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AEW COLLISION REPORT n- EPISODE 50
JUNE 22, 2024
ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA
ARENA: PPL CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON TNT
REPORT BY BRIAN ZILEM PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness
Ring Announcers: Bobby Cruise
[HOUR ONE]
-Cold open Tony Schiavone welcomed everyone to show.
(1) HOOK & KATSUYORI SHIBATA & SAMOA JOE vs. THE PREMIER ATHLETES (Ariya Daivari & Josh Woods & Tony Nese) (w/Mark Sterling)
Joe and Nese start the match. Nese attempts a waist lock and a headlock on Joe, but Joe gives a hard shoulder block. Joe follows up with a back elbow and tags in Hook. Joe coached Hook to throw Nese up in the air, but Nese countered with a dropkick and tagged in Daivari. Shibata and Woods exchanged forearms in the middle of the ring. Both men grappled and exchanged submissions. The fans cheered “Shibata.” Nese went for a moonsault and missed. Shibata did Joe’s nope spot and got a great reaction from the fans. Daivari and Nese double-teamed Joe with a shoulder block and covered him for only one count. Joe recovered to hit a kick and senton onto Daivari. Hook was tagged in, and he ran wild. The match broke down until it was only Shibata and Woods. In the match’s closing moments, Shibata landed a flurry of kicks in the corner and finished the match by submitting Nese with an armbar to secure the victory for his team.
WINNERS: Hook, Katsuyori Shibata & Samoa Joe in 7:25
(Brian’s Thoughts: It is shorter than your normal party match, but the trio of Joe, Shibata, and Hook seem to have good chemistry together.)
-The show went to the back with the Bang Bang Gang. Juice Robison said Jay White is off training for the Owen Hart Cup.
(2) THE LEARNING TREE (Big Bill & Chris Jericho) (w/Bryan Keith) vs. PRIVATE PARTY (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen)
Quen and Bill start off the match. Bill threw down Quen and taunted Private Party with the shot hand gesture. Bill went for a Stinger splash and missed, and Quen briefly rallied until Bill gave him a K.O. punch. Quen recovered and made the hot tag to Kassidy, and he squared off against Jericho. Kassidy and Quen hit the silly sting on Jericho, which wasn’t a great-looking bump. Bryan Keith distracted Quen, and Jericho gave him a closeline to gain the advantage. [C]
After the break, Jericho and Quen brawled on the top rope. Quen pushed Jericho off the top rope and tagged Kassidy for the hot tag. Kassidy ran wild and did Jericho’s moves during the hot tag. Jericho went for the Lionsault, but Quen got his knees up. Kassidy used Jericho as a springboard to hit a dive on the outside on Bill. Kassidy and Quen hit splashes for the top rope for a near fall. Kassidy went to take down Jericho, but Jericho reversed it into the Walls of Jericho. Bill and Jericho hit Kassidy and Quen with several big moves but kicked out each time. Kassidy and Quen went for a version of Gin and Juice with an added flavor of a Code Breaker, but Jericho kicked out. Keith hit Kassidy with a foreign subject in his pocket in the match’s closing moments. The official missed the attack, and Jericho covered Kassidy for the victory.
WINNERS: Big Bill & Chris Jericho at 14:45
(Brian’s Thoughts: I don’t understand this match’s layout or thought process. I know this match was just a match to set up another match at the PPV, but why would so much be given to a Private Party with great combinations only for Jericho to win by a foreign object?)
-Post-match: The Learning Tree beat down the Private Party, but Hook, Shibata, and Joe made the save. Joe then changed the Learning Tree to a match at the forbidden door.
(3) KAZUCHIKA OKADA vs. ULTIMO GUERRERO – AEW Continental Title Eliminator match
Okada and Gurrero started slow. Both men hit close lines on each other, but Gurrero covered Okada for a near fall. Gurrero went for a leg lock, but Okada broke the hold. You can tell Okada must work slower than normal in the ring due to Gurrero’s age. Okada hit a shoulder breaker. [C]
After the break, the men hit double closelines again. Gurrero hit a sliding baseball dive onto Okada, and he was sent to the outside. Both men brawled on the outside. Okada hit a dropkick and went for the RainMaker, but Gurrero avoided the finisher. Okada attempted to remove the mask of Gurrero in the corner, but Gurrero hit a powerbomb for a near fall. In the match’s closing moments, Okada went to remove the mask of Gurrero again and hit Gurrero so hard that the Rainmaker Gurrero flew off. Okada covered Gurrero to secure the pinfall victory.
WINNER: Kazuchika Okada at 11:40
-The show went backstage, with Lexi Nair Interviewing Top Flight. Dante Martin understands the challenges of a ladder match and how it almost ended his career. Martin said it would take a little crazy to win the TNT title ladder match at Forbidden Door. Lio Rush interrupted to let Martin know he always has his back, but he will be the new TNT champion at Forbidden Door.
[HOUR TWO]
(4) THE PATRIARCHY (Christian Cage & Killswitch & Nick Wayne) (w/Shayna Wayne) vs. IRON SAVAGES (Boulder & Bronson & Jacked Jameson)
Jacked Jameson cut a heel promo before the match started, and Cage provided commentary. Wayne took all the bumps, and Killswitch did all the offense for his team. Cage walked down to the ring and hit Bronson with the Killswitch to secure the pinfall victory for his team.
WINNERS: Christian Cage, Killswitch & Nick Wayne in 4:43
-A highlight package was shown from this past Friday when Mercedes Mone went to CMLL to square against Stephanie Vaquer.
(Brian’s Thoughts: Mercedes came off a massive star in this video package.)
(5) MARIAH MAY & TONI STORM (w/Luther) vs. LADY FROST & LEYLA HIRSCH
Great ground game from Hirsch as she went for early pin falls against Storm. May was tagged in, and May and Storm cleared the ring with a hip attack. [C]
After the break, Storm hit a backbreaker and a Northern Lights suplex onto Hirsch for a near fall. Hirsch went for a cross-arm backer, but May broke up the submission with a dropkick. May followed that up with a headbutt to Frost. The match broke down, and all four women brawled in the ring. Frost went to the top rope to hit the Frost Bite, but Storm covered up to get the blunt on the May attack, and May could kick out at two. All four women continued to brawl in the ring. Storm and May hit stereo suplexes and hip attacks in the match’s closing moments. Storm followed up with Storm Zero onto Hirsch, and May secured the pinfall victory for her team.
WINNERS: Mariah May & Toni Storm at 8:00
(Brian’s Thoughts: May and Storm are so smooth in the ring together. May looks better in the ring every time she wrestles.)
-Serena Deeb cut the following promo backstage.
“Leading up to double or nothing, I was six, and oh, physically, I was unbeatable. Mentally I was untouchable unbreakable and subsequently i’ve had three of the toughest losses of my career to some of the best women in this company. I know how this goes right. Sometimes you’re on the up, sometimes you’re on the down, but when you’re on the down, you got to stop it in its tracks.
“ You got to lift yourself back up if there’s anything that my wrestling career has shown. It’s perseverance, it’s redemption, it’s grit, so next week, I will be in Buffalo at Collision. I am begging anybody to step in my ring to step into Deeb’s dojo because, baby I’m on the up, and from here, I’m gonna remind everybody. I’m gonna remind myself just who the hell I am, the professor of professional wrestling”.
(Brian’s Thoughts: Serena Deeb has improved on the microphone as a promo. I’m glad she will not get lost in the shuffle of a massive roster.)
(7) HOUSE OF BLACK (Brody King & Malakai Black) vs. LSG & MSG
WINNERS: Brody King & Malakai Black at 1:50
-Post-match, Ian Riccaboni asked King and Black how they felt about the attack on Buddy Matthews last Saturday. Revenge is not a straight line. We feel nothing.
Brian’s Thoughts: What a disappointing follow-up from a baby face turn.)
(8) HECHICERO (w/Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) vs. MATT MENARD
WINNER: Hechicero at 3:12
-A video package with Jeff Jarrett aired and said the following.
“ I was asked officially about being in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. All the emotion came back. It’s hard for me to imagine. It’s been 25 years. But there’s so many things about Owen that I remember like it was yesterday. In the late 90s, we would become tag team champions. And I look kind of back on those days as favorite days of my career. In his passing of May 1999, May 23rd, on that Monday, the following day, I made a promise to myself that I would be able to look Oji and Athena in their eyes when it really meant something.”
“They were little kids when it happened. But to let them know what a great man their father is. I’ve never, ever met anybody like him. I’m a 12-time former world heavyweight champion. I’m a two-time. I’m a two-time Hall of Famer. The Owen means more to me than anything I’ve ever done. You know, early this year, Toby Keith passed away. Another good buddy of mine. And he had that song. Ain’t as good as I once was. But I’m as good once as I ever was. To get the opportunity to win three matches and stand in the middle of the ring in Owen’s hometown of Calgary. I’m absolutely going to do it.”
(Brian’s Thoughts: This was so heartwarming to see live on television. I’m glad AEW could show old photos of Jarrett and Hart. Also, this connects the dots with the fans to provide context of why Jarrett is wrestling in the Owen Hart Cup.)
-The commentary team did a run down for the coming matches next week.
(9) WILL OSPREAY vs. BRIAN CAGE – AEW International Title Match
Ospreay charged Cage in the corner early, but Cage recovered and tossed Ospreay away like a rag doll. Cage then curled Ospreay like he was dead weight. Ospreay hit a crossbody to the outside onto Cage. [C]
After the break, Cage bull-rushed Ospreay to the corner and hit Ospreay with an awkward-looking suplex. Cage Suplexed Ospreay from outside the ring to inside the ring and got a near fall. Ospreay and Cage exchanged big moves, which led to Ospreay hitting a powerbomb on Cage. However, Ospreay couldn’t cover Cage due to the amount of energy he’s spent. Cage hit an F5 and got a close near fall. [C]
After the final break of the night, Cage nailed a heel kick and powerbomb for a near fall. Cage went for another powerbomb, but Ospreay reserved it for a DDT. Cage and Ospreay had another flurry of offside, which led to Ospreay hitting a jumping Hidden Blade for a near fall. Both men brawled in the corner, which followed Cage hitting a reverse spinning power slam for a near fall. Cage went for the Drill Claw, but Ospreay countered with a stunner and a poison rana. In the match’s closing moments, Ospreay hit the Oscutter and the Hidden Blade on Cage to secure the pinfall and retain the International Title.
WINNER: Will Ospreay at 17:20
(Brian’s Thoughts: The last three to four minutes were very good .)
FINAL THOUGHTS: This show didn’t reach it’s potential based on the announced line-up. Episodic wrestling is challenging to book all year round. You want to give fans a great time attending the show, but as a viewer I don’t want to just watch wrestling happen in front of me without feeling anything. The women carried the show along with Jeff Jarrett. Will Ospreay did his thing for the main event, but there may been better Ospreay opponents for the main event.
NOW CHECK OUT THE “AEW CONVERSATION CLUB” PODCAST ON THE PWTORCH DAILYCAST LINE-UP. (Click player below or search “pwtorch” in Apple Podasts, Spotify, or any other iOS or Android podcast app.)
RECOMMENDED NEXT: AEW DYNAMITE HITS & MISSES (6/19): MJF vs. Rush, Swerve-Ospreay promo, Owen Hart Tournament brackets, The Acclaimed’s win, MJF-Ospreay tease
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: NJPW “Soul” results (6/23): Vetter’s review of Satoshi Kojima vs. TJP and Toru Yano vs. Boltin Oleg in G1 Climax qualifier tournament matches
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