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AEW COLLISION REPORT
DECEMBER 10,2023
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA
ARENA: BELL CENTRE
AIRED LIVE ON TNT
BY BRIAN ZILEM, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, Kevin Kelly
[HOUR ONE]
-The show started with Soundbites featuring Ethan Page, Kenny Omega, Bryan Danielson, Andrade El Idolo, Claudio Castagnoli, and Eddie Kingston. Page said he’s not feeling a hundred percent, but he will give it his all tonight. Omega said your Page; you will try your best against me. Don’t disrespect me. Danielson said he and Andrade are both undefeated in the continental classic, which is something to give. Castagnoli said tonight, I have to deal with my least favorite things: amateurs and Eddie Kingston. Finally, Kingston can’t be bothered with a soundbite promo and says start the show.
-The Collision opening theme by Elton John aired. Then Tony Schiavone introduced the show. Kevin Kelly welcomed everyone to the show.
(1) EDDIE KINGSTON vs. CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI – Continental Classic Tournament match
Before the match started, the commentary team reviewed the Continental Classic Tournament rules. The commentary team also put over the importance of the winner of the tournament winning the triple crown.
Kingston entered the ring first and received a good reaction from the crowd. Kingston started the match like a bat out of hell, hitting Castagnoli with a spinning back fist and a dive to the outside. Castagnoli recovered and drilled Kingston with the neutralizer powerdriver for a near fall. Castagnoli’s strategy of quick offense continued as he connected with the giant swing and sharpshooter on Kingston. Castagnoli lined up Kingston in the ring corner and hit a dropkick. Both exchanged strikes in the middle of the ring before Castagnoli hit Kingston with a short-armed closeline. (C)
Castagnoli continued to pummel Kingston in the corner of the so badly the camera guy panned to a fan with an uncomfortable look on their face. Castagnoli climbed the top rope and hit a superlex onto Kingston for a near fall. Afterward, the show went to its first commercial break of the night. After the break, both men squared off in the middle of the ring. Castagnoli nailed Kingston with another short armed closeline and got a near fall. Kingston recovered and hit a flurry of exploder suplexs and got a near fall on Castagnoli. Kingston chopped Castagnoli in the corner, hit a short-armed closeline of his own, and got a near fall. Castagnoli went for a powerbomb European uppercut combo onto Kingston but only got a near fall. Castagnoli nailed Kingston with a standing. European uppercut but got another close near fall. (C)
In an electric exchange, Castagnoli and Kingston threw bombs at each other, which ended with Kingston hitting the Uraken for a near fall. In the closing moments, Kingston hit another Uraken onto Castagnoli. Kingston went for a powerbomb that was reserved by Castagnoli, only to be reserved by Kingston for the pin to secure the pinfall victory and three points into the tournament.
WINNER: Eddie Kingston in 18:00 Kingston is awarded three points in the Continental Classic Tournament.
(Brian’s Analysis: The hateful chemistry between Castagnoli and Kingston is unreal. This is a feud I could watch forever and never get tired of it. Although the ticket sales weren’t great for the show, the fans did a great job adding to the quality of this match.)
-After the match, the commentary team updated the standings in the Continental Classic Tournament.
-A backstage promo was shown with Jon Moxley to hype up his match with Swerve Strickland this coming Wednesday on AEW Dynamite. Moxley says it will be a long night, and Strickland needs to pack a lunch.
-After a commercial break, Renee Paquette was backstage with Hook. Wheeler Yuta chaallenged Hook to an FTW Rules match.
(2) WILLOW NIGHTINGALE vs. MERCEDES MARTINEZ (w/Diamante)
Before the match started, the commentary team reviewed how Nightingale had struggled against Martinez. The match started and was stiff throughout. Several hard-hitting shots were exchanged from both women. Martinez battered Nightingale on the outside of the ring. After throwing Nightingale against the barricade, Martinez nailed Nightingale with a great-looking draping DDT as the show went to a commercial break. (C)
After the break, Martinez went for the three amigos, but Nightingale revered the move with a suplex. Nightingale hit a facebuster and got a near fall on Martinez. Nightingale nailed a missile dropkick and cannonball onto Martinez, but Martinez broke up the pin attempt by going out of bounds. Diamante distracted Nightingale, and Martinez was able to land a fishermen’s bomb to get a close near fall. In the match’s closing moments, after landing suplexs onto Nightingale, Martinez nailed a razor edge onto Nightingale. Still, Nightingale lured Martinez in, and Nightingale was able to roll up Martinez to secure the pinfall victory.
WINNER: Willow Nightingale in 9:00
(Brian’s Analysis: A Mean Girl stiff match. Everything was tight and snug—great fundamentals from both women in this match. 2023 has been an excellent year for Willow, and I hope 2024 is even better.)
-After the match, Martinez, and Diamante jumped Nightingale after the bell, but Kris Statlander came down to make the save with a steel chain in hand.
(Brian’s Analysis: I imagine the post-match sets up the annual women’s street fight. With Worlds End in, Long Island AEW has a chance to do something bold with the women’s division on a PPV. Statlander is from Long Island, and Nightingale was born an hour away from Long Island. I’m challenging Tony to feature a women’s match on a PPV, not built around a title.)
-The show went backstage to Renee Paquette with Angelo Parker & Matt Menard. Parker and Menard were excited to be in their hometown; the outcasts interrupted the interview.
-A backstage promo with Swerve Strickland was shown after a commercial break. Strickland said he’s hungry and he’s feasting.
(3) WARDLOW vs. WILLIE MACK
Before the match started, the fans were very into Wardlow. Mack tried to take down Wardlow but failed. Wardlow hit a great locking dropkick onto Mack. Mack tried a head scissors takedown, but Wardlow blocked it and turned the move into a powerbomb. After another powerbomb, the official would stop the match.
WINNER: Wardlow in 3:00 viva official stoppage.
(Brian’s Analysis: Good showing from Wardlow, but I’m curious about the end game with him moving forward.)
-A promo was shown highlighting the ongoing feud with FTR and House of Black
-The commentary team recapped why Chris Jericho has been out of action the past weeks after getting jumped backstage at Full Gear.
(4) KENNY OMEGA vs. ETHAN PAGE
The commentary team put over how great of a shape Page is currently in. Page was selling his right arm after getting put through a table on the most recent episode of Ring of Honor. Omega was setting up for the terminator dive, but Page countered by jumping through the middle rope and hitting a diving RKO. Both men brawled outside, and then Omega did a moonsault from the barricade onto Page. Omega went for a suplex, but both men crashed and burned over the ropes and landed on the outside. [c]
[HOUR TWO]
After a commercial break, the action continued with Page hitting Omega with a shoulder break from the apron. Page went for another cutter through the ropes, but Omega countered that with a V-trigger. Omega followed up with a powerbomb and another V-trigger onto Page to get a near fall. Page was railled to nail a great-looking DDT onto Omega for a near fall. Both brawled to the top rope, and Page won the battle and hit Omega with an avalanche slam for a near fall. In the match’s closing moments, Omega hit Page with two more V-triggers and the one-winged angel to secure the pinfall victory.
WINNER: Kenny Omega in 12:30
(Brian’s Analysis: Good showing from both men. Page, in a huge test, held his own against Omega. )
-After the match, Big Bill jumped Omega from the ramp.
-The show went backstage to Lexy Nair speaking with C.J. Perry.
Perry put over her client, Andrade El Idolo. Miro then interrupted the interview and assured Perry that he wouldn’t touch Andrade until the tournament ended.
-After a commercial break, a vignette was shown with Julia Hart and Abadon.
(5) KOMANDER & PENTA EL ZERO MIEDO w/Alex Abrahantes) vs. ANGELO PARKER & MATT MENARD
Parker and Menard got one of the loudest reactions of the night from the fans in Montreal. After the ball rang, Penta and Menard stopped mid-match so the fans could cheer Daddy Magic. Penta showed off his athleticism early against Menard. Penta and Komander double-teamed Parker and Menard in the corner, hitting a monkey flip onto both men. (C)
After a commercial break, Komander got the hot tag to Penta, and Penta ran wild in the match. Parker and Penta got in the ring, and the fans cheered. This is awesome. Menard and Parker got a great-looking near fall onto Komander after hitting Komander with a double-team code breaker. In the match’s closing moments, Penta and Komander hit zero fear to secure the pinfall victory.
WINNERS: Komander and Oenta El Zero Miedo in 10:00
(Brian’s Analysis: This was really fun for something that was meant to be nothing more than a house match. It’s impressive that 2.0 of all teams potentially got bigger reactions in Montreal than Omega, Copeland, and Cage.)
-A hype video was shown promoting Keith Lee vs Shane Taylor at ROH Final Battle.
-The commentary team ran down the upcoming card this Wednesday for AEW Dynamite
A recap video was shown highlighting the Gold League for the Continental Classic.
(6) ANDRADE EL IDOLO vs. BRYAN DANIELSON – Continental Classic Tournament match
Before the match started, the commentary team sent their best wishes to Jim Ross. After the bell rang to show respect, both men shook hands. The match started with the basics. Both men exchanged headlocks and shoulder blocks. Danielson sold his vision as he began to bleed near his right eye. Andrade went for the double knees in the corner, but Danielson avoided the move and hit a dive onto Andrade to the outside as the show went to a commercial break. (C)
After the break, both men exchanged chops to the chest in the middle of the ring. The commentary team mentioned Andrade removed the protective mask from Danielson and threw it into the stands. Danielson went for a five onto Andrade, but Andrade countered to hit Danielson in his injured right eye. Andrade got Danielson to the top rope, and the camera crew panned to Danielson and his swollen eye. Danielson railed and somehow did a one-eyed missile drop kick. Danielson went to lock in the Lebell Lock, but Andrade countered out of it, and both men did a double closeline onto one another. (C)
Andrade recovered and hit three amigos onto Danielson and got a near fall. Danielson recovered and hit an avalanche suplex onto Andrade. Danielson took a spinning back first from Andrade and only got a near fall. In the closing moments of the back, Andrade pummeled Danielson with forearms and knees toward his injured eye in the corner. After Danielson is dazed, Andrade finishes the match with the hammerlock DDT to secure the pinfall victory and three points into the tournament.
WINNER: Andrade el Idolo in 18:00 and is awarded three points in the Continental Classic Tournament.
(Brian’s Analysis: Bryan Danielson has wrestled three Continental Classic Tournament matches, and each of the main events has been fantastic. This match was worlds apart from these two men’s match in October. Danielson’s ability at selling mixed in with Andrade’s hard-hitting style blended wonderfully.)
Post-match: The doctors, Andrade, and the BCC checked on Danielson. The commentary team ran down the updated standings in the tournament.
FINAL THOUGHTS: The only negative thing about the show is you would have loved an extra 2-3,000 worth of fans in the building, but other than that, this was another great episode. AEW Collision was already the fastest two of wrestling to consume during the week, but adding the Continental Classic Tournament has made the show fly by even faster.
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT POWRESTLING.NET: AEW Collision results (12/9): Powell’s live review of Bryan Danielson vs. Andrade El Idolo and Eddie Kingston vs. Claudio Castagnoli in Continental Classic tournament matches, Kenny Omega vs. Ethan Page
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