2/12/23 – Erie Insurance Arena, Erie PA
Tony Schiavone, Nigel Mcguiness, Kevin Kelly
Collision starts how it always starts and that’s with short promos from those wrestling tonight on their opponents.
Continental Classic Tournament, Blue League Match
Brody King vs Claudio Castagnoli
Two big strong guys that lay their stuff in, I was expected this one to be a hard hitting contest. Both men forearmed, chopped and clotheslined one another until they both knocked each other down and to the outside where they continued.
They brawled all over the outside hitting each other with big strikes and chops. Claudio nearly won the match with the pop up European uppercut but King narrowly kicked out. Claudio put the big man in a Giant Swing and locked in the sharpshooter with King getting to the ropes.
Claudio tried a diving uppercut off the rope but got caught with a clothesline from King, he nailed a piledriver and a big clothesline to pick up the win and gain three points in the Tournement.
Short promo from Jon Moxley
To sum it all up, Moxley said that he was banged up and sick and tired of his body failing him and just sick of being sick and tired, winning the Continental Classic Tournement was his way of feeling better.
Abadon vs Kiera Hogan
I find Abadon’s character a little bit hokey, without some backstory, it’s hard to know what she even is or suppose to be.
Keira Hogan picked up a big win over Ruby Soho a few weeks back and was looking to keeping building momentum but couldn’t get it done as Abadon hit a modified DDT using her leg to pick up the win.
The lights went off and on with Julia Heart in the ring staring at Abadon, the lights went back off and on and she was gone.
Samoa Joe Interview
This was interrupted by Roderick Strong and The Kingdom who warned Joe that MJF is the mystery devil man and his Wednesday match on Dynamite is a setup for Joe to get ambushed.
Joe never said a word and just walked off.
Continental Classic Tournament, Blue League Match
Daniel Garcia vs Andrade El Idolo (with CJ Perry)
“Daddy Magic” Matt Manard joins the commentary team.
Garcia has been on a losing streak as of late and even was beat by Andrade just recently so this was a rematch but this time in this Tournament.
CJ Perry was looking on at her new client and was eying up the championships at stake in this Tournament.
Competitive match, Garcia tried everything to break his losing streak and nearly had Andrade on the brink of tapping but Andrade got out and landed a monster DDT to win and pick up three points in the Tournament.
Backstage there was a short promo from Willie Mack who took exception to Wardlow decimating his friend AR Fox last week and challenged him next week to a match, gee I wonder who will win?
Tag Team Match
The Kingdom (Matt Taven and Mike Bennett) with (Roderick Strong) vs Iron Savages (Bronson and Boulder)
Roderick Strong had the mic as he played up still being in a wheelchair and with a neck brace even though he has been wrestling, it’s actually quite funny.
Strong has grown on me in recent weeks, he was very annoying but he has won me over being an obnoxious dickhead, yelling like only he can.
He once again warned his now “Best friend by default” Samoa Joe that MJF is the Devil mystery man.
Pretty much a squash in this one with the Kingdom making short work of The Iron Savages with a spike piledriver. Strong couldn’t help himself and ran in and kicked the Savages before getting back in his wheel chair and neck brace.
Ethan Page is backstage with Lexy, he said he has been racking up wins on ROH and is in the best shape of his life and challenged Kenny Omega in Montreal next week to find out who the best Canadian is.
This is followed up with a package hyping Mercedes Martinez and Willow Nightingale, I applaud them for doing a package at least but there hasn’t been much of story played out on any AEW programming except for last week.
Tag Team Match
House of Black (Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews) vs Christopher Daniels and Matt Sydal
Veterans Sydal and Daniels have found themselves in the spot of putting talent over, having a competitive matches but ultimately losing.
Both Malakai and Buddy’s strikes always look crisp and devastating with Malakai’s spinning kick hitting Daniels flush on the chin to get the victory.
FTR come out after the match, Malakai grabs the mic before FTR can do anything and in a round about way offers FTR to join the House of Black. He put the mic on the ground but it was a trap as Buddy kneed Wheeler as he was picking it up, Buddy and Malakai end up knocking both FTR out with vicious spin kicks.
Backstage Renee is with Toni Storm and Luther, her promos are generally becoming her rambling about random stuff, she did talk about Sky Blue that people only like her from behind because of her bottom, she does have a point it is a nice one. Toni has really committed to this character and she stands out on the show because of it.
Skye Blue has a backstage promo retorting Toni, this one was the first I have seen of her done in the pre-taped style, where the talent can do it multiple times to get it right. This worked better for Skye Blue as it allowed her to cut a promo with a bit of sass compared to other segments where it was live backstage interviews with Renee, they come across not as good, Kris Statlander is another who could benefit from this.
A little package recapping the Christian Cage vs Adam Copeland feud playing before the next match.
Singles Match
Kip Sabian vs El Hijo Del Vikingo
Sabian had a short pre taped promo played on the screen, he stated Vakingo was the most over rated wrestler on the AEW roster.
Vakingo has been wrestling almost weekly in some crazy highflying matches whereas Sabian has appeared on the show sparingly, but for what little time he has had, he has been entertaining to me.
This was a highflying match with Vakingo taking some really crazy risks flipping off the ropes. The finish came when Vakingo hit his 630 splash off the top rope to pin Sabian.
Sabian is a role where he gets beat every time, he is talented and I think they could do a lot more with this guy than just a jokey character who loses.
Backstage with Lexy, it was finally a face to face between Keith Lee and Shane Taylor, This feud has been going for a long time with a little promo here and there, finally Shane challenged Lee to a match at ROH Final Battle which is on December 15, this PPV has had no mention on AEW up till this point which is odd.
Backstage CJ Perry is backstage being interviewed outside Andrade’s dressing room. Miro comes into the scene trying to get in to fight him but CJ stops him pleading for him to not hurt her client and if he had love for her, he would let her find her own way. Miro say he won’t hurt her client as he strokes her hair.
Continental Classic Tournament, Blue League Match
Bryan Danielson vs Eddie Kingston
Bryan had a big black eye patch to protect his injured orbital bone against the brawler Kingston.
Both men delivered big chops till Kingston landed a real stiff one that echoed in the arena knocking Bryan to the mat.
Just like most Kingston matches, he does a spot where he gets chopped and asks for more letting his opponent hit him, it’s a silly spot and a bunch of others on the roster do it too.
These two men chopped, slapped and beat the crap out of each other with Danielson having a red welted chest for his troubles. Kingston hit his spinning back fist but Bryan would not die and kicked out.
Kingston tried the back fist again but Bryan reversed it into a nasty looking modified back suplex.
The announcer declared there was 5 minutes left which seemed to make Danielson amp up his intensity, He hit his running knees to the head and pinned Kingston to gain three points and hand Kingston his second loss straight.
Bryan rubbed salt in Kingstons wounds by getting a sign out of the crowd that said “Kingston is a bum” and laying it on him.
Thoughts –
I thought AEW did a better job in incorporating more backstage segments and feuds into the show with the wrestlers not involved in the tournament, this was by far the best show since this tournament started.
