7 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Collision (Sept 23 - Results & Review)

5. Truly One Of A Kind

AEW Collision Rob Van Dam Hook
AEW

How great was it to see Rob Van Dam back in action on AEW programming?

RVD had previously battled Jack Perry in what many presumed was a one-and-done in-ring outing for the veteran, but AEW announced earlier in the week that Van Dam would be competing on this week's Collision from his home state of Michigan.

The Whole F'n Show looked absolutely great, running through his greatest hits as he and Hook picked up a win over Daddy Magic and Cool Hand Ang. Clearly the 52-year-old Van Dam is a step or two slower than he was in his prime, but it belies belief that the one-time WWE Champion is still so good and so smooth at his age.

Of course, RVD has always kept himself in a great shape, and that's certainly still the case. In his two matches for the company so far, the ECW icon has shown there's more than enough still in the tank for an AEW nostalgia run should both parties be interested in working together in the future. Given how Rob Van Dam was actually featured in Collision's opening credits, maybe that could be taken as an indication that the WWE Hall of Famer will be sticking around in AEW for a little while longer...

And man, how amazing did that match-winning Five-Star Frog Splash look?

Obviously Van Dam wasn't alone here, for Hook is always a fun watch, and Matt Menard and Angelo Parker were pitch-perfect as the heels looking to spoil the party.

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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, 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.