AEW Collision live results: Chris Jericho vs. Bandido ROH World title match

Chris Jericho will defend the Ring of Honor World title against former champion Bandido on tonight’s AEW Collision from Phoenix, Arizona.

Bandido has targeted Jericho since his December return from injury and this will be a rematch from September 2022.

The AEW Trios titles will be on the line as the Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, PAC & Wheeler Yuta) defend against TNT Champion Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard & Angelo Parker.

IWGP men’s Strong Champion Gabe Kidd will make his Collision debut as he takes on The Butcher while Max Caster will host another open challenge in search of his first win in months.

Hologram will make his in-ring return for the first time since last October as he battles The Beast Mortos, and Julia Hart will try to rebound from her January loss to Jamie Hayter as she takes on Queen Aminata.

The Murder Machines (Brian Cage & Lance Archer) will be in competition as they hope to score a future Tag Team title match.

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Collision began with several AEW stars walking through the back. Toni Storm was one of them until she got attacked by Mariah May, who dragged her to the stage and headbutted her. May took a microphone and called for a spotlight. May said that Storm never knew how to write an ending, and that May will write one in Storm’s blood. She wanted them to have a Hollywood ending at Revolution.

(I was hoping the Grand Slam Australia match was the blowoff, but in hindsight, they probably weren’t going to end this year-plus long feud at 1:30 AM on a Saturday.)

We cut from that to a recap of the Continental Championship match from last week’s Grand Slam: Australia. Kazuchika Okada was in the back, talking about how he put the dog down last week. He promised to do the same to anyone else who stepped up. The announce team for this week was the original Dynamite team of Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Jim Ross.

Hologram defeated The Beast Mortos

Hologram is still great, and his rollout continues to rock. His chemistry with Mortos is fantastic, as even if they flub a spot, they seem to transition into something just as cool as what they had planned. Komander teaming up with Hologram is a good sign, as those two can be a quality team in a quickly-rebuilding tag team division.

We got a recap of La Faccion Ingobernable attacking Hologram in October, putting him on the shelf until his return two weeks ago. We got a hot start, with Hologram taking Mortos to the floor with a triple-rotation headscissors and a hurricanrana off the top rope to the floor. Mortos evaded a splash off the top rope and pounced Hologram out of the ring, then followed him out with a tornillo to the floor.

After a commercial break, Hologram cut Mortos off on the top rope with a kick, but Mortos came back with an Avalanche Gorilla Press Slam for a nearfall. Mortos set Hologram up for another move off of the top rope, but Hologram reversed it into a top-rope headscissors. Hologram hit a big torpedo dive to the floor. Some more back and forth led to Mortos avoiding a springboard dive and hitting a sick crucifix bomb on the stage.

Mortos went for a gorilla press off the stage, but Hologram slipped away and hit a crucifix bomb on the stage. Hologram followed it with a ropewalk into a crucifix bomb for another nearfall. Mortos came back with a pop-up Samoan drop for a nearfall. Mortos hit a Bane-style backbreaker but lost Hologram on a powerbomb attempt, allowing Hologram to hit a Spanish Fly. Mortos immediately came back with a lariat.

Mortos took Hologram to the top rope again, but he countered another Gorilla Press into a headscissors before hitting the rolling sunset bomb for the pin and the win. After the match, Mortos jumped Hologram and tried to rip his mask off before Komander made the save to return the favor from two weeks ago. Hologram and Komander teamed up to take Mortos down and out with a double sliding kick.

We got a hype video for Speedball Mike Bailey, who Tony Schiavone said would be debuting soon in AEW.

Harley Cameron Town Hall

Lexy Nair was in the ring to interview Harley Cameron, who came out to a big ovation. Cameron talked about a little blonde girl in Australia who grew up with big dreams, watching wrestling with her grandmother. She told her grandmother that she would grow up to be a professional wrestler. That little girl was Harley Cameron…’s next door neighbor Suzette Dickinson. Cameron didn’t know what ever happened to Suzette, but she took Suzette’s dream and ran with it. Cameron promised to keep going until everyone in AEW felt the wrath.

(A good promo from Harley to rebound from last week’s loss. The loss didn’t hurt her in Phoenix, as she was still over with this crowd.)

Gabe Kidd defeated The Butcher

This was a very good showcase for Kidd, who has rocketed up my list of the best wrestlers in the world. The Butcher matched his style well as the two laid in heavy strikes, but Kidd won decisively. The Don Callis angle is very interesting as both men have feuded with Kenny Omega since he’s returned from injury.

The announcers put over Kidd’s performance at Wrestle Dynasty against Kenny Omega. Kidd charged Butcher at the bell and clubbered on him at the bell. Don Callis was seen watching backstage as Kidd took the Butcher over with a Saito suplex. Butcher took control on the floor with punches and chops, but Kidd sent Butcher up and over with an Exploder suplex.

Kidd rocked Butcher with a lariat on the floor, then sat cross-legged in the ring as Butcher crawled back to the ring. Kidd had Butcher’s handprint across his chest, and Butcher made sure to leave a few more with some chops across the ropes. Kidd hit a rebound lariat and a piledriver to get the win. Kidd laid in some shots after the bell.

Kyle Fletcher & Don Callis were backstage with Lexy Nair. Fletcher kept interrupting Nair, who eventually asked about Will Ospreay’s steel cage challenge for Revolution. Callis wanted Nair to stop trying to gaslight them. Callis said that Ospreay was physically impressive but mentally deficient. Fletcher accepted Ospreay’s challenge for Revolution.

(Revolution is a packed card already, but Fletcher/Ospreay III is my most anticipated match. If they stick the landing, this could be one of the most effective and best feuds in AEW’s short history.)

Julia Hart defeated Queen Aminata

A good TV win for Hart. I don’t know where exactly to fit her in, but Aminata needs to start being highlighted in this women’s division. Her work is clean, and I think she can hang with the top names in the division.

Aminata snuck a quick nearfall in before laying Hart out with a pair of strong kicks. Hart came back with a flurry in the corner as we went to a commercial. After the break, Aminata hit a pair of snap suplexes before hitting a twisting Perfect-Plex. A face wash boot in the corner scored Aminata a pair of nearfalls.

Hart came back with a thrust kick and a running forearm for a nearfall. Hart went up for a moonsault but caught boots from Aminata. Aminata hit a pair of German suplexes, but Hart cut off a third and caught Aminata in an Octopus Hold for the submission win.

Murder Machines (Brian Cage & Lance Archer) defeated two victims

Cage and Archer dragged their unnamed opponents to the ring and demolished them. They hit one of these poor geeks with the Murderbomb for the quick win.

After the match, Cage called out the Hurt Syndicate and said that this was a preview of what the Murder Machines were going to do to them. The Hurt Syndicate came out, with MVP asking who they thought they were calling out the champs. MVP called out the Murder Machines for making their hay on locals trying to make names for themselves. The Hurt Syndicate were the champions, and they called the shots. MVP said that if the Murder Machines beat a real tag team, then they would talk business.

We got a stylized video from Action Andretti & Lio Rush, announcing their new team name of The Cru.

We got a recap of Wednesday’s scene with Megan Bayne, Penelope Ford, Kris Statlander, & Thunder Rosa. We got video from after Dynamite with Statlander and Rosa, with Statlander saying to swing first the next time Ford & Bayne tried to laugh them off.

AEW World Trios Title Match – Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, PAC & Wheeler Yuta) (c) defeated Daniel Garcia, Angelo Parker, & Matt Menard

A solid trios title match for TV, and a solid defense for the Death Riders. Wheeler Yuta is getting a lot of good heat in these trios matches. This will sound like a wild comparison to make, but Yuta reminds me of Rocky Maivia in the Nation of Domination as the underling that gets the most heat of the group. The post-match angle was very good, with the babyface army working together long enough for Cope to take PAC out.

Parker & Yuta started as Excalibur brought up how PAC was the first man to hold two AEW titles simultaneously, and that TNT Champion Garcia had the chance to be the second. Castagnoli tagged in took control of Parker. Yuta tagged in as the crowd chanted We Hate Yuta. Parker snapped Yuta off the ropes and tagged in Menard, who ran wild and got a nearfall on PAC. Castagnoli cut him off as the match broke down. The challengers laid in the punches in the corner and posed as we went to a commercial break.

The champions were back in control as we came back, with Yuta tagging in and getting more Yuta Sucks chants. The champs ran an uppercut train on Menard in the corner for a nearfall. PAC feigned a springboard attack and mocked Menard for attempting to counter, but Menard caught him with a powerbomb. Garcia tagged in and ran wild with side suplexes, including getting Castagnoli up for one after some 2.0 assistance.

Garcia hit a Twist and Shout on Yuta for a nearfall, then locked him up in the Dragon Tamer. Parker fought off PAC as he tried to interfere, but Castagnoli lifted Garcia up into a Jackhammer to break the hold. Yuta and Garcia traded forearms, with Yuta resorting to biting Garcia’s head. Castagnoli tagged in and hit a lariat for a nearfall. Castagnoli swung Garcia into boots from PAC for a nearfall, prompting a Don Leo Jonathan reference from Jim Ross.

PAC went for the Black Arrow on Garcia, but 2.0 cut him off. Parker tagged in and took PAC down with a superplex for a nearfall that Yuta made the save on. Castagnoli cut off a double team elbow with an uppercut on Parker, allowing PAC to lock on the Brutalizer for the tapout and the win. PAC refused to release the hold as the champs laid boots in to Garcia and Menard. The Undisputed Kingdom came out to make the save, and the babyfaces fought off the Death Riders. Cole and Garcia stared each other down before bumping fists, and the Kingdom hit their finish on PAC.

Jon Moxley & Marina Shafir came out to even up the numbers, but Cope came out with a pair of chairs. The babyface army walled off the Death Riders as Cope hit PAC with a Con-Chair-To. The crowd chanted for an encore, so Cope obliged by hitting a second Con-Chair-To to PAC. The Death Riders looked dismayed as the ringside doctors checked on PAC.

Deonna Purazzo & Taya Valkyrie were backstage with Lexy Nair. They had issue with Harley Cameron getting all of this attention and told her to move to the back of the line or be moved out of the way.

Max Caster came out for his Best Wrestler Alive Open Challenge. He said that he was disrespected by “Hangperson” Adam Page, who attacked him before the bell and chased him around the building before he was ready. He asked whoever answered his challenge tonight should shake his hand like a man.

Best Wrestler Alive Open Challenge – Brody King defeated Max Caster

As someone who was sick of the Acclaimed, the turnaround I’ve done on them since the breakup angle is astounding. Caster being so overbearing that he turned his own teammates against him, then consistently getting beaten up in these open challenges has been very entertaining. My guess is that Anthony Bowens will answer one of these challenges at some point to get his singles run started.

King offered a handshake to start the match, then held onto Caster’s hand before chopping him down. Caster tried escaping a head trap, but failed as King chopped him in the chest. King hit his cannonball in the corner to win the match and send Caster to 0-3 in his Open Challenge Series.

The Outrunners were backstage with Lexy Nair, who congratulated them on their win on the Ring of Honor Global Wars show in Australia. They were talking their talk before The Hurt Syndicate walked past. The Outrunners asked about facing the Murder Machines, and what would happen if they won. MVP said that the good news is that if they beat the Murder Machines, they would get a title shot. The bad news was that if they beat the Murder Machines, they would get a title shot. Lashley and Benjamin chuckled as they walked away.

Harley Cameron vs. Deonna Purrazzo was announced for Wednesday’s Dynamite. Will Ospreay vs. Bryan Keith was also announced, as Don Callis put a bounty on Ospreay’s head ahead of Revolution.

ROH World Title Match – Chris Jericho (c) defeated Bandido

This was the best Chris Jericho singles match I’ve seen in a while. Bandido worked well with him and had the crowd behind him. Jericho got a clean win, but not in a manner that would kill Bandido’s momentum on his return. A very good main event to another quality episode of Collision.

Both men adhered to the Code of Honor, with both men pulling each other in before Jericho poked Bandido in the eyes. Bandido came back and sent Jericho to the floor, following him with a pair of dives to the floor. Bandido sent Jericho back in the ring and went for a springboard, but Jericho caught Bandido with a Codebreaker for a nearfall. Jericho hit the ten punches in the corner before taking Bandido off the top rope with a hurricanrana.

Bandido fought back with chops on the apron before taking Jericho off the apron with a headscissors to the floor. After a commercial break, Jericho took Bandido down to his knees with chops. Bandido fired back with chops of his own before poking Bandido in the eyes again. Bandido came back with a head kick and a top rope tornillo before hitting a pendulum facebuster for a nearfall.

Jericho came back with a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. The two traded boots and punches before they knocked each other down. The two went back-to-back and took their paces for a duel. Bandido went for the X-Plex, but Jericho caught Bandido’s leg and locked on the Walls of Jericho. Bandido got to the ropes, then picked Jericho up with a one-handed Gorilla Press Slam before scoring a nearfall with a Frog Splash.

Jericho cut Bandido off with a dropkick, but Bandido cut off his triangle dropkick with a Sunset Flip Powerbomb off the ropes for a nearfall. Jericho held onto the ropes on a dropkick attempt and hit a Lionsault for a nearfall. Bandido caught Jericho with an inside cradle for a nearfall before Jericho came back with a flying headscissors – which Schiavone noted he called “The Hi Spot” – for a nearfall.

Bandido cut Jericho off on the top rope and hit an avalanche moonsault powerslam for a nearfall. Bandido hit the X-Plex and went for the 21-Plex, but Jericho countered it into a Victory Roll for the win to retain the title.