6 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Collision (15 July)
5. Another Match Of The Year Candidate
"Excellent. Exceptional. Electric."
They were three words used on last week's Collision Ups & Downs to describe Jay White and Juice Robinson's victory over FTR. This week's two-out-of-three-falls bout was all of those things and then some.
That contest was viewed by many as being a Match of the Year candidate, and that was again the order of the day with this rematch. For just shy of one whole hour, Bullet Club Gold and FTR mesmerised and somehow remarkably outdid their prior outing.
Of course, Dax and Cash eventually secured the 2-1 win in this lengthy match, but there were so many times where it looked as if Switchblade and Juice were going to walk out of the Saddledome as the new AEW Tag Team Champions. And in that regard, the Calgary crowd lapped up every single slice of the action. From heat spots, to babyface comebacks, to false-finishes and everything in between, these four exceptional talents had the audience in the palm of their hands.
There were call-backs to last week's match, there were call-backs to previous FTR matches, there were so many times where the crowd was lulled into thinking the bout was over, and Nigel McGuinness and Ian Riccaboni did a phenomenal job of selling the desperation and intensity of this match. In particular, Riccaboni fantastically referenced how Jay White is so often used to extensive, lengthy matches from his time in the NJPW main event scene.
As for the 2-1 falls, it was Bullet Club Gold snatching the first fall after Cash Wheeler was put down with the Blade Runner. From there, it looked as if BCG - and in particular Jay White - were invincible, with FTR unable to score an equalising fall regardless of what they threw at their opponents, even paying tribute to the Briscoe Brothers as part of their desperate attempts to make it 1-1.
A Shatter Machine would finally level the match, and Dax Harwood would eventually cement victory for his team after forcing Juice to tap out to the Sharpshooter.
Not just was this an example of why tag team wrestling is so great - and a Match of the Year candidate - but this bout yet again showcased why FTR are the best tandem on the planet, whilst continuing to make Jay White and Juice Robinson feel like significant players in an All Elite world where they initially felt so lost and overlooked.
Perfection from all involved.