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KELLER’S AEW COLLISION REPORT
JANUARY 13, 2024
NORFOLK, VA. AT CHARTWAY ARENA
AIRED ON TNT
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness
Ring Announcers: Dasha Fuentes
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[HOUR ONE]
-The opening theme played to Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting.”
-Tony Schiavone introduced the show as pyro blasted The camera panned the enthusiastic crowd.
-Adam Copeland made his entrance. They zoomed in on a women who looked ready to faint as she filmed him with her phone. Copeland said it’s good to be there. Lee Moriarty answered the challenge.
(1) ADAM COPELAND vs. LEE MORIARTY (w/Shane Taylor) – Open Challenge
Shane Taylor yelled on the mic as Moriarty made his way to the ring. He said they’re earning respect at Copeland’s expense. A video aired on Moriarty highlights. Moriarty, whose left shoulder area was heavily taped, said he’s “the prize fighter of Shane Taylor Promotions.” He said he’d make Copeland tapout. Copeland made fun of “Tiger style” and said he better be able to back up the check he’s writing or else he’ll beat the hell out of him. The bell rang 6 minutes into the hour. Kevin Kelly said regarding Taylor’s hype before the match: “That is getting a fighter over before the bell rings.”
Nigel and Schiavone talked up Moriarty early in the match including noting specific impressive showings against Bryan Danielson and Jon Moxley. They cut to an early double-box break. [c/db]
During the break, they showed graphics hyping Battle of the Belts which follows Collision immediately on TNT. Back from the break at 5:00, Kelly noted that Taylor assisted Moriarty during the break. Copeland climbed to the top rope, but Moriarty leaped up and then armdragged him to the mat. Moriarty clutched his injured shoulder area and then crawled over for a two count. He shifted into a Border City Stretch mid-ring. Copeland crawled toward and then lunged to the bottom rope to force a break.
Taylor distracted Copeland as he set up a spear, and then Taylor charged and kicked the side of his hface. Copeland avoided a slingshot leap by Moriarty and then speared Taylor at ringside. Moriarty dove through the ropes and tackled Copeland at ringside. Back in the ring, Copeland went for a submission, but Moriarty applied a Border City Stretch again. Copeland escaped and pounded away at Moriarty. Copeland then applied his Grindhouse finisher. Kelly said Copeland still wants Christian Cage, but it’s miles to go before he gets there.
WINNER: Copeland in 11:00.
-Copeland said in case Christian Cage has forgotten, “I’m still coming for your scrawny ass.” He threw the mic down.
-The announcers commented on a clip of last week’s angle with House of Black attacking FTR with Daniel Garcia making the save.
-Lexy Nair interviewed FTR and Garcia backstage. Cash said tonight is about revenge “and we’ll get our revenge back in blood.” Dax said they love this deep down in their bones and guts and souls. He said tonight is about a fight. Garcia said Collision is a place he needs to be if he’s going to grow. He said House of Black will get what’s coming to them.
(Keller’s Analysis: It’s interesting Garcia said he needs to be on Collision to grow. The differentiation between Dynamite and Collison is very informal, so it’s probably a little confusing to some viewers of both shows that Garcia is talking about Collision as a separate place instead of just another two hour AEW show.) [c]
-Lexy interviewed Sammy Guevara and Chris Jericho who hyped their shot at the tag titles later. Garcia was chomping his gum and looked fidgety as he talked and as Jericho talked. Jericho said they’re going to fulfill their destiny and walk out with the championship belts.
(2) THE MOGUL EMBASSY (Brian Cage & Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) vs. LANCE ARCHER & THE RIGHTEOUS (Vincent & Dutch) – ROH Six-Man Tag Team Titles
Bobby Cruz handled ring announcing. Kelly noted that Archer “didn’t just fall off a turnip truck.” That clears up that long-running rumor. The bell rang 28 minutes into the hour. The match didn’t really get revved up before they cut to a double-box break at 4:00. [c/db]
After an Archer chokeslam on Liona, Kelly declared “New champs, new champs on the way!” It actually didn’t even lead to a cover. Instead, Cage attacked Archer and gave him a Death Valley Driver. He then went after Vincent. Everyone took turns hitting spots without tags. Kelly said Kaun and Archer were still the legal men. Dutch landed a running flip dive over the top rope onto all three opponents at ringside. Fans chanted, “Holy shit!” Archer set up a Black out, but Nana intervened. Roberts punched Nana at ringside. Fans cheered and chanted, “You’ve still got it!” Archer casually arm-whipped Kaun and then tagged in Vincent. Vincent landed a diving headbutt for a near fall, broken up by Cage. The announcers noted that Archer and Roberts were arguing at ringside.
Kaun and Liona double-teamed Kaun as Kelly in his sing-song voice said they would once again retain the titles, but Archer broke up the cover. Vincent knocked Liona off the ring apron into the arms of Dutch. They seemed to be wanting to do a spot, but they just both crumpled to the mat. Back in the ring. Kaun and Vincent exchanged near fall, ending with Kaun landing his finisher on Vincent for the win. Kelly said the finisher is named after a mountain Kaun and his family stare at in his village. He never actually said the name of the move, though.
WINNERS: Mogul Embassy in 16:00 to retain the ROH Six-Man Tag Team Titles.
-Afterward, Nana said his team is the great ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions of all time. He said he heard the Bang Bang Gang say they needed more titles and called them out. He said they have a leader who couldn’t even beat Swerve Strickland in the Continental Classic. He said they’d defend the titles against them on Wednesday. He called them “bums.” Kelly clarified that they just challenged “Swichblade and the Gunns.”
-Lexy began to interview Preston Vance with Alex the Assistant. Roderick Strong, Mike Bennett, and Matt Taven interrupted. Vance said when he beats Orange Cassidy tonight and becomes champion, he’ll kick his ass next week. Strong said, “I like that.”
(Keller’s Analysis: That was just awkward, especially Strong’s response to Vance.)
(3) DUSTIN RHODES vs. WILLIE MACK
Schiavone talked up Mack’s efforts against Wardlow and Kyle Fletcher recently. The bell rang 45 minutes into the hour. Kelly mentioned Dustin wrestled in this city going back to the Bunkhouse Battle Royal in 1988. Dustin avoided Mack’s Six-Star Frog Splash. Dustin landed a Destroyer and a snap powerslam for a near fall. A minute later hit the Crossroads and a corkscrew suplex for the win.n Dustin checked on Mack after the match and helped him up.
WINNER: Dustin in 4:00.
-They cut to Jay White and the Gunns. Colten mocked Cage as a flexing musclehead. Austin betgan humping White’s hip as he imitated Nana. White said the Mogul Embassy will be going home sad and lonely on Wednesday.
(Keller’s Analysis: This does not feel like maximizing the value of White or the Gunns for that matter. Colten, especially, seems to have some singles upside that’s ready to be initiated.)
-The announcers hyped the Dynamite line-up including Samoa Joe vs. Hook for the AEW World Title. They cut backstage where Hook showed up with his rolling suitcase. Schiavone said they weren’t expecting him. [c]
-Renee Paquette interviewed Dustin Rhodes backstage. Christian interrupted with Nick Wayne, Shayna Wayne, and Killswitch. He said if he’s a friend of Copeland’s he’s an enemy of his. Dustin said he is a 35 year veteran and he should show him respect. He said he’s been chasing that TNT Title since he got to AEW. “I want it really, really bad, and if you have the balls, you’d put it up next Wednesday night and I’ll show you just how big and bad I am.” Christian said it’s quite a dream he’s concocted. He said it’s a shame his father isn’t around to see it. Dustin leaned in to Christian. Christian said his dad is a legend, which is a word no one has used to describe him. Dustin said talk is cheap and he’ll tap dance all over his ass on Wednesday. Killswitch growled at him.
(4) “HANGMAN” ADAM PAGE vs. J.D. DRAKE (w/Anthony Henry)
The announcers talked about Hook’s arrival. Schiavone said Hook told Tony Khan he wants to wrestle tonight just four days before his match against Joe. The bell rang 58 minutes into the hour.
[HOUR TWO]
When Hangman rallied and scored a two count, Drake rolled to the ring apron for a pep talk from Henry. Hangman kicked Drake from behind and then slingshot himself over the top rope. Drak4e ducked and then forearmed Hangman in the head. They cut to a double box break. Schiavone very specifically articulated the words “picture IN picture break.” (It’s picture-AND-picture.) [c/db]
Drake controlled the action during the break and for a while after the break. Hangman made a comeback at 10:00 and gave Drake a Death Valley Driver for a near fall. A “Cowboy shit!” chant broke out with some fans. Drake made a comeback and went for a top rope moonsault, but Hangman moved. Hangman backflipped off the ring apron onto Henry at ringside and then landed the Buckshot Lariat on Drake for the win.
WINNER: Hangman in 12:00. [C]
(5) “THE VIRTUOSA” DEONNA PURRAZZO vs. RED VELVET
Kelly said she is “a wrestler like no other, a complete package.” Kelly said this is her AEW in-ring debut. He touted the AEW Women’s Division. The bell rang 15 minutes into the hour. Purrazzo landed a sliding dropkick at 2:00 to knock Velvet hard into the ramp at ringside. Back in the ring, Velvet blocked a suplex, but Purrazzo applied a Koji Clutch briefly. Velvet took over by yanking Purrazzo into the ropes. Velvet settled into a long armbar on the mat at 5:00. Purrazzo escaped and chopped away at Velvet. Purrazzo made a comeback and hit a flurry of moves ending with a Fujiwara armbar on the mat and then shifted into a signature double-arm submission for the win.
WINNER: Purrazzo in 7:00. [c]
(6) HOOK vs. KEVIN MATTHEWS
Kelly said Hook has found an opponent to resemble the size advantage Joe will have on him. The bell rang 27 minuets into the hour. Hook avoided a charging Matthews at the bell and then delivered a high back suplex. When Matthews retreated up the ramp, Hook caught up to him and gave hima. T-Bone on the ramp. Hook favored his back and then threw Matthews back into the ring. He played to the crowd and then bashed Matthews with forearms and finished him with a Red Rum submission. He leaned to the camera at ringside and yelled, “Joe, I’ll see you Wednesday!”
WINNER: Hook in 1:30.
-The announcers hyped Joe vs. Hook on Dynamite, Christian vs. Dustin for the TNT Title, Gates of Agony& Brian Cage vs. Bullet Club Gold, plus The Young Bucks will speak.
(7) FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) & DANNY GARCIA vs. HOUSE OF BLACK (Malakai Black & Buddy Matthews & Brody King)
House of Black made their entrance first. Garcia came out next and did a brief hip swivel. FTR joined him next before they all headed to the ring. Matt Menard joined in on commentary. Menard said he saw an FTR match when he attended a wrestling event with his mother when he was 18 years old and that’s what made him want to become a pro wrestler. Nigel said each member of House of Black play a different role and it’s what makes them a great threesome. The bell rang 33 minutes into the hour. They cut to a partial double-box break at 4:00 with FTR and Garcia sitting cross-legged in the ring to mock House of Black. [c/pdb]
House of Black went on sustained offense. Menard said he’s frustrated watching. They cut to another double-box break at 13:00. [c/db]
Garcia made a comeback after the break. Cash leaped between the ropes and tackled all three House of Black members. Garcia scored a near fall on Black after a brainbuster suplex. FTR held Brody upside down and then Garcia leaped and spiked him to the mat. Back and forth chaos followed and everyone was down and slow to get up at 19:00. An “AEW!” chant rang out. Then a “This is awesome!” chant rang out. Dax hit a top rope headbutt on Black for a near fall. FTR set up a top rope move, but Matthews interrupted it. Garcia replaced Cash on the top rope. Dax superplexed Black, but when Garcia went for a top rope splash, Black lifted his knees. Black then applied a kneebar on Dax. Brody and Matthews held back Cash and Garcia at ringside. Dax reached the bottom rope.
Matthews and Dax battled next with near fall exchanges. Dax landed a piledriver at 24:00 for a near fall. Black landed a Black Mass kick behind the ref’s back and then Matthews landed a stomp for the win.
WINNERS: House of Black in 25:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: A heck of a main event match. Well paced with a nice, dramatic finishing sequence.)
-After the match, when Menard went to check on Garcia, Brody attacked him. Black landed Black Mass. Garcia and Cash made the save with chairs. They gave Shatter Machine to Brody.
-They went to the announcers, but they threw to a brawl in the parking lot with Ricky Starks & Big Bill and Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevara.
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