AEW Collision tonight comes to us from Penn State University in Pittsburgh, PA.  After last week drawing 476,000 & 0.15 in the 18-49 demo.

*****

• Claudio & Danielson wondered how hungry and greedy Ricky Starks would be with their fists down his throat
• Big Bill said the BCC’s blood was still on his boots, Starks that they’re the face of Collision
• Kris Statlander said she’s the fighting champion
• Britt Baker that she and Statlander are the first women to main event Collision and said TBS would be ‘The Britt Show’ (they also made sure Statlander mentioned she’d main evented Rampage, guess they got some blowback from Weds)
• John Silver said the Acclaimed hadn’t read the contract properly, they’re facing him not Uno
• The Acclaimed said generic Acclaimed stuff – Bowens’ delivery was very good, that guy’s becoming an all-rounder

Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli vs Big Bill & Ricky Starks

Backstory: Danielson challenged the heels after they attacked the BCC following Moxley beating Bill Wednesday

Starks and Bill out to Starks’ music; the BCC to Danielson’s.  The ex-ROH guy (Bobby Cruise?) is ring announcing.  They played a video of Claudio’s stand-off with Eddie Kingston Weds.  And showed Bill’s boots which did indeed have blood on them.

Starks tagged out immediately to boos, Bill and Danielson squaring off, the Dragon firing kicks at Bill’s legs, shaken off, taken to the corner and beaten down.  Danielson hit a shotgun to the knee then hit more kicks to the thigh until being flung back towards Claudio.  Tag.

Bill called for a test of strength, Claudio obliged, crowd chanting for him, taken down to his knees, powering up, exchange of rights, Claudio ducked but couldn’t get Bill on his shoulders.  Bill smacked him with a lariat in the corner but took an uppercut, another, tag to Danielson, Bill ran both over via lariat.

At which point Starks flew in to pound on a downed BD in the corner.  Some kids were chanting for him so Starks yelled ‘This is for the kids’ before ten punches in the corner.  The kids cheered.  Starks then slapped Danielson.  Big mistake.  The vet was pissed: stiff kicks in the corner, chops to the chest, Starks taken upstairs for an avalanche hurracanrana for two.

Then took Starks to the opposite corner for more of the same until Starks landed a flying lariat and tagged out.  Bill absolutely crushed BD in the corner, tried again, Danielson got the boot up but was distracted by Starks and booted up and over by Bill.  Starks took cheap shots then flung him back in.

Ads.

Back to Starks beating down Danielson in the corner, Danielson flipped clear, busaiku knee, both on their backs, looking for tags.  Both found them, big uppercuts from Claudio, running lariats too, Bill didn’t budge.  An endless stream of crushing lariats in the corner – crowd counted to twenty – Claudio finally took Bill off his feet with a running lariat, finally got the big man on his shoulders for a TKO, very nearly three.

Not a ton of folks here but they’re enthusiastic.  They booed as Bill blocked the Swing, landed a chokeslam, the ROH champ kicked out (worth noting – Nigel McGuinness was really heeling on Danielson all match).  Starks in, right into the Swing, crowd alive.  Count of two.  Right into the Sharpshooter, Bill instantly broke it up, took a shotgun and a tope from Danielson, leaving Starks to counter a powerbomb into a ddt for a close count.

Starks up first, Claudio in the opposite corner, the former ran right into an uppercut for two.  Dragon back in, Yes! kicks, Starks on his knees, he ducked the last for a rollup, Danielson transitioned smoothly into the LeBell Lock but couldn’t hook it, Starks propelled him into the ropes, Bill met him with a big right, Ricky followed with a Spear, Claudio made the save at 2 ¾.

Starks looking for Roshambeaux, Danielson slipped behind, shotgun to Bill, Starks down, BD to the top, Bill crotched him, dropped Claudio into the crowd, Starks countered an avalanche belly to back into a cross body for two.  Then literally grabbed the ref – the camera cut away for no reason – we came back to the ref looking outside so Starks could hit a low blow, Roshambeaux, win.

Claudio came in with a chair to chase off the heels, I’m assuming he and Eddie shake after the upcoming Dynamite and he goes properly babyface.

Can AEW please hire a finish guy not named Jeff Jarrett?  Good match, crappy finish.  I’d be fine with the low blow if it was done well.  Big win for Starks regardless.  He certainly can’t complain about being overlooked anymore.

Winner: Ricky Starks & Big Bill

Recap of Hangman/Brian Cage match and angle from Dynamite.  And Swerve presumably ( the audio sucked even though it’d already been filmed) challenging Page and the Bucks on Rampage.  For Grand Slam.

Cut to the Bucks & Page asking Brandon if they were live.  The Bucks were all jokes as usual, Page very serious: Swerve has the Embassy working hard for him, if they want a trios match so bad they can put their ROH Trios titles on the line.  The Bucks then acted like totally heelish pricks and made more ‘jokes’ as they said they’d take those belts for the second time.

That’ll be on Rampage.

Speaking of pointless tags, it’s FTR vs Bear Country coming up.

*****

Will Hobbs talked generically about the Book of Hobbs again.  About ripping peoples’ arms off and beating them with it.  ‘No one is safe’.

*****

Miro called him an SOB since he’d beaten Hobbs but it didn’t make him humble.  Meaning they’ll have to finish that sometime.  He then talked about god tempting him with ‘my hot and flexible wife’ (so he does know her! That ‘mysterious woman from his past’ is actually his longtime wife.  Did you guys know?)

He asked ‘why, why, why’ every time he tries to step away he gets tempted again.  He said anyone who doesn’t want to be redeemed will be packaged in a palm box and ‘sent your (god’s) way’.

FTR vs Iron Savages (Tag Titles)

Backstory: FTR came up with this new idea, it’s called an open challenge, basically…

The Iron Savages look like people who should’ve lost to the Steiners in 1996.  Jacked Jameson – their manager I guess? – shouted who they all were and talked about sippin’ sauce and being hoarse or something.

And are on a ‘win streak’ apparently.  Jameson was taken out with a Shatter Machine after making fun of Harwood’s gut.  The Savages then hit moves to Cash to the most silent silence there’s ever been.  They hit splashes off the top, flung Dax out and hit a powerbomb to Cash for two.

More very silent silence.

One of the Savages missed a charge in the corner, crashing into the ringpost (it’s quite unbelievable that they’ve thrown them out there without properly saying which is which – the commentators aren’t even naming them, is it any wonder the crowd is so quiet?)

Allowing the tag to Dax, crowd waking a bit, Boulder immediately knocked him down, more silence.  Dax ducked a lariat, slid through the legs, fired jabs, running shotgun, avoided an elbow but caught into a tree slam.  Boulder missed a moonsault, FTR set him atop the buckle, hit Shatter Machine to the other guy, then a Powerplex to Boulder for the win.

Solomonster (silly name, great pod – check it out) said he’d like to see them win with that move, he’s got his wish.

If ever you wanted a definition of silence or wasting time, this has you covered.  To make it more fun, the Workhorsemen were out next, FTR offered a handshake, the four got in each other’s faces and the crowd, very understandably, chanted ‘Who are you!?’.

Aussie Open were shown watching backstage.

Winner: FTR

Lexi Nair with Keith Lee.  (Wow! Kevin Kelly was hesitant in sending to it and we saw why, they weren’t ready: director’s hands in the shot, ‘Collision take 22’ *clap*.  They even counted them in.  Dude did this even ever happen in TNA?)

Lee was immediately interrupted by Shane Taylor and Lee Moriarty.  Taylor said Lee had said prospective opponents should run but he won’t.  Lee said Taylor had made mistakes and ‘not running would soon be one’.

Glad Taylor’s getting tv time, he can talk and had a decent match with Joe at All Out.

John Silver vs Anthony Bowens

Backstory: DO want a Trios title shot

Caster kissed-up to the crowd and made masturbation jokes about Silver.  Silver came out by himself and took the mic – ‘First of all, I Google’d scissoring and you guys are doin it wrong’ – crowd laughed, as did I.  Then said the contract they’d signed meant Gunn and Caster were banned from ringside.  Which might’ve been slightly more heelish if it didn’t mean they were now facing one-on-one and the faces hadn’t had a three-on-one advantage.

Silver attacked from behind, Bowens quickly turned the tables, chops and shots in the corner, Silver covering up.  Scoop slam, Bowens posed for the second time in two minutes and Silver got pissed.  But bailed after taking a dropkick.

Then used a rope break to take a cheap shot, hit an enziguri in the corner, Bowens tumbled outside.

Break.

Back to a headlock, Bowens punching at Silver’s gut, Silver hit a kick and knocked him down.  Bowens up firing rights, thrust kick, stopped to pose again, more kicks, over the shoulder facebuster for two.  Silver fought off a uranage with elbows, they exchanged yay/boo shots, Silver hit a kick to the thigh, ran into a discus shot, came back with a pump kick & thrust kick but ran into a lariat and hit the deck.  Nice sequence.

Bowens missed a charge in the corner, took a German, kick to the face, brainbuster, two.  Crowd chanting for Bowens as Nigel casually said the crowd were ‘fairly even’ – tremendous.  Silver missed a punt, took an off the shoulder backbreaker and knee strike and rolled outside.  Bowens followed, another discus strike dropping Silver at ringside.

Bowens stopped to fire up the crowd, Uno appeared out of nowhere and flung him into the buckle (the announcers said he came from under the ring, we didn’t see it).  Silver hit a punt and won.  Wow, was waiting for the kickout.

Was actually thinking this could be a sleeper but outside of a few flurries it didn’t have time to get going.

Winner: John Silver

Eddie Kingston promo.  He talked about him and Claudio going back to 2001 – they were friends, lived together, then Claudio started judging him.  Despite what he goes through physically and mentally.  But he’s still here standing tall.  Then talked again about Castagnoli ‘not doing business’, leaving pot holes in the road that the rest of them had to clean up.

Renee told him to fix it with Moxley and he’s been trying but nothing’s worked.  But this will be the end of it Wednesday.  Claudio once told him he doesn’t know how to have friends and he’s right – Eddie blames them and pushes them away, it’s his ‘curse’.  But what he does have is hope.

New York’s always been with him.  It’s his home.  And if Claudio thinks he’s losing in front of those people –‘you are outta your f****** (bleeped) mind’.  ‘Try to beat me there, try to beat me in New York, we’re different there, we’re built different’.  They live with the cold and the misery, can Claudio deal with that?

He then called Claudio an ‘amazing’ wrestler who has ‘everything’ ‘but you ain’t ready for the misery, you ain’t ready for home, I’m gonna f*** you up in New York’.

Damn this was great.  Again could do without the ‘doing business’ part but Eddie’s so raw and believable.  This was a rah rah hometown babyface promo perfectly pitched for New York.

*****

From that to Renee with Hook and Orange Cassidy, who were sharing a bag of Doritos.  Cassidy said they should do a tag match or something.  ‘Grand Slam?’  ‘Let’s do it’.  Would’ve been better if they’d just happened across them on a couch or something rather than this being a ‘promo’.

Aussie Open vs A Small White Guy and Big Black Guy

Backstory: None

They seem to be back to trying to talk up records for wins we haven’t seen on tv – Aussie Open are apparently seven for nine.

They started against the small white guy and took him down, the big black guy came in and was crushed with a lariat in the corner.  The Aussies tried to fire up the crowd who weren’t the least bit interested in their second tag squash in twenty minutes.

They hit their finish and won.

Davis took the mic – ‘F…T… are you paying attention?’.  Fletcher said they’d beaten their jobbers quicker than FTR had.  And both teams have won tag titles everywhere they’ve been.  They ‘call(ed) our shot’ for WrestleDream, a year after they last met.  Titles or not.

So we’re just done with Bucks/FTR then?  Boy what a feud.

Winner: Aussie Open

We then cut to an old fashioned black-and-white ‘motion picture’ with old-fashioned music and everything – Toni Storm: Portrait of a Star.  Then strangely went to a brightly lit modern-day room where Toni was sitting with RJ City.  Storm complained about the lighting which was ‘blinding’.

RJ asked about her facing Saraya for the title.  And about her changing.  She objected – she hasn’t changed, the business has.  Every little girl with a sob story gets hired now – ‘these people wouldn’t know talent if it slapped their tits off’.  If that makes her different, then so be it.

She complained about the lamp.  Then it ended.  To be continued…

I stand corrected about the definition of wasting time.

*****

Scorpio Sky promo talking about his back-to-back injuries and being dropped back in the deep water, which is where he belongs and wants to be.  He put over Andrade.

Andrade El Idolo vs Scorpio Sky

Backstory: Are they going to tell us why Andrade disappeared for a month?

Then came out to almost no reaction.  Andrade’s wasn’t much better tbh.  One of the best pairs of entrance themes in AEW at least.  You could hear individual voices as Andrade offered a handshake.  Sky shook with the ref instead and was booed.

Headlock from Andrade, to a hammerlock, Sky got free, leapfrog smoothly down into an ankle lock, Andrade got a front facelock, into a headlock, Sly hit a kick to the face, ducked a lariat then bagged a headscissor takedown.  Was sent to the apron, Andrade hit a dragon screw against the middle rope.

Sky then shoved Andrade off the top, he smacked his back on the apron on his way to ringside.  Nasty spill.  Guess that means Sky’s the heel but have no real idea.  Break.

Back to Andrade fighting up from the mat, he countered a belly to back into a cross body, Sky up first, firing rights with Andrade on his knees, a trio of kicks finally knocked him back down.  He fired-up, beckoning Sky to bring it and caught him into a pair of dragon screws, flying lariat (he even kinda spills under the ropes like Shawn on that), kip-up, Sky caught him with an elbow, got a sunset flip from the middle rope, Andrade got the ropes.

Sky then hit a flip dive but came up holding his knee (I guess he was out with a knee injury?)

Back inside – duelling chants –  Andrade blasted him with a spinning back elbow, Sky countered a suplex into a cradle for two, Andrade went back after the knees with a low dropkick then applied the figure four, bridging into the Figure Eight to cheers and the tap.

It should bother the folks in the back that easily the biggest pop all match was copying a WWE move but doesn’t seem to.  The announcers even joked about ‘royalties’.  Like Silver and Bowens, I expected more.  Dead crowd didn’t help.

El Idolo offered a hand to help Sky up; Jay White’s music interrupted.  He came heavy.  ‘I’ll get to you in a second’, he said to Andrade, before starting to address the crowd but having to ask Colten ‘where are we?’.  Stellar heel work.

Then addressed Andrade.  He was watching Andrade watch the rest of BCG last week.  It looked like Andrade was having fun watching… (he put over each of his boys in turn with special nicknames, including the cardboard cutout, until simply saying ‘Austin Gunn’ – Austin looked all sad).

And wonders if Andrade wants ‘that Switchblade Spotlight’.  And asked if he wanted to find out next week that it’s too bright.  Andrade sarcastically applauded. The Gunns then did the ‘Two Words… Gunns Up’ thing.

White took the mic back to say they could also do it right now.  Andrade headed up the ramp, a bunch of refs came and got in between them.

Jay White looks, talks and acts like a star.  In fact he’s the only guy all show long who’s come off like that.

Winner: Andrade

Video package of Takeshita beating Omega and Callis talking about Ibushi being their next target.  Then a Riccaboni-voiced package explained the friendship between Omega and Ibushi, including highlights from DDT.  Then finished with Callis plunging the screwdriver into the painting.  More things like this are needed to explain backstories.

*****

Cut to Schiavone with Katsuyuori Shibata.  Who played a promo through the voice translator on his phone – he’ll be performing at WrestleDream but we don’t yet know who against.

The Righteous vs the Hardys

Backstory: the Righteous have been feuding with the Hardys on Rampege, per some video clips

Kelly said you could feel the momentum building for Matt and Jeff.  Certainly not something one could ascribe to the Righteous, who came out to more indifference.

Vincent shook off a Side Effect, fired shots from the mount, crowd almost silent once more.  They woke for ‘delete’ heads to the buckle, Dutch was bridged outside after coming in illegally.  Jeff tagged in, the Hardys hit a double team combo ending with a Jeff splash for two.

Snapmare and dropkick to the back, Matt back in, Poetry in Motion, Vincent grabbed a headlock and tagged Dutch who came in to hit a blackout for two.

Break.

Matt hit a Side Effect to Vincent, Jeff back in, series of lariats, Manhattan Drop and legdrop to the nads as Dutch came in, crowd chanting for the vet, Dutch broke up a pin, all four in now, the Hardys sent Dutch back out, Vincent blocked Side Effect the first time but not the second, Dutch crotched Jeff about to hit a Swanton, Vincent hit a sloppy sliced bread off Dutch’s chest to win.

The crowd booed in a ‘we genuinely don’t like this’ way.  More 50/50 booking from AEW – the Hardys dominated the match, the Righteous cheated to sneak a win.

Dutch took the mic to more boos.  He said their names, said they were the Righteous, ‘two believers who seek truth in the liar’s eyes’.  Vincent said they just beat one of the best teams in the world.  And everyone in the world is a prisoner to false icons, fooled by the conman, listening to the devil on their shoulder.  But they’re here to tell us the truth and kill our egos that lead to false love and fake friendships, like the one between MJF & Adam Cole.  Who are the ROH tag champs, ‘dig what I’m sayin?’.

The crowd did not.  There were ‘what!’s and such.

If you’re going to introduce a brand new team and push them, you have to actually introduce them.  One generic video and a cheap win does not make a team ready to face the hottest act in the company.  This needed weeks of work.

Winner: the Righteous

Claudio/Eddie package pushing their match again.

*****

FTR interview with Tony.  They briefly put over the Workhorsemen then accepted Aussie Open’s challenge.

*****

Package of Danielson talking about promising his daughter he’d quit when she turned seven.  Contrasted with Zack Sabre saying it’s about time they faced and found out who the best really is – ‘I surpassed you yonks (ages) ago’.  Danielson’s one of the best ever but Sabre will end his career.

*****

I guess they tried to make a joke out of what happened earlier by having the director be in the shot again as Schiavone interviewed Ricky Starks and Big Bill.  Bill told the director to get out of the shot and shook his head.

Starks is still angry and Tony doesn’t understand why.  Ricky said it’s because Danielson lost to him but gets a video package, as does a guy who doesn’t even work there.  While Starks isn’t even on WrestleDream as yet.  He beat Danielson tonight, and while it might be some peoples dream to beat the Dragon, ‘I’m gonna be your nightmare – shoutout Cody’ (okay he didn’t say that last bit).

So next week he’s challenging Danielson to a Texas Death Match.  And will put an end to Danielson.

Really liked this, more focused than Starks’ usual work.  It made sense coming out of the video package and continued the feud.  Also continue to like the pairing with Bill, he gives Ricky a little more believability with his size.

Kris Statlander vs Britt Baker (TBS Title)

Backstory: So what they didn’t tell us about that 4-way Weds is that whoever took the pin won a TBS title shot!

They showed Statlander beating Jade on Rampage and Jade raising Stat’s arm (she’s seemingly off to WWE).  Britt very popular in her home state.

Lockup, stalemate, reset.  Nother lockup, Statlander ran through Baker to boos.  Then landed a body slam.  Baker rolled outside to regroup.

Got back in pissed off and fired a forearm, an exchange followed – yay/boo – Statlander getting the better until leapfrogging Baker in the corner and landing badly on her surgically repaired knee.  Britt took advantage with a running neckbreaker, Stat avoided a slingblade and hit a powerslam for two.

Ads.

Back to them battling up top, Stat threw her off then readied a moonsault, missing by miles after Baker moved.  Britt snapped the champ across the ropes then worked over Statlander’s knees against the ringpost.  The announcers compared it to Bret working over Steve Austin.

Baker hit a pair of slingblades back inside, Statlander ducked a lariat and hit a blue thunder bomb for two.  Fisherman buster for another close count.  Britt avoided a running knee, hit a curb stomp to a big pop for two.  Then the gloves came on.

While doing her ‘DMD’ pose, Statlander rolled her up for two, missed a lariat, Baker tilt-a-whirled into Lockjaw in a very smooth spot, Statlander blocked the hold, fighting up to her feet to heavy boos, the two exchanging forearms once more – crowd into it like nothing since the opener – until Britt got a flurry, took a big roundhouse, came back with a thrust kick, missed a lariat, landed a thrust kick with Statlander looking for a discus punch, the champ toppling but managing to land a lariat before crashing to the mat.  Both down.

Crowd chanting ‘DMD’ as the ref’s count reached seven.  Britt sent to the corner, Statlander missed a running knee, further injuring it, but countered Pittsburgh Sunrise, Baker countered back into a rollup for two.  Statlander back up with another roundhouse, looking for a powerbomb, Baker slipped free to hit a destroyer, Angel’s Wings, Curb Stomp, the champ kicked out at 2.999999.  To an avalanche of boos.

Britt back to the middle rope but snatched onto Stat’s shoulders.  Fighting free, she countered back into Lockjaw, Statlander trying to block it, Baker finally getting her hand in Statlander’s mouth, the champ rolled her weight to pin Britt’s shoulders while still in the hold.

Very nice match.  Enjoyed this.  Actually bought some of the false finishes.  Helped by a crowd who wanted to be part of the show all night but weren’t given much to work with.  More matches like this, between wrestlers the fans care about, whose outcome is in doubt, would really help this division.  Though the same could be said about the whole of AEW atm.

Julia Hart was shown watching from the crowd.  Statlander offered Baker a hand up, Britt accepted, the two posed as the show ended.

Winner: Kris Statlander

 ________________________________________________________________

Grand Slam Dynamite:

• Chris Jericho vs Sammy Guevara (First Time Ever)
• Saraya vs Toni Storm (Women’s Title)
• MJF vs Samoa Joe (AEW Title)
• Jon Moxley vs Rey Fenix (International Title)
• Eddie Kingston vs Claudio Castagnoli (ROH Title vs Strong Title)

Next Collision:

• Jay White vs Andrade El Idolo
• RVD returns in his home state
• FTR vs Workhorsemen (Tag Titles)
• Bryan Danielson vs Ricky Starks (Texas Death Match)

WrestleDream:

• Bryan Danielson vs Zack Sabre Jr (‘Dream Match’)
• Hangman Page vs Swerve Strickland
• FTR vs Aussie Open (Tag Titles)

Thumbs Up/Down

• Eddie Kingston’s promo
• Jay White/BCG mic time – a clinic in how to make yourself and your act come off as stars
• Opening tag
• Ricky Starks’ challenge for Danielson
• Britt Baker vs Kris Statlander

• An awful lot of filler – again
• An awful lot of wrestlers fans understandably weren’t familiar with
• Making for an understandably cold crowd for much of the show
• WrestleDream feels flat

Appreciate you reading.  Enjoy the rest of the weekend.