AEW Collision Review - November 25, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Claudio Castagnoli def. Daniel Garcia in a Continental Classic Blue League Match

This is what we need to see more of Garcia in the Continental Classic and beyond. I know his dumb dance is over with the audience, but there's a way where he can showcase his personality while also having great matches. This was a very enjoyable opener that started the show strong and Garcia was made to look credible in defeat. Both guys are built to shine in the Continental Classic.

Killswitch def. The Boys in a 2-on-1 Handicap Match

Of course, Killswitch is the new name for Luchasaurus. He teased turning on Christian Cage on Wednesday's Dynamite, but he was back in heel mode here, squashing The Boys with ease. Adam Copeland emerged afterward and laid him out with two con-chair-tos. Copeland cut a fiery promo backstage afterward challenging Christian to an AEW TNT Championship match on Dynamite in Montréal on December 6th. All of this was well done and Copeland vs. Christian is quite the attraction for Dynamite. Will they do some sort of a non-finish to set up a rematch for Worlds End?

House of Black (Buddy Matthews and Malakai Black) def. AAA World Cruiserweight Champion Komander and Gravity

I've finally determined that the belt Komander is bringing to the ring with him is the AAA World Cruiserweight Championship, so I'll be labeling him as such going forward until he loses it (perhaps the commentators were already acknowledging that and I just never caught it). The actual match was fun for what it was. It allowed Black and Matthews to bounce back from their losses at Full Gear.

AEW TBS Champion Julia Hart def. Lady Frost in a House Rules Match

Hart won't be having the same caliber of matches that Kris Statlander was when she was champion (at least not yet), but as I've said several times previously, she's improved a lot this year and I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of run she can have. I hate the House Rules/open challenge concept that AEW does to death as there was no reason for Frost to get a title shot, but this was a solid showcase for Hart in her first match since capturing the championship. It was well wrestled for as long as it lasted.

FTR def. The Righteous

It appears The Righteous' alliance with Lance Archer and Jake Roberts is already over, and if so, that's a shame. The Righteous are a talented team that Tony Khan clearly doesn't know what to do with now that they've unsuccessfully challenged for the ROH World Tag Team Championship. At least they're showing up more on AEW TV than ROH TV. This was a good television match with Malakai Black taunting FTR afterward to further that feud.

AEW World Tag Team Champions Ricky Starks and Big Bill Addressed The Golden Jets

This was your average mic work from these two, but it served its purpose in building toward the eventual championship clash between them and Golden Jets. Will AEW hold off on it until Worlds End or do it on TV before then? We know Starks is a terrific talker, but I was glad Bill had some time to speak as well. They've worked well together as partners so far, but I still want Starks to do more in singles competition. At least he'll be sharing the ring with Kenny Omega when they face Golden Jets.

Keith Lee def. Lee Moriarty

I've pretty much given up caring about AEW doing anything of note with Lee at this point. Perhaps he's had health issues, but relegating him to ROH TV is an absolute waste. That said, I'm excited for his upcoming encounter with Shane Taylor (most likely at Final Battle) and this was a warm-up for Lee before then. It was a quality contest, but I don't blame the crowd for not being into it because this feels like a Ring of Honor storyline.

Brody King def. ROH World Champion and NJPW Strong Openweight Champion Eddie Kingston in a Continental Classic Blue League Match (Non-Title)

Kingston mistakenly said in a backstage interview at Full Gear that both of his belts will be on the line in every match he has in this tournament. That's not true as Tony Khan later clarified the winner of the whole thing will unify the ROH World Championship, the NJPW Strong Openweight Championship, and the Continental Classic Championship. It was weird that Kingston lost his first tourney match, but I'm all for doing some upsets and a story can be told with Kingston having to battle back. They had a hell of a hard-hitting affair and I'm all for showcasing King on his own more.

Overall Show

Collision has lost a lot of its luster since CM Punk left in my opinion and doesn't feel like must-see television most weeks (especially when it airs opposite of a WWE pay-per-view, but I realize that isn't always Tony Khan's fault). If you're a big House of Black fan, you likely enjoyed this episode as they were all over it. If nothing else, the Continental Classic should make Collision more meaningful for the next month as the matches have the potential to be excellent.

SEE MORE: Collision Reviews