AEW COLLISION HITS & MISSES (9/6): Garcia pushes Moxley to the Limit, Big Bill Calls out Eddie Kingston, MJF returns to cost Mark Briscoe in the main event

To help you navigate, my “Hits” are ordered from best to worst. Each review includes a historical tidbit and a final grade. With that said, let’s move into the high points of this week’s episode.

HITS

MOXLEY vs. GARCIA

Danny Garcia’s slow build on Collision continued this week. This match felt like it had some urgency, and Moxley provided him enough rope to be dangerous without overshadowing the outcome. Even with a clean defeat, Garcia didn’t lose any credibility in the booking – if anything, the post-match promo endeared him to the audience and added to his stock. Fans can see him as more than a perennial underdog now.

BIG BILL PROMO

Big Bill was in and out. He got some heat on Philly, dropped a few words on Eddie Kingston, and exited. No unnecessary banter, no dead air. Collision could use a lot more promos like this.

VIGNETTES WITH PURPOSE

The video packages actually worked this week, doing more than just filling time. From Ace Austin’s video to Dalton Castle’s return and the tease of the Clone Hologram, each vignette added context, advanced storylines, and kept the show moving without slowing the pace.

FTR

Although FTR vs. Adam Priest & Tommy Billington wasn’t a classic match, it did provide the tag division some stability. The match was driven by the foundations of FTR, and it was connected to the greater title storylines through references to Adam Copeland and Christian Cage.

TAKESHITA VS. BRISCOE

Mark Briscoe continues to be the workhorse of Collision, and Takeshita looks like a threat. Both guys came out of this stronger, and it added some juice to the Takeshita face turn that is in route. MJF costing Briscoe didn’t hurt the quality of the match; if anything, it enhanced it, as the fact MJF is never on Collision.

TIGHTER PRODUCTION & PACING

The episode was smoother this week, with fewer split-screen ads, tighter replays, and better pacing, creating a focused and efficient two hours.

EIGHT-WOMAN TAG

The women’s match felt like more than just a token segment. Everyone contributed, with Toni Storm and Julia Hart standing out in particular. The post-match angle set up the All Out four-way, giving the division meaningful stakes.

ARTICLE 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)

MISSES

THE PRAGON

The act remains directionless and lacks energy, cooling the crowd. AEW needs to define what this faction is supposed to represent,  otherwise, they risk becoming background noise on a show that was otherwise sharp and focused.

FINAL SCORE

• HITS: 7
• MISSES: 1

FINAL THOUGHTS

Among the most successful episodes in recent weeks was Collision. The matches all had significance. The tempo was clear and the vignettes gave the action a sense of direction. The production felt tighter overall, Takeshita gained momentum, and Big Bill gave a great promo. The Pragon’s lack of direction was the only negative aspect. Other than that, it was a tight, concentrated two hours that demonstrated how terrific Collision can be when it stays on course.

WRESTLING HISTORY

On this day in 2014, Jay Briscoe won the ROH World Championship at “All-Star Extravaganza VI” in Toronto, Canada, defeating Michael Elgin. Briscoe became just the second guy to win the title more than once with the victory.

PODCAST PLUG

Be sure to check out the Collision Café I host with PWTorch’s Amin Ajani, available exclusively to PWTorch VIP members.