AEW Collision tonight comes to us from Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY.  After last week drawing 476,000 & 0.17 in the 18-49 demo.

Whether pro or anti, we can all at least agree that Punk isn’t going to allow any Leatherface crap on Saturdays.  Especially since the Head of Talent Relations is persona non grata.

*****

Opening promos:

• Christian & Luchasaurus – Cage said it’s Fight for the Fallen, promising Darby they were going to fight and he was gonna fall
• Allin said he was gonna strangle Cage with his turtleneck then become the TNT champ at All Out
• Jay White told Dalton Castle his ‘spotlight is about to get snuffed out’
• Castle told us – the audience – we’re getting exactly what we deserve – him ‘suplexing Jay White so hard I’m gonna send him to Hades’
• Samoa Joe has coming seeking a ‘real answer’ from a ‘real world champion’ and until he gets that answer things will be ‘real violent’

Kevin Kelly’s back on comms.

The Golden Vampire vs Samoa Joe

Backstory: None

Joe continues to be massively over with Colliders.  The Vampire (fully masked and body-suited) attacked with Joe on the apron, fans were already chanting ‘CM Punk’ before he hit a step-up knee in the corner, then the boos came as he lugged Joe up for a very sloppy GTS.  Before unmasking.

To cheers at first before more boos.  He did the GTS signal then yelled ‘I accept bitch’ to a prone Joe before leaving.

Joe looked furious as Punk’s music played.

Really hope Joe’s winning at Wembley (clearly he’s not, they’ve made the match for the Real World Title) because otherwise he’s been made to look a mug everytime he faces Punk.  And Joe’s so popular and respected that it won’t help Punk with fans who are neutral or anti if he’s a mere stepping-stone.

Perhaps I’m reading too much into this since he always looks like this to some degree, but Punk looked like he hadn’t slept all week.

*****

They finally got round to revealing the history behind All In and actually hyping the upcoming ppv.  Via a package voiced over by Tony Khan.  This felt like something that should’ve been done in June to lay the groundwork.

Jay White vs Dalton Castle

Backstory: None

Nice pop for White as his music hit.  The whole BCG and his cardboard double joined him.  Dalton came with a lot of Boys.  Yelling into the camera that ‘I’m going to suplex him so hard his brains are gonna fall out of his butt’.  So wonderfully over the top.

Lotta smack talk before Castle leg dived and took down Jay who sought the ropes for the break.  Castle was fanned in the corner before they locked up once more, standing switches, Castle again took him down, too strong for White who again sought the ropes before a cheap shot and some chops led to him pounding Castle down to the mat.

Before he took White down again.  Crowd quiet as Castle did so once more.  White returning fire with shoulders to the gut and knife edges in the coner, Castle fighting his way out, sending White to the opposite corner but missing a running knee and splatting down at ringside.

The BCG chased the Boys round ringside as White dumped Castle onto the apron via suplex and the ads arrived.

White in control via waistlock, Castle fighting free, yay/boo in the middle, chops and strikes until White landed a low dropkick but was snatched up into an overhead throw.  Both scrambling to their feet, more chops and strikes, White reversing a whip, taking a big back-elbow strike, running knee in the corner, discus lariat, bulldog blocked but White again snatched into a suplex.  And another.

White being dominated, Castle dragging him up, White again using the ropes, back elbow but snatched into a deadlift German for two.  White again used the ropes to block a suplex, sent Castle outside then fired stinging chops against the announce desk.

Castle came back with a hurracanrana, using the bottom rope to spin round and hook White into it, the BCG then surrounded him, crowd chanting for Castle, the Boys took out the other BCG.

Castle blocked a Bladerunner, Jay fought off the Bangarang and landed a high-angle uranage for two.  Grabbed a choke, Castle escaped via back elbow but was snatched into a sleeper suplex.  Then dragged back up for the Bladerunner and the win.

I really like Dalton Castle, he’s very entertaining.  But with the way he’s been positioned, it’s gob smacking that he was allowed to dominate White like this.  While the Boys took out a guy who’s facing two former AEW champions next Sunday, and the former tag champs.  Very strange booking.

Winner: Jay White

Tony Schiavone talked to the BCG about their match next Sunday.  Sounded like boos for the Elite.  White said he had a message for Omega: if he doesn’t want to be exposed at the biggest event of all time, he should stay in that bed.  He’s known Omega a decade and had to wait for too long while Kenny and his friends deceive the entire wrestling world.  And deceived fans into believing that the Elite were the apex of Bullet Club.

It doesn’t matter who he brings.  They’ve beaten he and his friends before, they’ll do so again.  Juice had a great retort for Hangman – who’d mocked them for driving all the way to Florida for a two-minute beatdown.  Rightly pointing out that it only took two minutes to put Omega in the hospital (which makes it even weirder that they so clearly cut that whole clip down so much).  What does he think they’ll do when they have a whole match to work with.

The Gunns then noted the Bucks had to cheat to beat them Wednesday.  And asked their friend Omega for help, but the Gunns’ friends (ie Juice) are tougher.  Austin demanded Tony Khan send three guys out for them to squash.  White told the crowd they had ‘two words for ya’ – ‘Gunns Up’.

BCG vs Iron Savages & Jacked Jameson

Backstory: None

The Iron Savages came out looking, acting and sounding like 1984 spat them through the tunnel.  Whichever of them it was on the mic introduced them by shouting every single word so that it was mostly unintelligible.  One of the Iron Savages shouted that you could call him ‘Ass Boy’ then mimicked motorboating an ass.

They dominated the BCG for a couple minutes to almost total silence until Colten and Juice stomped down one of them in the corner.  The announcers went on and on about what the BCG did to Omega.  What the editors did was worse.

Juice hit a cannonball in the corner, he and the Gunns then mimicked the Elite’s pose.  Jay White graciously turned down Kevin Kelly’s offer to let him commentate since Kelly needs the reps.  Easily the most entertaining thing of this whole match.

This inexplicably is going through a break.

AEW have now rustled up a third headset for Jay White.  One of the faces avoided a triple team and got a tag to Boulder who landed a double flatliner to the Gunns then caught Juice off the top to slam him onto them.

Before hitting a splash to all three for two.

Juice was squashed in the corner, Colten avoided another, the Gunns did a goofy comedy spot built around them botching their finish, the long-haired one came in, took Left Hand of God and the 3:10 to Yuma.  Robinson then polished Jameson (I think) off with with his ddt/facebuster.

This whole BCG sequence was so weird.  You would never guess one of these acts is being built for a big match next weekend.  Baffling.

Winner: Powerhouse Hobbs

Schiavone backstage with Ricky Starks.  Nigel called Ricky the ‘biggest superstar in AEW today’.  Someone clearly screwed up last week since they’ve changed Starks’ suspension from 30 days to 28.  14 of which have already been served.  Meaning he can now appear at All Out.  Starks said he’d promised a war against AEW and he meant it.  He’s going to bring chaos.  They cut to reveal Big Bill.  And he’s going to do it live tonight.

They then played a Starks package of him basically in the dark.  He lost himself, people took advantage of him, ‘the amount of kindness I have is the same amount of chaos I can bring’ (okay seriously, do they even bother watching these back?  What in the blue hell does that mean?)  ‘I am Absolute’.  Generic is the word.

Big Bill (with Ricky Starks) vs Derek Neal

Backstory: Starks is suspended from wrestling but has a manager’s license

Bill came out with Starks to Starks’ music.

Bill squashed Neal in the corner, Neal threw one punch, Bill got angrier, hit a big boot, screamed, hit a chokeslam.  Win.  Starks whipped Neal with the belt.  Will Starks ban have been shortened again by next week?  Tune in to see if they’ve finally got their own story straight.

If a squash match win is ‘bringing chaos’ then this whole show is chaotic as hell.  A complete waste of tv time.

Winner: Big Bill

Recap of the Mogul Affiliates vs Darby etc feud.

Willow Nightingale vs Diamante

Backstory: Diamante cheated to help her team beat Willow’s last week

Willow out to her usual nice pop.  But can’t make the All In four-way despite also being better in the ring than at least two of the four.

Diamante had a kick caught but ducked a Willow right.  Then was crushed in the corner, hit with back elbows and a big right.  Then stomped mudhole-style.  And hauled up for a delayed suplex.

Count of two.

Willow was then tripped into the ropes, Diamante hitting shots to the back, crowd quiet but coming alive behind Willow.  Who snatched Diamante out of a headscissors into a side slam and hit a lariat knocking Diamante down to ringside, bringing Mercedes Martinez out.

Willow sent Diamante back in but briefly eyed Martinez, allowing Diamante to club Willow down and climb her back for a sleeper but be flung off, hit via bodyslam, Oklahoma Stampede, the latter of which saw Diamante slip behind then target the calf.  Firing shots from the mount as the ads arrived.

Slugfest in the middle, big lariat from Willow dropping Diamante, Nightingale firing up, another lariat, another, splash in the corner, big boot, spinebuster with a stack, two only.

Crowd still chanting for Nightingale who was caught up top and dragged off the top buckle.  Diamante hit running double-knees then an Asai ddt for two.  Willow came back via thrust kick, Diamante blocked a suplex, rollup for two, Willow drove her to the corner, set her up top, Diamante fought back looking for a powerbomb, Willow fought her off to hit a missile dropkick off the top.  Big pop from the crowd.

Mercedes dragged Diamante outside to safety, bringing Kris Statlander down to brawl with her.  Nice pop for her too as she landed a suplex on the ramp.  Willow smacked Diamante with a pounce which saw her land painfully against the barricade then sent her inside for the Babe with the Powerbomb for three.

Enjoyed this.  Willow is as popular and good in the ring as any woman on the roster.  It’s time AEW realized it.

Statlander and Willow posed in the ring as Mercedes ranted from the apron.  It’s nice seeing babyface women who actually have friends.  Usually they just let themselves get outnumbered.

Winner: Willow Nightingale

Lexi with Toni Storm to preview a tag on next week’s Rampage involving the four women competing for the title.  Storm – who now looks like an early-1900s widow – said it’ll be a preview like we’ve never seen before and the faces won’t make it to Wembley.

Nair asked if she was confident Saraya would have her back at Wembley.  Storm said she should never question the friendship of the Outcasts.  At Wembley she’ll be elevated to the spotlight she deserves.

Not as much fun as the last couple weeks.  Lexi’s question was a good one re: Saraya.  It’s a shame they haven’t done a single thing on tv to suggest there’ll be any issues.

Powerhouse Hobbs vs Kevin Ku

Backstory: None

Back to the ring here on AEW Dark.  After a few minutes – which was still too long – Hobbs hooked Game Over to win.  Miro appeared on the big screen to say they have a lot in common.  He too used to rely on a book for guidance and surround himself with distractions but now he walks alone.

He kneels for no-one.  Hobbs talks about redemption, well at All Out redemption is coming for him and it’s ‘going to piss on your cold, dead body’.  ‘I am godless, but I know you are not, because you pray to me now.’

Great closing line.  He should use some version of that every time.

Winner: Powerhouse Hobbs

Christian Cage vs Darby Allin

Backstory: Darby will face Luchasaurus for the TNT title @ All Out but challenged Cage to stop lurking in the background

JR joined on comms.  Allin out to a good pop.  The announcers did an excellent job talking about how Darby had ascended to the top level yet still had much more to come.  JR still adds an awful lot in small doses.  Because he has credibility.

Cage brought Luchasaurus along.  As JR talked about signing he and Edge back in the day.  As Cage kissed the belt and held it up, Ross railed on Cage doing this with a title he never won.  Not enough babyface announcers get mad at heel BS anymore either.

Allin threw his shirt at Luchasaurus, Cage stalled by whispering to him, then locked up with Allin.  Break in the corner.  Another lockup, Allin kicked Cage’s hand away, rolled through, headlock takeover, maintaining it up to their feet, transitioning to a hammerlock, maintaining it through several escape attempts until shots to the shoulder broke it.

Allin flung Cage outside, the vet ran to-and-fro in fear of Darby dives.  Allin glared at Cage through the ropes as the vet stalled.  Christian finally back in on six, back to grappling, back to the hammerlock, Cage countering into one of his own then slamming Darby down on his arm and stomping away in the corner.

Continuing to focus on the shoulder via arm wringer then sending him shoulder-first into the buckle.  Swerve and Fox were shown watching happily.

Ads.

During the break, Cage had continued the focus on Allin’s arm via single-arm ddt.  Allin slipped behind a suplex: O’Connor roll for two, twisting springboard cross body for two, cradle for two, magistral for two, Allin speeding things up.  Until walking into a Cage open-palm but again countering Cage into a backslide for yet another two.

Darby was then snapped back-first against the top rope, hitting the mat face-first then dragged outside, flung against the barricade and hit with chops.  Before being taken back in, the arm attack continuing via stomps.  Christian then grabbed the TNT title, asking Allin to come get it, the youngster crawling over only to be dragged into the bottom buckle.

Cage hit another hammerlock slam then milked the crowd who were enjoying booing the vet.  Darby fought back with shots to the gut but was drilled with Unprettier.  Cage didn’t attempt a cover.  Readying a spear istead, Allin hit a boot to block it, wild flurry, code red, two only.

Allin then attempted to choke Cage with his turtleneck as promised before the two clashed heads.  Leaving both down as the ads arrived.

Back to a dead-center scrap, Darby getting the better, pace quickening as he was whipped to the ropes, coming off via springboard back elbow, series of coffin splashes and a running shotgun dropkick to follow, Cage left slumped in the corner, crowd chanting for Allin as he headed upstairs.  To aim a Coffin Drop at Luchasaurus, paying the price when he was caught then ran into a Cage lariat outside.

Cage stopping to pose, he too paying for it by running into a drop toe-hold into an open chair.  Allin sitting him on it, Luchasaurus distracting the ref as Allin went up top, coming off via shotgun dropkick to Cage who was seated at ringside.  Crowd loved it.

Count at seven as Darby bundled the vet back in, Coffin Drop coming, unfortunately this was where the match briefly went a little sour.  Cage visibly moved and draped himself across the apron and Allin still flung himself despite Luchasaurus lurking there too long, waiting to drag Cage out of harm’s way.

For which he was ejected.

Despite this he hung around long enough to allow Cage to smack Allin with the belt.  Darby got his foot on the rope just before three.  Cage then missed a spear, Allin striking via shotgun dropkick, sitting Cage upstairs, Christian fought back to hit an avalanche sunset bomb then a spear which folded Darby in two.  Allin still kicked out.

Then bagged the win via jackknife pin.

Afterward, Luchasaurus returned as Allin was being interviewed to chokeslam him.  Cage ordered Schiavone to count a pinfall then announce Cage was still the TNT champ.

Before this main event I couldn’t wait for this show to end.  But it was very well-worked between a clear heel and babyface, both of whom the crowd cared about.  It wasn’t enough to save easily the worst Collision so far but it at least prevented a bad taste being left.

Winner: Darby Allin

 ________________________________________________________________

Next Dynamite:

• The Elite vs Juice Robinson & the Gunns
• Jon Moxley vs Rey Fenix
• Aussie Open vs the Hardys (ROH tag titles)
• Skye Blue vs Ruby Soho
• Swerve Strickland & AR Fox vs Darby Allin & Nick Wayne
• Jericho/Ospreay contract signing
• Renee talks to Adam Cole
• ‘’ MJF
• Jack Perry will retire the FTW title

Next Collision:

• ‘All In, All Star 8-man tag’
• Hear from the stars in London preparing for All In
• More announced on Dynamite

Added to All In:

• CM Punk vs Samoa Joe (Real World Title)

Added to All Out:

• Miro vs Will Hobbs

Thumbs Up/Down

• Willow vs Diamante (it might say more about the overall quality of this show that it makes this list but it was enjoyable)
• Christian vs Darby

 *****

• Poor booking – making Punk/Joe a title match does nothing other than make the outcome definite; White & the BCG needed to look strong
• A show full of squashes – for the second week running
• It doesn’t feel like we’re close to a massive show, to put it lightly. Momentum’s actually going in the wrong direction.  It felt like they were just desperate to fill two hours of tv

Appreciate you reading.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend.