AEW Collision: Twist and turns in this Technical Spectacal

Slam Wrestling

AEW Collision: Twist and turns in this Technical Spectacal
Courtesy of AEW

Editor’s Note: We have a guest correspondent covering AEW Collision. Rob Thill has been involved in local wrestling scenes in Sacramento, CA, Oregon, and Salt Lake City, UT. We at Slam! Wrestling asked if he could cover this show, and he turned in this report.

By Rob Thill, for Slam! Wrestling

Welcome to Collision! We are in Cincinnati, OH, at The Andrew J. Brady Music Center. Tony Schiavone and “Daddy Magic” are on the call as “Timeless” Toni Storm makes her way to center stage.

Toni runs down Athena and her endless list of names. Toni says if Athena is a goddess, then she had better pray. Toni gets on her knees and prays that Athena leaves the O2 Arena on a plane with her ass print on her face.

Athena tries for a boot before Toni moves, only to be blindsided by Billie Starkz. Athena tells Toni to pray that she doesn’t expose her for the fraud she is, and if AEW is where the best wrestle, then why is this bitch on top? Athena then tells us at Forbidden Door that she will become the forever AEW Women’s World champion. She gets Toni’s spotlight and hits her pose as Mina Shirakawa hits the stage. Athena and Billie run off as Toni and Mina exchange kisses to end the segment.

This is the Athena we have all been waiting to see, and it looks like TK is finally letting her off the leash. This has all the makings for the best women’s match of the year, and that is saying something.

We toss to a video package of the never-ending saga between forever enemies, “Hangman” Adam Page and MJF, with a rundown of the card for Forbidden Door.

Our first match is up next is:

JetSpeed vs. Jon Moxley and Wheeler Yuta

JetSpeed starts with some crisp double teams on Yuta. Yuta rakes the eyes and tags in The Mox for the big hometown pop. Mox goes full Austin with a mudholestomping display. Knight gets worked over a bunch. SpeedBall makes his way in and hits an array of kicks, followed by a running moonsault for 2. Yuta eats a crane kick. Mox hits Bailey with a German suplex on the apron as we go to break. The Death Riders are in control as we come back. Bailey fights his way out and makes the hot tag. Kevin is a house of fire, as Gorilla would say.

Mox and Bailey square off in a Boo Yay forearm exchange. We evolve into chops, and Yuta and Knight start a stereo Boo Yay Party, much to the crowd’s delight. Moxley hits a cutter on Bailey for the near fall.

Knight gets a close call before Marina (I mean, if she is going to lean into the Chyna gimmick, we might as well, right?) pulls him out and roughs him up. Bailey grabs Shafir and throws her into the steps. Yuta sets up for the Busaiku knee and accidentally strikes Moxley with it. Shafir distracts the ref again. Moxley hits the paradigm shit to Bailey on the outside. Yuta, with the low blow to Knight, rolls him up and gets the pin.

Your Winners: The Death Riders

It’s hard to watch a team that could and should win cleanly have to resort to these tactics. It was good, not great. I care less each week. Hopefully, this all changes soon.

We get a hype graphic for the Technical Spectacle later tonight.

Back from break, and we get the latest music video from The Outrunners called “Brother Nature.”

Seriously, how do you not love these guys?

Our next match sees Ricochet take on a debuting and native Ohioan Ace Austin

Courtesy of AEW

Ace comes out to a very warm reception and starts the match off with a great display of his strength and athleticism until Ricochet cuts him off the top rope. Ricochet hits a 619 into a flying seated clothesline for the 2 as we go to break, Ace hits a disaster kick out of the corner as we come back. The Gates of Agony are out to distract once again as Rico hits Rico Combo #2 for a 1, 2, no. Ace cuts Ricochet off and sends him to the outside. Ace winds up and hits the Fosbury flop onto the pile as the crowd goes nuts. Rico counters by raking his eyes and pulling him by the hair to the ground. Ricochet runs to the corner, hits the Spirit Gun, and pins Ace for the 1,2,3.

Your winner: Ricochet

Ricochet is really morphing into a classic heel. Deliberate shortcuts, lackey interference. Definitely not the Ricochet of old. Almost like when Jericho stripped himself down to the basics. I’m down with it. After the match and not on the broadcast, Tony Khan comes out and announces that Ace Austin is All Elite! This is a fantastic pickup. Ace is such a strong talent and needs a strong direction after the tragic injury to his ABC tag team partner, Chris Bey.

Hurt Syndicate are in back and say that they don’t care who wins to face them because they will do what they always do, which is hurt people. Shelton says to Renee that it has been a pleasure as they walk out.

Tag team action up next between:

Courtesy of AEW

The Paragon vs. Blake Christian and Lee Johnson

As Christian and Johnson make their way to the ring, we see the Paragon in the back. Kyle is still trying to convince Roddy to relax and have fun like the Conglomeration. Roddy screams KYLE! (Fletcher, he means. )He says he will not stop until he gets him back for what he did and leaves. Kyle tells Hologram to relax because they are in Cincy and they are going to party.

Paragon dominates early, and the crowd is not into it at all. Johnson and Blake get some offense but get destroyed. Roddy is explosive with every single move he hits. Total Elimination. Done.

Your winners: The Paragon

The crowd came around at the end as the Paragon hit hard moves, but it is going to take a lot more of that for these fans to buy into this. Conglomeration comes out to celebrate, and Roddy drags Kyle away by the wrist.

We come back to FTR attacking Bandido backstage and stealing his mask. Brody catches them and fights them 2 on 1 back to the ring. Brody sets them both up for the rolling senton, only to have Stoke grab his ankle. Brody tries to grab him and gets powder in his face for his troubles. FTR hits him with the Shatter Machine and leaves him laying.

SkyFlight is in the back, and they challenge The Don Callis Family to any type of match they want. Single, Tag, or Trios. It doesn’t matter to them.

Ladies are up next in a…

Courtesy of AEW

4-Way Match for $100,000: Julia Hart vs Penelope Ford vs. Anna Jay vs. Kris Statlander

For what is supposed to be a four-way match, it sure plays like a tag match going into the commercial break. Sides finally break apart as Anna hits her corner leg lariats. Ford hits Julia with a crisp Poisonrana. The baddies miss stereo moonsaults. Anna hits Ford with a Gory Special. Ford falls with Jay to the outside as Kris cinches in the rings of Saturn and Hart for the submission victory.

Your Winner: Kris Statlander

All the ladies gave it their best, but this was clunky. Pacing and spacing were huge issues.

The other side of the Triangle of Madness comes out to beat down Statlander. Queen Aminata makes the save while Ford stops Anna from getting in the ring to help. We hear the music hit as Harley Cameron, cat mask and all, is out to make the save, and the baddies bail to the ramp as the crowd erupts.

We go back to hear from the Don Callis Family, consisting of Lance Archer, Hechicero, and the TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher. Kyle hypes his championship match at Forbidden Door against Hiromu Takahashi. The Family also accepts a trios match against SkyFlight next week in Glasgow, Scotland. Kyle says they owe all their success to Don Callis, and they hope they keep making him proud.

Rene is in the back with Kris Stalander, congratulating her on the $100,000 victory. Harley comes and jumps into her arms and says she has plenty of ideas on how they can spend that money. Harley leans back to see Moxley and Yuta walk into frame. Moxly says damn right to Stat, and Yuta goes for a fist bump as they walk out.

Are the Death Riders going to try and recruit Statlander? We shall see.

Singles action up next with:

Courtesy of AEW

Juice Robinson vs. Bryan Keith

The Bang Bang Card Gang is out to support, along with real-life Austin Gunn. Juice hits a series of armdrags and headlocks, finished off by a bicycle leg lariat. He rushes at Keith, but he dodges and drapes him over the top rope, sending him to the outside as we go to break.

Juice must have taken a bad fall on the way out because he is favoring his knee a lot as we come back. Juice hits a series of elbows as he hobbles for a near fall. Big Bill gets up on the apron to distract until Austin comes to the rescue. Bill sends him flying into the guard rail and runs into it himself after Gunn moves. Back in the ring, Juice hits a mean left cross to Keith’s jaw, followed by a faceplant DDT for the 1,2,3.

Your Winner: Juice Robinson

Nice to see Juice getting plenty of reps after being gone for so long. Praying that this knee injury isn’t severe. I don’t know if Austin can carry an entire cardboard faction on his own.

Renee is in the back with The Five Tool Player, Anthony Bowens. Anthony says he is tired of everyone talking about Max Caster and his stupid open challenge. He runs down all the places and events he has been in the last week and how Max is a loser and mocks his chant. He says he is tired of it and walks out.

I seriously don’t know how they did it, but Bowens is going to end up being the bad guy out of this. This is fantastic. Let’s enjoy this ride.

It is now time for the Technical Spectacle, with the winner going on to face Zack Sabre Jr. at Forbidden Door, and it is…

Courtesy of AEW

Daniel Garcia vs. Nigel McGuiness vs. Lee Moriarty vs. Hechicero.

Due to my undying fandom for Nigel McGuiness, I will not be trying to write play-by-play; rather, I will give my collective thoughts at the end.

(Editor’s Note: Here’s how it played out):

Was it technical? Yes.

Was it a spectacle? Far from it.

We got dozens of counters, dozens of submissions, but the crowd was flat for most of it. But in the end, as Garcia had Hechicero in the dragon tamer, Nigel wrenched back his London Dungeon on Moriarty for the tapout.

Your winner: Nigel McGuiness

The right person one here, as that London crowd is going to come absolutely unglued for this match.

Overall, this show was a definite cool-down from last week. The crowd just wasn’t into it as much as they needed to be. But don’t fear, next week is overseas and the crowds will be electric. Thank you so much for reading, and I will see you next week!

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