AEW Collision: February 3, 2024 (& Rampage, February 2)

February 4, 2024 6:35 AM - Season 1, Episode 34

A newer, forbidden-er door may be opening as AEW welcomes luchadors under contract from CMLL to two different fights this weekend. FTR and Daniel Garcia try to extend their luck as a trio, Serena Deeb makes her return to the ring, and Eddie Kingston gives someone else a chance to compete for his Triple Crown.

(Post match comments in quotes come from The Wrestling Observer.)

RAMPAGE -- February 2

Top Flight (w/ Action Andretti) defeated Private Party

"This is a rematch from a few weeks ago on Dynamite where Private Party maybe cheated to win. Top Flight tried a flapjack on Quen, but he pushed off of them and hit them both with a dropkick. Zay got the tag and hit a slingshot stunner on Darius while wearing a crown. Zay put Darius in a camel clutch, and Quen leapfrogged over his partner and hit a double stomp on Darius. Quen went for a cradle on Darius while holding the ropes, but Action Andretti broke up the pin attempt. This lead to Dante almost getting a nearfall with a rollup of his own.

After a split-screen break, Dante hit a gamengiri and top rope crossbody for a near fall. Zay hit forearms on both Darius and Dante, while the crowd encouraged him with “Shots!” chants. Dante ducked an enzigiri from Zay then hit a superkick, but Private Party caught Dante with the Silly String. Quen landed a shooting star press on Dante for a near fall.Darius hit Zay with a Spanish Fly, then took him out with a tope suicidia on the floor. Quen charged into a gamengiri from Darius, then Dante hit Quen with his half-nelson slam for the pinfall.

I’d like to propose a best of a thousand and one match series between these two teams, who are going to keep making each other better."

Eliminator Match: Ricky Starks & Big Bill defeated Alex Reynolds & John Silver (w/ Evil Uno)

"The Dark Order jumped Starks before the bell. Starks was a total babyface in New Orleans. Silver powerbombed Starks onto Reynolds knees for a near fall. Silver then hit a german suplex for a near fall (and Darby on commentary called back to how Starks injured his neck in the pandemic era against Adam Page). Big Bill got the hot tag and dumped Silver to the floor. Uno jumped up on the apron and Bill booted him to the mat. Bill got knocked to the floor, where Reynolds hit him with a running boot. Silver and Reynolds sent Bill into the ringpost.

Back in the ring, Bill caught Reynolds with a spinning Boss Man Slam. Starks and Silver got the tags, and Starks dominated Silver. Starks did his version of the old school ropewalk on Reynolds. Uno tripped up Starks, and Starks speared him on the floor. Back in the ring, Starks hit the roshambeaux on Silver and got the pinfall. The #2 ranked tag team looked like jobbers here. If I didn't know better, I'd say they're trying to kill the ranking gimmick out of the gate."

Willow Nightingale (w/ Stokley Hathaway & Kris Statlander) defeated Queen Aminata

"The commentators talked up Aminata, who needs to start winning matches. Willow hit Aminata with a pair of short-arm clotheslines, then came off the middle ropes with a shotgun dropkick. Aminata tripped up Nightingale on the apron and took control of the match heading into the split-screen break.

After the break, Nightingale missed a cannonball in the corner. Aminata hit a kick in the corner for a near fall. Aminata dropped Nightingale with a german suplex, but missed the hip attack in the corner. Nightingale hit the cannonball in the corner, then a death valley driver for a near fall. Nightingale finished off Aminata with the Doctor Bomb for the pinfall. After the match, Hathaway reluctantly celebrated with Statlander and Hathaway."

Mistico, Volador Jr., Hechicero, & Mascara Dorada defeated Christopher Daniels, Matt Sydal, Matt Menard, & Angelo Parker

"Volador took Menard down with a step up huricanrana and a dropkick. Misticio and Daniels got the tags, and Misticio hit a handspring elbow and a springboard cross body. Hechicero got the tag and hit a springboard dropkick. Volador hit a lung blower, and Dorada hit a standing shooting star press for a near fall. Daniels took Dorado down with a back heel trip, and got the tag. Menard, Parker and Sydal triple teamed Dorada. Sydal hit a mariposa for a near fall. Sydal tied up Dorado in a bow and arrow.

The babyfaces worked over Dorado through the split-screen break. Once back to full screen, Dorado made his comeback and got the tag to Hechicero. Hechicero choked out Daniels with a sleeper in the ropes, then came off the top rope with a clothesline. Sydal caught Hechicero with an enziguri. Daniels caught Hechicero with a flatliner into a submission, but it was broken up. Menard and Parker had a messy exchange with Mistico and Volador. Mistico, Volador and Dorado all hit dives on the floor. Back in the ring, Hechicero backdropped Daniels to counter the Angels Wings. Hechicero hit Daniels with a running knee in the corner, then tied him up in a cradle to get the pinfall. Nice showcase for Hechicero, who takes on Bryan Danielson tomorrow night on Collision."

COLLISION -- February 3

Proving Ground Match – AEW Continental Champion Eddie Kingston defeated Bryan Keith

"This was an excellent back-and-forth fight, as these two battered each other for the better part of fifteen minutes. The match really picked up after the commercial, and the nearfalls got more believable for both men as time went on. Keith getting the official graphic after this match was well-earned, as he has had several good showings since coming onto AEW’s radar. [...] After the match, Tony Schiavone got in the ring and complimented Kingston on his match. Kingston put over Schiavone’s wife Lois, then told him to talk to Keith. Schiavone announced that Keith was officially All Elite, with the graphic appearing on the big screen. His home state cheered him as Kingston congratulated him, but Bryan Danielson’s music hit. Danielson, whose match was next, brushed past Kingston to raise Keith’s hand. Kingston was annoyed and left."

I love that Bryan's new method of getting under Eddie's skin isn't to have more angry promos, or to get involved in matches, but to get all Bridgerton-style with the covert insults.

Bryan Danielson defeated Hechicero

"An incredible showing from Hechicero, as his transitions and submission holds were dazzling. The announcers hyped him up as one of Mexico’s greatest technical wrestlers, and he lived up to the billing here. Despite this being a clean win for him, it felt like Danielson stole away with this win. The CMLL vs. BCC feud is a winner so far."

Hook defeated The Outrunners (Turbo Floyd & Truth Magnum)

Tony Schiavone welcomed Mark Briscoe to the ring, but the House of Black interrupted.

Serena Deeb defeated Queen Aminata

Tony Schiavone welcomed out #1 ranked Swerve Strickland & Prince Nana.

"Schiavone asked about Strickland’s match against #2 ranked Hangman Page this Wednesday, with an AEW Title match at Revolution against Samoa Joe. Swerve talked about it being Black History Month and the people who paved the way for him like Ron Simmons, and friends who have made it possible for him like Kofi Kingston & ROH Women's World Champion Athena. Swerve said he would add his name to that list of World Champions. He has done some terrible things but doesn’t apologize for any of them."

Red Velvet defeated Vertvixen

"Velvet caught Vertvixen with a leg lariat for a nearfall. Velvet hit a wheelbarrow bulldog before laying in the punches in the corner. Vertvixen caught another wheelbarrow and hit a Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall. Vertvixen hit a running boot into the corner, but Velvet shifted her weight on a bodyslam to score a nearfall. Velvet hit running knees to the back before hitting In The Mix to score the win."

FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) & Daniel Garcia defeated The Patriarchy (TNT Champion Christian Cage, Killswitch, Nick Wayne) (w/ Shayna Wayne)

"FTR and Garcia deciding to make a go of it as a trio is fine by me, considering they continue to have fun Collision main events. The closing stretch between Garcia and Wayne is a sneak peek at AEW’s future, as they are two of several bright stars in AEW under the age of 30. Garcia and Christian staring each other down in the post-match is an interesting path to go down for a future title match."

posted by The Pluto Gangsta