Venue: Gas South Arena, Duluth, GA

*****

Collision too now has the tunnels, just Tony and Nigel this week after Kevin Kelly was let go.  Very strange situation there.

Bryan Danielson vs Shane Taylor

Backstory:  NONE

Danielson came out to a loud ‘yes!’ chant and a great response.

Before we got going, the announcers brought up Danielson confronting Will Ospreay.  Taylor sent him flying back to the corner, back to a lockup, Danielson pushed back to the corner again then bealed out.

Crowd are enthusiastic but clearly very small.  Last I heard there were like 1500 tickets sold.

Lockup once more, Danielson trying to move the bigger man but being forced to his knees, trying to sweep the leg, settling for elbows to the head before Taylor shoved him clear and we were back to cagey circling, Danielson throwing kicks to keep Taylor at bay.

Taylor caught him with a big left, Danielson slumped in the corner then took a big open hand to the chest.  A second.  Which reverberated around the arena.  But only pissed the Dragon off, flurry of kicks to the chest, the two fighting back and forth now, chops and kicks as Danielson targeted high then low to keep the big man off balance.

Then used the ropes to target the legs before continuing to kick away before using the ropes once more.  Breaking at four of course.  A running dropkick to the joint before Taylor recovered to fire gut shots until Danielson ducked and went after the legs again.  Taylor was ready, blocked it, big slug, knee strike, Danielson crumpling out through the ropes as Nigel channeled Smokey from Friday, sans the swear.

Ads.  This is really good.  The realism of Danielson’s matches is another level.

Back to Danielson down in the ring, head protruding onto the apron, Taylor working the crowd before nailing a legdrop.  Count of two.  (Taylor keeps yelling at Danielson for stomping Lee Moriarty unnecessarily two years ago.)

Then teed off with another massive gunshot of an open hand.  Danielson flipped off the buckle, low dropkick, Taylor limping – missing a splash, Danielson using the ring post to continue his attack on the knee (he and Nigel had a little stare down while he was out there).

Shotgun off the top which didn’t properly connect, more kicks to the quad, Taylor finally down to one knee (great selling here) where the Dragon teed off with kicks to the chest, roundhouse to the head, Taylor crumbling but kicking out at one.  With authority.

That’s a bit much.

Danielson regrouped, pair of running leg lariats in the corner but Taylor nailed a lariat as he attempted a third, near fall.

Taylor talked more trash and Danielson nailed him with several shots until taking a headbutt, Rock bottom, splash, another near fall.  Taylor missed a cannonball in the corner but caught BD mid-busaiku though Danielson slipped behind, three kicks to the head, Danielson ducking and dodging lariats, into the busaiku, 1, 2, 3.

This was wonderful.  Loved this.  Danielson made Taylor seem big and difficult to beat without selling too much or being dominated.

Winner: Bryan Danielson

‘Elevated’ hit.  And here comes Ospreay to return the favor.  Big smile, big pop.  He leisurely strolled down the ramp – ‘I could get used to this’ he said to the cam with a big smile.  He grabbed a mic.  He asked the fans how they were doing.  He asked for a second mic so he could ‘have a chat’ (he was just so easy and casual here, sounded like a real person just talking).  He asked the fans to give the match a round of applause.

He said it’s incredible watching Danielson and he’s still performing at the highest level.  An ‘Ospreay’ chant (to the tune of ole, ole, ole, ole) interrupted.  He said the fans were too kind.  The thing he’s noticed since he’s been here is that people look at Danielson as ‘the bar.’  He inspires everyone, including Ospreay.  Danielson’s done so much for the business and is owed so much, ‘thank you so much for everything that you’ve done.’  Crowd chanted ‘yes!’

‘Mmmmmm but…’ he interrupted Ospreay after his main event.  Ospreay thinks just maybe Danielson has something he wants to ask him.  Danielson said he was half right.  But first he said ‘welcome to AEW,’ crowd cheered and chanted ‘AE-dub’.

Secondly, he said he saw the match vs Takeshita.  Not only did Ospreay win, it was one of the best matches Danielson’s ever seen.  He also heard Ospreay say in the scrum that for years he’s been the best wrestler in the world.

Danielson wants to give him a chance to prove it:

‘What do you say?  Bryan Danielson vs Will Ospreay.  At AEW Dynasty.  What do you say?’

Crowd chanted ‘yes!’ wildly.  Ospreay paused then said ‘Yes bruv,’ and extended his hand.  They shook.

Killer opening segment.  Tons of respect and recognition with just a little bit of ‘Oh you think you’re better?’

The Elite vs Somebody, Atlantis & Liam Gray

Backstory: the Bucks booted Omega from the group Wednesday and replaced him with his greatest rival

I failed to appreciate the other day how brilliantly this sets up Omega/Okada with the roles reversed.

The Bucks came out wearing Okada-like robes, as they did last Sunday, which should’ve been a clue.  They have mental pyro now.  Matt chucked a coin in the air and Okada’s music hit as it landed.  Big cheer for his music and entrance, this will definitely be a battle.

Fans loudly chanting ‘O-ka-da’ as he shook with the Bucks.  The Bucks did their pose either side of Okada’s.  Their opponents are already in the ring.

Nick was going to start but tagged Okada to a big cheer.  He threatened a chop, patted the guy on the head, flapjack before launching the guy into his own corner so he could tag.  Atlantis came in, fired a few shots and ran into that very special dropkick.  Another big cheer.

He dumped Atlantis into the corner too so he could tag out.  Liam Gray came in and tried to fire up but was nailed with a Rainmaker.  Done.  Very effective.

They did their group pose again, Eddie Kingston ran in and was immediately beaten down three-on-one.  Until Penta hit the scene, slingblades for all, except Okada who ducked and hit his behind-the-back neckbreaker.  Fans chanted for him again.

Elite vs Eddie and the Bros?  Yes please!

Maybe not.  Pac’s back!  That’ll do nicely too.

He walloped the Bucks then went face-to-face with Okada – ‘Take my money, take my money!’ yelled Nigel as the crowd chanted ‘Holy shit.’  Exchange of forearms, Okada got the better till Pac switched to feet, rebound German as Okada came off the ropes, the Bucks pulled him to safety.

Is this the same company!?  Is this the same show!?  Big stars, angles…

Pac grabbed a mic and said he’s back.  And promised he’s looking for trouble so if the Elite want it they’re ‘barking up the correct tree.  You want some?  I’ll give it ya.’

Kingston yelled ‘Big Business, Boston, six man tag!’

Good god yes!!!

Winner: The Elite

Recap of Darby Allin and Jay White from Weds, which was certainly worth a recap – strong segment and this package was good in highlighting that match.  This could be the best Dynamite in ages.

Mariah May vs Trish Adora

Backstory: NONE

Either they actually used an old picture of Toni in the graphic or they did one hell of a job making Mariah look exactly like her.  Nice touch to the story.  She came out to Storm’s previous AEW theme, which I’m not a massive fan of.

Nigel was fawning over her again – he has to take beta blockers to watch her matches (pills that slow your heartrate and reduce blood pressure).  Adora took her down by the arm, hip-check takedown, another, schoolgirl, two.

Crowd very quiet.

May hit a nice headscissors, shotgun dropkick, she posed like Storm used to.

Ads.  That shotgun is up there with anyone in the company.

Adora hit lariats and a pumpkick, senton splash, two only.  May kick to the gut and takedown using the hair, lining up Adora who avoided a boot, hit a bridging German from her knees for another near fall.  May slugged her, wicked knee strike, Mayday, win.

Would like Mariah to look a bit stronger considering she’s facing enhancement talent every week.  But this story’s moving along nicely and May looks good in her brief flurries.

Winner: Mariah May

Toni Storm came out to the stage with a mic on a stand in front of her to give out a ‘Toni Award’.  She spoke all formally and introduced herself, again insisting the award was ‘Toni with an i so we don’t get sued’.  It’s for performance in a wrestling event – she read the nominees:

First up – Mariah May for her performance as Toni Storm at Revolution.

She was the only nominee.

Toni took a while opening the envelope to ‘build the tension’ then announced May had won.  Deonna Purazzo then attacked from behind with a shoe and was booed.  Toni had been cheered the whole time.  May rushed to help and gave Deonna a ddt on the ramp.

Storm then handed her her award.  ‘You deserve it!’ chanted the crowd – that’s funny, such an overused chant.  Nice to see Storm actually being nice to May so there’s something there when one of them turns.

*****

Package pushing the Willow/Riho match and recapping Riho/Stat from Weds.

This fifty minutes has absolutely flown by.

Ads.

Christian Cage came out along with the gang.

Nick Wayne vs Adam Priest

Backstory: NONE

Wayne hit a fisherman ddt, choked Priest in the ropes, Wayne’s World, win.

Cage snatched a sign away from a fan in the front row wearing a lucha mask.  The fan attacked, eventually revealing himself to be Copeland.  Big cheer for the reveal.

He headed to the ring, took the TNT Title, grabbing a case from underneath the ring as the Patriarchy surrounded him.  Until Copeland revealed what was in the box (only Cage could see but he was shook).  He bailed and the crew left with him.

Copeland grabed a mic: ‘Get your stupid little mouth ready to say two words – you know ‘em (he said to the crowd) – ‘I…’ (the crowd yelled – ‘quit’).

Winner: Nick Wayne

They legged it backstage to Mark Briscoe and the wastes of oxygen.  Jarrett said everyone wondered whether he could trust Briscoe or vice-versa.  Jarrett insisted Briscoe could trust him.  Lethal said he trusted them both and hoped they trusted him.  Briscoe called Jarrett a ‘dog’ but seemed to be saying this in a good way for some reason.  He fired up and they left.

Guess the show couldn’t be perfect.  That’s a weak ass main event.

Chris Jericho vs Titan

Backstory: Jericho challenged Weds

Jericho’s randomly ‘Lionheart’ again.  AEW keep saying ‘The CMLL.’  ‘The Libre?’ – makes no sense.  Crowd couldn’t have cared less about Titan as he came out (pronounced Tee-tan).

A weak ‘lucha libre’ chant played over essentially silence.  Jericho took him down into a bow and arrow, Titan slipped out into a cover but didn’t get a one count.

A chop battle commenced, Jericho smacking the smaller man back to the corner, Titan elevated over and did a bunch of flips for no reason.  He then did some springboards while maintaining an armwringer, into a nice hurracanrana which sent Jericho outside where Titan nailed a tope.

They fought outside until Titan sent Jericho to the steps.

Jericho cut him off upstairs, they jostled for a while until Jericho hit an avalanche facecrusher/bulldog.

Ads.  Bjork wrote a song about this atmosphere.

Titan did more flipping for no reason then hit a kick from his back (imagine a fish hitting a kick in its death throes).  Jericho went old school with an underhook backbreaker for two.

Then hit a DVD into a scoop slam, missed a lionsault, caught Titan coming off the ropes but took a springboard tornado ddt, out at two.  Titan took his pads off and headed upstairs, big diving stomp – looked great, Jericho kicked out at nearly three.  Titan got a bridging deathlock – crowd chanted ‘tap’ – Jericho reversed it into the Tamer, Titan rolled him up for two.

Please end.

Jericho caught a springboard into a sloppy codebreaker. Another kickout.  Titan ducked an obviously telegraphed Judas Effect then hit a spinning DVD, Jericho kicked out again.  Piss-weak kicks and strikes from Titan, he did the same needless springboarding looking for another rana but was caught into the Tamer for the tap.

Serves him right.

Too long, too slow, too much springing for no reason.  Jericho was not over here.

The Gates of Agony attacked after the bell.  Hook then came out with a kendo stick.  Didn’t get much of a reaction either.  He nailed Leona across the back with the stick, though Leona had to be pulled away, as if it didn’t hurt him.

This feud is up there for least interesting.

Winner: Chris Jericho

FTR came to the ring to talk to Tony.  Schiavone said this is the team that comes to mind when you think about the tag belts.  That tournament starts next Saturday.

Cash said Sunday didn’t go to plan.  He said that happens sometimes.  All they can do is get up, dust themselves off and keep moving forward.  They’ve been together ten years now.  And they’ve been doing that for ten years.

They’re officially in the tournament.

Dax said Collision was built on tag wrestling – he listed their matches last year vs BCG, BtyBB etc.  He said it’d be easy to promise they’d win the tournament.  But he’s not a liar.  He can’t say they’re firing on all cylinders atm.  They have a little self-doubt.  He’s not even sure they should be in the tournament.  But he promised to give everything till they can’t get back up.

And hopefully become the first ever three-time AEW champs.

Someone called The Infantry came out.  No-one told us anything about them.  They introduced themselves – Shawn Dean and Somebody.  They played to the crowd a bit.  They said they nearly hadn’t come ‘cause it was 50% off at a strip club.  Sparking a ‘Magic City’ chant.

The other one said they respected FTR and offered a handshake – ‘may the best team win.’  They said they were coming for FTR’s spots, so they could give the tag division what it’s been needing – ‘A revival’.

Dax said ‘The Revival’s dead… and if we meet you in the tournament, you will be too’.

Nice final line.  Bit strange otherwise unless they actually have plans for the Infantry.  Not the strongest foot forward for the tournament.

*****

Big Business package.

Mistico vs Angelico

Backstory: NONE

Mistico’s music has bells at the start so I thought it was the BCG theme at first ☹.  Nigel really put him over.

Lockup, immediate break, Mistico went for the arm, Angelico freed himself and went after Mistico’s, they exchanged holds, trips and escapes.  Crowd are as into this as anything since Copeland appeared.

Angelico took him down, Mistico popped up, pair of armdrags, pause for applause.  Springboard back elbow popped the crowd.

Ads.

Mistico hit a tejeiras, 619, springboard dropkick, crowd clapping, tope to Serpentico outside, dropkick as Angelico tried to come back in, crowd still clapping, plancha into a rana outside.

Very nice.

Kick to the spine, Angelico sent back in, out-to-in slingshot senton for two.  Senton atomico from the top for the same.  Angelico moved on a moonsault but Mistico landed on his feet, Angelico got a magistral for a near fall, argued with the ref and was rolled up as Mistico got two.

Angelico lariat in the corner, Mistico returned the favor, they exchanged kicks and each collapsed.  Mistico springboard cross body, right back up into a spinning rollup for two, La Mistica (headscissors into an armbreaker) for the tap.

Clearly is a big deal in Mexico, fans here were into Mistico.  Angelico offered a handshake, he and Serpentico raised Mistico’s arms to a cheer.  Decent match: not an unnecessary springboard in sight.

Winner: Mistico

House of Black vs Mark Briscoe, Jay Lethal & Jeff Jarrett (Atlanta Street Fight)

Backstory: the HOB tried to murder Briscoe so Briscoe tried to murder them back, Jay Lethal offered to help, Mark said to keep Jarrett away but then he was just in the match

They all immediately split into brawling around ringside.  The crowd cheered because a table came out, wood breaking seemingly rivals the Undertaker for length of popularity.  Brody sat Lethal on a chair and prepared to squash him against the barricade, Lethal countered via drop toe hold.

Captain Cash for Gold then fired chair shots to the back of King.  Lethal sprang off a chair but took an anti-air punch then was cross-bodied through a table against the barricade.  Nigel asked ‘Who could forget Briscoe tried to set Buddy on fire?’

Erm, AEW?  All week.

Those two were brawling atop the buckle, King intervened and launched Briscoe off.  He was (maybe?) supposed to go through a table but missed it and landed on a pile of chairs at ringside.  Nasty landing.

Ads.

Buddy bullied Sonjay Dutt up the ramp, Julia Hart stopped him fleeing, Buddy poured lighter fluid on him and Julia stood over him with a lighter.  Clearly with no intention of actually setting him on fire since Karen Jarrett was late coming out and Dutt remained unburned.  Yes they actually built to one of the most annoying people in wrestling playing babyface as she nailed Buddy with a low blow then helped Sonjay knock him off the ramp.  Julia then misted her.

Lethal tried to fling Brody through a table off the apron, King countered then did his sleeper where he drops you off the apron.  Jarrett then nailed Brody with a guitar and he fell through the table.  Malakai hit Jarrett with The End (if only).

No-one has yet actually tried to win the match.

Instead, Malakai tried to murder Briscoe again with the spike.  Briscoe countered and hit a Jay Driller.  Julia grabbed his ankle, Briscoe sent Malakai outside and sprang off a chair into a senton but was caught by Buddy and Malakai.  Curiously enough, there was a table setup there too, which hadn’t been there only minutes ago.

How did they know?

Julia lit the table on fire, they powerbombed him through it, Malakai then pinned him.

You could easily convince a viewer that the start and end of this show were different companies.  One featuring top tier talents in hot pro-wrestling angles, the other featuring garbage brawling between six guys who did not appear on the ppv.  Amid a ridiculous sports entertainment angle where guys are trying to set each other on fire.

This all reeks of Jarrett and Dutt’s booking.  If this is the sort of stuff the HOB actually want to do, by all means let them go back to WWE.

Winner: HOB

 ________________________________________________________________

Next Dynamite (Big Business):

• Joe vs Wardlow (AEW Title)
• Darby Allin vs Jay White
• Riho vs Willow Nightingale
• Pac, Penta & Eddie Kingston vs the Elite
• Hook & Jericho vs Gates of Agony

Next Collision:

• Tag Tournament starts

Added to Dynasty:

• Bryan Danielson vs Will Ospreay

Thumbs Up/Down

• Star power galore and strong angles right from the jump, setting up killer matches
• Good use of Okada – he dominated three guys by himself to establish him as a force, but did have to bail at the hands of a babyface to try to maintain him as a heel
• Danielson vs Taylor
• No messing around in announcing Ospreay/Danielson for the ppv, that’s probably 140,000 buys by itself
• Copeland/Cage angle was effective – love a whodunnit (or in this case whatisit)
• Two announcers is infinitely better than three

 *****

• Very weak second hour – lacking star power, matches with any intrigue and featuring a very weak main event which stunk of TNA between the people in it and garbage brawling (though admittedly I couldn’t be more out on the HOB and despise Jarrett et al – it’s so weird them being featured again)
• Prolly could’ve used some of that second hour to hear from Wardlow or he and Cole to push the title match

Appreciate you reading.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend.