT Champion Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard & Angelo Parker
  • The Beast Mortos vs. Hologram
  • Gabe Kidd vs. TBA
  • Max Caster vs. TBA

Two new matches official for AEW Grand Slam Australia

Posted on by Josh Nason

Next weekend’s AEW Grand Slam Australia continued to form with two new matches announced during Wednesday’s Dynamite.

After a wild brawl between the Death Riders and FTR, New Zealand native Jay White and Cope that started the show, White offered up a challenge for Brisbane where he and Cope face AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli in a “Brisbane Brawl.” Moxley accepted where as he earlier declined Cope’s World title challenge for Revolution.

The other new addition will see Australia native Buddy Matthews challenge reigning Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada. Matthews has been prodding Okada for a match for several weeks, finally irritating him enough to get Okada to accept.

The bout will be a rematch from their November 2021 meeting at NJPW Battle in the Valley.

The show is set for Saturday, February 15th and will air on tape delay that night following the NBA All-Star Weekend slam dunk and three point contest on TNT.

Here’s the current lineup:

  • Kenny Omega & Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher
  • AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against Buddy Matthews
  • AEW Women’s World Champion Mariah May defends against Toni Storm
  • Jay White & Cope vs. Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli in a Brisbane Brawl

FTR ‘not coming alone’ to AEW Dynamite Fight for the Fallen

Posted on by Josh Nason

While FTR may not be able to exact revenge on the Death Riders until January 1st, they issued a statement to the heel faction during Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite.

In a taped promo from Asheville, NC, Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler said they are not cleared to compete the rest of 2024 due to the backstage attack from Jon Moxley’s crew that took place on this past Saturday’s Collision.

However, they re-iterated they will be cleared in time for the Fight for the Fallen edition of Dynamite on January 1st from their hometown of Asheville, and they will fight the Death Riders. However, they are “not coming alone.”

The speculation is that former TNT Champion and fellow Asheville resident Adam Copeland will be coming with them. If so, it will be his first appearance since fracturing his tibia at this past May’s Double or Nothing in a barbed wire cage match with Malakai Black.

Six-man tag team match added to AEW Dynamite Holiday Bash

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A six-man tag team match is set for AEW Dynamite Holiday Bash.

Tony Khan announced on social media that Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, and PAC) will meet Jay White, Orange Cassidy, and Hangman Adam Page this Wednesday. Moxley’s opponents will be squaring off against him in a fatal four-way match that will take place at Worlds End on December 28.

“Before #AEWWorldsEnd, the 3 World Title challengers aim to take down Death Riders THIS WEDNESDAY!,” Khan wrote.

White, Cassidy, and Page have all made their claim to be next in line for the championship. On last week’s show, the Death Riders laid out all three of their future opponents after Page interfered in their match.

The Death Riders have continued to wreak havoc across all of AEW’s television shows. The end of Collision on Saturday saw the group attack FTR, putting bags over their faces and dragging them outside of the building.

AEW Dynamite (Wednesday, December 18) —

  • Continental Classic Gold League match: Will Ospreay vs. Darby Allin
  • Continental Classic Blue League match: The Beast Mortos vs. Shelton Benjamin
  • Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, and PAC vs. Jay White, Orange Cassidy, and Hangman Adam Page
  • TBS Champion Mercedes Mone defends against Anna Jay
  • We’ll hear from MJF

AEW Collision live results: Death Riders vs. Conglomeration Trios title match

Posted on by Suit Williams

A Trios title match is set for Saturday’s Collision.

The newly-named Death Riders (PAC, Wheeler Yuta, and Claudio Castagnoli) will take on The Conglomeration’s Mark Briscoe, Kyle O’Reilly, and Tomohiro Ishii. After fellow Conglomeration member Orange Cassidy was attacked by The Death Riders on Dynamite, the rest of the group came out for the save, setting up Saturday’s title match.

Also on the card is The Outrunners vs. Top Flight, in which the winners will advance to a four-way match at Full Gear for the AEW Tag Team titles, which will include new champions Private Party. After a confrontation on Rampage between Roderick Strong and Jake Roberts, Strong will now face The Beast Mortos.

Other matches will see House of Black taking on the Iron Savages and Jacked Jameson and Nick Wayne vs. AR Fox. Kris Statlander will be in action, and we’ll hear from Mariah May, The Acclaimed, Lio Rush, and Anna Jay.

Live coverage starts at 8 pm ET.

Collision began with the House of Black making their entrance for the opening match. Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuinness were on the call.

House Of Black (Brody King, Buddy Matthews & Malakai Black) defeated Iron Savages (Beefcake Boulder, Bulk Bronson & Jacked Jameson)

I don’t even like seeing the Savages get killed. A re-establishing match for the House, and some clarity on which two members would be going for the tag titles.

King booted the Savage Sauce – ugh – out of Boulder’s mouth, leading to a House of Black move train. Jameson didn’t fare any better, with Black and Matthews double-teaming him. Bronson fell on top of Jameson in a humorous way before King landed a senton onto both of the Savages. King hit a suicide dive onto all three Savages before The House hit Jameson with a triple attack in the corner to score the quick win.

After the match, Black grabbed the microphone before the lights went out. FTR – their opponents in the Full Gear Contender Series – made their way to the ring. They said they weren’t here to fight before Harwood noted that he held the AEW Tag Team Titles above his health, his family, and God. Harwood asked which two of the House of Black they would be fighting. King and Black stepped forward. Black wished them good luck before FTR left the ring.

Lio Rush was backstage. He felt a shift happening in AEW, and everyone was involved. He said that his past was creeping up on him, forcing him to make a decision. He held onto MVP’s business card, noting that it was a golden ticket to do business with people the way Rush used to agree with. Rush noted that he had won his last two matches before making a challenge to Swerve Strickland for Dynamite.

Private Party came out and took seats on the stage to watch the first Contender Series match.

Full Gear Four Way Contenders Series – The Outrunners (Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd) defeated Top Flight (Dante Martin & Darius Martin) (w/ Leila Grey)

A solid match, given the style clash between the teams. I would rather be pushing Top Flight, but they’re in the midst of a story right now.

Magnum and Darius started off trading shoulder blocks before they tagged their partners in. Dante evaded Floyd in the corner before both teams faced off in the ring. FTR were watching in the back. After the commercial, Top Flight were double teaming Magnum. Magnum got sent to the floor and almost ran into Leila before Darius dove into Floyd on the floor. The Martins argued about Leila being in the way, allowing Magnum to fight to the corner for a tag.

Floyd ran wild with bodyslams. The Outrunners hit the Predator elbow drop, but Dante fought free of Total Recall and got the tag out to his brother. Magnum saved Floyd on a double suplex attempt, allowing Floyd to Hulk Up. Floyd caught Martin in the corner, allowing Magnum to hop in the ring and hit Total Recall for the win.

During this match, Rush vs. Strickland was confirmed for Dynamite, as well as Roderick Strong vs. Lance Archer in a Falls Count Anywhere match.

The Acclaimed were in the back. They warned La Faccion Ingobernable that they would beat them and get into the tag title match at Full Gear. The Hurt Syndicate entered the frame. MVP talked exclusively to Caster, noting that his father was an All-Pro wide receiver for the New York Jets. Bowens told MVP they weren’t interested, but MVP knew Caster still had his card.

Roderick Strong defeated The Beast Mortos

A slightly disappointing match here. Mortos’ overproduced hesitations to hurt his friend hurt the flow of the match, and the crowd wasn’t into it.

This is Strong’s second match in the series to challenge MJF at Full Gear. Strong made the challenge for this match after Jake Roberts warned him to stop recruiting his charge.

Mortos was conflicted for a moment before dropping Strong with a lariat. Strong bounced back with a leg lariat, but Mortos hammered Strong in the corner before hitting a powerslam for a nearfall. Strong popped Mortos with a jumping knee before scoring a nearfall with an Olympic Slam. Mortos hit Strong with a headbutt but continued to shake his head in frustration at the situation. Strong came back with strikes before Mortos popped him up into a Samoan drop.

After a commercial break, Strong fought back with flying forearms that staggered Mortos. A running clothesline dropped Mortos before the Sick Kick scored a nearfall. Mortos caught Strong with a twisting backbreaker. Mortos powerbombed Strong over his knee before scoring with a spinning lariat for a nearfall. Mortos once again hesitated to finish Strong, and that allowed Strong to escape a move and hit the jumping knee for the win.

After the match, Lance Archer got the jump on Strong and laid him out with the Blackout ahead of their Falls Count Anywhere match on Dynamite. If Strong wins that match, he will get the match with MJF at Full Gear.

We got a recap of Mariah May’s defense of the Women’s Title last week before getting words from the champ. May said that she hated women’s wrestling. Since winning the women’s title, May realized that she was surrounded by the “weakest, saddest little sh*ts she’d ever seen.” Her prime was being wasted by the lack of competition around her, and she would accept the blame for killing women’s wrestling.

Anna Jay was in the back with Lexy Nair to respond to May’s words. She noted that she hadn’t just competed with May, she had beaten her. Since she was the only person to beat May since All In, she made one more challenge for the title. Jay challenged May to a no-disqualification match for the title and vowed that she would never challenge May again if she lost.

(I felt the finish to their title match left the door open for a rematch, but I’m not sure this feud required a third match with Mina Shirakawa returning on Dynamite.)

We got a recap of Dynamite’s main event, which featured the return of Powerhouse Hobbs and Will Ospreay.

(A little detail I liked about Hobbs’ return is that, according to Ricochet, Hobbs’ contract with the Don Callis Family expired one year to the day of his joining the group.)

Kris Statlander defeated Ashley Vox

This was a far more effective way to build up a title match than ATTEMPTED VEHICULAR HOMICIDE.

I was still writing the note about Hobbs’ return when this match ended. Statlander won with Saturday Night Fever. Mercedes Mone, fresh off of her VEHICULAR HOMICIDE ATTEMPT on Dynamite, snuck up on Statlander after the match and locked her in the Bank Statement before referees pulled her away.

La Faccion Ingobernable was angry in the back. Rush was angry at Beast Mortos for showing mercy in his match and reminded him what LFI was all about. Jake Roberts warned The Acclaimed that they were simply sparrows looking for a nut and that if you messed with the bull, you’d get the horns.

AEW TNT Title Match – Jack Perry (c) defeated Action Andretti

A solid match here. Andretti gets a lot of grief in the places I frequent, which I don’t understand. He’s a perfectly serviceable high flyer on this roster, slotted exactly where he should be slotted. Perry vs. Daniel Garcia at Full Gear should be a big-time title defense.

Perry caught Andretti with a chop block in the opening exchanges before sending him into the post. Perry dumped Andretti on the apron before dumping him on the steps. After a commercial break, Andretti caught Perry with an inside cradle for a nearfall. Andretti fought through the injured back to score with a handspring elbow and a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall.

Perry fought to the apron and kneed Andretti in the back, but Andretti countered with a Death Valley Driver to the apron. Andretti hit a springboard 450 splash for a nearfall. Perry evaded a split-legged moonsault but ran into a Spanish Fly-style powerslam for an Andretti nearfall. Perry went on the offensive, scoring with a buckle bomb and a brainbuster for a nearfall. Andretti countered the Glass Jaw knee with a rollup before scoring with a springboard kick. Perry got his knees up on a running Shooting Star Press attempt before hitting two Glass Jaw knees for the win.

After the match, Perry grabbed the mic but was interrupted by Daniel Garcia. Perry handed Garcia the mic. Garcia said that he disagreed with Perry about a lot of things, but he most strongly disagreed that the two of them were anything alike. Perry was a multi-millionaire nepobaby who only fought for himself, while Garcia fought for his friends and his people. Garcia said that he would never be anything like Perry, but he would be the TNT Champion at Full Gear. Perry accepted the challenge but said that Garcia wasn’t ready.

Julia Hart was cheerleading on a football field before a veiled figure shot her with an arrow. She jolted awake before the vignette ended.

We got a video of The Outrunners shilling their merch.

Lexy Nair found Daniel Garcia & Matt Menard backstage. Menard gave Garcia a pep talk, telling Garcia to prove everyone who believed in him right at Full Gear.

Nick Wayne (w/Mother Wayne & Kip Sabian) defeated AR Fox

Before he made his entrance, Wayne was on the jumbotron noting that today was the anniversary of Fox’s father passing away. He said that Fox should be happy that his father was dead so he wouldn’t have to see the beating Wayne gave him. Fox responded by jumping Wayne during his entrance with a pair of big dives. Wayne dropped Fox into the steps and crotched him on the barricade.

After a commercial, Fox dove onto Wayne on the floor to make his comeback. Fox hit a swanton bomb for a nearfall. Fox caught Wayne with a enzuigiri, but Wayne countered a Fox cutter into a Dragon suplex for a nearfall. There was a spectacular Fox sequence that ended in a powerbomb for a nearfall. Fox caught Wayne with Lo Mein Pain, but Sabian cut off a 450 Splash attempt. Wayne caught Fox with a butterfly Destroyer for the win.

After the match, Sabian held Fox down as Mother Wayne pulled out a picture of Fox with his father. She pulled out a stapler and watched as her son stapled the picture to Fox’s face.

MxM Collection was backstage with Lexy Nair. They took up Johnny TV’s offer for a collab, but Johnny couldn’t do a trios match as he already had a match for next week against Daniel Garcia. Johnny agreed to let them come to ringside with him.

AEW World Trios Title Match – Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, PAC & Wheeler Yuta) (c) defeated The Conglomeration (Kyle O’Reilly, Mark Briscoe & Tomohiro Ishii)

A solid main event with all of the side characters to the Cassidy/Moxley World Title match, but nothing on this show rose above solid. A muted two hours of action.

The opening exchanges led to Briscoe getting driven into the Death Rider corner. Briscoe fought over to his side of the ring and dumped Yuta and Castagnoli to the floor before hitting the chair-assisted dive to the outside. O’Reilly went for an armbar on Yuta, but PAC stomped on O’Reilly to break it up. After a commercial, the Death Riders were still working over O’Reilly. PAC hit a double stomp out of the Demolition Device position for a nearfall.

The Death Riders ran wild on O’Reilly with a train of strikes in the corner before PAC hit a Tombstone. Briscoe broke up the pin, but the Death Riders dumped him and Ishii at ringside before getting back to O’Reilly. O’Reilly caught Yuta in an ankle lock, then dropped him with a clothesline before tagging in Ishii. Ishii ran wild with German suplexes before scoring a nearfall on PAC with a brainbuster.

Briscoe and Castagnoli tagged in, with Briscoe running wild on both Castagnoli and PAC. Briscoe hit a Fisherman’s Buster on Castagnoli for a nearfall. O’Reilly and Ishii double teamed Yuta, hitting Chasing the Dragon before Briscoe hit the Froggy Bow for a nearfall broken up by PAC. We got a move train that left everyone down.

Jon Moxley & Marina Shafir walked out from the crowd, but before Moxley could get in the ring, Orange Cassidy made his way out from the entrance ramp. Yuta stared down Cassidy, allowing O’Reilly to catch Yuta in an ankle lock. Castagnoli and PAC got disposed of on the floor, but Castagnoli threw a chair into the ring to distract the referee. Yuta sent O’Reilly to the floor, where Shafir hit him with the briefcase. Yuta hit O’Reilly with the Busaiku Knee to score the fall and retain the titles.

Moxley was happy after the match, but Cassidy hit Yuta with the Orange Punch and dove onto Moxley on the floor. The Death Riders and the Conglomeration got into a huge brawl, ending with Cassidy diving onto the pile off of the announce table. Cassidy and Moxley stared each other down on opposite sides of the barricade to end the show.

During this match, Britt Baker vs. Penelope Ford was announced for Dynamite, and Mariah May vs. Anna Jay in a No-DQ match for the Women’s Title was announced for next week’s Collision.

Wrestling Weekly: Can Roman, Sami & The Usos get their family together?

Posted on by Victor Sosa

Image: WWE

It’s a brand-new Wrestling Weekly.

Can Roman Reigns, Sami Zayn and The Usos get it together before The Bloodline 2.0 takes them out

In AEW, who will get their hands on MJF first: Adam Cole or Roderick Strong or both? Can Orange Cassidy defeat Jon Moxley for the AEW World title? Can anyone stop the Death Riders?

We look at those questions and more on today’s show.

Thanks for listening and have a great weekend~!

Click here to listen (sub needed)

Trios title match added to AEW Collision

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A Trios title match has been added to Saturday’s Collision.

It was announced on AEW Dynamite that Wheeler Yuta, PAC, and Claudio Castagnoli will defend the Trios titles against Conglomeration members Mark Briscoe, Kyle O’Reilly, and Tomohiro Ishii on Saturday.

On Dynamite, Orange Cassidy and Darby Allin lost to Claudio Castagnoli and PAC after the rest of the newly-named Death Riders interfered, laying waste to both Cassidy and Allin. After Yuta struck Cassidy with the busiku knee, The Conglomeration came out to make the save. That trio would go on to defeat the Learning Tree in a Fight Without Honor match, with Ishii pinning new ROH World Champion Chris Jericho.

Already announced for Saturday is Nick Wayne vs. AR Fox and The Outrunners vs. Top Flight in the first AEW Full Gear 4-Way Contender’s Series.

Here is the updated lineup for next week’s Collision:

  • AEW Trios Championship: PAC, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta defend against The Conglomeration (Mark Briscoe, Kyle O’Reilly, and Tomohiro Ishii)
  • Nick Wayne vs. AR Fox
  • AEW Full Gear 4-Way Contender’s Series: The Outrunners vs. Top Flight