AEW Collision 9-23-23 - Danielson vs. Starks Texas Death Match

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

AEW Dynamite 9-20-23 - Grand Slam - Kingston vs. Claudio

It's been a rough month dealing with COVID, but I'm feeling better and have actually managed to stay up for about four hours in a row - which is a new record this week. This should be a hell of a show with a loaded lineup. I imagine we get the ROH Title match as the opener, women's title match as the hour one main event, and the AEW World Title match as the main event overall. Ian is on Dynamite for at least the Title vs. Title showdown with a great shot of NYC beforehand.

We start off with a big forearm exchange leads to them brawling outside and Claudio lands a massive standing gutwrench powerbomb. Slap from Kingston sets up a big release German by Kingston! Claudio in Misawa colors and Kingston's in the Kawada colors. Big back suplex off the apron-ramp to the rampway! Double stomp off the top on the arm of Kingston! He goes up top and misses a splash for an ad break. 

Claudio going Brody-like by registering the chops and then finally selling the shot to the jaw. Claudio hits the RUNNING UPPERCUT, a new finish and that's why getting a move over as a finish comes in handy - it makes the 2 count mean more. TWO URAKENS AND THE NORTHERN LIGHTS BOMB GETS 2.9! KAWADA POWERBOMB GETS THE WIN! 

The Kingdom need with Roddy to make him feel better and spread Neck Health Awareness before Adam Cole comes in and ruins the vibe. They give off peak Brazzers vibes with the nurse before Roddy declines his bed in a way that sounds like a damn coffin lowering and Taz loses his shit. Christian cuts a promo on Darby for Rampage Grand Slam and challenges him for a handicap match I MEANTHREEWAY with he and Luchasaurus and him at Collision. Jericho vs. Sammy is up in the Implosion of the Inner Circle. Jericho is out first and Sammy is out in the light-up vest as an homage to Jericho and WM XIX-homage gear as well.

They start off with chops before busting out the Le Sex Gods pose and then Jericho lands a tilt a whirl backbreaker. Sammy gets 2 off a crossbody off the top. Jericho lands a nasty suplex to the floor onto Sammy! Tons of chops from Jericho until Sammy pops out and lands a codebreaker for 2. Jericho goes out and Sammy hits a big moonsault off the top to the floor! Sling wigs out a bit for me and now it's back with Sammy landing some chops. TOP ROPE LIONSAULT BY SAMMY and Jericho gets the knees up. Jericho bulldogs him and Lionsaults him for 2. GTH hits! SSP doesn't and Jericho codebreakers him to death for the win and Sammy's sell was on-point there. Sammy and Jericho hug and Jericho should know how this goes - Sammy in the XIX gear kicks his balls and DON CALLIS COMES DOWN FOR SAMMY!

MJF cuts a promo on Joe and says he'll choke him out before Cole takes a call from Roddy and leaves. Backstage, Sammy and Callis chat and run into Garcia. Fenix is out to face Mox for the International Title. They brawl for a while before Mox just forearms the shit out of his jaw and curb stomps him for 2. Mox chops Fenix on the floor before setting up a suplex no a DRAPING DOUBLE-BIRD DEATH RIDER! That gets 2 and a Fenix corner-to-center rewind cutter gets 2. Fenix frog splash gets 2.5! 

One advantage of doing so many title defenses for Mox (or anyone) is that it makes a reign seem a lot longer than it is. Gotch piledriver gets 2 for Mox. Springboard double stomp gets 2 for Fenix. Mox gets a nice 1-2 rib punch combo and Fenix rolls out right into a stomp! I love them using the rampway as part of the way they tell the story of this match. Delayed Terry Funk-style piledriver gets 2 for Mox! TWO FENIX DRIVERS AND FENIX WINS IT!? Wow! Mox did seem totally out of it on the second Driver tho - so this may have been an audible.

Toni gets a nice black and white intro and Saraya yells at her. Toni eats a slap and then overhand chops her tits off! They fight on the floor and Toni drops down to avoid Ruby's attack and attacks her with flats before loading a dress shoe in the back of her trunks and throwing a distraction shoe for the ref so then she can bonk Saraya for 2. Sunset bomb gets 2 for Saraya. Toni kisses Saraya and hits the snap piledriver before missing the corner hip attack and the elevated Knight Cap ends it. This was perfectly-built because they never gave it a chance to be boring.

It's time for Joe vs. MJF and they've built this up really nicely. Joe is main eventing in a giant TV match for the AEW World Title and I love it - he's had an incredible run. They do a Bret commercial homage and Excalibur says BRING THE WIFE for it. Joe is just a master of little mannerisms - like checking his nails in the corner during his intro.

Joe keeps avoiding the choke and trucks him with a lariat for 2. MJF has k-tape on his neck and was covering it with the jersey Joe tore off. MJF hits the KANGAROO KICK and goes back down due to the neck. APRON GAMENGURI AND JOE HITS AN APRON DEATH VALLEY DRIVER! Holy shit! Joe is such a great heel monster! He cackles and gets 2. ST-JOE through a table on the floor and MORE CACKLING!

Joe takes the mats off and MJF wants a piledriver on it but EATS ONE FROM JOE INSTEAD! Joe has a chance to win the title via doctor stoppage but wants the win and ONLY GETS 2.9! Joe is going to lose by his own doing at some point and I can't wait - it's going to be great, whatever it is, it's going to be great. MJF gets a Batista bomb for 2.5! MJF choke is countered and Joe gets low-blowed off his own choke. MJF busts out the ring and the ref catches him and the MUSCLE BUSTER HITS FOR 2.9999! JOE LOCKS THE CHOKE IN and Cole comes out! HE FIRES UP MJF! MJF recovers and Joe shoves him into the ref, leading to MJF choking Joe out with a chain and hiding it from the ref and WINNING! Joe shakes his hand and leaves. I love that little ROH touches really do wind up working out better. 

What an incredible show that was. AEW has been in a rebuilding phase for the past month, but they've got some pretty compelling stories to work with. MJF is nearing a year-long run - but his body's giving out on him and Cole is torn between MJF and the OGK. Joe is always a win away from being a threat anywhere and this was a master class from him and his best AEW/modern-era ROH match yet. Mox's injury is scary until further notice since his neck got rocked and they've got something brewing with Saraya and Toni.