SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
AEW COLLISION REPORT
AUGUST 26, 2023
DULUTH, GA. AT GAS SOUTH ARENA
FYTER FEST 2023
AIRED LIVE ON TNT
BY BRIAN ZILEM, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Caprice Coleman
Ring Announcer: Dasha Gonzalez
[HOUR ONE]
The show opened with Jack Perry coming out with the FTW title.
Jack Perry said when people look up the history book of the FTW title, they will see his picture. Jack then showed a montage on the main screen of him with the FTW title. Jack had a sledgehammer and planned on destroying the FTW title until the lights went out.
Hook returned and put Jack through a table. Hook then challenged Jack to match at All-In.
-A highlight package was shown hyping up Adam Cole vs. MJF.
(1) EDDIE KINGSTON & ORANGE CASSIDY & PENTA EL ZERO MIEDO (w/Alex Abrahantes) vs KIP SABIAN & THE BUTCHER & THE BLADE (w/Penelope Ford)
The match started with Penta and Kip in the ring. The fans were very into Penta. A brawl broke out, with the six men fighting inside and outside the ring. Kip and Orange exchanged roll-up attempts for near falls. The Blade hit a spinning neckbreaker onto Orange, which led to the show’s first commercial break of the night.
After the break, the Blade got a jackknife cover on Orange for a near fall. Penta got the hot tag from Orange and ran wild in the match. Penta then tagged in Eddie and faced off against the Butcher in the ring. The bigger men on each team had a fun NJPW faceoff. Orange, Penta, and Eddie tripled team Kip. Orange and Penta hit an orange punch into a made-in-Japan by Penta, followed by a sliding lariat by Eddie to secure the pinfall victory for his team.
WINNERS: Eddie Kingston, Orange Cassidy & Penta El Zero Miedo in 9:39
(Brian’s Analysis: A fun showhouse match with little substance.)
-After the match, Best Friends cut a promo on the BCC. Trent said his five-person team would hurt the BCC and get payback for Sue. Jon Moxley then appeared on the big screen. Moxley said Eddie asked for all of this. Eddie went to chase down the BCC after the promo. After he’s backstage, Eddie cuts a promo telling Moxley to get out of his way. Eddie said he’s coming to burn Claudio Castagnoli at All-In. Afterward, Eddie kissed the camera and walked away.
-A video package of the Young Bucks and FTR was shown.
(2) ALEX REYNOLDS & JOHN SILVER vs. ACTION ANDRETTI & DARIUS MARTIN
Andretti and Martin used their speed and agility and took the early advantage over Reynolds and Silver. After Martin was knocked out of the ring, Reynolds and Silver hit Andretti with a double dropkick. The show went to a commercial break after Reynolds and Silver gained the edge in the match.
After the break, Andretti finally got the tag to Martin, and he ran wild in the match. Andretti hit a 450 splash for a near-fall pinfall. Reynolds and Silver hit their double jackknife combo onto Martin to secure the pinfall victory.
WINNERS: Alex Reynolds & John Silver in 8:36
(Brian’s Analysis: The Reynolds Silver combo is a functional tag team within the tag division. I won’t be surprised if Reynolds and Silver have an ROH tag title run at some point next year.)
-A backstage promo was shown from AEW Dynamite this past Wednesday, with Lexy Nair interviewing Darby Allin and Nick Wayne. A.R. Fox approached Nick and Darby to apologize for his actions the past few weeks. Fox opened up about his past and mentioned he always has lost his father. Fox offered a handshake to Nick, but Nick walked away in disgust. Darby then said he knew Fox was sorry for what he’d done in the past.
-An Acclaimed rap video was shown.
-A video package highlighting the women’s four-match for All-In was shown.
(3) BIG BILL (w/Ricky Starks) vs. VARY MORALES
Bill threw Morales around by the hair and hit a big choke slam for a quick victory.
WINNER: Big Bill in 1:39
(Brian’s Analysis: The Collision squash matches are becoming redundant now. However, if you must have a squash match, be sure to have a bigger opponent wrestle, someone who weighs 160 pounds soaking wet. Bill throwing Vary around like a ragdoll was entertaining.)
-After the match, Ricky Starks grabbed a microphone and whipped Morales. Ricky said the belt he had will due for now, but he’ll have a bigger strap waiting next Saturday.
Lexy Nair was backstage Ruby Soho. Lexi asked Ruby about her recent encounter with Kris Statlander at AEW Rampage. Ruby then challenged Statlande to a match at All-Out for the TBS title.
[HOUR TWO]
(4) WILLOW NIGHTINGALE vs. ROBYN RENEGADE (w/Charlette Renegade)
Before the match started, Caprice Coleman rapped Williow to the ring.
Willow hit Robyn with a fishermen’s suplex for a near fall early in the match. Robyn tripped Willow on the apron to take the momentum in the match, which led to a commercial break.
After the break, Willow hit a clothesline, followed by a big boot onto Robyn for a near-fall pinfall. Robyn railed by hitting a nice-looking missile dropkick for a near-fall pinfall onto Willow. After hitting both Robyn and Charlette with a double suplex on the outside, Willow hit the doctor bomb powerbomb for the pinfall victory.
WINNER: Willow Nightingale in 8:35
(Brian’s Analysis: Robyn looked rough around the edges in this match. What else can be said about Willow? She’s excellent, and I hope AEW has big plans for her soon.)
-A video package was shown with AEW stars in London promoting All-In.
-A video package was shown hyping Miro vs. Powerhouse Hobbs for the All-Out PPV.
-Lexy was backstage with Kris Statlander. Lexy asked about the interaction between her and Ruby recently. Statlander said she’s sick of the outcasts, and if Ruby acts like a child, she will be treated like one. Statlander then accepted Ruby’s challenge for a TBS title match for All-Out.
(5) KEITH LEE vs. ZICKY DICE
After the bell rang, the fans began to sing “bask in his glory.”
Lee hit a pounce followed by a spirit bomb onto Dice for the quick pinfall victory.
WINNER Keith Lee in 1:36
-A vignette was shown with LFI member Preston Vance and Drillisaco kidnapped. Drillisaco was shown with his mask torn and bleeding. The entire vignette looked like something from a 90’s action movie. After Preston Vance and Drillisaco escape from their kidnappers, Jose, the assistant, then comes out clapping with a to-be continued shown on the graphic.
-Samoa Joe came out for a promo before the main event. Joe said he’s not allowed to interfere in the main event; otherwise, the match against C.M. Punk at All-In would be taken away from him. Joe mentioned he would be joining the commentary team to call C.M Punk’s match
-Kevin Kelly ran down the card for the All-In PPV.
(6) CM PUNK & DARBY ALLIN & HOOK & STING vs. MOGUL EMBASSY (BRIAN CAGE & SWERVE STRICKLAND) & JAY WHITE & LUCHASAURUS (w/Christian Cage & Prince Nana)
Before the match started, Hook was confirmed as the mystery partner.
Punk and Swerve started the match with a basic lockup. After a head scissor takedown, Swerve mocked Punk with Punk’s own hand gestures. Swerve tagged White into the match, which led to White and Punk to face off in the middle of the ring before interacting. Punk gestured to tag Sting into the match, but White slipped away to tag in Luchasaurus. Darby tagged Sting in the match, and the duo ran wild onto Luchasaurus with corner Stinger splashes before Punk was tagged back into the match. Christian Cage distracted Punk while he was on the ring apron, and Luchasaurus took advantage as the match went to a commercial break.
After the commercial break, White took out Punk by the knee as the heel team continued to wear down Punk. After being in the match for close to seven minutes, Punk finally tagged Hook into the match. Hook hit a nice-looking suplex onto Swerve before being knocked outside the ring. After Brian Cage was tagged in, the match went to its final commercial break.
After the break, Brian Cage curled Hook and threw him into the air for a slam. Hook railed with a suplex onto Brian Cage and tagged in Punk. After Punk climbed to the top rope and hit White with an elbow drop to the chest. Afterward, the match broke down with each man hitting big moves. Punk would hit a GTS onto Brian Cage, followed by a coquina clutch to secure the submission victory for his team.
WINNERS: Punk & Darby & Hook & Sting in at 21:10.
(Brian’s Analysis: This match was the highlight of the show. Although this most likely appeared just like a fun house show match, I got much more out of this than I expected—the different combinations of paired wrestlers I want to see now after this main event. I need to see Jay White and Darby Allin in a match against each other. I must also see Swerve Strickland and C.M. Punk in a one-on-one match.)
After the match, a huge brawl broke out. Joe ran into the ran to attack Punk. Jack Perry returned to attack Hook. Sting and Darby attacked Brian Cage and Sweerve with chairs and Kendo Stick.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I’ve enjoyed the launch of Collision since its debut, but this was the weakest show to date. With college football returning officially next Saturday, there has to be a different approach to these go-home shows for the ratings to not go down the drain. If AEW isn’t going to make the go-home shows on Saturday mater, it wouldn’t be a horrible idea to turn Collision into the pre-show before the PPV to get people turned in for the Sunday PPV. There’s an opportunity to have Saturday as the final faceoff for opponents where you could do more of a Jim Ross sitdown or a Renee Paquette sitdown to hype up a match.
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