AEW Collision: April 6, 2024 (& Rampage April 5)

April 7, 2024 2:27 PM - Season 1, Episode 41

Collision gallantly delays it's Saturday night start time knowing that it's tough to compete with the first night of WrestleMania XL (the varying quality of the WM matches notwithstanding). As a study in contrasts, AEW offers House Of Black vs. an ad-hoc trio, the return of Yuka Sakazaki, Claudio in singles action, and main-event lucha libre.

RAMPAGE -- April 5

Malakai Black (w/ Buddy Matthews) defeated Christopher Daniels

AEW International Championship Eliminator Match: Roderick Strong (w/ Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) defeated London Lightning

"The crowd actually got behind Lightning, who caught Strong with a high knee. Strong came back with a high backdrop suplex. Lightning kicked out after a backbreaker, which the crowd reacted to. The crowd rallied behind Lightning, but Strong cut off his comeback and locked in a surfboard. Lightning caught Strong with a couple of cradles for near falls. Lightning hit a suplex and popped the crowd. Lightning took out Taven with a plancha, but Wardlow came out of nowhere and floored Lightning with a clothesline. Back in the ring, Strong locked in a Texas Cloverleaf for the submission."

Serena Deeb defeated Trish Adora

"Deeb used the Paradise Lock on Adora, which was the highlight of the night. Crowd didn't react much to it, which is a shame. Adora picked up Deeb for a slam but dropped Deeb on her knee in a ugly looking bump. After a split-screen break, Deeb caught Adora with a hangman's neckbreaker while she was in the ropes, effectively giving her a back breaker against the middle rope.

Deeb ran into a boot, but caught Adora with a dragon screw leg whip. The crowd was so quiet the only thing you could hear was Deeb and Adora screaming, which was unnerving. Adora caught Deeb with a full nelson bomb for a near fall. Deeb and Adora exchanged blows until Deeb dropped Adora with a German suplex. Deeb locked in the Serenity Lock to get the submission."

"Saraya, Harely Cameron and Zak Knight continued their weird angle that’s been going on on Rampage for what feels like years by chasing Alex Marvez away during an interview. I think they’re finally getting to the match between Knight and Angelo Parker next week."

Final Four Elimination Match: Daniel Garcia defeated Komander, Bryan Keith and Action Andretti

COLLISION -- April 6

AEW World Tag Team Title Tournament Semi-Final Match – FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) defeated Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin)

"Top Flight got the first advantage of the match, hitting a quick strike combination that sent Wheeler to the floor. FTR took control soon after, rolling through Darius with double shoulder blocks. Neither team could hold control for long, with quick tags keeping the match at a high pace. Dante launched off of Darius to send Harwood to the floor, but Wheeler snuck a tag in on the way back into the ring. Harwood then baited Dante into a chase on the floor where Wheeler dropped him with a clothesline.

We came back from a commercial and saw Dante reverse a Harwood superplex for a nearfall. Darius tagged in, but Harwood took him down with a heavy chop. Darius fought his way out of the corner and caught Harwood in a backslide for a nearfall. Top Flight ran wild, with Darius hitting an outside-in facebuster for a nearfall. Things broke down, with Wheeler dragging Darius to the floor. Dante went for a frog splash, but Harwood got the knees up for a nearfall. The match broke down into a Pier Six brawl, ending with Harwood launching Dante onto the ropes before Dante launched off into a Shatter Machine."

PAC defeated Encore Moore

Chris Jericho & Hook defeated Shane Taylor Promotions (Lee Moriarty & Shane Taylor)

"Taylor pounded on Jericho in the corner with clubbering punches. Hook and Jericho were able to get Taylor over with a double suplex, but Taylor muscled Hook over into the corner for Moriarty to work over. Hook took Moriarty over with an exploder suplex. Jericho chopped Moriarty once he tagged in, but a swing from Taylor caused Jericho to lose his focus and allow Moriarty to boot him down into a commercial.

Jericho fought off both members of STP, hitting a Lionsault on Moriarty before getting the tag to Hook. Hook ran wild on Moriarty, hitting various suplexes on him. Hook couldn’t get Taylor up for a suplex but did low bridge him to the outside. Jericho tagged in but got caught by Moriarty in the Border City Stretch. Jericho transitioned out of that into the Walls of Jericho, and after Hook took Taylor up and over with an exploder, Moriarty tapped out. After the match, Hook got jumped by... Anthony Ogogo?"

Dustin Rhodes cut an excellent promo (no YT here, sorry) asking to get a shot at Samoa Joe's title. In a separate later segment, Joe responded that he didn't think Dustin was worthy, but would magnanimously allow him to have a eliminator match to earn a title shot.

House Of Black (Brody King, Buddy Matthews & Malakai Black) defeated Bryan Keith, Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal

"After the commercial, Daniels fought his way to the corner to tag in Sydal. Sydal ran wild on Matthews but took a Gonzo Bomb from King. Keith got a blind tag in and got some shots in, but King leveled him with a lariat. Black laid out Daniels with the Black Mass. Keith caught Matthews with a rollup, but Matthews drilled him with a knee and hit Murphy’s Law for the win.

After the match, Adam Copeland’s music hit. He jumped them from behind as Black charged up the ramp. Mark Briscoe & FTR came out to help before The Young Bucks came out from their elevator. A Pier Six brawl broke out, as Copeland speared Matthews. Matthew Jackson ended up in the ring with the babyfaces, but Nicholas pulled him out of harm’s way."

Interesting to me that House Of Black is now enmeshed in a storyline involving the current TNT Champion Copeland and both groups vying for the tag titles. As far as I recall, Malakai Black doesn't seem to want to take any clean losses in AEW, but that was before he got elevated to S-tier competition.

Yuka Sakazaki defeated Trish Adora

"This was a back-and-forth matchup, with Adora getting more offense than I thought he would. They traded forearms before Adora dropped Sakazaki with a German suplex. Sakazaki came right back with a high-angle powerslam. Adora hit a half-hatch suplex and a Bubba Bomb for a nearfall. Sakazaki dropped her with a Bang-a-rang type manuever before hitting the Magical Girl Splash for the win. After the match, Serena Deeb came out and gave Sakazaki a round of applause."

Got to be bittersweet for Adora to get all this TV time at the cost of taking two losses in as many days. At least both Deeb and Yuka made her look strong in defeat.

Claudio Castagnoli defeated The Butcher

Penta El Zero Miedo (w/Alex Abrahantes) defeated Komander (w/Alex Abrahantes)

"I’ve watched all four major shows today – NJPW Sakura Genesis, NXT Stand & Deliver, WrestleMania Saturday, and this Collision – and this is one of the three best matches of the day. An outstanding effort from these two to end this late-night edition of Collision. We got a quick lucha spot to start before Penta booted Komander on a handspring. Komander took Penta to the floor with a headscissors, but Penta caught Komander in a gorilla press and dumped him on the stairs. After the commercial, Komander sent Penta to the floor with a double revolution headscissors. [...] Penta hit a Canadian Destroyer for a nearfall. Komander flipped out of the Fear Factor and went for a pair of rollups before locking on a leg submission.

Penta got to the ropes but Komander caught him with a Spanish Fly for a nearfall. Penta cut off Komander on the apron and hit a Canadian Destroyer, but Komander dropped Penta with a back body drop. They got back in the ring and traded forearms and chops before Penta caught Komander off the ropes with a Made In Japan for a nearfall. The crowd chanted "AEW!" as Komander flipped out of a superplex. Komander stepped up the ropes and hit a tornillo splash for a nearfall. Komander dropkicked Penta to the floor and hit a step-up moonsault to the floor. Komander went for the ropewalk shooting star, but Penta caught him with a codebreaker. Penta hit the Fear Factor for the win. After the match, Adam Copeland stared down Penta from the stage as they will face off on Dynamite."

posted by The Pluto Gangsta