Old rivalries will be renewed on tonight’s special live edition of AEW Collision on TBS and Max.
Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander will go one-on-one for the first time since last September’s All Out pay-per-view on tonight’s show. Their street fight last September earned critical acclaim.
In a rematch from the April 5 Collision, “Speedball” Mike Bailey and Dralistico will meet again on tonight’s show.
Tensions between Daniel Garcia and FTR will continue to rise on tonight’s show, with Garcia facing either Dax Harwood or Cash Wheeler in a one-on-one match.
AEW’s “Five-tool Player” Anthony Bowens will look to continue his AEW winning streak on tonight’s show as he faces Lee Johnson. Bowens is 2-0 since returning to AEW at Dynasty’s Zero Hour pre-show in April with his new persona.
Tonight’s show again takes place at the Masonic Temple Theatre in Detroit, the site of last night’s AEW Dynamite episode.
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AEW Collision opened with Toni Storm making her entrance, rising up from within one of the box seats dressed in old-timey dress. Storm’s promo was filled double entendres, but she was talking about wrestling, and how she wanted to face a new set of challengers before Hayter or Mercedes Moné.
–The Paragon were backstage, and O’Reilly and Strong were talking about the disappointment they had in losing to FTR, but Adam Cole assured them that it wouldn’t be long before they were back at the top. The Grizzled Young Veterans showed up to challenge them, saying they forgot what it was like to fight for their spot, and they would provide a fight to remind them.
Ricochet defeated Angelico
Zach Gowen was in the audience, booing Ricochet as he made his entrance. The fans chanted “He has hair!” in favour of Angelico, who happened to take the first minute or so of the match, but Ricochet hit a dive and chased after Serpentico on the floor. Ricochet got hit a stun gun in the ropes and a clothesline for a two count, which he disputed with the referee. Richochet missed a 450 splash, but hit a sole butt. Angelico responded with a flying knee and then a lifting flatliner for a 2-count.
Angelico hit a series of lariats off the ropes before locking in an abdominal stretch before slapping Ricochet on the top of his head multiple times. Angelico locked on a half crab, but Ricochet made the ropes. Ricochet hit a standing shooting star press for a 2-count, but an inverted suplex, and hit the spirit gun for the win. This was a good match, but it definitely shouldn’t have been as 50/50 as it was as I cannot tell you the last time I’ve seen Angelico on AEW TV outside of ROH.
–Ricochet invited the crowd to boo him, saying that they were stupid for booing him because if they were smart, they would cheer for him. He listed the people he had beaten, and as he was talking, he paused and pointed out Zach Gowen. He talked about Gowen was retired now, and that he didn’t have a leg in the fight. He shoved Gowen, and security ran over to break it up, but Ricochet hit the security with his mic and threw one of the them into the ring.
Ricochet pulled out a pair of scissors and started cutting the hair of the security officer, but Gowen ran in and took the scissors out of Ricochet’s hands. Ricochet kicked Gowen in the leg and hit the spirit gun on Gowen. Ricochet took Gowen’s prosthetic leg and left the ring with it. Ricochet posed with the leg, and the crowd gave tons of heat to Ricochet for this angle. I suspect we’ll get a match between these two, maybe at Double or Nothing.
The Don Callis Family (Kyle Fletcher, Lance Archer, Rocky Romero, & Trent Berreta) (w/ Don Callis) defeated The Outrunners (Turbo Floyd & Truth Magnum), AR Fox, & Bandido
Nigel McGuinness said that the The Outrunners were two men sharing one brain, and I laughed hard enough that I had to note it here. Fletcher and Bandido started the match, and that is a match I’d love to see. Berretta tagged in and took out Bandido.
The Outrunners came in and double teamed RPG Vice, hitting a clothesline and bulldog combo on both men. Lance Archer came in and chokeslammed both men, and started working over Magnum. Callis and McGuinness had so many quips about the Outrunners I would have had the same amount of trouble keeping track of them as I do keeping track of moves in a Young Bucks match.
Magnum managed to roll into a tag against Bandido who hit an incredible torneo off the turnbuckle on Fletcher. Roponggi Vice tried to tag out Bandido, but he low bridged them. Bandido tried to do the same with Archer, who just stopped and stomped him, but was tossed over the ropes by the Outrunners. AR Fox launched himself over the top rope on the shoulders of Bandido, and then Bandido launched over the ropes onto everyone, as the PWG party match of the show brought the crowd to their feet.
Bandido went for the 21-plex on Fletcher, but Fletcher countered into a dragon suplex, which Bandido countered by landing on his feet and going for a suplex. Fletcher responded with his own and Bandido tagged out to Fox, who hit a cannonball on Fletcher and a DDT on Archer. Fox hit a triangle dropkick on Romero, rolled backwards into a cutter on Fletcher, ducked a PK from Romero, then hit a cutter on Romero. Fox then hit a cutter on Romero and Berretta, but was cut off by Archer, who chokeslammed him off the top rope and RPG Vice hit the Jackal Driver for the win. This was a great match.
–They recapped Ricochet laying out Zach Gowen and taking his prosthetic leg. They then announced Ricochet vs. Zach Gowen for Dynamite the next week, along with highlighting Jon Moxley vs. Samoa Joe.
–A promo video aired about Moxley and Samoa Joe. This was awesome.
–Jon Moxley was backstage cutting a promo about the cage match with Samoa Joe. Moxley said he knew he was going to get beat up, but could Joe really keep going long enough to beat Moxley? Moxley promised that no matter what Joe did, he had been through worse, and that he faced demons that keep people up at night, and he was going to take the fight to Joe, and that he would be the last man standing against Joe and that there was no place he would rather be. This was a tremendous promo.
Anthony Bowens (w/ Billy Gunn) defeated Lee Johnson (w/ Blake Christian)
Bowens and Johnson exchanged some holds until Bowens started to unleash with a series of chops and stomps in the corner. Johnson comically tried to make an alliance with Billy Gunn, which did not go well for him. Christian managed to distract Bowens, allowing Johnson to send Bowens to the floor. Bowens hit a big superkick back in the ring that dropped Johnson, and Bowens hit the Mollywhop for the win.
–Bowens and Gunn did the scissoring pose for the crowd.
–The Gates of Agony came out, and Bishop Kaun grabbed a mic and said that Big Bill and Bryan Keith weren’t going to redeem themselves by beating them. Toa Liona said that he wanted to fight right now, and the Learning Tree came out and started brawling with The Gates of Agony. Liona charged so fast at Bill that he crashed into the barricade and fell into the front row. Kaun grabbed Keith and hit a Death Valley Driver off the stage through two tables on Keith. Liona then speared Bill off the other side of the stage through another set of tables.
–A recap video aired for Anna Jay and Megan Bayne.
–A recap video for Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander, showing their friendship, the turn of Statlander, and Nightingale challenging her to a match for tonight.
Kris Statlander defeated Willow Nightingale
Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness noted that it is hard to trust Statlander due to her former alliance with Stokley Hathaway, who both commentators dislike. Nightingale booped Statlander, playing off her former gimmick, and Statlander slapped her. Statlander mocked Nightingale with a smiley face, and Nightingale slapped her. They started to exchange hard strikes, and Nightingale hit a snapmare and a thrust kick.
Both women exchanged pinfall attempts until Statlander hit a springboard back elbow for a 2-count. As Statlander hit the ropes, Nightingale ran the opposite direction and hit a pounce that sent Statlander to the floor. Nightingale hit a flip off the apron on Statlander, and Statlander hit a suplex on the floor on Nightingale as they went to an ad break.
The show came back with a really cool camera transition from a hall at the back into the arena and around ringside as Nightingale and Statlander hit stereo clotheslines on each other. Statlander hit a running knee in the corner, and Willow cartwheeled out of the corner and hit a big boot and a spinebuster in a cool spot. Nightingale hit a series of clotheslines in the corner and went for a Death Valley Driver, but Statlander fought out.
Statlander hit an axe kick for a two count on Nightingale. Statlander went for a fisherman’s buster, but Nightingale fought out and hit a Death Valley Driver for a 2-count. Statlander cut Nightingale off on the ropes and hit a top rope superplex on Nightingale. Statlander went for a discus lariat, but Nightingale hit a lariat and then a gutwrench powerbomb.
Statlander rolled to the floor, and Wheeler Yuta made his way down to ringside. Marina Shafir ran in with a chain and choked Nightingale out behind the back of the referee. Statlander did not see this happen, but came in and hit Staturday Night Fever for the win.
— Skye Blue returns on Dynamite next week.
–A recap of Hangman Page and Will Ospreay’s opening segment from Dynamite last night, ending with confirmation that Hangman and Ospreay would be taking on Konosuke Takeshita and Josh Alexander on Dynamite.
The Don Callis Family (Josh Alexander & Konosuke Takeshita) (w/ Don Callis) defeated The Dark Order (Evil Uno & Alex Reynolds)
Alexander and Takeshita immediately attacked The Dark Order, laying out the two men. Reynolds managed to escape some of the attack, tagging out to Uno, but soon after Alexander and Takeshita hit an electric chair into a flying knee on Uno (who sold it like he died, which was great), and Alexander hit the C4 Spike on Reynolds for the win. A quick squash, as it should have been.
Mike Bailey defeated Dralistico
Bailey and Dralistico had several crazy spots to open the match dodging each other. Bailey hit a Asai Moonsault to the floor and chopped Dralistico several times. Dralistico raked the eyes and hit a hurricanrana on the floor that drove Bailey into the steps.
Dralistico slowed the match down, raking the eyes several times and choking Bailey on the ropes as they came back from the break. Bailey hit a few kicks, selling a checked kick, but hitting a chop, and both wrestlers exchanged hard chops, while Bailey hit hard kicks. The crowd went nuts as they exchanged kicks, ending with a thrust kick that dropped Dralistico. That was awesome.
Bailey hit a running shooting star press for a two count. Bailey went for a shooting star press off the top rope, but Dralistico countered into a cradle, and they broke into a pinfall attempts before Dralistico hit a crucifix driver, but Dralistico went for a splash, and Bailey caught him with his feet, popped up onto his shoulders, and hit a Canadian destroyer. Bailey hit a moonsault into double knees on the apron, and hit a spinning heel kick to KO Dralistico for the win. That was an awesome finishing sequence.
–Rush’s music hit and he came out to collect his brother and stare at Mike Bailey, so it seems we are going to be getting that match sooner than later, and it should be awesome.
–Tony Schiavone announced that next week’s AEW Collision will be done in honour of Steve ‘Mongo’ McMichael in Chicago, with his friends and family, including Ric Flair, being in attendance. That is a very nice gesture, and I’m glad they are doing that.
Dax Harwood (w/ Cash Wheeler & Stokely Hathaway) defeated Daniel Garcia via DQ
The fans chanted “Bald!” at Dax Harwood, and Garcia patted the top of Harwood’s head to the delight of the fans and anger of Harwood. Harwood backed Garcia into the corner and refused the clean break, hitting a punch that dropped Garcia and drew boos from the crowd. A simple spot, but it worked. Harwood chopped Garcia hard several times, drawing gasps from the crowd.
Harwood hit a swinging neckbreaker on Garcia, sending him to the mat. Harwood hit several knee drops right in front of Wheeler and Hathaway, who taunted Garcia. Harwood went for a piledriver, but Garcia fought it off. Harwood dumped Garcia to the floor and argued with a fan, which allowed Garcia to block a piledriver on the floor and slingshot Harwood into the ring post.
Harwood came up bleeding, and Garcia suddenly had the match turned around in his favour, as he hit a running shotgun dropkick on the floor, followed by two more as Harwood was seated against the guardrail. As Garcia went for a fourth, Wheeler stopped him by getting in the way, letting Harwood hit a lariat on the floor.
Harwood grabbed the ring bell, but Bryce Remsburg managed to take it away. Hathaway got on the apron and distracted the referee, which allowed Cash Wheeler to hit a cutter on Garcia on the floor. Matt Menard ran down and started brawling with Cash Wheeler, sending him to the back, leaving Harwood with Hathaway at ringside.
Garcia managed to cradle Harwood for a two count. Harwood tied Garcia in the ropes and beat on him before hitting a Randy Orton style DDT from the middle ropes, but Garcia kicked out. The fans chanted a very vulgar set of words at Harwood, voicing their displeasure. Harwood slapped Garcia, but Garcia hit several overhead chops that left Harwood stunned. Garcia hit two hard lariats, but Harwood stayed standing. Harwood hit a hard forearm, but Garcia hit a lariat.
Harwood pulled off the turnbuckle pad trying to block Garcia from hitting a back suplex. Garcia went for the Dragon Tamer, but Harwood shoved Garcia off and he crashed face first into the exposed turnbuckle. Harwood hit a slingshot powerbomb for a 2-count. Harwood went to the top rope, but Garcia managed to cut him off and hit a top rope superplex before rolling into a standing position, placing Harwood back on the top rope, hitting a 2nd top rope superplex, and he did it one last time, hitting a third. That was awesome. Harwood kicked out at 2.
Garcia nailed Harwood with several forearms and dumped Harwood into the crowd. Garcia and Harwood brawled all around the audience, ending up behind the announcers, with Harwood slapping the headset of Nigel McGuinness. Harwood shoved McGuinness after McGuinness refused to fight with him, saying that he was retired. The crowd went nuts as McGuinness got into the ring and he and Garcia cleared the ring of Harwood and a returning Wheeler, with the match ending in a DQ, but the babyfaces getting the upper hand. This is one of the few times I don’t mind the DQ finish, as it made sense within the context of the story being told, and ended with the babyfaces laying out the heels. I think we’ll be seeing Nigel McGuinness opposite FTR at some point soon, probably teaming with Garcia, maybe at Double or Nothing. That will be a really fun match.
Final Thoughts
Good episode of Collision tonight, with lots of recap videos for the important storylines, and good build for the secondary stories in the promotion right now, ending with story advancement for Daniel Garcia vs. FTR.
