In a turn of events more surprising than finding out your quiet neighbor is actually a retired luchador, Saturday night’s episode of “AEW Collision” delivered a plot twist worthy of a daytime soap opera. Top Flight, consisting of the high-flying duo Darius and Dante Martin, faced off against the formidable team of Ricky Starks and Big Bill in what was supposed to be just another chapter in the AEW World Tag Team Tournament saga. However, the script had other ideas—or rather, reality did.
As the match approached its crescendo, Starks found himself on the wrong end of a pin that he clearly wasn’t briefed about in the morning memo. Instead of kicking out as though his career depended on it (because, let’s face it, sometimes it does), Starks stayed down. The referee, caught in a predicament reminiscent of a deer in headlights, hesitated to count to three, inadvertently turning the crowd into a chorus of boos.
In a move that screamed “improvise,” Starks then stood up, possibly wondering if he’d accidentally signed up for a dance-off, only to be greeted by a DDT from Darius Martin and a pin that sealed the deal—for real this time. The crowd in London, Ontario, must have felt like they were watching a wrestling match directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
Fightful Select, playing the role of the concerned aunt at a family gathering, reported that not only was the finale as unexpected as a plot twist in a telenovela, but Starks and Bill were originally slated to win. The impromptu change of plans suggests someone might have whispered the wrong lines. Post-match, trainers flocked to Starks like seagulls to a beach picnic, while Darius Martin appeared to have a heart-to-heart with the referee, probably asking if he, too, was as confused by the evening’s events as everyone else.
Speculation about Starks’ wellbeing is now as rife as conspiracy theories in a forum, with Fightful sending out “speedy recovery” vibes into the universe, which in wrestling terms is the equivalent of signing a “get well soon” card.
For Starks and Big Bill, this twist of fate couldn’t have come at a more inopportune time. Having vanished from AEW screens since losing their tag titles to Darby Allin and Sting—who, in a move straight out of a retirement brochure, vacated the titles following Sting’s swan song—their comeback was supposed to be triumphant, not traumatic.
In the end, AEW Collision delivered a night that will be remembered not just for its high-flying maneuvers, but for a finish so bewildering, it made the Bermuda Triangle look like a well-mapped tourist destination. As for Starks, here’s hoping his next script includes a plot armor upgrade.