Collision Review – 01.17.26

If you missed Dynamite, you can catch up right now.

Tonight’s Collision comes to the TNT airwaves after being recorded on January 14th after Dynamite ended. The show happened at the Arizona Financial Theater in Phoenix, AZ. The television presenters of the 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!

Did you know Darby Allin is a moron? If not, please watch this.

Andrade El Idolo vs Angelico

Don Callis is seconding Andrade. Angelico has Serpentico with him. Andrade hits a back elbow after Angelico goes behind and then smashes a downed Angelico with a running Meteora. Andrade yanks up Angelico at two as Callis applauds in the background. Andrade chops Angelico along the ropes and then goes into the Three Amigos. He only gets one before Angelico hits a roundhouse. Andrade responds with a huge chop and a running forearm, but then runs into a high boot from Angelico. Andrade cuts that off with a kaman giri and then mounts Angelico on a top turnbuckle. Andrade hits a superplex and goes back into Three Amigos. Andrade completes it and again pulls up Angelico at two. Angelico fires up with a knee lift but immediately eats another back elbow from Andrade. Andrade hits the DM and covers Angelico for three.

Did you know squash are high in anti-oxidants? Well, now you do. 1*

Winner – Andrade (The DM)

Lexy Nair is backstage with The Rascalz (sans Trey Miguel) who emerge from a very smoky room. Desmond Xavier mentions that they have been together for decade and it’s natural that as one of the best groups in wrestling, they would join up with WHERE THE BEST WRESTLE. Xavier invites Nair to “join” and she politely declines as she’s working. (If you’re not super familiar with the Rascalz, their gimmick involves them being stoners.)

Grizzled Young Veterans (James Drake and Zack Gibson) vs Eddie Kingston and Ortiz

This is Ortiz’s first televised match in 728 days per Tony Schiavone. Ortiz starts with Gibson and they grapple to start before Drake tags in. Ortiz sends Gibson to the floor with a lariat and then smashes Drake with a roundhouse. Ortiz hits a tope suicida on Gibson and then plants Drake with a springboard facebuster. Ortiz hits a springboard cross-body and then tags in Kingston. Kingston puts the boots to Drake and then chops away. Ortiz tags back in and they double-team Drake with a shotgun dropkick. Ortiz covers and gets one. Kingston tags back in as does Gibson. GYV hit double team clotheslines on Kingston and then drop him with a leg lariat. Gibson puts the boots to Kingston and tags Drake back in. Drake hits a flying elbow and a shotgun dropkick but Kingston flies out of the corner with a lariat to stop that. Ortiz tags in and hits a back elbow before smashing a newly-tagged in Gibson with a facebuster. Drake tags in and he and Gibson wipe out Ortiz and Kingston. Drake wallops Ortiz with a tope suicida as we go to commercials.

Drake is working over Ortiz when the show returns, but Ortiz hits a bridging suplex that gets two. Drake hits a dragon screw leg whip and tags in Gibson. Ortiz fires up with a rana and Gibson slides over to tag in Drake. Drake tries to hold off Ortiz from making the tag but Ortiz finally manages it. Kingston comes in and starts duking it out with Drake mid-ring. Kingston hits a lariat and the machine gun chops on Drake. Ortiz tags in and hoists Drake up for a jackknife powerbomb that gets a long two. Kingston wants a Doomsday Device but Gibson flies over to break that up. Gibson tags in and his forearms don’t shake Kingston at all. They slug it out mid-ring and Kingston drops one strap before crushing Gibson with an Exploder. Drake tries to use his scarf to choke Kingston, who fights that off. Gibson flies off with a Ticket to Ride to get a two count on Kingston. GYV hit a double-team Flatliner and Drake slaps on a Koji Clutch. Ortiz and Gibson tumble to the floor and Kingston finally snaps out of the Clutch. Kingston goes to ground and pound before stomping away on Drake. Kingston drops the other strap and Drake grabs a quick roll up for two. Kingston kicks him off and Ortiz wallops Drake with a slapjack before Drake walks into Kingston’s Madballs DDT. Kingston covers and gets three.

Will this be the end of this feud? I would think so, because this ended up being fairly decisive in the end. Kingston is starting to finally look like the complete article after his long time away, and Ortiz looked fine as well after a long absence. GYV are perfectly cromulent opponents who can eat pins that no one cares about in the end. Perfectly acceptable tag wrestling here although why it went at the pace it did is beyond me. 2.25*

Winners – Kingston/Ortiz (Kingston Madballs DDT)

Highlights are shown of the end of the Triangle of Madness/Champs of Wrath tag match on Dynamite. Statlander says she’d take a bullet for either Cameron or Nightingale, but she wants to know what Thekla wants to do now because Statlander isn’t hard to find.

Highlights are shown of Hangman Page teaming with Jet Speed back in August, since they will be taking on the Opps for the Trios titles in the main event. We go to commercials.

Tony Schiavone welcomes in FTR with Stokely, who remains in a wheelchair. I can’t believe the Vivian Banks Memorial Medical Center of Triumph failed to fix Stokely’s many injuries. Schiavone asks Stokely about the Law Firm of Davis and Doyle, but Stokely decides to take the high road and not talk bad about the Callis Family. Stokely congratulates them on becoming number one contenders and he longs for the days when pro wrestlers looked like pro wrestlers like Davis and Doyle do. Cash Wheeler mentions Sports Illustrated and ESPN named them the best tag team (Y’ALL DIDN’T WIN THE DOOMIES, THOUGH!) Harwood begs Schiavone to hold the microphone and shouts out Nigel McGuiness since they aren’t messing with him today. Harwood tells Schiavone to ask him what he hates most about the fans, who immediately start chanting “We have hair!”. Harwood shakes that off and says that the crowd gees up the Law Firm’s egos and now they’re a team who’s suddenly got a shot at the titles. Harwood says guys like Davis and Doyle were the norm when they were growing up, but they should know that no matter what they’ve done before or what they’ll do moving forward, they’re in the midst of the GOAT tag team and they’re begging to be FTR. Harwood says there’s only one FTR, and TOP GUYS ARE OUT.

The Cru are backstage and want to welcome The Rascalz to AEW. Lacey Lane was there, as well. I barely remembered that the Cru were a thing, but hey, welcome back to television I guess. (I assume they’ve been working in ROH, so I’m sure GARTH can comment on it, perhaps. Or not. I really don’t care.)

Zayda Steel vs Marina Shafir

I don’t like Steel’s chances here, despite the cute video package they give to her prior to the match.Christopher Daniels is out with Steel, presumably to pick up the pieces when this is over. Jon Moxley has joined the announce team. Shafir eats a dropkick and a rana, but catches Steel when she tries a suicide dive. Steel smacks Shafir and sends her back in, but Steel misses a top rope move and immediately walks into a high foot from Shafir. We go to commercials? We go to commercials.

Steel hits an elbow and a Codebreaker when the show returns, before walloping Shafir with a knee lift. Shafir shakes it off and drops Steel with a uranage. Shafir slaps on a full nelson and then whips Steel around to slap her in the chest. Moxley: “I’m used to dealing with unreasonable women and Steel better watch out right here.” Shafir decides to end it with Mother’s Milk and indeed, Steel taps immediately.

This was bad in just about every way. Shafir looked like she could care less about this and just wanted to get to the finish, and Steel is what I would VERY GENEROUSLY call a “work in progress”. 1*

Winner – Marina Shafir (Mother’s Milk)

Kyle Fletcher, El Clon and Josh Alexander vs Sky Flight (Darius Martin, Dante Martin and Scorpio Sky)

Callis joins the announce team as Moxley goes over what happened in the C2 semi-finals with Fletcher being unable to find the screwdriver that Kazuchika Okada used in the prior semi. Moxley and Callis bicker and Moxley says what Callis does is entirely different from what the Death Riders do. Moxley stands up and Callis backs off, and as Moxley goes to leave here’s Lance Archer and Rocky Romero to attack Moxley. Archer puts the boots to Moxley and here’s Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia and Claudio Castignoli to help Moxley fight everyone off. Fletcher, Clon, and Alexander join in the fight and out come Sky Flight to even things up, I guess? Who can tell. We go to commercials.

Darius starts with Fletcher when the show returns. The Death Riders are still fighting with the Callis guys on the floor, but Claudio and Yuta finally leave. Dante tags in and he and Darius work a double team move on Fletcher’s elbow. Sky tags in and they continue working Fletcher’s elbow. Callis has rejoined commentary, sadly. Fletcher fires up with a bodyslam and tags in Clon. Clon stomps on Sky’s shoulder and then tags in Alexander. Alexander clubbers away at Sky who goes to Alexander’s eyes to break it up. Darius tags in and he catches Alexander with a Spanish Fly and a Flatliner that gets two. Dante tags in and he and Darius end up hitting a double team DDT that gets two. Fletcher flies over and Sky smashes him with a forearm. Clon tags in and smashes Darius around before sending him into a Fletcher sit-out powerbomb. Clon hits a stomp on Darius and then fires a back elbow at him. Clon’s cover gets two and he tags in Fletcher. Fletcher hits a flying forearm on Darius as we go to commercials.

Alexander is slugging it out with Darius when the show returns. Alexander works an ankle lock and Darius hits a rana to break it up. Fletcher tags in and Darius drops him with a vertical suplex. Clon and Dante tag in and Dante hits some lariats and a shotgun dropkick. Dante slips a charge and wallops Clon with a kaman giri before his springboard cross-body gets two. Clon misses a lariat and hits a knee strike instead. Clon hits Dante with his wheel kick and tags in Fletcher. Fletcher wastes Dante with a Helluva Kick but Sky breaks up the brainbuster attempt and sends Dante up for a DDT on Fletcher. Sky Flight hit some three on one offense and Darius covers Fletcher for two. Alexander drops Sky on the apron as Clon smashes Dante with a lariat and a springboard moonsault. Fletcher hits Darius with a snapdragon, and Alexander tags in. Alexander puts the ankle lock on Darius who fights his way out of it. Alexander hoists Darius and hits a helicopter bomb and a trap piledriver. Alexander’s cover is academic and gets an easy three.

A typical Collision six person tag here, with double the fun as it also included “Blind” Rick Knox as the incompetent referee (shoutout CRZ). The Callis Family going to war with the Death Riders is BY FAR the bigger development here and I’m actually interested to see where that goes. Alexander also has Kenny Omega on Dynamite this week and that’s a match I’ve been interested in seeing. Oh, you want me to comment on this match? Sure. It was a Collision six person tag match and my feelings are well-known at this point. 2.5*

Winners – Callis Family (Alexander trap piledriver on Darius Martin)

Post-match sees Konosuke Takeshita emerge to walk past Callis so he can hug Fletcher. Takeshita and the other Callis wrestlers raise their hands as Callis claps idiotically in the background.

Lexy Nair is backstage with Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong who bellows at Claudio Castignoli. Strong says he’s going to break Claudio’s back and take his CMLL Heavyweight title. Cassidy wants a high five but Strong refuses. Strong leaves but here’s Mark Briscoe to drag Strong back into scene. Briscoe calls out El Clon and blames him for Hologram’s injuries. Briscoe says he’ll defend against El Clon next week on Collision. Strong leaves again and Briscoe chases after him as a baffled Cassidy smiles meekly at Nair. We go to commercials.

Here’s a look at MJF who name drops Buddy Rogers, Harley Race, Ric Flair, and himself as being “traveling champions”. He went to Maine for an indy show and held on to the AEW Men’s Heavyweight title, shockingly. MJF will be on Dynamite this week.

Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford vs Danielle Kamela and Viva Van

Bayne crushes Van with a flying lariat and then drops Kamela with a belly-to-back suplex. Marina Shafir wanders out apparently in support of Ford and Bayne. Bayne hits a running splash on Van and Kamela before hoisting them both up for a fall-away/Samoan drop combo. Bayne tosses Kamela and then tags in Ford. Bayne hoists Van and Ford comes off the top for a Doomsday Device. Ford covers and gets three.

Winter squash has a very long shelf life and can last in a cool, dry place for months at a time! 1*

Winners – Bayne/Ford (Doomsday Device on Van)

Post-match sees Toni Storm, Mina Shirakawa, and Luther emerge from the back. Storm says Shafir can’t hide behind Bayne and Ford and calls them all “sloptarts”. Shirakawa says they haven’t forgotten about the attacks from Shafir and Bayne and will make them pay. Storm threatens all of the heels and says the only difference between her and God is that God doesn’t wear any lipstick. The heels don’t seem too bothered by any of this and Storm and Shirakawa break into some sweet dance moves.

Here’s Lexy Nair with Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana. Swerve says the plan to get back to the title is the same as it always was, just win. Kevin Knight wants a word with Swerve and he runs down some of his accomplishments including beating Okada in the C2. Swerve takes this as a challenge, but says Knight should go win something of value before coming back to Swerve. Swerve tells Knight he’s a future main eventer, but warns him not to take “five or six” years to get there. “SIX SEVEN” was right there, Swerve, my goodness.

AEW National Champion Ricochet joins the commentary team prior to the next match, which will determine who gets the next shot at his belt.

Jack Perry vs Anthony Bowens

Perry gives Ricochet the stink-eye and spits at him on the way to the ring. Bowens also yells at Ricochet and tells him to “sit his ass down” before entering the ring. Perry offers a handshake and it’s accepted. Perry works a side headlock and Bowens reverses. We reset and Bowens grabs a crucifix for two. Bowens gives Perry the crotch chop and Perry removes his hair tie in response. Bowens trucks Perry and then there’s an exchange of covers that get two each. Perry offers up the scissors and Bowens responds. Perry decides to bite Bowens fingers and Bowens crotches Perry when he goes up to the top rope. Bowens chops away and sends Perry to the floor before barking at Ricochet again. Perry fires up with a back elbow but Bowens drops Perry face-first on the apron in response. Perry fires up with a swinging bulldog as we go to commercials.

Perry hits a DDT and covers Bowens for two when the show returns. Bowens hits a back elbow and a thrust kick before walloping Perry with a kick to the back. Bowens hits a twisting DDT off the ropes and covers Perry for a LONG two. Perry hits an armdrag and a thrust kick, but Bowens cuts that off with a twisting uranage that gets two. Bowens hits a running knee and gets two. Bowens hoists Perry who slips off and gets a roll up for two. Bowens gets a twisting roll up for two. Bowens crushes Perry with a lariat and Perry cuts that off with a lifted running knee. Perry hits another running knee and covers Bowens for three.

Given that Ricochet pretty much telegraphed all of this by constantly bitching about Perry on commentary, nothing about the result was too surprising. I think these two have a much better match in them at some point where time constraints aren’t as much of a concern. Bowens is really solid as a singles when he’s not doing goofy shit with Max Caster, and Perry is fine despite being a tiny human. Best match on the show so far, though. 2.75*

Winner – Jack Perry (running knee strike)

Post-match sees Perry offer to help Bowens up. They raise hands and hug it out, and Perry glares at Ricochet before flying over to attack him. They disappear backstage as Schiavone and McGuinness watch on.

A highlights package of the ongoing Samoa Joe-Hangman Page rivalry is shown ahead of the main event. I find it super weird that Page isn’t tagging with his new/old buddies the Young Bucks, but we can’t have a Collision without Mike Bailey apparently. We go to commercials.

Jon Moxley and the Death Riders are in a hallway when the show returns. Moxley says they’ve given the Callis Family a lot of space but now it’s different. PAC wonders if Callis has forgotten who they are, and Garcia says that the Family has crossed the line. Garcia talks about how the Riders are a real family, and Moxley comes back to the forefront to say he’s seen every kind of snake and carny in his 22 years in the business. Moxley says of all the bad people in pro wrestling, he’s the worst. Shafir spits her gum at the camera and everyone leaves as Claudio crosses himself on the way out.

AEW World Trios Championship: The Opps (Samoa Joe, Katsuyori Shibata, and Powerhouse Hobbs) vs Jet Speed (Kevin Knight and Speedball Mike Bailey) and Hangman Adam Page

The Opps are seconded by HOOK, who joins the commentary team but says nothing the entire time due to “injuries” according to Schiavone. Page starts with Joe, but Joe begs off and tags in Shibata before anything can happen. Bailey decides he wants in as the crowd chants “Speedball Shit” at him. (Don’t work yourself into a shoot, Phoenix.) Shibata offers a handshake, so Bailey bows in response. Shibata takes control and drops an elbow, and Bailey immediately responds with his machine gun knees. Knight tags in and he and Bailey hit a double hip toss, a Bailey double knee drop, and the UFO splash before Knight covers and gets two. Shibata fires up and runs Knight into the team corner before tagging in Hobbs. Hobbs utterly destroys Knight with a lariat and then yanks him up for a powerslam. Knight slips off and runs to tag in Page. Page fires some forearms, but Hobbs cuts that off with another lariat. Hobbs tags in Shibata who runs into a Page fall-away slam. Page and Shibata exchange running strikes and Page flies in with a short arm lariat that gets two. Bailey tags in and Shibata cuts him off with some strikes. Shibata stomps on Bailey’s face and goes to the apron. Shibata hits a vertical suplex on the apron and then hits another one on the floor. We go to commercials.

Joe has Bailey in a rear chinlock when the show returns. Bailey elbows his way out of it, but Joe cuts it off with a headbutt. Bailey fires up with a missile dropkick and Hobbs and Page tag in. Page drops Hobbs with a high boot and then lariats Shibata off the apron. Page flies out to smash Joe with rights, and then goes back in to dump Hobbs out. Page ascends and hits a moonsault on Joe and Hobbs who were both on the floor. Page drags Hobbs to the apron and Bailey flies in to trip up Hobbs. Bailey hits the double knees on Hobbs face, and Knight flies in. Hobbs catches him with a uranage and tags in Joe. Joe hits a snap powerslam on Knight and gets two. The Opps send Page and Bailey to the floor and Hobbs tags back in. The Opps take turns smashing Knight in a corner and it ends with a Joe running senton before Hobbs covers Knight for two. A Pier Six breaks out and Knight gets a sunset flip on Hobbs for three.

So that’s how Hobbs leaves the company, and boy did he disappear IMMEDIATELY after this ended. This was a little more restrained then most Jet Speed matches are and I’m guessing Hangman and Joe probably had something to do with that. Mechanically everything worked here, and Joe’s snap powerslam continues to be a thing of beauty. The Trios titles are usually pretty far down the totem pole in terms of prestige amongst the many titles in AEW, so we’ll see if Page being a part of them now adds some juice to them. MOTN right here, but it wasn’t a high bar to overcome. 3.5*

Winners AND NEW AEW World Trios Champions – Hangman Page and Jet Speed (Knight sunset flip on Hobbs)

Page barks at the camera about taking everything from Joe as Swerve and Prince Nana come out to observe things. Knight and Swerve will meet on Dynamite this week as Schiavone runs down the rest of the Dynamite card. Page and Swerve have some chatter as the credits roll and we’re out.

The last two matches saved this from me being a very grumpy person. We all are keenly aware of what Collision is at this point but if I can get a couple of decent matches to end things, I’ll take it. It’s still a thumbs leaning down from me, but it could have been so much worse, trust me. Dynamite is shaping up to be a good card and Collision will have Mark Briscoe carrying El Clon to something decent, so we’ll see how it all plays out.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Have a good Sunday.