AEW Collision live results: International title eliminator tournament continues
The eight-man tournament to determine who faces AEW International Champion Kenny Omega at April’s Dynasty continues on tonight’s live AEW Collision from Las Vegas, Nevada.
The featured bout will pit former Ring of Honor Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata against Ricochet. The latter was defeated by Swerve Strickland at last Sunday’s Revolution while Shibata has been teaming with The Opps as of late.
The other bout will see former Ring of Honor World Champion Mark Briscoe against Mark Davis of the Don Callis Family. Davis was involved heavily in the Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher cage match last Sunday while Briscoe was in tag team action on the pre-show.
In a rematch from last week, former AEW Tag Team Champions FTR will look to go 1-1 against Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong of the Undisputed Kingdom.
The main card is rounded out by former AEW Women’s World Champion Thunder Rosa going heads-up against the surging Megan Bayne.
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We’re on the short track to Dynasty, with this week’s Collision stopping at The Virgin Hotels Theater in Las Vegas, Nevada. Collision started with words from the International Title Tournament competitors, The Undisputed Kingdom, & FTR. Sir Elton John kicked off the show properly, and Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuinness were on the call as always.
International Title Eliminator Tournament Match – Ricochet defeated Katsuyori Shibata
This was a solid opener with good energy to kick off the show. Ricochet gets a nice win to bounce back after his loss at Revolution.
The winner of this match joins Orange Cassidy & Mike Bailey in Wednesday’s four-way tournament final. Despite both men spending several years in New Japan Pro Wrestling, this is the first time these two have met in a singles match, and only the second time they’ve ever shared a ring together.
Shibata, who called Ricochet “baldie” in his cold open comments, scored the first strike with a shot to the leg. Ricochet took the upper hand with a springboard clothesline before throwing Shibata around on the floor. Ricochet landed a standing moonsault for a nearfall as we went to a commercial break.
The two men were trading strikes as we came back from the commercial, with Ricochet dropping Shibata with a dropkick. Ricochet sat with Shibata and tried to hurt him with strikes, but Shibata put on the Iron Claw – as taught to him by the Von Erichs – before smacking Ricochet on his bald head. Shibata followed with a suplex for a nearfall.
The two men traded suplexes before Shibata caught a flying Ricochet and put him in an STF that forced Ricochet into the ropes. Ricochet picked Shibata up and hit the Benadryller and a Lionsault for a nearfall, then hit a standing Shooting Star Press for another nearfall. Shibata locked on a sleeper hold, and after kicking out of a stacked pin, hit an Ushigoroshi in honor of his long-time friend and IWGP World Champion Hirooki Goto. Ricochet ducked the Penalty Kick and rolled Shibata up, then put his feet on the ropes as the referee was counting to score the tainted win.
During this match, it was announced that there would be special Slam Dunk Saturday and Slam Dunk Sunday editions of Collision coming on immediately after next weekend’s college basketball coverage on TNT.
After a recap of Dynamite, The Don Callis Family killed some extras in the back.
AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm was backstage, ready to collide with Megan Bayne. She called out Bayne, as well as anyone else who wanted to challenge her for her title.
Powerhouse Hobbs defeated Griff Garrison (w/ The Frat House)
Hobbs walked out through the crowd. The Frat House is ROH’s newest stable, featuring Garrison, Preston Vance, & Jacked Jameson. Hobbs bumped all three of them and beat Garrison with a main event spinebuster. Vance and Jameson circled Hobbs, but The Outrunners came out to run them off.
Lexy Nair’s guest at this time was Thunder Rosa. Rosa was tired of Megan Bayne’s disrespect before getting jumped by Bayne and laid out in the back.
International Title Eliminator Tournament Match – Mark Davis defeated Mark Briscoe
A surprising result here, as Mark Davis gets the win with some Callis Family assistance. Since Omega took the title from a Callis Family member, I wouldn’t write off Davis as a potential challenger, although that wouldn’t exactly be a marquee matchup.
The winner of this match joins Orange Cassidy, Mike Bailey, & Ricochet in Wednesday’s four-way tournament final.
Briscoe used his redneck kung-fu to get the jump on Davis, but Davis came back with a big back body drop. Briscoe ripped Davis over the ropes, then followed him to the floor with a dive. Briscoe sent Davis into the post, then launched himself off of a chair into Davis on the floor as we went to a commercial break.
We came back to Briscoe biting Davis off of the top rope before landing a missile dropkick. Briscoe and Davis hammered each other with chops, but Davis wouldn’t drop after repeated lariats. Davis caught Briscoe with a Tiger Suplex and a running knee for a nearfall. Davis followed Briscoe to the floor, but Briscoe caught him with a running blockbuster off the apron. Briscoe then climbed the guardrail and hit a Cactus Elbow.
Briscoe hit a lariat and a Fisherman’s Buster for a nearfall. Davis backdropped out of a Jay Driller attempt before snatching Briscoe up in a piledriver for a nearfall. Briscoe smacked Davis off the top rope into a Death Valley Driver. Briscoe went up for the Froggy Bow, but the Murder Machines came out. Archer took the referee as Cage knocked Briscoe off the top rope into a boot from Davis. Davis hit his pendulum piledriver for the win.
The Murder Machines defeated multiple victims
After a commercial, The Murder Machines dragged four corpses to the ring and killed them all. I don’t even know which ones were in the match, and none of them got names. They pinned one with the chokebomb. They continued killing before Mark Briscoe came out for revenge after the last match. Powerhouse Hobbs came out to help, brawling with Archer to the back as Briscoe and Cage brawled through the crowd to the back.
Swerve Strickland Town Hall
Swerve Strickland came out to address the crowd. He recapped his last week, noting that Prince Nana was at home safeguarding the Embassy robe. He reminded everyone that he won the AEW World Title at Dynasty last year, reigning as champion for four months, and that he’ll be challenging for the World Title at Dynasty this year in a nice coincidence.
Strickland talked about his relationship with Cope, as a professional inspiration and as someone whose helped him to become more dangerous over the years. Strickland said that he would run through him if he was in his way, as champion or challenger. Strickland then talked about Jon Moxley, putting him over for being a four-time World Champion but noting his complete desperation to stay on top. Strickland said to catch a maniac, you had to send a maniac, and Strickland promised to take the World Title back at Dynasty.
Jon Moxley made his way through the crowd and dropped Strickland with a crowbar. Moxley laid Strickland out with a Curb Stomp before leaving through the crowd. The camera followed him outside, with Moxley saying that he was tired of people like Strickland and Jay White trying to close him into a corner. Moxley said that on Dynamite, Cope was a dead man.
Hologram & Top Flight (Dante & Darius Martin) defeated Shane Taylor Promotions (Lee Moriarty, Shawn Dean, & Carlie Bravo)
There was a lot going on here.
The announcers said that this was a stand-by match. Lio Rush & Action Andretti, now known as The Cru came out to watch the match from the stage. Harleygram was also watching from backstage. Hologram and Moriarty started on the mat before Dante Martin and Dean tagged in. Andretti got in Dante’s face, allowing Dean to score with a suplex as we went into the commercial.
After the break, STP had Dante isolated. In the back, The Beast Mortos found Harleygram and stared her down. Can’t blame him. We got a sight of Dralistico on Spanish commentary before Dante tagged in his brother. Darius ran wild before Dean and Bravo double teamed him. The match broke down into a Pier Six brawl before Top Flight got the win with a shotgun dropkick into a German Suplex. Top Flight stared down The Cru at ringside as Hologram stared down Dralistico at the Spanish commentary desk.
In a voiceover promo, Alex Abrahantes challenged La Faccion Ingobernable to a tag team match on behalf of Hologram & Komander.
Megan Bayne defeated Thunder Rosa
Bayne is getting the Monster of the Month treatment here, leaving everyone laid out. She’s been fine, but I wouldn’t call her impressive in her outings so far.
Thunder Rosa came out with her ribs taped after the attack by Bayne earlier tonight. Rosa came out firing, hammering Bayne with chops before Bayne dropped her with a shoulder block. Rosa fought off a charging Bayne in the corner, but Bayne caught her and dumped her with an overhead throw. Bayne booted Rosa off of the apron as we went to a commercial.
Bayne and Rosa were hammering each other with strikes as we came back from the break. Rosa sent Bayne into the corner, then knocked her down with a shotgun dropkick. Rosa sent herself and Bayne to the floor with a seated dropkick against the ropes. Rosa sent Bayne off the post and the stairs. They brawled onto the ramp, where Bayne dropped Rosa with the F-5.
Bayne got back into the ring to take the countout, but Rosa beat the count. Bayne hit her with another F-5 to score the win over the former AEW Women’s World Champion. After the match, Bayne put Rosa in an Argentine Backbreaker when Toni Storm came out to make the save. Bayne dropped Storm with the F-5 as well, leaving the champion laid out as referees and Kris Statlander came out to ward her off.
The announcers ran down the card for next week’s Dynamite, now featuring Megan Bayne vs. Kris Statlander. A TNT Title Match was announced for Slam Dunk Saturday, as Daniel Garcia vs. Adam Cole was booked with everyone banned from ringside. Hologram & Komander vs. The Beast Mortos & Dralistico was announced for Slam Dunk Sunday.
FTR (w/Daniel Garcia) defeated The Undisputed Kingdom (Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong) (w/Adam Cole)
I love this tag team match serving as a build of sorts for the TNT Title match next Saturday. That’s why I’m always in favor of singles stars having tag partners or associates for reasons. This match started out roughly, with Strong and Wheeler on different pages, but they rounded into form and pulled together a quality main event. FTR continuing to refuse handshakes is a point of interest here, even with Garcia shaking Cole’s hand.
Garcia and Cole joined the commentary desk, in support of their respective trios partners. O’Reilly and Harwood started, with O’Reilly forcing Harwood to the ropes while attempting an ankle lock. Wheeler tagged in but got isolated in the Kingdom corner. Strong and Wheeler kept whipping each other into the ropes, leading to Wheeler dumping Strong on the ropes and isolating him for a short while.
Strong dumped Wheeler to the floor, but Wheeler came back in to distract the referee on a tag, keeping Strong in the ring. Wires got crossed on a Hart Attack attempt, but FTR eventually got it as we went to a commercial. After the break, Strong dropped Harwood with an Olympic Slam to get the tag into O’Reilly. O’Reilly immediately got Wheeler in an ankle lock, then dropped Harwood with a side suplex when he tried to break it up.
O’Reilly hooked Wheeler in the ankle lock again, with Strong locking Harwood in an ankle lock on the apron. Harwood shoved Strong into the post before breaking up the ankle lock with a diving headbutt. An FTR Doomsday Device was cut off by O’Reilly, but FTR got him in position for the Steiner Brother Bulldog for a nearfall. Strong cut off a Shatter Machine, then drilled him with a jumping knee for a nearfall.
The match broke down into a Pier Six brawl, with the Kingdom hitting the Total Elimination for a nearfall broken up by Wheeler. Harwood’s chest was bleeding as the four men got up and swung. FTR scored with the Shatter Machine on Strong, but O’Reilly pulled Harwood off the cover. Wheeler dove onto O’Reilly, but Harwood’s second cover only got a nearfall as the referee saw Strong’s foot on the ropes this time.
The ring announcer made the fifteen-minute call, as five minutes remained in the time limit. FTR went for the PowerPlex, but Strong got his knees up on the splash and rolled him up for a nearfall. The Total Elimination got cut off, and FTR hit a second Shatter Machine to score the win. Both Cole and Garcia went to the ring to help their friends and ended up staring each other down. Cole & Garcia shook hands, but when FTR were offered a handshake from the Kingdom, they refused.