06/24/23 AEW Collision Recap
Join the Starman as he covers tonight’s edition of AEW Collision, which airs live from the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario.
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CM Punk, FTR and Ricky Starks who hypes tonight’s match as Dax says Saturday Night’s Alright for a Fight. Bullet Club Gold and the Gunns have their own pre-taped rebuttal as Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting hits and we head into the ring with Tony Schiavone, who hypes tomorrow night’s Forbidden Door PPV. Schiavone says they still don’t know who the third man will be with Darby Allin and Sting and introduces them, but they are interrupted by Chris Jericho and Minoru Suzuki.
Jericho tells Schiavone and the crowd to shut up and reminds the fans that he is from Winnipeg, not Toronto. Jericho says he has been waiting for days on who the third man is and wonders who they could get that tougher than Suzuki and crazier than Jericho. Jericho continues to ask who Sting, that even though he is not here as he is miffed about Jericho’s and Suzuki’s friendship, Sammy Guevara is a great high flyer and future champion.
Jericho says he knows how to get an answer as he knows Schiavone knows. Jericho threatens Schiavone, who says he doesn’t know, as Sting’s music hits as he and Darby Allin make their way to the ring. Allin grabs a microphone and says maybe Guevara’s common sense kicked in, which is why he isn’t here tonight, but warns him that if he shows up at Forbidden Door, Allin will kick his ass, just like their partner kicked Jericho’s ass at the Tokyo Dome. Tetsuya Naito’s music hits as he makes his way down to the ring to join his partners. Naito and Jericho stare each other down in the middle of the ring before motioning to Suzuki to leave the ring. Naito holds the ropes open for Jericho to return but the two leave the ringside area.
Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness recap last week’s debut episode of Collision with Miro having a dominate win. A segment featuring Miro is aired where he says he was in exile for over a year and realized that the man he praised was a coward and an idiot. The Redeemer kneels before no man or god and he will walk alone. Miro renounces his god, gold and beautiful wife, and he is gutless.
Match 1: Swerve Stickland w/ Prince Nana vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
The bell rings and the two right to a standstill until Tanahashi gives Strickland his air guitar and gives him a dropkick to the knees. Strickland comes back and takes Tanahashi down, who rolls out to the ring. Strickland begins playing the air guitar, which gets under Tanahashi skin and ends up eating a boot to the face from Strickland. Tanahashi is able to send Strickland out to the floor, but Strickland counters a baseball slide dropkick and traps Tanahashi in the apron and kicks him in the face as we head into a commercial break.
We return to the match to see Tanahashi and Strickland trading blows in the ring until Tanahashi slams Strickland and hits a senton from the middle rope for a two count. Strickland is able to recover and slams Tanahashi to the mat for a two count of his own. Tanahashi then rolls up Strickland a couple of times for near falls before taking Strickland down with a Sling Blade for another near fall. Tanahashi then heads to the top rope and goes for a High Fly Flow, but Strickland lifts the knees and picks up a near fall on the counter. Strickland then heads to the top rope and misses with a double stop as Tanahashi hits another Sling Blade and hits the High Fly Flow for the three count.
Winner: Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Swerve Stickland by pin fall.
MJF’s music hits but he doesn’t come out and appears on the video screen. MJF promises that he will embarrass Hiroshi Tanahashi and says he only agreed to the match at Forbidden Door if Tony Khan put his match on first as he doesn’t want to spend any more time in Canada than he has to and doesn’t want to spend his time watching NJPW jabronis wrestling all night long. MJF then says he is going to take that air guitar of his and shove it up his ass and says Tanahashi is not on the level of the Devil.
The announce team hypes the main event but coming up next is Andrade El Idolo facing off against Brody King as we head into a commercial break.
Shots outside of the Scotiabank Arena, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs, is aired before heading into the next match of the night.
Match 2: Brody King w/ Julia Hart vs. Andrade El Idolo
The match begins and Andrade is able to take King down with a head scissors from the middle rope and uses the ropes to dump King out to the floor. Julia Hart causes a distraction as King and Andrade fight on the apron until King is sent into the post and falls to the floor. Andrade then takes King out with a top rope moonsault over the ring post. Andrade then rolls King into the ring and goes for a pin fall, but King kicks out at a one count. Andrade then begins working over King’s left leg, but King is able to recover and chops Andrade out to the floor, as we head into a commercial break.
We return to the match where we see King digging a claw into Andrade pectoral muscle. King continues on the attack and beats Andrade chest with a series of strikes, but Andrade comes back with a jawbreaker before sending King face first into the middle turnbuckle. Andrade continues on the attack and hits a double knee strike in the corner for a near fall. King fights his way back into the match and delivers an awkward Death Valley Driver onto Andrade in the corner. King tries to follow up, but his knee gives out. Andrade then takes King out with a chop block and goes for the Figure Four, but Hart distracts Andrade once again. Andrade then connects with a back elbow on King and tries to go for the Figure Eight, but Buddy Matthews comes out and attacks Andrade, which ends the match with a disqualification. King and Matthews continue attacking Andrade in the ring and leave him lying as Malakai Black is shown on the big screen. Julia Hart raises Andrade’s mask above her head as the lights go out.
Winner: Andrade El Idolo defeated Brody King by disqualification.
The announce team hypes the Owen Hart Cup Tournament match between Nyla Rose and Willow Nightingale and says that Christian Cage will talk about the TNT Championship win once we return from a commercial break.
Tony Schiavone is back in the ring and reminds the fans that a new TNT Champion was crowned last week and introduces Christian Cage and Luchasaurus. Cage comes out with TNT Championship over his shoulder as we see footage of last week’s match. Schiavone asks Cage about the title match and how it feels like being back home. Cage says he left last week’s show in a bad mood, but he knew that he’d be back in Toronto with the TNT Championship, but that put him in a worse mood. Cage says Toronto breeds losers and says the Maple Leafs finally won a playoffs series after nearly 20 years and then lost in the second round. Cage says he had to leave Toronto to become a champion. Cage then says there will be no more open challenges for the TNT Championship and people will have to earn a shot. Cage then takes a shot at Cody Rhodes’ TNT Championship reign and promises that he will take the TNT Championship and that he, or we, will remain the face of TNT now and forever. Cage then poses with the title on Luchasaurus’s shoulders.
Pre-taped video segments featuring the competitors of the Owen Hart Tournament is aired with all participants talking about how they will defeat their opponents. The Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament will begin tomorrow night at Forbidden Door. We then see the Owen Hart Foundation Women’s Tournament bracket as the quarter final round will take place tonight, and one match will take place right now.
Match 3: Willow Nightingale vs. Nyla Rose (Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Quarter Final Match)
The bell rings and these two strong women go back and forth in the opening moments trying to gain control of the match. Rose finally rolls out to the floor and Willow follows, but is blocked by Marina Shafir. This allows Rose to gain control on the outside as we head into a commercial break.
The match continues as Willow has regained control and picks up a near fall after hitting a dropkick from the middle rope. Rose fights her way back into the match with a combination of a suplex and a slam for a near fall. Rose then hammers away on Willow, but she counters with a Pounce and hits a powerbomb for a pin fall to advance to the Semi-Finals of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament. After the match, the Outcasts come out to the ringside area, but Skye Blue comes out with a chair and holds them off.
Winner: Willow Nightingale defeated Nyla Rose by pin fall to advance to the Semi-Finals of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.
Lexi Nair is backstage with Scorpio Sky, says he couldn’t handle his first big break with AEW. He then introduces himself as one-half of the World Tag Team Champions and is a two-time TNT Champion. Sky says he did that being a shadow of himself and says people will find out who he really is. The announce team then hype tonight’s main event, but first Powerhouse Hobbs will be in action as we head into a commercial break.
Match 4: Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Jeremy Prophet
The bell rings and Hobbs quickly takes Prophet down. Hobbs toys with him a bit before hitting a series of strikes and hitting a spine buster for the dominant pin fall.
Winner: Powerhouse Hobbs defeated Jeremy Prophet by pin fall.
The announce team run down the Forbidden Door card before saying that MJF will make his Collision debut and the Owen Hart Foundation Men’s Tournament will also take place next week. More hype for the main event is done as we head into a commercial break.
Match 5: Bullet Club Gold & The Gunns vs. Ricky Starks/FTR/CM Punk
CM Punk’s music got a loud chorus of boos as the announce team acknowledge that they are no longer in Chicago. Punk starts off against Jay White, but White quickly tags in Juice Robinson. Punk gets a variety of cheers and boos as he takes Robinson down with a shoulder block before tagging in Dax Harwood. Harwood comes in as he and Robinson go back and forth as a loud “CM Punk!” chant breaks out.
Austin Gunn is tagged in as he and Harwood go at it until Cash Wheeler makes the blind tag, who continues to work over Austin. Ricky Starks is tagged in and walks the ropes while shaking his hips and takes Austin down. White is tagged back in as he and Starks fight to a standstill, until White asks for Punk, who is tagged in. The two lock up and trade chops in the corner, with Punk getting booed whenever he connects with a chop. White then sends Punk out to the floor and both sides begin fighting in the ringside area as we head into a commercial break.
The match continues with Harwood giving Robinson a suplex from the top rope and FTR hitting the Doomsday Device, but White breaks up the pin attempt. Robinson then tags in Colton Gunn, but Wheeler is able to send him into the turnbuckle and picks up a near fall. Punk is tagged back in and picks up a near fall after hitting the Demolition elbow. Colton comes back with a clothesline before the Gunns and Bullet Club Gold begin working Punk over with a series of quick tags. Another “CM Punk!” chant breaks out, but he is continuously on the receiving end of the attack as we head into another commercial break.
We return once again as Punk fights his way back and takes White down with a cross body block. Punk and White connect with a series of chops, but White is able to prevent Punk from making the tag. Punk is then able to take White down with a swinging neck breaker, but the Gunns come in and take out FTR and Starks on the apron. Robinson is then tagged in and goes for the GTS on Punk, but he is able to block it and takes Robinson down with a kick to the head. The Gunns come in as Punk is able to tag in Starks, who takes out everyone he can and picks up a near fall on Austin Gunn with a DDT.
The match breaks down in and out of the ring as the referee just walks around not giving any attention to it. White finally makes the blind tag as Starks takes him down with a Blue Thunder Bomb for a near fall. White then rolls Starks up while holding the tights, but Starks kicks out. Starks then counters the Blade Runner with a brainbuster, but Robinson breaks up the pin attempt. Harwood then takes Robinson down with a pile driver as the Gunns take Harwood down with double team move, but Wheeler then sends both Gunns out to the floor and takes them and Robinson out of the floor. Punk then climbs the top rope, but decides to jump into the ring instead of on the floor and is caught by White, who drives him to the mat with a uranage slam. White then slams Starks down, but he kicks out at two. Starks then counters a Blade Runner with a spear and then spears both members of the Gunns, however, Robinson is able to connect with a punch and White hits the Blade Runner to pick up the pin fall.
Winners: Bullet Club Gold & The Gunns defeated Ricky Starks/FTR/CM Punk by pin fall.
The winners celebrate in the ring and do the Bullet Club Guns Up and the announce team continues to hype the Forbidden Door PPV as Collision comes to a close.
Quick Results
– Hiroshi Tanahashi defeated Swerve Strickland by pin fall.
– Andrade El Idolo defeated Brody King by disqualification.
– Willow Nightingale defeated Nyla Rose by pin fall to advance to the Semi-Finals of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.
– Powerhouse Hobbs defeated Jeremy Prophet by pin fall.
– Bullet Club Gold & The Gunns defeated Ricky Starks/FTR/CM Punk by pin fall.
