AEW Collision live results: Dynasty go-home show
Tonight’s taped AEW Collision from Peoria, Illinois, is the final stop before Sunday’s Dynasty pay-per-view from Philadelphia.
TBS Champion Mercedes Mone teams with rival Harley Cameron against ROH Women’s World Champion Athena & Julia Hart as all four women are part of the Owen Hart Foundation tournament.
Ahead of his challenge of International Champion Kenny Omega Sunday, “Speedball” Mike Bailey takes on Dralistico with Ricochet, who will also be in the Omega match, on commentary.
Powerhouse Hobbs teams with the returning Tomohiro Ishii against Kyle Fletcher & Konosuke Takeshita while in a tag team grudge match, Top Flight battles The Cru (Action Andretti & Lio Rush).
FTR’s Cash Wheeler takes on PAC of the Death Riders, Max Caster hosts another open challenge, and Daniel Garcia and Adam Cole have a sit-down interview ahead of their TNT title match Sunday.
The show is rounded out by promos and appearances by Jay White, Kris Statlander & Thunder Rosa, and Jamie Hayter & Billie Starkz.
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With the Dynasty PPV coming tomorrow night, Collision comes live (to tape) from Peoria, Illinois. Sir Elton John welcomed us to the show, as Tony Schiavone was on the call. Nigel McGuinness was out this week, replaced at the desk by Don Callis as his charges entered for the opening contest.
Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher defeated Powerhouse Hobbs & Tomohiro Ishii (w/Rocky Romero)
I’m enjoying the shows that feature the Callis Family talent a lot, as Takeshita and Fletcher are currently two of the best wrestlers in a company full of great wrestlers. I’m also glad they’re keeping Hobbs in sight, even in a losing effort here.
Ishii asked to start with Takeshita, rekindling their war from the Tokyo Dome this past January. The two traded shoulder blocks until they both went down. Fletcher and Hobbs tagged in, with Hobbs simply refusing to fall down on a DDT attempt. Fletcher feigned that Romero tripped him from the outside, distracting the ref so the Callis Family could get an advantage going into the commercial break.
Ishii took Takeshita up and over on a suplex as we came back from the break. Hobbs got the hot tag and ran wild before taking the straps down. Takeshita dropped Hobbs with a German suplex, but Hobbs came back with a main event spinebuster. Ishii and Fletcher tagged in and traded suplexes.
Fletcher and Takeshita dropped Hobbs before double booting Ishii in the corner. They went for a super powerbomb, but Ishii hit a Frankensteiner on Fletcher to escape. Hobbs and Ishii double-teamed Fletcher, with Ishii hitting a vicious headbutt/lariat combo. Takeshita helped Fletcher hit a brainbuster on Ishii, and after Takeshita took Hobbs down with a Blue Thunder Bomb, Fletcher hit a bloody-nosed Ishii with a Tombstone and a brainbuster for the win.
We got a video package on the happenings on Dynamite between Swerve Strickland, Hangman Page, & Jon Moxley. In an interesting editing note, an All In Texas commercial aired, with Page and Strickland as the last two featured faces.
Max Caster was here for another Best Wrestler Alive Open Challenge. He said he had to drive by himself through some terrible weather to get to this show, unlike a former partner of his. He kicked off his chant to boos before announcing he would have another Open Challenge tomorrow night at Dynasty. Mark Briscoe answered the Open Challenge, and we had ourselves a match.
Best Wrestler Alive Open Challenge – Mark Briscoe defeated Max Caster
With Caster announcing another open challenge for the PPV, you have to wonder if that will be the place where Anthony Bowens makes his return.
You know how these open challenges go by now. Briscoe pinballed Caster around and won with the Jay Driller.
We got a video package hyping the Will Ospreay vs. Kevin Knight Hart Foundation Tournament match at Dynasty.
Lexy Nair’s guest at this time was Jay White, who was ruled out of the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament with a broken wrist caused by an off-screen attack by the Death Riders. White mockingly wished Kevin Knight luck and said that Will Ospreay was lucky that he got to duck White again. White turned his attention to the Death Riders, saying that they will regret ever crossing him.
Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin) (w/ Leila Grey) defeated Cru (Action Andretti & Lio Rush)
This match was alright, but there was a big lack of crowd heat as this was on the back end of a Dynamite taping. I’m glad they’ll get to run it with a hotter crowd at the Dynasty Zero Hour. Interesting to see Nick Wayne get shine on his own, as it was announced that he’ll be in this year’s Best of the Super Juniors for New Japan next month.
Top Flight jumped Cru as the lovely Leila Grey distracted them from the ramp. Top Flight pinballed Cru around, and all four guys hit dives as we went to a commercial.
Darius and Andretti took each other down with clotheslines as we came back from commercial. Dante and Rush tagged in, with Dante hitting a springboard dropkick off the bottom rope for a nearfall. Rush snuck a tag, and Cru got some quick offense in to isolate Dante. Andretti hit a springboard clothesline for a nearfall.
Darius saved his brother on a suplex, and the teams traded punches. Andretti dropped Darius, but Dante snuck behind Andretti to catch him with a crucifix for the win. After the match, Cru jumped Top Flight again before AR Fox made the save. Nick Wayne came in and dropped Fox with Wayne’s World (Wayne’s World) before the announcement was made for a six-man tag match at the Dynasty Zero Hour: Nick Wayne & Cru vs. AR Fox & Top Flight.
Lexy Nair’s guests at this time were Hart Foundation Tournament opponents Jamie Hayter & Billie Starkz. Hayter said she was impressed by Starkz and shook her hand and told her to keep her eye out for Athena as she took Starkz’s moment last week. Starkz said she wasn’t a failure and would prove it in The Owen.
Matt Menard told us about the latest sale on the AEW merch store. I won’t be telling you about it because they don’t pay me.
Adam Cole & Daniel Garcia Sit-Down Interview
This feud feels like it’s been building to Garcia getting the biggest defense of his reign so far, beating an All In main eventer and major name in Cole. I think these two have a high quality PPV match in them.
Renee Paquette sat down with both TNT Champion Daniel Garcia & Adam Cole ahead of their title match at Dynasty. Paquette asked the first question to Garcia, but Cole cut her off to talk about the first time they had faced off. Garcia was talented but confused, and he was still the same. Cole said that he had beaten Garcia, but Garcia had never beaten him. This Sunday was Cole’s 17-year anniversary in pro wrestling, in the city where he had his first match, and he felt it was destiny to win the TNT Title at Dynasty.
Garcia said that he didn’t have to give Cole this title match but wanted to out of respect for Cole. Cole has had chances to be the man, just as he’s had chances to be the TNT Champion, but he hasn’t gotten it done. Garcia wouldn’t be giving Cole any other shots after he beat him on Sunday.
Cole asked to clear the room to speak to Garcia alone. He told Garcia that while he had been the man in multiple promotions and carried promotions on his back, Garcia wasn’t ready to do that. He said he would prove it on Sunday. The two stared each other down before Garcia took his title and left.
PAC defeated Cash Wheeler
PAC controlled the opening stage of the match until Wheeler caught him with a flash pin. Wheeler picked the pace up and whipped PAC out of the ring. Wheeler fought out of a superplex after PAC got back in the ring, but PAC swept Wheeler’s feet out from under him and sent him to the floor off the apron. PAC hit a springboard moonsault to the floor to retain control as we went to a commercial break.
PAC got a nearfall with a running uppercut for a nearfall as we came back. Wheeler sent PAC to the floor and followed him with a big suicide dive. Wheeler hit a high cross for a nearfall, then caught PAC with a powerslam for another nearfall. PAC moved out of the way of a big splash but got caught on the ropes with a big superplex for a nearfall. PAC booted Wheeler into the ropes for a German suplex but got caught with a lariat from Wheeler.
Wheeler ran into a thrust kick, but as PAC came off the ropes with a Shooting Star Press, Wheeler moved and pulled PAC up for a piledriver. Wheeler Yuta & Claudio Castagnoli arrived, but Cope came out to cut off Castagnoli. Dax Harwood cut off a charging Yuta, but PAC caught Wheeler in a crucifix to steal away with the win.
After the match, Cope and Wheeler offered Harwood their hands, and he took them as Rated FTR embraced to applause from the crowd.
During this match, Max Caster’s open challenge was made official for the Zero Hour.
We got words from Kenny Omega during a video package for the International Championship match at Dynasty. He said that he had to prove he was the best as he was a champion and said that we would all find out who the true best was at Dynasty.
Shane Taylor Promotions were backstage, as they were tired of hearing people talk tough when they aren’t like that. They called out The Opps, saying that they weren’t opps, they were just an opportunity.
Speedball Mike Bailey defeated Dralistico (w/The Beast Mortos)
Ricochet came out for commentary. Bailey and Dralistico traded headscissors and strikes before bowing to each other. Dralistico gave Bailey the finger and took a mid-kick as a result. Bailey scored with the Lightning Kicks on Dralistico before Beast Mortos got in Bailey’s way, allowing Dralistico to pinball Bailey around the outside to Ricochet’s delight as we went to a commercial.
Bailey caught Dralistico with a missile dropkick as we came back, scoring with a standing shooting star press for a nearfall. Dralistico rolled to the floor, but Bailey followed with a triangle moonsault to Mortos. Dralistico hit a dive, then hit a springboard lungblower for a nearfall. The two traded roll-ups before Bailey scored with a pair of spinning heel kicks to win.
After the match, Ricochet kicked Bailey in the groin before hitting the Spirit Gun to stand tall.
Lexy Nair’s guests at this time were Owen Hart Foundation Tournament opponents Thunder Rosa & Kris Statlander, who would be facing off for the first time ever. They got in each other’s faces, with Rosa landing a slap to Statlander.
Mercedes Mone & Harley Cameron were backstage warming up, with Mone being generally annoyed with Cameron.
We got a video package for Megan Bayne vs. Toni Storm at Dynasty.
Athena & Julia Hart defeated Harley Cameron & Mercedes Mone (w/Mini Mone)
This was a damn good main event, with the interactions between Athena and Mone getting over well as that match gets built. The interactions between the two were very good as well, as that match could end up being the major match AEW wants it to be down the line.
Athena and Mone got in each other’s faces immediately and started the match piefacing each other before Mone tagged in Cameron. Cameron got dragged into the wrong corner, with Hart tagging in and taking her down by the arm. Cameron hit an enzuigiri and tagged Mone, who got caught with a couple of flash pins before Mone took her down.
Mone hung Hart in the Tree of Woe, but Hart sat up out of the way of a pair of corner charges before catching Mone in an Octopus Hold. Cameron threw Mini Mone in the ring to motivate(?) Mone, and I guess it did, as she hit a lungblower on Hart as we went to a commercial.
Hart was your Witch-In-Peril as we came back. She tagged in Athena, and she fired up on Mone before Cameron tagged in. Athena hit a Brian Cage-esque Samoan Drop/Fallaway Slam combo on both her opponents to a big pop. Athena hit a big forearm on Cameron for a nearfall before diving onto Mone on the outside. Cameron took Athena down with a tornado DDT on the floor, and Hart dove from the top rope onto the pile.
Cameron and Athena rolled into the ring, with Athena scoring with a double powerbomb. Hart tagged in and went for her moonsault, but Cameron moved, and Hart ended up taking a backstabber from Mone. Hart and Cameron were left after Athena and Mone took each other out. Cameron hit a back suplex and went for Her Finishing Move, but Hart maneuvered around into an Octopus Hold. Mone could have made the save, but chose not to fight Athena, allowing Cameron to tap out.