AEW Collision: Learning Tree have a lot left to learn

Sully Khan

Poster for AEW Collision.

Tonight’s show comes to us live from Bojangles Colosseum in Charlotte, NC.

Mark Briscoe starts us off with the right intensity – when doesn’t he? Both him and Daniel Garcia put each other over and each says they’ll win. Cope saying “Top Guys. Out.” just seems… wrong. But he has FTR’s approval so it’s all good.

Let’s get it on!

1. Daniel Garcia (c) vs. Mark Briscoe for the TNT Championship

A rematch from the Continental Classic tournament that wrapped up at World’s End, as Nigel McGuinness reminds everyone.

Starts off with the two soaking in the moment and looking at the crowd before a grapple to kick off. Seems to be a lot of hesitation and feeling each other out between these two. Garcia’s fundamentals don’t get talked about enough. He slows the match down as Briscoe looks to pick up the tempo, where he thrives.

Briscoe tries for the Jay Drilla but Garcia stops it. Briscoe ends up outside the ring. Garcia tries to get him back in but Briscoe seems to be frsutrated at this point. Respect for each other does not overcome wanting to beat your opponent.

Matt Menard

Briscoe gets Garcia outside the ring and launches him out with a nasty spill. Briscoe’s got the power advantage and he takes control with brute strength. He shoots straight.

This match was much more physical than I’d expected it to be. Whew! A huge Lariat from Briscoe out of the corner stifles both men. A Fisherman Buster gets Briscoe a two-count. Garcia gets out of a counter and grabs referee Paul Turner’s leg. He seems way out of sorts here.

Knife-edge chops from both in the middle of the ring highlight the physicality of this longer-than-expected match. Garcia locks in the Scorpion Deathlock but Briscoe gets his hand around the bottom rope to break the hold. Jay Drilla only gets a two-count as Garcia gets his foot on the rope.

An insane counter concludes a solid start to the show.

Winner: Daniel Garcia retains via pinfall.

A show of respect between the two as Garcia raises his challenger’s arm after the match.

Wheeler Yuta and the Death Riders call out Jay White, saying he had no right to interfere. Moxley pulls him back and says the FTR are the gold standard of tag team wrestling. He uses Cope’s real, full name multiple times, mentioning his neck injury. He promises “hell on Earth” for his new problem.

Highlights of Jeff Jarrett’s announcement Wednesday played, where he stated he wants to be AEW World Heavyweight Champion.

2. Jeff Jarrett vs. Aaron Solo

Solo is already in the ring and itching to get his hands on Jarrett. He jumps him before the bell rings, gaining the upper hand.

The third-generation star recovers and gets his Fargo Strut going before a Back Body Drop.

This one is over before it really gets started.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett via pinfall.

We return from commercial to a highlight video of the latest chapter in the Ricochet / Swerve feud. The Casino Gauntlet might see these two single each other out.

3. Private Party (c) vs. Action Andretti and Lio Rush

I still don’t understand what these jackets Rush and Andretti are supposed to be. They have red ones now, too. They remind me of the spiky turtles from Super Mario. I might be aging myself a bit with that reference. The Charlotte crowd loves Private Party and Private Party loves the Charlotte crowd.

Lio Rush’s speed always catches me off-guard. He’s got cat-like reflexes. The challengers gain the upper-hand and work on Isiah Kassidy. Mark Quen was laid out on the outside, forcing his partner to go alone for an extended beat-down via the challengers.

Kassidy is unable to make a tag for what must, to him, feel like 15 minutes. The challengers again get their way as Lio Rush pulls Quen down just as Kassidy is about to tag him in. Kassidy finally tags in Quen and he goes to work on both challengers. He plants Lio Rush on top of Action Andretti with a Death Valley Driver. Only a two-count on the cover.

Spanish Fly from Andretti to Quen off the top rope. The challengers use Gin ‘n Juice on Kassidy but only get a two-count. Top Flight and Leila Grey distract the challengers for a moment. The four men brawl in the middle of the ring.

A 450 Splash from Andretti breaks up a cover but he definitely gets some of the effects of the move himself.

Dante Martin interferes for a second, helping the champions retain.

Winners: Private Party retains via pinfall.

A video package of Darby Allin’s war against the Death Riders plays. Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness say nobody knows when Allin will return.

Back from another commercial break, Lexy Nair is backstage with Cope. She asks him why he’s got a problem with Moxley. He mentions his friends FTR. Chris Jericho interrupts Cope as he says that he’s trying to make it a Dirty Dozen, where World Titles are concerned. He says he’ll wear it proudly. Chris Jericho is an acquired taste. “Cope is a dope” might be the worst comeback ever.

4. Toni Storm vs. Deonna Purrazzo (with Taya Valkyrie)

This “rookie” Toni Storm has impressed of late and starts out with a handshake with Purrazzo. Schiavone mentions the matching duck tattoos both ladies have, a detail Storm doesn’t seem to remember. The two lived together for a while in Japan.

A running shoulder tackle forces Purrazzo to regroup outside the ring with her associate Valkyrie. Toni keeps the offense going but Valkyrie provides predictable distractions.

Storm gets a two-count with a Fisherman’s Buster. McGuinnes keeps mentioning Storm’s experience before AEW but I’m not sure all fans are convinced the rookie has a history on the scene.

Winner: Toni Storm via pinfall. Undefeated since her “return”.

Christopher Daniels and Hangman Adam Page argued backstage after Dynamite Wednesday. Hangman asks Daniels with he’s giving AEW and wrestling, saying he’s hanging on to a sport that left him behind so long ago. He slaps Daniels and walks away. Daniels jumps him and headbutts him over and over again, saying he’s the Fallen Angel.

Back from commercial, a cameraman follows The Acclaimed. Anthony Bowens has snapped. Max Caster says he’s the leader and Bowens is not thrilled. Bowens says he only hasn’t punched Caster per Billy Gunn’s request. The already-frayed seams are coming apart.

5. $100,000 challenge: The Beast Mortos vs. Brian Cage vs. Komander (with Alex Abrahantes) vs. Dante Martin (with Leila Grey)

Dante Martin won the $300,000 Battle Royale a few years ago. Mortos and Cage end up outside the ring. Martin and Komander trade pinfall attempts.

Beast Mortos headbutts Martin and is sent outside the ring by Komander. Lio Rush jumps Martin from behind. Him and Andretti get told to get out by “Swolverine”. A Pumphandle Pickup from drops Mortos and Cage goes to work.

McGuinness’ commentary is on-point tonight. He says Cage has muscles in places that other people “don’t have places”.

Mortos headbutts Cage and takes advantage. He gets faceplanted by Komander in the middle of the ring. PoisonRana from Komander sends Mortos out of the ring. Cage gives Komander an F5 and then a spinning discus to Martin.

Winner: Brian Cage via pinfall (pinned Martin).

FTR is backstage with The Rock ‘n Roll Express. The Outrunners show up and demand they pay them back from 1982… Hmmm… They’re just messing around (I think). They’re all good. Top Guys. Out.

6. Rated FTR vs. The Learning Tree

Cope and Chris Jericho haven’t faced each other in 15 years. Makes me feel old. Thanks, AEW, for reminding me of how long ago that match I was thinking of really is.

Cope and Jericho start off, squaring off for the 100th time and in the fourth decade. Jericho quickly tags in Brian Keith, seemingly not wanting anything to do with Cope. Some might have expected that.

Big Bill does everything but literally run over both Wheeler and Harwood. Jericho nails a Hurricanrana on Wheeler from the top corner.

Wheeler finally tags Cope back in as Jericho is also the legal man for his team. Justified “holy shit!” chants ring out as the two Canadians lock eyes. The two shake hands before Jericho and Cope exchange chops. Jericho pokes the eyes, only to get hit by a flying forearm in retaliation.

Cope hits a DDT on Jericho and lines up for a Spear. Codebreaker counter only yields a two-count on the cover. McGuinness wants to rename the move the “Copebreaker”. I can’t make this up, folks.

Classic heel moves, getting cheap shots on Cope with the ref distracted elsewhere. “Cope” chants ring out and he makes a hot tag to Wheeler. Keith tags in Big Bill at the same time. A big Crossbody off the top rope gives Wheeler a two-count, as does a rolling DDT.

Double powerplex by FTR, and an elbow from Cope. Big Bill only stays down for two again. Harwood hits Keith with a sharpshooter and Jericho gets the walls on Wheeler. The two stare down before exchanging chops. Cope hits a big drop on Big Bill outside the ring.

Shatter Machine lands on Jericho. Cope follows with a Spear.

Winners: Rated FTR via pinfall.

Rock ‘n Roll Express tied up backstage by the Death Riders. The Outrunners get jumped trying to stop it. Rated FTR rushes back and helps out, trying to give chase to the Death Riders but it may be too late.

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