AEW Collision 7/15/2023 Match Ratings and Commentary
FTR (Credit-AEW)
Here’s how we rated the fifth AEW Collision from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Curious how we rank matches? We’ve got a rubric for that.
AEW Collision - 7/15/2023
FTR def. Bullet Club Gold to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championships: ★★★★★
Willow Nightingale def. Ruby Soho: ★★
The House of Black def. Local Jobbers: ★
Ricky Starks def. CM Punk: ★★★
Bullet Club Gold (Credit-AEW)
Show Highlight—
FTR vs. Bullet Club Gold. For the record and for what it’s worth, I’d rank this as the greatest tag team match ever on free television. Eclipsing FTR’s match with the Young Bucks last year, Austin/Michales vs. Bulldog/Owen, Austin/Triple H vs. Jericho and Benoit, and Steamboat/Dustin vs. The Enforcers. An absolute, old-school classic match that perpetually kept up an insane, heightened sense of drama for its near 60 minutes. Drama over the near falls, drama over the Jay White impeccable kickouts, drama and a surprised-at-themselves reaction when they actually scored a fall, drama over the hurricanrana spot that made you think Dax actually got hurt, and because they were in Calgary, drama over sharpshooters.
I said this on our podcast, but isn’t it fucked up that it makes no sense these days that a match can be laid out to make perfect sense? Meaning no interference from the Gunns, no ref bumps, no ball shots, no distraction roll-ups, just a clean match with a clean finish. That alone is going to make the legacy of this match grow and grow over the years, that it was all done in the ring without bullshit. And funnily enough, there was maybe a collective minute of heat-seeking stalling in the beginning, and you could just feel it was to fuck with wrestling reviewing nerds to make them wig out that the match couldn’t justifiably get five stars if they kept killing time.
All four participants had their star-making moments. Cash getting the Ricky Morton-heat, Dax getting frustrated (perhaps) at Cash during that impeccable series of near-falls during the 2nd fall, Jay White never getting pinned or submitted to keep himself at the main event of Collision, and Juice Robinson finally finding a winning persona as this Honeycomb mascot-looking loon after being something of a Down Under Juggalo in his past schtick.
What Worked—
Ian vs. Kevin. Ian did great and came off like a fresh new voice to fans that aren’t watching ROH. I’m indifferent as to who hosts the show, I prefer someone a bit understated like Kevin Kelly but you know who you’re not missing? JR.
Willow Nightingale. Good for her. She’s done a fantastic job on ROH and in NJPW.
Ricky Starks vs. CM Punk. What a criminally underrated match. And you’d think being rightly overshadowed by the great 2/3 falls match earlier that the crowd would sit on their hands but they were hot.
Amazing how they got mileage out of a holding-the-ropes-open-for- another spot. It foreshadowed Starks not having any guilt over cheating Punk as Punk was a dick the entire match and was too focused on playing to the crowd. And, Punk already jinxed himself too much by touching the cup, so he willed that Owen-esque move by Starks into existence.
Was the heel turn necessary? Ricky Starks was odorless and flavorless as a babyface, but that was easily avoidable if he got time to cut live promos. Hopefully he’ll get time as a Collider. The heel turn adds some confusion into the mix as you’d think Punk would be going after Joe next after Joe’s attack in the post-match of the Owen or after MJF to reclaim the title he never lost. But it’s a new show, Punk is the star of it, and he needs a litany of rivalries to keep the show moving.
Liger and the trophy. There were some who felt it was too unglamorous of a cameo for Jushin “Thunder” Liger to all be what amounts to as a prop, but seeing him two years ago at WrestleCon just chilling in his full costume all day, I’m pretty damn confident that he would be totally fine not giving a fuck and hanging out in catering with his gimmick on.
What Didn’t Work—
Annoying front row fans. I couldn’t take my eye off the guy with the MJF shirt on. Even watching the 2/3 falls match for a second time it was like I was glued to him and not the match. Same for the guy in the blue shirt behind him trying desperately to peer around the MJF guy standing up. It did make me realize though that the people I have more contempt for than the folks who have a front row seat that never sit down, is the people buying a second row seat to an AEW show thinking they’d get an unobstructed view.
Punk and Starks (Credit-AEW)
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