8 Ups & 4 Downs For AEW Collision (May 18 - Results & Review)
1. Predictable Predictability Problems
Predictability in professional wrestling isn't always necessarily a bad thing, but when it happens on such a frequent basis, then it starts to become a problem - especially for a weekly show you're trying to present as must-watch.
It's one thing for a supplemental show - ala the old WWF Superstars - to feature a slew of matches that you can predict all the results for, but it's a different thing altogether when it's a weekly show that you promote as a big deal. And with this week's AEW Collision, we likely had the most predictable Collision yet.
Take a look at the card:
- Will Ospreay vs. Shane Taylor
- HOOK vs. Johnny TV
- Katsuyori Shibata vs. Rocky Romero
- Bryan Keith vs. Beefcake Boulder
- Orange Cassidy vs. Isiah Kassidy
- Serena Deeb vs. Anna Jay
- Nick Wayne vs. Jack Carthweel
- Bryan Danielson & FTR vs. Lance Archer & The Righteous
Anyone with even a passing interest in AEW could predict the winners in every single one of those matches, resulting in a card that has zero suspense around it. Granted, on another day there may have been questions over who'd emerge victorious in the Deeb vs. Jay contest, but given how Serena is positioned as the next challenger for Toni Storm's AEW Women's Title, it was clear the Professor would be going over here.
Good wrestling is one thing, yet when there's no sense of intrigue or uncertainty over a result from top to bottom, it's tough to drum up any semblance of emotional investment from your audience.
If this was a one-off, it likely wouldn't get a Down. But when Collision is so predictable so often, the most predictable of predictable Collisions unfortunately has to be called out.