Collision Course - Collision recap for September 2, 2023

The show begins with an announcement from Tony Khan. Tony Khan announces that today, he had to make the toughest decision of his career and that he has terminated Phil Brooks, also known as CM Punk, for cause. He says that this stems from a backstage incident at All In last Sunday, and declares that the incident was regrettable and endangered people backstage, including production staff who had nothing to do with it. Tony Khan says he has been going to wrestling shows for over thirty years and has been producing them for nearly four years, and that he has never - until that time - felt that his security, his safety and his life was in danger at a wrestling show. He says that he does not think anybody should feel that way at work, including the people that he works with, and he has made the difficult choice today at the recommendation of a discipline committee in AEW as well as outside legal counsel who delivered a unanimous recommendation. Tony Khan announces that he has followed up on that recommendation, and apologizes to anyone who is upset by this, including the fans, and states that despite this, there will be a great night on Collision tonight and a great pay-per-view at All Out tomorrow night. He declares last weekend and the last week to be the greatest in AEW history, and that the great momentum will continue here tonight on Collision and tomorrow night at All Out.

Tony Schiavone interviews "Absolute" Ricky Starks and Big Bill in the ring. Starks says he finds himself back at square one, for every time he has climbed up the hill, he gets dragged back down, but he always gets better. He says that he always overcomes the obstacle and gets better, but he is so tired of having to start over. He says he does it because he shows up and shows out every single time, and no matter how many times people try to suck the life out of him or use him for all he is worth, it never works, because you cannot put a lid on a boiling pot, for it will overflow. Ricky Starks then thanks Big Bill for overcoming obstacles and coming back better like he has, and says he believes in Bill and that he believes in himself. Starks says he is tired and frustrating, and while there are so many things he could say, he is a man and he will do what he needs to do. He says that he watched All In from home all because he whipped Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat and that he will be damned if he lets another opportunity slip through his hands and that he is challenging Steamboat to a strap match at All Out. He hopes that Steamboat will see things from his perspective one day and why he did what he did, but until then, he is not letting another moment pass him by tomorrow night and that he is calling his shot tonight and allowing Steamboat to call his. Steamboat shows up and says he has complained not once on social media about what happened between them four weeks ago, and yet he has heard about Starks' no-disqualification strap match challenge. He says that Starks has game and can perform in the ring when he really wants to, then produces a contract - with Ricky Steamboat mentioned on the contract as just "The Dragon" - for the match that both of them can sign so that "the pen can talk, but not the mouth." Starks signs the contract, then says that everyone may know him as "The Dragon," they also know another man: "The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson. The crowd chants "You fucked up" at Starks as Starks says it should be Steamboat signing, then Danielson signs the contract and has a staredown with Starks. Starks says that if this is the bed that he lays, then he guesses he should make himself comfortable. Steamboat says they just wanted to make sure he got what he wanted, and that Starks has his strap match. Starks storms out of the ring and leaves with Big Bill as Danielson celebrates with Steamboat in the ring.

We hear from Jon Moxley, who says to beat the rock upon which the waves crash and even the raiging seas fall still around you. He uses this as a comparison to Orange Cassidy as AEW International Champion, calling him "the game that no one can checkmate," "the puzzle that 31 men before him have failed to solve." He says Orange Cassidy would never win matches like those in the major leagues, much less in indy feds, and asks who Orange is pretending to be. He says this has been a long time coming, for he won the first round by forfeit and that is all he is going to get. He says that when one has fought at his level, there is always another championship and another big show as one win and loses against the best, yet there is always tomorrow and always another chance, yet tomorrow is once-in-a-lifetime because Orange is on the run of his life. He says that he can tell when he has won before the bell even rings and that he can smell B.S. from a mile away and know the real thing when he sees it, and Orange looks a lot like the real thing. He says that one way or another, they are going to find out on Sunday. He says that he is a technician of the highest order and that he will not target any specific body part when he will target his soul, his heart, his guts, his conditioning, his endurance both physical and mental and his will to win, survive and even be here. Moxley says a lot of guys want to be perceived as great wrestlers but look for a way out when it gets hard, and he wants to know if Orange will look for a way out when it gets hard. He says a lot of people believe in Orange Cassidy, and at All Out, he had better not disappoint them.

The Acclaimed ("Platinum" Max Caster, Anthony Bowens, "Daddy Ass" Billy Gunn) retain the AEW World Trios Championships against Daniel Garcia, "Daddy Magic" Matt Menard and "Cool Hand" Angelo Parker.

Backstage, Lexy Nair interviews The Dark Order (Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds, John Silver). Silver says Adam Cole used to be their friend, but they threw it away to team with MJF. Reynolds says he helped MJF to become a pro wrestler and told him that if he wanted to succeed, he would have to do whatever it took to win, and he has and he cannot be prouder of him. He then says that only one of them took that advice, but tomorrow night, all that changes, as they need the Ring of Hnor tag team titles more than MJF and Adam Cole do and that they will do whatever it takes to win because they have to.

Backstage, Tony Schiavone interviews "Absolute" Ricky Starks and Big Bill. Starks says that once again, every obstacle they throw his way, he knocks out of the park, and that tomorrow will be no different when he says who he says he is.

Aussie Open (Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis) beat Komander and Nick Wayne. After the match, Tony Schiavone interviews Nick Wayne, who says that while he is frustrating about losing tonight, he is more frustrated about Darby Allin forgiving AR Fox. Darby shows up and says he has known Nick says he was eight years old and that they have been so much, and that he was trained by Nick's father Buddy Wayne. As for why he forgave AR Fox, he mentions what happened between him and Buddy Wayne and how he never talked to him or anyone in his family for three years and how Buddy's passing caused him to be unable to mend fences with him, leaving him to live with his decisions for the rest of his life. Darby says he wishes he could have made things right, then mentions that AR Fox was one of his trainers and that he had to let the hate go, which is why he forgave him. He asks Nick Wayne to find it in his heart to let it go, then says that at All Out, he will be fighting for the TNT Championship, and it would be an honor for Nick Wayne to be in his corner for the match. Luchasaurus and Christian Cage show up, and Christian says it was rude of him to speak so much about Nick's father when he forgot to ask what his mother's name is. He says he could not help but notice her sitting at ringside, then says he should slide into her DM's and see if he can change that. He then mentions Darby's strained relationship with the Wayne family and calls Nick "[Darby's] personal pity project" and an attempt to justify that he is a decent human being, then says Darby should take after him as he does not pretend to be something he is not. He says that the people of Chicago, Illinois can smell a loser a mile away and that Darby is a loser of life. He also tells Nick Wayne to carry a towel to the ring tomorrow, as he will need it to stop the match when it becomes a one-sided massacre at the hands of Luchasaurus.

Backstage, we hear from Wheeler Yuta and Claudio Castagnoli. He congratulates Eddie Kingston on beating Wheeler Yuta after returning from Japan before uppercutting Wheeler and saying that he and Jon Moxley keep beating Wheeler Yuta every week and that Wheeler Yuta keeps getting back up and taking it without complaining. Claudio says he thought Eddie would come back a better man from Japan, then says that he did not, and he says that he thought he could not lose any more respect for Eddie until Eddie proved him wrong. We then hear from Eddie Kingston and Katsuyori Shibata, who tells Claudio and Wheeler that they will have to deal with them at All Out. He says Claudio does not want to face him again and that he can see it just by looking at him, then Shibata uses his phone to tell Claudio and Wheeler "You both suck."

Backstage, Lexy Nair interviews Saraya and Ruby Soho. Saraya talks about how she won in front of all of her countrymen and how she can smell everyone in America from a distance before stating she will walk out of All Out as the AEW Women's World Championship. Ruby Soho says that Kris Statlander has never been able to beat her since she arrived in All Elite Wrestling, and says that The Outcasts (Saraya, Toni Storm, Ruby Soho) are the most dominant faction in all of professional wrestling and will prove it by walking out with two titles. They then refuse to talk about Toni Storm, with Ruby saying that Toni will be fine - even though she saw her in the parking lot half-naked throwing shoes at birds - and that they will drop "the homegrowns" like they have been doing before leaving tomorrow night as TBS Champion.

Tony Schiavone interviews Dennis Rodman in the ring. Before Schiavone can find out what Rodman is doing in AEW, Jeff Jarrett, Karren Jarrett, Sonjay Dutt, Jay Lethal and Satnman Singh show up. Jeff Jarrett forces Schiavone out of the ring so that he can make a deal, then says it is great for all the legend to be out in Chicago, Illinois tonight. Jarrett says he and Rodman go way back and says everyone in the ring has something in common as far as being the best, being champions, striving for world peace and looking good in a dress are concerned, then mentions his and Rodman's pasts in the New World Order. He tells Rodman that if he wants to get some real heat and run with the bulls, all he has to do is join their family. Rodman says it is great to be in Chicago for the first time in 13 years, then Jarrett threatens to sic Satnam Singh on him as he demand an answer now. Rodman mentions that Shaq was as big as Satnam is now when they were playing basketball and that he kicked Shaq's ass, then Sonjay Dutt demands an answer. Rodman tosses Sonjay Dutt down to the mat instead, then The Acclaimed ("Platinum" Max Caster, Anthony Bowens, "Daddy Ass" Billy Gunn) show up, and Bowens says that if Jarrett wants a fight, he and his associates can fight The Acclaimed. Daddy Ass says wrestling twice in one night is too much for his age, then says they have nothing to do tomorrow and they can have the match with the World Trios Championships on the line and Dennis Rodman in the corner then.

We see a video package for Shane Taylor vs. Samoa Joe for the Ring of Honor World Television Championship at All Out.

Backstage, we hear from Samoa Joe. He says that this week being turbulent is an understatement, and that in times of turmoil, the jackals come out to feast. Joe then talks about hopes and dreams, then says Shane Taylor feels something great will happen tomorrow night, and that he hopes he will give the greatest performance of his life, but he will wish that he was not standing across from him. He says Shane Taylor hopes he will get the Television title back in front of millions, but he will wish that he will stop hitting him. He says Shane Taylor hopes he will knock him out, but he will wish he never put his name in his mouth. He says that he will make an example out of him and prove who is the reigning King of Television at All Out, and that he will stand over him.

The Outcasts (Saraya, Toni Storm, Ruby Soho) beat Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D, Hikaru Shida and Kris Statlander after Saraya spray praints Britt in the eyes.

We hear from Adam Cole, who says that it is him and MJF defending the Ring of Honor World Tag Team Championships against Alex Reynolds and John Silver at All Out. He says Reynolds and Silver are a great tag team, but they are not him and MJF, and in MJF's absence, he reads the words that MJF has for him. MJF states that it took nine years to get rid of Reynolds' bad habits because he is the drizzling shits, and that John Silver is the size of a dollar store garden gnome and that he did not know they could stack crap that high. MJF also has other words for them, but Adam Cole decides, perhaps wisely, not to repeat them.

Backstage, Lexy Nair interviews Kris Statlander. Statlander says that Ruby Soho could not win without her friends and the spray paint. Ruby Soho shows up with Saraya and threatens to drop Kris, then Saraya says to Kris "Shut up, you stupid bitch! She'll see you tomorrow!"

Powerhouse Hobbs quickly beats GPA. After the match, Miro shows up and brawls with Hobbs in the ring. Hobbs flees through the crowd.

We see a video package for Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita at All Out.

We hear from Orange Cassidy, who says that at All Out, it is not just another International Championship match, but everything he has ever worked for. He says that he had his first AEW match against PAC in Chicago, Illinois and proved he should be in AEW. He syas that when he faced Will Ospreay, he proved that he could face the best. He then says Jon Moxley is "just the best" after picking AEW up when it was down and carried it across his shoulders, and when he beats Moxley at All Out, he will take the weight off his shoulders and put it on his own.

"Switchblade" Jay White beats Dax Harwood after hitting him with Blade Runner on the outside. After the match, "Rock Hard" Juice Robinson and The Gunns (Austn and Colten Gunns) attack Cash Wheeler until The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) run out and make the save. They try to shake hands with FTR (Harwood and Wheeler), but FTR walk away.