As someone who gets to do the Ups & Downs for AEW Collision each and every week, you'll find me forever praising House of Black when it comes to their in-ring game. And once again, Malakai Black, Brody King, and the criminally-underrated Buddy Matthews put on a proper snug 'n' good match, this time against the Acclaimed and 'Badd Ass' Billy Gunn.
If looking to predict a title change beforehand, this was likely the contest most people would've gone with, and it was indeed Gunn, Anthony Bowens and Max Caster who emerged victorious here.
The action was, like the bulk of All In, relentless. But again, this has come to be expected by House of Black matches.
There were admittedly moments that were a little off here, and it feels as if the whole House Rules gimmick is only utilised when it fits the narrative, but HOB brought their usual ever-impressive smash-mouth style and their opponents more than kept up their end of the bargain.
Another intriguing prospect is, with the Trios Titles off them, there's a slew of opportunities for the House of Black guys, whether in terms of tag team action or singles. For instance, what we saw of CM Punk vs. Malakai Black a few weeks ago in a six-man contest certainly raised a few eyebrows.
Also, extra points to Max Caster for referencing Prince Andrew in his pre-match rap. F**k that guy.
Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics.
As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic.
Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.
