Collision
Date: September 23, 2023
Location: Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness

It’s time to wrap up another very busy week for AEW and it’s going to get even busier next week with WrestleDream. For now though, we have a big card with Ricky Starks vs. Bryan Danielson in a Texas Deathmatch and a triple threat match for the TNT Title. That should make for a nice night so let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Darby Allin, Christian Cage, Luchasaurus, Ricky Starks and Bryan Danielson are ready to fight.

Opening sequence.

TNT Title: Christian Cage vs. Darby Allin vs. Luchasaurus

Luchasaurus is defending but Cage has all but said this is a handicap match against Allin. For a bonus, Sting is barred from ringside. They start fast with Allin throwing powder at Luchasaurus and knocking Cage outside for a dive. Back in and Code Red gets two on Cage, followed by a dive onto Luchasaurus. Cage knocks Allin off the apron though and the beating is on, with Luchasaurus sending in a chair.

Back in and Cage chokes Allin on the chair and Luchasaurus suplexes Allin, with the chair flying away as well. Cage doesn’t like Luchasaurus going for the cover…and then gets a near fall of his own. Everyone goes outside and Allin is whipped hard into the steps as we take a break.

Back with Luchasaurus being sent outside so Cage can miss a spear in the corner. Allin and Cage trade rollups until Allin hits a Death Drop. The Coffin Drop to the floor hits both villains but Allin has t flip out of a chokeslam inside. The flipping Stunner works a bit better for Allin so Cage brings in the title. The shot misses so Allin dropkicks him into the corner.

One heck of a chokeslam cuts Allin down though and Luchasaurus FINALLY gets to pick up the title. Cage says hand it over and, after some yelling, gets what he wants. Allin rams them into each other though and belts Luchasaurus in the head for two. The Coffin Drop connects but Cage sends Allin outside and steals the pin on Luchasaurus for the title at 10:03.

Rating: B. That’s an interesting way to go, as so much of the appeal of Cage and Luchasaurus’ act was about Cage holding the title without being champion. At the same time, this might be a step too far for Luchasaurus, who certainly liked holding the title for a little while. That being said, as usual this was about Allin bouncing all over the place like a rubber ball and it made or a heck of a performance. Good match, and they advance the Cage/Luchasaurus story in a big way.

Post match Luchasaurus doesn’t look happy but gets a hug before having to carry Cage on his shoulders.

We look at Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega uniting to go after the Don Callis Family.

The Don Callis Family thinks Omega and Jericho teaming with Kota Ibushi will make Omega weak. They’ve got a third family member and it’s….Will Ospreay. The match is set for WrestleDream. Well that’s big.

Christian Cage talks about how he has always been the undisputed champion and dedicates it to Nick Wayne’s parents. He’s happy to be done with Darby Allin, but Tony Khan has announced Cage vs. Allin, 2/3 falls for WrestleDream.

Rob Van Dam/Hook vs. Angelo Parker/Matt Menard

Jake Hager and Anna Jay are here with Parker and Menard. Hook takes Menard down to start but it’s quickly off to Parker. Van Dam comes in and easily drops Parker, followed by a rollup for two on Menard. The springboard kick to the face sends Parker outside, giving us the YOU’VE STILL GOT IT chant as we take a break.

Back with Hook not being able to get over for the tag so he settles for a suplex to Parker. The tag brings Van Dam back in to kick away, setting up Rolling Thunder for two on Parker with Menard having to make the save. Hager tries to bring in the chair but gets Van Daminatored. Hook pulls Parker into Redrum and the Five Star Frog Splash finishes Menard at 8:20.

Rating: C+. The match wasn’t great but what mattered here was getting Van Dam in there again for a nostalgia moment. Van Dam is still more than good enough to have an eight minute tag match and looked perfectly fine in there. Menard and Parker losing isn’t a big deal so this went about as well as it could have or a quick moment.

We look at Eddie Kingston winning the ROH World Title and now he’s going to defend it (plus the New Japan Strong Openweight Title) against Katsuyori Shibata at WrestleDream.

The Dark Order wants you.

The Kingdom don’t like the Best Friends for not keeping their friends NECK STRONG. Next week, it’s piledrivers in support of neck health.

Julia Hart vs. Kiera Hogan

Brody King is here with Hart and Hogan is taking an injured Willow Nightingale’s place. Hogan starts fast with a running hip attack against the rope but gets pulled down by the hair. A suplex lets Hart hammer away but Hogan is back up with some shots to the head. Hart knocks her down again and hits a standing moonsault to set up the chinlock. The sliding clothesline to the back of the head sets up Hartless to make Hogan tap at 3:35.

Rating: C. This was about as good as it was going to get as Hogan hasn’t been treated anything special and the real fight is with Nightingale. Hart gets to be built up a little more before the showdown. The match was little more than a squash and now we can get to the Nightingale match, whenever it happens.

Post match Hart goes after Hogan again until Skye Blue tries for the save. That earns Blue (who Hart beat last night) the mist so King can challenge Kris Statlander for the TBS Title at WrestleDream.

We look at the Righteous becoming #1 contenders to the Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles.

The Righteous walk through a garden and act all creepy, because that’s a totally new concept in wrestling.

Andrade El Idolo vs. Jay White

The rest of Bullet Club Gold is here with White. Andrade powers him into the corner to start and grabs a headlock. A shot off the top looks to set up Three Amigos but White slips out of the third. That’s fine with Andrade, who dropkicks him off the ropes and out to the floor. Back in and White knocks Andrade to the floor for a change and we take a break. Back with White taking him down for some shots to the chest.

They chop it out until Andrade snaps off some dragon screw legwhips. A flying forearm sends White into the corner and then out to the floor. Andrade hits a big moonsault onto the Club (and lands on his feet), followed by the double moonsault for two back inside. White knocks him outside and hits a swinging Rock Bottom for two, followed by a quickly broken chinlock.

Back up and Andrade drops him for two, setting up the running knees in the corner. The hammerlock DDT gets two as Juice Robinson puts a foot on the rope. A Figure Four keeps White in trouble and Andrade bridges up into the Figure Eight. That’s enough to bring in the Club for the distraction, allowing Robinson to deck Andrade. The Blade Runner finishes for White at 16:23.

Rating: B. These two had a heck of a match as this was Andrade being motivated and working hard in there to look good. At the same time though, White is on a roll right now and it’s cool to see him getting a big win like this one. This was rather awesome and I could go for more of both of them.

Ortiz talks about how Mike Santana has used him for years. Then Santana ran from his problems, but he won’t be able to run much longer.

Shane Taylor is made at Keith Lee leaving him in ROH, but Taylor became a legend there anyway. If he has to put Lee in the ground to take care of his kids, so be it. First though, Lee can face Lee Moriarty.

Tag Team Titles: FTR vs. Workhorsemen

FTR is defending and Aussie Open is on commentary. Wheeler and Henry take turns going to the mat with neither getting much of an advantage. Drake comes in to miss an elbow and it’s Harwood coming in to try a running shoulder. A running shot puts Harwood down for two and it’s back to Henry. That’s fine with Harwood, who plants him with a brainbuster. Drake cuts Wheeler off though and hits a Cannonball on Harwood. A moonsault gives Drake two and a forearm rocks Harwood again. Drake tries a middle rope hurricanrana but gets slammed out of the air. The Sharpshooter retains the titles at 4:34.

Rating: C+. This didn’t have time to go very far and that is about as good of an idea as they had here. No one was buying the Workhorsemen (though that moonsault was good) when the Aussies were already on commentary and talking about WrestleDream. I can go with these short form FTR title defenses, as having them go this long with teams like the Workhorsemen, who barely ever win anything, is a bit of a stretch.

Post match the Aussies get in the ring to talk about how they’re having this match to show they’re still the team that took FTR to the limit last year. That’s cool with Harwood, who wants the baddest team to come after them. Top guys out.

CJ (not Perry) is here to make her husband Miro a champion again but he’s preoccupied. Miro comes in to say CJ is his temptation. She talks about liking the challenge of guiding people, but she doesn’t need Miro to save her. It seems she’s going to find someone else to manage. Just stay away from her future clients. Miro walks off without saying anything.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Video on WrestleDream.

Ricky Starks vs. Bryan Danielson

Texas Deathmatch (Last Man Standing) and there is no Big Bill for a change. They go right at it to start with Danielson sending him outside for a dive. Starks gets crotched on the barricade and they fight into the crowd. Back to ringside and Starks sends him into the crowd again, setting up a big dive to talk out a pair of guards.

We take a break and come back with Starks sending him into the announcers’ table over and over. Starks cracks him in the knee with a chair and then drives it into the ribs. Danielson is busted open so Starks goes after the cut, which just fired Danielson up. Starks drops him again though and we take another break.

Back again with Starks hitting a spear and choking Danielson out with a chain. That’s good for nine but another spear is countered into the LeBell Lock. Danielson chokes with the chain as well but Starks fires up. Danielson elbow shim in the head over and over, followed by a running knee to send a chair into Starks’ face. Starks is bused open and Danielson stomps away. The running knee, with chain, finishes Stark at 20:06.

Rating: B. These two work well together and that should wrap up the feud, which never saw Starks beat Danielson in a singles match. For now though, it was a good fight with Danielson elevating Starks up a good bit. Danielson seems to be on his retirement tour though and if that means running someone over, it’s likely going to happen.

Post match Wheeler Yuta and Big Bill come out to check on their friends and almost get in a fight to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was a stacked card and it mostly delivered with a trio of solid matches. I had a good time with the show and the White vs. Andrade match was a treat. They also rapid fired the build towards WrestleDream, which certainly needed it with about a week to go before the show. They might want to work on that in the future, but I have no reason to believe they actually will. For now though, rather strong Collision here, though I’m not sure they’re going to be able to have this strong of a card every week.

Results
Christian Cage b. Luchasaurus and Darby Allin – Coffin Drop to Luchasaurus
Rob Van Dam/Hook b. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker – Five Star Frog Splash to Menard
Julia Hart b. Kiera Hogan – Hartless
Jay White b. Andrade El Idolo – Blade Runner
FTR b. Workhorsemen – Sharpshooter to Drake
Bryan Danielson b. Ricky Starks – Running knee with a chain around the leg

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Rampage
Date: September 22, 2023
Location: Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York City, New York
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Ian Riccaboni

It’s a special two hour edition of the show and hopefully that means it gets a bit more attention this week. Rampage has a tendency to have one match of note and then a bunch of other things but maybe the big stage will change that. The ROH Six Man Tag Team Titles are on the line as the Elite get a shot, so we could be in for some fireworks. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Luchasaurus/Christian Cage vs. Darby Allin/Sting

Nick Wayne is here with Allin and Sting. It’s a brawl before the match and Luchasaurus is knocked outside. Sting sends Cage into the steps but Luchasaurus sends Allin into the post in a huge crash out to the floor. We settle down to Cage choking Allin inside and Luchasaurus whipping him hard into the corner. Luchasaurus cuts off a tag attempt and we take a break.

Back with Luchasaurus hitting a chokeslam on Allin to keep him in trouble. Allin manages to slip away from Christian though and it’s off to Sting. House is cleaned, including a spinebuster to Christian and a double Stinger Splash. A Scorpion Death Coffin Drop (cool) hits Luchasaurus but Christian pokes Allin in the eye. Wayne offers a distraction though and Allin gets a jackknife rollup for the pin at 7:40.

Rating: B-. This was a good way to get things going towards the TNT Title match on Collision while also not pinning the champion. The more interesting story here though was Sting, who looks phenomenal for just about anyone, let alone someone in their 60s. Hot opener here, with the Scorpion Death Coffin Drop being a great team finisher for Sting and Allin.

Kris Statlander/Orange Cassidy/Hook vs. Anna Jay/Angelo Parker/Matt Menard

Jake Hager is here with the villains. Hook and Menard start things off but the latter keeps tagging in and out with Parker. Hook beats them both up but Menard tags Jay in to escape Redrum. A running spinwheel kick hits Statlander in the corner but she’s right back with a delayed suplex. Hager jumps Cassidy though and the distraction lets Jay hit a superkick. A distracted Hook is taken out as well and it’s a belly to back suplex back inside.

We take a break and come back with Hook hitting a double clothesline and handing it off to Cassidy for a dropkick to Menard and Parker. Everything breaks down and the heroes hit a triple suplex. A jumping elbow to the back hits Cassidy and Hager gets in a cheap shot to Hook. Jay grabs the Queenslayer on Cassidy but Statlander breaks it up with a faceplant. Cassidy Orange Punches Parker for the pin at 9:26.

Rating: C+. While not quite as big on star power as the opener, this was another match where they kept things simple and let the fans cheer for people they liked. Cassidy and Hook have a weird thing going on and it wouldn’t shock me to see them face off in what could be one of the stranger matches in AEW. Jay doesn’t feel like much of a threat to Statlander, but it’s not like there are many people coming after the title at the moment.

QTV shows us some footage of QT Marshall winning a match in Montreal. Marshall sends in a text, saying he wants a partner for next week. Aaron Solo and Johnny TV think it should be them and Solo is disappointed when it’s not him.

Here are Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita to explain Sammy Guevara’s actions. Callis talks about how everyone was enthralled with him going after Chris Jericho a few weeks ago. Now though, here is the newest member of the Don Callis Family: Sammy Guevara. Cue Sammy, in a flowered shirt and white pants, to say he hated Callis at first, but Guevara was only showing him that he never had a family in the first place.

Guevara is sick of the fans and Chris Jericho, so here is Jericho to go after him. Takeshita makes the save with a bunch of chair shots and Callis busts out the screwdriver. Cue Kenny Omega for the save with a pipe. With the villains gone, Omega and Jericho tease fighting but it’s ok. I can go for combining these feuds into one, just for the sake of less Callis TV time.

Post break Omega says that was about going after Callis and company rather than saving Jericho. Cue Jericho to say AEW was build on their feud but now they should team up to face Callis’ family at WrestleDream. Oh and Kota Ibushi will team with them so Callis needs to find a third.

Best Friends vs. Hardys vs. Righteous vs. The Kingdom

For a Ring Of Honor Tag Team Title shot, with the Hardys having the same chance as the Righteous despite losing to the Righteous last week. It’s a brawl to start until the Hardys and Beat Friends have a staredown. The four way hug is broken up though and a bunch of them head outside for the Flight of the Conqueror from Taven. Back in and the Best Friends hug, followed by stereo running flip dives.

We take a break and come back with Matt Side Effecting Vincent for two, setting up Jeff’s splash for the same. Everything breaks down and the Righteous clean house but the Best Friends grab some suplexes. Chuck superkicks Taven but Soul Food is broken up. Bennett hits Taylor low and the Hail Mary (spike piledriver) gets two as Beretta makes the save. Jeff tags himself in for the Swanton but Vincent tags himself in and hits his own Swanton for the pin on Taylor at 9:30.

Rating: C. Well at least it wasn’t a tournament. The Righteous haven’t done much in ROH but here they beat three apparently AEW teams to get a shot at the titles. I can go for some fresh blood, but at the end of the day, all signs point to the Kingdom taking the titles from Adam Cole and MJF anyway.

Post match the Kingdom takes out the Best Friends with some chairs.

Mike Santana is ready to wonder where his life went. Now he’s back so don’t get in between him and his family. If you don’t like it, fight him or fire him.

Trios Titles: Dark Order vs. Billy Gunn/Acclaimed

Gunn/Acclaimed are defending and points for the “Scissor Me Daddy Ashe” sign. Caster chops Reynolds to start and armdrags him into an armbar. Back up and Caster is taken into the corner for some clubberin but he easily drives Silver into the champs’ corner. It’s off to Bowens for some fired up right hands before Gunn comes in for a scissoring double elbow. Scissor Me Timbers is broken up by Reynolds though and Silver’s bridging German suplex gets two on Bowens.

The Order mocks the scissoring and we take a break. Back with Reynolds hitting a running corner clothesline for two on Caster. The beating doesn’t last long as Caster gets over to Gunn for the hot tag without much effort. Gunn drops Silver and hands it off to Bowens, who is quickly small packaged for two. Back up and Bowens hits a superkick, setting up the Arrival and Mic Drop. Silver makes the save and Uno belts Caster in the head for two. Bowens is back in so an assisted Iconoclasm can retain the titles at 10:38.

Rating: C+. As usual, the match was ok but the Dark Order feel like bigger and bigger losers every time they’re out there. Granted I’m not sure who else is supposed to challenge for these titles as the trios division is basically one or two teams plus the champions at any given time. The fans were digging the Acclaimed as usual, but it was just another match.

Julia Hart vs. Skye Blue

Brody King is here with Hart, who has won TWENTY FOUR singles matches in a row. We get the big removal of the hats until Hart offers a left handshake, only to pull Blue in for a whisper. Blue gets slapped so she forearms away and hits a knee to Hart’s face. A suplex gives Blue two but Hart sends her into the corner and hammers away. We take a break and come back with Blue kicking her in the head for two more. Hart catches her on top and hits a superplex but manages to hang onto the ropes and look upside down at her for a bit. Hartless and Skyfall are both blocked but the second Hartless attempt makes Blue tap at 8:14.

Rating: C. Hart is starting to get somewhere and it is nice to see her develop. At the same time though, she needs to move up and face some better competition. Blue is an upgrade, but there are better stars out there that could help Hart improve a lot faster. At the same time, Blue continues to just be there and has cooled off tremendously in recent weeks.

Post match Hart grabs Hartless again but Willow Nightingale makes the save (the fans are rather into the clapping with the music).

Bullet Club Gold practice their Spanish before Jay White faces Andrade El Idolo on Collision. White is ready for him, as you might expect.

Mike Santana vs. Bronson

Bronson starts fast and hammers away in the corner but Santana is back with a rolling cutter. A discus lariat into a Cannonball sets up a double underhook Codebreaker for the pin at 2:26. Santana looked pretty good, or at least as good as you can get in a match with so little time.

Post match Ortiz comes out for the staredown and trash talking ensues.

Video on Hangman Page vs. Swerve Strickland and then Page/the Young Bucks vs. the Mogul Embassy for the ROH Six Man Tag Team Titles.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Ring Of Honor Six Man Tag Team Titles: Hangman Page/Young Bucks vs. Mogul Embassy

The Embassy, with Prince Nana, is defending. It’s a brawl to start with the Bucks and Gates going to the floor, leaving Page to hammer on Cage. The Bucks help take Cage down and Kaun is held on the apron for Page’s running shooting star. Back in and a 450 hits Cage but cue Swerve Strickland to cut off the triple knee. Thankfully this means Nana gets to dance as Page stares Swerve down.

The distraction lets the Gates toss Matt into a sitout powerbomb, with Page having to make the save. Page is sent hard into the corner and we take a break. Back with Matt diving off the top to take out the Gates. The hot tag brings in Page to hammer on Cage, including a big boot. Cage gets two off a powerbomb and the champs all grab fireman’s carries. An F5, Samoan drop and White Noise drop Page and the Bucks for two on Page, followed by the running shots in the corner.

The middle rope splash/powerbomb combination gets two on Page with Nick making the save. Page is back with the Deadeye for two on Cage so Strickland comes down for a closer look. The Buckshot lariat misses though and Page is distracted by Swerve, allowing Cage to hit a discus lariat. The Drill Claw is loaded up but Page reverses into a rollup for the pin (despite Cage’s shoulder being WAY off the mat) and the titles at 11:58.

Rating: B. Best match of the show here and the title change does mean something after the Embassy has dominated the division for so long. That being said, having the Bucks and Page win even more titles isn’t the most thrilling story. The Elite winning titles feels like a regular tradition no matter what and it’s hart to get interested in it again. It might help ROH if they appear on the show, but for now, it’s just another item on an already very long resume.

Overall Rating: C+. The show was good enough and not boring but my goodness please keep it at an hour. As tends to be the case on a lot of AEW shows, it felt like they had a few big stories but a lot of stuff sprinkled in to fill time between them. The main event is good and the opener was good enough along with Jericho and Omega uniting, but that’s not quite eough to fill in a two hour show.

Results
Sting/Darby Allin b. Christian Cage/Luchasaurus – Rollup to Cage
Orange Cassidy/Hook/Kris Statlander b. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker/Anna Jay – Orange Punch to Parker
Righteous b. Hardys, the Kingdom and Best Friends – Swanton to Taylor
Billy Gunn/Acclaimed b. Dark Order – Assisted Iconoclasm to Reynolds
Julia Hart b. Skye Blue – Hartless
Mike Santana b. Bronson – Double underhook Codebreaker
Hangman Page/Young Bucks b. Mogul Embassy – Rollup to Cage

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.

Collision
Date: September 16, 2023
Location: Bryce Jordan Center, State College, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness

The new era of Collision continues and we have some big matches this time around. First up we have FTR facing the Iron Savages, but the main event will see Kris Statlander defending the TBS Title against Britt Baker. The latter has the potential for quite the upset so let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Claudio Castagnoli, Bryan Danielson, Big Cass, Ricky Starks, Kris Statlander, Britt Baker, Dark Order, Acclaimed and Billy Gunn are ready to fight.

Opening sequence.

Ricky Starks/Big Bill vs. Bryan Danielson/Claudio Castagnoli

Danielson and Starks start things off but it’s off to Bill before anything happens. Bill chops away in the corner but Danielson comes right back with the kicks to the leg. Castagnoli comes in for the test of strength before slugging it out with Bill instead. With Danielson coming in for the double team, Bill clotheslines both of them down and hands it back to Starks to forearm away in the corner. Danielson strikes away in the corner and hits a middle rope hurricanrana for two. Bill comes back in for the splash in the corner and Danielson is sent outside, where Starks unloads again.

We take a break and come back with Danielson still in trouble in the corner. That’s broken up and Danielson hits a clothesline to leave them both down. The double tag brings in Castagnoli and Bill with the former firing off the uppercuts and clotheslines in the corner. A TKO gets two on Bill but he’s right back with a chokeslam for the same. It’s back to Starks, who is quickly caught in the Swing for two.

Everything breaks down and Danielson dropkicks Bill to the floor, setting up the suicide dive. Another uppercut gets two on Starks and Danielson kicks away at this chest. The LeBell Lock is blocked though and Bill gets in a cheap shot from the floor. The spear gets two with Castagnoli making a save this time. Bill and Castagnoli fight on the floor, leaving Danielson to load up hit belly to back superplex. Starks turns that over and lands on Danielson for two, leaving Bill to distract the referee. That’s enough for a low blow into a Roshambo to finish Danielson at 16:36.

Rating: B. There is a simple formula for success in AEW: let Bryan Danielson have a match. It is more or less impossible to screw that up and it worked again here, with everyone else doing very well at the same time. Everyone was working hard here and it was a good, long match as Danielson vs. Starks gets to continue going forward.

The Young Bucks and Hangman Page are ready to face the Mogul Embassy, but let’s make it a Trios Titles match. They’re on for Rampage.

Powerhouse Hobbs promises destruction.

Miro says Powerhouse Hobbs should be thanking him for not making Hobbs humble. They’ll have to meet up again, but now he needs to talk about his wife. Miro is ready to hurt anyone who won’t be redeemed.

Tag Team Titles: FTR vs. Iron Savages

The Savages, with Jacked Jameson, are challenging. Jameson talks trash before the match and gets Shatter Machined for his efforts. That leaves Wheeler to get planted so a top rope splash can get two. Harwood is sent outside and it’s a sitout chokebomb for two more as the champs are in trouble early. A missed charge sends Bronson into the corner and it’s off to Harwood, who dropkicks Boulder. That doesn’t last long either as it’s Bronson going up, only to miss a moonsault. The Shatter Machine hits him and it’s a PowerPlex to Boulder for the pin at 3:16.

Rating: C+. Well they made good time. I can go with the idea of flying through a match like this, as the Savages don’t seem like a team that have the longest shelf during a match. Let FTR get in there, do their stuff and get out with what felt like an impactful win. It was quick and got the job done, which is about as good as anything else they were going to do here.

Post match the Workhorsemen come out and want a title shot, as Aussie Open watches in the back.

Keith Lee is in the back (after a director claps his hand and says Collision Take 22) but Shane Taylor interrupts. Taylor (Keith’s former tag team partner) introduces Lee to Lee Moriarty, the newest member of Shane Taylor Promotions. Keith doesn’t seem impressed and looks ready for Shane.

John Silver vs. Anthony Bowens

Hold on though as Silver has a microphone and a piece of paper. First of all though, he Googled scissoring and they’re doing it wrong. The paper is a contract, banning Billy Gunn and Max Caster from ringside. Silver jumps him from behind but Bowens fights back in the corner to take over. Bowens snapmares him over and we get a scissoring, which has Silver so annoyed that…he gets sent outside. Back in and Bowens gets knocked off the top and we take a break.

We come back with Bowens kicking him in the face a few times, setting up the running Fameasser for two. Silver strikes away to cut him off and hits a fisherman’s buster for two of his own. Bowens is fine enough to knock him outside for the discus forearm but cue Evil Uno from under the ring. A posting is enough to set up Silver’s running kick to the head for the pin at 9:11.

Rating: C+. Bowens is someone who has all kinds o charisma and that should be enough to carry him somewhere. He and Caster are great together and that might be the way to go for him, but there might be something else there if the team stops working. Acclaimed/Gunn vs. Dark Order should work for a title feud, at least until someone better comes along to go after the belts.

Eddie Kingston talks about his history with Claudio Castagnoli. They were friends in 2006 or 2007 but then Castagnoli started judging and disrespecting him. Castagnoli left potholes in the road that they had to follow and now he’s supposed to fix it. At Grans Slam it’s title for title and no matter what, that’s it between them. Everywhere he goes in New York is his and no one is beating him in New York. Try to beat him there. This was Kingston at his best: thundering away and saying whatever came to his mind about what he was doing.

Hook and Orange Cassidy share Doritos and agree to team together at Grand Slam. Renee: “….cool.”

Aussie Open vs. ???/???

The Aussies jump them and it’s an Alabama Slam into a sitout powerbomb for the pin on one of the unnamed at 43 seconds.

Post match the Aussies call out FTR for WrestleDream, titles on the line or not.

We get a sitdown interview with Toni Storm (called Portrait Of A Star). She insists that she has NOT changed and this company wouldn’t know talent if it slapped them. Oh and she does NOT like this lamp. More on this later. I’m not sure how to define what Storm is doing but it’s good.

Scorpio Sky is ready for Andrade El Idolo.

Scorpio Sky vs. Andrade El Idolo

Feeling out process to start until Sky snaps off an anklescissors. Andrade runs him over and goes up but gets knocked down hard as we take a break. Back with Andrade shrugging off a kick to the face and dragon screwing Sky’s leg. Andrade sends him into the corner but the running knees are cut off. The middle rope sunset flip gives Sky two so Andrade bails to the floor. There’s the big running flip dive but Andrade kicks out the leg back inside. The Figure Four goes on and Andrade bridges up into the Figure Eight for the tap at 9:10.

Rating: C+. I still like Sky quite a bit, but he might not be the most interesting star outside of having a string of good matches. The positive thing about that: it more or less guarantees him a job for as long as he wants one, as there is always going to be a spot for someone like that on a roster. Andrade is still very talented and gets to show that occasionally, but he needs something new to do.

Post match Andrade shows respect but Billet Club gold interrupts. Jay White introduces all of them and challenges Andrade for next week.

Video on Kenny Omega’s history with Kota Ibushi as Don Callis and company are coming for Ibushi.

Katsuyori Shibata will be at WrestleDream.

Hardys vs. Righteous

Matt sends Vincent into the three buckles over and over before Dutch is low bridged to the floor. The Hardys hit Poetry In Motion but Dutch plants Matt hard as we take a break. Back with Matt getting over for the tag to Jeff so house can be cleaned. The Twist of Fate looks to set up the Swanton but Dutch makes the save. Autumn Sunshine (assisted Dudley Dog) finishes Jeff at 7:26.

Rating: C. The Hardys losing so often means that the story here, while good for the Righteous, doesn’t have the biggest impact. It’s also still sad to see the Hardys out there looking old and banged up, even if that is exactly what they are these days. More of the Righteous is a good thing though, as they’re a different kind of team.

Post match the Righteous talk about how they’re here to tell you the truth, which will kill your ego, which leads to false love and friendships. Kind of like the fake love and friendship between Adam Cole and MJF.

Here’s what’s coming on upcoming shows, including the return of Rob Van Dam next week.

Claudio Castagnoli knows Eddie Kingston better than Eddie knows himself. He’s beaten him before and he’ll do it again.

FTR is ready for the Workhorsemen and then Aussie Open.

TBS Title: Kris Statlander vs. Britt Baker

Statlander is defending. They take their time to start until Statlander hits a slam, sending Baker bailing to the floor. Back in and they slug it out until Baker hits a running neckbreaker. Statlander grabs a powerslam for two and we take a break. We come back with Statlander missing a moonsault, allowing Baker to wrap the legs around the post. The sling Blade hits Statlander but she is right back with a blue Thunder Bomb for two more.

Baker knocks her down again and loads up the glove but Statlander grabs the hand. They slug it out and a double knockdown leaves them down again. Baker hits a knee but the Panama Sunrise is countered into Saturday Night Fever, which is countered into a rollup for two. Baker hits a Canadian Destroyer into Angel’s Wings into a Stomp for a rather close two. Something like an octopus into Lockjaw goes on but Statlander rolls her up to retain at 11:57.

Rating: B. They had me with the ending, as I would have bet on Statlander losing the title. Baker looked smoother out there this week and it would be nice to see her getting back to how she was before. Statlander piles up another win, and this time it is over another established name. More of those and the TBS Title will be getting closer to the Women’s Title’s level.

Statlander helps her up and respect is shown (with Baker looking at the title) to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show managed to get over the hump in the end as it felt like the wrestling show for the week. That’s how Collision was looking before the mess with CM Punk and it’s good that they seem to be getting back on that path. What matters is finding some consistency, and if this is what they’ll be consistently doing, this show has an encouraging future.

Results
Ricky Starks/Big Bill b. Bryan Danielson/Claudio Castagnoli – Roshambo to Danielson
FTR b. Iron Savages – PowerPlex to Boulder
John Silver b. Anthony Bowens – Running kick to the face
Aussie Open b. ???/??? – Assisted sitout powerbomb
Andrade El Idolo b. Scorpio Sky – Figure Eight
Righteous b. Hardys – Autumn Sunshine to Jeff
Kris Statlander b. Britt Baker – Rollup

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Collision
Date: September 9, 2023
Location: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Nigel McGuinness

It’s tournament night again as we have the semifinals of the #1 contenders tournament, which should give the show enough of a focus. Other than that, we might have a better idea of how things will be going in the post-CM Punk era. That new direction is very important so let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Samoa Joe, Penta El Zero Miedo, Roderick Strong and Darby Allin are all ready for the tournament.

Opening sequence.

International Title: Jon Moxley vs. Action Andretti

Moxley is defending and chokes him into the corner to start, with Andretti bailing to the floor for a breather. Back in and Moxley knocks him outside again but Andretti is right back inside. A handspring kick to the head rocks Moxley to set up a suicide dive but Moxley headbutts him down. Andretti takes the leg out though and Moxley is sent into the barricade as we take a break.

We come back with Moxley hitting a suicide dive but banging up his knee again. They get back inside where Andretti’s Phenomenal Forearm is cuttered out of the air for two. Andretti tries to get up but is sent hard into the corner. Moxley’s charge hits post though and Andretti tries a springboard corkscrew crossbody, which doesn’t make a ton of contact. Andretti stomps away but Moxley pulls him into the rear naked choke to retain the title at 11:07.

Rating: B-. Andretti got in some offense here but this was about getting Moxley out there for the showcase. The Ohio fans loved him so this was more of the old Moxley than anything else. It’s ok to get Moxley on the show for a moment like this as it isn’t like Andretti was the most serious challenger.

We get a video from Roderick Strong (flanked by the Kingdom) on his history with Adam Cole. We see a bunch of photos of them over the years, plus clips of their time in Ring Of Honor. Strong says he’s still here for Cole, but Cole is the one who changed. He’s going to win the tournament and the World Title, but that’s not enough.

Quick look at Samoa Joe and MJF brawling on Dynamite.

TBS Title: Kris Statlander vs. Robyn Renegade

Statlander is defending and they fight over arm control to start. Robyn misses an enziguri and gets suplexed for her efforts. Robyn’s sister Charlette offers a distraction though and a faceplant gets two on Statlander. Charlette chokes some more and the chinlock goes on. Statlander is back up with a Blue Thunder Bomb as Charlette makes a distraction save. Back up and Robyn misses a charge into the corner, allowing Statlander to hit an electric chair faceplant. An O’Connor roll with a bridge retains the title at 4:14.

Rating: C. That’s another open challenge and it wasn’t exactly enthralling stuff. Statlander getting on TV is a good thing and going over in something close to a handicap match worked, but these title matches for the sake of having a title match only have so much interest. Statlander needs someone other than the Outcasts to fight sooner than later.

Post match the beatdown is on but Jade Cargill returns for the save. Then she beats Statlander down as well. Well that would be sooner.

Ruby Soho isn’t happy to hear that Toni Storm has forgotten how she cost Soho the TBS Title. Saraya tries to calm things down and promises to retain the title at Grand Slam.

We get a sitdown interview with Eddie Kingston and Claudio Castagnoli. Kingston says this is over Castagnoli not doing business when he was leaving the independents, which Castagnoli seems to laugh off. The solution appears to be a New Japan Strong Openweight Title match at Grand Slam, but if Kingston loses, he also has to shake Castagnoli’s hand and say he respects him. It’s nice to see them fighting again, but this isn’t ending until Kingston wins the ROH Title or the feud is just dropped so odds are this isn’t ending anytime soon.

Bullet Club Gold vs. Gravity/Aerostar/Dios del Inframundo

No Jay White here but Cardblade is on commentary. Inframundo is better known as Drago from AAA. Austin and Gravity start things off with Austin getting the better of things. Inframundo comes in, despite being in the ring when he gets tagged (the referee doesn’t like it but lets it go because of course he does).

Robinson comes in for the snap jabs but Gravity and Aerostar kick away to take him down. Colten gets in a double clothesline from behind though and we take a break. Back with Gravity fighting out of a chinlock and bringing Aerostar in to pick up the pace with a bunch of dropkicks. The Quickdraw puts Inframundo down though and Robinson hits the leg lariat. The reverse layout DDT finishes Inframundo at 6:50.

Rating: C+. This was your “here are three luchadors doing dives” match with the Club getting a bit of a showcase win. That’s all it needed to be and they were in and out quickly, as they should have been for something like this. The Club are focal points of Collision and it’s good to see them doing their thing, even though it wasn’t quite the same with Jay White not being around.

CJ Perry (who I don’t think has officially been named) talks about how Miro changed when he won the TNT Title. Now she returned and wants to try to help him get the title back but he walked away from her. She’s ready to become the coldest manager in wrestling again.

The Dark Order wants you to join.

The Acclaimed and Billy Gunn announce their World Tour, complete with a map. Next stop: Grand Slam.

Rey Fenix vs. Angelico

Before the match, Fenix swears revenge on Jon Moxley and the Blackpool Combat Club. Fenix knocks him outside fast and hits a big dive. The spinning kick to the head from the apron connects but Angelico manages a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker back inside. Fenix takes him down again and hits a double stomp for two. There’s the rolling cutter for two more, followed by the Black Fire Driver to give Fenix the pin at 4:54.

Rating: C+. It’s good to have Fenix back after he wasn’t able to go to All In due to international travel issues. Fenix is another of those guys who has a charisma to him that makes you want to see him in the ring no matter what and that is very valuable. Now find something for him, either with or without his brother to do and capitalize on that charisma.

FTR announces an open challenge for the Tag Team Titles starting next week. This week had two open challenges for titles and next week has a third. That’s getting into tournament and battle royal levels.

Grand Slam #1 Contenders Tournament Semifinals: Roderick Strong vs. Darby Allin

The Kingdom is here with Strong, who is officially NECK Strong. Hold on though as Christian Cage and Luchasaurus jump Allin in the back and beat the fire out of him. Allin, with Nick Wayne, comes out anyway though and, after falling a few times, is ready to go. Strong jumps him as soon as he gets in the ring and chops away a few times.

Allin reverses a backbreaker into a sunset flip for two before Strong misses a charge to the floor. The suicide dive hits Strong and we take a break. Back with Strong stomping away but Allin gets a crucifix and Code Red for two each. Allin goes up top and rakes Strong’s back but gets crotched down. Strong gives him a Rock Bottom onto the turnbuckle, with Allin falling down onto the apron and out to the floor for a nasty crash.

We take another break and come back with Allin hitting a flipping Stunner on the apron to send Strong outside. A Coffin Drop onto a standing Strong puts them both down on the floor. Cue AR Fox to try and make them stop but Wayne doesn’t want him here. Back in and Strong kicks him in the head but Allin grabs a Scorpion Death Drop. Fox and Wayne get in a fight with the Kingdom but Fox accidentally takes Wayne out. The Coffin Drop hits raised knees and End Of Heartache finishes Allin at 14:50.

Rating: B. They were telling a good story here as Allin was fighting from behind and trying to survive against crazy odds. As usual, Allin is able to pull people in and make you care about what he’s doing, which is very difficult to do. I’m a bit surprised at Allin losing, but Strong going forward does have some interesting aspects. Good stuff here, and it’s nice to have Strong showing what he can still do.

Powerhouse Hobbs talks about how he came at Miro and lost. Now he is looking to the Book Of Hobbs and everyone will fall.

Keith Lee is here on his own and advises people to run.

Video on the Righteous.

Here is Bryan Danielson for a chat. Danielson has been asked about what is next for him and that might be the start of the end of his career. Time is running out on him (the fans are not happy) but he is not going gently into that good night. He is Odysseus heading home from the Trojan War and we hear some Odyssey references. If this is his last year, it will be the most epic year of his career. He’s calling his shots, including at WrestleDream, where he wants to face Zack Sabre Jr.

Cue Ricky Starks and Big Bill, with the former saying he had to come out here. He received bread crumbs when hew wanted a full meal. Now he is going to take and take, but Danielson says he wasn’t done yet. Danielson seems ready to challenge him for a rematch but Big Bill jumps Danielson instead. Starks pulls him off….and jumps Danielson too. Jon Moxley runs in for the save but Bill kicks him down and hammers away. Starks chokes Danielson out with a shirt and gets to celebrate as he leaves.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Big Bill is ready to win the International Title on Dynamite. Rey Fenix interrupts and says he’s the next champion, but Bill tells him to go to the back of the line. Bill vs. Moxley has already been set for Dynamite.

Grand Slam #1 Contenders Tournament Semifinals: Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Samoa Joe

Joe’s ROH TV Title isn’t on the line. Penta strikes away to start but gets run over with a shoulder. They head outside with Penta hitting a Sling Blade, earning him a lecture from JR about how you can’t win on the outside. We’ll ignore JR’s knowledge about countouts as Joe chops away and sends Penta into the barricade. Penta does the same to him and loads up a table (because tables) as we take a break.

Back with Penta kicking away at Joe but missing a double stomp. Joe knocks him down and grabs a neck crank, followed by a face first drop onto the turnbuckle. The double arm crank with a knee in Penta’s back goes on, followed by an elbow drop for two. Joe hits the enziguri in the corner but Penta is back up with a superkick. That just earns him a snap powerslam for two but Penta kicks him in the face for two more. Joe’s big boot gets the same, only to be sent to the floor for a flip dive. Penta’s big flip dive only hits table though and the Koquina Clutch finishes him at 14:58.

Rating: C+. I wasn’t feeling this one nearly as much as the earlier tournament match as this felt like they were trying to fill in time rather than going for a win. Those chinlocks and various cranks from Joe felt like they were taking way too long and I never bought Penta as a threat to win. Not a bad match, but it needed to be a bit shorter.

Overall Rating: B-. The tournament stuff helped here, but I’m not overly invested if this is the new direction for Collision. There was a lot of what felt like thrown out there matches with the two open challenges for titles making the first part feeling like a Battle Of The Belts. The biggest problem was most of this didn’t feel overly important, but rather that it was just building for more important stuff down the line. There is a very good chance that it’s just a transitional thing as they move on from the Punk stuff, but this wasn’t the most exciting show.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Action Andretti – Rear naked choke
Kris Statlander b. Robyn Renegade – Bridging O’Connor Roll
Bullet Club Gold b. Gravity/Aerostar/Dios del Inframundo – Reverse layout DDT to Inframundo
Rey Fenix b. Angelico – Black Fire Driver
Roderick Strong b. Darby Allin – End Of Heartache
Samoa Joe b. Penta El Zero Miedo – Koquina Clutch

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Well we’re back on pay per view about a week after the last one and that might not be the best idea. The build to All Out, the full week that we’ve had for it, has been a bit lacking, as AEW does not seem to have the most steam coming out of All In. Some of that can be attributed to the CM Punk debacle, but I’m not sure if that is going to be enough to make the show work. There is some potential in the card though and that is a good sign. Let’s get to it.

Zero Hour: Athena/Mercedes Martinez/Diamante vs. Hikaru Shida/Willow Nightingale/Skye Blue

This is some weird ROH vs. AEW style match and that is kid of indicative of how the women’s division has been going as of late. Thankfully the Outcasts are not involved in this one and we should be able to get some focus on some stars who could use the attention. Athena has been on fire in ROH and Martinez can work well with anyone. Throw in Shida and Nightingale and this has some potential.

I’ll go with Blue and company though, as she feels like the definition of someone in this match for the hometown pop. Blue can handle herself well enough in the ring, but the fact that she was in Chicago themed gear on Rampage told me all I needed to know about this one. We should be in for a fun opener, but odds are it gets about eight minutes, like so many women’s matches these days.

Zero Hour: Trios Titles: Acclaimed/Billy Gunn(c) vs. Jeff Jarrett/Jay Lethal/Satnam Singh

Normally the titles would be enough to drive the interest here but this is almost all about Dennis Rodman being in the champs’ corner. That’s another one pretty much entirely for the Chicago crowd and again, that isn’t a terrible idea. Rodman is going to stand in the corner for most of the match, put a cigar in his mouth, and probably punch Sonjay Dutt. Other than that though, we do have some titles on the line.

In what might be the easiest pick of the night, there is almost no chance of the titles changing hands here so we’ll go with the champs retaining. They just won the titles a week ago and there is no reason to believe that they are going to lose here. Just let the champs get another title victory and move on to whomever is next, though without Rodman after this one time.

Zero Hour: Over The Budget Battle Royal

This is a battle royal with no announced entrants, but the winner gets to make a $50,000 donation to the charity of their choice. That is the kind of thing that could make for quite the mess behind the scenes as AEW gets to pick a charity. Either that or we have the wrestlers all pick the same charity without letting it be known in advance. Now that being said, this is going to be a tricky one to pull off, as we don’t know who is actually in the ting.

Since the other two matches on Zero Hour have Chicago connections, and given the situation that took place this year, I’ll go with Colt Cabana to win the thing, both as a friendly Chicago deal and a big farewell to CM Punk. This is a match that pretty much can’t be previewed due to the whole WE DON’T KNOW WHO IS IN IT, but at least the charity stuff is a nice prize for a change.

TNT Title: Kris Statlander(c) vs. Ruby Soho

Here we have a match that isn’t likely to get much time but could do well for a match that gives the show a chance to breathe. Statlander has been built up rather well since winning the title and has been racking up wins, but that is going to have to end at some point. At the same time, Soho has to actually win something at some point, though I’m not sure if that is going to take place here.

I’ll go with Statlander retaining the title here, though after a rather good match. Soho is someone who can work with just about anyone and should be able to have a solid back and forth match with Statlander. At the end of the day though, the Outcasts having both titles doesn’t seem like the best idea so we’ll go with Statlander retaining, with the champ getting another nice win.

Eddie Kingston/Katsuyori Shibata vs. Claudio Castagnoli/Wheeler Yuta

This is a match that was added to the card without much fanfare and I’m not sure how good of a situation that is going to be. Kingston vs. Castagnoli has been going on for most of the last five months and at some point, Kingston almost has to win the Ring Of Honor World Title. For now though, we’re stuck here with another tag match, which is likely to help set up Yuta for another Pure Rules Title shot. That’s not the most interesting thing, but here we are anyway.

I’ll take Kingston/Shibata for the win here, as there is really not much of a reason for them to lose. Since the Pure Rules Title shots are pretty much handed out, Kingston getting a pin, likely over Yuta, will keep the feud going. At the very least, we should be on the way to Final Battle for Kingston vs. Castagnoli, but since ROH takes it sweet time, we have to get through something like this on the way there. Kingston and Shibata win here.

Ring Of Honor TV Title: Samoa Joe(c) vs. Shane Taylor

So this is taking place on the AEW pay per view for reasons I do not fathom whatsoever. Taylor has wrestled two matches ever in AEW (both on Dark) and is basically a stranger unless you watch ROH. That doesn’t make for the most thrilling match, though Taylor did win a tournament to get the title shot. We have the potential for a heck of a hoss fight here, and if that is the case, we’ll be good to go.

There is no reason or Taylor to get the title back here so I’ll take Joe to retain. Joe has held the title for over a year at this point and could drop it at any time without losing any status, but I don’t think I can picture Taylor being the one to take the title from him. These guys are going to beat the fire out of each other and that should be a lot of fun, but Taylor doesn’t get the title.

Bryan Danielson vs. Ricky Starks

This is a strap match as the American Dragon is stepping in for Ricky The Dragon Steamboat after a slightly clever tricky contract signing. In this case, Danielson’s return feels like something of a way to calm the fans down after Punk was fired and he might be about as good of an option as there was. The strap thing has kind of been Starks’ thing in recent weeks, so at least there is an idea here.

This one could go either way, but I think I’ll go with Danielson winning, as he might become the face of Collision in a hurry. With nothing Blackpool Combat Club related during his Collision return, there is a chance that he is going to be doing something else. For now though, at least he is getting to be in a big match and while Starks needs the win (and I’m not convinced Big Bill won’t help him get it), losing to a returning Danielson is hardly some terrible result.

Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Adam Cole/MJF(c) vs. Dark Order

Yes the Dark Order is getting a title shot on pay per view and I’m still not entirely sure why. In theory this is going to be followed by a Cole/MJF vs. the Kingdom showdown, though it wouldn’t have to be for the titles. The Dark Order has been needing some kind of a big win seemingly for years now and they at least have a chance at one here, though that might be a long shot at best.

I don’t see a reason for the champs to drop the titles here so I’ll go with MJF and Cole retaining. They already have something set up with the Kingdom and taking the titles from them here would take away a big aspect of their story. Also, at the end of the day, it’s hard to imagine the Dark Order actually winning anything that mattered, so we’ll go with the titles being retained.

Miro vs. Powerhouse Hobbs

This is one of the matches where what you see is what you get. You know what you are going to see from these two monsters hitting each other rather hard and that should make for a fun match. They’ve been out there brawling already and just the taste was fun, so letting us get the full version should be even more fun as it can go even longer than the first previews.

I could see either of them going over here, but Miro seems like he would be hurt more by a loss than Hobbs so I’ll take the former. While Hobbs has lost multiple times already and doesn’t need to again, a loss from Miro would seem to be quite the blow. What matters here is just having two monsters slugging away at each other and that should work out well. Miro wins though, but it’s a coin flip.

Bullet Club Gold vs. FTR/Young Bucks

This isn’t exactly a strong follow up to FTR vs. The Bucks at All In but if we’re not getting a title match, I guess this is about as good as we can have. There is a history between the Club and FTR and I could go for another title showdown between them, but I’m not sure if that is enough to carry an eight man tag. It could go either way, though the Bucks and FTR’s relationship is rocky at best and that could be a problem.

I’ll go with the Club winning here, as they should be in for another Tag Team Title shot to complete the trilogy. White and Robinson are a heck of a team and the Gunns are fine enough on their own. That should be enough to overcome FTR and the Bucks, who don’t really have anywhere to go if they win. The Club wins here, after things break down and everyone gets to go nuts.

TNT Title: Luchasaurus(c) vs. Darby Allin

This has been one of the most entertaining stories in AEW in recent months, as Christian Cage has been tearing it up as the delusional mastermind who things he is the real champion. Luchasaurus has barely been a factor as Cage’s disdain for all things dead fathers is rather entertaining. Allin just wants the title back because he had it before, and now we get quite the showdown.

As much as I could see Allin winning the title, I want Cage to keep up his delusions of grandeur and those can’t happen as well without the title. At some point Luchasaurus is going to snap and destroy Cage, but for now, Luchasaurus manages to retain the title, perhaps with Allin’s friend Nick Wayne turning on him. This could go either way, but hopefully it ends with Cage holding the title again.

Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita

The more I see of Takeshita, the more talent he clearly has. He needs a big win over a top name and Omega would it that description, but I’m not sure I can imagine him actually beating someone as big as Omega. Takeshita already pinned him last weekend in a tag match, but there is a fine line between that and actually pinning him in a singles match, clean or not.

I’ll go with Takeshita winning here, as I don’t think we’re far enough into the story for Omega to get his big win. With Don Callis out there, Takeshita can get the win off some straight up cheating or maybe just a distraction. Either way, we should be in for one of the bigger matches on the show here and there is even a chance that this headlines the show, despite Callis taking the life out of anything he touches.

International Title: Orange Cassidy(c) vs. Jon Moxley

This has been treated as the biggest match on the show and it has the best chance of headlining the event. Cassidy has held the title for a LONG time now and it is time to either have him lose the thing or get the biggest win of his career over one of the biggest stars AEW has ever seen. This could go either way and they have been treating it as something serious, so some doors are certainly open here.

I’m torn on this one but I’ll go with Cassidy winning. While there is a grand total of no reason for him to keep the title, it would do a lot of damage to him if he loses the belt in his first match against a top challenger. Cassidy feels like someone AEW wants to move up to the next level, but that takes a big hit if he loses here. I could be entirely wrong and Moxley winning would make sense, but if AEW wants Cassidy to go a lot higher, he has to win here.

Overall Thoughts

This show does not feel like the best in the world and I’m not sure how much of a spark it is going to have. Now the good thing about that is the talent is there to make it work, even if a thirteen match card is still rather long. If the big matches can deliver and nothing is too bad, we could be in for a show that gets by its lackluster build. That is where AEW tends to shine, and maybe they can make it work again.

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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Collision
Date: September 2, 2023
Location: United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

And then CM Punk got fired. That is going to be the absolute game changer that shakes up everything about this company for a good while to come, with the next two shows being in Chicago to crank up the awkwardness. I have no idea what AEW has up their sleeves to get them through what could be a rather horrible crowd reaction but let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Tony Khan welcomes us to the show and announces that CM Punk has been fired. The incident endangered people, including Khan, who was fearing for his life. That is nothing anyone should have to deal with at work so Punk is gone. Anyway,, on with the awesome shows.

We get a recap of All In.

Opening sequence.

Tony Schiavone is in the ring to start and you can hear some CM Punk changes. Anyway, Tony brings in Ricky Starks, with Big Bill, to challenge Ricky Steamboat. Schiavone: “Ricky, you have issued a challenge to Ricky Steamboat, a 70 year old man. Are you out of your freaking mind?” Starks talks about how he’s tired of having to start over again and again, but every time he shows up and out.

No matter how many times people try to suck the life out of him, it doesn’t work. Starks talks about how awesome Bill is for everything he’s done, including overcoming addiction. He’s so angry that he wants to cry but he’ll do what he needs to do. Starks sat at home and watched All In because he whipped Steamboat, so now he wants a strap match at All Out.

Steamboat comes out and says he hasn’t complained once about getting whipped by Starks. The Dragon doesn’t complain but he has a contract ready for an old school fight. The contract actually says “Ricky Starks vs. The Dragon” so Starks signs, and Steamboat gets to the obvious point: he meant THIS Dragon, so cue the returning Bryan Danielson (the American Dragon). He signs as well and we’ve got a match, with Starks being livid.

Jon Moxley is going to be the man who solves the Orange Cassidy puzzle. If Cassidy is a cosplay wrestler, who is he pretending to be? I believe that would be Paul Rudd in Wet Hot American Summer actually. Anyway, Moxley thinks Cassidy is the real thing, and we’ll find out on Sunday. A lot of people believe in him, so don’t let people down. They’re making this feel like a serious match and that’s a good thing. If Cassidy is treated like a joke, why would it matter if Cassidy beat him?

Trios Titles: Daniel Garcia/Matt Menard/Angel Parker vs. Acclaimed/Billy Gunn

Acclaimed and Gunn are defending. Bowens punches Parker down to start so it’s off to Garcia vs. Gunn. Garcia gets in a few shots and dances a bit before telling Gunn to suck it. Gunn knocks him down with Parker landing on his knees in front of him (gyrations ensue). Everything breaks down and Garcia gets elbowed, only to get caught with a double hot shot. The piledriver into a double implant DDT into the Dragontamer has Bowens in trouble but he makes the rope (because a piledriver into a double implant DDT leaves him wide awake).

We take a break and come back with Bowens diving over for the tag to Caster to clean house. Garcia takes Caster down but Menard tags himself in, allowing Caster to hit a running clothesline. Gunn comes in but gets distracted by Jake Hager. That doesn’t last long as it’s a Fameasser to Menard. The Arrival into the Mic Drop retains the titles at 8:30.

Rating: C+. This was a perfectly fine match and that’s how you keep the Acclaimed hot: give them a match where they have to work a bit before finishing with the usual. No it won’t last forever (or that long really because there isn’t exactly a division) but it’s a crowd friendly act that has worked every time they’re out there. Go with what works.

Dark Order is ready to win the Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles.

Ricky Starks is ready for Bryan Danielson at All Out because he’ll knock it out of the park like everything else.

Aussie Open vs. Nick Wayne/Komander

Wayne hits a running hurricanrana to Fletcher to start and then flips up but the Aussies are right back to take over. The Aussie Arrow gets two on Komander as we take a break. Back with Wayne cleaning house, including a frog splash to Fletcher. A half nelson suplex plants Wayne and one heck of a piledriver drops Komander. Wayne kicks his way out of trouble but a double Wayne’s World is countered into Coriolis for the pin at 8:00.

Rating: C. I’m trying to get my mind around a piledriver actually knocking someone silly enough to put them down for the rest of the match. This was a way to get the Aussies some of their heat back and there is nothing wrong with that. Wayne continues to be someone who can do all of the athletic stuff but there is nothing to make me care about him. He has no character or anything outside of athleticism and that isn’t going to get him very far.

Post match Wayne talks about how he’s upset with Darby Allin over forgiving AR Fox. Cue Allin, to say he burned a bridge with Wayne’s father and they didn’t make up before he died. He didn’t want something similar to happen to Fox, so now he wants Wayne to do the same. Allin is challenging or the TNT Title on Sunday and wants Wayne in his corner.

Cue Christian Cage (Nigel: “It’s the father of the year!”) and Luchasaurus, with the former saying it was mean of him to ask about Wayne’s father without asking for his mom’s name. Maybe he should slide into her DM’s and try to change that. Christian talks about how we’re in the United Center, and these people know how to smell a loser from a mile away. Wayne should bring a towel with him because it’s going to be destruction at All Out. Then I…er, we will still be TNT Champion. Christian is on another level right now and he knows it.

Claudio Castagnoli beats up Wheeler Yuta as he talks about how Yuta keeps getting up. He thought Eddie Kingston had changed, but apparently not.

Kingston laughs it off and says Katsuyori Shibata has some words for the Blackpool Combat Club. Shibata, through Google Translate, thinks they suck. Ok that was clever.

Saraya doesn’t want to hear about problems with the Outcasts but now she’s stuck in Chicago. She’s ready to see Ruby Soho win the TBS Title and Soho seems rather confident she will do so.

Tony Schiavone brings out Dennis Rodman for a chat. Before he can say anything, Jeff Jarrett and company come to the ring, with Jeff talking about how similar Rodman is to his team (both Rodman and Karen Jarrett look great in dresses). Rodman is offered a spot on their team but shoves down Satnam Singh. Cue Billy Gunn and the Acclaimed and we get a Trios Titles match for All Out, with Rodman in the champs’ corner.

Shane Taylor is ready to win the ROH TV Title.

Samoa Joe doesn’t think so, and is ready to take Taylor out.

Britt Baker/Hikaru Shida/Kris Statlander vs. Outcasts

Statlander and Soho start things off but Storm comes in instead. A slam drops Storm but she slips out of a second one and stomps Statlander down in the corner. Statlander is right back up with the tag to Baker though and a Sling Blade puts Storm down. Shida comes in for a knee to Soho’s ribs and we take a break. Back with Statlander powerbombing Saraya for two and then kicking her in the head. Statlander powerslams Saraya but Storm hits Saraya by mistake on the save attempt. Everything breaks down and Saraya spray paints Baker, allowing No Future to give Soho the pin at 8:11.

Rating: C. This was your weekly “here are the women in a match with a break in the middle and the Outcasts use spray paint to win” match. The women’s division has fallen a pretty long way since its peak and this was a good example of how uninteresting things are at the moment. The Outcasts feel so repetitive most weeks and that was on display here, but odds are they aren’t changing anytime soon.

MJF isn’t here so Adam Cole reads off some insults to Dark Order that MJF sent him. Well most of them as one is too disgusting to read.

Kris Statlander knows the Outcasts are going to use the spray paint tomorrow. The Outcasts come in and yelling ensues.

Powerhouse Hobbs vs. GPA

Spinebuster finishes in 7 seconds.

Post match Miro comes out for the brawl.

All Out rundown, including a battle royal on Zero Hour.

Video on Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita.

Orange Cassidy does not want to be talking right now because he wants to fight. He’s proven himself over and over again and he’ll do it at All Out. Then he’ll take the weight off of Jon Moxley’s shoulders and put it on his. He still has no catchphrase.

Jay White vs. Dax Harwood

Bullet Club Gold and Cash Wheeler are here too. White gets backed to the floor to start but he comes back in for a chop, only to head back outside. Harwood scares him out to the floor again and we take a break. Back with Harwood being sent outside where everyone else teases a big fight. A DDT gives White two but Harwood catches him on top with a superplex. The top rope headbutt misses though and White gets two as we take a break.

Back again with Harwood hitting a brainbuster for two and knocking White outside. They go over the barricade for more chops but White snaps the leg over the ropes on the way back in. White gets two off a Death Valley Driver and Harwood gets the same off a piledriver. Back up and White sends him shoulder first into the post, setting up the swinging Rock Bottom for two.

Harwood is fine enough to hit a slingshot powerbomb for two but the Sharpshooter sends White to the ropes. Harwood follows him outside and gets caught with the Blade Runner. Back in and another Blade Runner finishes for White at 20:09. Nigel: “WHAT A MOMENT!” A career singles wrestler and former World Champion pins a mostly career tag wrestler?

Rating: B-. The action was good, but this was a match that felt like it went long for the sake of going long. Harwood can wrestle a match like that and White is rather good, but it’s still a bit hard to buy that it took White twenty minutes to win here. These two are some of the main stars of Collision but that doesn’t mean they need to be out there that long if it doesn’t make sense.

Post match the beatdown is on but the Young Bucks run in for the save.

Overall Rating: C+. This was a weird show as the wrestling was the least interesting part almost throughout. They had the Punk drama hanging over them and managed to avoid a lot of drama from it, but other than that, the show was mainly focused on All Out. That show needs the help, but I’m not sure it got enough of it here.

All Out does not feel important and there isn’t much of a way to hide that. AEW needs a bit of a breather from big shows, and with Grand Slam and WrestleDream both less than a month away, we won’t be seeing that anytime soon. Instead, I could see the weekly shows running out of steam more and more, which isn’t going to bode well for the next few weeks.

Results
Acclaimed/Billy Gunn b. Matt Menard/Angelo Parker/Daniel Garcia – Mic Drop to Menard
Aussie Open b. Nick Wayne/Komander – Coriolis to Wayne
Outcasts b. Britt Baker/Hikaru Shida/Kris Statlander – No Future to Soho
Powerhouse Hobbs b. GPA – Spinebuster
Jay White b. Dax Harwood – Blade Runner

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Dynamite
Date: August 30, 2023
Location: Now Arena, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re done with All In and tonight is going to be at least half about the fallout. I say only half as it is also the last Dynamite before we head to All Out on Sunday. That means we are in for one heck of a rapid fire build to the show, which does at least have a few matches already set. Let’s get to it.

Here is All In if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of All In.

Jon Moxley vs. Komander

Moxley wastes no time in kicking him down and the swagger is on early. Komander has to knock him off the top but misses a corkscrew moonsault. Moxley grabs Jason Jett’s Crash Landing (there’s an obscure one for you) and we take a break. Back with Komander fighting out of a front facelock and grabbing a fireman’s carry flipped into a gutbuster. The rope walk shooting star only hits knees though and Moxley hits a piledriver for two. The cross armbreaker makes Komander tap at 8:49.

Rating: C. Komander has his moments but there are times where he is almost hard to watch. This was one of his matches where it felt like the rope walk was the only thing he had and that isn’t great to see. Moxley gets a win to boost himself up for the International Title match, but there wasn’t a better opponent for him? Oh and again: stop burying moves like the piledriver by having someone kick out when you’re going to beat them ten seconds later. Hit the piledriver and go to the armbreaker with no cover in the middle. The lack of a cover changes nothing and makes the piledriver look stronger.

As Moxley leaves, he sees a kid holding up an “it’s my birthday” sign and rubs her head. That will never be anything less than awesome.

Orange Cassidy isn’t sure how many times he has defended his title and he doesn’t care because he’ll defend it again.

We look at the Young Bucks in their locker room after losing at All In. FTR came in to ask about them not shaking their hands after the match. The Bucks say they were in the heat of the moment but admit that FTR were better and look ready to shake. Bullet Club Gold interrupt and say the Elite isn’t doing much right now. FTR doesn’t like the interruption and we have an eight man tag at All Out.

We look at Saraya winning the Women’s Title at All In.

Toni Storm is even more distraught as Saraya didn’t follow the script. She throws shoes at Renee Young to blow off some steam.

Here is Chris Jericho to talk about All In. It was in front of 81,000 people (which he says was a shoot) but now wants to talk to Sammy Guevara. Jericho apologizes for shoving him after the match because he saw that Guevara tried to help him win. They shake hands and Jericho says maybe he should have pulled the tights. Or maybe Guevara should have hit him harder with the baseball bat. Guevara thinks maybe Jericho could have hit him harder with the Judas Effect and it would have worked.

Jericho says that sometimes Guevara’s actions don’t go as Jericho planned it, so Guevara points out that he left his pregnant wife to come to London to help him win. Jericho says Guevara was chosen to be on the show and maybe he can wrestle on it next year. Guevara says maybe he can avoid doing what Jericho did and not lose. We hear about Jericho winning the title here and then losing the belt outside of a steakhouse. Jericho cools things down and suggests they reunite Le Sex Gods and go after the Tag Team Titles starting next week. Deal. Dig that Inner Circle vest from Guevara. So they’re Adam Cole and MJF?

Jon Moxley promises to win the International Title at All Out.

New Japan Strong Openweight Title: Eddie Kingston vs. Wheeler Yuta

Kingston is defending and tries some choking to start. That’s broken up as Yuta cranks on the arm. A kneedrop to said arm keeps Kingston down and we take a break. Back with Kingston knocking him off the top, setting up the rapid fire chops in the corner. The Spinning Backfist To The Future is blocked though and Yuta grabs a bridging German suplex for two. Kingston’s Saito suplex gets the same but Yuta hooks something like an Angle Slam for two more. Yuta goes back to the arm but Kingston has had enough of this, meaning a pair of backfists finish Yuta at 8:42.

Rating: C+. See, this is where a title defense from another promotion makes good sense. Kingston facing Yuta is something that would happen with or without the title on the line, as Kingston hates Yuta’s friends. Throwing a title in the mix makes it a little more interesting and is a lot better than some ice cold title defense.

Post match Claudio Castagnoli comes out…..and picks Yuta up to carry him away.

We look at the All In main event with MJF retaining over Adam Cole.

MJF is in the locker room when Adam Cole comes in. MJF cuts him off and says that he’s busy enough with a battle royal to make new #1 contenders to their ROH Tag Team Titles, plus a tournament to crown a new #1 contender for his World Title at Grand Slam. He’ll see Cole in Chicago and they’ll have deep dish and hit a kangaroo kick.

Sammy Guevara is interested in bringing back Le Sex Gods but here is Don Callis to interrupt. Guevara isn’t going to hear it because he already has a family so get lost.

Here is Adam Cole for a chat. Cole talks about how special All In was but yeah, he lost in the main event. He’ll get another shot, but concerning MJF, he already has a bad neck. Worry not though, as they’ll be ready to go in Chicago at All Out. Cue Roderick Strong, with the Kingdom, to say that Cole cares about MJF’s bad neck but not Strong’s.

Mike Bennett talks about his history with Cole and how they helped carry each other for years. Now Cole has forgotten the people who helped get him here. Matt Taven talks about how this is who Cole is. He used the Kingdom to help him take over ROH, then he jumped to the Bullet Club for the merch money.

Then he went to Florida, where all of their friends helped keep the title on him for so long. Cole says MJF is his friend, but Strong says he’s entering the tournament to become the new World Champion, which Cole couldn’t do. Strong doesn’t care how hurt he is, because he’s a wrestling legend. So the Kingdom wins the battle royal right? Who else would make sense?

Penta El Zero Miedo is ready to beat Orange Cassidy tonight.

Kris Statlander/Hikaru Shida/Britt Baker vs. Marina Shafir/Emi Sakura/Nyla Rose

Shida takes Sakura down to start and it’s off to baker for a Sling Blade. Baker gets taken into the wrong corner so Sakura can take over, including a lot of hair twisting. We take a break and come back with everything breaks down. Rose hits some chokeslams but gets sent outside, with Statlander hitting a bit dive. Wednesday Night Fever finishes Shafir at 7:08.

Rating: C. Just a quick match and again, I’m not sure what they’re supposed to do when the match has a break in the middle. You’re only going to get so much out of that and the talent involved isn’t enough to overcome that time limit. In other worse, it’s an AEW women’s match and they’re running with an anchor.

Post match, Ruby Soho runs in for the attack on Statlander.

Video on Shane Taylor, who I don’t think has ever wrestled on AEW TV but is getting his ROH TV Title shot at All Out.

Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita go over all of Kenny Omega’s injuries and plan how to hurt him the most.

Here are the Acclaimed and Billy Gunn for a ceremonial ribbon cutting to celebrate their Trios Titles win. We’re in the House Of A** and now we have some new Trios Titles, complete with pink straps that SCISSOR! Billy: “So that means I get to scissor myself now.” They’re going to defend the titles on Collision and scissoring ensues. And that’s that.

Teams are ready for the Rampage tag team battle royal.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

International Title: Orange Cassidy vs. Penta El Zero Miedo

Cassidy is defending. They trade some takedowns to start ad flip/nip up to their feet for a staredown. Cassidy sends him outside, where Penta tosses him against the barricade and we take a break. Back with Penta dropping a leg for two but Cassidy grabs a tornado DDT for the same. The Backstabber out of the corner drops Cassidy and we take a break.

Back again with Cassidy fighting up before they trade Canadian Destroyers, with Cassidy hitting a second. Tony: “What the h*** are we watching?” The Orange Punch gives Cassidy two and the Beach Break gets the same. The Fear Factor on the apron plants Cassidy for two and it’s time to stomp on Cassidy’s arm. Another Fear Factor connects but Cassidy grabs a crucifix to retain at 16:20.

Rating: C+. And so we have another Orange Cassidy title defense where he gets beaten up, survives, and moves on to retain. There was almost no reason to believe that Cassidy was losing here and they did nothing to hide it. Cassidy vs. Moxley has already been built up and they probably should have skipped this match to cut out some of the not so strong drama.

Post match Cassidy gets a chair and talks about how he is so tired and every title defense makes the backpack feel heavier. But he’s ready to fight on Sunday because he is tired of being told he shouldn’t be champion. Cassidy: “I will always be the International Champion because I’m Freshly Squeezed Orange Cassidy and I do not have a catchphrase.” Cue Jon Moxley for the staredown to end the show. That is likely your main event and that catchphrase line was hilarious. Heck of a promo from Cassidy here as he showed some good fire.

Overall Rating: C+. The show was good enough, but AEW feels like it is running on fumes and needs a breather. Counting ROH, this Sunday will mark ten out of twelve days with some kind of Tony Khan produced wrestling show. Running a second pay per view in eight days is feeling like a bad idea as All Out is not exactly looking like a must see show. They didn’t have the time to set it up and I’m almost dreading how Rampage and Collision are going to go. Not a bad show, but my goodness this could turn into a rough patch for AEW.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Komander – Rear naked choke
Eddie Kingston b. Wheeler Yuta – Spinning backfist
Kris Statlander/Hikaru Shida/Britt Baker b. Nyla Rose/Emi Sakura/Marina Shafir – Wednesday Night Fever to Shafir
Orange Cassidy b. Penta El Zero Miedo – Crucifix

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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AND

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All In 2023
Date: August 27, 2023
Location: Wembley Stadium, London, England
Commentators: Excalibur, Jim Ross, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the biggest show in the history of AEW and there will be 80,000 fans there to see it happen. That is the kind of thing that AEW can and should brag about for a long time to come and now it is actually a reality. The main event will see MJF defend the World Title against Adam Cole in a match that has had a heck of a path to get here. Let’s get to it.

The stadium looks incredible and feels like a Wrestlemania crowd.

Zero Hour: Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Aussie Open vs. Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Adam Cole

The Aussies are defending and jump the challengers during the pre-match posing. Cole and MJF are sent outside and rammed into each other, which gives Davis two on MJF as the bell finally rings. MJF fights out of a chinlock but Fletcher pulls Cole off the apron. Davis drops him again and hits a backsplash for two before handing it off to Fletcher. That lets MJF get in a shot of his own and tease the Kangaroo Kick but Davis isn’t letting that happen.

MJF seems to kick Fletcher low and the rolling tag brings in Cole to clean house. A Backstabber gets two on Fletcher but it’s too early for the Panama Sunrise. It’s not too early for a superkick to Fletcher though and the Aussies are knocked outside. MJF takes too long setting up a dive and Cole is pulled outside for a double beating. Back in and the Aussie Arrow gets two on MJF but the stereo clotheslines hit each other. MJF actually hits the Kangaroo Kick (a one footed dropkick to both champs) and the double clothesline finishes Fletcher for the titles at 6:58.

Rating: C+. They started fast here and didn’t overstay their welcome, as you don’t want MJF and Cole to burn through too much energy before their big main event. There was no reason to keep the titles on the Aussies here as the belts have little value on their own. The fans went nuts for the Kangaroo Kick and the double clothesline though, as they got the fun part before the serious stuff from these two later.

Mercedes Mone (Sasha Banks) is in the crowd. I know she probably is, but can she just not come to AEW?

Zero Hour: FTW Title: Hook vs. Jack Perry

Perry is defending under FTW Rules, meaning anything goes and falls count anywhere. As a bonus, Perry gets a limo ride into the stadium, which does fit him rather well. Hook meets him in the aisle and throws him over/into the limo. Perry takes him onto the top of said limo for a brainbuster though and Hook is down (not out, as you should be after that, but down).

The RVD finger point sets up Rolling Thunder before Perry points at the windshield and says “it’s real glass, cry me a river.” Assuming that’s a reference to the CM Punk incident, grow up. Hook fisherman’s busters him onto the windshield and they head down to the ring for the first time. Perry manages a posting and grabs a hanging DDT off the barricade to make it worse.

A trashcan is thrown inside and Perry loads up Coast To Coast, only to drop down and flip off the fans instead. Hook slugs away but gets German suplexed for two. A superkick connects for Perry but Hook is right back with some rolling German suplexes. Perry knocks him down again and gets in some trashcan shots, only to miss a moonsault. Hook pounds him down and grabs Redrum to get the title back at 8:35.

Rating: C+. They didn’t do much with the rules here but Hook isn’t ready to have some big, long match, especially in front of a crowd like this one. Let him get in there and do his thing before getting the title back and leaving with his head held high. I’m not wild on having Perry lose so soon, but Hook winning the title back gives the fans something to cheer for and that’s a good thing.

And now, the real show.

Real World Title: CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe

Punk is defending. They take their time to start with Punk driving him into the corner and hitting a chop, which doesn’t sit well with Joe. It sits with him so unwell that Joe starts snapping off the jabs and tying him in the ropes (like a see saw, a Terry Funk spot) for the chops. Punk is back up and sends him to the floor, with Joe walking away from the slingshot dive (the fans REALLY like that one).

Joe hits the running boot against the barricade before swinging him through the base of the announcers’ table in a nasty crash. Back in and Joe plows through him with a shoulder and gives that casual look to the camera. Punk is busted open bad (I’m assuming from the table crash) and the corner enziguri makes it even worse. Another big boot sets up the backsplash for two and Joe is looking a bit frustrated.

The MuscleBuster is broken up though and Punk scores with a head kick for the double knockdown. Punk kicks him down again for one as Joe Hulks Up, followed by the powerslam for two. Punk’s running knee in the corner is countered into a powerbomb into the STF into the crossface but Punk rolls him up to escape.

Another kick to the head puts Joe down again, meaning it’s time for the spinning toehold (JR: “God bless Terry Funk.”). With that broken up, Punk charges into the release Rock Bottom out of the corner. A superplex is broken up with a bite to Joe’s head (the fans don’t like that) and it’s the Pepsi Plunge (middle rope Pedigree) to retain the title at 13:57.

Rating: B. You can tell that these two know each other inside and out and it makes their matches, including this one, that much better. They threw in a curve with the Pepsi Plunge instead of the GTS and I’m not sure it got the same kind of a reaction as the traditional route would have received. What matters here though was having a heck of an opener that started the show off hot, and these two were as good of an option as they had, with a rather good match as well.

Punk takes some time to soak in the crowd and even shows some respect to Joe on the way out.

We recap the Golden Elite (Kenny Omega/Hangman Page/Kota Ibushi) vs. Bullet Club Gold/Konosuke Takeshita. This is more about Kenny Omega vs. Don Callis, the latter of whom sent his goons to attack Omega. Now it’s about revenge as the numbers are even.

Golden Elite vs. Bullet Club Gold/Konosuke Takeshita

The Gunns are at ringside and Don Callis is on commentary. Page and Robinson start things off with a headlock not going very far. Omega comes in to chop away at Robinson before Ibushi and White come in to chop it out. Ibushi gets shouldered down but nips up and tells White to bring it. Omega comes in for the running Fameasser before it’s off to Takeshita, who sends Ibushi outside. A hurricanrana sends Takeshita outside and the Rise of the Terminator dive takes out Takeshita and White.

Back in and Omega misses a high crossbody and seems to have hurt his wrist. Ibushi makes the save and forearms it out with Takeshita as everything breaks down. JR: “You can disqualify someone you know!” We settle back down to White working on the leg before Robinson comes in to work on the (other) leg. A suplex sends Omega’s legs into the ropes for two (JR: “That was a weak a** cover.”) but Omega is back up for the slugout.

Omega plants Robinson and rolls over but the Gunns break up the tag attempt. Not that it matters as the hot tag brings Page in a few seconds later. White gets taken down and a slingshot dive hits Robinson on the floor. There’s the suicide dive to White but the Deadeye is broken up back inside. White flips forward and lands in front of Ibushi, who strikes him down and sets up the standing moonsault.

Omega and Ibushi hit moonsaults to the floor (with Ibushi slipping and having to settle for a bottom rope version). Back in and White gets triple teamed, setting up a half and half suplex. The big knee is blocked though and White manages the swinging Rock Bottom for a breather. We get the big Omega vs. Takeshita forearm off but Omega has to snapdragon Robinson.

The Blue Thunder Bomb gives Takeshita two on Omega, who is right back with a piledriver for the same. Omega plants Robinson and Page adds a super flipping fall away slam for two on Takeshita. The Gunns break up the Buckshot Lariat so Page takes out the Gunns instead. Omega is back in to set up the Buckshot to Takeshita but Omega has to escape the Bladerunner. One heck of a V Trigger rocks Robinson but Takeshita rolls Omega up with tights for the pin at 20:36.

Rating: B+. The match was all action (with some JR complaining thrown in) and the point was to give Takeshita the first win over Omega after the two of them have bickered for so long. This will set up the big singles match, maybe at All Out, but for now there is no reason to have Omega win. The others were mostly good, with Ibushi looking better than he did at Blood & Guts, though still a bit slow. Very action packed match here though and the ending was the right way to go.

We recap FTR defending the Tag Team Titles against the Young Bucks. They’re both great teams, they’ve split the first two matches, it’s the rubber match for the titles and bragging rights.

Tag Team Titles: FTR vs. Young Bucks

The Bucks are challenging. Harwood and Nick start things off, with neither being able to get much of an advantage. Wheeler comes in for a quickly broken headlock and Nick grabs a slam. That doesn’t last long as Wheeler takes him down, allowing Harwood to pick Wheeler up for a legdrop. Everything breaks down and it’s a double slugout until a double clothesline (not that kind) leaves everyone down.

The Bucks nip up and clothesline them to the floor, where a boot and spear put FTR down again. Back in and a superkick hits Wheeler, setting up the Swanton into the ropes for two. A middle rope elbow (ala Bret Hart) hits Wheeler but he manages a suplex to Matt for a needed breather. Wheeler fights them off again and dives over for the hot tag to Harwood. Nick is suplexed onto Matt, who has to escape some rolling German suplexes. That doesn’t work for Harwood, who hits another suplex but Matt reverses into the rolling northern lights suplexes.

Another northern lights suplex gives Matt two and the fans seem impressed. Nick comes back in with a knee to Harwood, who counters a springboard into a slingshot sitout powerbomb for two. The Sharpshooter goes on, with Wheeler adding his own to Matt on the apron. Both of those are broken up and we get a needed double breather. Nick superplexes Harwood but a pair of top rope splashes only hit raised knees.

Back up and a spike piledriver gets two on Nick and Harwood’s cradle gets the same. The Shatter Machine is broken up and Nick backslides Harwood for two. The Bucks hit their own spike piledriver for two but the Meltzer Driver is broken up. Instead Matt rolls Harwood up for two as Nick dives onto Wheeler. The BTE Trigger misses and Wheeler is back in to spear Matt to the floor.

FTR hits their own BTE Trigger into the Shatter Machine for two on Matt. Wheeler misses a springboard 450 and gets superkicked down for two. Now the BTE Trigger can connect for two, with Harwood possibly making the save. Harwood knows what’s coming and walks into the Shatter Machine, setting up another BTE Trigger for two more. The Meltzer Driver is broken up again though and it’s a Shatter Machine to retain the titles at 21:39.

Rating: B+. They surprised me here with FTR retaining and I’ll certainly take it. The exchange of finishers went well enough and the Bucks kicking out of the Shatter Machine is a lot more acceptable when they ultimately lost. It would have been a big stretch for the Bucks to win here so well done on giving FTR the big rub on the biggest stage. Very good match here too, which shouldn’t be a surprise.

We recap Stadium Stampede. The Blackpool Combat Club don’t like Eddie Kingston and the Best Friends so they’ve both gotten some backup for a ten man war all around the stadium.

Best Friends/Orange Cassidy/Eddie Kingston/Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Blackpool Combat Club/Ortiz/Mike Santana

Kingston charges Castagnoli to start fast in the aisle and the fight is on. Everyone pairs off and Chuck hits a big running flip dive. Castagnoli and Kingston fight up towards the entrance as Moxley has a branding iron. The Street Sweeper is broken up by Penta, who swings a rather mean chair. Sling Blades take the two of them down as we go split screen to throw a backstage fight between Kingston and Castagnoli.

Moxley cutters Penta and gives him a Paradigm Shift, but Penta is back with some skewers to pound into Moxley’s head. Penta is right back up with Made In Japan for two before Cassidy adds the lazy kicks. That doesn’t work for Moxley, who takes Cassidy down and gouges him with the skewers. The brawling continues with Kingston (bleeding) and Castagnoli continue brawling in stadium, this time with Castagnoli being sent off some steps.

Trent gets planted for a top rope splash from Santana and there’s a powerbomb onto some chairs to Penta. A piledriver onto the chairs drops Penta again and cue the medics to check on him. Moxley grabs a fork (of course) and stabs Cassidy in the head, which he then bites for good measure. Trent comes back in and gets hit in the face with a barbed wire board as we see Chuck and Wheeler fighting in the back. They join up with Kingston and Castagnoli, with Santana and Ortiz joining in. Chuck makes the save with an umbrella (because England) as a ladder is set up in the ring.

Trent gets dropped onto said ladder as Taylor and Kingston are fighting in a box somewhere. A powerbomb puts Trent onto the ladder as Moxley gets a barbed wire board (because barbed wire). Ortiz stabs Cassidy some more and Trent gets piledriven onto the steps (he’s having a rough night).

The Club takes things up to the ramp but SUE is back in the minivan. Moxley steals a kiss from her, which cannot be the best idea. Trent is somehow still alive and Sue throws in some cookie sheets to start the comeback. Cue Penta, now all in red and evil as Penta Obscuro, to take over. They head back to the ring where Penta Canadian Destroys Santana through a table. Wheeler’s screwdriver gets stuck in the turnbuckle, allowing Chuck to hit Soul Food.

Chuck adds an Awful Waffle but Cassidy gets caught in the Giant Swing (21 revolutions). Cassidy is back up with three straight Orange Punches for two on Castagnoli before he finds some tape to wrap around his hand. Said hand is then put into a bucket of class, which sticks to the tape and this can’t go well. Moxley breaks that up and Castagnoli takes Cassidy down again. Cue Kingston with a barbed wire chair to go face to face with Moxley but Castagnoli rolls him up for two. Kingston cleans house and spears Moxley into the barbed wire board. Cassidy is back up with the Orange Punch to pin Castagnoli at 21:15.

Rating: B. This was the wild, bloody brawl that it needed to be, though they only did so much outside of the main arena (understandable). They were all over the place with one insane spot after another here and while there was a lot going on, it was a bit hard to follow at times. Still though, heck of a fight, though Cassidy pinning Castagnoli better lead somewhere.

We recap the Women’s Title match, with Hikaru Shida defending against Toni Storm, Saraya and Britt Baker. Shida took the title from Storm so this is her rematch, while the other two won qualifying matches to get here.

Women’s Title: Saraya vs. Britt Baker vs. Toni Storm vs. Hikaru Shida

Shida is defending and Saraya has her family here, complete with We Will Rock You as an entrance theme. It’s a brawl to start with Shida being sent outside, meaning the Outcasts get to beat up Baker. The running hip attack connects in the corner but Storm and Saraya argue over who should get to cover. Shida comes back in with a double noggin knocker before hammering away at Storm in the corner.

Saraya makes a save and Storm hip attacks Shida to the floor. Saraya’s mother holds Baker on the floor but Storm’s running forearm misses, with said mother having to be held back. Back in and Saraya forearms Storm a few times, with Storm chopping her back to even things up. The bottom turnbuckle pad is ripped off and Storm loads up another hip attack in said corner, only to have Ruby Soho run in for the save.

The Scorpion Crosslock goes on Storm but Baker adds a Stomp to get two. Shida is back in for the torture rack drop (that still doesn’t work) to Saraya. The top rope Meteora gets two, followed by the Katana for the same with Baker making the save. Lockjaw is blocked and Saraya comes in with the spray paint to Storm, setting up the Nightcap for the pin and the title at 8:49.

Rating: B-. There’s your feel good moment for England and thankfully Shida at least got the one big entrance as champion on the major stage. Saraya winning is a great moment for the show, though I’m not sure how long of a reign she is going to have. Baker was just kind of there, while Storm and Saraya having issues could go somewhere. They kept this short and that’s probably for the best, but what we got worked.

We recap the Coffin match, which is Sting/Darby Allin vs. the makeshift team of Christian Cage/Swerve Strickland. It’s kind of a preview for Allin vs. Luchasaurus next week, as the heel team isn’t the most logical pairing.

Sting/Darby Allin vs. Christian Cage/Swerve Strickland

Coffin (casket) match, with Swerve getting rapped to the ring. Sting and Allin have an old British style entrance….before switching to Metallica’s Seek And Destroy (a song Sting used at times in WCW). It’s a brawl to start with Sting getting into a showdown with Christian. Sting finds a cricket bat to clean house and the good guys get the thumbtack jackets. With that broken up, Swerve chokes Sting with the cricket bat as Christian tapes Allin’s hands together behind his back.

Allin can still avoid a charge and hit a moonsault, followed by a dive with hands still tied up. The villains cut him off again but Allin’s hands get free and he slugs away. Sting is back in and takes Swerve outside for an apron splash through a table. Allin puts Christian in a chair and missile dropkicks him back out but it’s too early to close Christian in the coffin. Luchasaurus makes the save but here is Nick Wayne to go after him and they fight to the back.

That lets Allin load up a Coffin Drop onto Swerve onto the coffin. Allin only hits Coffin though and egads that’s a nasty landing. Back in and Sting gets the Scorpion Deathlock on Christian but Swerve makes the save with a chair. That just fires Sting up and he fights back on Swerve. Cage breaks that up with the cricket bat and a Swerve Stomp knocks Sting silly. With Allin knocked down again, Sting is put in the coffin but finds a bat to keep the lid open. Allin is back with a TNT Title shot to Christian as Sting Death Drops Swerve. That’s not enough to finish, so Allin adds the Coffin Drop for the win at 15:31.

Rating: B-. There comes a point where you know what you’re getting with these Sting matches and we reached that point a long time ago. He is going to do his thing and he and Allin will likely win every time, but at least it’s fun on the way there. As usual I could have gone without Swerve losing, but you just kind of have to expect that with him these days.

We recap Will Osprey vs. Chris Jericho, which is more about Jericho vs. Don Callis. They had a heck of a promo battle on Dynamite so this should be good.

Here is Fozzy to perform Judas live. Cool moment and it must mean a lot for the band.

Chris Jericho vs. Will Ospreay

Sammy Guevara and Don Callis are the seconds. Ospreay starts fast by sending him outside for the sky twister to the floor (with Jericho looking to get a knee to the head). Back in and they slug it out until Jericho sends him to the floor for a baseball slide. Ospreay gets dropped hard onto the apron with a German suplex, followed by a regular suplex back inside.

Jericho flips off the crowd, which is probably a good idea given what Ospreay is going to be in a match like this. A super hurricanrana gives Jericho two but Ospreay drapes him over the top. The shooting star to the back gives Ospreay two but another springboard is Backstabbed out of the air.

A Codebreaker gets two on Ospreay, who is right back with the Oscutter for two of his own. Stormbreaker is countered into the Walls but Ospreay slips out and they slug away on the mat. A Spanish Fly gives Ospreay two and a collision makes him get all fired up. Stormbreaker into the Hidden Blade into another Stormbreaker finishes Jericho at 14:56.

Rating: B. Another solid match here as Ospreay gets the win, as he should have. There is likely going to be a lot more between Jericho and Callis, so having Jericho lose to start is the right way to go. Ospreay is on another level at the moment and while Jericho can hang with him, having Jericho win might have been a bit too much. Another PPV worthy match though, as Jericho can still bring it under the right circumstances.

Nigel McGuinness announces tonight’s attendance: 81,035.

We recap the Trios Titles match. The House Of Black beat the Acclaimed and Billy Gunn, with the latter retiring. Then the House kept attacking the Acclaimed so the OLD Gunn is back for revenge.

Trios Titles: House Of Black vs. Acclaimed/Billy Gunn

The Acclaimed/Gunn are challenging and anything goes, with Caster’s rap including a Harry Potter joke. The House one ups them though by bringing out a lantern for a Bray Wyatt tribute. It’s a brawl to start (of course) with Black busting out an early but possibly hurting his leg. More dives connect but Billy’s is cut off. Julia Hart comes in and is told to….well something, followed by Scissor Me Timbers.

King is back in to take Gunn outside but misses a charge into the barricade. Back in and Gunn clotheslines down Black and Matthews before the One And Only (cobra clutch slam for you younger fans out there) gets two. The Arrival looks to set up the Mic Drop but Matthews makes the save. Bowens elbows Matthews in the head over and over but gets sent into the corner.

A Cannonball/stereo running knees to the head get two, with Caster making the save. King busts out the chain, which accidentally hits Black in the head instead. Bowens is back up with the jumping Fameasser, setting up the real thing from Gunn but Hart pulls the referee. Black kicks Gunn in the head for two and can’t believe the kickout. Dante’s Inferno is broken up, leaving King alone with all three challengers. The Fameasser into the Arrival into the Mic Drop gives us new champions at 9:49.

Rating: C+. They had to change the titles here as it would have been quite the punch to the gut if Billy lost again. The Acclaimed have needed something to do since they lost the Tag Team Titles so this was a necessary title change. That being said, this is what, the fourth no rules/crazy tag match of the night? Cut down on those next time.

Post match the House hands over the titles, allowing Bowens to present Gunn with the title for the nice moment.

We recap the World Title match. Adam Cole and MJF went to a time limit draw in a non-title match, then became friends and now ROH Tag Team Champions. Now it’s about the World Title though, with the question of whether one will turn on the other.

AEW World Title: Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Adam Cole

MJF is defending with the full Devil entrance, complete with a throne and worshippers. They’re both wearing shirts and go to the mat with neither being able to get very far. Back up and MJF sends him into the ropes for a strut and a Rick Rude style hip swivel. Cole takes him down as well and hits the catchphrase, but MJF wants a handshake. MJF: “SPORTSMANSHIP!” Then he gets in a cheap shot to Cole and gives that great evil grin of his.

Cole is back with the fireman’s carry onto the knee for two as things have gotten a lot more serious. MJF gets pulled into the corner so Cole can grab a chinlock as Taz and Nigel argue on commentary. Cole knocks him down again and shouts that he’s better than MJF before ripping off MJF’s shirt. MJF gets serious or a change and hammers away in the corner before biting Cole’s head. Cole is sent outside and MJF hits a dive of his own, giving us a great stunned face.

Back in and MJF hits a top rope double stomp on the arm, sending them into a pinfall reversal sequence. MJF counters a leapfrog into a powerbomb backbreaker for two and they’re both down. They head outside with Cole brainbustering him onto the steps for the big knockdown. That’s good for a close nine count but MJF collapses before the Panama Sunrise can launch. A Tombstone onto the announcers’ table gets two on MJF back inside in quite the near fall.

Cole hits a running Canadian Destroyer but MJF pops up for a low superkick to leave them both down. They both shout DOUBLE CLOTHESLINE, clothesline each other, and go to a double pin at 19:00. Hold on though as Cole wants five more minutes, but MJF says they’re going until they have a winner. The referee gets bumped and they grab a chair, with both of them faking being hit by said chair (MJF even wraps it around his neck). The referee isn’t having this so MJF hits a Heatseeker for two.

Cole hits a straitjacket suplex on the apron and MJF crashes out to the floor. That’s not enough for Cole, who hits a Panama Sunrise on the floor to knock him sillier. Back in and Cole loads up another Panama Sunrise but MJF pulls the referee into the way again. MJF loads up the diamond ring but can’t do it. Cue Roderick Strong to kick MJF low (Cole didn’t see it), allowing Cole to look around and hit the Panama Sunrise. The Boom connects for an incredibly delayed near fall so Cole picks up the title….but throws it away. MJF grabs a small package to retain at 28:59.

Rating: A-. The action was very good here but the storytelling was better, with the teases of turning and Strong not being able to get Cole to go full evil. What matters here is having a result that could set up more than a few different results, as a rematch in Chicago next week wouldn’t shock me. Heck of a story here, and I’m looking forward to the next chapter.

Post match MJF tries to tell Cole that they’re still friends but Cole kicks him away. MJF shouts about how Cole was always all about the title and throws it to him, telling Cole to do it already and turning his back. Cole drops the title again, despite Strong getting on the apron to yell at him to do it. MJF and Cole hug, with the Kingdom holding Strong back to end the show.

Oh one more thing: they’re back in Wembley next year for All In 2024.

Overall Rating: A-. The show was certainly a hit and even the worst matches were good enough. This was a show where the atmosphere and look were what mattered, but then the wrestling lived up to the hype as well. It’s pretty much a home run for AEW and while they have to scramble for All Out in a week, they have more than earned a victory lap for this one. Awesome show, and worth checking out up and down.

Results
Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Adam Cole b. Aussie Open – Double clothesline to Fletcher
Hook b. Jack Perry – Redrum
CM Punk b. Samoa Joe – Pepsi Plunge
Bullet Club Gold/Konosuke Takeshita b. Golden Elite – Rollup with tights to Omega
FTR b. Young Bucks – Shatter Machine to Matt
Orange Cassidy/Best Friends/Eddie Kingston/Penta El Cero Miedo b. Blackpool Combat Club/Ortiz/Mike Santana – Orange Punch to Castagnoli
Saraya b. Hikaru Shida, Britt Baker and Toni Storm – Nightcap to Storm
Darby Allin/Sting b. Christian Cage/Swerve Strickland – Strickland was put in the coffin
Will Ospreay b. Chris Jericho – Stormbreaker
Billy Gunn/Acclaimed b. House Of Black – Mic Drop to King
Maxwell Jacob Friedman b. Adam Cole – Small package

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Collision
Date: August 26, 2023
Location: Gas South Arena, Duluth, Georgia
Commentators: Kevin Kelly, Caprice Coleman

It’s the final go home show for All In and that means it could go either way. We are going to get a final push to the show but the question is how much new stuff might be added. At the same time, All Out is in eight days and there isn’t much set for the show. While All In will have a lot to do with the card, we could get something or it here as well. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Here is Jack Perry, along with some people carrying the FTW Title, to open things up. The ring is set up for a funeral and Perry says it was a good title, which was just misunderstood at times. Instead of being sad at its demise, we should remember the good times. We see Perry with the title in various places, including bed, the bathtub, by the pool, in the shower etc.

It’s time to send the title to a better place though, and that means it’s time for a sledgehammer. Cue Hook on the video screen to say this wasn’t a good idea and now here he is in the ring. The beatdown is on and Perry gets suplexed through a table. Hook: “Wembley, Sunday.”

Orange Cassidy/Penta El Cero Miedo/Eddie Kingston vs. Butcher and the Blade/Kip Sabian

Penta loads up the glove on Sabian but Penelope Ford shoves Alex Abrahantes on the floor. Everything breaks down fast and it’s Penta superkicking his way out of trouble in the corner. Sabian crotches Penta against the post but Cassidy makes the save and comes in to pick up the pace. Cassidy gets sent to the floor and it’s a double team neckbreaker to give Sabian two back inside.

Blade’s swinging neckbreaker drops Cassidy again and we take a break. Back with Cassidy dropping Sabian hard and handing it back to Penta. House is quickly cleaned, including an assisted Canadian Destroyer on Sabian. Butcher knocks Penta into the tag to Kingston and it’s hoss fight time. Kingston gets the better of things before sending Sabian and Blade into the corner for the rapid fire chops. Cassidy hits Butcher with the Orange Punch and there’s an exploder to Sabian. Made In Japan hits Sabian and Kingston gets the pin at 9:50.

Rating: C+. The good guys here felt like a bunch of people who had nothing else to do so here they are. Cassidy is going to get a reaction no matter what he’s doing so it’s smart to have him on a show like this. Butcher and the Blade continue to be a team who feel like they could do more but they are forever tied to Sabian for some reason.

Post break the Best Friends are in the ring with Cassidy and company to call out the Blackpool Combat Club and Santana/Ortiz. Those people BROKE TRENT’S MOM’S VAN so they’re coming or revenge. The Club pops up on screen to say it shouldn’t be a surprise that they picked Santana and Ortiz. Kingston starts heading to the back but the other four stay back as Castagnoli says Kingston and company will be out of friends again soon. We cut to the back where Kingston has a chair but can’t find anyone. Kingston promises to hut Moxley. They had me until the part about the van.

Video on FTR vs. the Young Bucks, with both of them talking about how important this match is.

Dark Order vs. Action Andretti/Darius Martin

Silver and Andretti start things off with Silver taking over, allowing Reynolds to come in for an elbow to the face. The powerbomb onto Silver’s knees gets two and a double elbow puts him down again. We take a break and come back with Andretti bringing Martin in to pick up the pace. A double DDT plants the Order and Andretti comes in with a springboard 450, meaning Silver has to make the save. Andretti is sent outside and it’s the jawbreaker into the German suplex into the flipping cradle for the pin at 8:37.

Rating: C. So the Dark Order is becoming a thing again and these two getting the focus is the best possible combination. Evil Uno being left out of the whole thing helps it so much as Silver and Reynolds have never been the issue. It was a watchable match, but again it does feel like these guys were out there to fill in time. Not their fault, but it was noticeable.

On Wednesday, AR Fox apologized to Nick Wayne and Darby Allin for everything that happened. Fox offered a handshake to Wayne, who walked away. Allin shook Fox’s hand though.

We get a new Acclaimed music video on how Billy Gunn is back and they’re coming for the House Of Black.

Video on the Women’s Title match.

Big Bill vs. Vary Morales

Ricky Starks is here with Bill, who gets tossed down hard to start. A swing around by the hair (ouch) sets up the chokeslam to finish Morales at 1:35.

Post match Starks whips Morales and promises a bigger strap next week.

Ruby Soho challenges Kris Statlander for the TBS Title at All Out. Soho calls Statlander more than a woman but less than an Outcast.

Willow Nightingale vs. Robyn Renegade

Robyn’s sister Charlette is here too. Robyn knocks her into the corner to start but Nightingale drops her with a shoulder. The basement crossbody gives Nightingale two and she manages a pair of Amigos into a fisherman’s suplex for two. Charlette offers a distraction though and Robyn takes over as we take a break. Back with Nightingale hitting a spinebuster for two but Robyn scores with a missile dropkick for the same. They head outside with Nightingale hitting a double suplex on both Renegades. Back in and the Babe With The Powerbomb finishes Robyn at 8:27.

Rating: C. Nightingale did her Nightingale style stuff and of course it worked because she’s the most adorable wrestler in recent memory. At the same time, she really needs to win something that matters around here sooner than later because otherwise she’s going to turn into the lovable jobber. On the other hand you have the Renegades, who have always felt like they could be something, but have lost all over the place in recent weeks. There is a lot of talent here, but none of them are really doing much and that’s a shame.

We see some quick clips of AEW stars in London.

Video on Miro vs. Powerhouse Hobbs.

Kris Statlander is sick of being stepped on by people like Ruby Soho so they’re on for All Out.

Keith Lee vs. Zicky Dice

Dice hammers away a few times and gets Pounced for his efforts. The Supernova finishes for Lee at 1:35.

We go back to Mexico, where La Faccion Ingobernable has been kidnapped and beaten up. Then they fought back and beat up their attackers, only to be knocked down again as someone we can’t see walks in.

Here is Samoa Joe to rant about how he wants to get his hands on CM Punk but has been told to wait until All In. Therefore tonight he’ll be on commentary for the main event and be a professional, but the beating is coming on Sunday.

We run down the All In card, complete with Hook vs. Jack Perry for the FTW Title confirmed for Zero Hour.

Video on CM Punk vs. Samoa Joe.

All Out rundown.

Hook/Darby Allin/Sting/CM Punk vs. Jay White/Luchasaurus/Brian Cage/Swerve Strickland

The Gunns, Juice Robinson and Christian Cage are on ringside. Punk headlocks Swerve to start but a hammerlock gets him backed into the corner. An anklescissors takes Punk down though and Swerve mocks his weird wrist thing. It’s too early for the GTS though so here’s White instead. They stare each other down a bit, but White wants Sting.

Punk goes to bring in Sting but gets jumped from behind (rare mental screwup there from Punk) before White goes after the leg. Punk suplexes his way out of trouble and it’s off to Hook to go after White in the corner. Allin comes in to stay on the arm and the tease of a tag to Sting sends White bailing back to Luchasaurus. Sting and Allin take turns crashing into Luchasaurus in the corner but Punk tries one too many.

Punk kicks his way out of trouble though and a big boot to the face cuts him off. We take a break and come back with Punk still in trouble and Swerve putting on a chinlock. An elbow cuts Punk off again and there’s a snap suplex to make it worse. Punk rolls away though and it’s back to Hook to pick up the pace. Hook gets knocked outside in a hurry though and some tosses into the barricade have him in trouble.

We take another break and come back with Hook fighting his way out of trouble and suplexing Cage for a needed breather. The hot tag brings in Punk to clean house, including a bulldog/running clothesline combination to White and Swerve. Punk goes up top but pauses for a good while, only to hit the elbow anyway. Swerve takes Punk down but Hook makes the save, meaning it’s time for the parade of knockdowns. Punk finally hits the GTS on Cage (with a heck of a stare at Joe) before grabbing the Koquina Clutch for the tap at 21:06.

Rating: B. This wasn’t as long as most of the main events around here but it worked well enough with everyone involved. The match was about getting in as much of a hard push towards All In as possible in one match, with Allin vs. Luchasaurus at All Out getting a bit of time of its own. Not a classic or anything, but they covered as much as they could in a limited time and that works.

Post match Joe says the match is officially over so the big brawl is on, with Jack Perry coming out to join in. The fights break off and a bunch of weapons are brought in, with Perry and Hook fighting up the steps. Joe belts Punk in the face and leaves to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show felt like it was designed or one purpose and one purpose only: fill in two hours and don’t screw up anything before London. They did that about as well as they could, if you ignore that the first hour and a half might as well have been an extended Rampage. You absolutely did not need to see this show, but there were some interesting pairings in the main event. The show is absolutely not going to matter this time tomorrow though and I think they knew that coming in.

Results
Orange Cassidy/Eddie Kingston/Penta El Cero Miedo b. Butcher and the Blade/Kip Sabian – Made In Japan to Sabian
Dark Order b. Action Andretti/Darius Martin – Flipping rollup to Andretti
Big Bill b. Vary Morales – Chokeslam
Willow Nightingale b. Robyn Renegade – Babe With The Powerbomb
Keith Lee b. Zicky Dice – Supernova
CM Punk/Sting/Hook/Darby Allin b. Jay White/Luchasaurus/Brian Cage/Swerve Strickland – Koquina Clutch to Cage

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Dynamite
Date: August 23, 2023
Location: Gas South Arena, Duluth, Georgia
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

It’s Fyter Fest, which is also serving as the final Dynamite before Sunday’s All In. That means most of the pay per view is already set, but now the question becomes what more can be done this week. I’m curious to see if anything else is added, including the Blackpool Combat Club’s mystery partners. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

In Memory Of Terry Funk.

Elite vs. Bullet Club Gold

Jay White is here with the Club. It’s a brawl before the bell with Juice Robinson grabbing a chair. The referee takes it away so Robinson decks him as the fight continues. The bucks are taken out and White comes in to help with the beatdown. Konosuke Takeshita comes in to help lay out Omega but here is FTR to help the Bucks clear out the Club. That leaves Omega and Takeshita in the ring, with the threat of a One Winged Angel sending Takeshita running. No match of course.

MJF has a sitdown interview with Renee Paquette, who talks about how tight his trunks are going to be with 80,000 people chanting his name. MJF: “I’m like the British Bulldog if he was Jewish and a good public speaker.” If the fans chant for him, he’ll buy them all a pint! Renee: “Really?” MJF, in a whisper: “No of course not Renee. I’m going to get that mark Tony Khan to pay for it. We can edit that out right?” He is ready to show that he is the best when he wrestles twice at All In, but we move on to his relationship with Adam Cole.

We see a clip of the two of them and MJF says that he’s not trying to work us, but Cole has made him a better person. He understands why people don’t trust him and for once, he’s vulnerable. He’d like us to go with him, and he’s ready to be your scumbag. I still have no idea who is turning in this story (and it might not happen on Sunday) but dang it is going to be huge.

Jon Moxley vs. Rey Fenix

Fenix knocks him outside fast to start and there’s the suicide dive to drop Moxley again. Moxley is back up and rakes the eyes, setting up a stomp onto the floor to really rock him. Moxley sends the rocked Fenix into the barricade and the rocking level increases. Back in and Fenix misses a rope walk kick but hits a running elbow in the corner. One heck of a clothesline drops Fenix for two and we take a break.

We come back with Fenix fighting back but his rolling cutter is countered into a choke. Moxley takes it to the mat but Fenix flips out and hits the rolling cutter for two. Fenix hits a frog splash for two more but Moxley catches him on top. A super Death Rider gets two (of course), followed by the rear naked choke to finish Fenix at 13:45.

Rating: B-. There is something about Fenix’s matches that makes him feel like he is in a fight every time and it works very well. He’s a special talent and I could go for seeing more of him on his own. What I could really not go for is more of a middle rope version of a former World Champion’s finisher getting two and then going straight to the choke finish. Either don’t do the super Death Rider or don’t cover him after. It’s not that hard but for some reason, AEW insists on doing things like this far too often.

Post match the Blackpool Combat Club come in to go after Fenix with a crowbar. Eddie Kingston and Penta come out but cue the returning Santana and Ortiz to cut them off. Fenix gets crowbarred in the head (which the camera misses) and the villains leave. This would seem to be a way to make it 5-5 on Sunday instead as Fenix is stretchered out.

Post break Eddie Kingston won’t talk to Renee Paquette over what her husband just did. He’ll fix it in London.

Earlier today, the former Jericho Appreciation Society and Sammy Guevara argued over Chris Jericho’s loyalties.

It’s time for the contract signing between Chris Jericho (with Sammy Guevara) and Will Ospreay (with Don Callis) for All In. Callis can’t wait for Ospreay to destroy Jericho once and for all, with Ospreay talking about wanting to get money to put his kid through school. Ospreay says his contract is coming up and he is already better than everyone around here and Jericho’s legacy is just rocket fuel for his future.

Ospreay signs and Jericho, after taking his jacket off for some reason, talks about how he knew Ospreay would be great. We get references to the sheets and Dave Meltzer before Jericho talks about how important this match is going to be. Jericho takes credit for Ospreay not being in a wheelchair today so Ospreay gets in his face. The fight is on and they have to be held back to wrap it up.

Ospreay knocked it out of the park here and Jericho was good enough to make this a heck of a segment. The idea of trying to get Ospreay booed in London is idiotic, but dang I want to see the match more than I did coming in. Can we just get rid of Callis though? He’s really not needed in the whole thing.

We now get a sitdown interview with Adam Cole, who looks at a highlight package of his friendship with MJF. We also see some clips of Roderick Strong and the Kingdom having some issues with both of them, which has Cole on his feet yelling at her for causing problems. Cole snapped fast there.

Darby Allin/Nick Wayne vs. Mogul Embassy

Tornado tag. Wayne is sent outside fast to start and Fox hits the flip dive. The Embassy goes after Wayne’s mom in the front row but Allin is back up with a Coffin Drop onto the two of them on the floor. We take a break and come back with Wayne being suplexed on the floor before everyone heads back inside.

A neckbreaker gives Swerve two as Allin makes the save. Allin takes Swerve outside for a ram into various things, only to have a quick shot take him down. Back in and the double teaming plants Wayne, including a spinning fisherman’s suplex for two. Fox misses the 450 though and Wayne rolls him up for the pin at 9:51.

Rating: C+. Well ok then. That’s the kind of thing that I would not have expected coming in but for some reason here we are, with Wayne beating Fox here. That would seem to be the kind of thing you save for All Out (assuming AEW believes Wayne is PPV ready) but here we are instead, with one of All In’s matches suddenly being a lot less interesting.

Post match Allin and Wayne leave so Fox laughs and calls this disappointing. He blames Fox for the loss and has Prince Nana fire him. Cue Brian Cage to lay Fox out but Allin, Wayne and Sting make the save. Allin forgives Fox for everything and Allin asks Swerve who he has to replace Fox. Cue Christian Cage and Luchasaurus, with Christian reminding Wayne that his father, is in fact, dead. Well Christian had never heard of Wayne’s father so he must not have been a very good wrestler. Christian likes the idea of being a mentor to wrestlers with dead fathers so maybe Wayne will listen to him one day.

This might have been the most confusing segment I’ve seen in AEW. Why did Allin think that someone other than Brian Cage was the new partner? Why wasn’t Cage the new partner? Why would Christian accept a spot in this match? Why have Fox in the match in the first place if it’s going to be changed a week or two later? This felt like a way too complicated

We get a sitdown interview with FTR and the Young Bucks. The Bucks think FTR need to win this match more than them, while FTR talk about legacies again. The Bucks cut them off and say they’re the reason FTR is here in the first place. One day, when this is all said and done, the Bucks hope FTR will “give them their flowers”, but FTR seems more interested in fighting.

The Outcasts are ready for a tag match on Rampage.

Ruby Soho vs. Skye Blue

Soho jumps her fast to start and takes things into the corner. Blue fights up and sends her to the floor for a crossbody off the apron. We take a break and come back with Soho fighting out of Skyfall but not being able to hit a Saito suplex. Blue hits a neckbreaker and they go into a pinfall reversal sequence. A quick Skyfall gives Blue two but she can’t hit Code Blue. Instead it’s a No Future into Destination Unknown to finish Blue at 7:28.

Rating: C-. This would be your weekly women’s match with a break in the middle so we missed most of the thing. Soho seems primed to go after the TBS Title and that’s a good spot for her at the moment. That being said, this wasn’t exactly a great match, as Blue continues to be ok at best in the ring. They were doing some stuff that seemed beyond her here and her lack of polish was showing more than once.

Roderick Strong and the Kingdom will be watching.

The House Of Black talk about getting rid of Billy Gunn.

Here is a rather serious Acclaimed to call out the House Of Black. The fight is on but cue the returning Billy Gunn for the save. Gunn talks about how the House has taken everything from him and his family, so now the challenge is on for a match at All In. Billy even promises the REAL Bad A** is coming.

Here’s what’s coming on various shows.

Ring Of Honor Tag Team Titles: Aussie Open vs. Hardys

The Aussies are defending and it’s a brawl to start with the champs being sent into the corner. The Hardys send them outside and keep up the beating as we take an early break. Back with Jeff in trouble but Jeff fights up and hits a Whisper in the Wind. The tag brings in Matt to clean house as everything breaks down. Matt superplexes Fletcher into a middle rope splash for two, with Davis making the save. Back up and the Aussie Arrow finishes Jeff at 8:01. Well that was abrupt.

Rating: C. The Hardys are feeling less and less special out there every time and they lost again here, even in a title match. Why did they even get a title match anyway? They lost to the Young Bucks a few weeks ago and here’s a title shot. Anyway, not much to see here, but at least the Aussies got a win before their big match on Sunday.

Post match the Aussies promise to keep the titles but here are MJF and Adam Cole to interrupt. The Aussies beat them down but Cole and MJF fight back, only to have the Kangaroo Kick blocked. Cole’s superkick almost hits MJF, who catches it coming in and glares at Cole with a different look on his face. MJF walks past him and loads up the diamond ring but hugs Cole instead to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was a show that was NOT about the wrestling and there is nothing wrong with that. AEW is four days away from the biggest show they are probably ever going to run and this Dynamite was about getting things ready. It was a heck of a show when it came to getting ready for All In and that was entirely the point. Heck of a show here in that regard and that’s what it needed to be.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Rey Fenix – Rear naked choke
Darby Allin/Nick Wayne b. Mogul Embassy – Rollup to Fox
Ruby Soho b. Skye Blue – Destination Unknown
Aussie Open b. Hardys – Aussie Arrow to Jeff

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