7 Ups & 2 Downs For AEW Collision (June 8 - Results & Review)
Ups...
7. Excellent Opener
FTR have long been the best tag team on the planet, Claudio Castagnoli is just a freak of nature in the best possible way, and Wheeler Yuta is someone already so good but still with so much potential for growth. As such, there was a pretty good chance FTR vs. Claudio & Yuta would be decent.
This was an excellent opener, with all four men on fine form, whether that was on the offensive or when it came to selling. In particular, it was great to see Wheeler Yuta back in action for just the second time in nearly five months and looking so good.
The action here was too much to break down from move to move, with the two tandems maximising the 20 minutes they were afforded. While clearly two babyface teams, the moments of aggression between the competitors gave a nice edge to proceedings, with Yuta again shining in those moments where he, at times literally, butted heads with Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood.
One story thread at play through so much of this match, was FTR constantly stopping Castagnoli from hitting his patented big swing, and likewise Dax and Cash weren't able to hit the Shatter Machine at a couple of points. And on that big swing topic, when it did come into play, there was an excellent sequence where Yuta saved Claudio from the Shatter Machine, with the Swiss star immediately trapping Cash in the swing and Yuta eventually hitting a low dropkick on the revolving FTR man.
There was the glorious PowerPlex, there were dueling Sharpshooters, there was a successful Shatter Machine for a nice nearfall, and there was a lovely looking Rings of Saturn by Claudio on Cash as the match came to a close as a time limit draw.
For most people watching, it became clear that this was going to go the distance as a draw from the moment Bobby Cruise announced there was one minute left. While such draws can at times be frustrating or feel like a cheap, lazy way to handle your booking, this one did actually serve a purpose in putting more heat on The Young Bucks - who sent Brandon Cutler out to shut down any hopes of five more minutes - and also making FTR and BCC look like badass fighting babyfaces who want to do battle until there's a winner.
Cutler ate the big swing-dropkick combo into the Shatter Machine, with the tease that FTR and BCC will run this back again in the future. A fantastic match, a fantastic way to open the show, and a smart way to advance things with The Elite.