Ric Flair Says Andrade & Buddy Matthews Stole The Show During AEW Collision Premiere

AEW Collision saw the in-ring return of Andrade, and he had a banger of a match against Buddy Matthews. The match ended via submission after Andrade slapped on figure 8, a move that a lot of fans noticed.

Click here to check out the viewership numbers for AEW Collision’s first episode.

While speaking on the To Be The Man, Ric Flair commented on Andrade’s return and stated that the match reiterated his belief that Andrade is one of the best performers in the business.

“What a match. Unbelievable. He stole it. I texted Tony. They stole it. I don’t know what direction he’s going in next, but man, it’s just gotta be positive for him. He reiterated the fact that he, it’s hard to say top five because there’s so many, but he is for sure in the top ten in terms of performers in our business, without a doubt.”

Advertising

Advertising

“If I watch that match back, I say he’s in the top five. But man, they killed it. Buddy [Matthews] did a hell of a job as well. That whole new show, it had a whole new look. To me, it blows Dynamite away.”

Andrade El Idolo was absent from AEW since the fall of 2022. Although he competed at AEW All Out, his match scheduled for the October 7th episode of AEW Rampage was actually canceled. It was reported that Andrade was sent home following a backstage altercation with Sammy Guevara.

On top of that, Andrade El Idolo underwent surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle. However, Andrade made his highly-anticipated return on the June 17th episode of AEW Collision, where he engaged in a hard-fought contest against Buddy Matthews and emerged victorious. The match garnered praise from Ric Flair, Andrade’s father-in-law, but he wasn’t alone.