Offering a mixture of old and new, this Saturday’s AEW Collision returns to the promotion’s home of Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Florida for Homecoming. There’s a vague theme of returns, reunions, and new beginnings.
Back to work after taking time off for paternity leave, Angelo Parker returns to action. 2.0 is back together!
Even better for “Cool Hand Ang”, he gets to team with his first (adopted) son, the TNT Champion, Daniel Garcia. Undisputed Kingdom is about to get a taste!
Elsewhere, a big old beef battle between Big Bill and Powerhouse Hobbs. With Hobbs hinting he’ll be waiting in the parking lot, could we? Are we getting the return of the parking lot fight?
The voice that guided The House of Black has gone silent. The bark forebodes a re-invention.
For the first time since All In at Wembley Stadium, “rookie” Toni Storm comes face to face with Mariah May.
Saturday night seems alright for fighting!
AEW Collision Matches Announced:
- AEW International Championship Match: Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Katsuyori Shibata
- Daniel Garcia and 2.0 (Angelo Parker & Matt Menard) vs. Undisputed Kingdom (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, & Roderick Strong)
- Gates of Agony (Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun) vs. Buddy Matthews and Brody King
- Big Bill vs. Powerhouse Hobbs
- Four-way for a shot at the TBS Championship: Queen Aminata vs. Deonna Purazzo vs. Yuka Sakazaki vs. Serena Deeb
- Samoa Joe vs. Nick Wayne
AEW Collision Segments Announced:
- Mariah May and Toni Storm meet face-to-face
Out of the Shadows
It’s ironic that clarity surrounding Malakai Black’s AEW exit did not come from the Dutchman’s murky post-match actions. Choices that Black denied on social media had any such meaning or significance.
Rather its other roster members: Will Ospreay, Cope, and Jamie Hayter, who have made Black’s absence transparent. Each said that Black’s former followers could go on alone.
Then, a vignette this week confirmed there’s no split. Brody King, Buddy Matthews, and Julia Hart are joined like the three heads of Cerberus. Saturday marks a new dawn.
The trio are coming out of the darkness. No rules, leaders, gods, or masters. Just violence.
Fans are excited to see what the limits are for King and Murphy without the leash of Malakai Black. While there are risks for Black returning to WWE from AEW, King and Murphy will likewise enter new but familiar territory.
Recently, King and Matthews have impressed with a fun array of singles outings. However, perhaps as a team, the unit could be fun challengers for new AEW Tag Team champions, Hurt Syndicate.
Bark ‘Havoc!’, And let slip the Hounds of Hell!
Switching Roles
Toni Storm and Mariah May have switched roles. This goes beyond who is now the champion and who’s the challenger.
Both women’s personalities have altered. They are playing different characters.
“Timeless” Toni Storm is gone. Failing to win gold in STARDOM and then losing in Mexico pushed the starlet to retirement. At Grand Slam, May defeated her mentor and sapphic lover, Mina Shirakawa. It was another assertion of dominance.
May has become cold-blooded, calculating, and dismissive. Acting as an all-conquering champion with her heel in the division’s throat.
May’s victory was spoilt as Toni Storm (re)debuted. Regressed to her rookie form, as if she just started in AEW, some questions might not be answered on Saturday.
Has Storm lost her mind? Suffered amnesia? A once-in-a-lifetime acting performance?
It’s hard to predict what will happen in this “first-time” meeting. There could be callbacks or story beats from their previous star/understudy relationship. All bets (and perhaps shoes) are off.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header photo – AEW – Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on AEW Collision and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS. AEW Rampage airs on TNT at 10 PM EST every Friday night. AEW Collision airs Saturday at 8pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content available on their YouTube.
