AEW Collision Review – August 12, 2023
Kicking off this week’s Collision with brief promos from The Acclaimed, TNT Champion Luchasaurus & Christian Cage & AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR & CM Punk.
We get highlights of last week’s main event and Ricky Starks beating up Ricky Steamboat.
Tony Schiavone stood in the middle of the ring and introduced Ricky Starks & he made his entrance. Starks held a belt in his hand. Schiavone noted that the belt belonged to Steamboat and adds that Starks beat him with his own belt.
Schiavone announced that Starks was suspended from wrestling for 30 days in AEW for beating a 70 year old man. Starks said there have to be consequences for your actions. He said he was talking about Steamboat. Starks blames Steamboat for costing him the match and said he had to beat his ass. Starks said he loves Steamboat but he did what he had to do.
Starks said he got a manager’s license so that he would be on the show every week while he’s suspended. Starks said it’s his show and his legacy. Starks said people don’t have to like him but they have to respect him. Starks threatened to whip Schiavone with the belt which led to Schiavone exiting the ring.
Starks said the blood is on CM Punk’s hands for bringing Steamboat to AEW. Starks proclaimed he would set the whole company on fire and it would start next week. Starks said people would learn that there’s nobody like him on Dynamite or Collision. Starks exits the ring and heads to the back.
A video package aired on the AEW World Tag Team Titles Match at All In.
Tag Team Match
The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens & Max Caster) vs. Iron Savages (Boulder & Bronson)
Boulder caught Anthony Bowens on his shoulders and then Max Caster when he jumped from the ropes. Boulder hits a Samoan Drop and fallaway slam combo move on The Acclaimed heading into a picture in picture break.
After the break Caster avoided Bronson diving at him from the ropes and made the hot tag. Bowens got the better of Iron Savages then Boulder tags in and tossed Bowens into the air and let him hit the mat. Iron Savages slams Bowens to the mat then Boulder went for the cover but Caster broke it up.
Boulder put Bronson in the electric chair position but Caster knocks them over with a missile dropkick then hits a Death Valley Driver on Boulder.
Bowens knocks Jacked Jameson off the apron then The Acclaimed hits Scissor Me Timbers on Bronson and then hit Iron Savages with double Fameassers to get the win.
Winners: The Acclaimed
After the match Bowens held Bull Gunn’s boots and played to the crowd. Caster said the best two man team in the sport returned because The Acclaimed is back. He said they would be on Dynamite. Caster said Gunn would always be with them in spirit as they go back to the top of the tag team division.
Bowens said that he & Caster got to say goodbye last week but the fans didn’t get to do the same. He encouraged the fans to make the scissors hand sign and then said they loved Gunn and everyone loves The Acclaimed.
Backstage Lexi Nair interviewed Bullet Club Gold & Jay White said they are the most elite version of Bullet Club ever. He said others call themselves The Elite and they don’t have the right do do that. He said others call themselves the best brother tag team and they have no right. The Gunns said they will be on Dynamite on Wednesday and said the Young Bucks shouldn’t bring superkicks to a gun fight.
We get a video package on the AEW World Title match at All In.
Tag Team Match
TBS Champion Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale vs. Mercedes Martinez & Diamante
Mercedes Martinez ties up Willow Nightingale in a Paradise Lock as Martinez & Diamante were in offensive control heading into a PIP break.
Kris Statlander took a hot tag and threw dropkicks at Martinez & Diamante then Statlander kips up and then grabs Diamante & runs Diamante into her.
Nightingale tags in and went to the ropes but Martinez shoves Statlander into the corner which sent Nightingale crashing to the floor.
Statlander & Nightingale ends up at ringside and then Martinez tossed Diamante onto them then back in the ring Nightingale puts Martinez down with a Pounce.
Nightingale hoisted up Martinez for Babe With The Powerbomb but Martinez slips out and rolls her up and then Diamante pushed her feet into Martinez’s back to get the win.
Winners: Mercedes Martinez & Diamante
Backstage Toni Storm was interviewed by Lexy Nair & Nair said she seemed to be out of sorts. Storm demanded respect and conceded that it’s been horrible without her Women’s Title . She said she was feeling a little better now that Saraya would be in the Fatal 4 Way match for the Women’s Title at All In.
Storm said it didn’t matter if Britt Baker or The Bunny qualified for the match they’re all backstabbing little girls. Nair brought up Hikaru Shida qualifying for the match and having beaten Storm for the Women’s Title. Storm got upset and declared that the interview was over.
Samoa Joe vs. Andrew Everett
Andrew Everett hits a springboard onto the match and followed with a flip only to be turn inside out by Samoa Joe then locks in Coquina Clutch for the win.
Winner By Submission: Samoa Joe
After the match Joe took the mic and said he came looking for an answer regarding the challenge he made to CM Punk last week. Joe said the Real AEW World Champion was acting like a real bitch. Joe said he gave Punk the courtesy of asking and the mercy of letting him know what would happen. Joe said he started by asking Punk and would now convince him.
Christian Cage took inbreeding jabs at the North Carolina crowd and then said the state is known for being 2nd best.
Cage said Michael Jordan is the 2nd greatest basketball player behind LeBron James & Ric Flair is the 2nd greatest wrestler behind Cage himself. Cage turns his focus to Darby Allin and said he would never get his hands on the TNT Title again.
That’s about enough Arn Anderson said before walking onto the stage with his son Brock Anderson. Arn told the Greensboro fans to take a bow and said they were on hollowed grounds in Horsemen Country.
Arn labels Luchasaurus a sea monster and points out that Cage is not actually the TNT Champion. Cage recalled saying there were no more open challenges. He said he be willing to make an exception for Arn & he said he would have done it and taken the title 20 years ago. Arn sent Brock to the ring & get a last min match.
TNT Title Match
Luchasaurus (c) vs. Brock Anderson
Luchasaurus dominates Brock Anderson heading into a PIP break.
After the break Anderson hit Luchasaurus with several punches and then running forearms that didn’t take him off his feet.
Luchasaurus chokeslams Anderson then picks him up and hits a shot to the back of his head for the win.
Winner & Still TNT Champion: Luchasaurus (STILL CHAMPION!!!!)
After the match Darby Allin ran in with a skateboard. Cage avoided Allin & he ends up double stomping the back of a standing Luchasaurus with his skateboard. Allin plays up the idea of Luchasaurus being a dinosaur who has been around for 65 billion years. He asked if he ever had a skateboard up his ass during that entire time. Allin challenges Cage to face him next week & Cage accepted the match.
Powerhouse Hobbs was introduced by Schiavone & he was standing in the middle of the ring. Hobbs had his book with him again & once Hobbs was in the ring, Schiavone recalls QT Marshall & Harley Cameron giving Hobbs a gold chain which Hobbs was wearing only to have Hobbs walk out on them.
Hobbs spoke about All Out. He said he went back to the Bay Area and found the one thing that allows him to inflict violence the Book Of Hobbs. He said he doesn’t want anyone’s help. He said the next chapter of his book is labeled redemption. He questioned how he was supposed to redeem himself after losing the TNT Title and in the Owen Hart Cup. Hobbs said that he needed to call out The Redeemer.
Miro came out and he heads toward the ring before Nick Comoroto & Aaron Solo attacks Miro from behind while Hobbs watched from the ring. Comoroto & Solo rolls Miro in the ring and then then follows him. Miro clears Comoroto & Solo from the ring but then Hobbs puts him down with a spinebuster. Hobbs drops his book on Miro’s chest.
Trios Titles Match
House Of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King & Buddy Matthews) (c) vs. AEW World Tag Team Champions FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) & CM Punk
FTR & CM Punk were unable to knock Brody King off his feet then FTR clears him from the ring with a double dropkick but he still lands on his feet. King wanted to charge right back to the ring but Malakai Black stops him so he tags himself in while Punk was in the ring.
Punk ends up ducking Black Mass and sat cross legged in the process so Black looks at him and then joins him in sitting down cross legged and glared at Punk before FTR & King & Buddy Matthews all entered the ring. Punk & Black stood up and then all both teams brawled going into a PIP break.
After the break Harwood was isolated and eventually put Black down with a DDT. Punk took a hot tag and got some offense on Matthews including a high knee in the corner. Punk said something to Julia Hart and then went for a bulldog but Matthews counters it.
Punk had Matthews down and went up top but Hart climbs on the apron and distracted the referee while Black shoves Punk down. King tags in and hits Punk with a cannonball in the corner. Punk was down at ringside head into a break.
After the 2nd break Punk caught Matthews with a GTS but Punk was too weak to make the cover and Matthews rolls to the floor. Punk tags in Cash Wheeler but he was unable to take King off his feet. Black ran in and took a powerslam from Wheeler then mounted King in the corner and threw punches at him.
FTR hits a double clothesline on Black and then King to send them both to ringside. FTR launches Matthews onto King which finally took him off his feet. Wheeler dove onto House Of Black. Back in the ring Wheeler hits a bulldog from the top rope on King and got a near fall.
King regroups but Harwood cuts him off as he was going up top. Harwood works over King with punches but King shoves him back into the ring. King stood up on the top rope but Harwood recovers and crotched him. Punk tags in before FTR hits a double superplex on King.
Punk followed it with a top rope elbow drop for a near fall before CMFTR went for Shatter Machine on King but Punk & Harwood couldn’t get power him up as King fought back but they got a 2nd try and nails Shatter Machine.
Punk took out Black with a suicide dive before Harwood connects with a top rope headbutt on King for a near fall. Samoa Joe shows up and put Punk in a rear naked choke at ringside.
Hart was on the apron distracting the referee so Harwood approached Hart but King nails him with a lariat to get the win.
Winners & Still Trios Champions: House Of Black (STILL CHAMPIONS!!!!!)
