AEW Collision results 07/15/23: FTR wins instant classic, Starks takes a shortcut

AEW Collision from Calgary also saw Willow Nightingale capture the Women’s Owen Hart Cup.

Calgary is usually best known for its stampede, but tonight it’s going to be the site of a collision. AEW Collision, to be precise, which is offering up a high stakes card for this mid-July Saturday evening.

Both the men’s and women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament winners will be decided. The former will see CM Punk take on Ricky Starks in a battle that should see Absolute as the fan favorite, while the latter sees Willow Nightingale, fresh off a scintillating victory over Athena, go up against Ruby Soho.

On top of those intriguing bouts, the AEW World Tag Team Championship is also on the line at the Saddledome. The Bullet Club Gold duo of Jay White and Juice Robinson earned their shot by defeating the champs. But outwitting FTR for one fall is one thing, and taking two of three falls from them is quite another — though that’s exactly what White and Robinson will have to do tonight if they want to walk away with the belts.

And speaking of belts, there are even more of them up for grabs after Collision as Battle of the Belts VII will offer up three additional championship matches. But you know, that’s a tale for a different time, or in this case, a different post.

Let’s focus on Collision first, shall we?

AEW Collision results from Calgary:

FTR def. Bullet Club Gold (Jay White and Juice Robinson) 2-1 in a 2 out of 3 falls match to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship

This one starts off very slowly with a ton of posturing and mind games. Bullet Club Gold gets the better of things during the first picture-in-picture segment, but the crowd is trying to will the champs into the lead.

Dax Harwood takes a rare shortcut with White in an abdominal stretch, using the ropes for leverage. The announcers put over Robinson’s patience as he works against Cash Wheeler, and White also looks good when he re-enters the fray.

The big question is who’s going to get the first fall as White and Harwood both end up down on the mat with their partners urging them to rise. FTR looks for the Shatter Machine, but Robinson foils it and White hits a Blade Runner to give the challengers a 1-0 lead.

The assumption is that FTR will get the second fall and take it to a third and decisive fall, but it’s Bullet Club Gold who controls most of the next bit of action. Wheeler fights heroically to make a hot tag to Dax, who unleashes on both of the challengers. He pulls off a cool spot when he back drops White while still being tied up with Robinson, but his brainbuster on Juice gets only a two count.

White is also in trouble shortly after but manages to kick out at two … and then again. The fans are legitimately in disbelief. The challengers turn the tables on FTR with a frog splash by Robinson and a cover by White, but Harwood kicks out at the very last second. That proves vital, as FTR hits the Shatter Machine, finally, and evens the score at 1-1.

After a commercial break, all four men are fighting on the outside, and White and Harwood take a tough spill over the barricade to the concrete floor. Wheeler and some officials go to check on them, but it appears all is well as they continue on.

FTR ends up suplexing both of their foes on the floor, where only thin mats are there to cushion the impact. All four men make it back into the ring for a face to face showdown as the fans shower them with applause.

Harwood looks like he’s in big trouble as White locks him in the Sharpshooter, much to the dismay of the Calgary crowd. He manages to make it to the bottom rope, however, to force a break. The ring announcer reveals there are only five minutes remaining.

The fans roar back to life again as both members of FTR have their foes in Sharpshooters, but Robinson and White reach out for each other and are able to break free. Juice, still legal, goes for Pulp Friction but ends up back in a Sharpshooter, and Harwood leans back super deep and manages to get the tapout. Fantastic stuff.

FTR offers handshakes after the bout, but instead of accepting them, White spits on the mat in front of the champs.

A hype video is shown for Blood and Guts, with clips from both The Golden Elite and Blackpool Combat Club.

Willow Nightingale def. Ruby Soho by pinfall to win the Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament final

Can Soho defeat Nightingale without cheating? We may never know, because that’s exactly what Ruby is trying to do. Willow does survive the No Future, barely, and at least the other Outcasts aren’t out there.

A Pounce sends the spray paint can flying, and Nightingale follows with a powerbomb to win the trophy and the belt that goes with it.

QT Marshall tries to convince Powerhouse Hobbs that he didn’t intentionally cost him a chance at the Owen Hart cup, but it remains to be seen what he’ll have to do to prove it.

Malakai Black and Brody King def. Randy Myers and Arty by pinfall

In what is otherwise a squash match, the most interesting thing to note is Andrade El Idolo coming out to watch right before Black wins the match with the Black Mass.

Ricky Starks def. CM Punk by pinfall to win the Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament final

Dueling chants break out for both men, sounding split about down the middle — though Punk certainly received more heels than boos while being introduced. Starks mocks some of Punk’s trademark mannerisms after getting the better of an early exchange, though Punk is able to hip toss him out to the floor.

After a commercial break, the fans sound more anti-Punk as he slowly takes control of the action. Starks is able to take advantage as Punk is too slow to come off the top rope, and we go side-by-side during ads again.

Simultaneous cross body attempts leave both men down and make it appear we’re headed toward a finish. They get to their knees and start slugging it out, with Starks hammering home forearm shots. But Punk is able to counter Starks with a piledriver, nearly winning it even though he’s slow to cover.

Starks is able to slide away from the Go to Sleep and hit a spear, but Punk rolls to the outside. Ricky’s next spear is countered into a guillotine, forcing Starks to stretch his foot to the ropes to break the hold.

A top rope hurricanrana for Punk leads to a trade of covers back and forth, but Starks grabs the ropes on one of them and get the three count.