AEW Collision: June 15, 2024 (and Rampage, June 14)

June 15, 2024 4:40 PM - Season 2, Episode 1

Wow, the first episode of Collision seems so recent, yet at the same time so long ago. What began as roster split centered on which members could share a weekly show with CM Punk now stands on it's own, celebrating a full year with some Ring Of Honor visitors, a no-DQ women's match, a massive 4-on-4 main event, and Christian Cage being your daddy.

Wrestling Observer's Rampage review may be found here.

The announced card for Collision:

Hechicero vs. Dalton Castle

CMLL's Mad Scientist of lucha libre vs. The Peacock, currently on a rebuilding run after hinting his "big plans" to Johnny TV

The Acclaimed address the fans

Since they interfered with The Elite's attempt to recruit Swerve Strickland for an upcoming Blood & Guts Match, Acclaimed are likely to announce their own participation... but they will need two other dudes.

Trios Match: The Bang Bang Gang vs The House Of Black

Rumors fly that Malakai Black is in a constantly changing state of satisfaction with how AEW uses him. Putting him in a feud with the United Trios champions is definitely a good use of his time, but does this mean HoB turns face somehow?

Kyle O'Reilly vs. Anthony Henry

TNT Championship Qualifying Match: Lee Moriarty vs Dante Martin

Both men will have their friends banned from ringside. This one is sure to be the fast-moving high flying match of the night.

Christian Cage Father's Day Special

This is going to be so trashy and I'm looking forward to it. Here's the remix!

No Disqualification Match: Deonna Purrazzo vs. Thunder Rosa

I don't use the phrase "Slay, Queen!" hardly at all. But Rosa has already divulged that she has awesome new gear for this match... and it will be spattered with blood before the night is done, this I promise you!

Eight-Man Tag Match: Blackpool Combat Club vs. TMDK, Lio Rush & Rocky Romero

Now that Wheeler Yuta's healthy again, it makes sense to get all four BCC members in matches against random assortments of dudes I would want to see anyway. But please keep Danielson healthy, I need him to (possibly) win the Owen Hart tournament and face (possibly) Swerve at All Out!

posted by The Pluto Gangsta (5 comments total)

"Bryan Danielson used to be a vegan, but he couldn't give up eating Brie."

HOLY SHIT NIGEL

Is that the energy we're starting with?
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 5:05 PM on June 15

Something I love about Blackpool Combat Club is how they have different combo moves depending on which two are in the ring together. If it's Claudio and Wheeler, they do the swing into a dropkick. If it's Yuta and Moxley, you get double submissions. But if it's Moxley and Claudio, like it was here, you get Claudio hurling someone over his shoulder straight into Mox's driver.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 5:36 PM on June 15

I am oddly disappointed by the No DQ match. Aside from a few excellent spots, like Rosa using a table as a run-up ramp for a dropkick, or Deonna ending it by clocking Rosa with a camera and using the ropes to peel her arms back, it just felt... normal? The crowd wasn't much help either, seeming to be asleep. Whose narrative does Deonna's victory serve?

The Dalton Castle loss to Hechicero (accompanied by Gates Of Agony) went slightly better, when he came out using The Outrunners as his substitute boys -- Boyrunners? -- they tried to help during the post-match castigo but were then supplanted by Daniel Garcia and Daddy Magic coming out to (re-)make the save. So at least something is getting advanced here.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 6:06 PM on June 15

Lee Johnson deserves a good spotlight, but if you're booking a ladder match for the TNT Championship, you'd better make certain you have a flippy boy in the match. It seemed like Dante Martin is the person for that spot, but after the rest of Shane Taylor Promotions come out for (another??) post-match castigo, it's Lio Rush who has to make the save, but also give some serious side-eye to Top Flight and Action Andretti. Will a flippy boy face-off be the result?
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 6:36 PM on June 15

The main event certainly worked me good, with Buddy Matthews showing a lot of pain from a poorly-landed meteora and having to limp off backstage. I suspected that the camera was lingering too long if it were a real (not kayfabe) injury, but I wasn't sure. So Brody and Malakai hold off the Gunns 2-on-3 until PAC comes down to give an overdue comeuppance to the Gunns. Christian stakes his claim to the next trios title shot by apparently giving Matthews a con-chair-to backstage. How convenient that House Of Black has a new angry acrobatic Geordie friend when they maybe lost their angry acrobatic Aussie friend.
posted by The Pluto Gangsta at 7:16 PM on June 15