AEW Collision Review – 08.09.25

Did you miss anything in AEW this week? Here’s a look: Dynamite | ROH

Collision is ON THE AIR LIVE from the Berglund Center in Roanoke, VA. The presenters of tonight’s program are Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness on match calls, Arkady Aura doing in-ring announcements, and Lexy Nair and Alicia Atout giving news updates and conducting backstage interviews.

Paul Walter Hauser is at the announce desk so we’ll see what that means for the show. The last time someone sat in that seat was when Colt Cabana got utterly destroyed by the Death Riders, so tread lightly Hauser.

AEW TNT Championship: Kyle Fletcher (C) vs TomohiroIshii

Oddly, Fletcher is without Don Callis tonight, at least so far. After the bell, Ishii and Fletcher predictably start throwing strong style forearms at each other. This goes on for around a minute until Fletcher gains the upper hand. Fletcher tries to run Ishii over but fails, and then Ishii wallops Fletcher with a lariat. There’s a series of reversals and misses until both guys end up on the mat as we reset. Fletcher bails and gets some heat from the crowd as he walks around ringside.

Fletcher re-enters and they start exchanging chops. Fletcher whips Ishii to the corner, but Ishii charges right back and nails Fletcher with another lariat. Ishii lays in chops and then brings Fletcher to mid-ring. Fletcher grabs a side headlock and then decides to crush Ishii with a thrust kick. Fletcher scoop-slams Ishii but after he brings him to his feet Ishii fires up with some chops. Fletcher shrugs that off and scoop-slams Ishii again. (Schiavone: I’ve been watching matches in this building since 1986. McGuinness: What a nerd.) Fletcher grabs a side headlock. Ishii turns and grabs a waistlock on Fletcher who breaks out of it with a double sledge. Ishii calmly yanks Fletcher into a Saito suplex. Ishii charges and Fletcher recovers with a sit-out Falcon Arrow as we go to picture-in-picture commercials.

During PIP Fletcher lazily kicks at Ishii to piss him off. Fletcher yanks up Ishii for another body slam and covers for two. Fletcher bullies Ishii to the corner and starts throwing chops. Fletcher rams a knee into Ishii’s gut and then hits him with another Saito suplex. Fletcher covers for two. Fletcher seats Ishii and then starts dropping elbows on the top of Ishii’s head before sinking in a side headlock. Ishii bounces to the mat to break the hold.

Back to full screen with Fletcher hitting thrust kicks on Ishii. Ishii fires up and yanks Fletcher into a vertical suplex. Ishii starts laying in chops before whipping Fletcher to the opposite corner. Ishii charges and eats a boot. Fletcher runs the ropes and Ishii hits him with the POUNCE. (I love love love the POUNCE.) Ishii mounts Fletcher on the top turnbuckle but Fletcher throws a few rights. Ishii crushes Fletcher with a headbutt and re-ascends. Ishii hits the top rope superplex and covers Fletcher for two. (The crowd totally bought it as the finish.)

Fletcher recovers and dumps Ishii to the apron, and then Fletcher charges and knocks Ishii to the floor with a thrust kick. Ishii crawls back to the apron and Fletcher tries for the brainbuster, but Ishii won’t have it. Fletcher hits an enziguri and a superkick on Ishii before crushing him with the brainbuster on the apron. Fletcher whips Ishii back in ascends. Fletcher hits a Macho elbow on Ishii and covers for two. Fletcher hits a running knee strike on a dazed Ishii and suddenly Ishii fires up. Ishii no-sells a snapdragon suplex and crushes Fletcher with an overhead German. Fletcher fires up and a slugfest ends with both guys on the mat to an ovation from the crowd.

We reset to the start with a strong style forearm battle. Fletcher wipes out a charging Ishii with a lariat. Fletcher hits another running thrust kick and mounts Ishii in the corner. Ishii slips out of Fletcher’s hold and powerbombs him. Ishii runs the ropes and absolutely murders Fletcher with a lariat before covering and getting two. They reset on their feet and Fletcher lifts a knee. Ishii headbutts Fletcher twice and the third one sends Ishii sprawling on top of a down Fletcher as the ref counts a LONG two. Fletcher ducks a clothesline and yanks Ishii up into a huge powerbomb. Fletcher covers for two.

Fletcher hits a running knee and a big thrust kick but Ishii charges out to fight back. Fletcher nails another kick and then yanks Ishii up for the brainbuster which finally gets the three count.

This went about 18-19 minutes or so and I’d say most of it was good. It never hit the great level for me, but Ishii is a solid pro and Fletcher is growing into his role weekly. There was even a “let’s go Kyle” chant during the match for a short bit. If you like strong style, this would be your jam right here. 3.5*

Winner AND STILL AEW TNT Champion – Kyle Fletcher (brainbuster)

Post-match sees Fletcher grab a microphone. He tells the crowd that they have just witnessed the first defense of what will be the greatest title reign in AEW history. Fletcher runs down his victims list that includes Adam Cole (Get well soon, my dude.), Dustin Rhodes and now Ishii. Fletcher says he’s now thinking about Forbidden Door and how being in the ring with Ishii brings back memories of his days in New Japan. He wants New Japan to send their “pound for pound” best wrestler to face Fletcher at Forbidden Door. The result will be the same and everyone will have to say Fletcher’s full name.

Schiavone throws to backstage where Don Callis says he’s glad that Fletcher defeated Ishii. Callis says he helped New Japan a few years back and they gave him the one-of-a-kind tie he’s wearing. Callis insists that New Japan send their best to Cincinnati to challenge Fletcher. Callis says after Fletcher wins he’ll use the tie to choke out the New Japan challenger.

Schiavone announces Hechicero vs Nigel McGuinness vs Lee Moriarty vs Daniel Garcia for a shot at Zach Sabre Jr.’s IWGP World Championship on next week’s Collision. Schiavone and Hauser think McGuinness can get it done.

EARLIER TODAY the Gates of Agony and Ricochet kicked the crap out of some backstage people. Ricochet tells the camera that his patience is wearing thin. Ricochet says he’s been respectful but that’s over and now he and the GOA will be given respect or they will take it any way they have to. We go to commercials.

Back live and here’s Alicia Atout with Nick Wayne, Kip Sabian and Mother Wayne asking about why they hit the Conchairto on Christian Cage. Sabian says there’s a lot of people asking that question. Sabian relates that Cage said that he respected them for standing up to him but that Cage didn’t like it when they questioned him about why he did what he did. Wayne says it’s “typical hypocritical Christian Cage” constantly telling himself lies that he wants to hear. Wayne asks how they’re supposed to feel when all Cage does is lie? Wayne says the one thing that wasn’t a lie last week was Cage saying how Wayne had all the tools to be a star. Wayne says he’s already a star, though and if anyone has any questions after what they did to Cage, well they haven’t seen anything yet. The goal is to end Christian Cage’s career.

A better promo from Wayne this week as he’s had some rough ones recently. Sabian was good, too.

Megan Bayne vs Emily Rose

Bayne is seconded by Penelope Ford. Bayne comes flying in with a dropkick just after the bell sounds. Bayne whips Rose into the corner before hitting a flying splash on her. Bayne snaps off a double underhook suplex before ascending the second rope. A dazed Rose wanders over and Bayne crushes her with a flying lariat. (Schiavone relates that Emily Rose went to a Charleston WV show in 2019 and watching AEW inspired her to become a pro wrestler.) Bayne wades into a back elbow from Rose who then ascends. Bayne shrugs that off and punches Rose in the back before snatching Rose into a sit-out powerbomb. Bayne covers for three.

Just a straight-up squash, as expected. Bayne moves to 9-0 in singles on Collision. 1.5*

Winner – Megan Bayne (sit-out powerbomb)

Backstage Lexy Nair is with Big Bill and Bryan Keith. Nair asks Keith how he is and Keith says he’s pissed. Keith says he’s pissed all the time but Juice Robinson managed to piss off Big Bill. Bill says Robinson put his hands on Bill and then managed to knock them out of the tag tournament. Bill says Robinson crossed two lines and Keith says there’s too many damn lines being crossed. Bill says the next time he sees Robinson he’s going to walk right at him and rip his head off. Bill says Robinson’s got what’s coming to him and then mocks the Guns salute by going “pew pew”.

What a great promo that was and Keith’s mean-mugging is just top level. I now am fully invested in Big Bill trying to mess up Juice Robinson which is THE POINT OF CUTTING PROMOS.

Juice Robinson vs Ricochet

Robinson is seconded by Austin Gunn, Cardblade, and CardColton. Robinson’s beard is starting to come back in and I’m pleased by that. Ricochet comes out alone, interestingly. The bell sounds and off we go.

Gunn fires up the crowd to chant for Robinson as Ricochet bails to the floor. Ricochet finally comes back in and Robinson pushes him to a corner before double slapping Ricochet’s chest on the break. Ricochet does the same thing to Robinson and tells him to bring it on. There’s an exchange mid-ring that ends with Ricochet again bailing to the floor where he KNOCKS CARDBLADE DOWN. Gunn rescues Cardblade as the crowd pops. Ricochet comes back in and tries to run Robinson over to no avail. Ricochet chops Robinson and then covers up when Robinson threatens him back. Robinson pops Ricochet on the top of his head before running him over with an elbow. Ricochet gets lifted into a back-body drop before Robinson nails him with a standing senton. Robinson covers for two.

Robinson runs Ricochet’s head into the top turnbuckle and then the second turnbuckle. Robinson then runs the length of the ring to bounce Ricochet’s head off the opposite top turnbuckle. Robinson yanks up Ricochet and headbutts him before ascending. Robinson drops ten right hands on the top of Richochet’s head and here’s Toa Liona in the aisle while Bishop Kaun sneaks around ringside. As Gunn threatens Liona the referee jumps out to stop that as Kaun yanks Robinson to the floor. Kaun powerslams Robinson on the floor, and as the ref re-enters Ricochet wallops Robinson with a tope suicida. We go to picture-in-picture commercials.

During PIP Ricochet puts the boots to Robinson who’s still on the floor. Ricochet headbutts a dazed Robinson and then turns to beef with Gunn. Ricochet drives Robinson back-first into the apron and then runs him into the ring. Ricochet drives knees into Robinson’s back. Robinson sprawls over the bottom rope so Ricochet stands on him and uses the top rope for leverage. (Ricochet as a vicious asshole is really something to see.) Ricochet throws a bunch of rights to Robinson’s forehead before standing on Robinson’s hair while yanking him up by the arms. We go to full commercials.

Back live with Ricochet holding Robinson in a rear chin-lock while driving a knee into Robinson’s back. Ricochet grabs Robinson by the nose and then rakes Robinson’s eyes when he finally breaks out of it. Ricochet puts the bad-mouth on Robinson and charges, so Robinson calmly scoops him up for a spine-buster. Robinson starts firing off jabs before waffling Ricochet with a big left. Robinson clotheslines Ricochet in the corner and when he staggers out Robinson decks him with a leg lariat. Robinson covers for two.

Robinson’s DDT attempt is slipped and Ricochet hits a flip kick on Robinson before waffling him with a knee strike. Ricochet grazes Robinson with a dropkick and flips to the apron. Ricochet SWEEPS THE LEG and then flies in with a double stomp on a prone Robinson. Ricochet covers for two. Robinson slips off Ricochet’s back so Ricochet runs him into the ropes and rolls Robinson up for two. Robinson recovers and utterly destroys Ricochet with a lariat. Robinson covers for two. Ricochet rolls to the apron and when Robinson wanders over Ricochet pulls him throat-first onto the top rope. Ricochet hits a springboard lariat and a springboard moonsault before hitting a standing Shooting Star Press on a downed Robinson. Ricochet covers for two.

Ricochet misses a Spirit Gun attempt before Robinson yanks him into a Flatliner. Robinson covers for two. Robinson fires up the crowd before kicking Ricochet in the gut. Kaun jumps up on the apron to distract so Gunn yanks him down. Liona comes flying around to POUNCE Gunn right over the announce table on a clearly pissed off McGuinness. While the ref is sorting that out, Big Bill enters and waffles Robinson with a big boot. Ricochet hits a dazed Robinson with the Spirit Gun and covers for three.

Usually I’d crap on a finish like that but I’m actually fine with it. Ricochet gets a win and Robinson lost due to a bunch of interference. It wasn’t wildly overbooked nonsense, Bill said he was coming for Robinson and he did. That keeps that going while Ricochet’s crew look like complete menaces. I liked this for the most part. 3*

Winner – Ricochet (Spirit Gun)

Here’s Renee Paquette narrating a video package on the upcoming Toni Storm-Athena match that mostly focuses on Athena’s statistics during her reign in ROH. We go to commercials.

After seeing highlights of last week’s Open Challenge, Lexy Nair is with Platinum Max Caster. Nair says it was a moral victory last week, but Caster says if anyone had the moral victory it was Rush. Caster says he took Rush to his limit and he couldn’t beat Caster. Caster thanks AR Fox and Jet Speed for coming to his aid but he didn’t need them to because we’re looking live at the best wrestler alive. Caster drops down to do some pushups while doing his chant. Caster gets really going with the chant and uses a nutcracker prop to emphasize his screaming as Nair looks on baffled.

FTR and BIG STOKE vs Ryan Zukko, Joe Keys and Josh Fuller

STOKE throws his crutch down before the bell in a show of defiance. Wheeler starts with Keys and when Keys makes the mistake of flexing at Wheeler he catches a boot in the gut for his cheek. Wheeler bullies Keys and then invites him to come to the FTR corner. Harwood tags in as does Zukko. Harwood pushes Zukko to a neutral corner and chops away before whipping right after right at him. Zukko comes back with some rights of his own before tagging in Fuller. Harwood reverses a wristlock and wallops Fuller with a lariat. (McGuinness and Schiavone get into it over McGuinness using the term “late Bryan Danielson” as Nigel’s never-ending hatred of Bryan continues on unabated.) Harwood rams Fuller into the FTR corner and chops away.

STOKE tags in and crushes Fuller with a right hand. STOKE uses some chops but as soon as Fuller shows a sign of life STOKE immediately tags in Wheeler. Wheeler puts the boots to Fuller before tagging in Harwood. Fuller catches Harwood with an enziguri before kicking Wheeler off. Zukko tags in and sort of waits around while Harwood recovers. Zukko immediately runs into a Shatter Machine. Harwood tags in STOKE before he and Wheeler hoist up Zukko. STOKE carefully gets on the second rope and the three of them hit a jumping spike piledriver on Zukko. STOKE covers for three.

Just a show of force prior to STOKE getting his ass handed to him by COPE on Wednesday night. 1.5*

Here’s a video package on the current situation between Jon Moxley and Darby Allin. Moxley will take on Kevin Knight on this week’s Dynamite.

Daniel Garcia joins the announce team prior to the next match.

Hechicero vs AR Fox

Hechicero is also out alone as Don Callis must be elsewhere this evening even with the promo after the Fletcher match.

Hechicero charges at the bell and kicks Fox down before driving rights into him. Lee Moriarty and the entire Shane Taylor Promotions crew are shown watching on a monitor. Fox ducks a clothesline attempt but when he leapfrogs Hechicero he gets caught and dropped on his face. Hechicero drops an elbow. Fox reverses a wristlock and hits a couple of back thrust kicks on Hechicero. Fox hits a sling blade and Hechicero bails to the floor. Fox hits two tope suicidas and then a tope con hilo on a dazed Hechicero. Fox gets the crowd into it and ascends. Hechicero gets the knees up on Fox’s senton attempt. Hechicero catches a Fox elbow and Fox tries for a tornado DDT. Hechicero blocks that and swings Fox around before planting him with a backbreaker over his knee. We go to picture-in-picture commercials.

During PIP Hechicero waffles Fox with a knee lift before bullying him in the corner with rights before standing on Fox’s neck. Hechicero beefs with the ref after it’s broken up before resuming the assault with rights. Fox tries to fire up but Hechicero puts a stop to it with more rights. Hechicero drapes Fox’s leg over the second rope and snaps his foot on top of Fox’s foot to torque the knee. Hechicero hits a shotgun dropkick that sends Fox to the floor. Hechicero runs Fox around the ring and onto a chair that’s seated next to the barrier. Hechicero comes flying in with a big boot on a seated Fox. Fox fires up and they slug it out before Hechicero gets the advantage with a kick. Hechicero runs Fox back in and drapes him over the apron to drop an elbow to Fox’s heart. Hechicero positions Fox and kicks him in the head to send Fox to the floor again. Fox rolls back in and Hechicero follows to taunt Fox to hit him. Fox weakly hits out a couple of times before Hechicero calmly roundhouses him in the head.

Back to full screen with Hechicero hitting an enziguri before the cameras completely miss whatever Fox did in response. Fox slips a Hechicero charge but Hechicero recovers and lariats a charging Fox down. Hechicero again dares Fox to hit him so Fox tries a couple of weak lariats before catching Hechicero with his own enziguri. Fox nails Hechicero with a flying elbow and a rolling cutter. Fox hits a swanton and covers for two. Fox hoists Hechicero on his shoulders and hits a rolling fireman’s carry driver before ascending. Fox whiffs on a 450 splash attempt before Hechicero wipes him out with a head-scissors crucifix driver. Hechicero pulls Fox over into a rear choke/chinlock and Fox taps out.

I really like Hechicero’s entire thing and Fox may be their best underdog babyface not named Mark Briscoe. I think the four-way next week should be good so I wasn’t surprised that Hechicero got way more of the shine here. A solid television match. 2.75*

Winner – Hechicero (rear choke/chinlock submission)

We go to a video package highlighting Anthony Bowens and Max Caster and everything that’s happened leading up to Bowens attack on Caster during the Open Challenge. We go to commercials.

A bandaged up Harley Cameron is watching the footage of Megan Bayne destroying her face. Cameron finds a face mask in her closet and puts it on, causing her to go into what appears to be a seizure. Cameron flops onto her bed and then the floor before arising with the mask on and screaming.

Triangle of Madness vs Tay Melo, Queen Aminata and Willow Nightingale

It’s Thekla and Aminata to start. Thekla slaps Aminata and hits her with a reverse thrust kick. Aminata breaks up a charge and pulls Thekla immediately into position for Chocolate Kisses before Blue flies in to break that up. Blue and Hart try to double-team Aminata but she breaks out of it. Everyone forgets what they’re supposed to do but Hart and Thekla finally get it together to nail Aminata with elbows in the corner. Thekla covers Aminata for one.

Aminata slaps Thekla and tags in Melo. Hart tags in for the heels. Melo gets a couple of armdrag take-downs on Hart before missing a kick. Melo connects with the next one and covers for two. Nightingale tags in and chops Hart hard in the chest. Hart gets run into the corner and Nightingale starts firing off clotheslines. Thekla charges in to break that up and her and Hart try for a double-team on Nightingale. Nightingale promptly suplexes both of them. Nightingale runs into a Hart big boot before recovering to catch a Blue cross-body attempt. Nightingale works Blue into a Camel Clutch as a Pier Six breaks out among everyone else. Aminata and Melo grab Blue’s exposed arms and pose for the crowd as we go to picture-in-picture commercials.

During PIP Nightingale catches a charging Blue with an elbow but Blue recovers to nail Nightingale with an enziguri that sends her to the floor. Nightingale clutches at her knee on the floor as Blue scampers out to chop her. Blue fires Nightingale back in and goes to work with ground and pound. Blue and Thekla work Nightingale over in the heel corner and Hart tags in. Hart gets top mount and drives Nightingale’s head into the canvas repeatedly. Hart covers for two. Hart runs Nightingale into the the heel corner as Thekla tags in. We go to full commercials.

Back live with Blue distracting the ref during Nightingale’s attempt to tag in Aminata. The ref won’t allow it but Nightingale gets a powerslam on Thekla during the ensuing argument. Blue charges in to kick Nightingale so Aminata comes in and hammers Blue with an Air Raid Crash. Hart comes in to trip up Aminata before Melo flies in with a knee to Hart’s head. Thekla flies back and wipes out Melo with a right. (The ref is trying to prevent exactly none of this, for the record.) Thekla fires off a right that sends Nightingale into the ropes but she bounces off and destroys Thekla with a lariat. Nightingale finally tags in Aminata as Thekla tags in Blue.

Aminata hits Blue with some short-arm lariats before yanking Blue over in a snap suplex. Aminata charges in and hits a big left hand before hitting Blue with her twisting driver. Aminata covers for two as Hart breaks it up. Aminata hurls Hart to the floor but turns into a Blue superkick. Aminata lashes out with a headbutt before staggering back to her corner as Melo tags in. Melo destroys Blue with a knee lift and then wipes Hart off the apron with a right. Melo hits a Helluva Kick on Blue who drops to a seated position. Melo hammers Blue with face kicks and then pulls Blue into a hammerlock DDT. Melo covers for two as Thekla breaks it up.

Thekla hammers Melo with a right cross and then does her tarantula pose. As Thekla goes to attack Melo Nightingale comes flying in with the POUNCE. Nightingale charges but Blue pulls down the top rope and Nightingale goes flying. Melo rolls up Blue for one. Melo tries for the Gory Special but Hart breaks it up with a superkick. Hart and Blue hit a double team spinning Rock Bottom on Melo and Blue covers for three as Hart holds off Aminata.

I had a feeling that Melo was eating that pin when this match was announced because they’ve been pretty protective of both Willow and Aminata lately. There was one wildly awkward sequence in the beginning but other than that this wasn’t bad at all. Willow is crazy over and the face team kept the crowd hyped. Blue and Hart are getting there and Thekla got her stuff in as usual. I’d really like to see Aminata and Thekla move on at some point but they just keep putting them out there together. Ah well. Decent television match. 2.5*

Winners – Triangle of Madness (Hart/Blue rolling Rock Bottom on Melo)

Here’s a video package on the Don Callis Family’s vendetta against SkyFlight. Scorpio Sky says SkyFlight isn’t going anywhere.

Here’s a celebrating FTR and BIG STOKE. STOKE says COPE saw what he did out there and he’s the one that turned STOKE into a monster. STOKE says after he beats COPE on Dynamite COPE is going to be his hoe. Wheeler says they’re done with COPE after Wednesday night and just want to focus on winning the tag titles at Forbidden Door. Harwood says forget his ugly wife and brat daughter, the only important thing in his life is winning the tag titles for the third time. He calls Brodido a “stepping stone” to the Hurt Syndicate who they don’t fear at all. Top guys out, and that’s that.

I guess I really don’t give two craps about STOKE and COPE but I’m sure it’s going to be a whole-ass thing on Wednesday night.

Here’s Max Caster prior to the Open Challenge to congratulate Rush on surviving five with the best wrestler alive. Mistico’s graphic appears on the boards as Caster gets his chant going. Caster stops the chant and says it was better, but it’s time for the Open Challenge.

Platinum Max Caster vs Katsuyori Shibata

Caster puts the bad-mouth on Shibata who promptly wallops Caster with a forearm. Shibata rifles off chops that send Caster to the floor. As Caster crawls away Shibata kicks him in the ribs before yanking Caster up to fire off more kicks to the chest. Shibata misses a charge and Caster rolls him up for two. Caster boots Shibata in the head but Shibata shakes it off and lifts a knee. Shibata fires off rights and drives Caster to a seated position in the corner. Shibata hits his running shotgun dropkick and yanks Caster over with a butterfly suplex. Shibata puts Caster in the sleeper and he drops again to a seated position. Shibata crushes Caster with the PK and covers for three after two minutes and seven seconds of work.

Yeah, Caster is slowly getting this thing over through sheer will. It’s not the most magical act in the world but he’s at least connecting with the fans again. Shibata is great for his role. 1.5*

Winner – Katsuyori Shibata (PK)

Post-match sees Shibata offer a handshake which Caster accepts. LFI hit the ring to attack both guys until Jet Speed make the save. Knight has a hockey stick while Bailey has a board with chain wrapped around the end of it (I thought that was COPE’s bit, Speedball. You’re gonna end up in wrestler’s court, pal.) We go to commercials.

AEW Men’s World Champion Hangman Page and Jet Speed vs LFI

Page gets a predictably massive pop from his home state crowd. There’s a “Hillbillies for Hangman” sign in the crowd and the person holding it appears to be right in that demographic. Page will start with Mortos.

Mortos grabs a side headlock but Page slips out of it. Mortos leapfrogs Page who pushes him into the ropes. They both hit some acrobatics before Page wipes out Mortos with a big boot. Rush tags in as Schiavone announces a “face to face” confrontation with Page and MJF for Dynamite. Page and Rush put the bad mouth on each other before slugging it out mid-ring. A chop battle breaks out with Rush gaining the advantage before pie-facing Page. Page gets another chop in but when he runs the ropes Mortos kicks Page in the back. Page wipes Mortos and Dralistico out with rights so they charge in and triple-team Page before a Pier Six breaks out.

Rush grabs Page who drops to his butt as Rush topples over. Knight rams Mortos into the barrier as Page follows Rush to the outside. Page ascends and hits a moonsault on Rush from the top rope to the floor. The fans come unglued after that move and the faces celebrate. Page whips Rush back in but Rush stops an irish whip with a kick to Page’s chest. Rush puts the boots to Page before spitting at Knight. Dralistico tags in and starts a chop battle with Page. Dralistico’s advantage is cut short as Page catches him with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Knight tags in and then tags Bailey in. They hit a double-team hiptoss on Dralistico and then roll him into a double-team gourdbuster. They hit a double dropkick on Dralistico and Bailey rolls him over to cover and get two.

Dralistico rams Bailey into the heel corner as Rush tags in. Rush runs Bailey into a neutral corner and chops him, and then all three heels hit splashes on Bailey. They roll Bailey into a seated position and hit simultaneous shotgun dropkicks on him. Rush stands on Bailey and the ref counts one as Rush barks at Page before spitting at him. Page gets rightfully fired up from that and comes in to yell at Rush as the ref holds him off. Mortos tags in and chops Bailey hard before using a spinning necktwister on him. Mortos covers for two.

Mortos grabs a side headlock and Bailey tries fighting out of it with elbows. Mortos dumps Bailey over his back but Bailey lands on his feet and elbows Rush and Dralistico before nailing a charging Mortos with his foot. Bailey slips a Mortos charge as he hits the ring post shoulder-first. Bailey finally tags in Knight while Dralistico has also tagged in. Knight slips a Dralistico charge and flattens him with a jumping clothesline. Rush charges in and Knight ducks his clothesline so Rush just pops Page and knocks him to the floor. Rush turns and walks into a Knight scoop-slam. Rush recovers and wallops Knight with a kick and big chop, but Knight shrugs that off and dropkicks Rush to the floor. Knight ranas a prone Dralistico off the top turnbuckle before crushing Dralistico and Rush with a springboard crossbody from the top rope to the floor. We go to picture-in-picture commericials.

During PIP Knight whips Dralistico back in but Mortos yanks Knight out before he can do anything. Mortos runs Knight into the ring steps and then wipes out Bailey with a right. Rush whips Bailey into the barrier as Page wades in to pop Mortos with some rights. Dralistico comes in to break that up and he runs Page into the barrier. Dralistico waffles Page with a slap to the chest as Mortos whips Knight into the ring. Rush and Dralistico continue to work over a dazed Page as Mortos has Knight in a rear headlock in the ring. Dralistico charges in and puts Knight in a Boston Crab. Dralistico releases so he can stomp on Knight’s knee. The heels work Knight over in their corner before Dralistico talks shit to Page. Dralistico splashes Knight as Mortos tags in. Mortos whips Knight into Rush’s raised boots.

Back to full screen with Mortos holding Knight in the backstabber position as Dralistico comes off the top rope with a double stomp. Rush is apparently legal and covers Knight for two. Rush takes a swing at Page and misses, but Page connects with a big right in return. Knight hits a desperate dropkick on Rush and finally tags in Page. Page hits Rush with a couple of rights and then comes off the ropes with a big boot. Rush slumps in a neutral corner so Page yanks him up and runs him face-first to the opposite top turnbuckle. Page flattens Rush with forearms and Mortos charges in to break it up. Page dumps Mortos to the apron and then kicks a charging Dralistico. Page hits a springboard punch to Mortos and then hoists a charging Dralistico for a fall-away slam. Page nips up to a huge pop.

Page hits a springboard cross-body on Mortos before yanking Rush up for a Death Valley Driver. Page covers and gets two. Page goes for a discus punch but Rush dumps him with an exploder. Rush clubbers away and then stands on Page’s shoulders while using the top rope for leverage. As Rush gets ready to charge Knight pops up from out of nowhere to hit a springboard cross-body on Rush. Dralistico charges in and hits Knight with a Mexican Destroyer. Bailey sneaks in to kick Dralistico in the chest before nailing him with a 180 double kick to the stomach. Mortos yanks Bailey into a pop-up Samoan Drop before Page waffles Mortos with a lariat. Rush rolls up Page and tries to use the ropes but only gets two.

Rush drops Page with a Saito suplex and tags in Dralistico as we’re going over time again (Just had to have that Bayne squash in there, didn’t we? Sigh.) Dralistico flies in with a crucifix driver and covers Page for two. Mortos tags in and whips Page into Rush’s raised boots. Mortos puts Page into the backstabber position but Knight yanks Dralistico off the apron before he can springboard. Bailey ducks a Rush charge and superkicks him to the apron. Mortos wipes out Bailey and Knight with clotheslines that send them to the floor. Mortos hits a torneo tope suicida on Bailey and Knight to win COOLEST SPOT OF THE NIGHT. (Congratulations Mortos, this wasn’t a high bar.) Rush decides to try to top that with a tope con hilo on everyone.

Page dumps Dralistico to the apron but when Dralistico tries a springboard move Page catches him and dumps him face-first to the mat. Page wants the Buckshot and Mortos temporarily stops it before Page wipes him out with a right. Page wipes out a charging Rush but a recovered Dralistico hits a Pele kick on Page. Knight and Bailey charge in to hit a double dropkick on Dralistico before Bailey wipes out Mortos with a moonsault. Knight hits a flying splash on Rush. Page utterly destroys Dralistico with the Buckshot Lariat and gets three.

Page wasn’t losing in Virginia and that’s the bottom line. They had to work for it, obviously, and this was a paint-by-numbers tag match with the standard heat sequences on Bailey and Knight. Page is working hard right now and it shows. I’m not sure I’d be letting my world champion do top rope moonsaults to the floor but what do I know, I’m a goon in a living room in Pennsylvania. This was the match of the night. 3.75*

Winners – AEW Men’s World Champion Hangman Page and Jet Speed (Page Buckshot Lariat on Dralistico)

Post-match sees Schiavone run down the schedule for Dynamite and talk up the four-way from next week’s Collision before we fade to black.

This show managed to annoy me right up to the main event. Like I get that Collision is by far the B-show but two outright squashes and Shibata beating Caster in two minutes is just kind of egregious, to me. Look, the fans were into it and were WILD for Hangman as they should be. Just because I’m annoyed with some of it doesn’t mean I’m right and everyone in the crowd was wrong. Things I liked: Fletcher and Ishii kicked the crap out of each other, Juice and Ricochet was fine if a little overbooked, the women’s six person tag was fine and the main event was the best match of the night. This was an easily skippable episode of this show unless you’re really into strong style type stuff like the opener or are an Adam Page fan. Other than that, it’s probably better on youtube highlights. Thumbs in the middle.

Thanks for reading and commenting. I hope everyone has had a good weekend thus far and enjoy your Sunday. Y’all be cool.