Tag: ftr

AEW Collision live results: FTR vs. The Acclaimed, Eddie Kingston appearance

Posted on by Suit Williams

The challengers for the AEW Tag Team title at this month’s All In will decided on tonight’s AEW Collision from Arlington, Texas.

The match will see rivals and former champions FTR and The Acclaimed battling it out with the winners set to face The Young Bucks for the titles in London. The match happened after FTR interfered in Wednesday’s title match, causing a DQ loss for The Acclaimed.

In a surprise announcement Friday, Eddie Kingston will make an appearance on tonight’s show as he has All In on his mind. The former ROH World Champion has been out of action since May after tearing his ACL, meniscus, and fracturing his leg in a match against Gabe Kidd at NJPW Resurgence.

Tonight’s show will also feature ROH Tag Team Champions The Undisputed Kingdom (Mike Bennett & Matt Taven) defend against Dustin Rhodes & Sammy Guevara, Britt Baker vs. Harley Cameron, and TNT Champion Jack Perry in action. Toni Storm is also set to debut a new film.

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The final Collision from the eSportatorium started with Britt Baker making her entrance for the opening match. Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuinness were on the call.

Dr. Britt Baker DMD defeated Harley Cameron

Decent build for the TBS Title match at Wembley.

We got footage of Baker’s attack on Mercedes Mone from Dynamite. The two went back and forth as the announcers ran down the card for tonight. Baker fired up with forearms before running wild, scoring a nearfall with the Twist and Shout neckbreaker. Baker pulled out the glove, but Cameron showed her no love by hitting her with Sole Food and a Shining Wizard for a nearfall.

The two jockeyed for position before Baker scored with a question mark kick. The two traded kicks before Baker hit a Slingblade and a curb stomp for the win. After the match, Mercedes Mone & Kamille came out. Mone sent Kamiile to the ring, with Baker responding by fishing a kendo stick from under the ring. Kamille took the kendo stick and broke it over her knee before booting Baker in the face. Kamille carried Baker into the ring before dumping her with the Dominator. Mone & Kamille stood tall over Baker to end the segment.

We got footage of the press conference announcing All In: Texas for July 12, 2025. Arlington mayor Jim Ross – not that one – was shown in the front row for tonight’s Collision.

We got a recap of Dustin Rhodes & Sammy Guevara’s recent history on Ring of Honor television, with them getting laid out by the Undisputed Kingdom on Thursday’s episode of ROH.

ROH World Tag Team Title Match – Dustin Rhodes & Sammy Guevara defeated The Undisputed Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) (c) to win the titles

This was a load of fun, as the eSportatorium got behind the Texas boys winning the titles here. Dustin Rhodes is a double champion in Ring of Honor, as we all predicted back in 2002.

Bennett & Rhodes started the match off, with Rhodes working hard to eventually catch both men with the sliding uppercut. Guevara tagged in and ran wild with dives, with him and Rhodes posing to big cheers. The Kingdom got the advantage on Guevara by chucking him into the stairs as we went to a commercial break.

The champions continued to beat on Guevara as we came back from the commercial. Rhodes provided a distraction to Taven while he was on the top rope, allowing Guevara to race up the ropes and hit a little Spanish Fly. Rhodes got the hot tag and ran wild, dropping Taven with the Canadian Destroyer. Rhodes set up for Shattered Dreams, then sent Bennett into Taven’s crotch before hitting the move behind the referee’s back.

Rhodes hit Taven with the Cross Rhodes for a nearfall. A move train broke out before Rhodes and Taven were left alone again. Roderick Strong & The Beast Mortos came out, with Mortos providing distraction as Strong hit a Sick Kick. Rhodes kicked out, and the Von Erichs came out to lock on them both in the Claw.

A battle royal broke out at ringside, with Cage of Agony & The Conglomeration joining the fray on the floor. Back in the ring, Guevara cut off the Hail Mary with a springboard cutter to Taven. Rhodes hit the Curtain Call on Bennett before Guevara scored the win with a senton.

We got a video package of the roster making predictions on the Swerve Strickland/Bryan Danielson AEW World Title match at All In: Wembley, set to Machinehead by Bush.

FTW Champion Chris Jericho was with Renee Paquette backstage, who noted that Jericho would be facing Tommy Billington on Dynamite in Wales. Jericho called his All In opponent, Hook, stupid for fighting him blind. He told Hook that he would be banned from the Jericho Vortex after All In and said that he wanted a warm-up against one of the UK’s top prospects. He said that Billington’s uncle wouldn’t have liked Billington as he hadn’t worked enough to earn his opportunities. Jericho called himself a modern-day Stu Hart and said that the Dynamite Kid would be Dynamite done.

Hologram defeated Angelico

The announcers made sure to note that Hologram used his mat skills to beat the technician, spotlighting the diversity of Hologram’s work. I wonder how Hologram’s push will translate to the bigger buildings, with this being the last show in the eSportatorium for now. And yes, I am shoehorning eSportatorium into this review as much as possible.

The two worked on the mat, with Hologram spinning on his head to take Angelico down with his legs. They fought to a stalemate before Hologram armdragged Angelico with his feet to send him to the outside. Hologram hit a massive suicida as we went to a commercial break.

After the commercial, Hologram evaded Angelico in the corner before hitting a high kick and a ropewalk hurricanrana. Angelico caught Hologram in the corner, but Hologram turned it into a DDT for a nearfall. Hologram went for a 450 splash, but Angelico moved out of the way and hit a rising enzuigiri for a nearfall. Hologram stood on Angelico’s back, then vaulted up into a rana for a nearfall.

We got a pinning predicament before Hologram stuffed a La Magistral cradle for a nearfall. Hologram caught Angelico with a leg-trap crucifix pin to win.

We got a video package highlighting the danger of the Tiger Driver ’91, with Will Ospreay talking about how there is no way for the man taking the move to protect himself. We got footage of Mitsuharu Misawa using the move in Ring of Honor as Excalibur talked about the origins of the move. After Misawa’s death in 2009, the move was effectively retired until Ospreay used it at Forbidden Door 2023 against Kenny Omega. Ospreay regretted using it on Bryan Danielson because of his neck issues and walked out of the interview.

(Mitsuharu Misawa footage on Collision. This really is the People’s A-Show.)

Non-Title Match: TNT Champion Jack Perry defeated Danny Orion

I was expecting Perry’s personalized TNT Title to be made of glass. I don’t know how that would have worked, but it would’ve been something.

Orion was billed from “Dallas Singles dot com.” Perry quickly drilled Orion with a rebound lariat. Perry hit the Glass Jaw knee to score the win.

After the match, Perry grabbed a can of spray paint and a body bag. He painted half of Orion’s face white and stuffed him and the TNT Title in the body bag, which was branded with Darby Allin’s name. He pulled out another bag which held a personalized TNT Title, spraypainted black with veiny leather. Is there a better way of describing the look of the leather? It looked veiny.

We got a video package of the recent events surrounding the AEW Trios Titles. The House of Black and the Bang Bang Gang cut separate promos about Christian Cage screwed them both over. It ended with Brody King asking Cage if he felt nostalgic. Vice Principal Christopher Daniels then announced that The Patriarchy would defend the AEW Trios Titles at All In: Wembley in a “London Ladders Match.” Their opponents would be The House of Black, The Bang Bang Gang, and a third team to be determined in a Wild Card match on Collision from Wales next Saturday.

Claudio Castagnoli defeated Lio Rush

This match was everything I wanted it to be, with Rush less challenging Castagnoli and more being a gnat that Claudio eventually caught.

Castagnoli is warming up for his Continental Championship match on Dynamite against Kazuchika Okada by facing his former CHAOS stablemate Lio Rush. Yeah, Lio Rush was in CHAOS for a minute last year, remember that? Rush manuevered around Castagnoli to find an opening and hit a stunner for a one count before getting booted. After a commercial, Castagnoli caught Rush on a poisonrana attempt, then stuffed a regular rana attempt before Rush baited him over the top to the apron. Rush hit a pair of handspring boots before going for a suicida, but Castagnoli caught him and tossed him on the apron.

Rush hit a kick and a rana off the apron, but Castagnoli vaulted him over the barricade and sent him tumbling among the humanoids. Rush beat the count into the ring, then evaded several strikes before hitting a low enzuigiri. Rush went for the frog splash, but Castagnoli moved before hitting the Swiss Death uppercut for the win.

Kris Statlander & Stokely Hathaway were in the back complaining about Willow Nightingale & Tomohiro Ishii. Statlander talked about how scary Ishii was, with Hathaway becoming more visibly afraid. Hathaway said that whoever won at Wembley would earn the right to pick the stipulation for Nightingale & Statlander’s singles rematch at All Out in Chicago on September 7th. Hathaway then feebly threatened Ishii, claiming that he was the Stone Pitbull around here and failing to bark with any bass in his voice.

Eddie Kingston, with a bushy Mick Foley beard, was at his home. He wasn’t here to give an injury update, as he still had a long road to recovery. He talked to Bryan Danielson, asking what version of Danielson this was. He called this version of Danielson disrespectful to the sport, and a man that would get beaten by Swerve Strickland at All In. This version of Danielson didn’t have the fire anymore. Kingston asked Danielson if he would find that fire and step up, or just go to Wembley and lose.

(In case you were wondering, Eddie Kingston can cut a money promo about a match he isn’t in while nursing a bum leg.)

Mariah May defeated London Dior

May jumped her opponent with a shotgun dropkick as she entered the ring. May hit a hip attack and a Storm Zero for the quick win, as Tony Schiavone barely spit out Dior’s name before the match was over.

After the match, we got a Toni Storm film entitled “My Final Gift.” Storm, in a black wig, told a story about the doctor recommending her to see a clown called Pagliacci. She said that Pagliacci should pay to see her. She threatened May, saying that the River Thames would run red with her blood. I think the River Thames is red anyway from the pollution, but that’s neither here nor there. Storm said that May would regret the day she met the woman who loved her. Wembley was waiting, so they would give them a show.

Back in the ring, May was seething. She beat the poor dead jobber with the shoe before leaving.

For an AEW World Tag Team Title Match at All In: Wembley – FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs. The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) ended in a time limit draw, both teams will challenge for the titles at All In

I looked at the clock when this match started and had a feeling it would go the time limit. The live crowd was very into the match, but I can’t say I agree. It was a solid effort, but there were some sloppy moments as well as some stretching to fill the time. This was also basically the same thing they did with the trios titles, both ending in a multi-team match at Wembley. They’re both undercard matches, so I’m not terribly upset about it, but it isn’t the most inspired booking here.

We got some video packages on both teams throughout the show to hype the match. Bowens and Harwood started as the crowd was firmly behind FTR. We got some Acclaimed chants as Caster and Wheeler tagged in. The teams worked slowly to start before the Acclaimed sent FTR to the floor. FTR baited Caster to the floor, where Harwood led him into a Wheeler lariat as we went to a commercial.

After the break, the crowd was hot as Caster fought his way to the corner for a tag to Bowens. Bowens ran wild until Harwood caught him with a series of German suplexes. Both Caster and Wheeler blind-tagged their partners, leading to a bit of confusion from FTR before Caster fought out of a Harwood powerbomb. The Acclaimed took control, hitting a suplex/high cross combo for a nearfall.

FTR came back, with Wheeler catching Caster with a sunset flip before getting him with a lariat. Caster went for a victory roll, but Wheeler backed into the corner to tag Harwood, who hit the Steiner Super Bulldog for a nearfall. After a commercial, Harwood and Bowens were trading shots in the ring. Harwood dropped Bowens with a DDT before both men made the tag. Wheeler ran wild on the Acclaimed, hitting Caster with a Gory Special for a nearfall.

Caster hit a powerbomb, but Wheeler rolled through the pin for a nearfall of his own. Harwood pulled Bowens in the ring for a spike piledriver, but Caster knocked Wheeler to the floor. The Acclaimed ran wild, but Wheeler cut off a tag move and allowed Harwood to score a nearfall with a small package. Harwood caught both men in separate Sharpshooters, but Bowens hit a jumping leg drop for a close nearfall.

Harwood and Bowens fought for positioning before Harwood sat Bowens on the top rope. The announcer gave the five-minute call as twenty-five minutes had passed. Harwood slipped on the Powerplex but still pulled Bowens up and over. Wheeler hit the splash and dove onto a sitting Caster on the floor. FTR went for the Shatter Machine, but Caster broke it up and hit the Shatter Machine with Bowens for the nearfall. The Acclaimed hit the Mic Drop, but Wheeler threw Caster into the pile to break up the pin.

The four men swung at each other before FTR hit the Shatter Machine on Bowens for a nearfall broken up by Caster. The one-minute call came as Caster tagged in, with he and Harwood trading flash pins before dropping each other with punches. Harwood sent Caster into the ropes and bonked heads with Caster, falling into the cover for a nearfall. The time limit expired, with the match ending in a draw.

The crowd chanted Five More Minutes as the four men got to their feet. Billy Gunn tried to settle things down, but Harwood punched him in the face and kicked off a brawl that got security out. Tony Schiavone announced on commentary that, since neither team lost, both teams would get the World Tag Team Title match at All In. It will be the Young Bucks vs. The Acclaimed vs. FTR for the AEW Tag Team Titles next Sunday, as the two teams continued to brawl to end the show.

AEW Collision live results: Eight-man tag action, Continental title eliminator

Posted on by Suit Williams

An eight-man tag team match headlines this week’s AEW Collision as Darby Allin, Mark Briscoe & FTR will team up to take on The Beast Mortos & The Undisputed Kingdom.

This week’s show starts at a special time of 5 PM EST due to WWE SummerSlam.

Briscoe and other members of The Congolmeration have been feuding with the likes of Roderick Strong, Mike Bennett & Matt Taven for the last several weeks. On AEW Dynamite, Mortos pinned Briscoe in a six-man tag match.

A three-way match will take place between Lee Moriarty, Claudio Castagnoli and Tomohiro Ishii to determine the next challenger for Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada. Kyle Fletcher, who will face MJF on the next Dynamite, will take on Brian Cage.

CMLL’s Mistico will team with Hologram to face The Premier Athletes, and Thunder Rosa will square off against Taya Valkyrie.

AEW Women’s World Toni Storm will be in action with Mariah May on commentary. We’ll also hear from the new AEW Trios Champions Christian Cage, Nick Wayne, and Killswitch.

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Collision began with the AEW Trios Champions The Patriarchy coming to the ring. As always, Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuinness were on the call.

Christian Cage, holding all three Trios Titles, said that his road back to the AEW World Championship began with the Trios Titles and disciplined the fans in the difference between a belt and a championship. In a showing of good grace, he awarded Nick Wayne with his title belt. Cage told Killswitch that the Patriarchy does not work without their finisher and gave him a hug to show him how much he meant to him. With that said, Killswitch didn’t give birth to a Prodigy. Cage awarded Shayna Wayne with the third Trios Title to Killswitch’s dismay.

Killswitch put his hand on Cage’s shoulder, but Malakai Black & Brody King made their entrance. Cage called King “Jelly Roll,” and reminded them that Buddy Matthews was on the shelf because of the Patriarchy. Cage ran down the two of them before the lights went out. When the lights came back up, Buddy Matthews was in the ring to run them off. As the Patriarchy bailed, The Bang Bang Gang came out through the ramp.

Cage, Killswitch, and Mother Wayne bailed through the crowd. Nick Wayne bailed out through the other side of the crowd, but Kip Sabian intercepted him and dumped him over the railing. The House of Black pinballed Wayne around and sent him packing. Both Malakai Black and Juice Robinson grabbed Wayne’s Trios title belt before both trios stared each other down.

(A solid opening segment to start the show, with the Patriarchy’s past actions coming back to bite them.)

Lexy Nair was backstage with Dustin Rhodes & The Von Erichs. Rhodes put over the connection between the two families, and the Von Erichs talked about how proud they were to be champions alongside Rhodes. Sammy Guevara entered the frame and spoke about how he wanted to earn their trust going forward as proud Texans. Rhodes shook Guevara’s hand.

Hologram & Mistico defeated The Premier Athletes (Ari Daivari & Tony Nese) (w/Mark Sterling)

(An energetic tag match here, with Hologram getting to team with a bonafide lucha star in Mistico to continue the great start to his AEW career.)

We got footage of Chris Jericho’s recent attack on Mistico in Arena Mexico, with the two set to compete at CMLL’s 91st Anniversary show in September. Mark Sterling mocked Hologram and Mistico, saying that they should be in Paris with the other gymnasts. He said that they would be losing here instead, “in Texas, in front of fat people.” Now now, I’m sure Paris has its share of tubby folks. Someone’s gotta be eating all those baguettes.

Hologram and Daivari started, with Hologram having the advantage until Daivari used the mask to pull Hologram into his corner. Hologram slipped by Nese to get the tag into Mistico, who vaulted off of Hologram’s back to hit a headscissors on Nese. Mistico caught both Athletes with an armdrag/headscissors combo before the luchadores sent the Athletes to the floor with dual dropkicks.

After a commercial break, the Athletes had the advantage on Mistico until he hit a handspring back elbow to both men. Mistico got both men out of his way before tagging Hologram, who ran wild on both Athletes. Hologram hit a wild hammerlock slam for a nearfall. Nese got a blind tag and caught Hologram with Greetings From Asbury Park for a nearfall broken up by Mistico.

Hologram got cut off by Sterling, and after sending Daivari to the floor, Hologram dove into Sterling for a big pop. Mistico got back in the mix and vaulted off of Hologram to hit a tornillo onto both Athletes. Hologram followed with a ropewalk dive to the floor before scoring the win with a 450 Splash on Daivari.

We got a recap package of the events that led to Jeff Jarrett vs. Bryan Danielson on next week’s Dynamite.

Mariah May made her way to the announce desk, with her Owen Hart Foundation Title and her bloody shoe. Nigel McGuinness lost any semblance of composure as May gave Tony Schiavone grief for his curt comments a few weeks ago. Toni Storm made her entrance before bolting to the announce desk to brawl with May. Vice Principal Christopher Daniels tried to break it up, but Storm dove off of the stage onto both of them. Security broke the two of them up before Storm’s scheduled opponent Rache Chanel jumped Storm from behind.

Toni Storm defeated Rache Chanel

(I loved this segment. Everyone’s actions made sense here. May gave Schiavone grief for his comments a few weeks ago, allowing Storm to get the jump on her. Meanwhile, the local talent saw a chance to get the jump on the World Women’s Champion and took it before Storm handily put her away. An excellent use of time here.)

Storm took quick control with a German suplex and a hip attack before scoring the quick win with the Storm Zero.

We got a video package with Kyle Fletcher speaking about his friendship with Will Ospreay before his match with MJF on Dynamite.

We got footage of MJF’s American Title defense against Templario from Friday night’s CMLL event.

Kyle Fletcher defeated Brian Cage

(A definitive win for Fletcher to set him up for Dynamite. MJF noting that he would give Fletcher a shot at the title on 8/14 if he beat him on Wednesday does put the result in a slight bit of doubt, although MJF is still the heavy favorite.)

Don Callis joined commentary as he watched his charge Fletcher make his way to the ring. Fletcher quickly sent Cage to the floor before hitting a dive to the floor. Cage sent Fletcher into the apron and the stairs, but Fletcher reversed a suplex on the ramp. In a page out of the Great Muta’s playbook, Fletcher charged up the ramp before charging Cage with a cannonball as we went to a commercial.

After a commercial, Cage took Fletcher off the top rope with a scary twisting powerslam for a nearfall. The two traded strikes until Fletcher caught Cage with a Hammerlock Tombstone for the win.

Fletcher took the mic after the match and warned MJF that if he dropped him on his head like he did to Cage, he may not make it to Wembley. Fletcher said that if MJF was the American Hero he believed himself to be, he would put the American Championship on the line on Wednesday.

MJF appeared on the screen, saying that Fletcher was a typical foreigner coming to take from hard-working Americans. He said that he didn’t become famous by riding Ospreay’s coattails, he did it by beating Ospreay without breaking a sweat. MJF offered Fletcher an Eliminator match for the title, saying that if Fletcher won on Wednesday, MJF would defend the title against him the following week.

We got a video package of Bryan Danielson training for his World Title match at All In. Danielson talked about training at 100 percent, where 101 percent is not possible. Wheeler Yuta was training with him and said that people had forgotten about how dangerous Danielson was. Yuta said that Swerve Strickland was just putting his title on the line, while Danielson was putting his life on the line. Danielson warned Strickland that this was the biggest match of his life and that he was training like it.

(Really good video package here, with Yuta giving some great lines that put over the significance of this title match from Danielson’s perspective.)

Jeff Jarrett & his crew were backstage with Renee Paquette. Jay Lethal said that if it wasn’t for Hangman Page, Jarrett would have won the Royal Rampage. Sonjay Dutt said that it wasn’t for Page, Jarrett would have won the Owen Hart Tournament. Karen Jarrett said that those two needed to do something about Page, before Jeff told everyone to calm down. Jeff said that neither he nor Page got what they wanted before moving on to Bryan Danielson.

Jarrett said that Danielson needed to be ready for Swerve Strickland, who was the most dangerous man in wrestling. Jarrett offered Danielson to take their match back to his roots in Memphis, where they did hardcore wrestling before it was called hardcore wrestling. He wanted their match to be Anything Goes and promised to introduce Danielson to the Last Outlaw. The match was made official, with Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat to be a special guest for the match.

(If you had told me six weeks ago that I would be as into babyface veteran avenger Jeff Jarrett as I am right now, well, I probably would have believed you because Jarrett is great. Jarrett as this lifetime heel who’s finally done something honorable and wants to see it through is such an interesting turn for him. He wants to see Danielson succeed as the rightful winner of the Owen Hart Cup and is willing to put his own body at risk to see it happen. I expect to see Hangman Page get involved in Jarrett’s business again on Wednesday.)

Continental Collision Three-Way Match – Claudio Castagnoli defeated Tomohiro Ishii & Lee Moriarty (w/ Shane Taylor)

(Castagnoli vs. Okada sounds like a fun night. Claudio finally scores a big win after coming close on several recent occasions.)

It was announced here that the winner of this match would get a future Continental Championship match against Kazuchika Okada at a future date. The three men traded forearms to start before Moriarty sent both Castagnoli & Ishii flying with a dropkick. Moriarty used his technique to clear both men out of the ring before hitting a low tope to both of them as we went to a commercial.

We came back to bodies flying everywhere as the men traded German suplexes. Castagnoli took both of his opponents down with a double clothesline. Ishii and Castagnoli were left in the ring to trade strikes, with Moriarty shoving Ishii out of the ring to attempt to steal the pin. Castagnoli snatched Moriarty up in the Giant Swing. Castagnoli went for a move, but Ishii yanked him out of the ring. Moriarty caught a sliding lariat into a crucifix pin, but Ishii came back with a running lariat for a nearfall. Ishii and Castagnoli traded more strikes before Ishii scored with an enzuigiri that Moriarty tried to steal the pin for again.

Moriarty caught Ishii in the Border City Stretch before Ishii rolled him onto his shoulders for a nearfall. Moriarty hit a sunset flip on Castagnoli that resulted in Ishii getting suplexed. Castagnoli yanked Moriarty up into a Neutralizer, then yanked Ishii out of the ring and hit a diving uppercut on Moriarty for the win and the future title match against Okada.

Top Flight was backstage with their new flight attendant, Leila Grey. Grey said that with her help, Top Flight was headed straight to the top. MxM Collection interrupted them, figuring out that TSA stood for “Their Style: Ass.” They argued before MxM proclaimed Top Flight’s interview over.

(Top Flight having a flight attendant is a little corny, but I won’t complain about more Leila Grey on TV. MxM was very funny here.)

Thunder Rosa defeated Taya Valkyrie (w/ Johnny TV)

(The Rosa/Purrazzo feud has gone long enough, and hopefully they deliver with this bullrope match next week. As for Taya and Johnny, I preferred them on Ring of Honor. Especially after I stopped covering it.)

Johnny involved himself early to give Valkyrie the early advantage, but Rosa came back with double knees in the corner and a sliding lariat that sent Valkyrie to the floor. After a commercial, Rosa came back strong, rolling through a Road To Valhalla attempt to hit a double stomp. Johnny yanked Valkyrie out of the ring, then got in Rosa’s way to allow Valkyrie to hit a spear.

Rosa caught Johnny with a baseball slide, then slid out of the way of a curb stomp before locking on the seated Cobra Clutch for the win. Rosa immediately called out Deonna Purrazzo, who congratulated her on her winning streak. Purrazzo noted that she has a winning streak as well, having beaten Rosa three times in a row. Rosa challenged Purrazzo to a bullrope match next week, which was quickly confirmed.

Darby Allin, FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) & Mark Briscoe defeated The Beast Mortos & The Undisputed Kingdom (Matt Taven, Mike Bennett & Roderick Strong)

(An awesome party match, with eight of the best wrestlers in the promotion just having an excellent main event. The post-match was interesting, with the Acclaimed not allowing FTR to jump the line and get a shot at the Young Bucks before them.)

Harwood and Strong started with some hard grappling before the tecnicos made quick tags to keep control of him. Strong booted Harwood before getting Bennett tagged in. Bennett and Harwood traded hard chops before Briscoe hit the double shoulder block with Harwood. The announcers noted upcoming October dates for Dynamite, including the Dynamite 5th Anniversary show as well as a Title Tuesday Dynamite as well.

Allin and Taven tagged in, with Allin scoring several flash pins before Taven ran to tag Mortos. Mortos laid everybody out, including dumping Allin straight onto his head and shoulder. Darby, the match just started. Wheeler got caught in the wrong corner before Strong hit an Olympic Slam to take control into the commercial break.

After the break, Wheeler fought for the tag before Bennett ripped Allin off of the apron with a Side Russian Leg Sweep. Briscoe got on the apron and made the tag, running wild on the rudos. The match broke down into a Pier Six brawl before Briscoe hit Taven with the Death Valley Driver. FTR hit the Redneck Boogie before Briscoe followed up with the Froggy Bow, with the pin being broken up by Taven’s partners.

The match broke down again before Mortos hit a tornillo onto Briscoe and a cannonball on Harwood. Mortos hit a Tumbleweed on Harwood for a nearfall before tagging Strong in. Harwood fought his way to the corner, where Briscoe was taken out by the Kingdom. Strong took Harwood and hit a gutbuster before Mortos followed with a spear for a nearfall. Harwood traded strikes with Mortos before hitting a main event spinebuster – in the main event, no less.

Allin tagged in and ran wild on Taven and Strong, crushing them with Coffin Splashes. Allin hit a Code Red on Strong for a nearfall. The Kingdom triple-teamed Allin with strikes but couldn’t keep him down. The Kingdom went for Hail Mary on Allin, but Allin got an inside cradle on Taven for a nearfall. Harwood snuck a blind tag in before Allin fought off the Kingdom. We got huge dives from everyone before FTR hit the Powerplex on Taven. Briscoe and Allin followed with a Froggy Bow and a Coffin Drop respectively for the win.

After the match, Harwood took the mic and talked about being the heart and soul of AEW when The Acclaimed came out. Max Caster asked where FTR was when the Acclaimed was in Blood and Guts. Caster said that Harwood’s body couldn’t hold up, while Wheeler wasn’t good enough to get on TV without his partner.

Anthony Bowens took the mic and said that the Acclaimed fought to give FTR the right to complain about their legacies, which the Acclaimed don’t care about. Bowens told FTR that they didn’t get to cut the line and reminded them that they held a win over FTR. Bowens told them to nut up or shut up and shoved the mic into Harwood’s chest, starting a shoving match.

Mark Briscoe said that this is exactly what the EVPs wanted and asked for a show of unity. FTR offered a handshake, but the Acclaimed walked away.

AEW Collision live results: FTR vs. MXM Collection

Posted on by Suit Williams

FTR begin their road to Wembley on Collision.

Last week, the team declared they were going after The Young Bucks and their AEW World Tag Team titles, and were eyeing Wembley Stadium. Dax Harwood said they would keep winning matches until they got the shot. At Friday’s ROH Death Before Dishonor, Mansoor and Mason Madden won in their ROH debut by defeating Serpentico & Angelico. Backstage, they challenged FTR to a match.

Hologram will also be in action, taking on The Beast Mortos. After a few weeks of vignettes, AEW’s newest star made his debut on Collision last week, defeating Gringo Loco. Mortos picked up a win in the opening match of Death Before Dishonor, defeating Komander.

Other matches will see Orange Cassidy facing Johnny TV, Thunder Rosa facing Maya World, Lio Rush taking on PAC, and The Conglomeration taking on Premier Athletes.

Join us for live coverage starting at 8 pm PT. Collision will be part of a three-hour block that also includes Battle of the Belts XI.

Collision once again emanated from the ESports Arena in Arlington, TX. Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuinness were on the call.

Orange Cassidy defeated Johnny TV (w/ Taya Valkyrie)

Johnny isn’t moving around so well. The age might be catching up to him.

We got clips of this past week’s Adult Swim Battle of the Booty event, where Cassidy, Johnny, Willow Nightingale, & Taya Valkyrie wrestled human versions of Adult Swim characters. I’m not high enough for the sentence I just wrote to make sense.

Johnny did some breakdancing to cut off some arm work. After some shenanigans with Johnny’s glasses, Cassidy sent Johnny to the floor – with his hands in his pockets – before hitting a dive to the floor. Johnny cut Cassidy off and worked him over, with Cassidy rolling out of the way of some standing moonsaults before Taya rolled him into the way of a standing Shooting Star Press.

After Johnny kicked Cassidy’s arm against the barricade, he worked on the arm for some time. Cassidy came back and hit a Stundog Millionaire. Johnny cut him off with a neckbreaker, but the Starship Pain missed its connection. Johnny cut off a diving DDT with another neckbreaker, then hit the Starship Pain for a nearfall. Cassidy snatched Johnny up with the Beach Break, then hit the Orange Punch for the win.

After the match, Valkyrie distracted Cassidy, allowing Johnny to chop block Cassidy. They laid the boots to Cassidy until Willow Nightingale made the save.

We got a recap of The Patriarchy beating Bullet Club Gold to win the vacant Trios Titles last week. Bullet Club Gold was in the interview area, where Juice Robinson noted that they don’t cry over spilled milk. Robinson said that Mother Wayne made a mistake spraying him in the eyes with that “aerosol chemical bullcrap,” and that they were not done with the Patriarchy. Austin Gunn said that the Patriarchy would have to answer to the Bang Bang Gang. Colton Gunn said that Arlington was their town and that Collision was their show.

This was a total babyface promo.

Blackpool Combat Club (Wheeler Yuta & Claudio Castagnoli) defeated Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin) (w/ Action Andretti), Brian Cage & Lee Moriarty (w/ Shane Taylor)

This was a fun three-way tag, with several undercard feuds merging.

Moriarty won the ROH Pure Championship from Yuta last night at Death Before Dishonor. Cage is teaming with Moriarty because Shane Taylor picked up an injury later in that show.

Yuta and Moriarty started, with Yuta outwrestling Moriarty and forcing him to tag Dante Martin. Dante picked up the pace, scoring a nearfall with a high cross. Top Flight ran wild as The Infantry watched from the back. The BCC cut off Martin with a double shoulder block, but Cage blind-tagged Castagnoli to take control of the match for his team.

After a commercial break, Moriarty cut off a tag and scored a nearfall with a Shining Wizard. Dante rolled out of a back suplex and tagged Castagnoli, who ran wild with European uppercuts. Arlington went crazy for Castagnoli’s hot tag, including the Giant Swing. Darius Martin blind tagged Castagnoli to Castagnoli’s annoyance.

A pinning predicament led to a move train, which led to a face-off between Cage and Castagnoli. Top Flight sent them to the floor and hit stereo dives to the floor, leading to another move train on the floor. Yuta blind-tagged Moriarty and hit Darius with the Right Angle Slam, then pinned him with the Seatbelt pin.

The Conglomeration was backstage with Lexy Nair. Willow Nightingale & Orange Cassidy entered the frame, with Willow hyping everybody’s matches tonight. When asked how he was doing physically after Blood & Guts & Death Before Dishonor, Mark Briscoe said that the word of the day was tenacity. He asked Kyle O’Reilly to hold his baby – the ROH World Title – before introducing the newest member of the Conglomeration, his actual baby named Jay. Briscoe cut his wildman promo with a baby in his arm, while O’Reilly was tossing the ROH World Title in the air like it was an infant. This is a must-see promo.

Hologram defeated The Beast Mortos

The rollout of Hologram has been TREMENDOUS. His first two matches couldn’t have gone any better, as he’s already a star in Arlington.

Hologram got chants on his entrance after his exciting debut last week. We got highlights of Mortos’ win last night at Death Before Dishonor against Komander. We got a fast-paced lucha start to this match, with plenty of headscissors and arm drags. Mortos caught Hologram with a powerslam for a nearfall. Mortos sent Hologram flying out of the ring with a Pounce as we went to a commercial.

Hologram evaded Mortos in the corner before hitting a triple-rotation around-the-world headscissors to a massive reaction. Mortos cut off Hologram on the top rope and hit a Hammerlock Driver off the top for a nearfall. Hologram got Mortos to the apron and hit a rising Canadian Destroyer on the apron, then followed up with a ropewalk dive to the Mortos on the floor. Hologram hit a rocket ship suicida as the crowd lost their minds for all of this.

Back in the ring, Mortos caught a top rope hurricanrana, but Hologram stood on Mortos’ shoulders to hit another Destroyer for a nearfall. Mortos came back with a Bane-esque backbreaker, a powerbomb over the knee, and a lariat for a nearfall. Mortos brought Hologram to the top rope, but Hologram reversed a top rope Gorilla Press with a headscissors. Hologram hit a Crucifix Bomb for the impressive win.

Thunder Rosa defeated Maya World

Oh, like My World. I get it. The announcers noted that World was trained by ROH Women’s Champion Athena and was highly rated in the PWI Rookie of the Year race last year. Rosa got a quick win with a seated Camel Clutch. Rosa threatened Deonna Purrazzo to the camera after the match.

We got highlights of Lance Archer vs. Will Ospreay from New Japan Dominion 2023 before it was announced that they would have a rematch this Wednesday on Dynamite. We cut to a pile of dead bodies strewn about the backstage area before Lance Archer came out destroying another poor guy. He cut a promo warning Ospreay about Wednesday while beating these poor dead guys up some more.

The Conglomeration (Kyle O’Reilly, Mark Briscoe & Tomohiro Ishii) defeated The Premier Athletes (Ariya Daivari, Josh Woods & Tony Nese) (w/Mark Sterling)

It’s so odd to me that AEW has kick-ass trios matches on a pretty regular basis but doesn’t ever have them for the actual Trios Titles. Bounce those things around and have some fun with it. Not every title needs to have long, definitive reigns. But as I said earlier, this kicked ass.

The Conglomeration were in firm control for the opening minutes until Daivari and Woods pulled O’Reilly to the floor and laid the boots to him. Briscoe cut them off with a chair-assist dive to the floor. After a commercial, Ishii made the hot tag and ran wild. Briscoe tagged and ran wild on Nese but got distracted by Sterling on the apron. The Athletes hit a triple-team on Briscoe, forcing Ishii to break up the pin.

We got a move train that led to a dive train. Woods ran wild with suplexes but ended up in a triple-team attack by the Conglomeration. Ishii laid out Sterling with a lariat, and O’Reilly got the submission on Woods with a cross armbreaker.

We got a recap of Katsuyori Shibata saving Minoru Suzuki from a beatdown from The Learning Tree. Jericho was with Renee Paquette in video from after Dynamite. Suzuki broke Jericho’s finger in their match and said that he would get Suzuki back at some point. Jericho said that The Learning Tree was going to go after Shibata, and since all of Shibata’s friends are gone, no one would save him.

Lance Archer defeated A Nameless Victim

A guy ran out onto the ramp before Archer chased him to the ring. A ref appeared as Archer chokeslammed this poor guy onto the apron. Archer hit the Blackout for the mercy kill, then shouted to the camera about Will Ospreay.

FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) defeated MxM Collection (Mansoor & Mason Madden)

MxM Collection were very charismatic in their debut. Madden was a little clunky, but both men did just fine for their role here.

This is the AEW debut of the MxM Collection, after they wrestled on the ROH Zero Hour last night. The announcers noted that Madden was the first athlete to work with Tony Khan in both AEW and the NFL, as he was scouted by Khan before the 2013 NFL Draft. He also was on the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad in 2015. Mansoor dropped Harwood and posed, but Harwood lit him up with a chop. Mansoor almost got caught by the Shatter Machine, but Madden pulled him to the floor as we went to a commercial.

MxM worked over Harwood, with Madden hitting a hip attack into a pose before getting a nearfall. They hit a Hart Attack, with Madden hitting a leg lariat instead of a clothesline, for a nearfall. Wheeler got the hot tag and ran wild. Wheeler ducked a corner charge from Mansoor and set up the spike piledriver, but Madden booted Harwood off the ropes. Madden missed another leg lariat and got hung up on the ropes. Harwood got a blind tag in and caught Mansoor with the Shatter Machine for the win.

The Acclaimed were backstage after Blood and Guts on Wednesday. Anthony Bowens cut a fired-up promo about defending AEW and told everyone to never underestimate the Acclaimed. Max Caster talked about FTR, saying that they would’ve been in the cage with them if they loved AEW as much as they claimed. Bowens told the Young Bucks to rest up because the Acclaimed had their tag team title match coming down the pike.

A serious Acclaimed promo, and a good one to boot.

PAC defeated Lio Rush

This wasn’t the fireworks show you would expect when you see these two names, but this was still a solid Collision main event. PAC gets another win before his eventual International/American Title match.

PAC caught Rush with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, then caught Rush on a wheelbarrow attempt. Rush turned it into a flash pin, but PAC cut him off with a back elbow. PAC held control through the commercial break, then hit a nasty Liger Bomb for a nearfall. Rush held onto the ropes on a snap German suplex attempt, then hit a hurricane kick to reset.

We got a note that next week’s Collision will have a special start time of 5:00 Eastern/4:00 Central. Rush sent PAC into the ring post on the floor, then followed up with a tope. Rush brought PAC down hard with a Falcon Arrow for a nearfall. PAC sent Rush into the buckles hard and brought him to the top rope, but Rush headbutted him down. Rush went for the Rush Hour, but PAC caught him and hit a delayed German suplex for a nearfall.

PAC set Rush up for the Black Arrow, but Rush rolled out of the way. Rush baited him into a poisonrana, then hit the Rush Hour for a nearfall. Rush went for the Frog Splash, but PAC got his knees up. Rush reversed another German attempt into a flash pin for a nearfall, but PAC ripped his head off with a lariat. PAC quickly snatched Rush into the Brutalizer for the quick tapout.

FTR in-ring return set for next week’s AEW Collision

Posted on by Bryan Rose

FTR’s in-ring return is next week.

In an in-ring promo that took place on Collision, Dax Harwood announced that they were looking to go after the AEW World Tag Team titles at All In, and their road to getting that match against The Young Bucks would begin next week on Collision when they return to the ring.

During the promo, Cash Wheeler opened up about his recent struggles outside of the ring, saying that wrestling was his escape and loved performing for the fans. Dax called out The Young Bucks saying their journey back to the titles begins next week and would end at Wembley Stadium.

In another promo following Collision, the two talked about both The Acclaimed and The Young Bucks, saying the goal is All In.

Back in April, Dax Harwood suffered a hematoma in a ladder match against The Young Bucks at AEW Dynasty. Harwood continued to work injured until last month, when he took time off to recover. He and Wheeler returned last week, saving Tommy Billington from the Don Callis Family after he refused to join the group.

FTR make return on AEW Collision

Posted on by Bryan Rose

FTR have made their return to AEW.

An angle took place on Collision where Tommy Billington, the nephew of the Dynamite Kid, rejected an offer to join the Don Callis family after he lost to Konosuke Takeshita. Both Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher jumped Billington after he put his hands on Callis and continued their assault until FTR made their return, sending the Callis family packing and helping Billington to his feet.

Back in June, Dax Harwood announced that he would be out of action to deal with a hematoma he suffered in a ladder match against the Young Bucks at AEW Dynasty in April. He had continued to work with the injury and didn’t inform AEW medical about the situation until a match on Collision where FTR took on the Blackpool Combat Club.

“The pain has been at the very, very, very minimum, the pain has been excruciating over the last few months,” he said at the time.

Harwood and Cash Wheeler have been with AEW since 2020, where they are two-time Tag Team Champions.

AEW’s Dax Harwood out of action after suffering hematoma in April

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Dax Harwood is out of action.

Taking to social media on Monday, Harwood explained that he and Cash Wheeler are being taken off the road so Harwood can recover from a hematoma suffered back in April that he had attempted to work through without telling anyone.

In a video post on X, he first apologized to Tony Khan and other AEW staff, saying he should have been upfront about his situation for the last few months. He said that after giving Matt Jackson a piledriver at AEW Dynasty in April, he messed up his lower back “really, really bad,” causing a severe hematoma. He wanted to work through it, however, as he didn’t want to take himself and tag partner Cash Wheeler off the road.

https://twitter.com/DaxFTR/status/1800328658743169202

Harwood said after his match on AEW Collison this past weekend against Blackpool Combat Club, the hematoma grew to the size of a football while icing it backstage.

“The pain has been at the very, very, very minimum, the pain has been excruciating over the last few months,” he said.

He explained he didn’t want to tell anyone as he didn’t want FTR being taken off television. But after Saturday, he informed Doc Sampson of AEW about his situation and was taken off the road, getting an x-ray on his pelvis on Monday. Sampson told him that he needed to rest the injury or it could lead to possible retirement.

“I don’t know how long this is going to last, I don’t know how long we’re gonna have to be off, but unfortunately, or maybe fortunately for some of you people that don’t like FTR, myself and Cash will not be on television for a while,” he said. “I have to rest this thing up.”

He noted that he has had a lot of sleepless nights as he can’t get in a comfortable position at night. He hopes that when they come back, FTR will be better than ever.

BCC vs. FTR tag team match booked for AEW Collision

Posted on by Ethan Renner

A tag team bout has been booked for Saturday’s AEW Collision episode.

After making his return to the ring on Wednesday’s Dynamite for the first time in nearly five months, Wheeler Yuta will again be in action on Saturday’s Collision episode as he teams with Claudio Castagnoli against FTR’s Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler.

AEW’s Tony Khan announced the match for Saturday in a social media post on Thursday evening:

Saturday’s contest will be the first match for FTR since their loss in the Anarchy in the Arena match that headlined last month’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view in Las Vegas.

Yuta, Castagnoli, Bryan Danielson, and Jon Moxley of the Blackpool Combat Club were victorious on Wednesday’s Dynamite in eight-man tag team action against CMLL’s Volador Jr., Esfinge, Magnus, and Rugido in Yuta’s return bout.

The BCC vs. FTR bout is the first match announced for Saturday’s Collision in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

The lineup:

  • Blackpool Combat Club’s Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta vs. FTR’s Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler

Kenny Omega announces Anarchy in the Arena match for AEW Double or Nothing

Posted on by Bryan Rose

During Dynamite, Kenny Omega appeared in a hospital room, recovering from last week’s attack by The Elite. He made a match that would see The Young Bucks, Jack Perry, and Kazuchika Okada compete in an Anarchy in the Arena match, naming FTR as the first two participants. Later in the night, it was revealed that Eddie Kingston and Bryan Danielson would round out the team. The show ended with both teams having to be separated by security.

Following the events of last month’s Dynasty, The Elite have been looking to consolidate their power by attacking Tony Khan, causing him to recuperate at home. On last week’s Dynamite, they attacked Kenny Omega, who is still recovering from diverticulitis. Kingston and Okada also have a history with one another, as it was Okada who defeated Kingston to win the Continental title at Dynasty.

Danielson had been away from television in recent weeks, selling a Tiger Driver 91 that he took at Dynasty from Will Ospreay. He will return to action this Saturday on Collision.

Here is the updated lineup for Double or Nothing:

  • AEW World Championship: Swerve Strickland defends against Christian Cage
  • International title: Roderick Strong defends against Will Ospreay
  • AEW Women’s Championship: Toni Storm defends against Serena Deeb
  • TBS title: Willow Nightingale defends against Mercedes Mone
  • Anarchy in the Arena: The Elite (Young Bucks, Kazuchika Okada, and Jack Perry) vs. FTR, Bryan Danielson, and Eddie Kingston

Dax Harwood suffered concussion at AEW Dynasty, is ‘feeling much better’

Posted on by Josh Nason

After he suffered a legitimate concussion at AEW Dynasty, Dax Harwood said that he is “feeling much better today.”

In this week’s Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer reported that Harwood was concussed during last Sunday’s ladder match that saw FTR take on the Young Bucks for the vacant AEW Tag Team titles.

No other details on the severity of the injury, nor at what point was it sustained, was reported. Harwood was bloodied up during the match as seen above.

The 39-year-old posted on X late-Friday afternoon, giving an update on his status and that will see fans soon.

https://twitter.com/DaxFTR/status/1783956242567774561

Harwood and Wheeler were attempting to kick off their third AEW Tag Team title reign and first since October 2023. The loss to the Bucks now evens their record at 2-2 in the informal series that dates back to 2020.

At the end of the match, Harwood was shoved off a ladder into the ropes by the returning Jack Perry who has joined the Bucks’ new version of The Elite along with Kazuchika Okada.

Young Bucks win Tag Team titles at AEW Dynasty after Jack Perry interferes

Posted on by Josh Nason

For the third time, The Young Bucks are AEW Tag Team Champions thanks to interference from old friend Jack Perry at AEW Dynasty.

Matthew & Nicholas Jackson defeated FTR at Sunday’s pay-per-view in a ladder match for the vacant titles, aided by Perry’s surprise return. As Dax Harwood was up on the ladder and about to grab the belts, a man in a white mask and hood ran into the ring and pushed Harwood off the ladder.

Security swarmed him and commentary played it up like he was a fan, but they removed his mask to reveal Perry. Nicholas then was up on the ladder to grab the belts and win the titles. Perry was taken out by security afterward as the Bucks pretended to be surprised by everything.

The titles were vacated by Darby Allin & Sting following Sting’s retirement at March’s Revolution and put up in a tournament. FTR advanced with wins over The Infantry and Top Flight while the Bucks defeated Private Party and Best Friends (Orange Cassidy & Trent Beretta) to get to the finals.

It’s the third reign for the Bucks and their first since a 28-day reign in 2022. This was the fourth-ever meeting between both teams with each winning two of them.

Perry has been out of AEW since last August’s All In when he got into a backstage skirmish with CM Punk that AEW aired footage of several weeks ago. He just wrapped up a short run in NJPW where he adopted the “Scapegoat” moniker to help play off the Punk controversy.

Both teams did their best to follow the spectacular Bryan Danielson vs. Will Ospreay match that preceded them, pulling out all the stops and eventually getting the crowd back into things.

Some highlights:

Wheeler hit a running spear to Matthew on the ring apron who then slid on the table and broke it before his body then nailed the barricade, followed by Nicholas hurricanrana counter onto Harwood through a table at ringside.

Harwood and Wheeler hit a massive powerplex onto Nicholas off the ladders.

In a nasty looking bump, Nicholas hit a 450 splash onto Wheeler through a table while Harwood hit a piledriver onto Matt on top of a ladder, but the ladder broke making for an awkward fall.

AEW Dynasty preview & predictions: Swerve’s house

Posted on by Mike DellaCamera

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

Yet again, friends, AEW finds itself wrapped up in yet another unnecessary, self-created mess of a media cycle. Forget The Masters: this is fast becoming a tradition unlike any other.

The focus, yet again, is not on the excellent card for Sunday’s Dynasty (8 PM Eastern on PPV from St. Louis), but on more exhausting behind-the-scenes intrigue.

Showing the CM Punk/Jack Perry footage from All In nearly two weeks ago on Dynamite was a mistake, full stop. As much as I respect pettiness, and God knows I do, this was a low floor, low ceiling decision and exactly the type of decision they would be wise to avoid.

How exactly did seeing this footage change anything for the better? All it did was put Punk’s name on the tip of the wrestling world’s tongue (though to be fair, it is frequently there). There were no Punk chants at AEW shows, but there are now. It was a short-sighted play with negative long-term fallout.

Even though the Young Bucks and FTR did their best by spinning it into the storyline, the damage was done. It’s a wrestling truism that there’s no such thing as bad heat, but I’d argue that a returning Perry getting showered with chants for a wrestler from a rival promotion is exactly that. It makes everyone involved look small.

If this article ran on The Ringer, it would be titles “Winners and Losers of the Jungle Boy/CM Punk footage.” The only winner? Punk, of course. Brandon Thurston said it best: he really is a top guy in two companies. The sooner the obsession with the past ends, the better for everyone in AEW.

With my soapbox put away, let’s run through another promising AEW pay-per-view card with some main card predictions:

FTW Champion Hook defends against Chris Jericho

No matter the question, the answer is never “more Chris Jericho.” That is not a panacea for what ails AEW or anyone, really. He is a vampire getting undeserved regular TV and PPV time at the expense of both a talented roster and the audience’s respect. Look at what the other wrestling legends in AEW are doing. Christian Cage is doing the best work of his career and helping elevate younger wrestlers. Adam Copeland is doing the same. Jericho does what he does for one person, himself. Not being on TV is a fate worse than death to him.

Even though this isn’t the best opponent for Hook, matches on big shows like this are necessary for his growth and should have been happening far sooner. The chaos agent inside me wants Jericho to win but I simply will not have it.

Prediction: Hook retains

Adam Copeland, Mark Briscoe, & Eddie Kingston vs. House of Black (Malakai Black, Buddy Matthews & Brody King)

Copeland, Briscoe, and Kingston are just three guys being dudes. Copeland and Briscoe are brimming with some of the most powerful dad energy on television. Pair that with Kingston bringing his trademark level of chaos makes for a wonderful juxtaposition.

Most of their backstage interviews go something like this:

  • Copeland: Standard wrestling promo with a corny joke
  • Briscoe: “God is good.”
  • Kingston: “Malakai Black, you looked at me with both eyes and where I come from, that means one of us has to die and it’s not going to be me.”

House of Black works so well as a trio because they each bring something completely different that plays to their strengths. Matthews is a muscle hamster that moves with incredible power and suddenness (him vs. PAC again soon, please), Black brings striking and aura, and then, there is King.

The king is saved for last because he’s, well, he’s the best. People yearn for Matthews and Black singles runs, but I want nothing more than Big Bad Brody King to get some solo shine. Equal parts powerful and agile, he is a throwback to a territory-style hoss; one tailor-made for either a TNT or International title reign. He had the mixed tag against Copeland on Wednesday, and I’d love to see this match lead to something there.

Prediction: Copeland, Briscoe & Kingston

AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada defends against PAC

AEW is better when PAC is around. Hell, wrestling is better when PAC is around. Still one of the most enthusiastic sellers and explosive performers in modern wrestling, his return makes us realize how much he was missed. There’s always a place in wrestling for someone this angry.

His anger is different than Eddie Kingston’s. Where Kingston is generally perturbed, PAC seems angry that others dare even inhabit his world. Their existence is a source of disgust to him. Other than when the bell rings, my favorite part about the PAC experience is that he always looks the same with black trunks and bicep bands. That’s it and that’s all. I can’t even picture him wearing anything other than his ring gear, let alone something with a collar. Regardless, I’m thrilled he’s back if you couldn’t tell.

The arrival of Okada in AEW is one of the better presentations for a debut in recent memory. There was no time wasted when he formally showed up as he immediately rocked Kingston, aligned with The Elite, and won a championship. There was no pandering to the crowd, no happy to be here promos; just a whole bunch of being a smug jerk, which is Okada’s perfect character alignment. It allows him to work to his strengths: lengthy, control-focused matches with memorable finishing stretches. He is far more charismatic and interesting playing this role compared to being a generic babyface.

This suits him well, and so does having a championship. He’ll keep it this weekend.

Prediction: Okada retains

AEW International Champion Roderick Strong defends against Kyle O’Reilly

O’Reilly is another wonderful return. I have, depressingly, been consuming wrestling long enough to have seen the entirety of O’Reilly’s career. We are similar in age and seeing him grow from a young boy to a full-grown man with a family resonates.

There are moments when we observe someone navigating life’s challenges in a spotlight that amplifies their experiences, mirroring our own. It fosters a unique sense of connection and empathy, knowing that we travel parallel paths through life’s hurdles, both public and private. His triumphant return to the ring is inspiring and a testament to the indomitable will to pursue one’s dreams.

At 40 years old, Strong is still a certifiable monster. A cardio king with an unlimited gas tank, he should be wrestling regularly on TV and having killer matches. Orange Cassidy made this the International title a workhorse title, and there are few better than Strong to carry that mantle forward. He is made for TV matches, ones that are crazy sprints full of non-stop moves. That’s kind of his bag, bay.

This is his first real match since he won the title in early March, odd since this was the title that used to be defended weekly on the non-Rampage shows. That needs to continue. There are too many belts in AEW, but this one deserves far more attention than it’s currently getting.

As much as I love O’Reilly and am thrilled to see him back doing what he loves, big Rod Strong needs to keep the title

Prediction: Strong retains

TBS Champion Julia Hart defends against Willow Nightingale

This is Willow’s moment. She is as good as babyfaces get and is ready for a title. In some ways, she is the nice version of Kingston as fans relate to her similarly to how they relate to him. She is genuine and vulnerable on the microphone (her Dynamite promo a few weeks ago was the best she’s had), but a killer between the ropes. The approaches couldn’t be more different, but they connect with the audience at similar levels.

Hart’s TBS title reign has been fine as are most first-time title reigns. But, Hart has stayed dripping with superstar potential. Not many 22-year-olds can say they had a months-long title reign on TV. Even if it was just a fine run, those reps are invaluable towards her getting to her ceiling as a performer. The presentation and presence are already realized, the rest should come in time.

These are two people who the women’s division in AEW should be built around in the years to come. Julia had her run and it’s time for Willow to have hers.

Prediction: Nightingale wins the title

Bryan Danielson vs. Will Ospreay

The Ospreay haters must have been fuming when Danielson, the Lisan al Gaib of wrestling, lavished him with the highest of praise:

“He has such a great grasp of what the modern professional wrestling fan wants. When I see him, I think he’s the best wrestler in the world for modern wrestling fans as far as what they enjoy.”

As always, our king speaks the truth. Often, you can distill the best Ospreay match down to five minutes and get 95% of the experience. We have attention spans shorter than a goldfish, so of course a dude that has between seven and ten jaw-dropping moments of athleticism per match resonates. The dopamine-addled brains of modern society, mine included, can’t handle much more than that. Many of you probably picked up your phone while reading this paragraph. I don’t take it personally, I did the same thing writing it. We can’t focus, we can’t just be.

In a word full of inattention, Ospreay might just be the best wrestler for it.

But he’s not because he is wrestling the best wrestler in the world and the best wrestler of all time in Danielson. It will be interesting to compare this match to the Ospreay/Kenny Omega matches that received so much attention last year. In many ways, Ospreay is the Pokemon evolution of Omega in that both are explosive, athletic marvels with unlimited stamina and adamantium necks. Both are top 1% athletes, pushing the limits of what a human body can do in the ring without exploding.

Danielson is none of those things. He approaches wrestling with far more subtlety. An artist of the highest form, he grinds, stretches, and strikes his opponents until he breaks their will and spirit. In other words, he is the stylistic opposite of Ospreay who just hits his opponents with bomb after bomb.

The best wrestler of all time vs. perhaps the best modern wrestler happens Sunday. This is as big of a match as AEW can put on, and I can’t wait.

Prediction: Ospreay

Young Bucks vs. FTR in a ladder match for the vacant AEW Tag Team titles

I already went long about the All In footage earlier so I won’t belabor that point. It’s too bad that it’s overshadowing another match between two of the best tag teams ever.

Since I was critical up front, let me play my own devil’s advocate and offer a more…generous reading of the decision to air the footage. The previous match at All In for whatever reason didn’t click. It didn’t feel like anything we hadn’t seen before. It felt like an empty exhibition rather than an emphatic third match in a trilogy. It was certainly good. but it wasn’t at the level we all know it could be. Weaving in the excuse, no matter how thin, that what happened backstage at All In had an impact on the quality of the match works if you really squint. It does lean into what the Young Bucks do better than almost anyone else: making the audience want to see them get beat up.

No one takes a beating like Matt and Nick Jackson. They’ve been doing it around the world for years and it always works. Sting’s retirement match was nearly perfect, and a ton of credit for that goes to the Bucks who did everything humanly possible to make Sting look like a hero going out. They are weasly, they are slimy, and they are just begging to be punched in the face. More so than any other great tag team of the modern era (Hardys, FTR, Motor City Machine Guns, etc.), they have the unique ability to be hated. It speaks to their skills as heels that two guys who wrestle in such an aesthetically pleasing style can get a crowd to loathe them. History will have a complicated relationship with them, as it does with any level of greatness, but we should all appreciate them while we can.

Logic would dictate that the Bucks win here. The whole Elite thing works best when all the slime puppies have gold. Jack Perry probably gets involved, something I definitely don’t care about, and helps them win.

Prediction: Young Bucks win the titles

AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Thunder Rosa

Nothing about this is compelling as Storm’s gimmick prevents her feuds from getting any serious juice. Her last program with Deonna Purrazzo should have been filled with emotional weight as these women effectively grew up with each other in wrestling. But the program ultimately fell flat. If one character barely takes anything seriously, how is the audience supposed to? At its core, that is the issue with the “Timeless” gimmick. It’s been the same thing for months. Even if her opponent tries to introduce some gravitas, her character is so unserious that it just doesn’t matter.

This program with Rosa is more of the same. She’s become just another character sacrificed at the “Timeless” altar and that’s a shame. Storm is an incredible in-ring talent, much like many women in AEW. Until the gimmick goes away, or the character gets changed, the song will remain the same.

Prediction: Storm retains

AEW World Champion Samoa Joe defends against Swerve Strickland

Joe, the champion, reminds us that God is in his heaven and all is right with the world.

Joe can do anything and make it big with gravitas. He is a pillar of stability in a company that too frequently depends on it. He and Jon Moxley allow AEW to weather all storms. Joe is reliably excellent in the ring and transcendent on the microphone; a true legend of modern wrestling that will only be remembered even more fondly when his time in the ring ends.

As wonderful as Joe is, and as much as I would love him to stay champion forever, this is Strickland’s time. This is the moment where he cements himself as one of the top guys in all of wrestling. It doesn’t feel as emotionally charged as when Hangman Page won the title back in 2021, but the builds that led to coronations are similar. It’s appropriate, too, considering his matches with Page pushed him into that upper echelon of main event-level performers.

The criticisms I have with Swerve are nits that don’t even need to be picked (he can be a little loosey-goosey in the ring with too many unnecessary rolls and somersaults.) But he’s got it all figured out and has for some time now. He seethes, he broods, and he delivers in every area. Last year was the beginning of his rise to the top of AEW. On Sunday, he claims his rightful place there. Who’s house?

Prediction: Strickland wins the title

AEW Collision live results: BCC vs. Don Callis Family Bunkhouse Brawl

Posted on by Suit Williams

Just one day before AEW Dynasty, the Blackpool Combat Club will compete in a Bunkhouse Brawl match on tonight’s AEW Collision as Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli face Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher.

Both Danielson and Castagnoli have been targeted by the Don Callis Family with Takeshita giving Danielson a brain buster on the stage earlier this month. 

The Elite (Kazuchika Okada & Young Bucks) will team up to take on PAC & FTR. On Sunday, Okada will defend his AEW Continental title against PAC while the Bucks and FTR will compete for the vacant AEW Tag Team titles.

In a clash of former AEW Tag Team Champions, The Acclaimed take on The Gunns.

TNT Champion Adam Copeland, Eddie Kingston & Mark Briscoe go up against Top Flight & Action Andretti, Skye Blue will take on Leyla Hirsch, and Powerhouse Hobbs will be in action.

This week’s show will be immediately followed by a live Rampage on TNT.

**********

Sir Elton John played us into tonight’s Collision, one day before the Dynasty PPV tomorrow night. Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuinness were on the call as the TNT Champion kicked off tonight’s show.

Adam Copeland, Mark Briscoe, & Eddie Kingston defeated Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin) & Action Andretti

A high-octane opener to kick off this three-hour block. It was fun seeing Copeland fit into the multi-man mix.

Andretti used his speed to beat Briscoe to start, but Briscoe dropped him with an elbow out of the corner. Copeland helped Briscoe drop Andretti with double shoulder blocks, but Top Flight teamed up to keep Copeland off balance. Kingston held control of Dante through the commercial, but Darius got the hot tag after the commercial and ran wild.

Andretti and Dante hit dives to the floor, but Briscoe hit a pair of suplexes to cut them off. Andretti hit a standing shooting star press to Kingston for a nearfall that Copeland broke up. All six men dropped each other with clotheslines as the crowd chanted This Is Awesome. Kingston dropped Andretti with a lariat, kicking off a move train that ended with a series of finishers on Andretti. Briscoe hit the Froggy Bow on Andretti to cap off this match, with Kingston scoring the fall.

After the match, the House of Black appeared on the screen. They menaced their opponents for tomorrow night, with Malakai Black saying that they would drag Copeland to the edge of hell.

We got a video package hyping the AEW World Title match between Swerve Strickland & Samoa Joe at Dynasty.

Powerhouse Hobbs defeated CJ Esparza

Esparza was the unfortunate ham-and-egger in Hobbs’s way ahead of his showdown with IWGP World Champion Jon Moxley this Wednesday. Hobbs crushed Esparza with multiple slams on the apron before winning with the Human Torture Rack.

After the match, Don Callis took to the mic and said that his Family was the talk of the wrestling world. He hyped the Bunkhouse match later on, saying he wouldn’t be ringside for his own safety. He took credit for Kenny Omega’s IWGP World Title reign, saying that he had a favor to cash in with New Japan officials. He cashed in his favor, announcing that the Hobbs/Moxley match on Dynamite would now be for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.

We got a video package hyping the dream match between Will Ospreay and Bryan Danielson for Dynasty.

We got a recap of the Hook, Chris Jericho, & Taz angle from Dynamite before we heard from Chris Jericho in the back. He said that “the learning tree” would teach him the mistake he made by not accepting his advice, but it would make Hook a better person in the end. It would hurt him more than it hurt Hook to take the FTW Title from him.

The Gunns (Austin & Colten) (w/ Jay White) defeated The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) (w/ Billy Gunn)

This was a fine TV match, but I’m beyond ready to get the trios titles onto other things.

For the first time in months, Caster got his rap off with no issue. Tony Schiavone got on the mic and said that if the Gunns bailed on this match, the title match tomorrow night would be canceled. We got a Pier Six brawl that took us to the break. After the break, the Gunns traded single-leg crabs to keep control of Caster.

Bowens got the hot tag and ran wild. The Gunns sent the Acclaimed into each other, only for the referee to catch Colten’s trying to leverage his pin with the ropes. Bowens hit a big knee for a nearfall, then hit a Fameasser for another two count. Bowens avoided the 3:10 To Yuma, allowing Caster to get a blind tag. Caster scored with the Death Valley Driver, but Austin cut off the Mic Drop. The Gunns hit the 3:10 To Yuma on Bowens, but Caster came down with the Mic Drop. Colten and Caster were left in the ring, with White helping Colten score the win with the bat.

Bryan Danielson was backstage with Lexy Nair. He said that Don Callis didn’t have confidence in Will Ospreay, which is why Callis sent the Family after him. Danielson felt alive and was excited for the Bunkhouse match tonight and the match against Ospreay tomorrow night. Ospreay entered the frame, noting that he saw Danielson slated for interview time, and told Danielson that he had nothing to do with the attacks. Ospreay didn’t want Danielson to have any excuses for Dynasty. Danielson left unconvinced.

We got video from Toni Storm from after Dynamite. She wanted the video in full color so people could see how Thunder Rosa smeared lipstick all over her face. Storm said that Rosa didn’t want the title back because she never lost it, she wanted the title back because of how important Storm made it. Rosa couldn’t drag her to hell because Storm made love to her demons every night.

Bunkhouse Brawl – Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli) defeated The Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher)

A great piece of business here. The Callis Family becoming a more frequent part of AEW shows this year has been a great addition to these shows. Danielson gets his revenge on the Family before cutting a hell of a promo to sell the Ospreay match afterward.

The Callis Family got the jump on the BCC during the introductions, leading to a Pier Six brawl through the crowd. The fight came to ringside, where Danielson choked Fletcher with a cable while Takeshita hammered Castagnoli with the ring bell hammer. Castagnoli and Takeshita brawled into the ring, where Castagnoli hit the Giant Swing. Danielson dropkicked Takeshita out of the swing, but Fletcher flung a chair into Danielson’s head to cut off a dive. Fletcher threw powder in Castagnoli’s face before hitting a Last Ride powerbomb for a nearfall.

Danielson avoided another brainbuster on the apron, but Fletcher laid him out again. Castagnoli took Fletcher into the stairs and repeatedly threw his head into them. Danielson was bleeding from the chair shot but laid the middle kicks into Takeshita as the crowd fired up. Danielson set up the Busaiku Knee, but a now bloody Fletcher cut him off. Fletcher and Takeshita booted the BCC before hitting stereo brainbusters for a nearfall.

Takeshita went for a chain-assisted forearm but Danielson cut him off. The BCC caught them both with the hammer-and-anvil elbows before locking on submissions. Powerhouse Hobbs laid out the BCC with main event spinebusters, but Jon Moxley made the save and brawled with him to the back. The Family set up Danielson for a super powerbomb into a chair, but Danielson sent Takeshita into the chair instead. Castagnoli drilled both men with chain-assisted uppercuts before Danielson laid out Fletcher with the Busaiku Knee. Danielson took the chain and wrapped it around Fletcher’s face before locking on the LeBell Lock for the quick win.

Danielson took the mic and said that he knew people wondered why he took this match. Being in a pro wrestling ring was Danielson’s version of heaven, and having guys try to break his neck before one of the biggest matches of his career made him feel alive. He told Will Ospreay that he was going to beat his ass at Dynasty.

We got a recap of the attack on Willow Nightingale from Dynamite. Kris Statlander, Willow Nightingale, & Stokely Hathaway were backstage afterward, and they were fired up. Nightingale said that confident champions don’t attack their challengers with chains before title matches. She said she would beat Julia Hart for the TBS Title tomorrow night.

Skye Blue defeated Leyla Hirsch

Blue got a jump start, dropping Hirsch with a boot before dropping Hirsch with a neckbreaker off the apron. Hirsch came back with a wheelbarrow German suplex, but Blue cut her off on the top rope. Hirsch took Blue off the top rope with a German suplex for a nearfall. Hirsch couldn’t complete a springboard move, leading to Blue winning with a Dragon Sleeper.

PAC & FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) defeated The Elite (Kazuchika Okada, Nicholas & Matthew Jackson)

This felt like a New Japan Road To match, where you got a substantial preview of the bigger matches coming up. Awesome stuff, and a nice win for PAC leading into his PPV title match.

The Elite tried the same start to the match that they used on Dynamite, but PAC saw it coming and was able to lay in some shots to Okada. The Bucks pulled Okada to the floor, but a trio of baseball slides kicked off a brawl on the floor. Matthew was able to tag in, but FTR and PAC used quick tags to hold him up. We got a tease of triple submissions on the Elite before the Bucks broke them all up. The Elite went for baseball slides of their own, but they were avoided and the tecnicos took control as we went to picture-in-picture.

After the break, The Elite worked over Harwood after crotching him on the ringpost during the break. PAC got the tag in and ran wild on all three of the Elite, hitting a stuff piledriver on Okada with Harwood for a nearfall. Okada took the referee’s attention as the Bucks took PAC into the ring steps. After another break, PAC fought to make the hot tag to Harwood. Things broke down until it came down to Okada and Harwood in the ring, where Harwood countered the Rainmaker into a Sharpshooter.

The Bucks broke up the Sharpshooter with dual superkicks, then ran trios offense on Harwood, ending with a Matthew top-rope elbow for a nearfall. FTR got Matthew isolated, hitting a Powerplex before setting up PAC for a 450 splash for a nearfall. Things broke down, leading to The Bucks hitting PAC with a Shatter Machine for a nearfall. The Bucks hit the EVP Trigger, but Wheeler broke up the pin. FTR hit Matthew with a Shatter Machine, then cleared the ring for PAC to hit the Black Arrow for the win.

After the match, the Elite jumped them before Daniel Garcia came in to make the save. PAC caught Okada in the Brutalizer, but the Bucks dragged Okada to safety.

Tag Team title tournament finals set for AEW Dynasty

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The finals are now set in the AEW Tag Team title tournament.

FTR defeated Top Flight on Collision to advance to the finals of the tournament, with Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler picking up the win after hitting the Shatter Machine on Dante Martin. They will now face FTR for the vacant titles at AEW Dynasty on April 21 in St. Louis, Missouri. Whoever wins the titles will become the first-ever three-time AEW Tag Team Champions.

The Young Bucks failed to win the titles from Sting & Darby Allin at February’s Revolution event in what was Sting’s final match. Following the show, the titles were vacated and a tournament began to crown new champions. Nicholas & Matthew defeated Private Party and Best Friends to reach the finals, while FTR defeated The Infantry to advance to the semifinals.

The updated lineup for Dynasty:

  • AEW World Champion Samoa Joe defends against Swerve Strickland
  • AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Thunder Rosa
  • TBS Champion Julia Hart defends against Willow Nightingale
  • AEW Tag Team title tournament finals: The Young Bucks vs. FTR
  • Bryan Danielson vs. Will Ospreay
  • Adam Copeland, Eddie Kingston & Mark Briscoe vs. House of Black (Malakai Black, Buddy Matthews & Brody King)

FTR vs. The Infantry announced for next AEW Collision

Posted on by Bryan Rose

FTR and the Infantry will meet in two weeks.

On Wednesday, AEW announced that the two teams will face off in a quarterfinal match in the AEW Tag Team title tournament. There will not be an episode of AEW Collision this week due to March Madness coverage; this match will take place on the next episode of the program on March 30.

The Infantry defeated The House of Black (Buddy Matthews & Brody King) in a surprise upset on last week’s Collision. After taking most of the match, the House of Black was interrupted by Mark Briscoe, who hit Matthews with a steel chair and distracted King long enough for Matthews to get pinned.

The two teams met two weeks ago on Collision as FTR was talking about the tournament with Tony Schiavone. The Infantry told FTR that they respected them, but they were looking for their spots and would give the Tag Team titles a revival. FTR responded by saying The Revival were dead and if they met each other in the tournament, The Infantry would be too.

Here’s the card for the March 30 edition of Collision:

  • AEW Tag Team title tournament quarterfinal: FTR vs. The Infantry

FTR vs. Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli set for AEW Revolution

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A tag team match has been made official for Revolution.

On AEW Collision, Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli accepted the challenge FTR made on Dynamite, confirming their match for March 3 in Greensboro, North Carolina. Moxley told FTR that a time limit draw was unacceptable to them, while Castagnoli said that the team would have to swim in deep water in order to survive the BCC.

The final segment on Collision saw FTR run in for the save as Castagnoli, Moxley, and Bryan Danielson attacked Eddie Kingston. A match was then made for this coming Wednesday’s Dynamite pitting the BCC against Kingston & FTR.

Participants in the Meat Madness match were also confirmed on Saturday. Wardlow will now face Powerhouse Hobbs and Lance Archer in the match. Hobbs expressed interest in participating after hearing the announcement on Dynamite.

Here is the updated card for Revolution:

  • Sting’s retirement match for the AEW World Tag Team titles: Sting & Darby Allin defend against The Young Bucks
  • AEW World Championship: Samoa Joe defends against Hangman Page and Swerve Strickland
  • AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy defends against Roderick Strong
  • AEW Women’s Championship: Toni Storm vs. Deonna Purrazzo
  • AEW Continental Crown Championship: Eddie Kingston defends against Bryan Danielson
  • TNT Championship: Christian Cage defends against Daniel Garcia
  • Meat Madness: Wardlow vs. Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Lance Archer
  • Will Ospreay vs. Konosuke Takeshita
  • Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley vs. FTR