AEW Saturday Collision

[gmoney]

I can can only tell you that I thought it was an interesting feud to begin with, but now we're months on, a singles match and Blood and Guts deathmatch on, and essentially in the same place. 
 

"I think a feud between two people who have known each other for almost 20 years, but spent a decade of that apart, stemming from long-festering issues between them in their past is both more interesting and more believable than anything AEW bookers could have come up with to sell this match otherwise."

That's is unintentionally damning stuff there. I think the assumption that people are going to be fascinated by someone not doing a job years ago in a minor promotion twenty years ago over a properly thought out booked story is one of the problems with booking around real life situations. It's just not that compelling. 

Edited September 11, 2023 by gmoney

[Nick James]

I personally could give a fuck why they don't like each other, they don't, that's as clear as a blue sky in summer. The fact that throughout multiple threaded storylines, going back to Claudio's debut, they have continued to continually go at each other without 'coming together in mutual respect' is both brilliant and makes for hilarious viewing. Especially when Eddie storms right past everyone else to get to Claudio.

Some things just don't need explaining. 

[BomberPat]

1 minute ago, gmoney said:

That's is unintentionally damning stuff there. 

Not remotely. I could have said any bookers, and it would have been just as true. 

"Personal issues draw money" is the old Jerry Jarrett adage. It's the same reason some people wanted to see The Elite vs. CM Punk & FTR. Because real-life gives you more believable stories than wrestling booking does, and you'd be a fool to not lean into those stories when they're offered to you on a plate. 

The match is still the archetypal working class hero vs. establishment heel, it's still a clash of ideologies, it's still everything else that you would glean from watching the match with none of the backstory. But it's coloured by twenty years of history, and that's extremely refreshing when we've been used to years of WWE ignoring wrestlers' history not only outside of their company but often within it as well. 

[gmoney]

2 minutes ago, BomberPat said:

"Personal issues draw money" is the old Jerry Jarrett adage. 

Yes, though it doesn't mean it needs to be slavishly based on reality. It just means you need to have a compelling personal story, not a "real" one. 

[Chris B]

While I'm not convinced by the storyline, I was pleasantly surprised by CJ Perry's promo - you can tell she's had acting training and been involved in Miro's promos (according to something I saw on Reddit anyway). So it feels like this is going somewhere.

Part of them having brought back some relatively big names like Joe, Miro and Andrade while not giving them much to do feels like contingency planning for exactly what's happened with Punk (or how injury prone he was anyway). They might have deliberately not stuck them into anything they couldn't quickly get them out of so they could do what they're doing now with Joe and just slotting him into the main event for a bit.

[Loki]

Some good matches I thought - Strong v Allin was really well told, and Joe v Penta was a banger I thought, two very experienced guys having a really strong match.  The rehabilitation of Joe continues, imo he needs that main event against MJF even if he's not going to win.

It certainly felt like any "brand split" is a thing of the past, and that's good.  Do they need Rampage AND Collision?  Dunno but if it means more time for guys like Joe and Penta, I'm happy.

[LaGoosh]

1 hour ago, Infinity Land said:

Does he confront the issue or apologise for his part in it? No. Instead he acts all aloof, smug and superior.

The other week on Dynamite when Eddie wrestled Yuta and Claudio just completely ignored him and refused to even look at him while Eddie screamed insults and threats was absolutely fucking brilliant heel character work.

[LaGoosh]

I think I was less down on that episode of Collision than most of you. The 3 main bits (Danielson and the semi finals) all landed, but overall it was a flawed show.

- Danielson's announcement of 1 year left is actually a really cool and unique opportunity to tell a once in a lifetime story. And a perfect replacement for CM Punk on Collision. They should push it big, have a weekly countdown and everything. It'll add some urgency to the show - Collision: the ONLY place you can see Bryan Danielson! And the opportunities it presents for stories and dream matches is very exciting. Hopefully they really capitalize on this chance to tell a unique year long story.

- the layout of this show was awful. The first hour was 4 back to back nothing matches with predictable winners which was boring and a bonkers decision. I'm sure AEW structure these shows around rating/viewer stats but narrative and pacing wise they can be frustrating to watch. The second half was cracking, why not spread the good shit out over the 2 hours rather than have a total dud of an first hour?

- Darby Allin is the best stuntman in wrestling history. In his brilliant match with Roddy, he took a brutal bump on the turnbuckle then fell to the floor cracking his face on the way down - it was horrific! However watching it back closely, he lands perfectly flat on the widest part of the turnbuckle pad, flips back and uses his hands/forearms on the side of the ring to slow his fall while rotating onto his feet. It was a perfectly executed fall with an astonishing level of control of his own body. Incredible. This match should have been the main event.

- Bullet Club Gold are great. They should always be given something fun, new and different to do every week. Squash matches with random luchadors is not it. Also they just beat the two best tag teams in the world, shouldn't they be bragging and asking for title shots? FTR are busy with an utterly pointless open challenge. They should be building up some kind FTR vs Bucks vs BCG three way match after All Out.

- goes without saying but I will say it every week. Fuck off Kevin Kelly. Everyone hates you.

- didn't miss CM Punk at all. Collision now feels like a part of AEW rather than some weird ghost town with 8 wrestlers on it. However I'd still keep a loose brand split, more than enough current or future strong singles acts to separate the rosters. Make the core semi-exclusive singles Collision crew be: Danielson, Christian, Starks, Andrade, Hobbs, Miro, Big Bill, Keith Lee, Rush and add guys like Daniel Garcia, Wardlow, Lance Archer, Mike Santana, Rey Fenix Bandido and a few others and you've got yourself an absolutely banger of a show.

So yeah it had a few highs, a lot of untapped potential and some frustrating lows. 

[BomberPat]

speaking of Rey Fenix, any reason he's come back to wrestle a midcard match on Collision, rather than seeking revenge on the people who tried to kill him with hammers? 

[LaGoosh]

8 minutes ago, BomberPat said:

speaking of Rey Fenix, any reason he's come back to wrestle a midcard match on Collision, rather than seeking revenge on the people who tried to kill him with hammers? 

This really pissed me off. It's not like Fenix vs Wheeler Yuta is a big match deserving of build, just book it immediately. It would have made Collision a much more well rounded show if they had.

[RedRooster]

1 hour ago, LaGoosh said:

- Danielson's announcement of 1 year left is actually a really cool and unique opportunity to tell a once in a lifetime story. And a perfect replacement for CM Punk on Collision. They should push it big, have a weekly countdown and everything. It'll add some urgency to the show - Collision: the ONLY place you can see Bryan Danielson! And the opportunities it presents for stories and dream matches is very exciting. Hopefully they really capitalize on this chance to tell a unique year long story.

They missed an enormous trick with this - they promoted that we'd hear from Danielson, but they didn't promote what he'd say - there would have been a lot more buzz if they'd promoted that he was going to make an announcement on his future in wrestling. It might actually have benefitted the show, in that it would give you a reason to keep watching, and also leave you feeling excited and anxious as to what it was he was going to say. To be honest, I'd have been tempted to close the show with that - Danielson is a big enough star to justify making this feel "big". 

Show structure - as you reference - has never really been a strong point for AEW, and I strongly believe that almost every show - even the bad ones - would feel significantly better through nothing more than a simple re-ordering. 

 

[AndyUK]

I enjoyed it personally. I mean there are legitimate criticisms to be had in their booking tropes, an open challenge against a jobber of the week is becoming very lazy now but plenty of progression (through vignettes in particular) and the Danielson segment and two really good tournament semi finals did enough for me.

The Danielson year long story has the potential to be great in the right hands but I hope he's still used as a special attraction a couple of times a year for a while yet. Wrestling wouldn't be quite the same without him. 

 

Edited September 11, 2023 by AndyUK

[Infinity Land]

1 hour ago, LaGoosh said:

- the layout of this show was awful. The first hour was 4 back to back nothing matches with predictable winners which was boring and a bonkers decision. I'm sure AEW structure these shows around rating/viewer stats but narrative and pacing wise they can be frustrating to watch. The second half was cracking, why not spread the good shit out over the 2 hours rather than have a total dud of an first hour?

The Mox opener was certainly that stat driven go to of a familiar favourite opening the show to try and hold viewers. Action Andretti was the wrong opponent unfortunately. Although, I do like that it's led to the tin foil hat theory of AA (Action Andretti), BB (Big Bill), CC (Colt Cabana) for defenses that would break the internet if it happened

I give a pass on the Statlander v. Renegade match being predictable on paper. It wasn't there for that and all angle. Get lulled into it only for Jade's surprise return. Not sure which other opponents would have worked as well as The Renegades in that situation. There's the brief moment where Jade's entering the ring with a big smile on her face and the Renegades are pulling Statlander up. Are they the new Baddies Section?

The remaining 4 matches I would have split match-semi-match-semi in some order. It's clear with Jay White's last minute withdrawal there were some changes in here. At worse the BCG match would have went a little longer. I wonder if instead of Andrade looking at a TV backstage. There may have been a post-match angle. BCG have cut plenty of in-ring promos on Collision and in the past AEW have been happy enough to let Andrade talk in front of a crowd.

Whatever time being lost opened up the inclusion of Rey Fenix and Angelico. It wasn't until an hour before the show started they chose to announce. Feels like a potential ROH match that got bumped to the Collision card to fill time.

[The King Of Swing]

Maybe I heard/remember wrong but wasn't Danielson's wording closer to winding down my wrestling career? 

Not necessarily retirement in a years time but possibly a very reduced role.

Actually didn't FTR start teasing that they were going to retire when their AEW contracts run out? Guess that has been dropped. 

[King Mal the Glorious]

The way I've understood it/seen it written about is that this will be his last full time year and he'll be more of a "special attraction" after that.