SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
Greetings! I and other staff members will try our best to cover for David Bryant while he is on leave. Please note that my list of Hits is in descending order if you’re wondering what I consider a show’s best and worst aspects. Along with a great tidbit about wrestling from this day in history, I will also give each review a final grade. Let’s begin.
HITS
TITLE QUALIFIER MATCHES
Adding stakes to the matches helps eliminate the general idea of Collision (consequently, a skippable show) rather than watching a match that could be entertaining with a predictable outcome or a winner and loser.
WILL OSPREAY AND SWERVE STRICKLAND BRAWL
The details are minor, but I love how AEW carried over the opening segment from Dynamite into Collision. It provides good synergy and continuity from within AEW’s universe.
CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI vs. KOMANDER
Both men have great chemistry in the ring. I was amazed at how quickly the match flew by. This was an ideal TV match to open a show. It wasn’t trying to chase star ratings but rather to have a proper opener for a crowd that was up for it.
HEEL FTR
A good follow-up for FTR following AEW Double or Nothing. Templario & Atlantis Jr. are a good side quest to keep FTR on TV while away from the AEW Tag Team tTitles.
HITS CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the “All Elite Conversation Club” with Joel Dehnel and Gregg Kanner, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
EL PASO FANS
The crowd showed great energy during all four hours of AEW programming they watched. The Mina Shirakawa vs. Skye Blue match had way more heat than I anticipated.
MARK BRISCOE
Mark Briscoe calling out Jon Moxley for a match to prove something to his son was a nice touch. I hope Briscoe’s excellent babyface traits can be capitalized on as a world champion one day.
MISSES
FIVE TOOL PLAYER
Anthony Bowens’ “Five-tool Player” gimmick isn’t connecting, and something is missing. It may be time to pivot and turn Bowens heel.
A.R. FOX PUSH
A.R. Fox is getting over, and I’ve seen it myself. I wish AEW would go with Fox and give him a chance.
FINAL SCORE
HITS: 6
MISSES: 2
FINAL THOUGHTS: Overdelivery of an episode that looked light on paper. The excitement and ambiance of the El Paso audience gave the episode more vigor.
Wrestling History: On May 31, Mexico City hosted the CMLL Juicio Final. The CMLL Tag Team Titles were won by Euforia & Gran Guerrero when they defeated Diamante Azul & Valiente in a two-out-of-three falls match.
Be sure to check out Amin Ajani and me at the Collision Cafe, which is a weekly podcast available for PWTorch VIP members.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.