SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
AEW COLLISION REPORT
APRIL 20, 2024
PEORIA ILLINOIS
ARENA: PEORIA CIVIC CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON TNT
REPORT BY BRIAN ZILEM PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuiness
-Cold open Tony Schiavone welcomed everyone to the show.
(1) ADAM COPELAND & MARK BRISCOE & EDDIE KINGSTON vs. TOP FLIGHT (Darius & Dante Martin) & ACTION ANDRETTI
Andretti and Briscoe start off the match. Andretti taunted Briscoe to do rRdneck Kung fu. After hitting a dropkick, Andretti followed up with a splash onto Briscoe for the first pin attempt in the match. Briscoe rallied with a forearm onto Andretti and tagged in Copeland. Andretti hit a springboard elbow onto Copeland and tagged Darius into the match. After hitting a dropkick, Darius tagged in his brother Dante. After Darius missed a Stinger Splash, Copeland railed and hit a running bulldog slam onto Darius, which followed Copeland tagging in Kingston. The fans were very into Kingston. After Kingston laid in a stiff chop into the chest of Andrettit, the show went to its first commercial break of the night. [C]
After the break, Kingston bullied Darius in the corner. Dante landed a kick on the back of Kingston’s head and tagged in his brother Darius for the hot tag. Darius ran wild, and the high-flying trio triple-teamed Kingston and got a near fall before Kingston kicked out of the pin attempt.
All six men recovered, squared in the middle of the ring, and closed-lined each other simultaneously. In the match’s closing moments, Copeland, Kingston, and Briscoe hit their finishers onto Andrettit, and Briscoe sealed the deal with a Froggy bow-covered Andrettit for the three count.
WINNERS: Adam Copeland, Eddie Kingston & Mark Briscoe in 12:00
(Brian’s Thoughts: The contrast of styles didn’t do much for me, to be honest. Giving the trio of Copeland, Kingston, and Briscoe a quick squash to get their team over rather than giving so much to a team that isn’t there yet. Top Flight is a tag team of the future, but something is missing from their act to connect with the fanbase.)
-After the match, the House of Black came onto the big screen. Malakai Black said they would dig three graves and said “hell is where the heart is.”
-A recap video was shown to hype up Swerve Strickland vs Samoa Joe at AEW Dynasty.
(2) POWERHOUSE HOBBS vs. C.J. ESPARZA
Don Callis joined the commentary desk for the match. Esparza laid in a forearm into Hobbs, which he no-sold, and followed up with a clothesline. Hobbs did quick work of Esparza, nailing him with power slams to the apron. He finished the match with a torture rack to secure the submission victory.
WINNER: Powerhouse Hobbs in 1:12
(Brian’s Thoughts: Quick and effective, Hobbs looked like a monster)
-After the match, Don Callis grabbed a microphone to hype up this coming Wednesday’s main event, Jon Moxley vs. Hobbs. Callis said he would not be at ringside for the match for his safety. Callis confirmed he made a few phone calls and confirmed the match this Wednesday, Hobbs vs. Moxley, will now be for the IWGP Title.
-A Bryan Danielson vs. Will Ospreay video package was shown
-In a taped promo outdoors, Chris Jericho apologized for pushing Taz this past Wednesday. He said he would teach Hook several life lessons under the learning tree at AEW Dynasty.
(3) THE ACCLAIMED (Max Caster & Anthony Bowens) w/Billy Gunn) vs. THE GUNNS (Colten & Austin) (w/Jay White)
Before the match got underway, Tony got on the microphone to confirm that if the Gunns walked away from the match, they would not get the Trios Title match at Dynasty. The Acclaimed jumped the Gunns, and the teams brawled inside and outside the ring. Austin dumped Bownes for the barricade, and Austin stomped Caster in the corner. [c]
After the commercial break, Colten and Austin had Caster in a double submission crab hold. Caster struggled to tag in Bowens before Caster finally got Bowens into the back. Bowens hit Austin with a Famasser and got a close, near fall. Colten got a handful of tunks and had his feet on the ropes before the official broke up the cheating pin attempt. Bownens hit Austin with a backbreaker and got a near fall. Austin distracted the official, and Colten hit a Fameasser onto Bowens for a near fall. In the closing moments of the match, Bowens hit a flurry of super kicks, but with the help of Jay White, Colten held onto White’s gold bat to counter Caster’s pin attempt into pinfall attempt of his own to secure the victory for his team.
WINNERS: Austin & Colten Gunn.
(Brian’s Thoughts: The match was sloppy and wasn’t good. I like the Gunns as an act, but I never want to see them wrestle. I don’t enjoy The Acclaimed as an act anymore, but they are much better in the ring than the Gunns. I need their title match at AEW Dynasty to accomplish three things: (1) Eliminate one set of titles. (2) The Acclaimed need to be broken up as a group. (3) Separate Bowens from all this mess and push him like a singles star. Bowens shows great babyface fire and displays his improvements in the ring. Since being with AEW,. It’s time for him to move on to bigger and better things.)
-A recap video of the past few weeks of the Blackpool Combat Club and the Don Callis family feuding was shown.
-Lexy Nair interviewed Bryan Danielson backstage. Lexy asked how he felt knowing he had a match tonight and a match at AEW Dynasty. Danielson said he feels alive and can’t wait for both matches. Will Ospreay interrupted the interview and said he had nothing to do with Danielson getting jumped last Saturday.
-A recap video was shown with Thunder Rosa wiping lipstick all over Toni Storm this past Wednesday.
-Storm did a full promo in color, showing what Rosa did to her face. Storm said this business isn’t a charity. “You may be a fighter, but I am a star,” Storm said. “This belt shines in my reflection. You want to drag my soul into Hell. Well, you better check your address because you’ll find Hell is my bedroom, and I make love to my demons every bloody night.
(Brian’s Thoughts: I was blown away by this segment. Toni is slowly showing the depth of her current character. The match at AEW Dynasty has a chance of being a show stealer. )
(4) BRYAN DANIELSON & CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI vs. KYLE FLETCHER & KONOSUKE TAKESHITA – Bunkhouse Brawl
Before the match officially started, Fletcher and Takeshita jumped Danielson and Castagnoli. All four men brawled on the outside in the stands. Castagnoli nailed Takeshita with a trash can, and Fletcher brawled with Danielson on the commentary table. Danielson grabbed and choked Fletcher with a cable. Castagnoli and Takeshita squared off in the ring. Takeshita bit Castagnoli but recovered to lock in the giant swing. Danielson went for a dive, but Fletcher threw a chair into Danielson’s face and busted him open. Castagnoli had Takeshita locked into a sharpshooter, but Fletcher broke up the submission attempt with powder in the eyes and followed up with a powerbomb onto Castagnoli for a near fall. [c]
After a commercial break, Danielson hit Takeshita with a DDT on the ramp. Danielson’s cut got bigger after the commercial break. Castagnoli busted up Fletcher by slamming his head onto the steel steps. The fans cheered “We want tables!” Danielson laid out Takeshita with the Yes Kicks. Danielson went for the Busaiku Knee, but Fletcher held Danielson’s leg, which provided enough time for Fletcher and Takeshita to recover and hit suplexes for a near fall. Fletcher went outside to find a chain, but Danielson and Castagnoli railed to lock in submissions. Before anyone could quit, Powerhouse Hobbs attacked Danielson and Castagnoli. Jon Moxley came down to make a save before the Don Callis family could gain a match.
In the match’s closing moments, Fletcher and Takeshita went to powerbomb Danielson from the top rope, but Danielson countered to hit a hurricanrana on Takeshita. Castagnoli roped the chain around his arm to hit Fletcher with a closeline, and Danielson finished the match with a Busaiku Knee and the Lebell Lock to secure the submission victory for his team.
WINNERS: Bryan Danielson & Claudio Castagnoli in 16:00
(Brian’s Thoughts: It started slow but ended with a bang. Danielson is a very unrated brawler.)
-Backstage, Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, and Stokely Hathaway were standing by. Nightingale said she would powerbomb Julia Hart through the mat and become TBS Champion.
(5) LEYLA HIRSCH vs. SKYE BLUE
WINNER: Skye Blue with the dragon sleeper at 5:06
-The commentators previewed the AEW Dynasty line-up.
(7) THE ELITE (Nicholas & Matthew Jackson & Kazuchika Okada) vs. PAC & FTR ( Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood )
Pac and Okada started the match. Pac used the strength of his lower body with solid kicks to the gut to Okada. Nicholas and Matthew pulled Okada from the ring, and everything broke down as everyone brawled outside. Once balance was restored, quick tags were made from Pac and FTR in an attempt to isolate Okada from his team. Okada finally tagged Nicholas in the match, and all six men brawled on the outside. [c]
After the commercial break, the Elite worked over Wheeler. The Elite isolated Wheeler from his team. Matthew went for a big splash but missed, and Wheeler gave Pac the hot tag. Pac ran wild as he hit Nicholas with a brainbuster for a near fall. Pac dove to the outside onto Matthew and Nicholas, and Hardwood and Wheeler double-teamed Okada with a spiked power driver. Pac covered Okada for a near fall. Okada pulled on the official, giving Nicholas and Matthew enough time to slam Pac into the steel post. Okada followed up by hitting Pac with a slam. [c]
After the final commercial break of the night, Pac fought off the Elite to tag in one of his team members. Pac hit a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and made the hot tag to Harwood. Okada and Harwood exchanged standing switches before hitting Okada with a brainbuster. Wheeler and Harwood went for a suplex pin combination onto Nicholas for a near fall. Okada and Harwood met in the middle of the ring to exchange blows. Harwood locked in the sharpshooter, but Nicholas and Matthew broke up the submission attempt. Matthew nailed Harwood with a flying elbow for a close near fall. Harwood and Wheeler hit the power and glory suplex onto Matthew, followed by a Pac 450 splash, but Nicholas and Okada broke up the pinfall. Nicholas and Matthew hit Pac with the Shatter Machine for a close near fall. Pac was hit with the EVP trigger, but Wheeler saved him.
In the closing moments, Wheeler dove to the outside to take out Nicholas and Okada, leaving Pac to hit the Black Arrow to secure the pinfall victory for the win.
WINNERS: Pac & FTR in 22:10
(Brian’s Thoughts: Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: FTR puts on another main event classic on Collision. The match flew by, and the Black Arrow remains one of the most remarkable finishes in wrestling)
-After the match, the Elitle went to cheapshot Pac and FTR. But Daniel Garcia came down for the save.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This show started slow but finished strong. As a fan, did this show do enough to make you buy the PPV if you were boarderline on pulling the trigger? The trios main event showed a glimmer of what fans can expect at AEW Dynasty.
RECOMMENDED NEXT: AEW RAMPAGE RESULTS (4/20): RVD vs. Lee Johnson vs. Isiah Kassidy vs. Komander in a 4:20 Four-Way, O’Reilly & Romero & Menard vs. Undisputed Kingdom
OR CHECK THIS OUT AT PROWRESTLING.NET: McGuire’s Mondays: Sure, AEW is good for pro wrestling… but how good?
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