Welcome to TheOvertimers coverage for AEW Collision for July 22nd, 2023. Elton John once said that Saturday Night’s alright for fighting, and All Elite Wrestling agrees as they are live from Newark, NJ in the Prudential Center.
Last week, we saw a first time singles match between CM Punk & Ricky Starks. It was the finals of the 2023 Owen Hart Memorial Tournament, right in the hometown of Owen – making it an incredibly special match.
Starks would cheat to win, essentially stealing the cup in the process. He would even show disrespect to Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger who was there to present the cup to the winner, snatching it from his hands and rushing to the back. Despite this, his victory was absolute – and tonight, he kicks the show off.
Ricky Starks Is The Man And Wins By Any Means Necessary
Starks would hit the ring with enough pyro to even make Kevin Nash blush, an impressive display for one of the fastest rising stars in the game today.
Tony Schiavone would point out the tactics Starks used for victory, holding onto the ropes during a roll up for extra leverage. However, the crowd would chant that Starks deserved it – and he would agree with them.
Starks is the man right now, and the finish doesn’t matter – as in twenty years, people will be asking how many he’s won, not how he won them.
He got the job done by any means necessary, which is the way Starks intends to handle his business going forward. The disrespect to Liger is the only thing he regrets, and acknowledges he’s a legend.
CM Punk would hit the ring, and wasn’t hear to rain on his parade. He’s not mad at Starks, but at himself – he’s proud of Starks.
Punk is an honest man, and has cheated in his career, it’s part of life. If the New Jersey Devils had the mentality of Starks, they’d make it out of the first round of the playoffs.
We Have A Huge Tag Team Main Event Incoming!
However, Punk would ask Starks a simple question: Can he live with knowing that he couldn’t defeat CM Punk without cheating?
Punk tried to walk off, but was called back to the ring – with Christian Cage & Luchasaurus interrupting. They were contractually obligated to appear, and want to get things over and done with.
Cage would call Punk a coward for being a man claiming to be the real AEW World Champion despite having not won that belt.
He’d have his microphone stolen by Darby Allin, who would stir the pot in the ring, and made his intentions to take the TNT Championship back at All Out – having won Royal Rampage last night to earn his shot.
Allin would pitch a tag team match, ready to team with Punk to face Starks and Christian Cage – if he’s man enough to get into the ring tonight. Tony Khan would make the match official, and we have our main event.
Bullet Club Gold Have Something To Prove After Last Week
Jay White & Juice Robinson have nothing to be ashamed about after their challenge for the AEW World Tag Team Championships last week. They went 50 minutes with FTR in a Best Two Out Of Three Falls match, which is already considered one of the greatest tag team matches of all time.
Despite this, they lost – and now can’t challenge for the championships as long as FTR are champions. Tonight, White and Robinson look to reset, as they face the high flying duo of Action Andretti & Darius Martin.
Martin & White would start this match, with White forcing Martin into the corner and stomping him down to the mat. A stiff chop would follow, with Martin feeling the sting before Robinson tagged in. Martin would use his speed and hit a big dropkick before sliding across the ring to Andretti – completing the tag.
A springboard crossbody would land, getting a two count. The back handspring elbow was almost caught into a German Suplex, with Andretti landing on his feet.
Robinson would hit the big jumping leg lariat, shutting Andretti down and allowing BCG to isolate the rookie in their corner of the ring. A neckbreaker off the apron would follow, and when Martin tried to make the save – he was driven hard into the barricade.
White would keep this going, driving both Andretti & Martin into the barricade again – doing as much damage as possible.
Back into the ring, Andretti would take a backbreaker from White before a jumping senton and splash from Robinson. Robinson would rake his forearm across the face of Andretti, before sneezing on him and applying a front facelock.
Jay White Sends A Message
Andretti would battle back up to his feet, and block a suplex into an inside cradle for a two count. An enziguri would drop Robinson, but he’d land into a tag to White.
Andretti would fight to his corner to tag in Martin, who would throw hard strikes before setting up a two-for-one DDT in the BCG corner – getting a one count on White.
A diving crossbody would get another close fall on White, before he was sent to the floor alongside Robinson for a set of big dives.
Andretti & Martin have shown their skills as a tag team, which will only develop over time. White would take a snap German Suplex before being set for the dive in the corner.
Robinson made the save, setting up Andretti in the Tree of Woe in the corner before the running Cannonball. Left Hand of God, Sleeper Suplex and Pendulum DDT would follow. White would lift a defeated Andretti off the mat, and finished with Blade Runner – sending a clear statement to every tag team in AEW.
Will Bullet Club Gold earn another chance to become champions? Let us know what you think in the comment section down below.
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