Tonight, it’s the AEW Bash At The Beach special! And we’ve got grudge matches aplenty, including Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida teaming up against the Nightmare Collective! The show itself is a tribute to a beloved WCW PPV. And it’s not just one show – the series of events begins with tonight’s episode of Dynamite! And it will also run through next week’s show, which will emanate live from the Jericho Cruise! I’m Jordan Huie of the Overtimer, here to give you the preview of what’s to come here this fine Wednesday evening! As always there’s a lot to talk about so let’s get to it!
Kris Statlander & Hikaru Shida vs. Nightmare Collective (Brandi Rhodes & Mel)
Practically ever since Kris Statlander made her debut in AEW, the Nightmare Collective have had their eye on her. They’ve been feverishly trying to recruit the mysterious alien lady from the Andromeda galaxy into their fold. But she’s had none of it, something that shone through quite a bit when they tried to help her win the AEW Women’s World Championship. Both Kris and Riho fought back against this, and when the numbers caught up with them, Hikaru Shida lended them a hand as well.
Now, Shida and Statlander will team up with each other for the first time to face this common foe. It’s not the only first however. This is also the in-ring debut of one of Brandi and Kong’s underlings. Though she just goes by Mel, her full name is Melanie Cruise, and she’s a 12-year veteran. She’s worked on and off with SHIMMER for her whole career and has also appeared for Impact at varying points. We saw her pledge her allegiance to the group when she volunteered her own hair as a sacrifice.
This is an interesting one to call, but… it’s the Collective’s first match as a group and they’ve been trying to make them look like major threats. I feel like before long one of their reps will be challenging Riho as well. I think we’re all curious as to what a Kong/Riho match would look like… so I’m picking the Nightmare Collective.
