{"id":179003,"date":"2024-05-26T16:05:04","date_gmt":"2024-05-26T21:05:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=179003"},"modified":"2024-05-26T16:05:04","modified_gmt":"2024-05-26T21:05:04","slug":"aew-collision-hits-misses-takeshita-attacking-moxley-the-elites-self-promotion-video-ftrs-closing-promo-for-ppv-willow-mercedes-hype-video-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2024\/05\/26\/aew-collision-hits-misses-takeshita-attacking-moxley-the-elites-self-promotion-video-ftrs-closing-promo-for-ppv-willow-mercedes-hype-video-more\/","title":{"rendered":"AEW COLLISION HITS &#038; MISSES: Takeshita attacking Moxley, The Elite&#8217;s self-promotion video, FTR&#8217;s closing promo for PPV, Willow-Mercedes hype video, more"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-3725024289\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><h3>AEW COLLISION &#8211; HITS &amp; MISSES<br \/>\nMAY 25, 2024<br \/>\nLAS VEGAS, NEV.<br \/>\nAIRED LIVE ON TNT<br \/>\nBY DAVID BRYANT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR<\/h3>\n<p><em>Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuiness<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>&#8211; OPENING NOTE:<\/strong> I\u2019d like to start this column with a correction because my opinions are super important and totally matter to people who aren\u2019t my parents. In last week\u2019s column, I accidentally gave the Serena Deeb vs. Anna Jay match a \u201cMiss,\u201d but I had meant to give them a \u201cHit.\u201d I wanted to take the time to make this correction because, while my \u201cHits &amp; Misses\u201d columns are intentionally silly, brimming with immature takes, and full of irreverent B.S., I actually do take the \u201cHits\u201d and the \u201cMisses\u201d parts of my Hits &amp; Misses column seriously.<\/p>\n<p>Anyway\u2026 *clears throat*<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Hey! Welcome back to another edition of my AEW Collision Hits &amp; Misses column. We are one night away from Double or Nothing, and this is AEW\u2019s final chance to sell their PPV via buzzworthy appearances from household names like Satnam Singh, Shawn Dean, Charlie Bravo, Toa Liona, Bishop Kaun, Dutch, Vincent, wrestlers who don\u2019t work there, and Jeff Jarret in 2024.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SHOWING CLIPS OF MOXLEY\u2019S FIRST-EVER AEW APPEARANCE \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Tony Schiavone opened the show by congratulating AEW on their 5-year anniversary (Congrats!), and he managed to tie this acknowledgment into Jon Moxley\u2019s upcoming promo by showing us clips of Jon Moxley back when he had hair because Schiavone wants to make me feel old.<\/p>\n<p><strong>JON MOXLEY &amp; DON CALLIS CUT A PROMO \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Don Callis interrupted Jon Moxley to talk about his forehead scar of many colors (tonight\u2019s color was copper-glazed burgundy) and how both he and Moxley were fellow psychopaths. (I\u2019m supposed to like Moxley, right?)<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3977044484\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Instead of refuting that he was a psychopath (a trait commonly associated with figures like Charles Manson, Adolph Hitler, and Donald Trump), Moxley offered to give Callis a second scar in hopes of bolstering their friendship. (He did not appear to be using the sarcasm emoji while making this offer.)<\/p>\n<p><strong>TAKESHITA ATTACKING MOXLEY FROM BEHIND \u2014 MINOR HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Despite Moxley\u2019s generous offer of harmonious violence, Takeshita attacked Moxley from behind and crushed his arm with a steel chair. However, given the promos that preceded this course of action, I\u2019m unsure if Takeshita was trying to offer Moxley carnage or chiropractic care.<\/p>\n<p><strong>IN A POST-DYNAMITE PROMO, WILL OSPREAY TRIES TO OUT-BLADE SWERVE STRICKLAND \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As memorable as these graphic visuals are, I think it would behoove everyone to remember that there are starving vampires in China.<\/p>\n<p><strong>HIROSHI TANAHASHI &amp; CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI &amp; DANIEL GARCIA vs. VINCENT &amp; DUTCH &amp; LANCE ARCHER \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This was a good match that I\u2019m sure will help promote tomorrow\u2019s PPV, given its relevance.<\/p>\n<p>Side Note: Seeing Lance Archer almost land on his hand on the ring apron was terrifying and not in the \u201cJon Moxley\u201d way we\u2019ve all come to love at a safe distance.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3880684354\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>Second Side Note: Watching Claudio Castagnoli spin Dutch in a circle gave new meaning to the legend of the \u201cFlying Dutchman.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>THE ELITE AIR A HYPE VIDEO FOR THEMSELVES \u2014 MEGA-HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Elite\u2019s new gimmick is starting to border on Christian Cage-levels of entertaining. I honest-to-God did not know The Young Bucks had this in them, and by \u201cin them,\u201d I mean a Waystar-branded stick up their a\u2014.<\/p>\n<p><strong>THE LUCHA BROS vs. THE GUNN BROS \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Once again, I admire AEW\u2019s commitment to serving us go-home-show matches that join the words \u201cjack all\u201d with the words \u201cto do with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>CHRIS JERICHO CUTS A PROMO \u2014 MEGA-HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Smiling like a man who ate a cat who ate a bird, Chris Jericho talked about how honored he was to be the longest reigning \u201cFor The World\u201d champion in the history of the last 34 days.<\/p>\n<p>Side Note: Chris Jericho is also the youngest \u201cFor The World\u201d champion. That part is important, too.<\/p>\n<p>Second Side Note: I went into this gimmick as skeptical as a germaphobe at a handshake convention, but I have since been won over, under, and inside out. So far, this version of Chris Jericho is the most entertaining he has been since he was sipping champagne and calling himself \u201cLe Champion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Third Side Note: That said, I hope Hook beats the ever-loving dad jokes out of Chris Jericho&#8217;s never-loving dad bod.<\/p>\n<p><strong>KYLE O\u2019REILLY vs. KM \u2014 IN THE MIDDLE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In just over a minute, AEW continued to put the word \u201crelevance\u201d in irrelevance and then set it on fire.<\/p>\n<p><strong>HYPE VIDEO FOR MERCEDES MONE vs. WILLOW NIGHTINGALE \u2014 MEGA HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve never wrestled (to the surprise of absolutely no one), but if there is one thing I can speak with authority on, it is producing hype videos because I have literally won awards for having produced hype videos. This particular video was an award-worthy video.<\/p>\n<p>I love watching hype videos produced for professional wrestling events, and WWE used to be the only company with the means to produce jaw-droppingly good ones. However, AEW has been giving them a run for their money in recent years, and this hype video is at the very front of that race. I have no idea who was responsible for creating this video, but Mercedes Mone, Willow Nightingale, Tony Khan, and anyone else who stood to benefit from it should be thanking them.<\/p>\n<p><strong>THE HOUSE OF BLACK vs. THE ACCLAIMED vs. THE INFANTRY vs. THE GATES OF AGONY \u2014 MINOR-HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This was a lot.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not saying this wasn\u2019t an entertaining match because it was, but it was also \u201cextra\u201d with a capital \u201cX.\u201d I could not keep up with who was doing what, who was the legal man, or even who was taking the pinfall. (I had to ask my boyfriend to run it back so I could see who it was that Brodie Lee pinned.)<\/p>\n<p>That said, if you like fast-paced cluster-matches with plenty of cool spots, plenty of memorable imagery, and absolutely zilch to do with AEW\u2019s upcoming PPV they want me to spend $50 on, then this match is for you.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ADAM COPELAND CHANNELS THE GHOST OF GIMMICKS\u2019 PAST \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While I\u2019m still worried that Adam Takerland\u2019s newest iteration of himself might fizzle rather than sizzle, this clever and surprisingly coherent promo gave me hope.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TONI STORM CUTS A PROMO \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Toni Storm should not be a heel, but if she is absolutely determined to continue fighting this up-heel battle, this was the kind of promo she needed to cut. However, this current iteration of Toni Storm would have trouble getting booed on Halloween.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MARIAH MAY vs. LEYLA HIRSCH \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This was a really good women\u2019s match, especially given how short it was. In fact, after the match ended, I was left wanting more.<\/p>\n<p>Side Note: Mariah May deserves her own entrance. Borrowing Toni Storm\u2019s music was cool the first ten times she did it, but now it&#8217;s starting to feel like the company doesn\u2019t care enough about her to help her establish her own identity.<\/p>\n<p>Second Side Note: Speaking of Mariah May\u2019s identity and given her recent wrestling style, it seems as if AEW wants Mariah May to adopt a Sable-like \u201csex-kitten\u201d gimmick. As long as she is on board with that kind of gimmick, I\u2019m all for it! However, to fully embrace that gimmick, she needs to step out of Toni Storm\u2019s shadow. May is a very gifted wrestler who, much like Jay White, should not be squandered.<\/p>\n<p>Third Side Note: I look forward to the day we get a Toni Storm vs. Mariah May match. That match has all the ingredients to be as epic as epicenes could epically be.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SERENA DEEB CUTS A PROMO \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Serena Deeb\u2019s backstage promos have been as on point as a ballerina, and tonight, she turned up the music. Now, I\u2019m not going to lie; I\u2019m pretty sure that tune is the sound of a funeral march heading toward an inevitable defeat at Double or Nothing, but at least I\u2019m having fun dancing to the beat until then.<\/p>\n<p><strong>HYPE VIDEO FOR SWERVE STRICKLAND vs. CHRISTIAN CAGE \u2014 MEGA-HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Emmys should start a category for hype videos.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FTR &amp; BRYAN DANIELSON vs. JEFF JARRET &amp; COMPANY \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This was so much better than it had any right to be. Plus, nothing says \u201cgo-home-show\u201d like a match featuring three men who have more to do with Good Housekeeping matches and Leatherface than with tomorrow night\u2019s $50 PPV.<\/p>\n<p>Side Note: Did I mention it\u2019s $50?<\/p>\n<p><strong>FTR CUTS A GO-HOME PROMO \u2014 MEGA-HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This was a clinic of a promo. Honestly, before this promo, I was going to give this show a B- for its failure to feature matches that were in any way relevant to tomorrow night\u2019s PPV, but this promo was good enough to bring the show\u2019s grade up from a B- to a B+. I don\u2019t know if Dax Harwood really meant the things he said, but that doesn\u2019t matter because what he said was true, and his words touched a nerve with me.<\/p>\n<p>During his promo, Harwood talked about the way great wrestling helps people escape, even if only for a few minutes, and he\u2019s not wrong. In fact, listening to Harwood\u2019s promo, I thought about something I wrote in a previous Hits &amp; Misses column. In that column, I said, \u201cI think the best praise I can give this match is to say that I received devastating personal news right before sitting down to watch Collision, and for 20 straight minutes, this match made me forget about it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That is high praise, but it is also not only true for me but for many others like me. So, all jokes aside, to the wrestling artists out there who put everything on the line so we can escape, forget, and get through really bad days: thank you. As critical as wrestling fans can be, it may not seem like we appreciate what you do, but in at least one way, real life is a little bit like wrestling because things aren\u2019t always what they seem.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FINAL THOUGHTS:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If I were grading this show based on how well it hyped Double or Nothing, I\u2019d have spent half the night Googling whether there is a line of demarcation in which letters can cross over into the negatives. However, if I were to grade this show based on how well it entertained me, I\u2019d have no choice but to give it an above-average grade. For the sake of time, the alphabet, and my sanity, I\u2019m going with the latter option.<\/p>\n<p><strong>SHOW GRADE:<\/strong> B+<\/p>\n<p><strong>DAVID\u2019S DODGY MATCH RECOMMENDATIONS:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Match of the Night: FTR &amp; DANIELSON VS. JEFF JARRETT &amp; COMPANY<\/li>\n<li>Second Best Match: HIROSHI TANAHASHI &amp; CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI &amp; DANIEL GARCIA vs. THE RIGHTEOUS &amp; LANCE ARCHER<\/li>\n<li>Third Best Match: MARIAH MAY vs. LEYLA HIRSCH<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Thank you all for reading. I truly appreciate it. As always, I\u2019m still working on my sign-off, but until next week, remember to remind AEW\u2019s team that there is a PPV tomorrow because if tonight\u2019s show was any kind of indicator, only 50 percent of them know about it.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>(David Bryant\u2019s new bathroom-selfies can be found on his \u201cArtist Formerly Known as Twitter\u201d account @IamDavidBryant; a video of David Bryant being knocked unconscious by an exploding television set can be found on his Instagram account @IamDavidBryant, and David Bryant\u2019s Threads account is threadbare and also located @IamDavidBryant because David Bryant sucks at usernames. David is a published author, circus artist, drag promoter, male pageant winner, unrenowned musician, sloppy figure skater, and the inventor of the world\u2019s first sleeping bag, which is a shopping bag for people whose groceries get tired. Less impressively, he studied screenwriting at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.)<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-3857071383\"><div id=\"pwtor-3935945047\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>AEW COLLISION &#8211; HITS &amp; MISSES MAY 25, 2024 LAS VEGAS, NEV. AIRED LIVE ON TNT BY DAVID BRYANT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuiness &#8211; OPENING NOTE: I\u2019d like to start this column <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2024\/05\/26\/aew-collision-hits-misses-takeshita-attacking-moxley-the-elites-self-promotion-video-ftrs-closing-promo-for-ppv-willow-mercedes-hype-video-more\/\" title=\"AEW COLLISION HITS &#038; MISSES: Takeshita attacking Moxley, The Elite&#8217;s self-promotion video, FTR&#8217;s closing promo for PPV, Willow-Mercedes hype video, more\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":179006,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,28,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-179003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-specialists_hitsandmisses","category-specialists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2024\/05\/Screenshot-2024-05-26-at-4.03.57\u202fPM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=179003"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179003\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":179007,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/179003\/revisions\/179007"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/179006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=179003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=179003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=179003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}