Venue: Indiana Farmers Coliseum, Indianapolis, Ind.

*****

He’s baaaack.  Wild Thing opening the show as the new IGWP champ strolled through the crowd, belt in hand.  Is it possible this is all building to Jack Perry becoming New Japan champ?  Crowd happy to see him, loud chants, he has been missed.

And clearly missed people, actually stopping to sign a ‘graph for a kid.  Really nice energy to start the show.  He grabbed a mic and said one of the first titles he ever won was at a Salvation Army center nearby.

Even back then he was swimming upstream.  He’s never had help.  People try and tell him what he can’t do, his message now is the same as it was then – ‘watch me.  Watch me as I climb mountain after mountain after mountain, because being great isn’t about people judging you, it’s about what’s in here.’

He introduced the belt – cue standard ‘You deserve it’ chant.  It’s a belt steeped in history, ‘illustrious to the extreme and I have been chasing it for five years.’

Dude, this is why Mox is still the best ever AEW champ.  He can make a belt mean something with a sentence and the conviction of his words.

Which bring him to the Callis Family.  Some ‘very talented individuals’ but ‘Don Callis is a creep.’  He’s feeding those guys lies and they are eating them.  And over the weekend they tried to take out Bryan Danielson.  If you put a target on Danielson, you might as well put one on Mox – ‘You guys wanna get violent?  Wanna be tough guys?  Well, you’re welcome to come find me, I’ll be here all night… but I suspect I’m not your type.’

So he’s going to pick the biggest, baddest, meanest one – Powerhouse Hobbs.  He’s going to challenge Hobbs for the main event of Dynamite next week.  ‘And Will will accept.  And in that match, Will will find out just how out of his depth he is when he steps into the ring with the IWGP champion.’

He will look around and see no shoreline, the ref won’t help and when he sinks to the bottom of the ocean he will know Don Callis is feeding him lies and ‘nobody can touch me… there is only one, and there is only gonna be one, Jon Moxley.’  Literal mic drop.

Damn right.  Aren’t many can promo like this.  Came off as such a star here.  Also seems like we’re heading for BCC vs Callis Fam at Blood & Guts.

On the complainy side – Danielson was brainbustered on the ramp Saturday, will we actually get follow-up?  And of course there will be the ‘too many belts’ argument.  Which is fair; I just don’t care if it means we get Mox as a champion promo-ing like this again.

*****

Mercedes backstage – last week someone attacked her in the dark because they were too afraid to face her in the light.  As the CEO she always gets back up and as the CEO she will get that ‘bitch who attacked me last week.’

‘Lights off sounds too familiar, Julia Hart’ (err, yep).  She didn’t think Julia was such a coward.  Or maybe it’s someone who wants her to think it’s Julia, who ‘doesn’t wanna face me at Double Or Nothing when I’m all healthy’ (the way she delivered this line was just so heelish, also confirms that her ankle still isn’t 100%).

Either way, she’s putting the division on notice.  ‘There’s a price to pay when you mess with Mercedes Mone.’

Let’s boil it down to this: the Rock could just about get away with referring to himself in the third person as a good guy, but even he’d have struggled to make CEOs babyfaces; and, as ever, when you used the word ‘bitch,’ you’ve already lost.

Copeland’s music brought us back to the arena.  Big pop.

It’s notable that they could now have recapped three angles – Danielson on Collision; Mercedes being attacked and Willow saving Copeland last week.  This is basic stuff to keep your viewers involved in storylines.

Willow’s music played but she was then shown backstage having been attacked, her shoulder being checked.  She wanted to go but was being told she couldn’t.  So basically Julia Hart can’t go (she was hurt on Rampage) but they bait-and-switched us.  Which is the sort of thing that damages fans’ opinions long term.

Then, back in the ring, the lights went out.  They stayed out for ages.  Copeland’s dumb as F so kept looking forwards; Julia smiled from the front, Brody attacked from behind.  You know, the same thing that happened last week.

King beat Copeland around ringside then crushed him against the barricade with his running cross body.  Aubrey could be heard yelling ‘Adam, come on, what the hell!?’ as he lay there dead.  That’s some strange refereeing.

Bell hasn’t rung, the ref has to consider whether he’s okay to go per the announcers.  Or, y’know, stop the match.  Copeland just about dragged his half-dead body into the ring, Brody attacked before he’d even properly done so, and the bell rang.

Right to ads.

Adam Copeland & Willow Nightingale vs Brody King & Julia Hart

Backstory: Willow ran Julia off last week as she and King were attacking Copeland

So they’re going ahead with the 2:1. It makes Willow look bad that she was conscious and standing but hasn’t come out with her partner struggling.  Julia is on the apron awaiting a tag which can’t come since they’ve made it clear women can only face women.

Copeland finally fought back with a lariat from the top, both down.  Yay/boo as they stood, Brody blocked an impaler but took a lariat to the corner and a big boot, a second, impaler hit this time. Two count.

Boot up in the corner, blockbuster, fans totally behind the vet as he rose up and milked the crowd – absolutely expertly – readying a Spear but running into a big lariat.  Cannonball coming, avoided, both down, they keep talking about how Copeland has no-one to tag; neither does Brody!  Julia can’t wrestle Copeland!

As Willow marched the ramp, shoulder taped, asking for the tag, which she got off Copeland’s foot.  She cross-bodied Brody – shouldn’t that be a DQ?  Julia dropped off the apron as the announcers noted she should automatically be legal.  Copeland hit a Spear, Willow hit Brody with his own cannonball so the ref went to check on him and Julia nailed her with something behind the ref’s back.

A chain.  Which has been a big part of the feud between the AEW title contenders.  Might wanna mix up your weapons.

This then somehow got even dumber – Copeland, who couldn’t have failed to see Willow in trouble, lariating himself and Brody outside so Julia could get the immediate tap via Hartless to Willow’s injured shoulder.

This was amazing.  In the truest sense.  A confusing mess where the rules didn’t matter at every turn.

Hart wouldn’t relinquish the hold.  So Mercedes came out.  With a chair.  Julia bailed.  Not a doctor but… she hasn’t used her injured shoulder perse but does seem to have freedom of movement with both arms.

Mone then stood menacingly over a downed Willow, clutching the chair.  Copeland slid back in, Mercedes put on a (deliberately, I think?) very phony smile, dropped the chair and held her arms out like I’m innocent.

Copeland offered a handshake to Mone.  She shook.  Then glared at Willow as Willow left.

In all this mess, not a terrible job building up Willow vs Julia since it creates doubt about the babyface.  But did this do a thing for the Copeland/HOB six-man?  Did they mention it?

Winner: Brody King & Julia Hart

Thirty minutes into the show, they remembered there’s a world title match Sunday.  Renee with Joe in some sort of warehouse.  She asked how he viewed Swerve.

At first he viewed him as a worthy adversary but his opinion’s changed.  Swerve doesn’t have overwhelming speed or power, all he has is that he keeps getting back up  ‘That doesn’t seem like a pre-requisite for a champion… that feels like a pre-requisite for a punching bag.’

That’s just killer heel work – emphasize your opponent’s babyface traits while being dismissive of them.  *Bows*.

They showed footage of Swerve holding up the belt last week and horror on Joe’s face.  Joe said he didn’t like somebody holding his property, he was worried the belt might have to be disinfected: ‘I mean, you don’t know where Nana’s been…’ he said with utter derision.

He said every time Swerve’s gone for a title he’s come up short.  He chokes.  And history will repeat itself at Dynasty.  He spoke right to the camera now, right to Swerve – ‘Unfortunately, you are a choke artist and come Dynasty, you don’t have to worry about it, I’ll be the one choking you out instead.’

Top stuff.

*****

To a package pushing the Bucks/FTR.  Which the Bucks yelled at Tony Khan to ‘cut’ because it ‘sucks.’  Okada behind them, they apologized to FTR for cutting the package but tonight is super-stacked.  They promised to put it up on socials (that’s amusing and kinda cathartic as a hardcore AEW fan; not sure it actually helps sell anything).

Nick said they were about to beat FTR’s friends’ asses.  And that a ladder match favors them Sunday (might want to explain to the 400,000 people who don’t watch Collision that that stip’s been added TK).

Okada told Pac he wouldn’t make it to Dynasty – ‘you are a dead man.’  Crowd mostly cheered this.  The Bucks then told Khan – who was right there on camera – to hit their ‘badass entrance.’

All Khan said was ‘Let’s go,’ to the people in the truck.

The Elite vs PAC, Daniel Garcia & Penta

Backstory: PAC is facing Okada at Dynasty

Excalibur joked that the Bucks were ‘drunk on skimmed milk.’

They were a little off on Matt flipping the coin to preface Okada’s entrance.  Still cool though.  Excalibur basically outlined the company’s approach to their audience: ‘We (meaning everyone watching) knew about Kazuchika Okada’s reputation before he arrived here in AEW…’

Schiavone did a better job than Excalibur putting heat on the Bucks, repeatedly expressing disbelief at their gall in firing Omega from the Elite.

Someone in the crowd had a ‘Who are you to doubt El Dandy?’ sign.

Pac and Okada to get us going, Okada cheapshotted Garcia and Penta off the apron as the Bucks immediately attacked Pac from behind.  Pac dissected Nick with kicks then hit a combo standing moonsault/legdrop with Penta.  For dos.

‘Zero Miedo’ chants as the heels again struck from behind, Matt kicking Penta from the apron then tagging in.  Shots from the mount before being elevated out by Penta, thrust kick for Nick, Garcia in with lariats and an underhook overhead, ten in the corner, stupid dance (which is basically thrusting his member into Nick’s face over an over), nice flurry till then.

He knocked Okada off the apron so Okada dragged him outside, but Garcia fought off he and Matt until taking Nick’s patented punt from the apron.  Nice job highlighting the youngster there.

Ads.

Back to Garcia fighting out of the heel corner while Matt does commentary over a mic.  Saito suplex, Matt asked to be tagged in and was, still holding the mic, telling the others ‘I got this.’  Then asking Garcia to ‘show me something,’ show why they hired him, Garcia grabbed him into a belly to back, Matt asked him to put him down, so he did.

It was fun, but the crowd’s reaction was just to laugh appreciatively at the whole thing.

Garcia tagged Pac who was not messing around, rebound German, one for Nick too, to the top, double shotgun for the Bucks who were sent outside, crowd behind him as Pac went upstairs to moonsault out onto them.

Bucks gone, he stared Okada down and demanded he enter.  Nick attacked from behind and the heels went back to work.  Triple-team Bucks gamengiri and Okada running hip attack in the corner, across the thigh neckbreaker, Penta broke the pin.

Tagged in now – cross body for Okada, slingblades for the Bucks, Made in Penta for Okada, Nick just saving the pin.  Everybody takes out everybody – leaving Pac to land an out-to-in cutter on Matt.  Then dragging Penta across so he could tag himself in and face Okada.

They went chest to chest before slugging it out.  Very stiff forearms from Pac, superkick out of the corner, Okada down, Black Arrow coming, Nick tripped Pac who took an awful spill to the mat, hope he’s okay.

He managed to make the tag, Garcia going to work on Okada until running into the dropkick.  Garcia got two via jackknife but was sent into a Bucks double gamengiri from the apron, tombstone, Penta took one too after Okada countered a slingblade.

Superkick party into a Rainmaker on Garcia, 1, 2, 3.  Okada’s facials and shit-eating grin are wonderful.

The Bucks then nailed an EVP Trigger.  Very light ‘FTR’ chants.  Not a ton of heat here.  The Bucks brought a ladder in and slammed Garcia onto it.  Then sandwiched him between it and Nick went upstairs.  Pac made the save with the bell hammer.

So, where the hell were FTR?

They pushed that match.  Having done nothing here to heat it up.  Perhaps if they’d established the FTR/Garcia relationship over more than two or three Collisions…

Your standard Bucks six-man – very fast, lots of action, no tags or structure, good work selling for opponents.

And when Pac finally got his hands on Okada, they implied the Geordie had his number.

Winner: The Elite

The WCW flashbacks from last week continued as they showed some sort of racecar driver in the crowd.

*****

‘Lionheart’ Chris Jericho out as they actually showed some footage from last week to highlight an angle.  Hook out too; Taz already in the ring with a mic.

Taz said he’s here to make sure everything is kept cool.  Jericho was immediately met with light, droning boos.  He said he wanted to get Hook’s attention last week and didn’t feel he was listening to him as much as he should.

‘I am the learning tree.’

Everyone who’s listened to him has gone to the next level – he included Orange Cassidy in this.  And Moxley.  And Ospreay.  He called this ‘the Jericho Vortex’ and said they’d all emerged better people too.

This crowd are not into Jericho at all.  As noted above, light, droning boos, basically apathy.

He wants to take Hook to the top with him.  ‘C’mon whaddya say?’

‘No.’  Was the response.  He said he didn’t need Jericho’s help.  Taz tried to intervene, Jericho cut him off and said he was trying to give Hook the guidance he should’ve been given thirty years ago.

Taz told him to calm down, Jericho again got angry.  He told Hook he isn’t as good as he thinks he is, Taz tried to interrupt again, Jericho shoved him.  Excalibur said Taz had knee problems as he crumpled to the mat.

Crowd chanted ‘You fucked up!’  Hook grabbed him by the collar and said he’d show him how good he was anytime, anyplace, anywhere.  And told him twice to ‘Get out of my ring.’

Please don’t be dumb and turn your back kid.

He wasn’t.  Jericho left and we rushed away.  Not even stopping to see Hook help up his father.

*****

To Swerve with Renee.  She said in a few days his career could change when he becomes champ but that Joe called him a ‘choke artist.’  Crowd chanting about his abode.

Swerve did his maniacal supervillain giggle then asked if Renee agreed.  She said no and Swerve said he doesn’t either.  He’s fallen throughout his career but ‘falls forward into success.’

He always gets back up.  After being put into a coffin, bloodied at a contract signing.  That’s his military upbringing, his ethos – ‘never give up.’  He looked at the camera just as Joe had earlier – to say that Joe could call him whatever he wanted, on Sunday he’ll be called the new champ.

She asked what made him so confident in this.

He paused then said that with respect, that isn’t something he should be answering to her, he should be saying it to Joe.  He stood up, took off his coat and cap and went right to the camera:

‘Samoa Joe, Im’a tell it to your face, in that ring, tonight.’

Much better.  Outside of the cackle, he seemed much more likeable here.

Excalibur asked Taz how he was.  The vet said he’s okay but his knee isn’t.

Deonna Purrazzo vs Mariah May

Backstory: Deonna challenged May on Saturday

Mariah’s facials are fun.  She took a kiss from Storm and was all smiles till Deonna’s music started and she looked like she’d tasted something horrible, sticking out her tongue like a small child.

Crowd silent as this got going, stiff lockup, May grabbed the hair and forced Deonna to the corner.  Whip reversed, boot up in the corner caught by Deonna, knee lift, Russian legsweep, flipping over into VdM, May frantically grabbing the ropes and pulling herself outside.

And meeting Purrazzo with a slap as she followed; Deonna turning the tables to land a draping DDT as May returned to the ring, Mariah’s arm landed under her body on that and she grabbed it afterward.  Purrazzo got two, May avoided a charge in the corner, Deonna fought off May’s handspring rana in the corner but was shoved down to the floor.

Ads.

Deonna fighting back, boot to the face on a telegraph, lariat, two.  Yay/boo – at least theoretically – until May followed her into the ropes with a stiff forearm but was swept into a Fujiwara until getting the ropes with her legs.

Stiff chop from Deonna, big pump kick after a duck under.  For two.

May slipped – literally – out of a powerbomb but recovered to headbutt Deonna back to the corner where she crumpled.  Hip attack coming – a beautiful woman slapping her own ass is never not going to get cheered, might wanna leave that part out – hit, tornado ddt off the ropes for a near fall.

Deonna slipped out of Mayday, in and out of pins until Deonna bagged the three.  Because no-one can ever win decisively unless it’s against a total jobber.  Solid match; a little slow.

Heels doubling up on Deonna, Rosa hit the scene, absolutely walloping Luther with a forearm on the ramp, taking out May and shoving her outside, crowd chanting for Rosa, easily the most popular woman here.

Purrazzo started shoving her and was dragged out into a fight by May, leaving Rosa to be attacked from behind, Storm seeking Storm Zero, Rosa rocked her then held her down and applied a bunch of purple lipstick to her as Toni screamed.

Decent angle.

Tony said it wasn’t even the champion’s color.  ‘Great observation Tony,’ added Excalibur.  That was funny.

Winner: Deonna Purrazzo

Renee with BCG, who I’d forgotten existed.  White said they’d had a blast the last few months, scissoring and reuniting the Gunns with their dad.  But this is all ‘about gold’ (he had a gold bat).  They each have what the other want, so challenged them for a unification match.

Now if they could just unify like six other belts…

*****

Right to the Acclaimed and Gunn answering.

Billy, of course, the first to speak.  He said BCG finally grew a set.  And that he’d already beaten the hell out of White, then bragged about being an abusive father.

Bowens said he’d choke BCG on his dick.  Caster called Jay ‘Twinkblade’ again.  Then challenged the Gunns for Collision.  The Acclaimed were topless here for some reason.

The six-man will be on Zero Hour.  Talk about making the newly unified belts prestigious.  Who wants to tune in early to see Billy Gunn feed his ego one more time?

Orange Cassidy vs Shane Taylor

Backstory: NONE

Cassidy came out.  Just as I was wondering why they would possibly waste tv time on a match like this ahead of a ppv, they made it clear none of the other Best Friends et al are here.

So presumably Trent’s going to beat him down.  Not that that makes this much more worthwhile.

Ogogo and Moriarty hit the apron, Taylor told them to get down.  Basically highlighting that Orange has no backup.

He got the pockets, pair of shotguns, a third, Taylor blocked the tornado ddt – too strong.  Then hit a draping stunner off the top rope.  Cool move.  Paul Turner’s dumb – deciding to chitchat with Taylor while the latter’s goons beat Cassidy outside.

A ‘Let’s go pockets’ chant about sums up the crowd’s interest.

Ads.

Cassidy to the apron, rights and head-to-the-buckles, to the top, not one but both of Taylor’s goons had a go grabbing his feet while Turner again chitchatted with the heel.  Taylor grabbed him down by the throat, again blocked the tornado ddt but took stundog.  Cassidy hit both goons with topes.

Punch ducked, big lariat from Taylor for two.

Taylor hit a rising knee, took a Punch but remained on his feet and nailed a big left.  But a second Punch got the job done.  Should’ve finished after the dual topes into the Punch.  No reason a lower card guy should remain standing after Cassidy’s finish, even a big one.

The goons again grabbed him and Ogogo punched him in the gut.  Which four years in seems to be his only thing.

They then tried to get Trent over as a heel by having him nail Chris Daniels and Matt Sydal in the head with a chair as they tried to make save.  Firstly, fans are not going to care about someone taking out those two.  Because they don’t care about those two.  Secondly, of all the things to hit Tony Khan with lately, his allowing head shots to return is top of the list.  Poor.

Trent watched as the heels beat down Cassidy then left.  STP draped their banner over a dead Cassidy.  That’s a whole lot of tv time for a whole lot of lower card acts on the final show.

Winner: Orange Cassidy

Recap of Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly.  Seemingly the Disputed Kingdom took him out at BotB?  And are now wrestling?  That’s a guess.  Because they didn’t make it very clear.  And who could possibly care?

Will Ospreay out now.  Who hasn’t been mentioned all night.

Claudio Castagnoli vs Will Ospreay

Backstory: NONE

They finally did mention the attack on Danielson on Collision.  But still didn’t show it.

Claudio flew at Ospreay at the bell with a running uppercut and got two.  Then tried a Ricola Bomb, then countered a tejeiras into a backbreaker.  Before winning a battle of rights.  Fighting back, Ospreay boot up in the corner, headscissors from the top, running boot, Claudio spilling outside.

God damn this dude’s good.

He did the flung into the crowd/forearm off the barricade spot, some of the crowd chanting for him as he flung Claudio back inside but was crotched on an AJ forearm.  Claudio hit a backbreaker then kept Ospreay bent across his knee until the latter fought up.  Exchange of rights, several of Ospreay’s matched by one of the Swiss’.

Ospreay just about hit déjà vu, Claudio ending up outside, Ospreay following via vaulting press but caught and snapped across the ring apron.

Ads.  Easily the best wrestling on the show so far.

Back to Will running up Claudio’s chest, enziguri, handspring roundhouse – crowd into that, Callis said they’d talked about this – you need flurries of offense against the Swiss.  AJ forearm for two.

Ospreay backslide for two right into a sharpshooter, Claudio countered into one of his own then captured the arm and rolled back through into a crossface.  Man that was smooth.  Dueling chant.

Ospreay handspring over Claudio, superkick as the Swiss landed out of a springboard, tiger driver, two.  Claudio poked the eyes then railed uppercuts in the corner.  Ripcord lariat out, for two.

Ospreay kipped up out of an uppercut, floated over, Claudio landed on his feet out of a powerbomb, Ospreay rana’d out of a Ricola, hooking the legs for two.  Round kick, thrust kick, oscutter countered into a DVD for two.

Ospreay Spanish fly for two.  Pad off, Blade coming, blocked into a pop-up uppercut.  Ospreay out at two.  I’m just numb now.  It’s obvious none of these are leading to the pin because it’s obvious who’s winning.

Ospreay then powered up out of a swing, wriggling his body up Claudio into a ddt, to the top, Cancun tornado, another two.  Hidden Blade now hit for the win.

So this again just depends on your perspective.  Really good action but should Ospreay be going this long every match r/t winning convincingly?  More importantly, Ospreay’s been such an effective promo that it seems a big missed opportunity not having him speak here to sell the match before Dynasty.

The Family attacked immediately, Ospreay left the ring and just watched.  Takeshita was readying another brainbuster on the ramp (which at least half the crowd won’t get since they’ve never shown it happening to Danielson) when Wild Thing blared and Moxley came out of the crowd.

He got rid of the others easily then brawled with Hobbs until the latter fled to the apron and thought better of re-entering.  The Family left up the ramp, Ospreay stormed off ahead of them and Schiavone said he’d yelled at Fletcher.  Which the cameras missed.

Lots of thoughts on the storytelling/drama/lack thereof here but I’ll save them for the Dynasty preview.

Winner: Will Ospreay

Swerve out to answer the question of how he’ll beat Joe.  Back to screaming heel, he said he’d made Joe look ‘a bitch’ last week and said the title had ‘looked mighty good on me,’ then stopped to wink.

(The same Joe who valiantly recovered from that beating and returned to wrestle Dustin after being taken out by Swerve.)

Joe was scared and that’s all Swerve needed to see.  He asked Joe to come out so he could ‘tell you like a man.’  Joe came down but was stopped by a bunch of security.  Swerve hit a Stomp from the top to the outside onto all of them.  Crowd chanted ‘Holy shit,’ Swerve said he was taking the belt then they brawled.

Joe shook him off and sent him to the steps.  Then stalked Nana with Swerve down.  Allowing Swerve to attack from behind with House Call.  But be crotched going for a Stomp.  Joe screamed that Swerve is ‘not than man’ then hit him with a Muscle Buster.

So, you got in Joe’s face, he beat your ass fair and square, you recovered to attack him from behind because your manager distracted him, then he shook off one of your big moves to again beat your ass in a fair fight.  Some ‘bitch’.

Joe stood over a downed Swerve and posed with his belt.

 ________________________________________________________________

Next Collision (Rampage airs right after):

• Gunns vs Acclaimed
• The Elite vs Pac & FTR (Schiavone emphasized this was ‘4/20 Saturday’ so possibly RVD?)
• Danielson & Claudio vs Fletcher & Takeshita (Bunkhouse Brawl)

Added to Dynasty:

• Kyle O’Reilly vs Roderick Strong (International Title)
• Hook vs Jericho (FTW Title)

Next Dynamite:

• Mox vs Hobbs

Thumbs Up/Down

• Mox promo
• Joe’s promo
• Six-man was fun if that’s your style
• Hook/Jericho angle – crowd still aren’t into Jericho; but were into Hook here
• Ospreay vs Claudio

 *****

• Mercedes – not going well
• Very poor job reminding fans of pre-existing angles – awful lot of assuming as usual
• Foremostly the one where Bryan Danielson took a brainbuster on the ramp Saturday as the Callis Family – who Ospreay is seemingly still part of – tried to take him out
• The total lack of hype for that match throughout the show was baffling. It’s one of the key selling points of this ppv.  Very lazy – the match sells itself – booking, which isn’t actually booking – any one of us could stick that match on a ppv and leave it at that
• Swerve was a loser who gets his ass beat whenever things are fair

Appreciate you reading.  Hope you’re having a good week.