AEW Collison - July 15, 2023
by Doc Allen
Live from ScotiaBank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta. WrestleTix estimates attendance at 5,374. Our hosts are Ian Riccaboni and Nigel McGuinness.
AEW Tag Team Championship (2 / 3 Falls):
FTR © (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) vs. Bullet Club Gold (Jay White and Juice Robinson)
They have 60 minutes to play with, and they seem intent on using it all by starting slow with taunts and cautious grapples. FTR gain the upper hand so we get commercials at 5:00. They return with Dax gleefully stretching Jay’s abdomen while taunting Juice and grabbing the ropes for the hell of it. Jay absorbs a tandem leg drop but then dropkicks Wheeler’s knee to force a tag. Juice jabs away at Cash and finds time to make faces at Dax. Cash counters with a vicious waistlock takedown and press slam into the ropes. Dax tags and wins a chopfest against Juice and slows things down with headlocks. Juice drives Dax into the buckles and tags in White to dish out punishment. Flatliner and German suplex by Jay. Dax comes back with chops and delivers a lariat. White’s sneaky inside cradle gets 2. Blind tag by Cash, but Juice disrupts the Big Rig. Juice’s ambush helps White pin Cash at 19:03! Back from commercials, Dax tries to fight out of Bullet Club’s corner but continues to get stuck. Dax makes a decidedly not-hot tag and Cash picks White apart with pummeling offense. White answers with a back suplex, putting Bullet Club back in control. Juice gives Cash a DDT at ringside and tries to win via count-out. The strategy backfires, by the time Cash returns to the ring, he’s able to kick out of pin attempts. Cash fights for his life and manages a hot tag to an angry Dax. Springboard crossbody by Harwood gets 2, so he hits rolling Germans, stops to give an interfering White a backdrop, and slams Juice for an INCREDIBLE nearfall. Fans chant “This is awesome!” Bullet Club restore order with buckle suplexes and cannonballs on poor Dax. White knocks Dax to ringside, and prepares a spike piledriver for Cash, but Dax returns for a tandem dropkick/lariat sequence but JAY KICKS OUT AGAIN! The 2 / 3 falls stip is helping these false finishes connect with the audience. FTR hit Jay with a powerbomb/neckbreaker combo, and JAY KICKS OUT AGAIN! Dax superplexes White into position for Cash’s frog splash, but White blocks with his knees! Juice soars in with his own frog splash, and Jay’s cover gets a THIRD DEGREE BURN NEARFALL! Fans chant “AEW!” FTR recover with the Big Rig and finally pin Robinson at 39:45. Back from more commercials, Cash lariats Juice into a chair, Jay backdrops Dax on the apron. Dax tries a powerbomb, but White reverses into a head scissors over the rails. They both stay down for a while and get checked by medics. They are able to continue and Dax nails an angry vertical suplex onto concrete. FTR then hoist White for a double team brainbuster, and give Robinson one too for good measure. Both teams stumble back to the ring for one more showdown and bar fight. Juice and Cash suplex themselves out as they cut to commercials. They return with Jay tuning up the band and then swerving with a Sharpshooter. Dax gets a dramatic rope break. Dax withstands Juice’s ambush and gives White a back superplex! Juice attacks Cash to prevent a hot tag and sends him into the steps. White hits a desperation suplex for 2. Dax blocks Bladerunner and applies a much more respectful Sharpshooter. Cash stops Robinson with a Sharpshooter as well, and the Bullet Club guys grab each other’s hands to break free. Juice pulls down his kneepad, but Dax puts him back into a Sharpshooter. Juice taps at 57:57! Virtually flawless match that provided a satisfying longform story, played with our expectations by not treating the first two falls like jokes, and made a very traditional formula feel modern. This is FTR’s masterpiece so far in AEW, and it seems that Collision is allowing them to unlock their full potential, *****.Winners and still AEW Tag Team Champions: FTR
FTR offer up handshakes, but Bullet Club Gold are too cool for school, and White only offers some spit.
Hype video for Blood and Guts in Boston.
Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Finals:
Ruby Soho vs. Willow Nightingale
Okay, ladies, no pressure or anything, but anything less than five stars is a total disappointment here. Sorry, I don’t make the rules. Ruby is totally mean and hurts poor Willow with clubbing blows. Willow returns fire with a shoulder block and takes time to flex and taunt. Ruby stomps the foot, but Willow hits rolling snap suplexes. Ruby survives and traps Willow in the ropes for easy knee lifts to the face. Back from commercials, Willow makes a lovable comeback. Stampede Slam by Willow gets a quiet 2 count. Ruby counters into a Victory Roll for 2. Spinebuster by Willow, followed by a half crab. Ruby gets the ropes and fetches some spray paint. Ruby passes the paint to Willow, the ref falls for it, and Ruby hits No Future for 2. Ruby tries and fails to spray Willow in the eyes, and Willow hits a Pounce and sitout powerbomb to win at 9:10. Just an average TV match with some tired heel tricks by Ruby, **.Winner: Willow Nightingale
Confetti falls and Willow jubilantly gets her trophy from Tony Khan in a cowboy hat.
Tony Shiavone would like a word with Powerhouse Hobbs, but QT Marshall and Harley Cameron blow past him to try and talk some sense into the big man. QT claims that his word is his bond and Powerhouse plans to hold him to that.
The Kings of the Black Throne (Malakai Black and Brody King, with Julia Hart) vs. Some Dorks
King quickly takes down the blue haired dork and allows a tag to the black haired dork. Black nonchalantly tags in and kicks the jobbers leg out from under his leg. Kneebar by Black, King helps with a back senton. The jobber runs away into a tag, but King is ready to splash the blue guy. Black hits a bridged suplex, but the jobbers break the pin. King hates that so much and kills the dark haired guy. Malakai is momentarily distracted by Andrade El Idolo on the stage, but finishes with Black Mass at 2:55. Speaking of Andrade, Julia has his mask and seems to enjoy fondling it. Productive squash match.Winners: Kings of the Black Throne
Officials stop Andrade from retrieving his property, I guess he’ll have to wait.
Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Finals:
Ricky Starks vs. CM Punk
They aggressively trade wrist locks until Starks takes Punk off his feet. Punk is wearing pink variants of his old basketball shorts gears. Punk works a side headlock to dueling chants. Starks tries a headlock, Punk reverses with a head scissors. They keep trading holds until Starks nails a shoulder tackle and mockingly teases GTS. They block hip tosses until Punk throws Starks to ringside. Punk holds the ropes for Starks to get back in and we’re off to commercials. They return with Starks walking the ropes for a sledgehammer to the shoulder, he then throws Punk out and holds the ropes to welcome him back. Punk returns on his own terms and aggressively backs Starks into the buckles for stiff chops and kicks. Flying Hitman elbow drop by Punk, but the fans don’t like it. Russian leg sweep by Punk gets 2. Starks fights out of a chinlock but runs into a leg lariat. Punk takes too long climbing up and Starks takes him down to send us to more commercials. They return with fans booing Punk while he wears down Starks. Tornado DDT by Starks gets 2. Punk casually sits up to avoid Starks’ flying elbow, and nails a lariat for 2. They both go for crossbodies and collide in mid-air. Starks wins a brawl on his knees, but Punk reverses into a piledriver! Punk’s late cover gets 2. Starks blocks GTS and nails a spear! Punk rolls outside, forcing Starks to haul him back for a second spear. Punk reverses into a choke, but Starks gets a life saving rope break. Avalanche rana by Punk, but Starks rolls through, grabs the ropes for leverage, and pins Punk at 19:36! Whoo boy, Punk should have something to say about that. Slightly above average TV main event that really heated up when Starks teased and then ultimately provided the upset, ***½.Winner: Ricky Starks
Final Thoughts: A five star match followed by a very good main event makes an easy recommendation. Collision continues to provide a different flavor than Dynamite and is a welcome addition to my weekends.
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