WELCOME BACK KYLE O’REILLY - AEW COLLISION REVIEW 16/03

Dream matches. Returns. Tournament matches. And the reveal of what's in the box. Just your standard episode of AEW Collision and it's a banger so let's kick things off with said dream match up.

Match one Bryan Danielson vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Feeling out process to start until Danielson takes him down by the arm. That’s broken up and they go back to the standoff until Danielson goes back to the arm. Shibata isn’t having that and forearms him straight in the face knocking Bryan down. Some chops have Danielson taking Shibata back to the mat but Shibata sends him outside.

Danielson back in and striking away in the corner until Shibata reverses for strikes of his own. There’s the running dropkick in the corner. They trade ankle locks before knocking each other down for a double breather. Back up and they exchange knees to the chest until Shibata grabs a Death Valley Driver for two. Some elbows to the head rock Danielson but he’s right back with the running knee for two of his own.

Danielson gets the LeBell Lock until Shibata puts a foot on the rope. The kicks to the chest rock Shibata but he wants more. The running kick to the chest brings Shibata back to his feet and he fires off the Kawada Kicks. Now Danielson sits down so Shibata can kick him, leading to a seated slap off. Danielson kicks him in the head for the knockdown but the running knee is blocked. The octopus goes on but Danielson slips out and gets two off a rollup. Danielson’s LeBell Lock attempt is countered into a rollup, which Danielson counters into a rollup for the pin.

Here is your winner: Bryan Danielson

If this is truly Bryans last year of in ring competition he will be leaving as the best in the world and is proving it every week. What a match this was. Its just dream match after dream match for Bryan at the moment.

Match two TBS Title: Julia Hart vs. Trish Adora

Hart is defending and the special rule is the loser is banned from ringside for the House of Black vs. Infantry match later tonight. Adora takes her to the mat and does the splits on Hart’s back while cranking on the arms.

They go to the floor, with Adora blocking a whip and elbowing Hart in the face. Hart sends her hard into the barricade.  Adora fights out of a chinlock but getting sent into the corner for some running elbows. Adora’s bridging German suplex gets two and Hart lands the superkick. The moonsault follows and this one is all over.

Here is your winner: Julia Hart

Adora can do some pretty amazing things in the ring and she still looks powerful. However, this was about giving Hart another victory as her rise continues. She is headed to a championship match against Willow Nightingale, so winning here will help her get even more momentum.

Match three Daniel Garcia vs. Lee Moriarty

Moriarty is here with Shane Taylor, and Matt Menard is on commentary.  Garcia starts them off on the mat by escaping out of a headscissors and sending him outside with a running cellar dropkick. Moriarty returns with a suicide dive to seize control and STEAL GARCIA'S DANCE thanks to Taylor's distraction.  

Moriarty works on the arm back inside but Garcia is back up to pound him into the corner. Garcia starts in on the leg before a Saito suplex gets two. Garcia’s piledriver attempt is cut off so Moriarty hits a double stomp. Not that it matters as Garcia pulls him into a heel hook and Moriarty has no choice but to tap.

Here is your winner: Daniel Garcia

Garcia is starting to build serious momentum. It will be interesting to see the end game for this run. Lee Moriarty is also incredible. I don’t think we ever see him have a bad match.

Match four Pac vs. Aaron Solo

Solo wastes no time by knocking him to the floor to start, setting up the running flip dive. Back in and Pac stomps him down in the corner, followed by some boot choking. Pac kicks him in the head and hits a missile dropkick, setting up the Black Arrow into the Brutalizer for the win.

Here is your winner: Pac

Pac grabs a mic and tells Tony Khan he's looking for trouble. Love this version of pac.

If Pac can have an extended stay in AEW then he needs a title. This guy is just a star. He just doesn’t stay around for very long so it kills his momentum but the guy is as good as anyone on the AEW roster.

Post match Pac says he’s looking for trouble. Either Tony Khan can find it for him or he can find it himself.

Match five Claudio Castagnoli vs. Lance Archer

They shove each other around to start and trade shoulders to see both of them staggered. We’re already on the exchange of forearms until Castagnoli takes over with some clotheslines. A running version puts Archer on the floor, only to have Castagnoli miss a clothesline off the apron. Archer’s running flip dive drops Castagnoli.

Archer hits a swinging Rock Bottom for two but Castagnoli grabs a suplex. Archer hits him in the face and goes up, only to have his Old School broken up. The Swing is broken up as well though and Archer knees him on the top. A chokeslam gives Archer two but the Blackout is countered into a Death Valley Driver to give Castagnoli two. Castagnoli gets creative with a cutter off the middle rope for another near fall, followed by a springboard spinning uppercut. The Swing is on but here is the Righteous to jump Castagnoli and the ref calls this one off.

The beatdown is on so Bryan Danielson runs in for the save but the numbers game is too strong until Katsuyori Shibata runs in with a chair and clears the ring.

Match six Kyle O’Reilly vs. Bryan Keith

Keith grinds away on a headlock to start but O’Reilly slips out for another standoff. O’Reilly is knocked outside but gets right back in for an exchange of strikes. A grapple off doesn’t go well for O’Reilly as Keith kicks him in the face, followed by a DDT for two. We take a break and come back with O’Reilly kneeing him in the ribs.

We pause for a second for the referee to check on Keith, followed by a quick kneebar from O’Reilly. That doesn’t work so O’Reilly goes for a triangle choke to slow Keith down. Keith is fine enough to catch him on top, setting up a hard kick for two. An enziguri staggers O’Reilly again but he’s back with a heck of a lariat. The cross armbreaker makes Keith tap.

Here is your winner: Kyle O’Reilly

How bloody great is it to have Kyle back in an AEW ring. Keith was a good choice for O’Reilly’s first opponent back as O’Reilly needed to show he could still hang around here without putting him against too big of a name. Odds are this will be followed by something with the Undisputed Kingdom, and I’m not sure where that is going to go. Nice match back for O’Reilly here, as he has a lot of time to make up for from the last few years. My feeling is he will challenge Strong for the title.

Match seven Tag Team Title Tournament Wildcard Match: House Of Black vs. The Infantry

Julia Hart is here with the House, who jump the Infantry from behind before the bell. The beating goes outside with the Infantry being beaten down until the House gets inside. The Infantry wants to go so we ring the bell, allowing King to hit a Cannonball for two. Matthews kicks Dean on the floor.

Bravo grabs a rollup for two on Matthews and diving over for the tag to Dean. King comes in and runs Dean over with a heck of a clothesline, followed by Dante’s Inferno for two with Bravo making the save. King takes Bravo outside for an AA onto the announcers’ table, setting up a piledriver onto the same table. Julia Hart gets up to argue for some reason and here’s Mark Briscoe with a chair shot to Matthews. Briscoe runs off with King giving chase, allowing Dean to get the upset pin.

Here is your winner: The Infantry

So the story between Briscoe and the House of Black is clearly not over so the big 6 man tag last week was a bit of a waste of time. Not sure where else this story can go. Maybe it is time for Buddy and Black to move on cos there booking has been terrible. Perfect chance for them to have a good run in this tournament but I guess not.

Time for Adam Copeland, still holding the SPIKE box. Copeland discusses his past in Ottawa and then rolls his eyes at the bitterness towards Toronto before taking a seat in front of the box. After their careers ended, he was excited to spend time with Christian Cage, but now everything has changed.

After failing at World's End, Copeland accepted a Conchairto. After speaking with someone who shaped who he is (presumably Mick Foley, though he doesn't say it explicitly), he takes out spike, a 2x4 covered in nails. In Toronto, he and Spike will put an end to Cage and force him to say "I quit."

This was quite the show, with two comeback matches leading up to a major upset in the main event yet nothing that felt particularly greater than the others. There was a lot going on throughout the show, and most of it ranged from solid to fully decent. Even though there wasn't anything that felt like the main event, this show did enough to help set up next week's Dynamite, which should be a big deal.

Thanks for joining me this week guys. See you next week for Rampage.