[7.0] "This was a pretty good match. Andrade El Idolo had just returned from injury and was going up against the House of Black's Buddy Matthews. As the match went on, both Andrade and Matthews were selling injuries through out the match, however it slowed down the match a great deal. Andrade got the win, but post match he was attacked by the House of Black. They would follow up with a much better ladder match later on. ***1/2"
[7.0] "Nice match. They were selling so much I legit thought there was an injury, like they were checking multiple times what was that lol. The little nod to their respective wives was fun."
[9.0] "Andrade and Matthews showed a superb alchemy. It was freaking smooth, featuring a lot of great transitions, and counters. For sure, they took the pleasure to throw nasty strikes at each other. A great showcases of moves as well. Selling was also heavily featured during their encounter. Matthews went for Andrade's shoulder, while the latter targeted the knee. Moreover, it was El Idolo's first bout since almost a year, and the lad didn't show any ring rust at all. An intense, and impactful contest. Certainly one of the best TV bouts of 2023. It freaking rocked."
[7.0] "Great match, amazing to see Andrade back, he's very good. This truly stole the show, incredibly well wrestled match. Pace was glorious - {***1/2}"
[8.0] "For me, this was the highlight of the night. Andrade & Buddy Matthews went all the way, and it was awesome. The match was physical, brutal, and felt personal. They tried to take advantage of their opponent's weakness (for Andrade - the shoulder; for Buddy - the knee), and it felt like they both wanted to hurt one another. I especially loved the finish with Andrade using his wife's finishing move - "The Figure Four" and then "The Figure Eight" and paying homage to her."
[7.0] "These guys were working hard and the arm vs. leg stuff worked, but it was strange to see Andrade get that strong of a reaction. I cant imagine he sticks around that long but for now, or at least for tonight, the fans were way into him and that is a good sign for his future. Matthews looked good as well, and if he ever gets out of the House of Black (which he doesnt need to at the moment), there should be a strong singles push waiting on him. This it the type of matches I would love to see from all the workrate guys where they get all their moves in but it should make sense match structure wise."
[9.0] "an great match, the details on the submission and the face expression was just great, a perfect collision match and the best match of the night."
[7.0] "Buddy Matthews is great and these two put on a good match which was a lot of fun to watch. Andrade posing in between the ropes was pretty funny. These two battled back and forth for over 13 minutes with Idolo getting the win."
[3.0] "I dont know why everyone else loved this match. This was BAD to me. It just felt so wrong and disjointed and messy and maybe it was intentionally so in order to sell Andrades injuries but it didnt do anything for me until the last stretch where it became at least good. Before that? Wasnt having any fun with this match. One of my least favorite matches I can rate that weve seen in AEW."
[8.0] "Match of the night for the first ever Collision: the started off pretty well some good mat wrestling and couple of good spots. Wasn't a fan of the double injury spot but both men sold so well their injuries and worked so well on their opponent's injury that it was impossible not to appreciate their work, especially Matthews. Good counters and sequences towards the end that led to a great ending with a figure eight by Andrade. I had high expectations for this match and these two fantastic athletes didn't dissapoint. 8/10 - 4*/5*"
[9.0] "This was one of the best-televised wrestling matches of the year. You'd never know Andrade hadn't wrestled in 9 months. Buddy Matthews is a national treasure; I'd watch him wrestle anybody. Great psychology throughout the match with Andrade working over Buddy's knee before winning with the figure 8. Standing ovation from me."
[5.0] "A bizarre match that misread what the show really needed. Neither Andrade nor Matthews are good enough or liked enough by the crowd to pull off a double injury like angle. Never reached the ceiling that some expected from it and as I have been for years I am questioning the real value of Andrade."
[8.0] "The best fight of the night but by far. I'm glad to see Andrade El Idolo back here, although I don't know what will happen if they just give him this win and freeze him again or he'll start doing storylines, which I hope he will because otherwise this comeback won't have served any purpose."
[9.0] "Great match to see live. The fakeout double injury spot took me out of it for a bit but it absolutely ruled down the whole second half and drew me back in."
[9.0] "I went into watching Collision with this match circled as THE match for me. It took some time for the pair to get into high gear (which might have had to do with Andrade's extended absence), but boy oh boy once they got there it delivered. Curious to see what happens next in the feud, as House of Black came out post match..."
[7.0] "Really good return match for Andrade, who put in a great performance as well as Buddy Matthews, an underrated wrestler. The two proved a good and very competitive match. 3.75 stars."
[8.0] "Smooth, hard-hitting, believable action between two of the best in-ring talents in AEW. They had their big jaw-dropping spots, but they let them breath which is something that I have always felt is lacking from AEW Matches. So glad Andrade is back 8.5/10."
[8.0] "Buddy was selling a leg injury he suffered during a match, and Andrade was selling his shoulder since he had just come back from tearing his pec. The selling in this match from Buddy and Andrade was so good to the point that people actually thought that both guys were hurt. The doctors coming in also were done right, and helped to add legitimacy to the injuries. I appreciated even when they were doing their big moves at the end, that both men made sure to sell the hell out of their injuries. The spinning elbow by Andrade was sick as hell, and him winning the match with the figure 8 was quite cool but rewarded the damage he had done to Buddy's leg.****"
[10.0] "I'm not sure if those injuries were kayfabe, but they added a special touch to the match, Julia Hart's evil aura is also something that she brings to this match; many references, a great match, good chemistry, I didn't feel errors or poor details, they are both gladiators of the ring, this match has no fault. Also that touch of violence with attacks outside the ring, it felt like a real title match."
[7.0] "Glad to see these guys getting some time. Several brutal looking impacts and some creative stuff from these two. I've never really dug Andrade until this match, and it was nice to see what Buddy was made of. Terrible name though. Would watch again."
[7.0] "Really fun and hard hitting. Great selling by Buddy. The middle section with the doctors made sense but killed the rhythm. Would love to see these gs run it back later in their feud"
[8.0] "The realest of graps. The selling had my twitter timeline in shambles - people were getting WORKED by the medics and the selling. That's pro wrestling. It made the people believe. Brilliant TV. That spinning back elbow, the DDT counter through the ropes, the cartwheel moonsault, they used their partners' finishes. All great spots. But the selling and storytelling was what made this match. This is something you don't see on AEW much - really helped Collision feel different to Dynamite. Loved it!"
[6.0] "I thought this was very much in the same mould of a typical great AEW TV match in the way it had a lot of momentum switches and nearfalls. I thought it actually did well to peak when it did. Its early wrestling was so-so and some of the storytelling was, well, lacking. Andrade and Buddy didnt show much character as they were more interested in popping the crowd with nearfalls which is okay since it worked. Im glad this was a good match since Andrade wasnt doing so well in AEW prior to getting suspended. ***1/4"
[8.0] "I really enjoyed this match. Ive been waiting for Andrades return, and to have it against buddy was perfect. These to went all out in this match. I really bit on the double injury angle and the comeback from it for both was really energizing. Hard impact and high speed match was the perfect was to start for Andrade to showcase his talents. Loved the trading of their partners submissions towards the end, aswell as the HOB interference hopefully leading to Andrade vs Malakai"
[6.0] "Interesting double injury angle. Both men showed they have a lot to give and this was always gonna be a strange spot. Glad to see Andrade get such a good reaction."
[7.0] "The injury spot was really weird. Don't think it was worth it to have it in the match as it didn't help in any regard. Other than that this was about as good as you'd expect."
[9.0] "Very good physical match between Matthews and Andrade right here in which they tore the house down as I'd expected them to do and I wasn't disappointed at all, these are two guys who were made to click in the ring and I've got the proof with this very high-quality fight, all in front of a United Center well hot for everything they did. Great atmosphere and good storytelling around Andrade's shoulder and Buddy's knee, with Andrade winning on top of that with a tribute to his wife Charlotte. Absolutely perfect for what it was, I loved it."
[8.0] "Had a good pace with nice spots and good technical wrestling. Matthews sold the knee well in this one and that made the finish make more sense. I don't think Andrade needs to use a figure 4/8 in his arsenal as it doesn't really fit his character to me."
[8.0] "Incredible match! Top-tier selling, storytelling, and suspense. These two competitors told a tale of two individuals who have received limited singles opportunities during their AEW runs, whether because of injury or other injuries entirely. In doing so, they set the tone for what Collision could potentially represent. Buddy Matthews targeted the surgically-repaired pectoral muscle of Andrade El Idolo from the start and Andrade looked to prove it was back at 100 percent in response. As the added muscle reared its head in perhaps limiting his range of motion, however, El Idolo aggravated the injury and Matthews went to work. Unfortunately for the House of Black member, Andrade was quick to remember the ailment that previously plagued Matthews and went right after the knee. This went from high-octane offense to making every moment count. The selling was absolutely incredible, especially as Matthews attempted those Powerbombs and crumbled each time. Also, that Dragon Screw sequence from Andrade was phenomenal. Throw in the use of the Prism Trap and Figure Eight, and this was the epitome of how to blend the modern high-octane style with a dense and layered story. One of the best TV matches of the year thus far! 4.25 stars, 8.5 out of 10."
[8.0] "Match of the night right here. Very physical with some great storytelling, as both guys were targeting specific limbs to do damage. Hope this pseudo brand split means both of these guys are featured more prominently. ****"
[8.0] "I came into this match going to be really judgmental given the fact that Andrade and Buddy had been less-than-advertised in his AEW run up to this point. This, was a completely different man that reminded me of how good he was. Everything was pretty seamless, the only thing that threw me off was the worked medical check on Andrade during the P+P, which presumably was to fill in for time during the advertisement. Buddy works the former injured shoulder of Andrade and takes most of Andrade's offense to the knees. This is the coolest Andrade has looked in ages, he moves so much quicker, and with the benefit of a hot crowd on his side, they made something pretty magical. Buddy was a pretty great base, with selling the knee for most of the match. One of my favorite spots was Buddy collapsing during a failed sunset flip with Andrade on the top rope, and then Andrade taking advantage moments later. Both men's best singles match in AEW, but in a long time in general."
[9.0] "the return of one of my favorite wrestlers vs one of the best workers in aew, there was no chance of missing. this was my most hyped up match for collision and it did not disappoint. the limb work was great, the spots were great, the action was intense, and it left me at the edge of my seat. ultimately, this as as good as the match was ever gonna be and i enjoyed it because of it. ill give this one a ****.5"
[8.0] "A psychologically sound and athletically impressive showcase for both Buddy and the returning Andrade that shows exactly why both men are on the company payroll."
[8.0] "A very good start and an even better finishing stretch but the middle part was super weird, really didn't get what they were going for there. Overall really fun and I like the direction they're going with for both men. ***3/4"
[8.0] "Pretty good match with some real solid storytelling here. Both men were selling previous injuries making it a war of attrition with a few real good spots rather than an all over the place match. Andrade paid homage to Ric Flair by winning with the figure 4 leg lock. 7.75 out of 10.***3/4"
[6.0] "I liked this but clearly not as much as everyone else, thought was far too slow paced after another slow placed match before it. It picked up alot towards the end, but id lost some interest by then."
[8.0] "Yeah this was always going to be a good match, the two men both shown some really good selling, and it was nice to see Andrade win with a figure 8."
[9.0] "I thought this was quite excellent. Andrade and Mathews (who was probably pissed at being called " Buddy Murphy" during the introduction, oops) are such unique wrestlers in AEW due to having both strength, agility and unique offense that their matches are always at least interesting. Andrade had something to prove and Buddy didn't want to fall behind, so they decided to just have the best match of the night, and I can appreciate that."
[7.0] "Really great to see Andrade back and in full form. Had almost forgot he's one of the best wrestlers in the world. And Buddy ain't so slouch either. This was a very quick and physical match, and both guys really sold the shit out of their respective injuries. The segment in the middle of the match where both guys were laying about clutching at their worked limbs went on a little too long for the length of the match, but I also don't expect 20+ minute epics in the middle of a TV show. The aftermath of this match was awesome, with a great tease for what is almost certainly gonna be Black v Andrade."
[7.0] "Glad to see Andrade back. Buddy Murphy's a good high level jobber for this sort of thing. The injury angle/stuff was unnecessary and cooled off the crowd at worst. Not a fan of couples doing each other's moves, it's just a nitpick of mine, but Andrade's version of the Figure 8 looked way better and loved the pain he was selling by putting on the finishing touch. Can't believe I've never seen that from Charlotte, great spot. Post match beatdown was pretty lazy setup but Andrade/Malakai is a good direction."
[9.0] "This was a really outstanding return to form from Andrade El Idolo and a reminder that Matthews is one of the best in his own right. A very hard hitting contest with excellent striking from both men, and extremely agile and athletic maneuvers from Andrade especially. The dueling dynamics of Andrade working Matthews leg, and Matthews working the shoulder/surgically repaired pec area of Andrade worked really well, with the match decided essentially on Matthews leg giving out while Andrade found a way to win around his arm. Excellent match pyschology and workrate, and obviously a good setup for LFI vs House of Black in the future."
[9.0] "This was a really good match. Very competitive and very physical. They got a lot of time (probably a little too much). There was a nice blend of rasslin and high flying. The selling from both guys was tremendous. The crowd was really good for this. The woos were very fun. The finish was very well done made Buddy look strong even in defeat. Andrade is back and has proven that he can still go. The post match beat down is probably gonna lead to a one-on-one between Andrade and either Malakai or Brody. Either way, Ill watch that. 8.5/10. ****1/4"
[7.0] "Easily one of the best AEW matches of the year thus far, and definitely the best AEW TV match of the last few months. This was minimal on nonsense and goofiness and fully committed to storytelling and physicality, which is what I've badly missed from AEW's current product. They started off with some fun 50/50 trades and stand-offs to highlight how evenly matched both guys are, with Andrade being quite fun as he soaked in the applause of the crowd on account of his long-awaited return, while Buddy was uninterested in the crowd and sternly focussed only on getting the win. The match was paced very well with that slower opening 1/3rd that allowed them both to highlight their character work before intermittently bringing in more exciting and creative spots and sequences. Andrade was definitely the star early on because of his impactful strikes, flashy athletic displays, entertainingly arrogant posturing, and convincing selling. Buddy, however, definitely ended up at or at least close to Andrade's level as he forced the match to become far more violent by initiating he and Andrade hurling each other into various objects and structures outside the ring, with both taking some nasty-looking bumps in the process. They had very good chemistry all throughout this, and it was when the dual limb-work story began that the match stepped up another level, as they both re-injured their respective long-term problem limbs (Andrade's shoulder, Buddy's leg). The brief segment of the ringside doctors evaluating their injured limbs was very well done, not feeling at all cheesy or forced, and the match became far more interesting and exciting as they both then began zeroing in on the other's injury while also still selling their own injury. It was in that final 1/3rd that they started going for some really cool spots, exchanges, and big-move trades, all of which were executed with the sort of perfect technique and genuine flashiness that I sadly feel we haven't gotten from AEW in quite a while, and what was even better was that both guys remained very consistent in selling their injuries despite going for their 'epic' stuff, which just made both guys' performances more compelling. Andrade fighting through his shoulder pain to finish Buddy off with his wife Charlotte's Figure 8 was a very cool final touch. Damn I've missed Andrade quite a lot, and Buddy was the perfect person to partner him with on his return. ***1/2"
[8.0] "Great match from these 2 which isnt a shock. Andrade looked incredibly motivated coming back and Buddy was down to take any dumb shit he was asked to. The only real blemish on the match was both guys playing up injuries as they may have leaned too hard into it. Didn't take away from a fun finishing stretch with them trading their own moves and also using the ones of their partners. Great match and interesting post match angle that has me hoping Andrade brings in some help for this potential feud with the House of Black. ****"
[7.0] "A random match up when it was announced, but one I was cautiously excited for. Started strong, some impressive stuff from Andrade, and the spot where he poses in the ropes was pretty fun. The double injury angle was a solid idea, but ended up a bit overplayed. The doctors (who got their own chant, hilariously) checking out both dudes killed the momentum of the match and struggled to recover after that - BUT both men sold the injuries really well. Seems that a proper feud may be brewing for the House of Black?"
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