AEW Collision - May 11, 2024
by Doc Allen
Live from Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia. WrestleTix estimates attendance at 6,394. Nigel McGuinness and Tony Schiavone are on commentary.
The Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli) vs. Top Flight (Dante and Darius Martin, with Action Andretti)
Fans are pumped for this at the bell. Darius is able to keep up with Danielson during the opening grappling sequence. Top Flight double team Bryan. Claudio tags, Dante meets him with a clunky head scissors takedown. Top Flight work together to reverse Claudio's suplex attempt. Claudio slams Darius onto the ropes and feeds him to Bryan's Romero special. Back from commercials, fans are chanting “YES” along with Danielson's stiff kicks. Darius fights back with knife edge chops, so Danielson pummels him into the corner. Darius hits a clunky Pele kick. Dante and Claudio tag in for a slugfest. Claudio misses the running uppercut and Dante scores a springboard crossbody for 2. Dante hits a soaring frog splash for another nearfall. Claudio answers with the Giant Swing and Sharpshooter. Darius breaks the submission with a low Flatliner. Top Flight block the BCC's comeback attempt with a tope suicida a double springboard moonsault. Top Flight lose their composure and Danielson strikes with a Bu Sai Ku knee. Claudio flips Dante with an uppercut and pins him at 13:49. The BCC set out to redefine Top Flight as their peers and have an ambition spotfest. Top Flight seemed just a tad off their game, perhaps from stage fright, and nearly botched (or did botch) numerous key spots. They still managed to get the crowd going and have a good match, ***.Winners: The Blackpool Combat Club
Bryan Danielson grabs the mic and puts over Top Flight and AEW. He turns his attention to the Young Bucks. They helped start AEW, but they don't represent the company anymore. They put down Tony Khan, who had been present at every AEW event until now. Bryan is willing to do anything to protect AEW from the Young Bucks, and he'll get his chance to do so in the Anarchy in the Arena match at Double or Nothing. Good pep rally promo by the Dragon.
Will Ospreay vs. Lee Moriarty (with Shane Taylor)
The arena crowd gives Ospreay a superstar ovation. The Undisputed Kingdom join commentary just to mess with Ospreay. They trade holds, Lee high fives Ospreay while working a wristlock. Ospreay doesn't care for that one bit and turns up his aggression. Moriarty holds his ground and snaps the arm. Ospreay removes Moriarty with a rana and showboats on his way to hitting a slingshot plancha. Back from commercials, Moriarty snaps Will's neck with his boots. Ospreay desperately hits a back handspring boot to the head and makes a fiery comeback. Moriarty won't go down easy, snaps the fingers, and nails a Falcon Arrow. They trade potential KO blows, Ospreay hits a stuffed superkick and Torture Rack powerbomb for only 2! Taylor hops onto the apron and Will superkicks him off. Moriarty blocks the Oscutter and applies the Border City Stretch! Ospreay escapes and stares at Roderick Strong while finishing with Storm Breaker at 10:23! Ospreay gave Lee a generous amount of offense and nearfalls before this was over. The crowd was red-hot and Moriarty is a guy worth investing in. Good things all around, ***½.Winner: Will Ospreay
Shane Taylor ambushes Ospreay and leaves him down and out for The Undisputed Kingdom's posedown.
Footage of Mercedes Mone throwing the first pitch at a Boston Red Sox game.
Brian Cage and The Gates of Agony (Kaun Bishop and Toa Liona) vs. Evan Rivers and the Voros Twins
Cage goes right to work destroying Rivers with power moves. The GoA interfere to keep the Voros Twins at bay. They fling Rivers into Cage's sitout powerbomb and it's over at 1:07. Short and sweet squash match.Winners: Brian Cage and The Gates of Agony
Tony Shiavone wants to know why Cage and the Gates would dare attack their former leader, Swerve Strickland. Cage explains that Swerve is selfish and a poor leader, unlike the Young Bucks. Swerve's music hits, Cage prepares for him, but the champ ambushes the Gates of Agony with a chain from behind. Strickland blocks a Drill Claw and hits Cage with a German suplex and House Call. Swerve punishes the Gates of Agony with Swerve Stomps and chokes Bishop with the chain. Liona interferes, but Swerve cracks him with a cinder block. Cage considers saving his friend but instead watches Swerve smash Liona's head against the steps with a chair.
AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland talks to the camera backstage. He's sick of the narrative that he's gone soft since winning the title, so he challenges Cage to a match on Dynamite.
Daniel Garcia vs. KM
The jobber has a size advantage and pummels Garcia into the corner. KM mocks Garcia's dancing routine, which you should never do, Garcia makes a quick comeback. The Dragon Sleeper ends it at 2:11. This showcased Garcia's fierceness and quirkiness, mission accomplished.Winner: Daniel Garcia
Dax Harwood (with Cash Wheeler) vs. Tommy Billington
Tommy is the Dynamite Kid's nephew, this is his North American debut. I think it's a missed opportunity that they're debuting him here and not on Dynamite. They start with some friendly grappling. They lock knuckles and trade vicious headbutts. Tommy hits a monkey flip, but Dax reverses into a hammerlock. Tommy breaks free for a series of running attacks, and tackles Dax to ringside. Dax regroups and drops Billington with a back elbow. They take a tumble outside to send us to commercials. They return with Tommy hitting a flying shoulder block to ringside. Snap suplex by Billington, then a flying elbow. Delayed cover gets 2. Tommy thinks about a diving headbutt (don't do it!) but Dax interrupts with a superplex. Fans chant “this is awesome!” Dax delivers rolling Germans, but Billington switches it up. Dax breaks free and nails a brutal Dragon suplex. Tommy teases an upset with rapid pinning predicaments, but Dax reverses into a slingshot powerbomb to win at 12:58! Dynamite Jr. has a bright future ahead of him (if he can avoid his uncle's mistakes) and put in a great showing against a generous Harwood, ***½.Winner: Dax Harwood
Tommy bumps knuckles with FTR. Everything is cool.
The New Elite talk to the camera. Kazuchika Okada simply challenges Dax Harwood to a match and storms away. Jack Perry is fired up and can't wait for Anarchy in the Arena, because he'll leave everyone dead. The Young Bucks take their turn, but pause to berate Christopher Daniels for walking by. Daniels stands up for himself and tells Matt off for treating him like a lackey. Looks like they're going to fight later.
Christopher Daniels talks to the camera. He's got a lot of history with the Young Bucks, but he's not happy with what they're currently doing to AEW. He won't cower from them and chooses Matt Sydal as his partner to face the Bucks on Dynamite.
Dax Harwood talks to the camera. He's been wrestling for 20 years and nothing has been as dangerous as Anarchy in the Arena. He's no young boy and plans on teaching Okada a lesson on Dynamite.
Thunder Rosa vs. Robyn Renegade
Robyn gets a televised entrance, so she ranks above jobber status. Rosa still seems to toy with her a bit. Robyn gets serious with stiff strikes. Rosa misses a sliding crossblock, Robyn pump kicks her into the rails. Back from commercials, Robyn delivers a step up double stomp to the head. Rosa makes a comeback with running lariats. Shotgun dropkick to the face by Rosa gets 2. Robyn hits a slam, but Rosa runs away from the cover. Robyn misses a moonsault, Rosa capitalizes with a double stomp the spine. The Cobra Clutch ends Robyn at 7:37. Standard match with the women stuck in the death slot, **.Winner: Thunder Rosa
Lexi Nair chats with Johnny Dynamite and Taya Valkyrie backstage. This town is full of "Van-losers" but they're here because AEW has the best wrestlers. Johnny has some winning to do and makes out with Taya. I forgot these two were around.
Hook hangs out on the street and complains about Chris Jericho. Him and the rest of the IWC, amirite?
TNT Championship:
Adam Copeland © vs. Kyle O'Reilly
The fans love Copeland, but Kyle is the hometown hero. Fans chant "this is awesome" during the feeling out sequence. Fans chant for Kyle while he trades headlocks with Copeland. Kyle reverses a suplex into a side headlock takedown. Kyle switches to attacking the ribs. Copeland comes back by attacking the ribs and spine. Back from commercials, Copeland blocks a superplex, but Kyle reverses his flying elbow into an armbar. Copeland escapes and grabs a Crossface. Kyle survives and nails a double knee gutbuster and lariat. Fans chant “AEW” while they catch their breaths. Kyle unleashes knee strikes, sweeps the legs, hits running elbows, and a belly to back suplex into a kneebar. Dramatic rope break by Copeland saves the championship. Kyle repeatedly sweeps Adam's down and nails a wristlock takedown on the ring frame. Flying knee drop on the spine, then a Fujiwar armbar by Kyle! Copeland escapes with Christian's patented powerbomb. The crowd gets hot for a potential upset as they exchange tight submission holds. Copeland delivers a mean gutbuster, they take another breather. Kyle hits an avalanche shoulder lock takedown, but Copeland targets his injured midsection yet again. Kyle sells the injury like death but REVERSES THE SPEAR INTO A DRAGON SLEEPER! Copeland powers to his feet, punches the liver, and nails an implant DDT! Fans chant “AEW!” Copeland finally nails the spear and wins at 19:37! This got progressively more awesome the longer it went. Great chess game match, Kyle was a convincing underdog, but fell short to Copeland's cerebral offense. ****.Winner and still TNT Champion: Adam Copeland
Rampage begins with Copeland paying his respects to O'Reilly while the fans give them a standing ovation. But then Adam refuses to let go of Kyle's hand, leading to some friction. I'm not staying up for Rampage, but I appreciate the seamless transition.
Final Thoughts: Good night for Collision, with a large, hot crowd that is missing most weeks. Great main event, some good matches, and a couple of productive squashes makes for a good evening. I'm glad they gave Swerve Strickland a chance to really bust loose and highlight his vicious side again. His title reign is just beginning, but there's already a negative narrative surrounding it brewing online, and these things actually make a difference to AEW due to the nature of their fanbase. Anyways, good episode, I'm glad I caught it.
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