Five questions: Is Tomohiro Ishii adorable?

Good Monday morning, all. I watched AEW Collision this weekend. The show was book-ended by two fun matches: a TNT championship match between Kyle Fletcher and Tomohiro Ishii to open the action, and a trios match that included the AEW world champion to close things out.

In between, we saw some stories moving along, a couple cardboard cutouts, and Max Caster high-fiving a nutcracker. Among other things.

I've got five questions about what happened on Collision. Let's get into it.

Was it great to see Hangman Adam Page in the main event in Virginia?

Or, follow-up question: was it really great?

I'm not on social media much these days, something an observant reader of this very site might have gleaned by now. I've got one account and one link to that account (on Bluesky).

My relative absence on social media platforms tends to put me out of the loop when it comes to the lineup for AEW's weekly shows. I mostly don't know what's coming.

If they announce something on the previous week's episode, I may or may retain that information. I know certain things are coming, especially on the destination shows. But overall, I am surprised a lot. And surprises are an enjoyable part of watching wrestling.

I had no idea Hangman Adam Page was part of the main event on this past Saturday's Collision. They probably announced it, but I didn't know. And that worked out great for me, because it was such a happy little moment when Hangman's music hit and he made his entrance.

In front of a home crowd in Virginia, Hangman joined JetSpeed to face Rush and LFI. It was a fun match. Hangman played the hits. He got the win.

Sometimes it's just fun to see a superstar do the things that made him a superstar in the first place. I find that is especially the case with Hangman. Among AEW fans, I suspect I'm not alone in that feeling.

Could you jump off the top rope?

This question occurred to me when I watched the wheels turning for Stokley Hathaway, known these days as Big Stoke, near the conclusion of FTR's match with some local talent.

Initially, it looked like Stokley was going all the way to the top turnbuckle to then launch himself for a finishing move. Then he thought better of it. As he gingerly stepped down to the second rope, he was as relatable to me as any person who has appeared on a professional wrestling show.

I was surprised the other day at how much it hurt to dive and hit the carpeted floor of my basement. I was playing with my kids. I was probably less than a foot off the ground.

I'm honestly not sure I could jump from the top rope without hurting myself, even if you gave me the option to hop down and land on my two feet.

This was a heady play, Stoke. Nice gear, too.

Is Tomohiro Ishii adorable?

Paul Walter Hauser joined the commentary desk this past Saturday, calling the action alongside the regular duo of Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness. He really threw me for a loop with this line during the Ishii/Fletcher match:

"Just like a real pitbull, Ishii is equal parts adorable and dangerous."

I'm not here to tell anyone they are right or wrong for finding someone or something cute. But how many descriptors would you go through before describing this man as adorable?

He is the "Stone Pitbull," after all. When I watch Ishii matches, here's what I find myself saying: "ouch." And also, "was that a real headbutt?"

At least he got the dangerous part right.

Is this nutcracker a Maxamaniac?

How did I find myself on the nutcracker doll Wikipedia page, learning that the origins of said doll date back to 17th century Germany? I'll tell you how, my friends.

Max Caster hasn't won a match all year. But this gimmick is funny, so funny that we might be getting a story where the irrational confidence guy who never wins and denies reality is a good guy.

It's so fun to boo people. But people love chanting for the "best wrestler alive" even more than booing him. As that becomes clearer one week after the next, it looks like the "best wrestler alive" is transforming into a crowd favorite. And now we have the nutcracker in the fan club.

I also learned that the dolls are meant to "frighten away malevolent spirits." Based on the outcomes of Max's open challenges to date, I would say the nutcrackers still have some work to do if they are going to pull their weight.

Do these guys just get it?

The Bang Bang Gang has been a fixture in AEW for a while now. It took a little while for them to get their footing. When they first formed, the idea of another iteration of Bullet Club simply didn't take hold with the crowd. They needed to be their own thing.

They found their own thing, incorporating humor and ridiculous details while still coming off as a formidable crew. Switchblade Jay White is a superstar. Juice Robinson is the master of that balance between silly and serious. And the Gunns always find a way to make the most of their situation, from their days as the crowd during COVID shows to this run with the Bang Bang Gang.

You put it all together, and you get a group that just delivers. They deliver in obvious ways, with good matches and entertaining promos. And they deliver with the little details, the things that make you laugh and add up around the margins of a wrestling show to make it fun.

The cardboard cutout of an injured faction member is one of my favorite things in the last few years of AEW. The only bad thing about the return of "Cardblade" is that it means Jay White is hurt again. But it's one of the funniest gimmicks going.

Now he's joined by cardboard Colten Gunn.

Yes, these guys just get it.

Featured image from AEW YouTube