Collision Review – 01.10.26

Earlier this week: Dynamite

Tonight’s Collision comes to the airwaves on TNT for the second show in a month-long residency at the E-Sports Arena in Arlington, TX. The announcers for tonight’s show are Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness on match calls and analysis, Arkady Aura on ring announcements, and Lexy Nair on backstage interviews and breaking news segments. Let’s watch some wrestling!

Poor Mercedes forgetting the rule that IF THERE’S CAKE IN THE RING, GO DO ANOTHER THING

The Death Riders (PAC, Wheeler Yuta, and Daniel Garcia) vs Sky Flight (Dante Martin, Darius Martin and Scorpio Sky)

The Riders are accompanied by Marina Shafir and Jon Moxley, who joins the announce desk. Sky Flight are seconded by Christopher Daniels and Zayda Steel. Moxley says that Shelton Benjamin “threw me around like a rag doll” during their match on Dynamite, and I have to agree with that. Steel is new with Sky Flight as of Thursday, taking the place of the injured Leila Gray. Update your AEW spreadsheet accordingly.

Sky starts with Yuta, and Yuta works a wristlock to start. Sky reverses and then hits a backslide for one. They exchange roll ups for two, and then trip each other up for one counts. Darius tags in and Yuta smacks him with a right before tagging in Garcia. Darius hits a back elbow and a big forearm, but Garcia fires up by driving Darius face-first into a turnbuckle. Darius recovers and grabs an elbow lock. Darius shrugs that off and tags in Dante. Darius hits a facebreaker on Garcia and Dante covers for two. Sky tags in and hits a double axe-handle on Garcia before going back to the wrist. PAC flies in to wipe out the Martins and Garcia uses that to escape and properly tag in PAC. PAC works Sky over in a corner before tagging in Yuta. Garcia tags in and puts the boots to Sky in the Riders corner. They slug it out and Sky goes to the eyes before hitting Yuta with a high boot. Dante tags in and hits some forearms followed by an enziguri. Dante hits a springboard dropkick that drops Garcia. Dante goes to a neutral corner and slips a Garcia charge, but PAC races down the apron to prevent further damage. Garcia uses that to waffle Dante with a German before tagging in Yuta. Yuta and Garcia assault Dante as PAC holds off Sky and Darius. We go to commercials.

PAC rolls Dante back in for two when the show returns. PAC stands on Dante’s ankle and then stomps him in the chest. PAC tags in Yuta who hits a vertical suplex on Dante that gets two. Dante fires up with some rights but Yuta cuts it off with a knee. Dante drops Yuta with a belly-to-back suplex, so Yuta crawls over to tag in Garcia. Garcia and Yuta hit Dante with a top rope fist smash and that gets two. PAC tags in and Dante waffles him with a dropkick. Dante makes the tag to Darius as Yuta tags in. Darius hits a Spanish Fly on Yuta before flying out to wipe out Garcia. Darius hits a Flatliner on Yuta that gets two. Shafir jumps on the apron to complain and she’s confronted by Steel. PAC gets dumped to the apron where Sky smashes him with a knee. Sky and Dante fly over the top rope to take out PAC and Garcia. Steel and Shafir have another confrontation on the apron and Shafir SPITS at Steel. Darius runs Yuta into Shafir who goes to the floor. Yuta gets rolled up for two, and he bails to the apron where he gets yanked back in by Darius into a Dante cutter that gets two as Garcia breaks it up. Yuta uses distraction by Shafir to go low on Darius and Garcia tags in. Garcia tags in PAC and all three Riders assault Darius in their corner. PAC hits a huge lariat and slaps on the Brutalizer, and Darius gives up immediately.

The crowd shit all over the last two minutes of this, and rightfully so. I legit have no idea what is going on with the Death Riders because Moxley is clearly a babyface to the crowd and no one else has changed alignment in the slightest. Regardless, this was a chaotic mess as most of these multi-man tags on Collision are, and the outcome was never in doubt. Sky Flight are what they are at this point, a collection of low-card jobby jobbers who job. I have no idea who the antagonists are for the Death Riders other than Darby Allin’s obsession with PAC, and Moxley heroically beating 54 year old Shelton Benjamin in a “qualifier”. Can you tell I’m grumpy with this? 2.5*

Winners – The Death Riders (PAC Brutalizer on Darius Martin)

Post-match sees Shafir and Steel get into it, and here’s Megan Bayne out of nowhere to waffle Steel with a running Liger Bomb. Bayne poses with Penelope Ford and accepts a lot of boos from the crowd.

Lexy Nair is backstage with Orange Cassidy, TNT Champion Mark Briscoe, and Roderick Strong. Strong bellows at Nair proclaiming that he’s definitely NOT in the Conglomeration but he is also definitely not done with the Death Riders. Briscoe says whether it’s the Death Riders or the Callis Family, it doesn’t matter. The Word Of The Day is MOMENTUM because the ‘Glom has all the momentum in 2026. Briscoe shouts out Willow Nightingale’s TBS championship, and says he’s coming for “Hechi” tonight. Briscoe does Conglomeration Math which states if there are two of them in a building, you’ve got a Conglomeration. We go to commercials.

Brody King vs Barrett Brown

Brown tries a tope suicida before the bell rings that goes incredibly badly for him. The bell sounds and King hits a running splash and a cannoball. King hits a Ganzo Bomb and covers Brown for three.

King’s entrance took longer than the match did. 0.5*

Winner – Brody King (Ganzo Bomb)

Post-match sees Bandido emerge to celebrate with King, and they leave together.

Here’s Josh Alexander to mention that Don Callis is still in Japan celebrating with Kazuchika Okada. In the meantime, Lance Archer is wrecking some geek in the background. Alexander says that Hechicero is going to bring back the TNT title to the family tonight, and JetSpeed should have stayed down on Wednesday night. Alexander says the Demand will take care of that problem tonight.

El Clon vs Komander

Clon dumps Komander and then gets a crucifix for two. They exchange roll ups for two for a couple of minutes, and then Clon feels the need to pose. Clon hits a knee lift and waffles Komander with a flurry in a corner. Clon hits a second rope moonsault and gets two. Clon bullies Komander along the ropes, but Komander fires up with a rana. Komander hits a springboard armdrag and then hits an enziguri from the apron. Komander ascends and hits a torneo rana that sends Clon to the floor. Komander hits a tope suicida and Clon immediately turns it into a beal on the apron. We go to commercials.

Clon hits a huge open hand slap on Komander’s chest when the show returns. Komander hits a low dropkick on Clon and then drops him with a DDT. Komander hits a couple of chops and a superkick and then does some acrobatics after Clon ducks a charge. Komander hits a poison rana that gets two. Clon gets waffled by a top rope moonsault that gets two. Clon goes to the floor and Komander decides to do his rope walk but Clon wanders away. Komander decides to fly over to the other side before walloping Clon with a springboard moonsault. Komander tosses Clon back in and ascends. Komander does his rope walk and misses his move, so Clon responds with a Pele kick and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. Clon wants a helicopter Portal Bomb but Komander spins out of it and hits a Destroyer that gets two. Clon hits the Made in Japan for two, and then follows with the Portal Bomb that gets three.

Clon is really average. He sells, which is good, but I wouldn’t say he’s anything resembling a game-changer for the lucha portion of the AEW roster. Komander is one of those guys who always looks decent and rarely botches, so he makes for a good underdog opponent in situations like this. This was back and forth and the crowd was decidedly into it, but the pacing was weird. The finish worked, but again, Clon is going to have to show me more for me to feel invested in any of it. 2.25*

Winner – El Clon (Portal Bomb)

Highlights are shown of WrestleKingdom including Yota Tsuji dethroning Konosuke Takeshita and taking the IWGP Heavyweight Championship and Kazuchika Okada defeating Hiroshi Tanahashi in his final match. We go to commercials.

Mina Shirakawa vs Lady Frost

Shirakawa is gifted a bouquet of flowers prior to the bell and as she turns, Frost blasts her with a superkick. The bell rings and Frost smashes Shirakawa with chops and kicks. Shirakawa fires up with a Dragon Screw and then starts smashing Frost’s knee into the mat. Shirakawa catches Frost’s kick attempt and smashes her knee on the second rope. Shirakawa hits a torneo from the apron to the inside and covers Frost for two. Shirakawa runs into some high boots and a big knee. Frost hits a handspring cannonball and then ascends. Shirakawa fires up and kicks Frost down. Frost hits a back kick, but Shirakawa fires up with some backfists and a Figure Four. Shirakawa bridges and Frost taps.

Mina looked fine, but this didn’t get enough time to be anything resembling real competition. I give Frost credit, she shows up, looks the part, jobs, and gets out of Dodge. 1.5*

Winner – Mina Shirakawa (Bridging Figure Four)

Post-match sees Shirakawa grab the gifted flowers and leave. Here’s a devastated Mercedes Mone still covered in cake from Dynamite. Mone roars about losing her TBS title and talks about all her accolades from 2025. Mone says she’s been disrespected and she’s taking a break from AEW and when she returns, she’s coming for more than just titles.

AEW TNT Championship: Mark Briscoe (C) vs Hechicero

Hechicero gets a single-leg but Briscoe rolls it over and gets a quick two. Hechicero twists Briscoe’s arm with his legs, and then we reset. Hechicero works a hammer lock and then transitions to a rear chinlock. Hechicero gets upset when Briscoe lands on his feet after a back body-drop attempt. Hechicero boots Briscoe right in the ear and then waffles Briscoe with a spinning hammerlock into a backbreaker. Hechicero throws some rights and then runs Briscoe to the apron. Hechicero gets some redneck kung fu on the floor and then Briscoe tosses a chair into the ring. There’s more kung fu and then Briscoe hits a running blockbuster from the apron to the floor. Briscoe sets up the chair in the ring but Hechicero kicks it away. Briscoe hits a dropkick through the ropes and then salutes Mick Foley. Briscoe’s charge down the apron fails and Hechicero locks in an armbar. Hechicero runs Briscoe shoulder-first into a ring post as we go to commercials.

Hechicero is still working Briscoe’s shoulder when the show returns. Briscoe fires up with some smacks to Hechicero’s mid-section. Hechicero slaps the armbar back on but Briscoe makes the ropes to escape it. Hechicero wants a slugfest so Briscoe obliges. Briscoe’s Pele kick is blocked and Hechicero goes back to the armbar while also tying up Briscoe’s leg. Briscoe barely makes the ropes to escape. Hechicero locks in a sleeper on the floor but Briscoe uses his momentum to drive Hechicero head-first on to the aisle. Briscoe goes back in and sets up the chair again to use it for a flying rolling tackle. Briscoe rolls Hechicero back in and hits a running forearm. Briscoe hits a running leg lariat and then drops Hechicero with a Fisherman Buster suplex that gets two. Briscoe wants the Jay Driller but Hechicero escapes and fires off a back elbow before a side crucifix rana gets two. Hechicero wants the Jay Driller but Briscoe escapes. Briscoe fights out of a submission attempt but Hechicero flies in with a huge knee lift. Hechicero mounts Briscoe and Briscoe bites Hechicero before headbutting him to the mat. Briscoe hits the Froggy Bow but can’t cover so Hechicero pulls him into a crucifix that gets two. Hechicero misses a charge and Briscoe hits the Jay Driller before covering and getting three.

They were going for epic and it didn’t quite get there. It was a darn good match, though. Hechicero, after being in cruise control last week against Komander, had his working boots on tonight and really brought it in front of a fired up crowd. Briscoe’s selling is great and he took a pounding on his shoulder. This will more than likely be the MOTN no matter what else happens on this show. 3.75*

Winner AND STILL AEW TNT Champion – Mark Briscoe (Jay Driller)

Post-match sees Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong come to ringside to celebrate with Briscoe.

Backstage Lexy Nair is with Eddie Kingston, Ortiz and the Grizzled Young Veterans. They’ve agreed to no physicality tonight, and James Drake puts Kingston down for the way he does business. Zack Gibson says they’ll put Kingston and Ortiz down next week because Kingston can’t help but drag down Ortiz with him. Kingston guffaws and says if they want to make it personal, they can reap what Kingston and Ortiz sow. That match will happen on next week’s Collision during MAXIMUM CARNAGE. Wednesday night’s Dynamite will have a return visit from Kenneth Omega! We go to commercials.

Hyan, Maya World and Vertvixen vs AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions The Babes Of Wrath (Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron) and AEW Women’s World Champion Kris Statlander

I wonder which team will win this match and which team will look plucky in defeat. IT’S A REAL QUANDARY, NIGEL. World starts with Statlander who trucks World down to start. Hyan tags in and gets dumped by Statlander who fires her jaw-first into a turnbuckle. Cameron tags in and Statlander slams her onto Hyan. Cameron’s cover gets two. Hyan eats a kick and tags in Vertvixen. Cameron tags Vixen with a sling blade before covering and getting one. Nightingale tags in and her and Cameron drop Vixen with a backdrop that gets one. Nightingale misses a charge and Vixen wallops her with a forearm. Nightingale shakes that off and smashes Vixen with a roundhouse kick before covering and getting two. Statlander tags in and everyone runs wild on Vixen before it ends with Statlander crushing Vixen with a double knee drop that gets two. We go to commercials.

Cameron gets popped by World and Hyan tags in as the show returns. Vixen tags in after a Hyan right drops Cameron. Vixen hits a top rope missile dropkick and covers Cameron for two. Hyan and World dump a charging Nightingale but get smashed by a Statlander running rana. Vixen hits a high boot on Statlander and then she pops Cameron with a knee. Cameron manages to tag in Nightingale and she runs wild on Vixen before booting her down. Nightingale uses Cameron as a weapon during a senton, and then she wipes out Hyan and World. Statlander tags in and she and Nightingale take turns smashing World and Hyan. Cameron hits a cross body that wipes out World and Hyan. Statlander hits Staturday Night Fever on Vixen and covers for three.

I legit have no idea if anyone was legal during the final sequence. It was just move after move after move with no flow or psychology or anything resembling normal tag wrestling, but you know, the crowd ate it right up so I’m the asshole for pointing out the basics. Whatever, I’m fully over these multi-person “the rules don’t matter at all” tag matches that happen on this show. At least with like the Young Bucks/Perry vs The Demand match on Wednesday night there was a sense of fun about it and everyone worked within the framework of a normal Bucks party match. This stuff, it’s just a match for no reason with no rules enforcement, no psychology, no actual match structure, and no attempt at anything other than MOVEZ. Statlander and the Babes are fully over, so the crowd loved it of course. I did not. 2*

Winners – Kris Statlander and The Babes of Wrath (Staturday Night Fever on Vertvixen)

Post-match sees Cameron invite her partners to a belt-clinking, but here’s Thekla to interrupt from the announce desk. Thekla puts down the champions and says they make her sick. Thekla says she doesn’t need friends, she has her sisters and everyone will learn what it’s like to get TOXIC. Statlander says that they’ll be calling her BIG DADDY STATTY on Wednesday night. Sure.

Schiavone throws to Don Callis LIVE IN TOKYO who says the Callis Family writes history. Callis puts over Okada beating Tanahashi, but here’s Kyle Fletcher to say that they need to have a talk about Okada. Fletcher is mad about Okada screwing him at Worlds End by stealing his screwdriver. Callis rebuts by saying that Okada walked out without his Continental championship and Callis actually didn’t want Fletcher in the C2 because he should have been focused on the TNT title. The record between Fletcher and Mark Briscoe is 3-3 and Callis wants Fletcher to focus on winning the seventh match so he can return the TNT title to the Family. Fletcher seems perplexed as we go to commercials.

Here’s a preview of the MJF-Bandido title match happening at Maximum Carnage. Bandido promises to win the title. I bet you won’t, Bandido.

The Demand (AEW National Champion Ricochet, Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona) vs Jet Speed (Speedball Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight) and Anthony Bowens

This is your main event! Jet Speed charge in before the bell and get destroyed by Kaun and Liona. Bowens charges in and handles business by dumping Ricochet over the top rope onto Kaun and Liona. Bowens scissors it up with Bailey and Knight and the fight goes to the floor. Kaun waffles Bailey with a suplex as Liona smashes Knight into a ring post. Bowens and Ricochet fight in the ring and Ricochet smashes him in the back with a knee. The Demand gather and wipe out Bowens in a corner before Kaun takes over. Bailey gets a tag and wallops Kaun with a missile dropkick. Knight hits a UFO splash on Liona and gets two. Knight gets crotched on a top turnbuckle and Kaun and Liona crush him on the apron. We go to commercials.

Kaun and Knight are slugging it out when the show returns. Liona and Ricochet wipe out Bowens and Bailey so Knight can’t make a tag. Kaun hits a backbreaker on Knight and gets two. Knight slips a Kaun charge and they smash together with simultaneous cross-bodies. Knight tags in Bowens and Ricochet tags in as well. Bowens runs wild on everyone and drops Ricochet with a hoisted facebreaker. Bowens covers and gets two. Ricochet gets a roll up for two. Ricochet wipes out Jet Speed as Liona tags in. The Demand smash Bowens around and Ricochet ends up hitting a springboard moonsault before Liona covers Bowens for two. Jet Speed charge in and a Pier Six breaks out. Knight hits a big DDT on Kaun, and Bowens catches Ricochet with an enziguri. Bowens hits a tornado DDT on Ricochet and then wallops Ricochet with a running knee that gets two. (I have to tell you, dear reader, that a million other things are happening here that I am not going to begin to try to recap because once again there are no tag rules and everyone is going a million miles an hour with move after move after move. Sorry, not sorry.) Liona and Kaun smash Bailey around and Bowens charges in to hit Liona with a backbreaker. Bowens smashes Ricochet with a thrust kick but Ricochet grabs a roll up for two. Bowens rolls up Ricochet for two and Bowens hits a Mollywhop on Ricochet who’s NOT LEGAL. Kaun, who is legal, hits Open The Gates with Liona before Kaun covers Bowens for three.

The finish came out of nowhere, no one observed tag legality until it mattered for the finish, nobody sold a thing, and there was zero psychology. The crowd predictably ate it all up and I feel like I should maybe just keep my opinions to myself because clearly I’m an old fart who cares way more about this stuff than modern wrestling fans do. These kind of matches are just not my cup of tea. I appreciate that they’re trying, albeit wildly slowly, to re-unite Caster and Bowens, so we’ll see what happens with that. As for the rest of this, I hope you enjoyed it more than I did. 2.5*

Winners – The Demand (Open The Gates on Bowens)

Post-match sees Max Caster wander down as Bowens is still getting beaten up by the Demand. Caster comes in and the babyfaces are in control until the entire Don Callis Family charge out to attack. Here’s Orange Cassidy and Mark Briscoe out to try to even things up, along with Roderick Strong. The babyfaces kick everyone out of the ring as we’re desperately out of time.

The TNT title match was the only thing on this show worth seeking out. Thumbs leaning down for another episode of a show that not many people watch that was up against NFL playoffs and a bunch of basketball and hockey.

Thanks for reading and commenting, if you do. Have a good Sunday.