AEW Collision live results: Bryan Danielson returns to action
Bryan Danielson’s return to action is set for Saturday’s Rampage.
Danielson will face Eddie Kingston in a Blue League match. He has been out of action since October, when he suffered an orbital bone injury that required surgery. Tony Khan, however, announced Danielson as the first entrant in the Continental Classic just weeks after the injury. Danielson returned to TV on Dynamite this past Wednesday doing commentary for the Continental Classic’s Gold League matches.
Two other Blue League matches will take place. Claudio Castagnoli will face Brody King, and Andrade El Idolo will face Daniel Garcia in Idolo’s first Continental Classic match. Castagnoli and King were the first two to score points on the board last week, earning three points when they defeated Garcia and Kingston respectively.
A match between Kiera Hogan and Abadon will also take place. Abadon was last seen losing a Fright Night Fight against then AEW Women Champion Hikaru Shida the October 28 edition of AEW Collision.
Live coverage of Collision will begin at 8 pm ET.
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Our pre-match promos saw words from all six Continental Classic Blue League competitors before Sir Elton John welcomed us to Collision. Tony Schiavone, Kevin Kelly, & Nigel McGuinness were on the call, running down the rules and standings for the Continental Classic before throwing to the first match of the night.
Continental Classic Blue League Match – Brody King [6] defeated Claudio Castagnoli [3]
An awesome battle of the big men here, as King takes sole possession of first place in Blue League with this win. They’re setting King up as the monster to be toppled on this side of the tournament, which can lead to big matches towards the end of the tournament.
The two men charged each other, trading strikes and lariats before taking each other down with dual lariats. They fell to the floor, where they clubbed each other with lariats again before trading strikes in the ring. King scored with a boot that knocked Castagnoli down, but Castagnoli came back with a boot and a slam that would make Hulk Hogan proud.
Castagnoli knocked King to the floor before rounding the ring with a European uppercut. Castagnoli sent King into the barricade, but King shot out with a lariat that dropped Castagnoli. King sent Castagnoli over the barricade with an Irish Whip as we went to a commercial.
King dropped Castagnoli with a slam and a senton as we came back from the ad break. King set up Castagnoli for the cannonball, but Castagnoli fired out of the corner with European uppercuts that slumped King. Castagnoli went for the Giant Swing, but when King pushed him off, Castagnoli rebounded with a double stomp for a nearfall. King fired back, but Castagnoli popped King up for the Swiss Death uppercut for a nearfall.
Castagnoli got King up for the Giant Swing before transitioning into the Sharpshooter. King bear crawled to the ropes, even with Castagnoli hooking his arm. King sidestepped a corner charge, sending Castagnoli into the corner post. King hit the cannonball, but Castagnoli kicked out at one. Castagnoli escaped the Gonzo Bomb and hit a Death Valley Driver, but King responded with a one-count kickout of his own. King knocked Castagnoli out of the air with a forearm, then hit a piledriver for a nearfall. King followed with a big lariat to score the win.
We got words from Jon Moxley in a video from last Wednesday after Dynamite. He talked about being banged up, with the last four years possibly catching up to him. He’s sick and tired of being sick and tired, and he’s tired of being pissed off. He’s going to fight his way out of it and use every ounce of energy to win the Continental Classic, which is a tournament formed with the energy that built AEW. He called himself the Ace of the World and said that nobody could hurt him worse than he hurts on a daily basis. He said that if anyone thought he was ripe for the picking, they had better take their best shot.
[This was a Jon Moxley promo, which is to say, it was an excellent promo.]
Abadon defeated Kiera Hogan
I’m sure there’s a section of the audience interested in the two spooky women facing each other. Actually, I’m not sure about that. Either way, it’s happening soon.
Hogan dropped Abadon with a dropkick, but Abadon came back with strikes. Hogan avoided a corner charge and went on the offensive, scoring a nearfall with a corner kick for a nearfall. Abadon dropped Hogan with a Black Hole Slam, then hit an outside-in cutter for a nearfall. Hogan came back, hitting a Rick Rude-style sitdown neckbreaker for a nearfall. Abadon kicked Hogan and dropped her with a knee before hitting the Black Dahlia DDT for the win.
After the match, the lights went out. When they came back, TBS Champion Julia Hart was in the ring. The lights went back down, and Hart disappeared.
Samoa Joe was backstage with Alex Marvez. Roderick Strong and The Kingdom immediately interrupted him, warning him that MJF was setting him up. Joe blew him off and walked away.
We got a commercial for the Revolution on PPV, centered around Sting’s upcoming retirement.
[I like AEW hyping these major events like Sting’s retirement and their return to Wembley months in advance. It gives the shows a real weight once they come around.]
Continental Classic Blue League Match – Andrade El Idolo [3] defeated Daniel Garcia [0]
Garcia’s story continues to develop. Whenever he locked on the Dragon Tamer in the past, his opponent would grab his head to escape it and eventually win. Here, he tried to transition from the Dragon Tamer into a different finishing move, but it got countered and he lost again. A young wrestler is on the precipice of breaking out, trying to find a way to finish the job and win these matches. That’s a story worth sinking your teeth into. Another good match, although this tournament has not had a GREAT match yet.
Matt Menard was on commentary, with Kevin Kelly informing him that any interference would get him fired. Andrade hooked himself on the ropes as Garcia went to throw him out of the ring, then caught Garcia with a high cross. Andrade followed Garcia to the floor with a plancha before getting a nearfall in the ring. Garcia took Andrade’s leg and hit a pair of Dragon Screws before hitting a low dropkick for a nearfall.
Garcia and Andrade fought on the floor before fighting their way into the ring. Andrade shoved Garcia off of the top rope to the floor as we went to a commercial break. The men traded strikes as we came back from the break, with Garcia getting the advantage. Garcia locked Andrade in the Tree of Woe, punching his knee before hitting a hesitation dropkick. Garcia hit a spinning brainbuster for a nearfall.
Andrade came back with a flying forearm. He set up the double knees, but after Garcia got up, Andrade hit two of the Three Amigos. Garcia reversed the third into a sleeper, but Andrade climbed onto the ropes and transitioned it into a superplex. He then finished the Three Amigos for a nearfall. Garcia reversed a Figure Eight attempt into the Dragon Tamer. Garcia transitioned into a piledriver attempt, but Andrade reversed it into the Hammerlock DDT for the win.
We got a recap of the Gold League Continental Classic matches from Dynamite, with words from the competitors.
We got a recap of Wardlow’s win over AR Fox on Dynamite. Willie Mack was backstage, challenging Wardlow to a match next week in defense of his friend Fox.
The Kingdom (Matt Taven & Mike Bennett) (w/ Roderick Strong) defeated Iron Savages (Bronson & Boulder) (w/ Jacked Jameson)
Strong dedicated the match to Adam Cole, while once again warning Samoa Joe about MJF. Boulder took both Taven and Bennett down with a crossbody. Boulder chokeslammed Bennett onto the apron, leading to a dive train from everyone. Bronson hit a tree slam on Taven for a nearfall. Boulder tried a springboard moonsault but missed, leading to the Kingdom hitting Hail Mary on Bronson for the win.
After the match, Strong hopped into the ring and dropped Jameson with a jumping knee before getting back into his wheelchair.
Ethan Page was backstage with Lexy Nair. What is this, Ring of Honor? Page refocused after losing to MJF in Canada a few months ago, racking up wins in Ring of Honor and getting into the best shape of his life. Page wanted to become the King of Canada and made the challenge to Kenny Omega for a match in Montreal.
[Page has put in good work on Ring of Honor and has gotten into great shape. There’s no bigger test than a singles match against Kenny Omega.]
We got a video package recapping the recent history between Willow Nightingale and Mercedes Martinez.
House of Black (Malachi Black & Buddy Matthews) defeated Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal
Matthews and Sydal started, with Sydal outpacing Matthews and driving him into the corner, where a double-team scored Sydal a nearfall. Black tagged in against Daniels and took control. Matthews sent Daniels to the floor, where Black followed him outside with a moonsault. After a commercial break, Sydal tagged in and ran wild, laying in the kicks to Black before hitting a slicing leg drop for a nearfall.
Black cut off Sydal on his way to the top rope, but Daniels snuck in a tag. Matthews and Sydal hit dueling Meteoras to their opponents before drilling each other with jumping knees. Black cut off Sydal, but Daniels ran into him with a suicide dive. Matthews took out Daniels with a curb stomp while Black dropped Sydal with a jumping knee. Black dropped Daniels with the Black Mass and scored the win.
After the match, the lights went out. FTR made their entrance. Black grabbed the mic and offered them spots in the House of Black. Harwood went to take the microphone, but Matthews jumped him with a knee. Black dropped both men with Black Mass, saying that no one would be coming to save them.
“Timeless” Toni Storm was backstage with Renee Paquette. She wasn’t happy with Skye Blue interrupting her championship acceptance, telling Blue that the only good things anyone had to say about her involved “her bottom.” Storm said that Blue getting spooky didn’t scare her and that she would give Blue a title match on Dynamite.
[If Storm kept the gimmick to a funny speech pattern in backstage segments, I wouldn’t mind it. She’s funny. It loses me when the gimmick overwhelms the matches.]
Skye Blue was backstage, calling Toni Storm’s “midlife crisis” pathetic. She said that Storm hasn’t met this new Skye Blue and that Blue would shove Storm’s shoe up her ass.
[A low bar, but this was the best Skye Blue promo I’ve ever heard. It felt somewhat natural.]
We got a video package hyping Wednesday’s TNT Title match between Adam Copeland and Christian Cage.
El Hijo Del Vikingo defeated Kip Sabian
Part of me wants to complain that AEW isn’t spotlighting Vikingo as much as possible as the must-see, generational high-flyer that he is. However, I can’t think of too many better surprises to get on a card than a Hijo Del Vikingo match. I would like more of these matches for the sake of having a match, especially when it includes a great wrestler.
This was announced as a standby match. In a pre-tape, Sabian called Vikingo the most overrated wrestler on the AEW roster. Sabian held onto Vikingo’s arm through multiple armdrag attempts. Vikingo sent Sabian to the floor and teased a dive before bouncing back in the ring. Vikingo hit a double springboard armdrag and a Tijeras, but Sabian cut off Vikingo’s dive to the floor. Sabian hit an Arabian Press to the floor as we went to a commercial.
Vikingo hit a hurricane kick as we came back from the ad break. Vikingo hit a torture rack into a knee lift, then hit a middle rope Phoenix Splash for a nearfall. Sabian took Vikingo off of the top rope with a step-up hurricanrana, then hit a Michinoku Driver for a nearfall. Vikingo hit a forearm that sent Sabian to the floor before following Sabian to the floor with a corkscrew tornillo. Vikingo hit a running Meteora before crushing Sabian with a 630 splash for the win. Sabian blew off a handshake after the match.
Keith Lee was backstage with Lexy Nair, who asked him about the mystery man Lee had referenced last week. Shane Taylor & Lee Moriarty interrupted, with Taylor assuming he was the mystery man and challenging Lee to a singles match at ROH’s Final Battle pay-per-view. Lee accepted the challenge.
[That gives us a third match booked for Final Battle in two weeks. I’m glad we’re getting the blow-off to this issue, as I was worried this would tail off like the Swerve Strickland issue.]
CJ Perry was backstage with Lexy Nair outside of Andrade El Idolo’s locker room. Miro barged in and tried to get into Andrade’s locker room, but Perry stopped him. Perry asked him not to put his hands on Andrade if their relationship meant anything to him. Miro reluctantly agreed.
Continental Classic Blue League Match – Bryan Danielson [3] defeated Eddie Kingston [0]
Bryan Danielson had a great match. The sun rises in the east. Kingston being in the hole as champion is interesting. However, if you follow the round-robin tournaments in Japan that the Continental Classic is based on, then you’ll know that it isn’t a rare occurrence for the clubhouse favorite to fall behind early and fight their way back. Kingston is the perfect kind of wrestler to have his back against the wall.
The two jockeyed for position early on before Danielson laid in a chop. They traded leg kicks before Danielson got Kingston in the corner, where Kingston knocked him down with a chop. Both men traded strikes before Kingston caught Danielson in the arm with a kick. Danielson took Kingston down with an ankle pick before laying in heavy chops to Kingston’s chest.
They traded submissions before Danielson sent Kingston to the apron with a German suplex. Danielson knocked Kingston off the apron with a leg kick, but Kingston cut off a Danielson dive and dropped him with a Saito suplex on the floor. After an ad break, Kingston and Danielson were fighting for position on the top rope. Danielson dropped elbows on Kingston’s head before headbutting him down. Danielson hit a shotgun dropkick.
Both men stood up and traded shots before Danielson caught Kingston’s arm and locked on the LeBell Lock. Kingston escaped and laid in strikes to escape, but Danielson threw strikes from his back to keep from getting knocked out. Kingston avoided a running knee and hit a Saito suplex, then hit a backfist for a nearfall. Kingston hit the Northern Lights Bomb for a nearfall.
Kingston laid knees into Danielson’s face, but Danielson backdropped his way out of a powerbomb attempt and hit a head kick. Danielson hit the middle kicks, but Kingston came back with chops. Danielson came back with kicks, but Kingston hit a half-and-half suplex. Danielson ducked a backfist, then hit a Regal-plex to take Kingston down. Danielson kicked Kingston in the chest as Kingston threw wild slaps to the face. Danielson hit a side suplex before stomping Kingston in the face. Kingston gave Danielson a middle finger before Danielson hit a running knee to score the win.
During this match, it was announced that Ethan Page vs. Kenny Omega would be taking place next week on Collision. After the match, next week’s Blue League matches were announced. It would be Bryan Danielson [3] vs. Andrade El Idolo [3] & Eddie Kingston [0] vs. Claudio Castagnoli [3].