It’s Saturday night, and you know what that means …
All Elite Wrestling returns from the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, TX. at 8/7c on TNT with this week’s episode of AEW Collision: Winter Is Coming.
On tap for tonight’s show is Diamante & Mercedes Martinez vs. Willow Nightingale & Kris Statlander in a women’s tag-team Street Fight, Orange Cassidy vs. Bryan Keith for the AEW International title, as well as Bryan Danielson vs. Brody King, Andrade El Idolo vs. Claudio Castagnoli and Eddie Kingston vs. Daniel Garcia in Blue League matches in the ongoing AEW Continental Classic Tournament.
Featured below are complete AEW Collision: Winter Is Coming results from Saturday, December 16, 2023. The following report was written by PWMania.com reporter Matt Boone (@MattBoone0709) as the show aired live from 8-10pm EST. on TNT.
AEW COLLISION: WINTER IS COMING RESULTS (12/16/2023)
The usual quick-hits talking heads segment opens the show, with competitors scheduled for action talking directly into the camera. We then shoot into the Elton John “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fightin'” theme and opening video and then we head inside the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, TX.
AEW Continental Classic Tournament
Claudio Castagnoli vs. Andrade El Idolo
Fireworks explode as Tony Schiavone welcomes us to the show as the camera pans the jam-packed building. The commentators run down the rules for Continental Classic Tournament bouts, with three Blue League bouts set for tonight. We get an updated look at the standings and then we head to the ring for our opening match of the show.
Dasha introduces the first competitor in this Continental Classic tourney opener. With that said, out comes Claudio Castagnoli of the Blackpool Combat Club. He settles in the ring and his entrance tune dies down. The theme for his opponent plays and out comes Andrade El Idolo to a big pop.
The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with this one. The commentators talk about the ruthlessness El Idolo showed in his match against Bryan Danielson in the tourney. Castagnoli goes to throw El Idolo through the ropes but he lands in between them and does a laying-down pose to boast. This backfires as Castagnoli goes to work on him regardless.
El Idolo fights back and looks for a figure four on Claudio, who counters and tries reversing into his giant swing. El Idolo sees it coming and rolls out of the ring. Back in the ring, El Idolo takes back over on Castagnoli. He knocks him to the floor and goes to dive out onto him but dives onto a European uppercut from Claudio on the way down.
As Castagnoli takes back over control of the offense in the ring, we head into a mid-match commercial break. When we return, we see Andrade fight into the lead, but not for long, as Claudio gets him in the giant swing. After swinging him forever, El Idolo escapes and locks a sharp shooter and then a figure four on Castagnoli, who eventually makes it to the ropes.
The two continue to fight and they both head up to the top-rope. El Idolo ends up hitting an avalanche code red into a super close pin attempt. Claudio kicks out and the action continues with the fans chant El Idolo’s name. He runs and blasts Claudio with double knees in the corner. He goes for another cover but again only gets two.
Claudio hits a super-plex off the top rope and hangs on, going for a follow-up suplex but El Idolo reverses and turns it into a three amigos for himself. Claudio ends up uppercutting his way out of the third one before El Idolo connects. Claudio hurts El Idolo in an exposed turnbuckle connector in the corner. As the ref deals with that, Claudio blatantly hits El Idolo low and picks up the win.
Winner: Claudio Castagnoli
Abadon vs. Jazmin Allure
We see a video package hyping up Jon Moxley vs. Swerve Strickland for next week’s Holiday Bash episode of AEW Dynamite and then we return inside the arena where Abadon’s theme hits. The AEW women’s contender makes her way down to the ring.
Already in the ring is her opponent for this week’s show, Jazmin Allure. The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with this one. Abadon immediately goes to work on Allure, taking her to the mat and pounding her out before picking her up for a twisting slam.
After hitting another two moves, she connects with her finisher and follows that up with the pin fall for a very quick victory.
Winner: Abadon
Thunder Rosa Helps Abadon With Skye Blue & Julia Hart
After the match, the lights go out. When they come back on, TBS Women’s Champion Julia Hart is in the ring. She lays the title on the ground and Abadon dives over it and spears Hart.
Hart fights back. Abadon blasts Hart with a running knee. She stands up and turns around to see Skye Blue behind her. Skye beats Abadon down and Hart joins in to help her. Thunder Rosa makes her surprise return and helps Abadon beat down Hart and Skye. The fans chant “Welcome back!” at Rosa.
The Acclaimed Accept Action Andretti & Top Flight’s Challenge
When we return from another commercial break, we see Renee Paquette standing backstage with The Acclaimed and Daddy Ass. They say whoever is behind The Devil’s mask, they’re coming for them. Max Caster says he doesn’t want anything to do with MJF anymore because he didn’t care what happened.
After they go to wrap up, up comes Action Andretti and Top Flight. They talk about their recent impressive wins in Trios action and make it clear that they want a shot at the Trios titles. Anthony Bowens accepts the challenge for next week’s Collision.
AEW International Championship
Orange Cassidy (C) vs. Bryan Keith
Back inside the arena, Orange Cassidy’s theme hits and out comes “The Freshly Squeezed” one for the latest defense of his AEW International Championship. He settles in the ring with the title in his trademark book bag. He pulls it out for a big pop and his theme dies down.
The theme for his opponent plays and out comes “The Bounty Hunter” Bryan Keith to a pretty big pop of his own. The Texas native makes his way down to the ring as highlights are shown of him at ROH Final Battle 2023 last night.
The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with our lone scheduled championship contest here on this week’s special “Winter Is Coming” episode of AEW Collision. The fans are making a ton of noise at the onset for this one, and they appear strongly behind Keith.
After some initial back-and-forth action, we shift gears and head into a mid-match commercial break with Keith in the offensive lead. When we return, Cassidy fires back up on offense. He hits a Beach Break but Keith kicks out. Cassidy does a unique pin and gets the three. After the match, Keith tips the cap to Cassidy in a sign of respect.
Winner and STILL AEW International Champion: Orange Cassidy
The Latest Word From The Redeemer
We get a new message from “The Redeemer” Miro, who vows he is done trying to avoid fighting everyone to please his wife, CJ Perry. He says he doesn’t want to kick Andrade El Idolo’s ass because he’s his wife’s client, he wants to kick it because he’s an assh*le. “This is the word of The Redeemer,” he says to close out the video package.
Roderick Strong Has Found A Victim In Komander
When we return, Lexy Nair is backstage with Komander. As she praises him for his performance on Rampage and Final Battle, up comes Roderick Strong yelling “KOMANDER!” He and The Kingdom tell Komander he’s looking to get back on the horse. He says he’s found his first victim in Komander.
FTR Address The House Of Black
FTR’s theme hits back inside the arena and out come a very banged up Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler. The commentators talk about their swollen eyes and stitches after a very hard fought battle at ROH Final Battle 2023 in this same building last night.
Cash Wheeler starts on the mic and address their ongoing issues with The House of Black. He says if they have something to say, no more turning the lights out, just come down like men. He asks if they’re jealous of Brody King’s performance in the Continental Classic or Julia Hart’s run as the TBS Women’s Champion.
Dax Harwood talks next about having no issues fighting anyone face to face. He says he does have issues with sucker punches. He then calls out The House of Black and the lights go out. Malakai Black and Buddy Matthews appear on the big screen and talk about how no one in the back has FTR’s back.
The House Of Black say everyone might love Dax, but they ask Cash who loves him. He says they love him. They love and welcome both of them. Malakai Black talks about how it hurts them to prove a point so aggressively. The House of Black asks FTR who came to save them when they attacked them. No one. They said they didn’t lie.
Malakai Black talks about having a picture of him, his wife and his daughter. He shows the photo of Dax and his family and sets it on fire. Dax and Cash run out of the ring and to the back. The House of Black say like it or not, we’re your family now.
Keith Lee Says Shane Taylor Is Not “Him”
We see a video package of Keith Lee talking about “him” in the build-up to his match with Shane Taylor at ROH Final Battle 2023. His post-match interview with Lexy Nair is shown where Lee simply states that Shane Taylor was not, in fact, “him.” The commentators question if Shane Taylor wasn’t “him,” who is.
Texas Street Fight
Willow Nightingale & Kris Statlander vs. Mercedes Martinez & Diamante
Back inside the arena, out comes Willow Nightingale and former TBS Women’s Champion Kris Statlander in suits like the characters in Pulp Fiction. They settle in the ring for this Texas Street Fight, with the ring surrounded by weapons.
The theme for their opponents hits and out comes Mercedes Martinez and Diamante with weapons in-hand. They settle in the ring, the bell sounds and all four start brawling with weapons. A bottle is broken over Willow’s head at ringside and now Statlander is left to duke it out with the two opponents by herself.
Adam Copeland Issues Worlds End Challenge To Christian Cage
Renee Paquette interviews Mariah May about her in-ring debut, which she wants “Timeless” Toni Storm to commentate. After that, we shoot to a special message from Adam Copeland, who challenges Christian Cage to a No DQ match for the TNT title at AEW Worlds End 2023.
Brian Cage vs. Doug Kerry
Now we return back inside the arena where “The Machine” Brian Cage is introduced. He makes his way down to the ring where his opponent, who I believe they called Doug Kerry, is already in the ring. The bell sounds and we’re off-and-running with this one.
Cage immediately runs over his opponent as soon as the bell sounds. He hoists him up and starts curling him like weights before slamming him down. Seconds later, he finishes this quick squash match off with an easy victory.
Winner: Brian Cage
AEW Continental Classic Tournament
Eddie Kingston vs. Daniel Garcia
We head to another commercial break after the Brian Cage match. When we return, Lexy Nair is backstage with “The Machine,” who talks about retaining the six man titles at ROH Final Battle 2023. The rest of The Mogul Embassy are with him and they talk about how Swerve Strickland is going to win the Continental Classic.
After they all walk off, Keith Lee stops Brian Cage. He congratulates him on his own. He says to celebrate, you can tell him my patience runs thin and time is running out.
Back inside the arena, Eddie Kingston’s theme music hits and out comes “The Mad King,” who must win tonight to avoid losing his ROH World and NJPW STRONG Openweight Championships. He settles in the ring for this Blue League bout in the Continental Classic tourney.
Out next is Kingston’s opponent, the sports entertainer turned pro wrestler turned both, Daniel Garcia. He does his little dance for a cheap pop as he settles in the ring. Matt Menard joins the gang on special guest commentary for this one. The bell sounds and we’re off-and-running.
We see some back-and-forth chops from both guys and then Kingston takes over and settles into the early offensive lead. On that note, we shift gears and head into a mid-match commercial break as this tourney tilt continues.
When we return, we see Kingston rapid-fire chopping the crap out of Garcia in the corner. Garcia slumps down but defiantly continues to do his little dance even though he can barely move. Kingston connects with his spinning back fist to pick up the win. Matt Menard looks super upset on commentary afterwards. We head to another break.
Winner: Eddie Kingston
AEW Continental Classic Tournament
Bryan Danielson vs. Brody King
It’s main event time!
When we return, Dasha Gonzalez introduces Bryan Danielson as the theme for “The American Dragon” plays and the Blackpool Combat Club member comes out with his protective eye patch on ready for action. He settles inside the squared circle to a big pop and his theme music dies down.
Now we hear the familiar sounds of the theme music for The House of Black member Brody King, who makes his way out to the ring by himself per the rules of the tourney. He settles in the ring as well and his entrance tune fades off. The bell sounds and we’re officially off-and-running with our final match of the evening.
Early on we see the much larger Brody King taking it to Danielson and blasting him with rough elbows in the corner. He pulls the eye protector down like Andrade El Idolo did last week and he goes to work focusing his attack on the injured eye of the BCC member.
He hits a big running canon ball splash on Danielson in the corner. Danielson exits the ring and grabs his eye and runs around in pain as the ref checks on him. King goes out after him and blasts his head into the commentary table over and over again. As The House of Black member continues to pummel Danielson, we head into a mid-match commercial break.
As we settle back in from our final commercial time out of the evening, we see that Danielson’s injured eye has been busted open and is bleeding. King hits a big Bossman slam off the ropes on Danielson for a close near fall, however Danielson kicks out and keeps this one going. King goes back to work on Danielson on the floor.
While at ringside, Danielson catches a second wind. He drop toe-holds King into the barricade as the big man charged at him full speed ahead. He runs and jumps off the apron and blasts King with a flying knee on the way down. Danielson connects with a top-rope missile drop kick in the ring and then blasts King with repeated “Yes!” kicks.
Bryan takes Brody up to the top-rope for a high spot, but King fights back and has Danielson on the rope when he leaps off with a flying clothesline. Fans chant “Brody! Brody!” as he settles back into another offensive lead. Danielson trips up King and locks him in a leg submission out of nowhere. He doesn’t finish it there, however.
Danielson continues to work over King and after another big spot, he goes for a cover but somehow King kicks out after only a count of one. King fights back again and now Danielson is barely hanging on. Danielson goes for a roll-up out of nowhere but King kicks out. Danielson pops up and blasts King with his running knee three times in a row for the win. Great main event.
Winner: Bryan Danielson
