AEW Collision: February 10, 2024 (& Rampage, February 9)

February 11, 2024 9:55 AM - Season 1, Episode 35

Blackpool Combat Club continues to "welcome" visiting CMLL luchadors with morale-raising beatings. The top contenders for the TNT Championship have a meeting. The Women's champion and her #1 contender are both separate matches. And oh yeah, Orange Cassidy has to defend his International title from his own CHAOS teammate, "The Stone Pitbull" Tomohiro Ishii.

RAMPAGE -- February 9, 2024

Undisputed Kingdom (Roderick Strong, Mike Bennett & Matt Taven) (w/ Adam Cole and Wardlow) defeated Best Friends (Orange Cassidy, Trent Beretta & Rocky Romero)

"This was as good as you might expect going in, featuring a fun offensive sequence from all six men before the first ad break. The end was Strong hitting a running knee and his End of Heartache on Romero as he was hitting his forever clotheslines in the corner on Taven and Bennett, giving Taven the pin. It was an out of nowhere end that didn't involve Cassidy at all. After the match, Strong hit another End of Heartache on Romero onto two chairs before the heels scampered away."

In a post-match interview with Reneé, Cassidy just announced that he'd defend the title against Ishii, which seem to throw Trent a little bit. With Chuck Taylor injured and Trent seeming to harbor some resentment, I'm worried that the wheels are coming off the Best Friends.

The Young Bucks defeated Mondo Rox & Robbie Lit

"The Jackson brothers, with new generic music, were wearing (and wrestled in) their blood-soaked white three-piece suits worn at Dynamite when they obliterated Sting and Darby Allin. Nicholas even wrestled with his Kangol hat on. This was a squash that featured the Bucks heeling it up, hitting a low blow on one of their opponents behind referee Rick Knox's back. They won with the EVP trigger and then took to the mic to deliver a "show us some respect" and "call us by our God-given names" promo."

Mistico defeated Matt Sydal

"Despite being a heel in the ongoing feud between CMLL and the Blackpool Combat Club, Mistico was playing up to the fans early on and throughout the bout as well. In the end, he hit a sweet-looking Spanish fly off the top rope to end a perfectly fine TV match. This CMLL run has been really entertaining."

Willow Nightingale & Kris Statlander (w/ Stokely Hathaway) defeated Saraya & Ruby Soho (w/ Harley Cameron)

"Soho was reading a note in her jacket pocket that had her looking very suspect on her way down to the ring [...] The big story here was Soho leaving The Outcasts, leaping off the ring apron when Saraya reached for a tag which was followed by Soho knocking Cameron out on her way out. Apparently that note Soho read was important...and more important than just watching past AEW shows to see what Saraya was up to.

Nightingale then took out Saraya with her Babe With The Power Bomb finish to get the win. Hathaway shook Statlander and then Nightingale's hand, even getting a big hug. Then, Skye Blue appeared (sporting a big new tattoo on her right arm, I believe) and glared at the two until TBS Champion July Hart appeared next to her after a blackout. Then, they both glared until they eventually left, setting up a future match between them.

It appears the romance between Soho and Angelo Parker has a chance after all. That's fitting given Valentine's Day is next week which means we're getting a follow up next week."

Until I read the quoted commentary, I didn't even put it together that the whole Angelo Parker/Ruby Soho romance angle had been on a slow burn because Valentine's Day was coming up. It could also mean that we get our big Ruby vs. Saraya blow-off match [or failing that, and angle where Saraya also confesses her love for Ruby?

COLLISION -- February 10

Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley) defeated Esfinge & Star Jr.

The CMLL stars seemed to have the advantage of showmanship and technical wizardry over BCC, and aerial spots like that sweet torneo through the ropes, but you could tell that eventually a switch flipped in Moxley's head where he said "Fuck this" and elbowed his opponent to death.

Daniel Garcia defeated Shane Taylor (w/ Lee Moriarty)

"This was such a well-worked match. Garcia got frustrated early as Taylor overwhelmed him but stuck to his plan of targeting the big man’s leg. This felt like a win Garcia earned. Credit to both him and Taylor, who sold the leg well here. Another spotlight win for Garcia, who is on his way to a TNT Title match against Christian Cage."

Brian Cage (w/ Prince Nana) vs. The Outrunners (Turbo Floyd & Truth Magnum) (w/ Chance the Gila Monster)

The Vegas Golden Knights' mascot tried to get Swerve to dance with him, only for Cage to interrupt with a post-match mascot beatdown that was then interrupted with a rescue from Hook.

Adam Copeland and Daniel Garcia agree to a #1 contender's match to face Christian for the TNT Championship

Brody King (w/Julia Hart) defeated Mark Briscoe

"This was an awesome brawl, with Briscoe’s eagerness to use weapons being his ultimate downfall. The post-match angle tells me that there’s more for these two on deck, and I’m excited about it."

It's generally accepted that Malakai Black will depart back to WWE once his current contract is up (depending on who you believe, either he's unfulfilled creatively or he's not willing to take a clean loss), so it will be interesting to see whether Brody or Julia wind up in charge of the House of Black once he leaves. One thing's for certain, the "evil business casual" look is a win for Julia.

Deonna Purrazzo defeated Kiera Hogan

Toni Storm (w/ Mariah May & Luther) defeated Queen Aminata

The show took care to link both matches, with the end of the first flowing directly into the next. I believe Aminata is officially signed, although she hasn't gotten the "... Is All Elite" graphic announced on Twitter yet.

AEW International Title Championship Match: – Orange Cassidy (c) defeated Tomohiro Ishii to retain

Maybe it's because Ishii is a CHAOS stablemate and friend, Cassidy spent most of the match in real trouble that his comedy spots couldn't rescue. Although I enjoyed the spot where he started hyping up in true Japanese strong style, only to flop face-first on the mat, leaving Ishii with an expression like "Did I win?" Neither the Orange Punch nor the Beach Break could put the challenger away, so Cassidy had to get sneaky and win with an inside cradle.

Thinking it over, maybe it's time for Cassidy to lose the title at Revolution and regroup. It would give Roderick Strong a chance to show off, and distract from Adam Cole still being unable to wrestle.

posted by The Pluto Gangsta (1 comment total)

Apparently there will be no episode of Collision next week due to NBA All-Star Weekend pre-empting all regular TNT channel stuff. But if anyone wants to start a legend about a "lost" episode of Collision for future generations, where Tony Khan had his very first match and beat Kenny Omega with a poison rana from the top turnbuckle, I certainly won't disagree.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 12:42 PM on February 11