AEW Collision Results 12/16/23

Both men trade shoulder blocks to start. Andrade misses a back elbow but slams Claudio hard. Twice. Flying forearm by Andrade. Andrade misses a charge in the corner and Claudio sets up for the Giant Swing… and gets him! 8, 9, 10. Sharpshooter now by Claudio! Andrade isn’t near the ropes but he counters the Sharpshooter right into a Figure Four! Claudio butt scoots his way to the ropes and gets the break. Andrade heads up top now but Claudio catches him and looks for a superplex, but Andrade tries to fight him off. The turnbuckle bad is slightly undone, as well. Sunset Flip powerbomb by Andrade! Two count. Running double knees in the corner by Andrade! Two count. Andrade heads up top on the far corner and takes that turnbuckle off as well, only to be met by a flying European uppercut by Claudio! Superplex by Claudio but Andrade holds on and hits the two amigos, as Claudio fights out of the third and hits another uppercut. Both men fight in front of the turnbuckle now, trading big boots. Andrade misses a big boot but connects with a BRUTAL spinning back elbow! Long two count. Hammerlock DDT by Andrade but Claudio counters, sending Andrade into the corner. Andrade heads up top but Claudio crotches him, and Andrade lands knee-first on the exposed steal. The referee tries to check on Andrade and put the turnbuckle pad on, so Claudio picks up Andrade like an inverted atomic drop but knees him low! Neutralizer! One, two, three!

Winner: Claudio Castagnoli (6)

Rating: ***3/4. Really enjoying this match and a super hot crowd helped. Great to see the fans buying into this tournament the way they are, and Andrade’s run right now is feeling pretty special.

Match #2. Abadon vs. Jasmine Allure

Abadon runs her over to start. Spinning Side Effect by Abadon gets two. High kick and a Regal Knee by Abadon. Black Dahlia finishes this one.

Winner: Abadon

Rating: NR

Lights go out… here’s Julia Hart. Both women brawl as Abadon gets the upper hand, but here’s Skye Blue. Both women attack Abadon but here’s Thunder Rosa to help clear the ring! The fans chant “welcome back” as she and Abadon embrace.

The Acclaimed are back, and they’re with Renee. The Acclaimed are going to find out who beat them down while they defend their AEW World Trios Championship.

Match #3. AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy (c) vs. Bryan Keith

Head locks by both men to start. Cassidy throws Keith into the ropes and goes hands in pockets. Dropkick and kip up by Cassidy, and Keith isn’t happy. Hard chops by Keith before sending Cassidy over the top to the apron. Big boot by Keith before locking in a Figure Four. Cassidy finally gets to the ropes and we go to a commercial break. Back from commercial and Cassidy spikes Keith with a Satellite DDT! Elbow suicida by Cassidy, who rolls Keith back in the ring and goes up top, but gets caught. Keith looks for an avalanche exploder but Cassidy fights him off with elbows. Cassidy sits up and headbutts Cassidy. Avalanche exploder connects before the running knee! Cassidy counters the Tiger Driver with Beach Break! One, two, no! Orange kicks now and Keith is eating them. Superkick by Cassidy but he runs into a huge knee! Running enziguiri in the corner by Keith and Diamond Dust out of the corner! One, two, no! Two count! Keith wants the Tiger Driver but Cassidy counters with a seatbelt for the win!

Winner and STILL AEW International Champion: Orange Cassidy

Rating: ***1/2. What a match! Keith had a fantastic showing in his home state and had me buying in to the upset a few different times. Cassidy continues to make the International Championship.

Cassidy goes to shake hands, but Keith slaps the hands away and tips the hat instead. Cassidy exchanges pleasantries.

Miro says things don’t make sense anymore, as he gets caught up in all the drama that CJ Perry brings. Miro is done avoiding people to appease his wife, he’s ready to kill everyone to appease himself.

Komander is in the back with Lexi Nair but, here’s Roderick Strong and The Kingdom. Roddy won the TV Championship his first night in ROH, and he wants to get back in the horse against Komander.

FTR are here. House of Black have an issue with the success FTR is having, whereas House of Black are just unrealized potential. Cash thinks that Black and MAtthews are jealous of the success that Julia and Brody are having. Dax says that there are a lot of things to say about FTR, they don’t have the best bodies, they’re hard to do business with, etc. FTR fights for money and they don’t mind getting their ass whooped. FTR is going to lay out a challenge… House of Black vs…

Mics go out. Lights go out. Video screen. Matthews says they’re trying to prove a point that nobody has FTR’s back. Their wives, kids, etc. Matthews says that everyone loves Dax, but who loves Cash? Join our family, the House of Black. Black says it’s not personal. This is what happens when they have to prove a point, and it hurts them, but this is love. When House of Black attacked FTR… who came to save them? Nobody. If Black wanted to make it personal, he would take a picture of Dax with his wife and children, and he would burn it. Which is exactly what Matthews does. FTR makes a fast break to the back. Black says they’re their family now.

Match #4. Texas Street Fight: Willow Nightingale & Kris Statlander vs. Diamante & Mercedes Martinez

Brawl to start. Outside, Willow looks for a cannonball off the apron but she accidentally takes out Statlander. Mercedes cracks Willow over the head with a bottle! Willow is officially busted open. Statlander slams Diamante on a barbed wire baseball bat. Willow and Statlander take a ladder to Mercedes and drop Diamante hard on the steps, stomach first. Two count. Mercedes takes a tire iron to Willow before throwing her hard into Statlander. Diamante sets up some chairs as Mercedes sends Statlander crashing on to them with a Spider German Suplex off the top! Willow breaks up the count. Table is set up outside now as all four women are fighting around the ringside area. Snap suplex by Willow to Mercedes. Statlander charges Diamante but gets sent crashing on to the ramp with an overhead belly-to-belly suplex. Seems like we’ve got a makeshift table, as Mercedes and Diamante set up a door over two chairs and Statlander gets sent through it. Willow tries to fight off both women now, and does. Mercedes gets dumped to the outside and Diamante gets pounced INTO the half a door. Then body slammed on to it. Mercedes makes the save with a steel chair, but Statlander is here to fight her off. Michinoku Driver by Statlander but Diamante breaks up the pin with some strikes from a briefcase. Briefcase is now open ad it’s thumbtacks and glass inside! MERCEDES SHOVED STATLANDERS FACE INTO THE TACKS AND GLASS! Code Red into the tacks by Diamante! Willow breaks up the pin. Willow has Mercedes on the apron, looking for a Death Valley Driver, but Mercedes fights out. Mercedes instead wants a powerbomb off the apron through the table, but Willow holds on… until Diamante dropkicks her and Willow goes crashing! Discus lariat with a chain by Statlander and that’ll get the win!

Winners: Kris Statlander & Willow Nightingale

Rating: ****. Yeah, this just ruled. Start to finish. I don’t know if the feud necessitated the violence we saw, but man oh man did I enjoy it. It was brutal, all four women worked insanely hard, and I enjoyed the heck out of it.

Match #5. Brian Cage vs. ???

Clothesline from behind by Cage. Running enziguiri in the corner and a release German suplex. Cage curls this fella who’s name I didn’t catch, and then just tosses him. Powerbomb by Cage and the Drillclaw finishes this one.

Winner: Brian Cage

Rating: NR

Cage is in the back with the rest of the Mogul Embassy and Lexi Nair. Cage is happy, but only until Keith Lee shows up. Lee tells Cage to get in touch with Swerve, because his patience is running out.

Match #6. AEW Continental Classic: Eddie Kingston (3) vs. Daniel Garcia (0)

Garcia starts with some chops in the corner and Kingston eats them. Kingston fires back and now both men are laying them in. Matt Menard is on commentary, by the way. Garcia rips Kingston off the apron and he lands hard on the floor. Garcia focuses his attack on the knee now, trying to set up the Dragontamer. Kingston catches Garcia charging in with a belly-to-belly suplex and a DDT. Garcia tries to chop Kingston but Kingston drops him with one of his own before we go to commercial. Back from break, and Kingston with machine gun chops in the corner. Garcia calls him on… and here they are again! GARCIA DANCES! Kingston obliges. Garcia is now slumped in the corner, but he puts his hands up again, asking for more! Kingston misses a clothesline in the corner and Garcia lays in the punches and kicks. Garcia with a running boot wash and another dragon screw leg whip! Garcia looks for a straight ankle lock and the crowd is on their feet! Kingston gets free and looks for a German, but Garcia rolls through into a knee bar! Kingston crawls to the ropes and finally gets there! Garcia charges again but Kingston catches him with an exploder into the turnbuckles. Spinning back first by Kingston only gets two! CROWD IS ON THEIR FEET WITH “THIS IS AWESOME” CHANTS! Saito suplex by Garcia and a Regal knee! Another Saito suplex by Garcia and Kingston barely gets out before the three count. Dragontamer by Garcia but Kingston was in the ropes. Both men are now exchanging open hand palm strikes until Garcia dropkicks Kingston in the knee. Garcia charges again but Kingston ducks under and plants Garcia high with a half-and-half suplex! HARD spinning back fist by Kingston and that will get him the win!

Winner: Eddie Kingston (6)

Rating: ****1/4. There’s something in the water tonight as it feels like each match is trying to outdo the match previously. Garcia has lost every single one of his matches and I couldn’t care less because I only want to see him wrestle more. Kingston is fighting with everything he’s got making every single match feel like the last match of his career. Just excellent wrestling.

Match #7. Continental Classic: Bryan Danielson (6) vs. Brody King (6)

Danielson still wearing the eye patch. Leg kicks by Danielson early, trying to use his speed against the big man. King finally gets a hold of Danielson and attacks the injured eye, before laying in some heavy chops close to the throat. More chops to Danielson and a huge cannonball in the corner by King. King follows Danielson outside and bounces his head off the announcer’s table a few times. King beats Danielson down with some forearms before throwing him into the barricade and then breaking the count. King seats Danielson on a chair in the corner before getting a huge head of steam and crushing him with a crossbody! King tries to take a count out win but Danielson makes it back in the ring, before getting thrown out the other side. Danielson is bleeding from the injured eye at this point. Huge Bossman Slam by King gets two. Back outside and Danielson eats some more barricade. King tries another crossbody but Danielson trips King, who eats the chair himself. Running knee off the apron by Danielson and King staggers. Shotgun dropkick by Danielson off the top but King stumbles in the corner and refuses to go down! Running dropkick in the corner by Danielson. Now Danielson goes back to the leg kicks, the inside and outside thigh. Running dropkick to the knee before an avalanche hurricanrana attempt, but King shoves Danielson off and crotches him on the top rope. Diving clothesline by King! Two count. King charges but Danielson rolls through with a single leg crab a la Lance Storm! Upkicks by King sends Danielson to the floor. More leg kicks by Danielson and that lead leg is compromised. Elbows by King, but Danielson continues his onslaught on the leg. King goes down to a knee and Danielson goes to the head with the last kick! King is down! Wrist trap stomps to the head of King but he gets out at two. Danielson transitions to hammer and anvil elbow strikes. King tries to get to his feet with Danielson on his back and he does! Death Valley Driver by King! Danielson escapes a Razor’s Edge but eats a hard chop. King misses a charge in the corner and Danielson drills him with the Busaiku Knee! One count! Yes kicks by Danielson! Danielson looks for another Busaiku Knee but King meets him with a lariat that turns him inside out! Two count only! Danielson cradles for two. Busaiku knee! Make that two! Danielson lands a fourth Busaiku knee to the back of the head and this one is over!

Winner: Bryan Danielson

Rating: ****1/4. Danielson continues an unbelievable streak of matches and you have a STAR in Brody King. I can’t hype this match up enough, these two worked magic together.

Final Thoughts: Well this show ruled. The street fight was made today and the women blew the roof off. The Continental Classic continues to dominate the programming and for good reason, as all of the matches we got tonight delivered. Every single wrestler in this tournament is bringing it, and the fans can tell. The tournament feels special, it feels different than the Owen Hart Cup, it feels prestigious. You’d be hard-pressed to find a better two hour WRESTLING show, and I can’t think of one in recent memory. This is the AEW that drew fans in, and these are the shows I hope they can continue to deliver. 9.5/10.