AEW Collision (October 7, 2023) Emitted from the Maverick Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. The show saw Ricky Starks win gold, Adam Copeland demanding answers from Christian Cage, Eddie Kingston defending the ROH World Title, and more.
We get busy with everything Collision Details with effective playing from Cain A. Knight.
Saturday night is good for fighting. FTR was bruised heading into the AEW World Tag Team Championship match. Cash Wheeler suffered a broken rib. This is the life they choose in this business. FTR never backs down from a fight. Ricky Starks and Big Bill were eager to win the titles.
New heroes!
Ricky Starks and Big Bill pulled off a major shockwave to take down FTR. This match opened up a very hot show. Well, FTR wasn’t that hot. They got their asses kicked in defeat. The moment was hot though.
Starks and Bell came prepared with a clever strategy. They took advantage of FTR’s injuries by starting a sneak attack. While FTR was hugging at the bell, Starks bumped into them. The contact knocked Cash Wheeler off the apron and he fell to the ground in pain. Starks smashed Dax Harwood’s shoulder into the ring post. Bell entered the game to bat. Harwood showed fighting spirit. He was able to create separation for the tag, but Wheeler was still on the ground holding his ribs.
The work extended abroad. Starks led a plan to divide and conquer. Instead of continuing to do the bidding to Harwood, he urged Bell to focus on Wheeler instead. The 7-footer obliged by throttling Wheeler through the commentary table. Harwood was alone for the rest of the match.
Bell had his way with Harwood for the choke. Starks called for a second choke slam. Bill did this. Starks had another attack in mind. Bell lifted Harwood, so Starks could run the ropes to get a spear for the win. dominance.
Starks and Bale shared the joy of glory by winning the AEW World Tag Team Championship. This is the kind of celebration that makes titles seem important.
This result was a terrible surprise. Starks and Bell looked like stars in victory. It wasn’t just a cheap win to crown new champions. They used intelligence to execute the game plan to perfection. Both men maximized their minutes playing to their strengths. Bill was a force of destruction. Starks was the brains of the operation, and he also displayed charisma on the apron when giving direction to Bill. The Starks and Bill looked like badasses winning gold to back up their bravery. Starks’ bluster was no longer just empty words. He’s really establishing himself as a face Collision.
FTR was protected from infections. They did not lose their luster in defeat. Financial transaction reports should still be viewed as the MVPs. The rematch will be hot once FTR is healthy, but the fire runs even deeper with how Starks and Bale chose to embarrass them with the final shot. This should add a personal edge to revenge. I can’t wait for round two.
Starks and Bale cherished the glory behind the scenes. They screamed FTR’s ass and are the new top dogs. They talk like stars, walk like stars, and act like stars. Starks was keen to dismiss any claims of a rematch from FTR.
Adam Copeland speaks again
The closing segment of the show included Adam Copeland addressing Christian Cage’s evil betrayal. Copeland was honest when he said he came to AEW to reform the tag team with Christian. It didn’t go as planned, and he wanted to know why. Copeland still loves his best friend, even though Christian is in his villain phase.
Christian answered the call from the big screen. He will give his answers to dynamite. Christian sent his henchmen to deal with Copeland, but the Rated R Superstar had the advantage over Luchasaurus and Nick Wayne. Copeland speared the Tyrannosaurus and hit the DDT plant on Wayne.
Copland got the numbers, and it was put into the concerto. Press the pause button.
Earlier in the show, Wayne explained his motives for betraying Darby Allin Wrestling dream. Allen abandoned him in 2015. Wayne never forgot that, so he made sure to join forces with Allen’s biggest enemy as a reward. Wayne also doesn’t want to be stuck in Allen’s shadow.
Back to the concerto. Naturally, there will only be one man to save. Enter Allen. His music was launched as a trick to attack the ring from the back. Allin hit Luchasaurus with a chair. Wayne cowered like a coward. Allin was reluctant to pull the trigger, buying time for Luchasaurus to return. When Allen focused on the monster, Wayne got up to kick him in the back. Wayne never hesitated to break Allin’s arm with the chair.
The Copeland drama continues. The content of his promo wasn’t worthy of all-night hype to close the show, but I understand the advertising appeal of its benefit.
The real takeaway was between Allen and Wayne. I have to call bullshit in the promo of Wayne explaining his actions. There was no way he was playing a long trick. He didn’t even look like he was playing the game at all during this Wrestling dream Even a sudden deviation. That was a bad cover kind of gripping moment. On the plus side, Wayne’s character’s motivations moving forward are clearly established. Breaking Allin’s arm was a smart move to successfully turn him into a heel. It definitely filled me with the desire to see Allen kick ass, so mission accomplished.
Let’s jam through the rest Collision.
Bryan Danielson defeated Kyle Fletcher. The Australian opened with an aggressive attack. This forced Danielson to increase his brutality. Fletcher did not wilt under the mounting pressure. It was picking up steam along the stretch. Fletcher confronted Danielson over the Michinoku Driver and then slapped on a sleeping dragon. Danielson was trapped and worked hard to get to the ropes. That moment showed how close Danielson was to losing. Blackpool Fight Club prides itself on its ability to escape naturally, not using a rope.
The closing sequence saw Fletcher perform a reverse superplex. When he headed towards the sleeping dragon, Danielson responded with a brilliant move. This pinning move is clearly used fondly by Zack Saber Jr. to keep this feud alive in the ether.
Great match. Fletcher impressed for the second time this week. He took everything Danielson gave and came back even stronger. The end came as if Danielson had barely escaped victory. Fletcher’s performance left me wanting more. Give him the Darius Martin and Dax Harwood treatment for great one-on-one matchmaking until his partner returns from injury.
After the match, Gates of Agony rolled up the ring to hit Danielson. The idea was to inflict pain before Danielson vs. Swerve Strickland dynamite. The shot was blocked by Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Utah. It was later announced that Claudio and Yuta would wrestle Gates of Agony commotion. Give me a hell yeah. That match should be rocking.
Juice Robinson and Jones defeated Angelico, Metalik and Gravity. Jay White joined the Bang Bang Gang wearing MJF’s World Title around his waist. Bullet Club Gold handled the business. It wasn’t easy to win, but they didn’t have any real trouble either. A 3:10 to Yuma set the stage for Juice to pounce with an inverted DDT for the victory.
Next, Wyatt had a message for MJF. He criticized the champion for not going after the title belt, especially for a man who claims it is the most important thing in his life. Wyatt assumed the role of champion, but deemed Hangman Page undeserving of a title shot in the match dynamite.
Bullet Club Gold did their job to entertain. White’s reasoning was both provocative and backwards. He is right to raise questions about MJF’s urgency. Crowning himself as world champion was an entertaining vision for a heel.
AEW World Trios Championship: Acclaimed and Billy Gunn retained against Iron Savage. This was a tougher title defense than expected. The Bears sipped that monster sauce to dominate the champions. It was Max Caster who changed the game with his powerful moves in the hot race. Acclaimed hit a Mic Drop combination to pin Jacked Jameson.
The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass did their job keeping the live crowd hot. The Iron Savages continue to entertain with their appearances.
Toni Storm defeated Kiera Hogan Competitive bout. Storm resorted to biting Hogan’s booty to finally gain the advantage. After chomping at the bit, Storm executed a ragdoll German suplex. She followed it up with a hip attack and a crane driver for the win.
Storm really leans into her timeless personality. She added several flourishes to her movement, such as preparing for her close-up before attacking the hip to the end of the lever. It’s always nice to see Hogan get time to work. It’s a good hand for these types of matches. Hogan made Storm win, and as a result Storm looks like a bigger star.
ROH World Championship: Eddie Kingston vs. Commander retained. This was a clash of styles. Commander used his speed to frustrate Kingston. When Commander tried to match the blow, Kingston hit him hard. Commander has had a lot of success overall. He pulled the octopus hard. Kingston withstood the pain to get to the ropes. Commander added to his highlight reel by performing a high-flying jump over the ring post of a cannonball, springboard, and 450 splash. Eventually, Kingston’s back fist hit the target. Commander went for the Royal Cradle, but he was too close to the ropes. This allowed Kingston to lean forward to get a position on the pin. Commander dismissed. Kingston was quicker to the rise and beat Commander with his signature kick.
This was a fun title defense from Kingston. It really played into the idea that styles make fights. Kingston deliberately pursued Commander, adding to the illusion that the fighter’s speed was of great value. Kingston also showed off his noodles. Fast Eddie may have moved slowly at times, but he was on the ball when anticipating Komander’s moves. There were a few occasions in the match where Kingston scouted him well to prevent Commander’s agenda. We all knew Commander had no chance of winning, but they crafted a smart match to make it an entertaining little story in the ring.
Notes: Hype package for Keith Lee vs. Shane Taylor. No bout has been announced yet, but these promos are building anticipation for this big fight.
Ruby Suho was banned from ringside for Saraya’s title defense against Hikaru Shida dynamite. Suho was upset, but she was still confident that Saraya would prove why she was a dominant force.
Show stars: Ricky Starks and Big Bill Morrissey
Destroying the FTR was a hell of a way to take command Collision.
Tonight’s match: Bryan Danielson vs. Kyle Fletcher
Danielson and Fletcher show off their skills with athleticism and power.
Grade B
The show started off hot setting the tone, and that energy continued throughout the evening. The new faces had fun, and the usual suspects delivered the goods as expected.
Share your thoughts about Collision. How do you rate that? What are your favorite moments from the show?
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