AEW Collision live results: Bryan Danielson vs. Jun Akiyama
Bryan Danielson will take on another talent from Japan on this week’s Collision.
Danielson will face current DDT star and former Triple Crown Champion Jun Akiyama in a first-time-ever singles match. Akiyama’s only other time competing in AEW was against Danielson’s future opponent, Eddie Kingston, whom Danielson will face at AEW Revolution on March 3.
Another match will see FTR take on Shane Taylor & Lee Moriarty. On Wednesday, FTR wrestled to a time-limit draw against Blackpool Combat Club’s Claudio Castagnoli & Jon Moxley. After the match, Dax Harwood issued the challenge backstage for a rematch at Revolution, but it has yet to be confirmed.
Other matches will see the combination of Jay White, Billy Gunn, and Austin Gunn in action after Bullet Club Gold and The Acclaimed recently combined forces to form a supergroup. Sammy Guevara will face Powerhouse Hobbs, Serena Deeb will face Kiera Hogan, and Thunder Rosa will also be in action.
Join us for live coverage starting at 8 pm ET.
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After a week off, Sir Elton John welcomed us back to Collision, live from Springfield, Missouri. Maybe the Simpsons are here! Tony Schiavone, Kevin Kelly, & Nigel McGuinness were on the call as Sammy Guevara made his entrance for the opening contest.
No Disqualification Match – Powerhouse Hobbs defeated Sammy Guevara
A high-octane, incredibly impressive opener to this show as the Callis Family/Jericho & Guevara feud seems to have come to an end. A big showcase win for Hobbs, who could use the win a lot more than Guevara right now.
The announcers talked about Hobbs’ attack on Guevara last night on Collision, bringing us to tonight’s no DQ match where all parties are banned from ringside. Schiavone noted that Don Callis wasn’t in the building, as he was collecting Will Ospreay from the UK for Wednesday’s Dynamite.
Guevara started hot, charging Hobbs with a pair of jumping knees. Guevara hit a springboard cutter before taking Hobbs to the floor with a Cactus Clothesline. Guevara evaded a Hobbs charge into the barricade but leaped into the arms of Hobbs, who landed a World’s Strongest Slam onto the steel stairs at ringside. Hobbs hit repeated World’s Strongest Slams into the apron before flinging him into the barricade.
Hobbs made his way to the announce desk and menaced Kevin Kelly into giving him his belt. Hobbs gave Guevara some corporal punishment before Guevara landed a pair of superkicks and chair shots. Guevara hit a Van Terminator, but Hobbs flung Guevara into the barricade. Guevara reversed another powerslam into a cutter on the stairs before giving Hobbs a shot with the belt.
Guevara pulled out a table, then slid a chair across the table into Hobbs’ face. Guevara set up a second table and leaped to Hobbs on the apron, but Hobbs caught him and hit a main event spinebuster through both tables as we went to commercial. Back from commercial, Guevara dodged a corner charge and got Hobbs up for the GTH for a nearfall. Guevara grabbed a monitor from ringside and sent it into Hobbs’ head before grabbing another table.
Hobbs obliterated Guevara with a lariat before setting up the table in the ring. Guevara rocked Hobbs with a superkick before going for a double springboard cutter, but Hobbs caught him and hit a World’s Strongest Slam for a nearfall. Hobbs grabbed more tables, setting two up at ringside. Guevara sent Hobbs into the ring post before grabbing a beer from ringside and bashing it over Hobbs’ head.
With Hobbs laid out on the tables at ringside, Guevara grabbed a ladder and set it up in the ring. Guevara rose up the ladder and hit a picture-perfect senton bomb through the tables. Guevara brought Hobbs back in the ring and placed him on the table in the ring, but Hobbs sent the referee into Guevara on the top rope. Hobbs went to the top rope and put Guevara through the table with a World’s Strongest Slam to score the win.
Jon Moxley & Claudio Castagnoli were backstage. Moxley talked about Castagnoli’s first meeting with his trainers, William Regal and Dave Taylor. Castagnoli didn’t have a car, so he walked 20 miles to get to the building. Moxley said that 20 minutes was nothing to Castagnoli, nor was it anything for him. Moxley said that a time-limit draw was unacceptable to them. They accepted FTR’s challenge for a match at Revolution. Castagnoli said that while FTR looked to the past, the Blackpool Combat Club created the wrestling that they wanted to see in the future. Moxley said FTR was going to have to swim in deep water to survive the BCC.
FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) defeated Shane Taylor Promotions (Lee Moriarty & Shane Taylor)
Due to technical difficulties, I joined this match in progress. Moriarty and Taylor were working on Harwood, but Harwood dove out of the way of a splash from Taylor. Harwood fought through Moriarty to get the tag out to Wheeler, who ran wild on both men. Wheeler hit a neckbreaker on Moriarty for a nearfall. Taylor tried to pull a Rude/Warrior and tripped Harwood on a suplex attempt to get Moriarty a nearfall. Taylor snuck a punch to Wheeler, scoring Moriarty another nearfall. Harwood got a blind tag, then hit a double-team powerbomb on Moriarty to score the win.
After the match, FTR took to the microphone. Wheeler said that it would take more than being stepped on to be rid of FTR. Harwood talked about how Moxley was the king of the castle in AEW, but they weren’t afraid of the BCC. Harwood said to be a king, you had to kill one, and FTR was coming to Revolution ready to kill.
We got a video package hyping tonight’s match between Bryan Danielson and Jun Akiyama.
Thunder Rosa defeated Lady Bird Monroe
Lady Bird Monroe sounds like someone June Byers beat for the NWA Women’s Title back in the 50’s. Rosa got a quick win with the Tijuana Bomb, moving to 4-0 on the year.
Kris Statlander, Willow Nightingale, & Stokely Hathaway were in the back with Renee Paquette. Hathaway didn’t like the hostility from Skye Blue & Julia Hart. Statlander challenged Blue to a match next week.
Bang Bang Scissor Gang (Billy Gunn, Colten Gunn & Jay White) vs. The Iron Savages (Bronson, Boulder, & Jacked Jameson)
Oh joy, the Iron Savages. Caster lost his train of thought for his rap on his way to the ring. Billy Gunn and White had some awkwardness when it was time to start, but Billy ended up starting. Billy and Colten teamed up to take Bronson down, but Bronson ducked a corner charge from Colten. The Savages took control of Colten, but he fought to the corner and passed up his father to tag in White.
White ran wild on everybody, hitting a uranage on Jameson and setting up Boulder for a Fameasser. White hit Jameson with the Blade Runner to score the win for the supergroup.
Bryan Danielson is backstage with Lexy Nair. Danielson put over Akiyama as one of the best wrestlers of all time, and one of Eddie Kingston’s idols. He noted that Kingston would be on commentary to watch as he beat one of his heroes. Danielson did not respect Kingston because he wasn’t a professional, despite having incredible potential.
Malakai Black defeated Bryan Keith
The post-match tells me that Black vs. Briscoe will soon be on the cards, possibly for Revolution.
This is Black’s first singles match in AEW since June of 2022, as his fans on Twitter will happily remind me. The announcers recapped Brody King & Julia Hart’s attack on Mark Briscoe 2 weeks ago that left Briscoe bloody. Kevin Kelly noted that Black hadn’t lost a singles match in AEW since June of 2021. Black and Keith traded kicks before Keith pulled Black over with a suplex for a nearfall. Keith went for the Tiger Driver, but Black escaped and drilled Keith with an elbow. Black booted Keith off the apron into the barricade as we went to commercial.
The two traded strikes as we came back from commercial. Keith scored with big strikes before hitting an Exploder suplex. Keith hit an Ushigoroshi for a nearfall. After some confusion in the corner, Keith hit a tornado DDT. The two traded more strikes until Keith headbutted Black on the top rope. Black headbutted him back and hit a double stomp. Black hit a jumping knee and a bridging German suplex for a nearfall.
Keith ducked the Black Mass and hit the Tiger Driver for a nearfall. Keith went for a Shining Wizard, but Black hit the Black Mass to score the win. The lights soon went out before Mark Briscoe appeared with a kendo stick. He took out an interfering Buddy Matthews & Brody King before pulling out a railroad spike. He went to stab Black in the head with it, but Black moved, allowing the House to take control. Black hit the Black Mass, and King hit the Gonzo Bomb to leave Briscoe lying.
We got a video package hyping Sting & Darby Allin vs. The Young Bucks for Revolution.
Serena Deeb defeated Lady Frost
During her entrance, we saw footage of Lady Frost competing in CMLL. Deeb controlled the match to start, but Frost picked up the pace to keep Deeb off of the mat. Deeb took Frost down to the mat before locking on a reverse figure four that forced Frost into the ropes. After a commercial, Deeb took Frost down with a Dragon Screw Leg Whip.
Deeb hit a pair of clotheslines to fire up, then hit a neckbreaker in the ropes. Deeb hit a Twist and Shout neckbreaker for a nearfall. Frost hit a step-up kick in the corner, then hit a cartwheel Air Raid Crash for a nearfall. Deeb avoided a hurricane kick before hitting a Pepsi Twist. Deeb locked on a single-leg crab on Frost’s leg to score the win.
Deeb took to the mic after the match, saying that anyone who wanted to join AEW would have to step to her. She took some veiled shots at the current women’s champions, noting that she didn’t have to turn the lights out or make the screen go black and white to have her matches. She said she was going to put the Wrestling back in All Elite Wrestling.
Eddie Kingston made his way to the commentary desk, standing to watch Danielson’s entrance.
Bryan Danielson defeated Jun Akiyama
This was a good main event. While it may not have reached the lofty expectations you might have with these two names in mind, it was still a quality match. The post-match angle was great, as it not only added heat to Danielson/Kingston but also set up the main event for the go-home edition of Dynamite.
We got highlights of one of Akiyama’s previous appearances in AEW, scoring a win with an Exploder suplex. The announcers noted that Akiyama was a highly touted amateur wrestler, choosing to enter professional wrestling instead of trying to compete in the Olympics. As the two grappled, Kingston laughed at the idea of wasting his potential, noting his three championships. Danielson stomped on Akiyama’s knees in a surfboard stretch, starting the attack on Akiyama’s legs.
Akiyama caught Danielson’s arm in a cross-arm breaker, but Danielson transitioned into a leg lock and eventually a Muta Lock. Akiyama got out by clawing at Danielson’s face. Akiyama wrenched Danielson’s arm to get his target for the match. Danielson sent Akiyama to the floor, but Akiyama cut off a dive with a forearm as we went to commercial. After the break, Akiyama dropped a knee on Danielson’s neck on the apron, but Danielson came back with a suplex on the floor before hitting a running knee strike off the apron.
Danielson hit a shotgun dropkick off the top rope before hitting the running kicks in the corner. Akiyama cut off Danielson with a lariat out of the corner. Danielson snatched Akiyama’s arm and dragged him into the LeBell Lock, but Akiyama quickly got to the ropes. Danielson went to the top rope, but Akiyama cut him off with a forearm. Danielson knocked Akiyama off the ropes, but Akiyama caught him with a knee and hit a piledriver for a nearfall.
Akiyama hit repeated knees to Danielson’s head, but Danielson caught a running kick and turned it into a single-leg crab. Danielson pulled Akiyama up into a German suplex. Danielson hit the middle kicks, but Akiyama caught Danielson with an Exploder Suplex for a nearfall. Akiyama transitioned into a Guillotine Choke, one that Kingston noted choked out Kenta Kobashi. Danielson fought to the ropes and caught Akiyama with a head kick. They traded strikes before Akiyama hit an Exploder and a running knee.
They fought back to their feet, and with the same idea in mind, met in the middle with dueling knees. The two traded forearms until Akiyama crumpled Danielson with a forearm. Akiyama went for the wrist-clutch Exploder, but Danielson rolled out and caught Akiyama with a rising knee to the head. Danielson loaded up for the Busaiku Knee and hit it to score the win.
After the match, Danielson smirked at Kingston before offering a handshake to Akiyama. Danielson flipped Kingston off, which made Akiyama mad. Akiyama slapped Danielson in the face. Danielson apologized and offered his hand again, then kicked Akiyama in the groin. Kingston charged Danielson and brawled with him, leading to Claudio Castagnoli hitting the ring and helping Danielson beat up Kingston. FTR made their way to the ring to run the BCC off. Tony Schiavone announced that on Dynamite, Kingston & FTR would team up to wrestle Danielson, Castagnoli, & Jon Moxley.