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This week’s episode of AEW Collision took place in Chicago. The opening VT started with Tony Khan announcing CM Punk's firing in front of the hometown crowd that didn't take the news well. With All Out this Sunday, we saw the return of Bryan Danielson and the debut of Young Bucks on Collision. There was lots of in-ring action to review despite a week of much drama outside of the squared circle.
A 1 to 10 point scale will be used each week to score wrestlers who appear in matches on AEW Collision, and occasionally in notable segments. Wrestlers will be scored as follows:
Note: Not all personalities who appear will be scored i.e. wrestlers in backstage promos or interviews, jobbers. Wrestlers who feature in matches but are not part of AEW’s roster will be scored but will not feature in the Form Table.
Let’s take a look at this week’s ratings:
Ricky Starks (7) & Bryan Danielson (6)
It was a tough spot for anyone to open on Collision after Tony Khan’s public announcements. However, Starks delivered beautifully with a mic in hand. Having Big Bill at his side is feeling more and more comfortable by the week. A swerve we were not expecting was the return of Bryan Danielson. Tony Khan was not hit by a bus (but monitors), though giving Danielson the keys to Collision must be a necessity moving forward. The swerve to have him wrestle on Sunday is a fantastic consolidation for what should’ve been an elevating moment for Starks against Punk. The only concern is whether Bryan has been rushed into this at anything less than 100%.
Daniel Garcia, Daddy Magic & Cool Hand Ang (6) vs The Acclaimed & Billy Gunn (6)
This entertainment gimmick of Garcia’s shouldn’t really be working this well, but it is. Nicely balanced transition throughout the match to revert to his inner seriousness as the match grew. Menard and Parker will most benefit from the JAS split, they’re a solid tag team.
Billy being able to go as well as he can should be deeply appreciated in his twilight. His in-ring presence was on show on this match. Really like Bowen’s catch and release at the end.
Aussie Open (7) vs Komander and Nick Wayne (7)
It doesn’t always feel like Mark gets his flowers, but the chemistry in this team and his brute strength complimenting Kyle Fletcher’s acrobats is great viewing. The improvised piledriver on Kommander was wonderful. Much of Aussie Open’s exposure at the moment feels like a prelude to a big 2024 for the team, when Will Ospreay inevitably arrives in AEW.
Komander using the ring as a springboard is special talent. There’s a lot of guys in this roster who similarly do this too and have featured on Collision in recent weeks. Wayne is already moulding into a star hope we see a singles match between him and Fletcher down the road. Some of their sequences in the first half of the match was brilliant. Probably the second best match on the night and most notably, the chemistry between Komander and Wayne was good.
Outcasts (6) vs Britt Baker (6), Hikaru Shida (6) & Kris Statlander (7)
Nice shoutout on commentary to mention that Toni is channelling the likes of Mildred Burke with this vintage personality. Saraya has often felt like a tertiary piece in this faction, so it was nice to see her being extra vocal during the match in an attempt to pose as its leader. Subtle seeds were planted for a Storm/Saraya split whilst elevating Ruby’s hunt for Statlander’s gold.
3v3's are often a recipe for chaos but all of the girls did well to keep the action in this match simplistic, engaging and inject anticipation for Sunday’s title match. Statlander looks like a strong champion in the way she carries herself during matches.
Miro & Will Hobbs (5)
They didn’t get much TV time to further their angle, but it was an effective brawl to preview their match at All Out. It’s a bit of a shame that this one hasn’t had much of a build up considering it’s the most meaningful thing both men have done in a while - one of the drawbacks to consecutive PPV’s. However, a hoss fight that involves this much talent should shine on Sunday night.
Dax Harwood (9) vs Jay White (9)
This match felt like something that would fit in a G1 Climax tournament. The pace of the match really allowed for both wrestlers to slow things down, maximise chops and sell well for each other. Particularly loved Dax’s increased annoyance at near falls at the match went on. White’s transition into American wrestling has gone smooth sailing, this was one of his best singles matches in any promotion over the last year or two.
Form Table
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