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

August 4, 2024 6:59 PM - Season 2, Episode 8

Whoops, between the Olympics, plus Summerslam on the same day plus Collision starting at 5PM Eastern this week for... reasons?... I missed this episode. Thunder Rosa continues to wreck faces, Kyle Fletcher proves his worth against big Brian Cage, Hologram impresses in a tag team with a lucha legend, and Darby Allin is somehow not dead.

RAMPAGE -- August 2

Wheeler Yuta (w/ Bryan Danielson) defeated The Butcher

Yuta won with Danielson's Cattle Mutilation finisher, so AEW is definitely planting those "he's gonna retire and pass on his moveset like a proud papa" seeds. Also, now that Blade and the Bunny are gone, what's the point of The Butcher anymore? Time for a gimmick change.

Brian Cage defeated Manny Lo in 58 seconds

Gee, I sure hope nothing happens the next day that makes Brian Cage look like a chump!

Nyla Rose defeated Harley Cameron

“Bad Apple” Bryan Keith (w/ Chris Jericho & Big Bill) defeated Jackson Drake

MxM Collection (Mason Madden & Mansoor) defeated Private Party

"Mason Madden was recruited to the Jaguars after college, which makes him the first guy to work for Tony Khan in the NFL and AEW. [...] Madden was easily a head taller than everyone else in this match. Quen used Zay as a springboard and dropkicked Madden, then Private Party gave Mansoor a flapjack when he tried to run in. MxM had the advantage during the break. After the break, Quen got the hot tag and hit Mansoor with a series of forearms and a shoulder tackle. Quen hit a standing moonsault and a lionsault. Madden ran in and got an enziguri, and Quen hit Mansoor with an enziguri as well. Private Party hit a back suplex/neckbreaker combo for a near fall. Private Party tried a double suplex on Madden, but Madden reversed it and suplexed both Private Party. Madden hit a leg lariat on Zay into a sitdown powerbomb from Mansoor for a near fall.

Zay came off the ropes with a springboard tornado DDT for a near fall, then hit Madden with a dropkick. Zay went for a tope on Madden on the floor, but Madden caught him with a Black Hole Slam. Quen came off the top with a tope con hilo on Madden. Back in the ring, Quen and Mansoor are legal. Quen went up the top, but Madden caught him with a chokeslam off the top rope. Monsoon took Kassidy out with a superkick. Mansoor and Madden hit Quen with an elevated/implant double underhook DDT to get the pinfall. MxM Collection looked good here."

COLLISION -- August 3

The Patriarchy's celebration got invaded by the House of Black, then by the Bang Bang Gang, and then by Kip Sabian

Dustin Rhodes & The Von Erichs had a backstage segment interrupted by Sammy Guevara, who wants to earn their trust, as they are all Texan men.

Sammy joked about being "stuck in a vortex", but I suppose we have a little while of babyface Sammy before the inevitable(?) heel turn. Maybe fatherhood mellowed him out? If he's here, does that mean Tay Melo is also considering or a return?

Hologram & Mistico defeated The Premier Athletes (Ari Daivari & Tony Nese) (w/Mark Sterling)

"An energetic tag match here, with Hologram getting to team with a bonafide lucha star in Mistico to continue the great start to his AEW career."

Toni Storm defeated Rache Chanel

This match almost didn't happen, as Mariah May made her way to the announce desk, Nigel McGuinness damn near shot a load into his pants, and Mariah wasted no time in busting Tony Schiavone's ass for dropping the b-word on commentary a few weeks ago. (I am heartily sorry I couldn't watch this my usual watch crew, who likely ate this up laughing.) Toni Storm tried to ditch her opponent and go straight after Mariah again.

"I loved this segment. Everyone’s actions made sense here. May gave Schiavone grief for his comments a few weeks ago, allowing Storm to get the jump on her. Meanwhile, the local talent saw a chance to get the jump on the World Women’s Champion and took it before Storm handily put her away."

Kyle Fletcher defeated Brian Cage

"A definitive win for Fletcher to set him up for Dynamite. MJF noting that he would give Fletcher a shot at the title on 8/14 if he beat him on Wednesday does put the result in a slight bit of doubt, although MJF is still the heavy favorite. [...] Fletcher took the mic after the match and warned MJF that if he dropped him on his head like he did to Cage, he may not make it to Wembley. Fletcher said that if MJF was the American Hero he believed himself to be, he would put the American Championship on the line on Wednesday. MJF appeared on the screen, saying that Fletcher was a typical foreigner coming to take from hard-working Americans. He said that he didn’t become famous by riding Ospreay’s coattails, he did it by beating Ospreay without breaking a sweat. MJF offered Fletcher an Eliminator match for the title, saying that if Fletcher won on Wednesday, MJF would defend the title against him the following week."

OK, but hear me out. Why does this company not know how to make a star out of Brian Cage??? The man is a A-Rank in every category -- he can cut a promo, he can be funny, he can work all sorts of matches and oh yeah, he looks like a goshdarn He-Man figure come to life. Small wonder Tony Khan's in danger of losing him to WWE.

Continental Collision Three-Way Match – Claudio Castagnoli defeated Tomohiro Ishii & Lee Moriarty (w/ Shane Taylor)

"It was announced here that the winner of this match would get a future Continental Championship match against Kazuchika Okada at a future date. The three men traded forearms to start before Moriarty sent both Castagnoli & Ishii flying with a dropkick. Moriarty used his technique to clear both men out of the ring before hitting a low tope to both of them as we went to a commercial. We came back to bodies flying everywhere as the men traded German suplexes. Castagnoli took both of his opponents down with a double clothesline. Ishii and Castagnoli were left in the ring to trade strikes, with Moriarty shoving Ishii out of the ring to attempt to steal the pin. Castagnoli snatched Moriarty up in the Giant Swing. Castagnoli went for a move, but Ishii yanked him out of the ring.

Moriarty caught a sliding lariat into a crucifix pin, but Ishii came back with a running lariat for a nearfall. Ishii and Castagnoli traded more strikes before Ishii scored with an enzuigiri that Moriarty tried to steal the pin for again. Moriarty caught Ishii in the Border City Stretch before Ishii rolled him onto his shoulders for a nearfall. Moriarty hit a sunset flip on Castagnoli that resulted in Ishii getting suplexed. Castagnoli yanked Moriarty up into a Neutralizer, then yanked Ishii out of the ring and hit a diving uppercut on Moriarty for the win and the future title match against Okada."

"Top Flight was backstage with their new "flight attendant", Leila Grey. Grey said that with her help, Top Flight was headed straight to the top. MxM Collection interrupted them, figuring out that TSA stood for “Their Style: Ass.” They argued before MxM proclaimed Top Flight’s interview over. Top Flight having a flight attendant is a little corny, but I won’t complain about more Leila Grey on TV. MxM was very funny here."

No video for this one, but nice to see AEW rescuing Leila from the scrap heap. ...Has anyone ever wondered what 's going on with AEW women and all the color-themed names? Leila GRAY, JADE Cargill, RED Velvet, Nyla ROSE, Skye BLUE, Thunder ROSA... give me time, I'll probably think of some others.

Thunder Rosa defeated Taya Valkyrie (w/ Johnny TV)

"Johnny involved himself early to give Valkyrie the early advantage, but Rosa came back with double knees in the corner and a sliding lariat that sent Valkyrie to the floor. After a commercial, Rosa came back strong, rolling through a Road To Valhalla attempt to hit a double stomp. Johnny yanked Valkyrie out of the ring, then got in Rosa’s way to allow Valkyrie to hit a spear. Rosa caught Johnny with a baseball slide, then slid out of the way of a curb stomp before locking on the seated Cobra Clutch for the win. Rosa immediately called out Deonna Purrazzo, who congratulated her on her winning streak. Purrazzo noted that she has a winning streak as well, having beaten Rosa three times in a row. Rosa challenged Purrazzo to a bullrope match next week, which was quickly confirmed."

Darby Allin, FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) & Mark Briscoe defeated The Beast Mortos & The Undisputed Kingdom (Matt Taven, Mike Bennett & Roderick Strong)

"An awesome party match, with eight of the best wrestlers in the promotion just having an excellent main event. The post-match was interesting, with the Acclaimed not allowing FTR to jump the line and get a shot at the Young Bucks before them."

posted by The Pluto Gangsta