SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
To help add context, my “Hits” are ordered from best to worst. With that said, let’s move into the high points of this week’s episode.
HIT — COLLISION’S SHOW FORMAT
I thought this week’s Collision format was excellent overall. Opening with a promo segment, incorporating recaps throughout the show, and featuring plenty of backstage segments gave the episode a much better flow. The Josh Alexander segment with Adam Copeland was another strong example of advancing a storyline without needing a lengthy match. More importantly, none of this came at the expense of the wrestling. AEW found a good balance between advancing storylines and giving the matches enough time to deliver. This is the type of format I’d like to see Collision follow more consistently.
HIT — AEW’S COHESIVE STORYTELLING
One of my biggest takeaways from Collision was AEW following up on one of the biggest angles from Dynamite in quite some time. Rather than waiting until Wednesday to continue the story, Collision felt like a natural extension of what happened earlier in the week: the characters, rivalries, and consequences carried over from one show to the next. A cohesive wrestling universe where everything feels connected, and the characters actually interact with one another. Go figure.
HIT — FTR vs. MOTOR CITY MACHINE GUNS
If you’re a fan of old-school tag team wrestling, this feud between FTR and the Motor City Machine Guns is for you. Through the first two matches of their best-of-five series, both teams have been given plenty of time, yet neither match has felt bloated or dragged. In fact, both have flown by. There’s something to be said for two teams that understand traditional tag team psychology and know how to build a match without wasting time. It’s also clear that Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley are out to prove a point after arriving in AEW. Another aspect I appreciate is how this program is being featured across multiple shows, with the series continuing from Collision to Dynamite this Wednesday. FTR evened the series at 1–1 with their victory, and I’m already looking forward to the next match.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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HIT — JAY WHITE AND THE LAST OUTFIT
Jay White is much better suited as a heel, and Saturday’s Collision reminded us of that. Neither his opening promo nor his post-match comments were particularly moving, but both effectively set the direction for The Last Outfit. More importantly, AEW wasted little time laying the groundwork for a program between White and Jon Moxley over the Continental Championship. White feels far more natural in this role, and the straightforward presentation made it clear where the story is heading. Sometimes that’s all a segment needs.
HIT — SWERVE STRICKLAND vs. MYRON REED
AEW’s roster and booking decisions tell you the company sees something in Myron Reed. In recent weeks, Reed has faced Darby Allin, Kazuchika Okada, and now Swerve Strickland. That’s a pretty impressive list of opponents. Swerve gave Reed plenty of chances throughout this 11-minute match, letting him showcase his offense while still coming across as the bigger star. Reed ultimately fell short, but there’s nothing wrong with losing a competitive match to someone of Swerve’s caliber. If anything, Reed keeps gaining credibility from these performances, and Swerve loses none of his momentum.
HIT — DEATH RIDERS’ BABYFACE PRESENTATION
AEW finally seems to have committed to presenting the Death Riders as full-fledged babyfaces, and the crowd is responding. During their mixed tag match against Shane Taylor Promotions, Claudio Castagnoli received a strong babyface reaction, particularly when he delivered his signature Giant Swing. Marina Shafir also had the fans firmly behind her when she locked in the Brutalizer for the submission victory. After months of the group’s alignment feeling somewhat unclear, this change was welcome. The Death Riders now have a defined direction, and judging by the audience’s reaction, it’s one that fans are willing to embrace.
MISSE
MISS — WOMEN’S BLOOD & GUTS BUILD
I want to be mindful that Pac’s death may have changed some of AEW’s plans heading into Blood & Guts. With that in mind, I can understand the shorter build for the men’s match. However, I can’t say the same for the women. To me, this feels like AEW is trying to fit a women’s Blood & Guts match onto the card rather than letting the story get us there. Yes, we’ve seen developments involving Divine Dominion, Triangle of Madness, Wrathlander, and the Brawling Birds, but is that really enough to justify Blood and Guts? I don’t think so. I have no doubt these women will bust their asses to put on a great match. That’s never been my concern. My issue is that the story hasn’t given me much reason to believe these teams need to settle their differences inside Blood & Guts.
FINAL SCORE
- HITS: 6
- MISSES: 1
FINAL THOUGHTS: Collision has certainly had stronger match cards than we saw this week, but overall, this was one of the more complete episodes in recent memory. I’ve been asking for Collision to find a better balance between quality wrestling, promos, backstage segments, and meaningful storyline progression, and this episode delivered on much of that. More importantly, the show felt connected to what happened on Dynamite rather than existing in its own bubble. That’s something I’ve wanted to see more consistently. The women’s Blood & Guts build still leaves plenty to be desired, but overall, this episode checked a lot of the boxes I’ve been asking Collision to check for quite some time.
THIS DAY IN WRESTLING HISTORY
On this day in 1999: WCW Halloween Havoc took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Harlem Heat captured their tenth WCW Tag Team Championship, while Goldberg defeated Sid Vicious for the United States Championship. Sting retained the WCW World Championship after Hulk Hogan laid down for a three-second pin, only to lose to Goldberg later that night in a controversial non-title main event. The championship was declared vacant the following night on Nitro.
