A rematch for the TNT title headlines tonight’s one-hour Slam Dunk Saturday edition of AEW Collision from Omaha, Nebraska, airing after NCAA men’s basketball tournament action.
Daniel Garcia will once again put the title on the line against Adam Cole. The two squared off this month with the match going to a no contest after members of Shane Taylor Promotions ran in to beat both men up. Garcia has held the title since November’s Full Gear and is looking for his sixth successful title defense.
In the third match in their trilogy, former TBS Champion Julia Hart will go one-on-one with Queen Aminata.
In a trios about, Powerhouse Hobbs will team with Mark Briscoe and Rocky Romero against Konosuke Takeshita, Lance Archer and Brian Cage of the Don Callis Family.
Max Caster is still in search of his first open challenge series victory and will continue that quest tonight.
Tonight’s show is expected to begin around 11 PM Eastern.
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It’s Slam Dunk Saturday, and your t-shirts are too tight too Billy! (Shout out to soon-to-be Hall of Famer Lex Luger!) We’re in Omaha, Nebraska for this special one-hour edition of Collision. Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, & Matt Menard were on the call as the show began with the TNT Title match in the ring, ready to go.
It’s Slam Dunk Saturday, and your t-shirts are too tight too Billy! (Shout out to soon-to-be Hall of Famer Lex Luger!) We’re in Omaha, Nebraska for this special one-hour edition of Collision. Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, & Matt Menard were on the call as the show began with the TNT Title match in the ring, ready to go.
AEW TNT Title Match – Daniel Garcia (c) vs. Adam Cole went to a time-limit draw
I loved this show starting with a match in the ring ready to start. That’s something I would love AEW to do more of. WWE will always start a show with five-ten minutes of video packages and entrances, so make yourselves standout by starting with immediate action. These two work very well together as their last two matches have shown. The finish tells me that there will be a third match coming soon, probably for Dynasty and possibly with a stipulation regarding the time-limit. A quality start to this special episode. The only thing I would have done differently is announce when the rematch was happening on this show. In theory, you have a bigger audience, so try to hook them in for the next show or the upcoming pay-per-view.
The first exchange went to a stalemate, unless you consider Garcia doing his dance getting the upper hand. Cole won the second exchange and did his Pokemon taunt. Another exchange saw Garcia left stood up, and after some rough breaks in the ropes, Garcia hit a dropkick to send Cole into the corner. Cole interrupted Garcia’s ten punches and sent him over the top rope to the floor.
Cole sent Garcia into the ring steps, with Garcia favoring his knee in the process. Cole went to work on the knee, then hit a Shining Wizard for a nearfall. Garcia rolled Cole up on a Figure Four attempt, but Cole came right back with a backstabber for a nearfall as we went to a commercial.
We came back to Cole driving Garcia’s leg into the post to light boos. Garcia swung on Cole from his knees, but Cole caught him with an enzuigiri. Garcia countered a brainbuster with a Twist N’ Shout, then hit another before a rope-assisted third one got a nearfall. The crowd was split as Garcia went for a piledriver, but the knee gave Cole an opening to hit an Ushigoroshi for a nearfall.
Garcia shoved Cole off of a Figure Four attempt and booted him off the apron so hard that he went to the floor as well. Garcia had a fan help him to his feet before dropkicking Cole in a chair, but Cole caught Garcia with the Last Shot for a nearfall. Cole signaled for the Panama Sunrise, but Garcia cut him off as the ring announcer gave the 15-minute call. Garcia went to give Cole a superplex, but his leg crumbled underneath him. Cole hit the Panama Sunrise, but Garcia got his arm on the rope at two.
Cole set up for another Panama Sunrise, but Garcia ducked out of the ring to the floor. Garcia avoided a Sunrise on the floor and hit a side suplex. With the weak knee, Garcia pulled and pulled Cole up to hit a piledriver for a nearfall. Cole went to superkick a charging Garcia, but Garcia collapsed on the leg. Another Panama Sunrise only got a 2-count, so Cole locked on a Figure Four.
Garcia scraped his way to the ropes, then pulled Cole into the Dragon Tamer and forced Cole into the ropes. The men fought to the apron as the announcers said there was one minute left. Cole hit a Canadian Destroyer on the apron. Garcia held onto Cole’s ankle to keep him from running for The Boom, and it worked as the bell rang right before Cole hit the Boom. The time limit expired, and Garcia retained the title. The two men yelled at each other as we went to a commercial.
During this match, ROH Supercard of Honor was announced for the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey on May 2nd.
Max Caster was in the ring for his open challenge. He said that he had a busy schedule, unlike his former partner. The crowd chanted for Anthony Bowens, who Caster said was gone and was never coming back. He did his chant to little success and asked for an opponent for his open challenge. Hook came out, and the match was on.
Best Wrestler Alive Open Challenge – Hook defeated Max Caster
They’re setting up Anthony Bowens to get a big pop answering a Caster challenge, which should set him up nicely on his new path as a singles wrestler.
Caster threw the mic at Hook to start, but Hook simply tripped him and locked on the Redrum for the quick win.
Lexy Nair’s guest at this time was Queen Aminata ahead of her match against Julia Hart. She was immediately interrupted by Serena Deeb, who bore a gift: All ONE THOUSAND of her holds in a binder. She wanted Aminata to study those moves, not realizing Aminata’s match was literally about to start. Aminata declined and said she could win this match on her own, with Deeb wondering about that after Aminata left.
Julia Hart defeated Queen Aminata
An odd finish here, with Hart just rolling Aminata up for the win. But Aminata could not beat Hart again without Deeb’s help, so she may need THE BINDER OF HOLDS to advance in her career.
Aminata got the first advantage with a suplex into the corner before dropping her on the apron with a uranage. We came back from a commercial with Hart hitting a standing moonsault for a nearfall. Aminata came back with an Air Raid Crash for a nearfall.
Both women got to the top rope, with Hart hitting a Spider Suplex. Hart went for a moonsault, but Aminata moved and hit the Brain Drain for a nearfall. Aminata hit Hart with a forearm and went for Off With Her Head, but Hart moved and stacked Aminata up for the win.
Lexy Nair’s guest at this time was Harley Cameron. Nair asked Cameron about the lucha showcase match tomorrow night, and Cameron said that she would hop on commentary for that match after her match. When Nair asked about the scurrilous rumors that Cameron was the mysterious luchadora Harleygram, Cameron screamed Feel The Wrath and ducked away.
Konosuke Takeshita & The Murder Machines (Brian Cage & Lance Archer) (w/Don Callis) defeated Mark Briscoe, Powerhouse Hobbs & Rocky Romero
A fun, energetic main event to cap off the show.
Callis hopped on commentary as Briscoe and Takeshita started off. Takeshita cut Briscoe off on a top rope attack, but Briscoe knocked the other Callis Family members off the apron and dove onto Cage. Hobbs tagged in and took Takeshita down with running Vader attacks – the one where you just throw your body into the other guy – before Romero scored with a double stomp. Romero went for a dive, but Cage caught him and passed him to Takeshita for a powerbomb on the apron.
Romero was fighting back on Takeshita as we came back from commercial, hitting a tornado DDT and getting the tag out to Briscoe. Briscoe ran wild, hitting a Fisherman’s Buster for a nearfall. The Murder Machines pinballed Briscoe around before Takeshita hit a home run forearm for a nearfall. Briscoe fought out of the Murder Bomb and tagged in Hobbs, who ran wild on the Murder Machines.
Hobbs laid out Takeshita with a spinebuster before Cage dumped him with a German suplex. Romero tagged in and kicked Cage into a spinebuster. The match broke down into a Pier Six brawl, with Romero hitting a rewind kick for a nearfall. Archer cut Romero off with a forearm, and Cage helped him hit the Murder Bomb. Takeshita came in and hit the Raging Fire for the win.
