Collision - 6/17/2023

[stuntmanc]

1 hour ago, Jrag said:

Punk’s promo was actually great because he got his shots in and didn’t ignore the elephant in the room, BUT redirected the energy towards MJF which is probably the smart play for now.  “What’s in the bag, Max?” feels like build to All In.

Love the face in Chicago, but the rest of you are going to hate me vibe. Not so subtle with the Bret tights. Could be an amazing run if he can stay healthy.

Absolute shame that Punk is possibly going to be near the title again.

Edited June 18, 2023 by StuntmanCrowley

[Dolphman 3000]

38 minutes ago, Jenalysis said:

I really think Punk-Jay could elevate Jay, esp if Jay takes the sham title from Punk.

Joe/KENTA/Bullet Club Gold and The Elite form The Alliance to End Punkamania, with Colt playing The Taskmaster

Edited June 18, 2023 by Dolphman 3000

[John from Cincinnati]

13 hours ago, The Man Known as Dan said:

Punk is very clearly being positioned as a tweener, and that promo made it obvious. He's a babyface in Chicago because of course he's a babyface in Chicago. Crowds are going to react to him however they want and he will wrestle in response to that reaction.

Babyface presentation but clearly chasing that heat. Cody's finally returned to AEW! Uh, Cody if he were messy. Punk is Messy Cody! 

[Zakk_Sabbath]

3 hours ago, Matt D said:

Starting to see Punk's post-match speech on trans rights get traction from non-wrestling sources this morning.

Phil-lanthropy is the future of marketing

1 hour ago, Dolphman 3000 said:

Joe/KENTA/Bullet Club Gold and The Elite form The Alliance to End Punkamania, with Colt playing The Taskmaster

Completely unironically love this idea.

Visually stunning presentation, kick ass theme song (I don't blame anyone for not knowing this song has been used to open roughly 20 billion college football games) and Miro and Andrade both looked like a million bucks. Buddy brought it big tonight, too. His name should be in the mix as a challenger for OC.

Kevin Kelly: I'm glad so many of you enjoyed his work tonight, but I'm not seeing it yet. I usually welcome his presence hugely when watching NJPW because as a more casual viewer of that promotion, I think he's really talented at getting the importance/significance of certain moments and elements across, filling in historical blanks - but for some reason, hearing him call matches for guys I'm very familiar with, for a promotion where I've seen 98% of every hour ever broadcast, slotted him right back into the role of 'guy from Shotgun Saturday Night' in my brain. It might be a me thing more than a Kevin thing, but I'll reserve judgment until everyone is a bit more comfortable. I hated The Giant on Elevation, but by the end of its run, I thought he and Menard were becoming, dare I say it, almost as fun of a listen as Taz & Ex on Dark proper.

I'm most assuredly going to be accused of 'being worked' but man, the balls on CM Punk to walk out in Bret's gear and talk about acting like an adult... 

All in all, I think I'm comfortable saying this was a 3 for 3 week for AEW, but my two sticking points:

1) as discussed to death already over the last couple months, I'm extremely weary of Punk even smelling that belt

2) as mentioned on nearly every page, this one needed a big angle beyond just 'Punk is back' - I liked the suggestion of saving either Miro or Andrade for a surprise return, but my philosophy has always been that big/debut episodes call for cliffhanger endings - I could see where that opinion might be a little too Bischoffian for some, but I'm a firm believer in it.

[SirFozzie]

52 minutes ago, Zakk_Sabbath said:

2) as mentioned on nearly every page, this one needed a big angle beyond just 'Punk is back' - I liked the suggestion of saving either Miro or Andrade for a surprise return, but my philosophy has always been that big/debut episodes call for cliffhanger endings - I could see where that opinion might be a little too Bischoffian for some, but I'm a firm believer

Yeah, I think that if you have to run the Six man tag to get best buds cm punk-ftr together, replace Samoa Joe with, i dunno, somebody (Hobbs? He needs the push, but he's low enough that taking a loss to Punk-FTR where he doesn't eat the pinfall won't hurt him too badly), and then after the match, have Joe and Punk go face to face jawing, and just as they start to throw hands, throw up the end graphic.

 

Bam, you get people talking about the ending more than just "hey, good match to end the show".. that's assuming Joe-Punk is the first return Punk feud.

[Craig H]

I loved most everything about it, but Kevin Kelly is the most soft rock radio dj ever and sucks. Look, if you like him, fine, I don’t and that’s ok too. I missed Excalibur a lot.

I was surprised there was no big angle to end the show, no Kenta, no additional confrontation between Joe and Punk, but I’ll wait and see for what gets announced on Dynamite. I do think in the near future they need to start announcing what’s going to be on the next Dynamite and Collision and then on Dynamite do the same. Start promoting both shows on each show. As for Rampage, eh, Rampage is pointless now.

[BrianS81177]

I didn't mind Kelly but would have preferred Ian and Caprice for sure. I don't get why you spend the money to hire Kelly when you already have a TON of announcers on staff.

[John from Cincinnati]

13 minutes ago, Craig H said:

As for Rampage, eh, Rampage is pointless now.

No, Rampage is Jarrett Country and we’re all better for it. 

[SirFozzie]

2 minutes ago, John from Cincinnati said:

No, Rampage is Jarrett Country and we’re all better for it. 

Jarrett vs Jericho in an Iron Man Match.

 

(no, the wrestlers aren't the Iron Man part, it's how long the VIEWERS can put up with the Sports Entertainment. Last fan watching wins a free Judas Effect to the face.

 

edit: Did you ever hit Post and then 2 seconds later, get a better punchline? Well I just did.

 

So: Jericho and Jarret is no longer an Iron Man match.

 

It's a LAST FAN STANDING match.

Edited June 18, 2023 by SirFozzie

[Brandon Bones]

Anyone got a boo boo so bad that a check with a bunch of ZEROS can’t fix it?  Nope.  You don’t.

While I wasn’t with Punk after the scrum.  I am with him with the “let’s get over it” attitude.  AEW HAS TO make their money off Punk now while they can. Multiple injuries and the clock running out on how much time Punk has left and they need to hit the gas.

Good returns overall.  Plus a double injury in match story you don’t see every day.  
 

 

[Phantom Lord]

I thought it was a good debut last night. The Punk promo was fine. I'm sure the elite were pissed, but it's a business and they can get over it especially if everyone is making money.

[Leonidas]

Is Canada going to boo Punk though? He's been cosplaying their national wrestling hero for his entire AEW tenure. FTR always get love there too.

[John from Cincinnati]

3 minutes ago, Leonidas said:

Is Canada going to boo Punk though? He's been cosplaying their national wrestling hero for his entire AEW tenure. FTR always get love there too.

Things are very fluid so it’s probably foolish to try to predict such things, but I’d think he gets a frostier reception in Toronto and nearby Hamilton as those markets have been dizzy on Kenny/New Japan hype for a while and he does better when they head west. 

[zendragon]

All right let’s get a little action in…

@Greggulator “this is what Joe Strummer trained you for” is a Henry Rollins line

I hope punk v max ladder match isn’t what this building towards as this company runs to many and Punk doesn’t need to be jumping off anything.

Do think all the re debuts bring faves was the obvious choice. Fans are happy to see them back. Tony Nese with the totally 80s gimmick

We are gonna need a Hobbs fashion watch, out there looking like Black Moses with open collar and gold chains

Loved the main and how it was worked. This is the type of trios wrestling I live to watch.  Agree with @Matt Dabout how this show felt agented different only complaint was the prolonged eye gouge spot. Reminded me about what Bobby Heenan said in his book about blatant cheating in front of the ref “all the heat goes on the ref and non on the heel”

Over all 3 for 3 this week interested to see if the dynamite crew can top this

[Zakk_Sabbath]

10 minutes ago, zendragon said:

We are gonna need a Hobbs fashion watch, out there looking like Black Moses with open collar and gold chains

If Punk gets his own World title to go along with his own show, I'm absolutely good with a Hobbs feud/win down the line (maybe he wins the Owen?) I loved his match with Punk at Grand Slam I and was hoping there would be an opportunity to revisit it

[Gorman]

3 hours ago, SirFozzie said:

It's a LAST FAN STANDING match.

Nice! I used that line on ROH commentary ... I forget which match -- I want to say something involving Carnage Crew.

[Zakk_Sabbath]

55 minutes ago, Gorman said:

Nice! I used that line on ROH commentary ... I forget which match -- I want to say something involving Carnage Crew.

Could it have been the Bunkhouse Stampede vs Homicide and Abby??

[caley]

Man if Miro is back, back. Like seriously back and not going to disapper again, have him show up at the first post-Cole-MJF feud and take the top title. The crowd reaction from him, his physical presence and charisma are like few I've ever seen. Like, everything from the first note of his music right to the ad break after his match was the biggest sustained heat I've seen since...Rock? Maybe Lesnar's return? It was just this unending crowd heat and Miro being awesome.

Is Andrade not part of Rush's group (I don't feel like googling the spelling so that's what you get!)?! I thought the lights would go out, HOB shows up, then the lights would come back up with Rush and Vance standing behind Andrade.

I guess that's my biggest gripe with the show: the matches were good to great, the performances were good to great, the crowd was hot. But there was no real storyline advancement: you got a bit of teasing from Punk (But how much of that is actual storyline possibilities and how much of it is just Punk adlibbing?!); you got HOB attacking Andrade and the rest was just AEWCW Saturday Night. I think a good big angle would have made this seem more like appointment viewing than Rampage 2. A heel turn. A run-in. A group formation. 

[Gorman]

11 minutes ago, Zakk_Sabbath said:

Could it have been the Bunkhouse Stampede vs Homicide and Abby??

Looking back, I think it was the Philly Street Fight vs. Da Hit Squad at the first Glory By Honor.

[Dolphman 3000]

11 minutes ago, caley said:

Is Andrade not part of Rush's group (I don't feel like googling the spelling so that's what you get!)?! I thought the lights would go out, HOB shows up, then the lights would come back up with Rush and Vance standing behind Andrade.

Rush is having visa issues and can't get into the country

[Matt D]

6 minutes ago, Dolphman 3000 said:

Rush is having visa issues and can't get into the country

To be fair, he’s kind of busy:

 

[John from Cincinnati]

Rewatched the main event with sober eyes and it’s once again time for me to rave about Cash Wheeler. He does like three beefy boy spots every match he’s in that look so cool I begin to wonder if he’s my favourite wrestler. That snap slam catching Juice out of mid-air. The assisted power slam off the rope. The dive to the floor to break the sleeper Jay had on Dax. His shit brings me simple, uncomplicated joy. He’s quietly the class of a trio of guys I enjoy a lot. 

Edited June 19, 2023 by John from Cincinnati

[Zakk_Sabbath]

10 minutes ago, John from Cincinnati said:

Rewatched the main event with sober eyes and it’s once again time for me to rave about Cash Wheeler. He does like three beefy boy spots every match he’s in that look so cool I begin to wonder if he’s my favourite wrestler. That snap slam catching Juice out of mid-air. The assisted power slam off the rope. The dive to the floor to break the sleeper Jay had on Dax. His shit beings me simple, uncomplicated joy. He’s quietly the class of a trio of guys I enjoy a lot. 

Good call, and to add to your list, how about that big ol' press slam on Juice?? Cash was on his Ultimate Warrior shit last night.

Edited June 19, 2023 by Zakk_Sabbath

[John from Cincinnati]

4 minutes ago, Zakk_Sabbath said:

Good call, and to add to your list, how about that big ol' press slam on Juice?? Cash was on his Ultimate Warrior shit last night.

Absolute unit. He should try to one-hand it like Bandido.

I think I need Cash vs Bandido. 

[Zakk_Sabbath]

9 minutes ago, John from Cincinnati said:

Absolute unit. He should try to one-hand it like Bandido.

I think I need Cash vs Bandido. 

Count me in for that, dude. I unfortunately read in another thread Bandido broke his wrist in his Rampage match so its gonna be a bit