AEW Collision live results: Bryan Danielson vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Another dream match featuring Bryan Danielson is set for Collision.

Danielson this week will face former NJPW star Katsuyori Shibata in a first-time ever match. In recent weeks Danielson has defeated the likes of legend Jun Akiyama and CMLL’s Hechicero, all on Collision. Shibata is making his first AEW appearance since losing the ROH Pure Championship at the end of last year.

Kyle O’Reilly will make his in-ring return, taking on Bryan Keith. O’Reilly told Roderick Strong and The Kingdom on Dynamite that he needed to do this by himself. They all shook hands, agreeing.

The start of the AEW Tag Team title tournament will begin, as The House of Black will face The Infantry in a wildcard bout. Other matches will see PAC take on Komander and Julia Hart defend the TBS Championship against Trish Adora under Open House rules. Adam Copeland will also speak just days prior to his I Quit match against Christian Cage.

Join us for live coverage starting at 8 pm ET.

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Sir Elton John got the week off as we went right into the action for this week’s Collision. Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness were on the call.

Bryan Danielson defeated Katsuyori Shibata

An unbelievably great match. Easily the best match of Shibata’s career post-injury, as this was the first time he had the feeling and the aura of the Shibata of old. What else can be said about Bryan Danielson? He’s had an all-time great career, and this may just be the best run of his life so far. This was a MUST-SEE match.

If you told me in 2017, when both of these men were retired due to injury, that this match would happen someday, I’d have called you crazy. But here we are. They jockeyed for position to start, as McGuinness talked about both men’s previous head injuries. This was to eventually brag about beating Danielson with a headbutt once upon a time. After a stalemate, the two locked hands and traded kicks before Danielson transitioned to a surfboard stomp on the knees.

Danielson transitioned to the arm with repeated armbreakers as Shibata tried to escape with forearms and kicks. Danielson transitioned to an armbar attempt, but Shibata countered it into a bow-and-arrow lock. Danielson transitioned to a bow-and-arrow of his own before Shibata slid out and went for a double wristlock. The two traded chops before Danielson shot for a single leg and returned to the arm. Shibata rolled to the apron, then caught Danielson with a suplex to the floor before booting him in the chest as we went to our first commercial break.

After the commercial break, Danielson dropped Shibata with a missile dropkick. They traded corner dropkicks before Shibata hammered Danielson in the corner with Genichiro Tenryu-style strikes. Shibata hit the hesitation dropkick before scoring a nearfall with a half-hatch suplex for a nearfall. Shibata locked on a sleeper hold, but Danielson fought out. The two traded ankle lock attempts until Danielson hit a leg-trap German suplex. Danielson went for a rolling elbow, but Shibata caught Danielson with an STO.

The two elbowed each other in the guts before Shibata hit a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Shibata laid in the hammer-and-anvil elbows, then went for the Rainmaker Slap. Danielson ducked it and hit the Busaiku Knee for a nearfall. Danielson locked on the LeBell Lock, and despite trapping the free arm as well, Shibata reached the bottom rope to break the hold.

Danielson laid in the middle kicks, but Shibata defiantly sat cross-legged and invited more. Shibata got up and traded big boots with Danielson before laying in middle kicks of his own. Danielson sat cross-legged in defiance, and Shibata sat with him to trade slaps. They fought to their feet before Danielson laid in a kick to the arm and the head. Danielson went for a Busaiku Knee, but Shibata countered it with a Rainmaker Slap. Shibata locked on the Cobra Twist, but Danielson just barely reached the rope with his foot. Danielson ducked the Penalty Kick and entered into a pinning predicament, one that saw Danielson score the win with a crucifix pin.

Post-match, both men shook hands and hugged as the crowd gave them a standing ovation.

We got a video recap of Mercedes Mone’s AEW debut on Big Business. We got clips of the main event segment with Willow Nightingale – cut with video of Nightingale’s win over Mone in New Japan last year – and Mone saving Nightingale from Julia Hart & Skye Blue.

AEW TBS Title Open House Match – Julia Hart defeated Trish Adora to retain

Adora has interesting and unique offense, which is good to stand out as an enhancement talent.

The Open House Rule for this match is that the loser will be banned from ringside for the House of Black vs. The Infantry match, as both women are in those units.

Adora caught Hart in a double-arm submission, doing the splits on top of Hart to get a reaction from the crowd. Adora locked on another wild-looking submission before Hart escaped to the floor, where she sent Adora into the steps and into the barricade. After a commercial, Adora fired up with strikes and a bodyslam into the knee for a nearfall. Hart evaded a couple of charges and hit a pair of charges into the corner.

Hart went for the Hartless submission, but Adora turned it into a pin cover for a nearfall. Hart laid in more shots before hitting the moonsault to score the win and retain the title. After the match, it was announced that Hart & Skye Blue would take on Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale in a street fight on Rampage, which is immediately following Dynamite this Wednesday night.

Zak Knight & Harley Cameron were backstage with Lexy Nair, who asked about Cool Hand Ang’s challenge for tonight. Knight denied the challenge, saying that he didn’t want to give Parker the home country advantage. Knight said that the match would happen on his terms. I was kind of hoping that Zak Knight would wrestle on the same show as Katsuyori Shibata. That would’ve been a hell of a fun fact.

Daniel Garcia defeated Lee Moriarty (w/ Shane Taylor)

A nice little showcase for two of the young technicians on the roster.

Matt Menard was on commentary as these two got off to a quick start. Garcia got the advantage by feigning a punch before kicking the knee. Garcia sent Moriarty to the floor with a dropkick, and as Garcia sent him back in, Taylor provided a distraction to allow Moriarty to hit a blindside tope. Taylor laid in a cheap shot as Moriarty held control. Moriarty provided some damage control with a belly-to-belly suplex before wrenching on Garcia’s arm.

Garcia fired up with punches and stomps, forcing Moriarty into the corner. Garcia laid in a chop block and did damage to the knee before landing a backdrop driver for a nearfall. Moriarty caught Garcia by the head for a roll-up but couldn’t go for a corner charge due to the damage to the knee. Moriarty caught a charging Garcia with a double stomp to the chest for a nearfall, but Garcia kicked out and caught Moriarty in a heel hook for the submission win.

We got a recap of Darby Allin vs. Jay White on Dynamite and the Bullet Club Gold attack on him and The Acclaimed. They broke Allin’s foot, costing him his climb of Mount Everest and a couple of months of action in the ring.

PAC defeated Aaron Solo

PAC is a welcome re-addition to an already unbelievably stacked roster.

Solo got a quick start, hitting a big overhead throw and a dive to the outside before PAC shut him down with a boot to the face and stomps in the corner. The crowd chanted Welcome Back and He’s A Bastard as PAC worked over Solo. PAC crushed Solo with the Black Arrow before locking on the Brutalizer for the win.

After the match, PAC reiterated his statement that he was back for trouble. Solo wasn’t who he had in mind, so PAC asked Tony Khan to find him some trouble before he found some himself.

Bryan Danielson was meditating in the back before talking about how grateful he was to wrestle Shibata tonight, as both men were once medically unable to compete. Danielson heard Will Ospreay say that he wasn’t planning to die at Dynasty, and Danielson learned that Ospreay would be unable to walk in his shoes. Danielson has been on death’s door because of pro wrestling. He said that despite Ospreay knowing what he’s willing to do, he’s not ready for what Danielson is willing to do.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Lance Archer ended in a no contest

A fun battle of the big men before the rare run-in DQ from the re-introduced Righteous, setting up an interesting trios scenario for down the line.

The two big men traded shoulder blocks as the crowd chanted BEEF. McGuinness brought up Castagnoli’s bodyslam of Paul Wight over the top rope back at Wrestlemania 30, although he didn’t mention the show of course. Castagnoli clubbered Archer against the ropes before finally sending him over the top with a clothesline. Archer caught a charging Castangoli on the floor and went for a chokeslam on the apron, but Castangoli got on the apron. Archer ducked a clothesline before crushing Castagnoli with a cannonball off the apron as we went to the commercial.

After the commercial, Archer hit a ripcord uranage for a nearfall. Archer talked trash before going for a DDT, but Castagnoli herked Archer up into a vertical suplex. Archer came back quickly with a lariat to a charging Castagnoli. Archer went for a ropewalk move, but Castagnoli yanked him into an uppercut. Castagnoli hit a double stomp that sent Archer to the outside, where Castagnoli followed him with a running uppercut.

Archer cut Castagnoli off with a rising knee before landing a chokeslam for a nearfall. Archer loaded Castagnoli up for the Blackout, but Castagnoli countered it with a Death Valley Driver. Castagnoli clubbered Archer with uppercuts, sending him to the second rope before hitting a Tower of London-style cutter for a nearfall. Archer countered out of a Neutralizer, but Castagnoli caught him with a springboard uppercut for a nearfall.

Castagnoli loaded up Archer for the Giant Swing, but The Righteous came out and attacked Castagnoli to cause the disqualification. Bryan Danielson came out to help, but The Righteous quickly hit him with Autumn Sunshine to take him down. Katsuyori Shibata came out with a chair to even the odds and run off Archer and the Righteous.

Angelo Parker & Ruby Soho were backstage with Lexy Nair, who asked about Zak Knight’s denial of his challenge. Parker was upset that he wouldn’t get his match with his mom in the crowd and threatened to find Knight for a fight. Soho refused, saying that would be playing into their hand. Cooler heads prevailed, and Parker said he wouldn’t fight Knight tonight.

Kyle O’Reilly defeated Bryan Keith

This won’t make any match of the year lists, but I adore how this match was worked. O’Reilly allowed his injuries and the long layoff to get in his head early on but overcame them to beat a game Bryan Keith here. Credit to both men for the effort here, as Keith was the right opponent to highlight and match O’Reilly’s strengths.

Keith shook O’Reilly up with a headlock, then forced O’Reilly to the floor with a shoulder block. O’Reilly got back in the ring and initiated a strike exchange that Keith cut off with a boot to the gut. O’Reilly came back with a rising knee and a slap to the face. Keith caught O’Reilly in a Cobra Twist before landing a hook kick and a DDT as we went to a commercial.

Keith had O’Reilly in a cravate as we came back from the commercial. Schiavone sent well wishes to MMA legend Mark Coleman after his heroic rescue of his parents from a burning house this past week. O’Reilly dropped Keith with a kitchen sink knee before firing up with strikes. O’Reilly hit a back suplex before snatching on a kneebar that sent Keith into the ropes. Keith hopped over a leg kick to get some offense in, but O’Reilly transitioned his way into a triangle choke before landing a Penalty Kick.

O’Reilly went to the top rope, but Keith headbutted O’Reilly down. O’Reilly went for the leg again, but Keith hit a knee, then a second knee as O’Reilly was falling for a nearfall. Keith went for Diamond Dust, but O’Reilly ripped Keith off the ropes by the arm. O’Reilly hit the Axe and Smash kicks, but Keith came back with an enzuigiri. They blocked each other’s strikes before O’Reilly hit the pendulum lariat and a brainbuster for a nearfall. O’Reilly immediately transitioned into a cross armbar he called Armageddon to score the win in his return match.

Roderick Strong & The Kingdom came out to celebrate with O’Reilly, with the Kingdom lifting O’Reilly onto their shoulders.

Thunder Rosa & Deonna Purrazzo were backstage with Lexy Nair ahead of their tag team match against Toni Storm & Mariah May on Dynamite. Purrazzo said that the two of them had the same enemy in Toni Storm, so they could trust each other. Rosa reminded everyone that she never lost the Women’s Title and that they would cut all the jokes on Dynamite.

AEW World Tag Team Title Tournament Wild Card Match – The Infantry (Carlie Bravo & Shawn Dean) defeated House Of Black (Brody King & Buddy Matthews) (w/ Julia Hart)

This was less about the tag team tournament and more about keeping the flame lit on the Briscoe/House of Black feud. The Infantry got their asses kicked but will get a chance to impress more next week against FTR.

The winner of this match will face FTR in the Round of Eight.

The House jumped the Infantry before the bell and hit charging attacks to both men against the barricades. Matthews and King then calmly took their place in the ring as the Infantry crawled to their corner. The bell rang and King immediately drilled Bravo with a cannonball for a nearfall. After a commercial, Dean got the hot tag and immediately slipped off the top rope.

Dean recovered and fought two-on-one until King shut him down with a lariat. Bravo got dropped with a pop-up knee and King hit Dante’s Inferno on Dean for…a nearfall as Bravo broke up the pin. Matthews knocked Bravo off the apron into King, who hit a Death Valley Driver into the announce table. Matthews fed Bravo to King on the announce table before King hit a piledriver on the table to take him out.

Matthews got in the ring and hit a curb stomp on Dean but pulled him up at the count of two. Hart wanted Matthews to do more damage, so Matthews went to the top rope. But as the referee dealt with Hart on the apron, Mark Briscoe came out and hit Matthews with a chair. As King chased Briscoe away, Dean rolled on top of Matthews to score the shock win. Malakai Black came out, unhappy at his team taking the loss.

We got a video package hyping the I Quit match between Christian Cage vs. Adam Copeland for Wednesday’s Dynamite.

Adam Copeland Speaks

The reveal of Spike as the super-weapon of doom was effective as part of this solid go-home promo for Dynamite on Wednesday.

Copeland came out with his mystery box. Copeland talked about how for a long time, he didn’t think he’d get to wrestle in Canada again. Copeland said that Christian Cage bought into his own hype and forgot who he was. Copeland believed that he and Cage would look back on their lives and be proud of achieving their dreams. He came to AEW to end his career with Cage as friends, but Cage didn’t want that.

He earned his way to Worlds End to win the TNT Title but lost the title right after. He started the Cope Open and earned his way to a title shot before the Patriarchy took him out with a Con-Chair-To. While he was laid up, Copeland got a call from someone in his past who reminded him of who he was. He took a page out of their book, and while this wasn’t Barbie or Janice, this would work just fine. He opened the box to reveal a 2×4 with nails stuck to the end of it that he called Spike. The phone call from “Mrs. Foley’s Baby Boy” worked because he remembered who he was. He and Spike were going to change Christian Cage, taking away his pride and his ego. He was going to make Cage say I Quit, and 40 years of history would come to an end in their hometown.