The AEW Collision arena was buzzing last Wednesday as former Ring of Honor World Champions Dalton Castle and Roderick Strong clashed, vying for a shot at Mark Briscoe’s ROH Title at Death Before Dishonor. While Strong walked away victorious, eagle-eyed fans noticed some peculiar edits during the match’s Saturday night broadcast. And boy, were they right.
According to Monday’s edition of “Wrestling Observer Radio,” Dave Meltzer revealed that Castle was knocked out cold just before the final pin, courtesy of a knee strike from Strong that hit harder than a grandma’s disapproving glare. Consequently, Castle couldn’t kick out as planned, forcing the referee to halt and then restart the count in a finish Meltzer diplomatically dubbed “a mess.”
To save face, the production team snipped out the embarrassing hiccup and minimized Castle’s time spent snoozing on the mat. As of now, Castle’s condition post-match remains a mystery. The man himself hasn’t uttered a peep about the incident, though he’s been active on social media, retweeting highlights from the match like a champ who just had a good nap.
This “Collision” chaos comes hot on the heels of another wrestling whoopsie at WWE Money in the Bank, where a referee forgot how to count to three after Damian Priest seemed to enjoy a surprise siesta during his match with Seth Rollins. Rumor has it Priest might’ve been on the receiving end of an errant knee as well, leading to yet another controversial knockout moment.