AEW Collision Review - May 18, 2024

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Will Ospreay def. Shane Taylor

Aside from that one random six-man tag team win on Dynamite last month, I can't recall any other recent matches Taylor has won on AEW TV. While he isn't much of a threat to anyone despite his size, the guy can go and thus this was a super enjoyable opener. He and Ospreay clicked exceptionally well with Ospreay doing some awesome selling for Taylor before nailing him with Storm Breaker, which was a hell of a visual. The Undisputed Kingdom attempted to attack Ospreay afterward, but Ospreay got the better of them.

Hook def. Johnny TV to Qualify for the FTW Championship Three-Way Eliminator Match on Dynamite

The idea of doing qualifiers for an FTW Championship number one contender's three-way on Dynamite is so stupid. The belt isn't even sanctioned by the company, so why waste a number one contender's match on it, especially when it's already obvious we're getting Chris Jericho against Hook again at Double or Nothing? Johnny TV is a jobber at this point, so Hook beating him in roughly three minutes made sense.

Katsuyori Shibata def. Rocky Romero to Qualify for the FTW Championship Three-Way Eliminator Match on Dynamite

This was a bit more competitive than Hook vs. Johnny, but logically so because Romero is more credible than Johnny at this point. They had a well-wrestled affair, but it was hardly surprising that the crowd was quiet. Again, a shot at the FTW Championship was on the line. I don't blame them for not caring, not to mention there was never any doubt Shibata was advancing given his own issues with Jericho.

"Bounty Hunter" Bryan Keith def. Boulder to Qualify for the FTW Championship Three-Way Eliminator Match on Dynamite

I thought Samoa Joe might've been in the third qualifier because he confronted Hook and Shibata backstage on Dynamite, but even he apparently wants nothing to do with the FTW title and I don't blame him. Keith was a random choice because he only just started winning a week ago, but hey, at least this gives him something to do for the next week. This was a straight-up squash as it should have been. Get Iron Savages off AEW TV, please.

Unified World Trios Champions Bang Bang Gang Attacked Pac

Pac addressed Bang Bang Gang during a backstage interview, and then coming out of the commercial break, Bang Bang Gang were shown standing over him on the stage as if they were doing their entrance. They kept this brief, but it was well done. The Unified World Trios titles are pointless, but if this means we're getting Pac vs. Jay White soon, sign me the hell up because that should be a blast.

Orange Cassidy def. Isiah Kassidy

It was the battle of the Cassidys! Or the Kassidys, depending on how you look at it. I'm surprised AEW didn't do this match sooner, not that it really matters. It was an average outing, but the focus was on furthering the feud between Cassidy and Trent Beretta, who watched from ringside in the crowd. He challenged Cassidy to a "straight-up wrestling match" at Double or Nothing. This is the one time where it'd actually make sense for AEW to give a matchup a stipulation considering the nature of their feud.

Serena Deeb def. Anna Jay

First, AEW had Toni Storm face a fellow heel in Harley Cameron on Dynamite. Then, Deeb faced a fellow face in Jay here. That's some silly booking if AEW wants Deeb to get cheered against Storm at Double or Nothing. It was unlikely to begin with, but this certainly didn't help matters. It was a decent match that gave Deeb another momentum-building win, but Storm immediately overshadowed her when she came out afterward.

Nick Wayne def. Jack Cartwheel

It's been announced that Wayne will face Swerve Strickland on Dynamite this coming Wednesday, so this was designed to give him a bit of a boost before then. He won't beat Strickland, of course, but Wayne rarely wins, so this was at least something. This served as a showcase for Wayne and I'm glad they didn't get too cute by making it more competitive than it needed to be. Wayne winning with Strickland's House Call finisher was a nice touch.

Bryan Danielson and FTR def. Lance Archer and The Righteous

You don't need me to say it, but Archer and The Righteous mean absolutely nothing after all the losses they've endured in the last six months. I gave up hope a while ago they would actually amount to something as a trio. Putting them in the main event spot was questionable because of that, but it was an entertaining outing with everyone working hard. Post-match, the heels attacked the babyfaces before Daniel Garcia made the save.

Overall Show

Getting Danielson and Ospreay on the same show is always a plus, but this was not an edition of Collision worth seeking out. There was a ton of predictability across the card and nothing truly mattered. It was essentially a setup show for Wednesday's Dynamite and Rampage (which immediately aired after this). Stuff happened and storylines progressed, but it wasn't a very exciting episode outside of Ospreay vs. Taylor. At least they ended on a high note with Danielson in action.

SEE MORE: Collision Reviews