Collision recap and reactions: Swerve swings into new era

Saturday night is alright for fighting. AEW Collision (Apr. 27, 2024) emanated from Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, FL. The show featured Swerve Strickland starting off his world champion era strong, luchador returns, GYV tag team debut, and more.

AEW ran wild with another double-header of Collision and Rampage. Catch up on all the details from both shows with top-notch play-by-play from Geno Mrosko. This recap will cover the Collision episode. For the Rampage recap, click here.

On to Collision…

Swerve’s era

Swerve Strickland defeated Kyle Fletcher on Dynamite on Wednesday night, but we had yet to hear from the new world champion. Swerve delivered his first promo as the face of AEW on Collision. He also had a swinging title defense against Claudio Castagnoli in the main event.

Swerve opened the show to recap news from Dynasty and Dynamite, such as Jack Perry and Elite pulling a ‘bitch move’ by beating up a non-fighter. Swerve sided with Tony Khan as a man who put his faith in him. Swerve also turned his attention to the best in the world, which would be himself. The man that holds the AEW World Championship earns that honor.

Swerve made sacrifices along the way missing moments with his family while on the road. His goal is to blaze a trail to make his reign worth it. That starts as a fighting champion. Swerve issued an open challenge, and Claudio Castagnoli answered the call.

Solid promo from Swerve planting seeds for future stories. There’s no way the Elite will let that disrespect slide without consequences. Swerve made it clear which side he stands. Will Ospreay should be intrigued by the best in the world claim. I think Swerve’s case is correct, and Ospreay is the type of competitor to test himself in that manner. That matchup should definitely happen down the line. Swerve also made his promo relatable with sacrifices for family. That is the type of babyface material to soften the image of his past misdeeds.

AEW planned this promo to be featured after the lead-in from the NBA playoffs. I believe that the open challenge with Claudio was a good hook to keep new viewers sticking around to experience AEW.

The main event delivered strong. This was a proper world title defense. The flow carried forth like a typical match of good quality. The first half highlight was Swerve leaping off stage for a moonsault.

Down the stretch, Swerve and Claudio flipped the switch motoring to a higher gear. It looked as if Swerve was going to close for victory, then Claudio caught the House Call kick to take him on a ride in the big swing.

Claudio transitioned from Sharpshooter to crossface to hammering elbows. Swerve sandbagged to play defense on a Neutralizer, so Claudio clobbered a clothesline. Back to the Neutralizer, and Swerve escaped over the top to counter for a DDT. Claudio caught Swerve’s stomp on his chest to deliver a brutal uppercut. The tide turned for good in Swerve’s favor when Claudio collided into the corner. A German suplex, a pop-up Swerve stomp, and a House Call kick finally put Claudio down for three.

Swerve talked the talk, and he walked the walk. This was a much more satisfying night for Swerve’s story than his time on Dynamite earlier in the week. He showed why he is the world champion. The match with Claudio was great for a TV main event without much story. The closing drama was legit. I obviously knew there would be no title change here, but the emotion made me wonder when getting lost in the action. Claudio was stellar with preparation for Swerve’s strong suits. Swerve was a step better (dodging the corner attack), and that was the difference.

Let’s jam through the rest of Collision.

Unified World Trios Championship: Bullet Club Gold defeated Top Flight & Action Andretti to retain the titles. The Bang Bang Gang took the Martin brothers out of the picture. The finish came down to White and Andretti. Switchblade caught a handspring back elbow to counter for the Blade Runner.

Rowdy action inside the ring and memories outside the ring. The Gunns re-enacted their time in the front row during the COVID pandemic days without crowds. The movement was slick throughout with a slippery finish. White had victory within his grasp, but Andretti made him work for it with one final surge. White was too savvy and cleaned Andretti’s clock. Solid win to keep momentum riding with the Bang Bang Gang.

Fenix defeated The Beast Mortos. Fenix was back from injury. The luchador formerly known as Black Taurus pummeled Fenix throughout. Fenix fired back with energetic rallies, but the beast kept rising strong. Fenix countered a goozle to escape with a roll-up victory.

Lucha libre showcase. Mortos was impressive demonstrating his power and agility. He wrestled in a monster style being difficult to keep down. AEW really gave him a window to shine and hopefully win new fans along the way. Fenix wrestled with his amazing style as usual. The closing roll-up gave Fenix the rub but kept Mortos looking strong. One sequence in particular was eye-catching. Fenix popped up to step off Mortos’ head with a kick. Fenix continued motion running the ropes for a springboard, then Mortos speared him out of the air.

Rush defeated Martin Stone. Bull’s Horns dropkick in corner to win the squash. El Toro Blanco added a second Bull’s Horns for good measure after the match, then he posed for the crowd.

Rush re-established his dominance in his return to AEW. Stone was a thick dude, and Rush beat that ass without issue. That was the kind of performance to remind the world that he belongs in upper level matches.

Toni Storm defeated Anna Jay. Non-title bout. Storm was in control until inadvertently knocking Jay onto Mariah May. Jay gained control with a neckbreaker through the ropes as Storm re-entered after checking on her understudy. The match was competitive with Jay securing a Queen Slayer choke. Storm rose to her feet and dropped backward to slam to the mat for the break. A running hip attack and a piledriver sealed the deal.

This match played out as expected with Storm defending May’s honor. It was fine for what it was. Jay stood toe to toe with the champ and put her in a peril, then Storm showed why she’s at the top of the division.

As for Storm’s future, Serena Deeb had a simple message. It is now or never to win the world title. Failure is not an option.

The Acclaimed defeated Grizzled Young Veterans. James Drake and Zack Gibson were in control down the stretch, then they lost focus to taunt Billy Gunn. Daddy Ass riled up the crowd as he hopped onto the apron. The Acclaimed took advantage of the distraction and finished with the Mic Drop combo.

Very good tag team match. GYV strut their stuff to show their skills. Based on ability, Drake and Gibson definitely belong in AEW. I was curious if this could be an upset to jump-start momentum for GYV, however, they went down in defeat. I don’t know if this was a one-shot deal, but hopefully we can get GYV versus FTR in the near future.

Notes: Tony Khan was advised not to travel due to his injuries at the hands of Jack Perry and the Elite. He will operate future shows remotely from Jacksonville. Nigel McGuinness brought up a good point that it could call to the EVPs to handle matters if shows get out of control. That scenario is ripe for manipulation.

House of Black accepted Adam Copeland’s open challenge for the TNT Championship next week. It will be any of the three members, but they won’t tip their hand until match time.

Orange Cassidy was concerned what Trent Beretta and Chuck Taylor will do to each other in the Parking Lot Fight on Rampage. Chuck asked Cassidy not to interfere. He needs to handle this on his own. Plus, there was a puppy.

Katsuyori Shibata will chop down Chris Jericho’s learning tree next week. On this night, he’ll stand up to Shane Taylor Promotions for Rampage. Daniel Garcia volunteered to help. Shibata asked him to save the last dance. Garcia swiveled his hips stepping off screen.

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Stud of the Show: Grizzled Young Veterans

James Drake and Zack Gibson put on a heck of a performance with tag team expertise. The Beast Mortos was a close runner-up.

Match of the Night: Swerve Strickland vs. Claudio Castagnoli

The match was fire from Claudio’s swing onward.

Grade: B+

This felt like a statement show in theme. Swerve Strickland carried the load as world champion. Bullet Club Gold solidified their status atop the trios division. Fenix and Rush showed no rust in return. The Beast Mortos and the Grizzled Young Veterans maximized their minutes for impressive outings in defeat. This episode had exciting action across the board. It was still a little light on stories. There was plenty of connection to Dynamite fallout, but not much was developed specifically for Collision.

Share your thoughts about Collision. How do you rate it? What were your favorite moments from the show?