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AEW COLLISION REPORT
MARCH 30, 2024
LONDON, ONTARIO AT BUDWEISER GARDENS
AIRED LIVE ON TNT
REPORT BY BRIAN ZILEM PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
-Tony Schiavone welcomed everyone to the show.
-Commentary recapped how Adam Copeland won the TNT Title.
-After Copeland made his way to the ring, he reminded everyone he would defend the TNT title during the Cope Open. Of all the people to accept the Cope open change was Matt Cardona
(1) ADAM COPELAND vs. MATT CARDONA – TNT Title match
The bell rang, and the fans chanted “Holly shit!” After both men exchanged hip tosses, the fans were still pumped for the surprise and cheered, “This was awesome.” The commentary team did a great job explaining the history of Cardona and Copeland. After luring Cardona to the outside, Copeland nailed Cardona with a closeline. Both men battle on the apron. Cardona racked the eyes of Copeland and pushed him into the post as the show went to its commercial break of the night. [c]
After the break, both men squared off in the middle of the ring, and Cardona dragged Copeland by the neck to gain a brief advantage. Both men exchanged cross bodies and were laid out. The fans chanted,” This is Awesome.” Both men brawled to the top rope. Copeland suplexed Cardona to the floor and, while on the top rope, hit a reserve bulldog for a close near fall. While Copeland was in between the ropes, Cardona kicked the ropes so that it would crotch Copeland. Cardona followed up with the Impaler DDT but only got a near fall.
Copeland landed a great-looking powerbomb but only got a near fall. Copeland went for a spear on Cardona, but Cardona reserved the move into the Rough Rider and got another near fall. In the closing moments, Cardona went for a spear, but Copeland ducked and speared Cardona to secure the pinfall victory.
WINNER: Adam Copeland retains the TNT Title in 13:30
(Brian’s Thoughts: This was an excellent opener to the show. It was inspiring to see Matt Cardona, of all people, accept the Cope Open challenge, a deep pull from Adam Copeland’s history. Huge kudos to the crowd. They added much to the match; whether they knew Cardona from WWE or his Independent run, they knew precisely the history of these two men.)
-Post-match, Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews jumped Copeland but then was saved by Mark Briscoe and Eddie Kingston.
-The show went backstage with Lexy Nair, and she was FTR. Lexy asked what it was like to be the favorite in the tournament. Cash Wheeler said they aren’t the favorites, and no one they can’t overlook anyone. Dax Harwood mentions it’s March Madness. Anything can happen, and the Infantry is the Cinderella team in this tournament.
-The show went back to the ring, and Tony Schiavone welcomed The Acclaimed to the ring. Daddy Ass said he can’t forgive Jay White for invading his home. Daddy Ass changed Jay White to match this Wednesday on AEW Dynamite. Max Caster said he and Anothy Bownes would not be ringside for the match and expect the Gunn brothers to honor no interference for the match with Jay White and Daddy Ass.
(2) FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs. CARLIE BRAVO & SHAWN DEAN
Dean and Wheeler started the match. Dean and Wheeler exchanged hold. Dean landed a hip toss and tagged in Bravo. Wheeler pushed back Bravo and tagged in Harwood in the match. Bravo and Dean cleared the ring by hitting double dropkicks onto FTR. After Wheeler returned to the ring, he chopped Dean in the corner ring, and Dean would rally with a few coops onto Wheeler. Bravo and Harwood were tagged back into the match, and both men brawled onto the top rope, where Hardwood landed a suplex onto Bravo as the show went to a commercial break. [c]
After the break, Bravo went for a dive onto FTR, but FTR caught Bravo in mid-air, which followed Dean hitting a flying Swanton dive onto everyone.
The fans cheered, ” This is Awesome.” Wheeler hit Bravo with a powerbomb, and Hardwood went for the cover, but Bravo kicked out.
In the match’s closing moments, Bravo and Dean hit several big moves on Wheeler and Hardwood but couldn’t get the three count. After running into each other, Harwood back-suplex Wheeler set him in the perfect position for FTR to nail Bravo with the Shatter Machine to secure the pinfall victory.
WINNERS: FTR in 12:20
(Brian’s Thoughts: Considering Bravo and Dean have little T.V. experience, FTR did a lot to win them over during this match.)
After the match, Lexy Nair went backstage with Big Bill and Ricky Starks. Big Bill said their team is a one-seed, and Top Flight is a sixteen-seed. Starks said he guarantees history will repeat itself when they face FTR in the tag team tournament and beat them again.
-After the break, Adam Copeland challenged the House of Black to a trios match at AEW Dynasty.
(3) KYLE O’REILLY vs. J.D. DRAKE
WINNER: O’Reilly wins by submission in 2:30
(Brian’s Thoughts: I did not have a lot of thoughts on this match, nor was a recap needed. I would have liked a better combination paired with O’Reilly. I didn’t feel him working a quick comeback over a bigger opponent like Drake was the story to tell for O’Reilly’s comeback.
-After the match, a highlight package was shown, putting over Will Ospreay and Powerhouse Hobbs.
(4) RICKY STARKS & BIG BILL vs. TOP FLIGHT DANTE MARTIN & DARIUS MARTIN
WINNERS: Top Flight Dante and Darius Martin in 9:30
(Brian’s Thoughts: When there’s an injury or stoppage towards the match, it’s unnecessary to do a breakdown of the match overall. As confirmed by our own Wade Keller, Starks suffered an apparent stinger. During the match, it appeared Starks may have hurt his shoulder. The good news is later that night, Ricky Starks went on social media to confirm that ” I’m all good; everything checked out fine. Was being precautious.”
-After the match, Christopher Daniels challenged Malakai Black to a match this coming Friday on Rampage.
(5) THUNDER ROSA vs. LADY FROST
The match started, and both women exchanged gator rolls on the mat. Rosa landed a shoulder block, to which Frost responded by doing a kip-up. Rosa and Frost then exchanged leg scissors, which followed Frost hitting a jumping neck breaker for a near fall. Rosa nailed Frost with a stiff closeline and got a near fall as the show went to a commercial break. [c]
After the break, Frost nailed Rosa with a shoulder block in the corner. Rosa countered for a pin attempt but only got a near fall. Rosa went for the Tijuana bomb, but Frost countered with a heel and a chiller driver for a close near fall. The fans cheered “Lady Frost.” In the match’s closing moments, Rosa landed a backstabber and the Tijuana bomb on Frost to secure the pinfall victory.
WINNER: Thunder Rosa in 8:40)
(Brian’s Thoughts: Both women had excellent outings. I thought this was Rosa’s best match since she returned from injury, and Lady Frost continued to deliver on Saturday Nights.)
-After the match, the show went backstage with Renee Paquette, who interpreted Toni Storm with Mariah May and Luther. Renne confirmed Rosa and May would face each other this Wednesday, and the winner would face Toni Storm for a future title match.
-Afterward, the commentary team ran down the upcoming AEW Dynamite, Ramapage, and Dynasty matches.
-A Will Ospreay video package was shown to hype up his match against Bryan Danielson at Dynasty.
(6) BRYAN DANIELSON & CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI & KATSUYORI SHIBATA vs. LANCE ARCHER & THE RIGHTEOUS (Dutch & Vincent)
Before the match got underway, the commentary team mentioned that Danielson and Castagnoli didn’t land until 5:30 AM local time due to their CMLL match on Friday Night. The match started with Shibata and Archer exchanging forearm shots. Archer went for a suplex, but Shibata countered with a sleeper hold. Dutch was tagged in the match that followed Castagnoli being tagged in. Both men displayed their strengths, and Castagnoli body slammed Dutch and followed up with a double foot stomp. Castagnoli tagged in Danielson, and he landed kicks in the corner on Dutch. Danielson went for a kill shot, but Dutch pounced him and tagged in Vincent. Danielson had a wild landing, a dropkick, and a dive onto Dutch and followed up with a flying knee onto Archer. Vincent took advantage of Daneilson’s blindside and threw up against the guardrail as the show went on a commercial break. [c]
After the break, Danielson was stuck in the corner, and the heel team beat him down. Danielson locked in the Lebell Lock onto Dutch, but Archer broke up the submission attempt. Dutch and Archer body-slammed each other onto Danielson, and Dutch followed up with a boss man slam onto Danielson and got a close near fall. Dutch and Danielson brawled on the top rope, and Danielson emerged as the winner after landing a missile drop kick on Dutch.
Danielson gave Castagnoli the hot tag, and he ran wild. Castagnoli and Archer squared off, and the fans cheered, ” Meat,” anytime either man hit one another. Castagnoli hit Archer with a cutter from the top rope and went for the giant swing, but Dutch and Vincent broke it up. Shibata and Castagnoli double-teamed Archer, and Castagnoli finally locked in the giant swing and sharpshooter onto Archer before Dutch and Vincent broke up the submission attempt.
Afterward things broke down, and the team man landed big moves. Vincent landed a Swanton Bomb on Castagnoli and got a near fall. In the match’s closing moments, Shibata landed the P.K. on Vincent to secure the pinfall victory for his team.
WINNERS: Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli & Katsuyori Shibata in 16:49
(Brian’s Thoughts: Over-delivery. This was so much better than it had any right to be. BCC and Shibata did a great job putting over Archer and the Righteous.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Great opener and great main event. There are some things I hope to tighten up on feuds moving forward. I great say enough things about this crowd they were fantastic.)
RECOMMENDED NEXT: ALL ELITE ASSESSMENT – MERCEDES MONE: A look at her background, her latest chapter, and her future including pros and cons of being a heel or a babyface
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: Powell’s AEW Dynamite Hit List: Swerve Strickland vs. Konosuke Takeshita, Will Ospreay vs. Katsuyori Shibata, two AEW Tag Team Title tournament quarterfinal matches
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