5 Ups & 5 Downs For AEW Collision (Dec 2 - Results & Review)

4. A Perfect Opener

AEW Collision Claudio Castagnoli Brody King
AEW

Claudio Castagnoli is a freak specimen who mixes power with silky smooth technique. Brody King is low-key one of the most impressive talents in all of AEW. Opening up AEW Collision here, these two big strong boys put on a belting bout.

In most cases, an opening match should hook you in, setting the stall for what is hopefully a great show. In Castagnoli vs. King, that was absolutely the case.

This was a contest that was just a whole bunch of fun, with both men bringing different variations of the power game to the fore. Where Claudio is concerned, there's forever a Rolls-Royce sheen to that power, whereas for Brody he's just a wrecking ball of dominance when he gets going.

Strikes were the order of the day, and that always makes for a good time when that involves either of Claudio Castagnoli or Brody King. And this time, it would be the House of Black man who'd eventually emerge victorious, putting Castagnoli away in just under 13 minutes after hitting the - mildly cast-assisted - burning lariat.

As ever, it's also worth noting that Claudio has the most stunning, jaw-dropping uppercuts in the game. Seriously, just a complete work of art.

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Senior Writer
Senior Writer

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/Saints, Jamie Hayter, 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.