Venue: Great Southern Bank Arena, Springfield, MO

*****

Sammy Guevara vs Will Hobbs (No Holds Barred)

Backstory: Apparently Hobbs attacked Guevara, we were neither shown this nor given details

Seems ages since I’ve since Sammy.  Got a decent pop from what sounds a very small crowd.  Ditto Hobbs actually.  These two should have been over enough by now for this to feel like a much bigger deal.  The Callis Fam are banned from ringside.

Guevara attacked with a leaping knee before the bell.  A couple more saw Hobbs get wise but Guevara continued to zoom around the big man, cutter from the top, Cactus clothesline outside, ‘I’m a Collider now!’ he yelled into the camera.

Hobbs reversed a whip but Sammy hopped the steps and avoided a charge, though took three years preparing a cross body so was caught and slammed into the steps via tree slam.  Dueling chant – though 65/35 in Sammy’s favor – as the big man used him as a battering ram around ringside, brutal.

With Guevara down, Hobbs demanded Kevin Kelly stand then demanded his belt as Sammy’s back paid the price.  Sammy avoided another shot, hit a pair of thrust kicks and grabbed a chair.  Hobbs got a hand up to somewhat block a shot to the head – ‘Hobbs did his best to protect himself, but that was too much,’ said Nigel, not in character.

Tony Khan has to crack down on this.

Sammy threw the chair for Hobbs to catch then launched a leaping kick but saw a sliced bread countered as he was flung over the barricade, landing hard as he missed it entirely, briefly selling his knee until firing back immediately with a cutter on the steps.

Then launching a belt shot and setting up a table.  Two in fact.  Crowd chanted ‘table’ – boggles my mind how over those things still are.  He climbed the ropes and leapt at Hobbs in a way where he was very obviously only leaping to be caught.  Which he was, into a Spinebuster off the apron through the tables.

Ads.  Crowd enjoying this.

To be fair to Tony Schiavone, he did push that we were just a week away from Sting’s last ever match as we returned.  It’s a shame the promotion seem to forget this most of the time.

Sammy avoided a charge, looking for GTH, Hobbs up on the shoulders, Sammy ‘hit it’ though seemed to miss entirely with the knee strike.  Hobbs out at two.  So Guevara smacked him with a monitor then went outside for more tables.  A smashing lariat greeted his return to the ring; Sammy hit back via jawbreaker, thrust kick; double jump cutter countered into a tree slam as Hobbs got two.

A fourth table was setup at ringside by the big fella.  And a fifth.  Sammy slipped behind out of a stampede and shoved Hobbs to the ringpost then smashed a beer bottle over his face.  And a second.  He grabbed these from a front row fan who I’m assuming was a plant given how easily they broke.  Guevara set Hobbs atop the two tables at ringside then setup a ladder inside.

Presumably I’m loco is coming before a crazy dive.

Nope, no preening, he just went for it with a crazy senton from the second-to-top rung.  Crowd chanted ‘Holy shit’ as Sammy sold his arm which landed hard on the wood.  Hobbs crawled back in, crowd chanted TiA, Sammy setup the sole unbroken table near the corner of the ring and placed Hobbs atop.

And was readying a dive off the top when Hobbs shoved the ref into him, crotching Guevara.  Hobbs joined him upstairs, tree slam through the table.  Schiavone kept calling it ‘The World’s Strongest Slam’ so presumably that’s Hobbs’ finish now?  Indeed it was.

All over the place here:

I pretty much always enjoy Sammy’s matches.  Would’ve been nice if I knew ahead of time that it was happening and why it was happening.  The guys should not be killing themselves like this without reason.  It’s really dumb Hobbs just shook off two glass bottles to the head.

Very fun, chaotic opener which the crowd was hot for.

Winner: Will Hobbs

Backstage with Mox and Claudio.  Mox said when Claudio first got to America his trainers had been amazed that he walked the twenty+ miles from the airport.  Point being twenty minutes is nothing to the Swiss – ‘he’s a freak’.

‘Me? I’m a freak in a different way.  I need to get hit in the face a couple times just to wake up’.  When it comes to endurance there’s no beating the BCC.  But a time limit draw is ‘unsatisfactory’.  FTR pissed them off.

They accepted FTR’s challenge, talking up the history of the venue next Sunday but saying it is very much that – history.  It’s 2024, this is All Elite and they are the elite of the elite.  ‘What am I thinkin’ right now?’ he asked Claudio.

Castagnoli listed a bunch of classic tag teams, linking them to FTR and how tied to the past they are.  The BCC are looking to the future.  They create the style, the wrestling they want to see today.  If FTR want to step into the future, that path is through them.  ‘All you have to do, is be better than Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, and the Blackpool Combat Club’.

Really nice line.

Mox said Wednesday can’t have been all FTR had.  But it felt like they unloaded everything while the BCC barely scratched the surface.

Pretty good promo work.  I remain completely uninterested in this feud.

FTR vs Shane Taylor & Lee Moriarty

Backstory: NONE

They showed highlights of the BCC/FTR match from Wednesday and them having to be separated.  FTR’s opponents were given an entrance so we got Taylor’s terrible music – ‘S…T…P, S…T…P, S…T…P,’ in the most bored voice possible.

Dax and Moriarty to start, the latter outwrestled Harwood then flung him back to Cash who tagged in.  Moriarty outwrestled him too then shoved him to the mat.  A pissed Cash rushed him; the youngster ducked his head between the ropes.

Cash landed a back elbow, armdrag takedown, tag to Dax for a double team drop toehold/elbow drop.  Moriarty backed Dax to the corner and tagged Taylor.  Dax tried several shoulder blocks but barely budged the big man.  Though ducked a lariat, through the legs, but stepped back as Taylor reared back.

Reset.

A shotgun dropkick sent Taylor to the ropes, he rebounded into a splash but Dax moved, Harwood tried a shortarm clothesline but Taylor smashed him down with one of his own.  Moriarty back in, Dax unloaded with chops and uppercuts, more chops, Moriarty blind tag, Dax sent Taylor off the apron but the big man returned to smash him down.

Nigel pointed out a genuine flaw in AEW booking by highlighting how Moriarty had ‘embarrassed’ Bryan Danielson then ‘never got any opportunities after that’.

Ads.

Dax in a bearhug.  Doesn’t get much hotter than that.  He tried a belly to back; Taylor tilted his weight and bagged a two count.  Dax got two on Moriarty via cradle, Taylor broke a sleeper by backing to his corner and tagging out.

Moriarty overshot something so Dax just had to stand and wait for a Taylor knee.  Looked so rehearsed.  Taylor missed a second knee off the top, Moriarty cut off the tag at first but Dax made it: Cash all jabs, chops and uppercuts.

Brutal lariat taking Taylor out, lariat to the back of Moriarty’s head into a cutter for two.  The only exciting sequence of the match so far.  Taylor grabbed the legs from outside to trip Cash into a pin, then nailed him from the apron into another, Moriarty got two both times, they were supposed to be dramatic near falls but the crowd couldn’t have cared less.

Cash blind tagged Dax, they used the domesday device/powerbomb to pin Moriarty.  Kelly said it was ‘Steiner-esque’ since it’s almost an inverted version of their old finish.

Pointless match, too long, obvious outcome.

Cash took a mic, crowd chanted for FTR but there were only low boos for the BCC as Cash addressed them.  He said it took more than being stepped on to finish them and if the BCC wanted some they knew where FTR were.

Dax said the BCC had missed what this was about.  It isn’t old vs new.  For five years Mox has been the ‘King’ of AEW.  He sees the BCC strut around backstage while people cower and lower their eyes because they’re scared.  He thinks the BCC are pissed because FTR aren’t afraid.  ‘To be a king, you gotta kill a king, at Revolution, we’re comin’ for your head, Top Guys, out’.

Still not much meat on the bone here for me.

Winner: FTR

A package pushed Danielson ‘calling his shots’ since it’s his final year amid highlights of he and Akiyama.  Wish they’d do some more of this.  Especially where Sting’s concerned.  Little late now.

Thunder Rosa vs Lady Bird Monroe

Backstory: NONE

Rosa out to a nice pop.  She’s somehow ranked #2.  I’ve seen her wrestle maybe twice?

How do you not have someone called Lady Bird Monroe wrestle Toni Storm?

Crowd very quiet until stinging chops from Rosa woke them.  Monroe ducked one, firing some kicks and chops, cartwheel out of the corner, missing a kick and paying for it via a Rosa knee strike.

DVD, blaze up, Tijuana Bomb.  She said she was climbing the ladder.  Though still sounded a little out of breath as she regains her ring shape.

Tony pushed that ‘Biiiig trios action’ was next for a match in which we don’t even know the Bang Bang Scissor Gang’s opponents.  Announcer credibility es importante.

Winner: Thunder Rosa

Renee with Willow, Statlander and Stokely.  Stokely said he didn’t like Skye Blue or Julia Hart’s attitude and aggression.  He was about to call them ‘ho’s’ when Willow – who’d looked irritated the whole time he was talking – told him to think before he spoke (if they made that her gimmick and she stopped every generic ‘bitch’ comment in the company, I’d be on board).

Statlander said Skye is always looking for a fight.  She dragged Renee forward right into the camera with her as she menacingly said her and Blue were 1-1 so ‘how about next week I beat your ass’.  Stat looks more heelish by the week – mannerisms, extra makeup and etc – Skye’s definitely a heel and if you don’t watch Rampage you don’t know the story.

So what exactly are we supposed to care about here?

Stokely’s always fun.  Very much his own man.

Jay White, Colten & Billy Gunn vs Iron Savages

Backstory: NONE

‘By order of the Bang Bang Gang… Gunns Up!’.  The best part of the show since the opener.  Austin and CardJuice joined the rest of BCG who came out together before Gunn and the Acclaimed made their entrance separately.

Caster made a reference about fighting ‘like me against management’ during his rap.  Don’t know if he had second thoughts having said the line but he then totally tripped up and lost his train of thought, abruptly cutting short the rap.  Bowens yelled that they’d all arrived.

The Iron Savages were already in the ring and didn’t even get announced.  Only via the announcers did I remember their names.  Nigel said Bang Bang Scissor Gang sounded like something Schiavone would pay for on OnlyFans.  White and Billy argued over who’d start.  Gunn won out over the youngster, as he always does.

Proven when he ran through Boulder with a shoulder block.  Beefcake Boulder hit back and the Boulders did weird stuff before Billy and Colten doubled up on them until Colten weirdly just leapt out of the ring – it was supposed to look like he missed a corner splash but the intended recipient was already in another state.

The heels tripled up on him in their corner.  Then did more weird stuff.

Right before Colten tagged Jay White in.  Who should not be within a million miles of this.

He beat down two of the heels in the corner with chops, sent Bronson to the apron, hit his big uranage to Jameson, avoided a Beefcake splash, Gunn came in to Fameasser the youngster, Colten hit a weirdly high strike to the back then White polished off Jameson with the Bladerunner and we got to hear their music again.

Start and finish strong.

My episode-ly reminder of how much this damages Jay White.  And ask of when this is going to go somewhere.

Winner: Jay White, Colten & Billy Gunn

Lexy with Bryan Danielson.  Danielson heelishly scolded her for not calling Akiyama ‘legendary’ while putting over the Japanese as someone he respects.  One of the greatest of all time.  And Eddie Kingston’s hero.  And Kingston’s going to be on commentary watching Danielson beat his hero.

But while he respects Akiyama and everything he’s done, he doesn’t respect Kingston a bit.  It might actually kill him inside if he has to shake Kingston’s hand if he loses at Revolution because he has so little respect for him.

‘And do you know why I don’t?’, he mocked Kingston’s breaking the fourth wall during promos – which even though I like Eddie was very funny – then always storming off.  ‘He is not a professional, he has never been a professional’.  He ranted maniacally about Kingston wasting his potential.

And that ‘pisses me off’, which is why he’ll beat him at Revolution, ‘for the Continental Crown’.

Okay, who’d forgotten that title exists?  Come on, be honest, because I certainly had.

Two main thoughts here:

• Excellent promo providing a clear reason for their match and making me believe there’s genuine antipathy there
• Would it have been that hard to promote this Wednesday as Danielson going after Kingston’s idol? Or at least mentioning it during the show?  Because that changes everything about this match, it gives it purpose

Malakai Black vs Bryan Keith

Backstory: NONE

This is Black’s first singles since 2022.  They recapped Julia Hart using a spike on Mark Briscoe two weeks ago.  Keith came out to no reaction.  His music sounds like someone typed ‘free trap beat’ into Google.

Black stalled for quite a while as the crowd chanted his name.

They wrestled back and forth, working the arm into takedowns then countering back to their feet before a Black legdive and Keith legsweep saw a stalemate.  Kelly said Black hadn’t lost since October 3^rd, 2021.  (Was that against Cody?  Seems crazy he’s been here that long.)

Keith hit a big boot, Malakai retreated to the corner, Keith pursued him with chops, Malakai kicked him away and drilled him in the thigh; Keith hit back via snap suplex, knee drop, count of two.

Malakai targeted the left thigh/knee again then absolutely nailed Keith to the apron with an elbow strike.  Then viciously booted him off as he crashed to the floor.

Ads.  This crowd is so quiet.

And still were as we came back to Keith hooking a pin for two.  Then railing Malakai with a forearm, pair of lariats, nice exploder, neckbreaker, another two count.  Crowd wakening a little before dying again.  Keith went for the pedigree but his knee gave out.

He rebounded to land a tornado ddt, both down.  They sat up at the same time then eyed each other, up into an exchange of forearms, weak yay/boo (Malakai being the ‘yay’) until Malakai booted him in the shin to take him down but was caught up top via headbutt.

Black fought him off then landed a stomp off the top, pump kick, rising knee, German with a bridge for two.  That was the time to end things.

Speaking of the End, Keith ducked it, hit a powerbomb for two, regrouping in the corner, Black down.  But popping up to catch a racing Keith with the End.

Obvious outcome, too long, crowd dead.

Lights went out, Mark Briscoe appeared with a kendo stick, fighting off the other members of the House.  Briscoe tried to stab Malakai in the head with that same spike, so hard that when Malakai ducked it stuck in the buckle pad.  So yeah Malakai’d have died if he hadn’t moved.  Seems excessive.

Brody then hit Dante’s Inferno and the crowd barked, continuing AEW’s problem with their ostensible heel groups.

Winner: Malakai Black

Finally, a Sting video package, has come (can’t say ‘back’ since there hasn’t been one yet) to AEW.  Voiced over by Darby and Sting from their promo Wednesday, contrasted with the Bucks’ bloody beatdown of them.

This was very effective.

Lady Frost vs Serena Deeb

Backstory: NONE

They showed Frost wrestling in CMLL as she made her entrance.  The crowd remain so quiet.

Frost pinned Deeb to the mat until Serena popped up then slipped behind, Frost countered behind, Deeb countered back, tripping Frost to the mat into a bridging submission before releasing the hold.

Deeb got an armdrag, Frost got her feet up in the corner then cartwheeled into a dropkick but a second cartwheel saw Deeb shoulder block her down.  It is literally silent other than the wrestlers selling.

Ads.

Deeb hit a dragon screw, lariat, a second, snapping lefts, big running lariat, kick to the face out of the corner then a draping neckbreaker from the apron.  Swinging one back inside, Frost out at two.

Then countered a piledriver via body drop, kick to the face, cartwheeling through into the chiller driller but selling her left knee most of the time.  Deeb smashed her down via hammerlock lariat, single leg crab for the tap.

Slow.

Deeb took a mic and said the women’s division is heating up.  Anyone who wants to step into the ring and join the division, she’ll be waiting, she’s here to elevate the division.

So might she be Sasha’s first opponent?  Be a nice match.

She then said when ‘the Professor’ wrestles, the picture doesn’t go black and white, ‘I wrestle’, she’s here to put the wrestling back in All Elite Wrestling.

She came off as a little heelish here since she’s not a natural promo.

Winner: Serena Deeb

Bryan Danielson vs Jun Akiyama

Backstory: Danielson tries to beat Kingston’s idol in front of him, which is a really cool story, shame they didn’t bother telling us till an hour beforehand

The crowd made noise for the first time in like an hour as Eddie Kingston came out.  Danielson followed, refusing to meet Kingston’s eye for a long time as the latter stood and stared a hole through him.

They played clips of Akiyama winning over Ortiz on Rampage a couple years back, highlighting his exploder.  Credit where it’s due – it’s better than nothing as a way to quickly introduce him.

A Japanese ref worked the match to help with the language barrier per Kelly.

A cagey Danielson tried to keep Akiyama at bay, avoiding the grapple until Akiyama got the arm.  Danielson slipped behind, takedown from behind, Akiyama countered, Danielson forced him to the ropes.

Akiyama got a headlock and landed a shoulder block, a second followed before Danielson tripped him down looking for the Romero Special.  Akiyama blocked having his arms captured, Danielson stomped down on the legs to an ‘ooh’ from the crowd then began targeting the left knee.

Crowd clapping along as this one starts slowly.

Akiyama countered an elbow to the knee into a cross armbreaker, Danielson tilted his weight, rolling through into a Muta lock.  Akiyama gouged the eyes to break.  Then began stomping the arm before torquing and snapping it across his shoulder.

Then aiming knees at it on the mat, back up into a hammerlock, Danielson ran toward the ropes then dropped his hips to send the vet out through the ropes; Akiyama countered a tope with a forearm through the ropes.

Ads.  Crowd want to get into this but it’s been cagey so far.

Danielson blocked a suplex outside into one of his own then headed to the apron.  Leaping knee which seemed to miss badly, hard to tell from the camera angle.  BD threw him back in, headed upstairs, shotgun dropkick, Akiyama slumped in the corner, running leg lariat, a second, a third saw Akiyama meet him with a lariat.

TiA from the crowd.

From the mat, Danielson snatched Akiyama down seeking the LeBell but couldn’t get it synched.  Akiyama got the ropes with his legs.  Danielson went back upstairs, Akiyama met him with a forearm, Danielson headbutted him down but leapt off into a knee strike, piledriver, Danielson out before three.

Danielson on his knees, Akiyama hit a pair of knees but Danielson rolled through a running one into a single-leg crab, through to an ankle lock, Akiyama got to his feet but was nailed via release German.

Things are picking up.

Akiyama struggling to his feet, stiff kicks to the chest countered via exploder for two.  Right into the guillotine choke, Danielson trying to flip his way out or pin the shoulders, but settling for getting the ropes with his legs.  Nigel mocked him for not being able to counter the hold.

Akiyama hit a knee strike, Danielson hit back via round kick, German, Akiyama popped up to hit an exploder, running knee strike, both down, almost on top of each other.  Ref’s count at seven as they clambered up in opposite corners and raced toward each other with knee strikes, colliding and crashing down again.  Up into a slugfest, exchanging forearms, yay/boo, speeding up until a stiff one knocked Danielson on his ass.

Another exploder coming, Danielson escaped via armdrag then met Akiyama with a nasty standing knee strike.  Busaiku coming, crowd chanting ‘yes!’, hit, win.

Wow, was expecting a kickout there but not complaining.  Built very nicely.  Kingston reiterated that he has plenty of respect for Danielson, the problem is the other way.

Danielson pointed toward Akiyama and asked the crowd to cheer, staring smirkingly at Kingston as he moved to shake hands with Akiyama.  Kingston threw his headset off to watch.  Danielson eyed Kingston and flipped him off, Akiyama slapped him, Danielson begged off, crowd chanted for Kingston.

Danielson offered another handshake but used it to kick Akiyama in the balls.  That was great.  Kingston flew at Danielson, pounding him until Claudio hit the scene.  FTR came down to brawl with the BCC, who bailed.

Tony Khan made FTR & Kingston vs Mox, BD & Claudio for Wednesday.

Very nice angle.  The opener and closer were enough to make this one of the best Collisions in a while.  Which admittedly isnt saying a ton.  It actually had stuff you needed to see to understand everything ahead of the ppv.

Winner: Bryan Danielson

 ________________________________________________________________

Next Dynamite:

• Will Ospreay appears
• FTR & Eddie Kingston vs Jon Moxley, Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli

Added to Revolution:

• Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli vs FTR
• Bryan Danielson vs Eddie Kingston (Continental Crown)

Thumbs Up/Down

• Sammy vs Hobbs
• Danielson’s promo
• Danielson vs Akiyama and the whole story with Eddie, that closing angle was excellent

 *****

• A bunch of matches with no stakes which weren’t even promoted ahead of time – much of this show is moving closer to Rampage than it is Dynamite
• More piss poor promoting – this time re: the story of the main event and the continued failure to emphasize this is Sting’s last ever week in wrestling
• Crowds continue to be a problem – real lack of atmosphere outside of the opener

Appreciate you reading.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend.