There was a recap of what happened last week with Darby beating MJF for the World Championship.

MJF’s music plays and he storms to the ring in his gear, he says to cut his music. He calls Darby a paper champion, demands respect from the fans and says last week was the Seattle Screwjob. He says the ref fast counted last week and both his shoulders were up, he says Darby Allin is a dirty little cheat. He questions the fans (calling them shitheads) as to whether they think Darby can beat MJF when he’s at 100%. He says he’s the most complete wrestler in this sport, he made sure Hangman Page could never be World Champion ever again, he says he’s the one who kicked out of the One Winged Angel, he says he’s the best pro wrestler in the world. MJF says he doesn’t give a shit about Darby wrestling Tomasso Ciampa in the main event, he wants Darby to give him back his World Title right now.

“The Jet” Kevin Knight’s music plays and he comes out, much to the disbelief of MJF. Knight says different city, same old Max whining like a little bitch. The crowd chanted Little Bitch. Knight says the jet just landed and it’s about to get real, he says before Max gets to hating he says be honest, don’t the Jet look clean with a new title around his waist. He says he had MJF beaten a few weeks ago for an eternity, and he should be Jet2Belts right now. MJF says what an eloquent speaker Kevin Knight is, he says let’s go over everything, MJF says he beat Knight with a Heatseeker for an easy W. MJF says if anyone should be World Champion it’s him and him alone. He says give it up for the new TNT champion, he says what a cute little title that is, and the TNT title fits him as an average guy. He says Knight will never be World Champion and he should know better than to step into his ring and breath in his air. Knight says if MJF keeps running his mouth he’s going to have to slap his big nose off his face and says he’s fibbing, he says anyone can see that he is an absolute goldmine. Some of the best wrestlers in the world have held the TNT title and it’s no coincidence that MJF has never held it before. Someone like MJF who’s had everything handed to him, how about The Jet hands him an ass whooping. Kick his ass chants from the fans. MJF tells the fans to shut up, he says Kevin wants to wrestle him, what does he get from this, he’s already beaten him. He says Knight made him want the TNT title a little, he says Knight is proud to be champion he wants to take that pride and turn it into depression. MJF says if Knight wants to wrestle MJF he needs to put the TNT title on the line. Knight says Hell Yeah let’s do it, he’s always ready. MJF yells for a referee. Bryce Remsburg runs down and holds the belt up, but before they can ring the bell MJF rolls to the outside, and says Knight can dance with the devil next week and the fans boo as his music plays.

Commentary plug tonight’s main event Darby Allin vs Tomasso Ciampa for the World Title.

Backstage Renee Paquette is with The Demand and Jericho. Apparently on Collision there will be a 6-man Tag match, Renee asks Jericho if he knows who his partners are going to be, Ricochet interrupts and says of course he doesn’t know. Bishop Kaun says Jericho doesn’t have any friends. Toa Liona says he burnt all his bridges. Ricochet says no one will team with him because his new gimmick is him getting his ass kicked every week by The Demand. Jericho says Ricochet can’t say that, because he’s already made a t-shirt with that saying on it and shows it off. Ricochet says he can steal his ideas but on Collision they are going to steal his dignity. Jericho says he doesn’t need to find someone who likes him, he just needs to find someone who doesn’t like Ricochet and calls him a bald prick.

Brody King vs. “Black Heart” Lio Rush. Is Lio Rush’s gimmick Golem? Brody missed a splash in the guard rail, Lio Rush jumped off the commentary table but was caught by Brody then slipped out and pushed Brody into the ring post, then into the guard rail and gouged his eyes. He tries a suicide dive but Brody chokeslammed him on the apron to regain control. Rush hit a tope suicida and then a diving crossbody off the top. Back in the ring, he gets a Frog Splash for a one count. Brody with a Side walk slam and a Cannonball in the corner, he follows it up with the Gonzo Bomb for the win. Winner: Brody King. Post-match Brody gets the mic, he says he’s going to keep a close eye on the World Title match in the main event, he says he is so proud of Darby but not proud enough to not bring the violence to him.

Backstage Renee Paquette talks to Tomasso Ciampa. Ciampa says during his career he’s always been told what he’s not, he says tonight is all about professional wrestling, he says you have never seen a man more prepared than he is for his moment. He asks her to ask Darby Allin if he wants this more than he needs it.

Backstage Adam Copeland cuts a promo and challenges FTR to give him and Christian another tag team title shot, he says he thinks he’s got an idea that FTR can’t refuse, he says he wants a New York Streetfight at Double or Nothing, he says if they lose then they retire as a tag team. He says FTR needs to prove they are better than C&C. I don’t think they do, but here we are.

Hikaru Shida vs. Mina Shirakawa. Statlander accompanies Shida to the ring, they show a picture in picture promo from Shida earlier in the day, she says may the best jockey win. To say AEW has a roster full of characters would be a massive understatement. Here’s another one as Mina dances on the stage to her music. Shida applauds her as she makes her entrance. Shida offers her hand for a handshake but Mina refuses it at the start. Nigel brings up on commentary that in the locker room where Toni Storm was taken out, there was a kendo stick which may point towards Hikaru Shida being the culprit. Excalibur says there were a lot of items in that room. Both women exchanged a series of near falls, Shida gets the advantage with a running knee. Then hit a rising knee strike on the outside. Back in, Shida sits on her chest for a pin cover and gets a 2 count. Excalibur says it was a disrespectful cover. Shida begins to dominate but also shows disrespect to Mina. Shida with a Tilt a whirl backbreaker for a 2 count. On commentary Nigel accuses Tony Schiavone as the perpetrator of the Toni Storm attack, saying after Toni rejected him for the 100th time his anger got the better of him. Excalibur says he brings up a good point. This was unsurprisingly during the ad break. Mina made a comeback, hit a dragon screw in the ropes and a Tornillo splash over the top for a 2 count. Mina worked over Shida’s knee and then went for a Figure 4 but Shida fought out and they went to the outside. Mina went for the knee again but Shida countered into a headscissors that launched Mina into the steps. Shida lifted Mina up on her shoulders in a fire man’s carry and walked up the steps with her, then hit a Dude Buster like manoeuvre on the apron, Shida complained about her knee, then came off the top with the Meteora but Mina got the shoulder up at 2. Shida hit a knee for another 2. Mina came back with a rolling elbow and both women were down. AEW chant from the fans. An exchange of strikes from both women and Mina hit a Shotgun dropkick off the top, then a Slingblade off the top for a 2 count. Mina put her in the figure 4 in the middle of the ring. Shida made it to the ropes, Mina argued with the referee, meanwhile Shida was crawling toward the corner where her Kendo stick was, Mina took the stick and went to use it but Statlander got up on the apron and took it from her, causing a distraction. Shida hit a jumping knee and a Falcon Arrow for the 3 count. Winner: Hikaru Shida. Post-match, Statlander looked a bit confused about the result. Shida hugged Statlander after the match and Statlander raised her arm in victory.

They plug Okada vs. Takeshita for the International Championship at Double or Nothing. Okada video package where he says Takeshita won’t reach the top because he’s standing in his way.

They show The Dogs taking out the Young Bucks and the Rascalz on Collision last week. Now this week on Collision it will be a 10 man tag team match: The Young Bucks & The Rascalz vs. The Dogs & Death Riders (Yuta, Claudio & Garcia)

Will Ospreay vs. Mark Davis. Excalibur says Ospreay was barely cleared for this match tonight. He still has the trainer tape over his neck, left shoulder and left arm. Mark Davis is accompanied by Don Callis who joins commentary. Fast start where Davis overpowers  Ospreay, Excalibur says Ospreay opened his house up to Davis during the pandemic and Davis stayed with him, and this is how he repays Ospreay. Don says how was that a good thing, he says who wants to stay at Will Ospreay’s house; a bunch of nerds watching pro wrestling, kids running around. Nigel says he’s been to Essex and he concurs. Ospreay dropkicks the steps into Davis and leaps off the steps with a rana. Don says the doctors should have cut Ospreay’s head off instead of fixing his neck. Tony plugs Samoa Joe will be back in action tonight. Back in the ring, Davis regains control and sends Ospreay to the outside and Davis tries to Powerbomb Ospreay on the stage but Ospreay fights back and does a running front flip dive onto Davis. Nigel says Ospreay has cat-like agility. Ospreay tried to run around ringside but Davis lifted him up and dropped him on the apron, then hit a scoop slam and a senton splash. Back in the ring, Davis puts an abdominal stretch on Ospreay. Hangman Neckbreaker off the top rope from Davis to Ospreay for a near fall. Ospreay hit a hand spring kick for a double down. Diving Forearm off the top from Ospreay for a near fall. Ospreay signals for the Hidden Blade but Davis blocked, Davis hit a lariat and a slam for a 2 count. Ospreay with a Spanish fly for a 2 count. “This is Awesome” chant from the fans. Davis blocked an Os-cutter and hit three Back Drop Drivers for a near fall. Davis says to the camera “we’re done” he hits an Enziguri, went for a running lariat but Ospreay got a Hidden Blade, slow cover gets him a 2 count only. The crowd are chanting for Ospreay, who runs into a clothesline. Piledriver by Davis and Ospreay gets his foot on the ropes. Don Callis goes mad arguing with the referee and offers him his glasses. Davis hits another Piledriver on the apron, the fans chant Holy Shit as the doctor checks on Ospreay. Callis is back on commentary and says the doctor needs to retire Ospreay. The doctor stops the match and Mark Davis is declared the winner. Winner: Mark Davis. Nigel says the doctor has protected Ospreay. Davis then drags Ospreay back in the ring, Tony says they are trying to end Ospreay’s career. Davis lifts Ospreay up for another piledriver and Marina Shafir is on the apron, Jon Moxley gets in the ring, and the rest of the Death Riders surround the ring. Davis still has Ospreay up for the Piledriver, the fans chant “You fucked up” and Davis puts Ospreay down and retreats. Nigel questions what this means for Ospreay. The Death Riders take Ospreay away through the crowd. Is Jon Moxley going to rebuild Ospreay?

Backstage Renee is with Alex Windsor, she says Windsor lost to Thekla last week and her tag team partner Jamie Hayter hasn’t been cleared since she lost to Thekla. Windsor says they aren’t done with Thekla and she’s going to rip all of her spider legs off, she says her triangle teammates are lucky that Jamie isn’t there or they’d stomp them into a puddle of piss. Persephone then interrupts and says she isn’t a brawling bird but she would gladly team with her against the Triangle people. Windsor makes a tag team challenge for Collision and asks Persephone to say something about urinating in Spanish. Shouldn’t she be worried about what The Death Riders are doing with her husband?

Samoa Joe comes out to lots of fire pyro. His opponent is Cody Chung? A squash match on Dynamite, who’d have thunk it. This Cody fella has Gold tights and tries to chain wrestle with Joe, who takes him over with a fireman's carry and an arm bar, then repeatedly headbutts his wrist. Joe overpowers Cody with a back elbow, and a series of jabs, goes for a Muscle Buster but Cody rakes his eyes, they do the Nope spot and Joe hits the Muscle Buster for the 3 count. Joe takes his towel and leaves. On the stage Hook applauds him and they fist bump.

Darby Allin video package complete with his craziest stunts, climbing Mount Everest and winning the World title. 

Backstage Renee is with Jericho and The Hurt Syndicate leave his locker room. MVP says it’s never personal, it’s just business. So Jericho has them as his tag partners on Collision against The Demand.

In the ring, Tony Schiavone welcomes “the new AEW Champion of the World Darby Allin”. The crowd chant Darby as he walks to the ring carrying the World Championship. Darby puts the title on the mat in the centre of the ring, then hugs Tony. He takes the mic, gets on his knees, and the fans chant “You Deserve It”. Darby looks despondent, he gets to his feet and says this title took everything, he says he had his first ever match right there in Portland. He says all of this could end in minutes when Tomasso Ciampa comes out here. He says he has seen what this championship has done to other people, he says this is for all of the people who have helped him through his life. He says “when this 15 minute ride is over he wants to know who he’s looking at in the mirror”. MJF interrupts shouting “No, no, no” he says Darby doesn’t deserve shit, he says for this pipsqueak to give him his title belt back, Darby says No. MJF says give him his rematch right now, Darby says No. Darby says MJF needs to put something on the line to get his rematch, he says everyone else in the back deserves a shot but not MJF. He says every week he is going to put his body on the line, and calls out Tomasso Ciampa for the main event match. Interestingly, we have 23 minutes left of the show. What a difference a week makes for a World Title match eh? Ciampa’s music plays and he walks out onto the stage, MJF gets in his face on the stage and yells at him and Ciampa kisses him on the cheek in response.  

AEW World Championship: Darby Allin © vs. Tomasso Ciampa. Darby hit a dropkick and immediately went to finish it early with a Coffin Drop but Ciampa rolled to the outside, Darby went to another turnbuckle and came off with a Coffin Drop to a standing Ciampa on the outside. Tony says Yikes on commentary after that one. Indeed. Darby rolled Ciampa back in, but Ciampa went for the Draping DDT which Nigel called Widow’s Bell, Darby dropped down to the floor and Ciampa kicked Darby away and Darby hit the back of his head on the commentary table, and Nigel winced on commentary. Ciampa tosses Darby into the guard rail. Ciampa with a Gordbuster on the guard rail and a running knee. It sounded like there were duelling chants from the fans. Ciampa rolls Darby back in the ring, stomps on his hand. Darby tries to fight back and Ciampa throws him to the outside and then hits a running knee strike when Darby gets up on the apron. Ciampa pats himself on the back. Ciampa lifts the ring apron up and slingshots Darby up into the frame of the ring and Darby’s face looks like it collided with the metal beam. Darby rolls around ringside as we see a replay, Ciampa tosses Darby into the guard rail again, but misses a running boot. Darby goes up to the top turnbuckle, stands on the top of the ring post and comes off with a Crossbody onto Ciampa and through the timekeeper’s table. Darby climbs up on the commentary table and lies on it to rest, as we get both “Holy Shit” and “AEW” chants. Darby rolls back in and referee Bryce Remsburg begins to count Ciampa out. Ciampa is bleeding from the head and Darby wipes him out with his crazy dive and both men hit the commentary table on impact. The crowd chanted “This is Awesome”. Darby goes up top for a Coffin Drop but the referee is in the way checking on Ciampa, Ciampa then crotches Darby and lays in a series of stomps. Ciampa is bleeding badly. Ciampa grabs Darby from behind in a reverse DDT position but Darby counters up and over and tries for the Scorpion Death Drop, Ciampa holds on to the turnbuckle, Darby hits the move and Ciampa rips the top turnbuckle cover off in the process. Darby goes up for a Coffin Drop but Ciampa rolls out of the way and onto the ring apron. Darby goes up top and Ciampa crotches him again. Ciampa’s body is covered in his blood, he delivers a series of hard chops to Darby on the top, lifts him up and hits an Air Raid Crash which Nigel calls the Psycho Driller off the second turnbuckle and to the floor. Ciampa sells his left thigh upon impact as if he’s legit in pain, the ref asks him if he wants to stop the match but Ciampa says no, he seems to be struggling though. Duelling “Let’s go Darby, Let’s go Ciampa” chants from the fans. 

Ciampa rolls Darby in, covers him but Darby gets his foot on the rope. Ciampa chops Darby who tries to fight back and they exchange chops, both men come off the ropes and they collide heads for a double down. Both men exchange strikes, Ciampa gets the better and repeatedly chops Darby in the corner. He misses a charge in the corner, puts the brakes on from hitting the exposed turnbuckle, Ciampa goes for a slingshot but Darby climbs up onto the second turnbuckle and comes back with a double stomp. Darby gets flipped over and lands face first on the mat, Ciampa with a running knee but Darby gets up and has a Code Red for a near fall. “This is Awesome” chant from the fans. Darby crawls to the corner, starts to climb up, goes for a Coffin Drop but Ciampa catches him with a Sleeper with body scissors, Darby manages to bridge back into a pin for a 2, Darby charges at Ciampa who sidesteps him and Darby hits the back of his head on the exposed turnbuckle. Ciampa pulls his knee pad down for the running knee strike and delivers for a 2 count. Commentary put over that they thought Ciampa was going to win. Ciampa with Project Ciampa and signals for another knee strike which he delivers but again Darby gets out at 2. Ciampa is in shock and the fans chant “Fight Forever”. Ciampa goes for a Scorpion Deathlock but Darby gets out and applies his own on Ciampa, he pulls him back to the middle of the ring and sits down on him. Ciampa desperately tries to get to the ropes but eventually taps out. Winner: Darby Allin © Both men are still entangled on the mat after the match. Neither men look like winners here, both men start to get up at the same time, Darby offers his hand to Ciampa and Ciampa accepts it, and puts the World title over Darby’s shoulder to cheers. The ref lifts his arm in victory and Ciampa applauds. Out comes Brody King with a microphone, he offers his hand to Darby and pulls him up. He says he’s serious about respecting Darby, he’s spoken to Tony Khan and if Darby agrees it will be Brody King vs Darby Allin next week on Dynamite for the World Championship. Darby shakes his hand.

Lio Rush is still in search of his precious

Well what a truly wonderful show this was. I thought from top to bottom it was pretty great. I'm interested in seeing what they do with MJF and Kevin Knight for the TNT Championship.

The main event was a very good match, Darby will always be Darby with the risky stuff, but it was nice to see him win with a submission, I think that's something they need to push, and build up the Scorpion Deathlock as a genuine match winning move he can pull out when needed. Even if he did illegally grab the rope to reposition himself right before Ciampa tapped. I'm a Brody King fan so next week will be fun.

I think it's interesting to see what direction they take the Ospreay/Moxley stuff. Moxley is still the most captivating person in wrestling, he deserves so much credit for being the most entertaining guy in the business.

I like the Hikaru Shida stuff, I think it's great. The women are really doing some fantastic work, they deserve some credit.

I'd never seen Lio Rush's latest gimmick, but man does he put the effort in. It's a freaky gimmick but it's one of those things that's on the edge of being disturbing, but you want to see more of it. Very well done.

On the subject of Edge, I don't really care for Cope & Cage vs. FTR again. 

Speaking of leg ends, I think they have booked Jericho's comeback wonderfully, putting him with The Hurt Syndicate is a good shout. Especially as they have a bit of history with GOA and Ricochet too.

I genuinely enjoyed the show, and can't think of a bad thing on it. Looking forward to next week. I may catch Collision on the weekend, we shall see.