Saturday's "AEW Collision" may be in a state of flux due to an untimely Atlanta snowstorm, but at least we know Daniel Garcia will be there. AEW CEO Tony Khan announced a TNT Championship match for "AEW Collision" on Saturday night, with Garcia making his second defense against a familiar adversary and ally "The Wrestler" Katsuyori Shibata.
Garcia has been TNT Champion for 49 days, having started his maiden AEW singles title reign by dethroning Jack Perry at Full Gear. He entered the 2024 Continental Classic immediately afterward, resulting in his first title defense coming just last week against fellow C2 competitor Mark Briscoe. Garcia is aself-professed student of Shibata's ring work and has stood both beside and against him in AEW and ROH in recent years. In July 2023, they met for the first time one-on-one for Shibata's ROH Pure Championship, with the champion coming out with the win; they would go on to team together throughout 2024.
Shibata is coming off a five-minute exhibition contest with NJPW President Hiroshi Tanahashi during Wrestle Dynasty last weekend, having made his surprise return to Japan at Wrestle Kingdom a day earlier. Meanwhile, Garcia made his own surprise return to West Coast Pro WrestlingFriday night andissued a passionate response to the announcement of his match on Saturday.
"Mannn I'm from Buffalo this snow can't stop me," Garcia posted. "You know 'Collision' ain't 'Collision' without the TNT Champ. Just landed and might have to put my gear on in this Uber and go straight to the ring when I walk into the venue but this what we do this for ... LETS GET IT!!"
