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
TONI STORM PROMO
To this day, this might be the strongest promo of Toni Storm’s entire career. I’m genuinely impressed by how she’s mastered a unique balance in her delivery and cadence, effortlessly blending humor, intensity, and sincerity. In calling out Mercedes Mone, Storm demanded to be taken seriously while still managing to elevate her.
JON MOXLEY BEATING A.R. FOX
Not every match needs to be a 50-50 back-and-forth, and this match did not overstay its welcome. Jon Moxley looked good and cut a solid promo during the post-match.
BIG STARS FEATURED
Jon Moxley, Swerve Strickland, Toni Storm, Willow Nightingale, and Athena were displayed for this episode. When your stars are featured on the secondary show, you give fans more reasons to tune in.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Dynamite: CLICK HERE (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
CARD FORMAT
Not a single match on the card went over 12 minutes. On Collision Café, Amin Ajani and I have discussed how AEW pay-per-views ideally work best with around seven matches. For Collision, a six-match format complemented with promos and storyline segments feels like the right direction moving forward.
CMLL VIDEO PACKAGE
During the Wade Keller Post-Show for AEW Grand Slam, Wade and I mentioned that including a brief video package showcasing the history of Arena Mexico would have been a great addition. That said, I thought the highlight reel AEW produced for Grand Slam – though short – was exceptionally well done.
KOTA IBUSHI RETURN
Kota Ibushi’s return was certainly a surprise. While I’ve seen many fans argue that moments like this should be reserved exclusively for Dynamite, I respectfully disagree. If AEW wants viewers to stay invested in Collision, the show needs more than consistently solid wrestling; it also needs must-see moments. Fans’ time is valuable, and AEW should continue compelling them to tune into Collision rather than letting it feel like an afterthought.
ALL-STAR EIGHT-MAN TAG TEAM MATCH
I was somewhat expecting this match to be the main event and run over 20 minutes. Instead, it turned out to be a fast-paced, highly entertaining sprint- and it absolutely delivered.
MISSES
NONE THIS WEEK!
FINAL SCORE
HITS: 7
MISSES: 0
FINAL THOUGHTS: Given that nothing was promoted for the show until Friday evening on social media, this episode ended up exceeding expectations by a wide margin.
Wrestling History: On this day in 2014, Two championships changed hands at NJPW’s Dominion event on June 21 in Osaka, Japan. The Timesplitters (Alex Shelley & Kushida) captured the IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Titles by defeating The Young Bucks. In the main event, Bad Luck Fale dethroned Shinsuke Nakamura to become the new IWGP Intercontinental Champion.
Be sure to check out Amin Ajani and me at the Collision Café, which is available with a PWTorch VIP membership.
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