AEW Collision Review (6/24/2023)
Kicking off this week’s Collision with brief promos from CMFTR & Starks as well as Bullet Club Gold & The Gunns.
Tony Schiavone stood inside the ring and hypes up that Forbidden Door would be held in the same venue on Sunday night. Schiavone tried to introduce Sting & Darby Allin but he was interrupted by Judas.
Chris Jericho & Minoru Suzuki walked onto the stage together & Jericho told Schiavone and the fans to shut up. Jericho told the fans not to shamelessly pander to him as Schiavone does to them.
I’m not from Toronto Jericho said. I’m from Winnipeg, you idiots. Jericho said he and Suzuki were pissed because Sting & Allin had taken days to tell them who their partner will be at the pay per view. Jericho said Sammy Guevara wasn’t there because he’s a little miffed that he & Suzuki are such good friends. Jericho & Suzuki did a special handshake.
Jericho questioned who Sting could get who would intimidate La Suzuki Gods. Jericho accused Schiavone of knowing who the partner is. Jericho put his bat up to Schiavone’s throat and demanded that Schiavone tell him the identity of the third man.
Sting & Darby Allin made their entrance & Jericho told the fans to shut up. Allin told Jericho to shut up while adding that he had something to say.
Allin looks into the camera and addressed Suzuki. Allin said that if Guevara stands with Jericho & Suzuki then he’ll kick his ass. Allin said it would just like their tag team partner kicked Jericho’s ass at the Tokyo Dome.
Tetsuya Naito walks onto the stage then he walks to the ring then enters and went face 2 face with Jericho. Jericho & Naito jawed at one another off mic. Jericho & Suzuki exits the ring. Jericho slams his bat on the announce table. Naito opens the ropes for Jericho as he remains at ringside.
Highlights aired from last week as Miro gets the win over Tony Nese.
We get a pre taped promo from Miro & he said he’s been exile for nearly a year and then he was summoned. He said he was told that he would be his favorite champion again and would never lose. Miro said all he needed to do is praise him. Miro said he knows what he must do. He said he must be righteous without seeking reward. Miro said he renounced his God, his gold and his beautiful wife because he is Miro and he is godless.
Swerve Strickland vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
Hiroshi Tanahashi tossed his imaginary guitar to Strickland & plays air guitar until Tanahashi kicks his legs out from under him.
Strickland came right back by kicking the middle rope into Tanahashi’s groin and then put him down with a boot to the head. Strickland tossed Tanahashi over the top rope but Tanahashi skinned the cat and used his legs to pull Strickland to the floor.
Tanahashi went for a baseball slide kick but Strickland pulls the ring apron skirting out and traps Tanahashi with it then he boots Tanahashi’s head and then mugs for the camera on the apron as the show heads to a picture in picture break.
After the break Strickland picks up a near fall then Tanahashi rolls up Strickland for a two count then caught him in an inside cradle for another near fall. Tanahashi hits a dragon screw and follows up with a sling blade for a two count.
Tanahashi went up top and hits High Fly Flow but Strickland put his knees up and then covers him for a near fall. Strickland follows up with a couple of kicks and then went up top and went for Swerve Stomp but Tanahashi avoids it then connects with a another sling blade.
Tanahashi went up top but he slips as Strickland joins him on the ropes and was knock down by Tanahashi then hits High Fly Flow to get the win.
Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi
After the match AEW World Champion MJF’s entrance theme play while Tanahashi was still inside the ring. MJF appeared on the big screen and asked if Tanahashi was dumb enough to think that he would show up in person for him. MJF said he would embarrass Tanahashi to show that he’s not on his level.
MJF said he told Tony Khan that the only way he would show up for the Forbidden Door event is if his match went on first. MJF said he wanted to get out of Canada as quickly as possible and didn’t want to waste his time watching a bunch of indy jabrones from Japan wrestle. MJF said he would take Tanahashi’s air guitar put it between Tanahashi’s bowlegged knees, and stick it straight up his ass because he’s not on the level of the devil.
Trios Champion Brody King vs. Andrade El Idolo
Andrade El Idolo does his tranquilo pose in between the ropes and then pulls the top rope down when Brody King charges at him. El Idolo yells at Julia Hart and then puts King back down on the floor before hitting a moonsault onto him.
Back inside the ring El Idolo sold pain from his taped shoulder and pectoral muscle. King came back and seats El Idolo on the top rope before chopping him which caused El Idolo to tumble to the floor heading into a PIP break.
After the break El Idolo stood on the apron caught King going for a kick and then performed a dragon screw. Back in the ring El Idolo continued to target the leg and then hit a flying forearm. El Idolo connects with a double knee strike in the corner and picks up a two count.
King caught El Idolo with a forearm strike and then places him over his shoulders. King sold his knee and drops down before hoisting El Idolo back up and then hits a Death Valley Driver in the opposite corner. King follows up with a cannonball then King hoisted up El Idolo but he slips out then chop blocks him.
El Idolo went for the Figure 4 but gave it up when he spotted Hart standing on the apron hold the black mask that he wears to the ring. King went after El Idolo but he caught him with a back elbow. Andrade locks in the Figure 4 again as he sold shoulder pain while trying to push into the Figure 8 then Buddy Matthews ran in and attacks El Idolo for the DQ.
Winner By DQ: Andrade El Idolo
After the match King & Matthews works over El Idolo then King puts El Idolo down with Gonzo Bomb then House Of Black posed in the middle of the ring while Hart held Andrade’s black mask. Malakai Black’s face appeared on the big screen. Hart held up the mask and then the lights went out.
Schiavone introduced Christian Cage & TNT Champion Luchasaurus. Cage walks out first and had the TNT Title drapes over his shoulder. Schiavone asks Cage how he felt being back home. Cage said he left the show last week in a bad mood for a lot of reasons but he knew he would be back in Toronto with the TNT Title in just a few short days.
Cage said now he’s in a worse mood. He said the moment he stepped off the plane, all the thoughts and emotions came flooding back. This city breeds loser and in turn is populated with losers Cage said. He claims the crowd is okay with mediocrity while he is not. He heeled on the Toronto Maple Leafs for choking in the NHL playoffs again.
Cage said the only glimmer of hope the city had was when the Toronto Raptors won the NBA Title. He said that was due to Kawhi Leonard. Cage said he contacted Leonard and told him to get out of the city of losers.
Cage announced that there will not be anymore open challenges. Cage said that people who want TNT Title shots have to earn it just as he and my righthand of destruction did. Cage said he wouldn’t pretend he created the title like a vanity project who used to travel the roads here in AEW. Cage said he would take the title to new heights while I we will remain the face of TNT now and forever.
A video package aired with Satoshi Kojima recalling that he met CM Punk 20 years earlier and said he was pumped to face him. I’m going to kill you, you idiot Kojima said. I will kick your ass. They cut to Punk & he said he is thrilled and honored to be in the ring with Kojima and to honor the legacy and life of Owen Hart. Punk said when the bell rings, he’s going to rip Kojima’s ears off.
Roderick Strong & Samoa Joe both spoke about being in the tournament. Strong said he was honoring the legacy of his trainer Jim Neidhart. Dustin Rhodes said he wouldn’t be a stepping stone. Powerhouse Hobbs, Juice Robinson & Ricky Starks also spoke.
Niguel McGuinness narrated highlights of Skye Blue defeating Anna Jay on Rampage to advance in the Women’s Owen Hart Cup.
Quarter Final Match Of The 2023 Women’s Owen Hart Cup
Nyla Rose vs. Willow Nightingale
Willow Nightingale puts Nyla Rose down with a dropkick and plays to the crowd as Rose rolls to the floor. Nightingale follows then Marina Shafir blocks Nightingale’s path & that allows Rose to catch her with a cheap shot and run her shoulder into the ring post heading into a PIP break.
After the break Nightingale continued to sell a bad shoulder before connecting with a missile dropkick from the middle rope & it gets a two count. Nightingale sets up for Babe With The Powerbomb but gave it up due to shoulder pain. Rose suplexes Nightingale then goes for a cover but it gets a near fall.
Rose went for Beast Bomb but Nightingale slips away. Rose clubs Nightingale then puts the boots to her before Nightingale connects with a Pounce then nails Babe With The Powerbomb to get the win.
Winner: Willow Nightingale
After the match The Outcasts surrounded the ringside area but Skye Blue ran out with a chair and joins Nightingale inside the ring. Storm held up her Women’s Title and then The Outcasts headed toward the back.
Scorpio Sky was interviewed by Lexi Nair on the backstage set. Sky said he struggled in every part of his life before he arrived in AEW. He said he got his big break and couldn’t control it. Sky said he accomplished what he did in AEW while being a shadow of his true self. He said he’s back and now we’ll find out who he really is.
Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Jeremy Prophet
Hobbs drills Prophet to the mat with a Spinebuster for the quick win.
Winner: Powerhouse Hobbs
8 Man Tag Team Match
AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler), CM Punk & Ricky Starks vs. Bullet Club Gold (Jay White & Juice Robinson) & The Gunns (Austin & Coleton)
CM Punk & Jay White starts the match off & White flexed his biceps and then Punk shoves him. White made a gun with his finger pressed his index finger up to Punk’s head and then tags in Juice Robinson.
Punk puts Robinson down with a shoulder block and then flexed. Dax Harwood tags in and traded slams with Robinson before Ricky Starks & White ended up in the ring together. Starks drops White with a punch. White points to the corner and then Punk tags in.
Punk does a swivel to taunt White. White caught Punk with a kick and tossed him to the floor where The Gunns & Robinson attacks him before FTR & Starks ran over before the referee stood between both teams heading into a PIP break.
After the break Cash Wheeler hits a backbreaker on Colten Gunn then Punk tags in and drops an elbow on him from the ropes then Punk sat on Colten and flexed while getting a two count.
Punk tried to kick White off the apron when Punk turned around, Colten nails him with a clothesline and then tags in Austin Gunn. White tags in and Bullet Club Gold & The Gunns continued to isolate Punk. White took him down with a dragon screw then tags out. Robinson targets the same left knee then White tags in as the isolation of Punk continued heading into the final PIP break.
After the 2nd break Bullet Club Gold & The Gunns continued to focus on Punk. Robinson set up Punk for Go 2 Sleep but Punk blocks it and drops Robinson with a kick. Punk fought off The Gunns and dove to his corner to tag in Starks & he cleans house on Bullet Club Gold & The Gunns before Starks hits a DDT on Austin for a near fall.
Starks & Austin were left in the ring while Bullet Club Gold, FTR & Punk ended up brawling on the floor. White made a seemingly blind tag but Starks actually saw it and hits a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. White avoids Roshambo and rolls him up and held the tights while getting a two count. Starks came right back and covers White but Robinson broke it up.
Harwood hits Robinson with a piledriver before The Gunns hits 3:10 to Yuma on Harwood. Wheeler clotheslines Austin to ringside and then presses Colten over his head and threw him onto Austin & Robinson. Wheeler performed a suicide dive.
Punk sets up for a move and dove at White & he puts him down with a uranage. White follows up with a uranage on Starks for a near fall. Starks came back with a spear on Robinson & The Gunns. Robinson blasted Starks with Left Hand Of God from the floor before White hits Blade Runner on Starks to get the win.
Winners: Bullet Club Gold & The Gunns
After the match White held up a gun sign and then Robinson & The Gunns joined him in doing it.
