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KELLER’S AEW COLLISION REPORT
JANUARY 6, 2024
CHARLOTTE, N.C. AT BOJANGLES COLISEUM
AIRED ON TNT
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness
Ring Announcers: Dasha Fuentes
Tonight after AEW Collision, join PWTorch’s Chris Maitland and Justin McClelland to break down the show with live callers and emails.
•STREAM LIVE HERE ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER THE SHOW CONCLUDES
•CALL: (347) 215-8558
•EMAIL COMMENTS/QUESTIONS: wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com
•IF YOU DON’T LISTEN LIVE, SEARCH “WADE KELLER” ON YOUR PODCAST APP TO SUBSCRIBE ANDw THEN DOWNLOAD OR STREAM THE FULL SHOW TWO HOURS OR SO AFTER THE TV SHOW ENDS.
[HOUR ONE]
-The Collision opening aired to Elton John’s “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting.”
-Tony Schiavone introduced the show as the camera aimed at pyro on the stage and then panned over the audience.
-Ric Flair made his ring entrance. Schiavone, Kevin Kelly, and Nigel McGuinness spoke about Flair’s history in that city. They also previewed the scheduled matches.
(1) DARBY ALLIN & STING (w/Ric Flair) vs. THE WORK HORSEMEN (Anthony Henry & J.D. Drake)
Before the bell, Henry jumped Darby from behind at ringside. When Sting moved toward him, Drake hit Sting with a chair from behind. Sting no-sold it and then bashed Henry with it. Flair chopped him. Darby made a comeback against Henry and beat on him at ringside. Drake went after Sting’s knee as the brawl continued at ringside. He then charged into Darby at ringside.
The ref actually checked on Darby’s condition and Darby called for the match to start. The ref then called for the start of the match 5 minutes into the show. Henry and Drake beat up Darby to start the match. Drake landed a top rope headbutt for a two count a minute in. Drake went for a top rope moonsault, but Darby moved and so Drake went splat. Sting tagged in and landed a Stinger splash in the corner. Henry entered and Sting attempted to clothesline him over the top rope. When that didn’t work, Sting dove between the middle and top ropes. Darby then landed a coffin drop on Henry at ringside. Kelly said they go back to the indy scene. Sting gave Drake a Scorpion Death Drop for the win. Kelly said that is match 2,149 for Sting. Kelly talked about Elvis playing in that arena in 1959 when discussing this being Sting’s final match in the arena. Flair posed with a fan dressed up as him at ringside.
WINNERS: Sting & Darby in 2:30.
(Keller’s Analysis: The pre-match attack justified the story of the match which was Darby taking a beating at first before hot-tagging in Sting leading to signature moves and a quick win. Glad to see the ref checking with Darby before calling for the match to officially start. By the way, the fan holding up a sign that said “Rick Flare” knows, right?)
-Highlights aired of Takeshita beating Darby on Dynamite on Wednesday.
(2) EDDIE KINGSTON vs. TRENT BERETTA – AEW Continental Crown Championship
Beretta hugged his mom at ringside before entering the ring. They showed a clip of All In at Wembley showing Kingston and Beretta among those fighting in a bloody match that night. Schiavone said Beretta started his career in 2003 and won 27 matches last year. Kingston came out second. The bell rang 13 minutes into the hour. Nigel said Kingston is the heart of the business and makes up for his lack of physique with intangibles.
At 3:00 Kelly added the lowest compliment possible you can give any wrestler, which is saying Beretta “is no slouch.” (I’d like to add that Kelly “is no moron.”) Kingston chopped Beretta in the face. Beretta rolled to the floor. The ref scolded him. “It’s not illegal, but there’s a line,” said Kelly. (Huh? When is this a thing? Don’t wrestlers punch each other in the face? What makes a chop worse, other than it’s “harder to work a chop” which is not a differentiation that fits at all with the usual narrative of simulating a fight in a pro wrestling ring. So as best I can tell, they’re trying to “fool the internet fans” with a worked-shoot within a narrative that acknowledges everything else is a work? Sigh.) Beretta came up bleeding from the bridge of his nose. Kingston gave Beretta a Saito suplex on the floor. They cut to a double-box break at 5:00. [c/db]
Back from the break, Kingston kicked Beretta with a facewash kick in the corner. They cut to Beretta’s mom showing concern at ringside. Beretta hit a high knee to drop Kingston and show some signs of life. Beretta dove through the ropes and tackled Kingston against the ringside barricade. A series of graphics in a corner of the screen advertised other matches and also the Adam Copeland interview.
At 12:00, Beretta caught Kingston with a running knee to the head. Kingston extended his arms stiff like he was concussed and followed up with a Gotch piledriver for a near fall. Kelly noted Minoru Suzuki and Jerry Lynn won many matches with that move. Both exchanged blows from their knees. Kingston ducked a clothesline and caught Beretta a minute later with a half-and-half exploder, a spinning backfist, and a vertical suplex for a near fall. He then delivered a Northern Lights Bomb for the win. Kingston pointed at his shoulder or collarbone as if he suffered an injury, but then grabbed his three belts and left the ring with them. They showed Beretta’s mom giving him a thumbs up for his effort.
WINNER: Kingston in 15:00 to retain the Continental Crown Title.
(Keller’s Analysis: Nice enough match to fill the allotted time. It wasn’t clear to me if all three belts were at stake or just the Continental belt. I think there was some ambiguity in how it was presented and worded.)
-An interview recorded earlier with Kris Statlander and Willow Nightingale conducted by Schiavone then aired. Willow said it’s weird that Stokely Hathaway has such interest in Statlander, but then said they should keep it rolling. Statlander said they’ll keep their thing going in 2024. She had a lizard on her shoulder named “Boots.” [c]
-A promo taped outdoors with Hook aired. He said his win percentage is second-to-none and it’s time for him to add another title. “Samoa Joe, I’m coming for you and your world title,” he said.
(Keller’s Analysis: I suppose his win-loss record justifies that challenge, but who he has defeated and how often he’s wrestled, and his complete lack of statement wins in showcase situations makes this feel like quite a stretch. Still, I’m intrigued.)
(3) UNDISPUTED KINGDOM (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett w/Roderick Strong) vs. KOMANDER & BRYAN KEITH
During Undisputed Kingdom’s entrance, Kelly asked for a summary of what they did to MJF. Schiavone said it was a big charade “and it was well done.” Nigel said they convinced everyone that MJF was the Devil and used the ruse to reclaim the ROH Tag Team Titles. Kelly said they tried to believe in something and take someone’s word for something.
The bell rang 36 minutes into the hour. They cut to a double-box break at 3:00. [c/db]
Back from the break, Keith backdropped Komander onto Taven and Bennett at ringside. Immediately afterward, the heels recovered and finished Keith with their double-team finisher. Strong raised their arms afterward.
WINNERS: Taven & Bennett in 9:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: Nice action. Nothing really stuck otherwise.)
-Renee Paquette interviewed Jay White, Austin Gunn, and Colten Gunn. Billy Gunn and The Acclaimed interrupted quickly. Anthony Bowens told everyone to calm down. He said he’s been thinking lately that the only way to get to the top is through factions so how about they all get together in a faction. He said he knows it sounds crazy, but think about it. Austin told Renee that it makes sense. They seemed willing to consider it. [c]
-Adam Copeland made his ring entrance. “In case all of you missed Worlds End, Christian Cage and I beat the living hell out of each other,” he began. He went on to talk about winning the TNT Title and then quickly losing it. He said he gets a rematch. He said the difference between him and Christian is that he works harder than Christian. He issued an open challenge for anyone to step up and face him. “What an opportunity to wrestle Adam Copeland,” said Kelly. After a few seconds, Cole Karter and Griff Garrison walked out with Maria Kannellis. Garrison was dressed to wrestle. Garrison said many might be asking who he is, but he’s the type of person who steps up to the plate against a Hall of Famer. Copeland said he likes him because he reminds him of him at his age, but he’s taking a big step up. Garrison slapped him. Copeland said that makes him like him more, but now he has to kick his ass.
(4) ADAM COPELAND vs. GRIFF GARRISON (w/Cole Karter)
Schiavone said Griff was out for a quite a while with an injury. The bell rang 56 minutes into the hour. Copeland went after Garrison aggressively and methodically in the opening minutes. Karter tripped Copeland and took over. Garrison settled into a chinlock at 3:00. Schiavone touted the star-studded show so far with Sting, Darby, Ric Flair, Kingston, and Copeland with FTR and House of Black still to come. “This is the place to be on Saturday night,” he said.
[HOUR TWO]
Copeland took over and slidekicked Carter at ringside. He snapped Garrison’s throat over the top rope. Then he landed a top rope crossbody for a near fall. Garrison caught a charging Copeland with a discus punch for a near fall at 5:00. Edge landed a top rope superplex and his faceplant DDT followed by an STF for the win.
WINNER: Copeland in 6:00.
-As Copeland’s music played, Karter attacked him with a dropkick. Copeland avoided a top rope 450 splash and then speared Karter.
(Keller’s Analysis: I suppose a decent way to give Copeland a win, give a little rub to Garrison and Karter, and give Copeland and the announcers a chance to talk about the happenings at Worlds End with Christian.)
-A promo aired with Flair, Sting, and Darby. Flair touted Dynamite in Jacksonville, Fla. Sting said he’s ready and he’s not going to coast his way through the last few weeks. He said it’s going to be Showtime at Daily’s Place.
(5) SKYE BLUE vs. KIERA HOGAN
Blue came out first followed by Hogan. The bell rang 7 minutes into the hour with Blue in control. [c/db]
Hogan got in some offense at ringside, but back from the break, Blue was back in control. Schiavone said Wednesday’s match with Sting & Darby vs. Powerhouse Hobbs & Konosuke Takeshita will be a Texas Tornado match at the request of Darby & Sting. Blue eventually got a tapout win with a Dragon Sleeper.
WINNER: Blue in 9:00.
-The vignette aired on Serena Deeb training by learning how to escape straight jackets while obsessively studying the AEW Women’s Division. [c]
(6) CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI vs. ANDREW EVERETT
A double box promo aired with Claudio during his ring entrance. He said job is to fight and he’s really good at his job. He challenged “Hangman” Adam Page to a match on Dynamite. Claudio brushed off Everett’s attack, beat him up at ringside, and then gave him a Giant Swing. Everett lost his balance in the corner trying to springboard at Claudio, but recovered and hit a springboard leg lariat. Claudio knocked Everett out of mid-air, intending to hit a European uppercut, but Everett landed in front of him. Claudio then finished Everett with a short-arm clothesline.
WINNER: Claudio in 3:00.
(Keller’s Analysis: That fell apart at the end.)
– Lexy Nair interviewed Ricky Starks & Big Bill backstage. Starks talked about making his Dynamite debut in an AEW Tag Team Title match against Cody Rhodes in Jacksonville, and now he’s standing there as champion. Big Bill challenged Chris Jericho & Sammy Guevera to a street fight for their belts at Battle of the Belts next Saturday night after Collision. [c]
(7) FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) vs. HOUSE OF BLACK (Malakai Black & Buddy Matthews)
“We are on Tobacco Road and this is FTR Country,” Kelly said. The bell rang 36 minutes into the hour. At 3:00 Dax sat cross-legged in front of Malakai and gave him the middle finger. When he rolled to the floor, he marched to Dax’s family. Cash chased him away immediately. Dax came to the side of his wife and daughter. Malakai and Matthews sat mid-ring as they cut to a partial double-box break at 4:00. [c/db]
They cut to another double-box break after more back and forth action at 10:00. [c/cb]
FTR rallied after the break. Dax Malakai and then Cash leaped off another top rope with a splash for a near fall, broken up by Matthews. When Cash dove through the ropes at Matthews and Malakai, they caught him, dropped him on their knees, and violently threw him into and over the announce desk.
Back in the ring, Matthews hit a series of moves on Dax, but Cash re-entered the ring and then he and Dax hit their double-team Shatter Machine. Malakai broke up the cover at 19:00. FTR then gave Malakai a stuff piledriver on the ring apron. A “Holy shit!” chant broke out. Brody King then marched to the ring. Daniel Garcia bashed him from behind with a chair and then threw the chair into his skull. He cheered on FTR, who were down at ringside, to get up and fight.
As Dax pulled himself back into the ring, Matthews gave him a stomp. Dax put his boot on the bottom rope to stop the count. Matthews followed with a powerbomb for a near fall, but Dax leveraged him over and scored a three count.
WINNERS: FTR in 21:00.
-As FTR celebrated with Garcia, Brody attacked them. Matthews and Malakai joined in the beatdown. Brody held a chair against Dax’s face. Malakai spin kicked the chair into Dax’s face. They cut to Dax’s wife and daughter watching. Julia Hart showed up at ringside and began ringing the bell ten times. Brody then gave Garcia a piledriver mid-ring. House of Black stood center-ring. Schiavone snuck in plugs for the matches on TV next week as the show ended.
(Keller’s Analysis: Excellent tag match. An alliance with Garcia and FTR seems like a good fit.)
Tonight after AEW Collision, join PWTorch’s Chris Maitland and Justin McClelland to break down the show with live callers and emails.
•STREAM LIVE HERE ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER THE SHOW CONCLUDES
•CALL: (347) 215-8558
•EMAIL COMMENTS/QUESTIONS: wadekellerpodcast@gmail.com
•IF YOU DON’T LISTEN LIVE, SEARCH “WADE KELLER” ON YOUR PODCAST APP TO SUBSCRIBE ANDw THEN DOWNLOAD OR STREAM THE FULL SHOW TWO HOURS OR SO AFTER THE TV SHOW ENDS.
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