For the first time since March 2005, CM Punk and Samoa Joe will go one-on-one in a singles match on AEW Collision for the right to move onto the men's finals of the Owen Hart Foundation tournament.
Punk and Joe's storied rivalry mainly took place in Ring of Honor as well as PWG and the UK's FWA where they had their final match. In six singles matches, the two wrestled six times with Joe going 4-0-2 with two one-hour draws.
In the other Owen Hart men's semifinal, Ricky Starks will face Powerhouse Hobbs in a meeting of past rivals.
The first Owen Hart tournament women’s semifinal is scheduled as former NJPW Strong Women's Champion Willow Nightingale faces ROH Women's Champion Athena.
AEW Tag Team Champions FTR will take on Bullet Club Gold's Jay White & Juice Robinson in a tag team title eliminator match. If White & Robinson win, they earn a future title shot.
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The Collision cold open featured the Owen Hart Tournament semi-finalists hyping their matches, with CM Punk saying that he’s going to talk about their history right now.
This week’s Collision comes to us from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada inside the Brandt Centre. Kevin Kelly and Nigel McGuinness are on the call.
CM Punk Speaks
As Elton John welcomes us to Collision, CM Punk made his way to ringside. He got a positive reaction this week. Punk says that his history with Joe makes their match feel like the final, but he can’t overlook Hobbs or Starks. Punk says that he’s got scars and chipped teeth because of Samoa Joe, but history would be made tonight in the name of Owen Hart. He says that if it wasn’t for Owen Hart, most of the locker room wouldn’t be here today. He says that even though he’s a hockey guy, he’s not superstitious. He touches the trophy, saying that he will earn it. Punk can’t promise a victory, but he promises to give everything he has for the fans and for Owen.
– Kevin Kelly threw to a video package detailing Samoa Joe and CM Punk’s history, with footage from their trilogy in ROH. Joe says that there’s never been a day in Punk’s life where he was better than Joe. Punk says that he will beat Joe for the first time.
Owen Hart Foundation 2023 Men's Tournament Semi Final Match: Ricky Starks defeated Powerhouse Hobbs (w/ QT Marshall, Aaron Solo & Harley Cameron)
A solid opener that was more about the finish than the match itself. With Johnny TV coming into the group, Hobbs leaving QTV is a foregone conclusion.
Hobbs overpowered Starks to start, but Starks was able to outmaneuver Hobbs and send him to the floor with a clothesline. Hobbs came back in the ring and laid Starks out with a lariat. Marshall got himself involved, choking Starks while Hobbs had the referee’s attention. Starks fought out of the corner but ran right into a back elbow from Hobbs. Hobbs eventually dropped Starks with a delayed vertical suplex. He sent Starks into the corner with a hard Irish Whip as we went to picture-in-picture break.
Hobbs held Starks in a bearhug as we came back from the commercial. Starks elbowed his way free and fired up, dropping Hobbs with a running clothesline. Hobbs cut off a Rochambeau set-up by driving Starks into the corner and clubbering him with lariats. Hobbs took Starks to his shoulders and went to the top rope, but Starks slid down and took Hobbs down with a powerbomb for a nearfall.
Hobbs ducked a springboard and fought off a tornado DDT, but Starks took him down with the DDT anyway. Starks set up the spear, but Marshall clipped his leg. Hobbs hit the spinebuster, but the referee was dealing with Marshall on the apron. Hobbs told Marshall to get down, but Starks bumped them together before hitting the spear to score the win and punch his ticket to the finals next week in Calgary.
– After the match, Marshall pleaded his case to Hobbs, who shoved him down in response. Aaron Solo got in the ring to try and diffuse the situation, but Hobbs hit him with a spinebuster. Harley Cameron jumped in the way, so Hobbs left the ring and stomped to the back.
– Miro said that he was ready to fight anyone. He said that no one would force him off his path. He said that there was a battle coming, one we’d all been waiting for.
– Backstage, Willow Nightingale noted that due to an injury in her matches in Japan, she wasn’t medically cleared. Athena entered the frame, accusing Nightingale of faking her injury to avoid another loss, noting that Nightingale lost her Strong Title in Japan. Nightingale said that she wanted the match on Rampage and said that she wanted an ROH Women’s Title shot once she wins. Athena said that if Nightingale made it to Rampage and beat her, she’ll think about giving her a title match.
– We got a video package hyping the Blood and Guts match on the July 19th Dynamite. This Wednesday, we will take a closer look at Blood and Guts.
Julia Hart (w/ Brody King) defeated Bambi Hall
Hall used her size advantage to take Hart down, but Hart tripped Hall on a dropdown and clubbered on her. It was here where commentary noted that next week’s Collision will be followed by a live Battle of the Belts. Hart hit a chop block before locking in a Rings of Saturn-style submission for the win.
– Malachi Black said that Andrade didn’t become who he was until he lost his mask. Black says that Andrade holds onto his mask like a child holding onto a teddy bear. He wants Andrade to show the world how great he truly is.
– Lexy Nair was backstage with Andrade El Idolo, asking him what his mask means to him. Andrade says that he’s not a coward like Black. He says that his mask represents himself, his family, his culture, and his people. When his mask is on, it’s time for business. When he takes it off, it’s time to fight.
AEW World Tag Team Title Eliminator Match: Jay White & Juice Robinson defeated FTR
A stellar tag team match here. This was an FTR special, building slowly to a high crescendo and a surprising finish, with the Bullet Club Gold team earning a future title shot. If that match is as great as this one, sign me up.
White started with Harwood, with Harwood forcing White to the ropes. Robinson and Wheeler tagged in, with Wheeler vaulting Robinson to the floor and forcing him to tag out. Wheeler avoided a double-team, with Harwood coming in the ring to drop both White and Robinson with German suplexes as we went to picture-in-picture break.
White sent Harwood into the buckles as we came back from break. Robinson tagged in and sent Harwood into the buckles chest first before hitting a snap suplex for a nearfall. Harwood dropped Robinson with a back elbow before tagging out and assisting Wheeler with a leg drop for a nearfall. A Wheeler dropkick scored a nearfall. Robinson and Wheeler traded chops before Robinson bit Wheeler’s forehead. Robinson went to the top, but Wheeler took him down with a Manhattan Drop. Wheeler hit the ten punches in the corner, but Robinson sent him to the floor with a Stun Gun.
White dropped Wheeler stomach-first on the apron to firmly take control. The Bullet Club team worked over Wheeler’s midsection. White spat at Harwood before locking on a Muta Lock, but Harwood chopped White to break it up. White sent Harwood into the barricades, allowing Wheeler to fight back. Wheeler caught White in a small package, but Robinson had the referee’s attention. White then suplexed Wheeler into the corner to re-take the advantage. Wheeler fought free to make a tag, but Harwood was fighting off Robinson so no tag was made. Harwood got knocked off the apron, forcing Wheeler to fight two-on-one. White low-bridged Wheeler to the floor as we went to another commercial.
Back from the break, Wheeler dodged a corner charge before finally getting the tag out to Harwood, who ran wild on Bullet Club Gold. Harwood caught White in a small package before dropping him with a brainbuster for a nearfall. The crowd chanted This Is Awesome as Harwood brought White to the top rope. Robinson headbutted Harwood down, but Wheeler dropped Robinson with a side suplex in the ring.
Harwood got back to the top rope, hitting a Powerplex alongside Wheeler for a close nearfall. FTR set up the spike piledriver, but White sent Harwood to the floor. Robinson hit Wheeler with the Left Hand of God, setting up the Blade Runner. FTR blocked it, but Robinson broke up the Shatter Machine. FTR hit the Spike Piledriver for a nearfall that Robinson broke up. Robinson tagged in, but White got a blind tag in. Juice Box into the Blade Buster scored another nearfall.
The crowd kindly plugged the video game with Fight Forever chants. A Pier Four brawl broke out, ending with Harwood hitting a rebound powerbomb on White for a nearfall. Harwood hit a sliding uppercut for another nearfall. Wheeler took out Robinson, but White dropped Wheeler with a Blade Runner. Harwood and White exchanged chops and forearms before Robinson tagged in blind. Harwood rolled up White, not realizing Robinson tagged in. That allowed Robinson to hit his facebuster for the win and the future title match.
– We got a Shawn Spears video package, highlighting his time as the Chairman. Christian noted that Spears would get his title match at Battle of the Belts next Saturday following Collision.
– After a commercial break, Tony Schiovane was in the back with FTR, although they were quickly interrupted by Bullet Club Gold. Jay White noted that they had beaten FTR twice in two weeks, and that they wanted to beat them twice in one night. They challenged FTR to a Two Out of Three Falls match next week, which FTR accepted.
Scorpio Sky defeated Action Andretti
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It’s odd that this was supposed to be a Scorpio Sky showcase, but Andretti looked far better than him.
Fun fact, both of these men have pinned Chris Jericho. Although with Jericho’s recent output, that list is growing monthly. Andretti kept up with Sky on the mat until he ducked down for a back body drop when Sky jumped up and hit a double stomp on Andretti’s back.
We came back from commercial with Andretti fighting out of a chin lock and firing up on Sky. Andretti hit a dive to the floor. Back in the ring, Sky avoided a springboard 450 but ran into a Spanish Fly for a nearfall for Andretti. Andretti hit a shotgun dropkick but hit Sky’s knees on a split-legged moonsault. Andretti caught Sky with a rollup out of the TKO, but Sky kicked out and hit the TKO for the win. After the match, Sky shook Andretti’s hand.
– We got a rundown of next week’s Dynamite, featuring the semi-finals of the Blind Eliminator Tag Team Tournament – Orange Cassidy & Darby Allin vs. Daniel Garcia & Sammy Guevara, MJF & Adam Cole vs. Big Bill & Brian Cage – Komander vs. Chris Jericho, Ruby Soho vs. Skye Blue in the Women’s Hart Memorial Tournament, and Nick Wayne debuting against Swerve Strickland.
– Next week’s Collision will feature both the Women’s and Men’s Hart Memorial Tournament Finals, as well as the FTR vs. Bullet Club Gold Best of Three Falls match for the AEW Tag Team Titles.
Owen Hart Foundation 2023 Men's Tournament Semi Final Match: CM Punk defeated Samoa Joe
A surprising finish, as I thought they would go further with the story of Punk never beating Joe. I do like the idea of Joe not being able to accept that things have changed after so long. This was a good main event, although I think these guys have better in them. I’m very interested in Punk vs. Starks next week, both from a quality perspective and in terms of who wins the tournament.
Joe and Punk started slow, with Punk avoiding chops and landing a few of his own. Joe locked on a knuckle lock, winning it before Punk kicked free and chopped him again. Punk locked on a headlock, calling back to their ROH trilogy as I’ve been told. Punk kept avoiding chops, but Joe walked out of the way of a crossbody before finally landing a chop to Punk’s back and his chest. Joe hit another chop and kicked Punk down before dropping Punk with punches in the corner. Joe dropped Punk with a back elbow. Joe went for the face wash in the corner, but Punk avoided it. Punk went to the second rope, but Joe chopped him over the top to the floor as we went to a picture-in-picture commercial break.
Joe knocked Punk down as we came back from break. Joe locked Punk in a chin lock but missed a knee drop as Punk tried to fire up. Punk hit a leg lariat and a rising knee, and when Joe caught him in the Coquina Clutch, Punk dropped him with a back suplex. Punk hit another trio of rising knees. Punk went to the top for the elbow drop and hit it for a nearfall. Punk called for the Go To Sleep, but Joe took him down into a crossface. Punk got to the ropes to break it, but Joe caught him with a snap powerslam for a nearfall.
The crowd chanted for Owen Hart as Punk caught Joe with a high kick for a nearfall. Punk went to the top again, but Joe cut him off and went for the Muscle Buster. Punk fought out and dropped Joe with a neckbreaker. Go To Sleep attempt got avoided again, but Punk slipped out of the Coquina Clutch and rolled Joe up for the win and the berth in the tournament finals. It’s official for next week’s Collision: CM Punk vs. Ricky Starks in the Owen Hart Tournament Finals.
After the match, Joe and Punk stared each other down. The crowd chanted for Owen Hart as Joe offered a handshake. Punk looked wary but accepted it. He shouldn’t have done that, as Joe snatched Punk into the Coquina Clutch while shouting that Punk was never better than him. Joe grabbed a chair, but FTR jogged down to stop Joe. Ricky Starks looked on from the stage as Punk recovered in the ring.