Tonight’s Beach Break edition of AEW Collision will feature some implications for the upcoming Double or Nothing in addition to Ric Flair honoring his late friend, Steve “Mongo” McMichael.
The WWE Hall of Famer will be on hand in Chicago to pay tribute to the former WCW announcer, wrestler and Pro Football Hall of Fame member after his recent passing.
ROH Tag Team Champions Dustin Rhodes & Sammy Guevara will take on CRU’s Lio Rush & Action Andretti with the winners challenging AEW World Tag Team Champions The Hurt Syndicate at Double or Nothing.
The Don Callis Family will be represented as Kyle Fletcher takes on AR Fox while Rocky Romero, Trent & Lance Archer battle Brody King, Tomohiro Ishii & ROH World Champion Bandido.
Big Bill & Bryan Keith will challenge the Gates of Agony in a street fight.
Megan Bayne will take on Anna Jay, “Speedball” Mike Bailey faces Blake Christian, and Powerhouse Hobbs goes one-on-one with Wheeler Yuta to round out the show.
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Live Coverage of the show will begin at 9 PM ET due to Triller delaying the airing until then.
Megan Bayne (w/ Penelope Ford) defeated Anna Jay (w/ Harley Cameron)
Bayne drove Jay back into the corner, attacking with shoulder blocks and a chop. Jay got distracted by Ford on the floor and Bayne hit a kick that caused her to fall to ringside. Bayne hit a back suplex on the apron on Jay while blowing a kiss to the camera and waving. Bayne hit a belly to belly suplex out of a bear hug, which was impressive. Bayne missed a senton on the apron and her and Jay exchanged strikes until Jay hit a back stabber. Jay low bridged Bayne, forcing her to fall to the floor, and followed with a crossbody off the apron onto both Ford and Bayne.
Jay hit a blockbuster off the middle rope, but Bayne responded by holding onto Jay as she hit the neckbreaker and rolled into a falcon arrow on Jay. Jay countered Fate’s Descent with DDT and tried to lock on a sleeper, but Bayne fought out. Ford pulled a turnbuckle pad off, but Harley Cameron pulled Ford out of the ring and they brawled to the back. Jay hit a drop toe hold into the exposed buckle on Bayne, but Bayne kicked out of the school boy roll up. Jay locked on the sleeper again, but Bayne drove Jay into the exposed buckle back first, and then powered Jay up into Fate’s Descent. This was fine, but the crowd was pretty dead for the match. A lot of the women are struggling with taking Fate’s Descent (the F5), so this looked a little rough. Jay is way better than she was even just a year ago, and Bayne is very good, and this match was better than the crowd reaction would dictate.
Kyle Fletcher (w/ Don Callis) defeated AR Fox
Fletcher rushed Fox to start the match, hitting a Yakuza kick in the corner. Fox hit a jumping kick on Fletcher and ran up the ropes and did a bunch of springs into a wheelbarrow bulldog on Fletcher. Fletcher ran back into the ring before Fox could dive and hit a pop-up eye of the storm, which was a cool twist on the old James Storm move. The graphics AEW showed throughout this match were glitched on screen, and I’m not sure if this was a Triller issue or something with the file they sent to Triller to air. Regardless, it was a bit distracting.
While TNT was on break Callis commented that his desire for the Hangman Page vs. Will Ospreay match was that they both get injured and Fletcher comes in and wins it. Fox hit a school boy into a cutter, which was really cool. Fletcher fought off a piledriver and hit a half nelson suplex. Fox tripped Fletcher on the apron and hit a stomp to him while rolling over the ropes, and then hitting a tope con giro to the floor. That was really cool. Fox missed a 450 splash and Fletcher picked him up and hit a Michinoku driver for a two count. Fletcher hit another Yakuza kick, but Fox hit a cradle for a 2-count. Fox dodged a kick to a great reaction from the crowd, but Fletcher took control again, hitting the kick he just missed, and hit a vertical drop brainbuster for the win. The crowd was getting into this one by the end, and Fletcher did take most of the match. Good match.
–A short recap video aired for Hangman Adam Page and Will Ospreay. Good way to drive the story home.
Brody King, Tomohiro Ishii, & Bandido defeated Lance Archer & Roppongi Vice (Trent Beretta & Rocky Romero) (w/ Don Callis)
Ishii immediately went after Romero, angry that he betrayed CHAOS, but Beretta pulled Romero from the ring, allowing Lance Archer and Brody King battle to the delight of the crowd. Both big men hit hard strikes, but King hit a big boot and a tope suicidia to the floor on Archer. Great start to this match. King tried to hit a running attack on Archer on the floor but Beretta cut him off with a busaiku knee on King. Archer hit a chokeslam on King onto the apron and it broke down into a ringside brawl between everyone.
The graphics continued to be washed out like someone used the fill function in photoshop to paint them all white while they advertised several matches before going to break. Romero and Beretta almost hit Strong Zero, but Bandido superkicked Beretta to break it. Brody King and Ishii helped launch a running shotgun dropkick on Rocky Romero, which almost went through Romero at the speed he hit, and King hit a cannonball in the corner for the win.
–Lance Archer attacked King after the match and the Don Callis family started beating on the babyfaces, but the Outrunners ran down to make the save and cleared the ring. The Outrunners, sadly, got very little reaction.
–We saw the Paragon talking to Lexy Nair while the Grizzled Young Veterans walked up to them, and I am having déjà vu as this angle was almost exactly the same as last week, except this time, we now have a date for their match – next week on Collision.
Mike Bailey defeated Blake Christian (w/ Lee Johnson)
As one would expect with these two, it did not start slow, with Blake Christian hitting a lowpe on Bailey, followed by a 450 double stomp on Bailey. That had to suck. Christian and Bailey exchanged kicks in the middle of the ring until Christian went for a springboard until Baily hit a superkick on the incoming Christian that dropped him. Christian and Bailey exchanged chops in the middle of the ring, ending with Bailey firing up and demanding Christian chop him. Christian stomped his foot instead, but Bailey hit a crane kick and a triangle moonsault to the floor on Christian.
Lee Johnson distracted Bailey on the floor, allowing Christian to hit his fosbury flop through the middle rope. However, this did not last long, and Bailey hit a top rope hurricanrana and a spinning heel kick for the win. This was very fast, both in time, and actual moves done in such a short period of time.
–Mike Bailey grabbed a mic and challenged Kazuchika Okada to come out and fight him. Okada’s music hit and he made his way to the ramp. As Okada was talking, Rush and Dralistico came in from the crowd and laid Bailey out. Rush eyed Okada, and Okada feigned great sadness at Bailey getting beat down. It seems we’re heading for a multi-man match for Double or Nothing.
–A short recap video aired for The Gates of Agony vs. The Learning Tree for their street fight that is coming up next.
–A post match promo from Dynamite with Jon Moxley aired, as he was still covered in blood, as he said that no one will ever make him flinch, and that Gabe Kidd worked for him now. Kidd ended the promo with the words, “Abandon all hope.” Truly awesome promo from Moxley here. One of the best he has done in awhile.
The Learning Tree (Big Bill & Bryan Keith) defeated The Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona)
As expected, this was a wild brawl. Keith was driven through a table in the corner by Kaun hitting a spear. Toa Liona Big Bill went into the middle of the ring, and Liona broke a pool cue over his own head, tossed the other half to Bill, and then they started wailing on each other with the broke pieces of the pool cues. That was awesome. Eventually they got tired of doing that, dropped the broken cue, and started charging at each other repeatedly without falling.
Bishop Kaun started choking out Bill with a cut cable of sorts, and smashed him with a garbage can. Keith hit Liona with the broken pool cue and Liona smacked Keith with a garbage can lid. Kaun and Liona started getting over in this match with their violence against Bill and Keith. There is definitely something they could do with these two.
Liona and Kaun put a garbage can over Keith’s head and put him in a tree of woe, hitting dropkicks in the corner. Liona then hit a Banzai Drop on Keith but Bill ran in and laid him out to make the save. Bill grabbed a backpack from ringside that was filled with bricks, and a fan in the front row audibly yelled “Oh man! Bricks!” That was hilarious. Bill went to hit Kaun with the brick against the ringpost, and Kaun ducked and Bill broke the brick against the ring post with an awesome loud sound. Liona dumped Bill over the announce table, taking out some of the crew, as Nigel jumped into the front row to avoid getting hit.
Keith hit Liona with a garbage can lid but Liona no sold it and hit Keith before hitting a crossbody over the barricade, onto Keith, who was propped up on the barricade, and they destroyed the timekeeper’s area. Liona picked up Keith and attempted to put him through two tables at ringside, but Keith countered out of it. Big Bill ran in and hit a big boot that sent Liona crashing through the tables. Keith grabbed a piece of drywall and broke it over Kaun’s head, who just laughed about it. Keith hit a knee and Big Bill hit a chokeslam as the fans chanted “We want drywall!” a chant I never expected to hear. Bill pinned Kaun in this wild brawl that was tons of fun.
–A hype video aired for Mina Shirakawa and Toni Storm, with Shirakawa saying that her time was now, and she was going to take Toni Storm’s title.
–The tribute for Steve ‘Mongo’ McMichael was next, with his widow, Misty, and Dean Malenko there. Tony Schiavone ran down the story of Mongo’s football career and his start in wrestling, being on TNT on Monday Nitro as a commentator, and joining the Four Horsemen. Flair said a lot of very nice things about Mongo here, talking about the six year battle Mongo faced with ALS, and the fans started chanting Mongo’s name. Flair thanked all the fans as Schiavone announced AEW working with an ALS charity. This was really nice.
The Sons of Texas (Sammy Guevara & Dustin Rhodes) defeated Cru (Action Andretti & Lio Rush)
Nigel McGuinness said that he never saw a team look so sharp, referring to the points on Rush and Andretti’s jackets, and I laughed. I do love a good pun. However, them wearing actual spikes instead of stuffing filled ones on a jacket would have made it better. Andretti mocked Rhode’s old Goldust gimmick, and Rhodes quickly made him pay for that, then tagged out to Guevara who hit a standing moonsault. Guevara hit a dive onto Cru, and Guevara then asked Rhodes to do it, and the fans cheered him on. He hit the ropes, told them to suck it, then did a spinaroonine. Not sure what I expected, as it wasn’t that, but it was hilarious.
Rush worked over the bigger Rhodes while he was grounded, and it reminded me of how good Leo Rush actually is, as he was so smooth in everything he did, right down to clipping the knee of Rhodes, letting Andretti tag in and continue the heat. I liked how they did this, as they are significantly smaller than Rhodes, but were able to make it seem believable as they cut down the bigger man. Rhodes got the foot up on a corner charge, hit a classic Rhodes style powerslam on Rush, and tagged in Guevara for the hot tag. Guevara flew over the ropes onto Andretti, hit a crossbody into the ring on both, and hit Rush with a cutter.
Guevara hit a second cutter on Andretti for a 2-count. Guevara called for a top rope move, but missed a 450 splash. Andretti and Rush then hit a seamless series of moves. Rush taunted Guevara, and Cru both hit kicks and a suplex on Guevara for a 2-count as Rhodes broke it up. Rhodes hit a Canadian Destroyer on Rush, but Andretti hit a superkick on Rhodes and dropped him. Guevara flipped out of a burning hammer and hit a GTH on Andretti and pinned him before Rush could come in to make the save. The finish seemed a little weird, like Rush was late getting there, but regardless, The Sons of Texas will face the Hurt Syndicate at Double or Nothing. Good match, though we spent weeks watching Cru in the crowd for nothing, it seems.
–Willow Nightingale & Kris Statlander were arguing backstage, and both of them said “When you’re done with the Death Riders, you know where to find me,” with Willow insinuating that Statlander was joining them and Statlander was commenting on Willow’s ongoing feud with them.
–Tony Schiavone ran down a few of the matches we will see over the next week, including a stretcher match being added to Double or Nothing between Ricochet and Mark Briscoe. That seems a little out of nowhere for the stip, but not for the match, at least. I list the full announcements below the main event! Schiavone noted that we should see the promo that Ricochet did on social media. While I have no problem watching a promo on social media, the majority of fans that watch the show do not watch social media promos, so a clip of it would have been nice here.
Powerhouse Hobbs defeated Wheeler Yuta
Yuta hit some forearms that Hobbs no sold, but got Hobbs necked on the ropes. It didn’t do much good though, as Yuta ran into Hobbs and nearly killed himself as Hobbs hit a shoulder tackle. Yuta poked Hobbs in the eyes and went for a crossbody, but Hobbs caught him and hit an Oklahoma Stampede. Hobbs slammed Yuta repeatedly on the apron then hit a massive superplex. Hobbs looked insulted that Yuta had the audacity to kick out.
Yuta slipped out of another middle rope move attempt from Hobbs, and hit a dropkick to the knee of Hobbs. Yuta ripped the kneepad off Hobbs’ right knee, screamed “What is all this tape for?” before stomping Hobbs and announcing he had to five, echoing Bryan Danielson in ROH, as the referee tried to break the hold and resuming stomping the knee. Yuta was incredible in this match as a heel.
Hobbs refused to give up, as he and Yuta ended up back on the ropes again, and Yuta bit Hobbs and shoved him from the ropes and hit a big splash for a 2-count. Yuta mocked the ‘Yes’ chants of Danielson, going for a busaiku knee, but Hobbs hit a clothesline and a powerslam to cut him off, and the fans chanted, “Meat!” for Hobbs. Yuta ended up caught in the corner, and he ate several lariats which McGuiness dubbed a series of t-bones and a ribeye. Yuta went to the knee again, and for the busaiku knee once more, but Hobbs popped up and hit a big spinebuster to pin Yuta. The crowd was not overly hot for this match, but Yuta was an incredible heel.
–Marina Shafir ran down to the ring from the crowd and hit a chopblock on Hobbs. Willow Nightingale ran down to make the save, hitting Shafir with a spinebuster. Yuta grabbed Willow by the hair to stop her beating on Shafir, but Willow shoved him into a forearm from Hobbs. Nightingale went to hit a powerbomb on Yuta, but Shafir pulled him from the ring, and the camera showed Statlander at the entrance tunnels watching the events as the show went off the air.
Final Thoughts
This was a decent episode of Collision, though largely uneventful. No match was a blow away match, but that street fight was tons of fun. The Moxley promo was awesome.
Announced for Dynamite:
Will Ospreay and Hangman Page face-to-face
MJF signs a Hurt Syndicate Contract
Mina Shirakawa vs. Julia Hart
Mercedes Mone and Jamie Hayter face-to-face
Announced for Collision:
The Grizzled Young Veterans vs. Paragon
AEW Double or Nothing Card:
Owen Hart Tournament Finals: Mercedes Mone vs. Jamie Hayter
AEW World Women’s Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Mina Shirakawa
Nigel McGuinness & Daniel Garcia vs. FTR
Ricochet vs. Mark Briscoe in a Stretcher Match
AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Hurt Syndicate (c) vs. The Sons of Texas
Anarchy in the Arena (no official competitor list yet)
Owen Hart Tournament Finals: Hangman Adam Page vs. Will Ospreay
