AEW Collision (Episode 72)
Columbus, Ohio at Greater Columbus Convention Center
Aired live December 7, 2024 on TNT
[Hour One] Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness checked in on commentary while running down the latest Continental Classic scoreboards and previewing the upcoming matches for the show. A video package played highlights of tournament matches up to this point.
Don's Take: A great way to catch casual fans up in the tournament who may not be watching everything.
Arkady Aura was the ring announcer as we went to the ring for the opening match...
1. Komander (w/Alex Abrahantes) vs. Darby Allin in a Continental Classic gold league match. Chain wrestling to start with Allin taking the early advantage with a series of side headlock takeovers. Allin rolled Komander up for a near fall but flew to the outside when he missed a charge. Komander followed up with a moonsault on the floor along with corkscrew moonsault in the ring. Heading into the first commercial break of the night, Allin slammed Komander into the ring steps and set him on a folding chair. Allin dove at Komander from the ring but missed and crashed into the chair, which exploded into pieces. [C]
The action continued on the floor. Back in the ring, Komander stayed on offense until the two collided. Allin mounted a comeback, hitting a destroyer for a near fall. Komander responded with a Spanish Fly from the top rope for a near fall. Schiavone noted that Allin was undefeated on Collision in 2024. Allin hit a coffin drop on Komander while Komander was draped over the top rope. Komander made a comeback with several diving attacks on Allin. In the end, Allin dodged a top rope running moonsault attempt by Komander and tied him up for the pinfall.
Darby Allin defeated Komander in 13:11 to earn three points in the Continental Classic.
Schiavone announced Allin vs. Will Ospreay for the December 18 edition of Dynamite, while Ospreay will meet Claudio Castagnoli on this coming Wednesday's episode.
Don's Take: A good opener with no real mystery to the outcome. Komander is one of the participants in the tournament to take a lot of losses but look competitive doing it.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Don Callis and AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita. Before Callis could really start his promo, Powerhouse Hobbs entered. Callis tried to shake his hand but Hobbs said that while he was hurt, Callis forgot about him and demanded a shot at Takeshita's title. Callis said they had a lot of bookings but said they'd get back to him. Hobbs grabbed Callis' arm and demanded he get back to him. [C]
2. Willow Nightingale vs. Serena Deeb in an International Women's Cup qualifying match. The two were even to start. Nightingale hit a series of clotheslines in the corner while Deeb responded with a neck breaker against the ropes. Deeb kicked Nightingale out of the ring as the show went to a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Nightingale hit a series of clotheslines followed by a big boot and spinebuster for a near fall. Deeb attempted a comeback but Nightingale no-sold the moves. Deeb finally hit a running lariat for a near fall. Nightingale hit a Stampede into a running power slam for a near fall. Nightingale missed a running cannonball in the corner. Deeb hit a dragon screw leg whip followed by Deebtox for a near fall. Nightingale quickly responded with a pounce followed by a power bomb for the win.
Willow Nightingale defeated Serena Deeb in about 10:05.
Don's Take: This was good albeit another obvious outcome. I do like that the resulting Nightingale vs. Jamie Hayter match that will take place next week is a little less predictable.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Thunder Rosa who once again challenged the winner of Mariah May vs. Mina Shirakawa which takes places on Wednesday's Dynamite. She talked about how she beat them both and how she won't stop until she wins back the AEW Women's Title.
A video recapped Dynamite and the situation with Jon Moxley, the Death Riders, Jay White, Orange Cassidy, Christian Cage and Hangman Adam Page.
Jon Moxley, Marina Shafir, Pac and Wheeler Yuta entered the ring. Moxley said that no one in the building wants to be the AEW World Champion. He added that they think they do but they're not ready. He said it's his responsibility to make sure that they don't become champion. He said he respects Jay White, Hangman Page but neither are ready. He added that Orange Cassidy proved that he wasn't ready and that if Cassidy pisses him off one more time, he will take him off the board.
Orange Cassidy came out and stared down everyone in the ring. He said that he can live with never being AEW World Champion. But he can't live with Moxley holding the title so he'll do whatever it takes to make sure Moxley loses it. He added that only stop if Moxley kills him. Cassidy threw his jacket at Yuta and his shirt at Pac. Shafir hit Cassidy with the briefcase and the Death Riders attacked. They threw him to the floor and Pac and Yuta carried him away. [C]
After the break, FTR cut a backstage promo hyping Fight for the Fallen on January 1. They were distracted by Jon Moxley and the Death Riders attempting to pour some chemicals down Cassidy's mouth. FTR prevented this from happening as Moxley's crew slowly backed off.
Don's Take: This was OK, but I'm not seeing the point to having Cassidy continue to feud with Moxley when he was decisively beaten at Full Gear.
3. Kazuchika Okada vs. Kyle Fletcher in a Continental Classic blue league match. Don Callis did not accompany Fletcher to the ring. The wrestlers engaged in a feeling out process for the first several minutes.
[Hour Two] Okada took over on offense for several minutes with kicks and strikes inside and outside the ring. Fletcher caught Okada with a hanging DDT as Okada attempted to come back into the ring as the show went to a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Fletcher stayed on offense. The two exchanged blows while Schiavone teased the possibility of a time-limit draw. Okada went on a flurry of offense before locking in a Cobra Clutch. Okada hit a high Flatliner as both men were down. Okada then hit a shoulder breaker followed by a scoop slam. Okada hit a flying elbow for a near fall. Fletcher blocked the Rainmaker but ate a drop kick. Fletcher hit a half and half suplex on the floor. He also hit a power bomb in the ring for a near fall.
Okada countered into a Rainmaker for a near fall. Fletcher blocked a couple of additional Rainmaker attempts and teased a ref bump. While the ref was covering himself up, Fletcher hit a low blow on Okada followed by the brain buster for the win.
Kyle Fletcher defeated Kazuchika Okada in 16:54 to earn three points in the Continental Classic.
Don's Take: I wondered how they were going to protect everyone here. I'm not a fan of the way they got there and that AEW consistently makes their referees look like dopes but Fletcher needed this win more than Okada so it is what it is.
A video hyped the ticket on sale event for All In Texas...[C] A video previewed this Wednesday "Winter is Coming" edition of Dynamite....
4. The Beast Mortos vs. Aaron Solo. A complete squash match with Mortos hitting Solo with a lariat for the win.
The Beast Mortos defeated Aaron Solo in about 1:06.
Don's Take: Squashes like these make beating Mortos in Continental Classic matches more credible.
Renee Paquette was backstage with Top Flight, Action Andretti and Lio Rush. Paquette talked about the two sides not being on the same page during Wednesday's Dynamite Dozen battle royal which started an argument. Andretti said a battle royale is every man for himself while the Martins didn't think Andretti and Rush needed to stoop to this level if they wanted to go after the tag team titles, which Rush confirmed that they do. This set up which appears to be a tag team match between Top Flight and the team of Rush and Andretti.
5. Mina Shirakawa vs. Emi Sakura. Thunder Rosa was shown seated at ringside. Sakura attacked Shirakawa to start. Sakura hit a series of chops while Shirakawa responded with kicks. Sakura was on offense as the show went to a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Sakura was still on offense out of the break before Shirakawa made the comeback. Sakura picked Shirakawa up in a piledriver position for about 30 seconds until she dropped her into a back breaker. The finish saw Shirakawa hit a slingblade from the second rope for a near fall. Sakura pulled the referee in front of her but Shirakawa kicked her to the mat and dove over the referee onto her. Shirakawa hit a second sling blade for the win.
Mina Shirakawa defeated Emi Sakura in about 9:47.
After the match, Thunder Rosa was shown applauding at ringside.
A video previewed Shirakawa's upcoming match with Mariah May for the AEW Women's Title. [C]
Don's Take: The crowd was a bit dead for this one which is a problem as Shirakawa is challenging for the title on Wednesday's. The AEW women's division may be alive, but I'm not sure how well it is given reactions like these.
Renee Paquette was backstage after Rampage with Mark Briscoe and Daniel Garcia. Briscoe talked about never winning a Continental Classic match in the last two years but continuing to try and needing to apply himself. Both spoke about why they each needed the win before shaking hands.
Corbin Bernsen was shown at ringside...
Don's Take: Among other films, Bernsen played the role of Roger Dorn in "Major League" - one of my personal favorites.
6. Daniel Garcia vs. Mark Briscoe in a Continental Classic blue league match. Matt Menard joined the commentary team. Chain wrestling and near falls galore to start. Briscoe opened up with a series of kicks and chops. Garcia went to the floor and Briscoe dropkicked him through the ropes before diving onto him. The two exchanged offense on the floor with Garica getting the advantage after a dropkick against the ringside barricade. The show went to its final picture-in-picture break of the evening. [C]
The two battled on the top rope before falling to the floor. The two exchanged blows in the ring. Briscoe attacked with a series of chops before hitting an exploder suplex and a fisherman's suplex into a pinfall attempt. Briscoe hit a Death Valley Driver. Garcia thwarted a Froggy Bow attempt and hit a super plex followed by a piledriver for a near fall. The two fought on the ropes with Briscoe knocking him down. Briscoe hit Froggy Bow for a near fall. Garcia blocked the Jay Driller and rolled up Briscoe for a near fall. Garcia attacked Briscoe with chops but Briscoe hit a cutthroat driver out of nowhere for the win.
Mark Briscoe defeated Daniel Garcia in 17:00 to earn three points in the Continental Classic.
Don's Take: A fine main event and I'm OK with Briscoe getting a win over someone they're clearly trying to build. I'm wondering if this win will result in Briscoe challenging for the TNT Title down the road.
A good edition of Collision given the Continental Classic matchers and International Women's Cup qualifier. Perhaps this will inspire them to make this show more compelling year-round. In any case, that does it for. Dot Net Members can check out Will Pruett's fabulous audio review of this show and I'll be by next week for the third to last Rampage. Until then!