AEW Collision Review - October 28, 2023

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Jay White def. AR Fox

White's a Connecticut native, so he got a good reaction from this crowd. His in-ring style is more befitting of a babyface and that helped him get the fans more into the match as it went along, but it's a shame his heel run with Swerve Strickland was cut short because that was probably his best shot at getting consistent television time. This was an enjoyable opener, though, and it gave White another win before he challenges for the AEW World Championship at Full Gear. MJF attempted to get his belt back afterward but was thwarted by Bullet Club Gold.

The Gunns def. The Boys

Bullet Club Gold stuck around ringside after the opener so The Gunns could face The Boys. I like The Boys (and it's criminal that we don't get to see more of Dalton Castle on AEW programming), but with The Gunns set to fight for the ROH World Tag Team Championship at Full Gear, this was a pretty straightforward squash for The Gunns as it should have been. The graphic for the bout did make it clear MJF will have a partner.

AEW Women's World Champion Hikaru Shida def. Abadon in a Fright Night Fight

These two have history from a few matches they had in 2020 and 2021. Amazingly, I don't think Abadon has gotten much television time at all since then and that was almost three years ago. It was almost exactly two years ago she unsuccessfully challenged then-champion Britt Baker for the title in a similar match, but that was also around Halloween time. Are we sensing a pattern here? To their credit, though, this was a very good match and easily Abadon's best in AEW. They made the most of the stipulation and the people popped big for the pumpkin spot at the end.

ROH World Television Champion Samoa Joe def. Rhett Titus

No, there was zero reason this had to be for the ROH World Television Championship with Titus having done nothing to deserve it (he barely appears on ROH TV these days as it is), but I guess he never got a rematch after losing it to Minoru Suzuki back in April 2022. Either way, this was total domination from Joe, who continues to confront MJF backstage and stake his claim at another shot at the AEW World Championship. Hey, sign me up.

AEW World Tag Team Champion Ricky Starks def. Dax Harwood

FTR didn't seem to show much desire in going back after the AEW World Tag Team Championship previously, which is why it's weird this match happened here. Don't get me wrong, it was a good, well-wrestled affair, but FTR having clear moved onto House of Black. We were reminded of that before the bout even started. Starks winning was the right call, though. La Faccion Ingobernable returned afterward to even the odds for FTR against Starks, Big Bill and House of Black, confirming Bryan Danielson's injury from the end of Dynamite as legitimate. Him and Malakai Black appeared to be headed for a singles match but no longer, or at least not for now.

Claudio Castagnoli def. "Hot Sauce" Tracy Williams

You'd think Williams' name was just Hot Sauce because Castagnoli attacked him before Dasha could finish her introduction for Williams. If this was a competitive contest, it would have been a wrestling clinic, but I understand it being a minute-long squash instead considering the circumstances (similar to Titus, Williams isn't a regular on ROH much anymore). Castagnoli is pissed that Bryan Danielson got injured on Wednesday's Dynamite (which was apparently legitimate) and he plans on taking it out on Orange Cassidy next week on Dynamite when they meet for the AEW International Championship.

​AEW World Champion and ROH World Tag Team Champion MJF def. Kenny Omega

Personally, I had no issue with this match being given away here (and not just because I was in attendance to see it live). If it was a random television title defense announced three days in advance, then sure, but the whole reason why it had to happen on this show was because MJF will break Omega's record as the longest-reigning AEW World Champion ever on Tuesday. This was Omega's last chance to stop him, so it couldn't wait until Full Gear or even Dynamite. Regardless, this was an outstanding main event as expected. It was fairly obvious Omega wouldn't win, but some of those nearfalls down the stretch were pretty damn convincing. The Don Callis interference in the middle wasn't overdone, either. These two worked exceptionally well together and I'm eagerly anticipating the eventual rematch.

Overall Show

This was a one-match show, but I still had a blast being there live for it. There was plenty of quality wrestling, and although a few more promos would've helped, I can't complain with what we got. Ultimately, however, this show will be remembered for that main event alone, and it's undoubtedly worth seeking out if you missed it. MJF and Omega killed it in what will go down as one of AEW's best bouts all years. Collision has been missing that spark since CM Punk left and I'm glad the show got it back, if only for one night.

SEE MORE: Collision Reviews