8 Ups & 2 Downs For AEW Collision (12 August)
1. Main Event Delivers On Multiple Fronts
Another AEW Collision main event, another majestic bout that delivered on so many fronts.
To look at Collision's burgeoning lifespan of nine episodes, each one has served up a main event match that's either good, great, or a legitimate Match of the Year candidate. It's genuinely remarkable to see such consistency at play from AEW's Saturday broadcast.
Here, it was CMFTR challenging House of Black for the AEW Trios Titles in a 27-minute belter of a bout.
All six men showed up and showed out, and all involved were treated like the huge players that they are. In particular, it's amazing how Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews all feel like major singles talents while also feeling like a perfect unit at the same time. All three men are unique and are presented as significant threats on their own, yet they mesh so well as a trio.
Speaking of Malakai, this contest gave us our first taste of what a Black and CM Punk match or rivalry could look like. And based on this six-man battle, the House of Black leader and the Second City Saint have some massively promising chemistry, and the Greensboro crowd popped big time upon seeing the two in the ring together.
It's not just Malakai Black who's an interesting prospect for Punk down the line, mind, for the Chicago native and Buddy Matthews worked extremely well together. But then again, Matthews mesmerises on a weekly basis as he continues to go from one of the most underrated workers in the business to slowly but surely being regarded as one of the best workers on the entire planet.
Of course, Brody King was no slouch here, too, and it was a brutal, beefy lariat from the big man that ultimately put Dax Harwood down for the 1-2-3 as House of Black retained their gold. That in itself took place at the same time that CM Punk was being choked out in the crowd by Samoa Joe.
With this match, AEW gave us another top tier Collision main event, furthered the Joe/Punk rivalry ahead of All In, and also whet the appetite for what CM Punk against Malakai Black, Brody King, or Buddy Matthews in singles competition may look like.
Plus, it was great to see Jim Ross again return to call Collision's closing encounter, much like JR did last week.