Collision Review – 03.28.26

In case you missed it or just want a refresher SK covered Dynamite.

Collision is live on TNT tonight and it comes to the airwaves from the Alliant Energy Powerhouse in Cedar Rapids, IA. The announcing team for tonight’s show are Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness on match calls and analysis, Arkady Aura on ring introductions, and Lexy Nair on backstage interviews and breaking news segments. Let’s watch some wrestling!

Here’s some people who either used to or still work for AEW yelling at each other!

AEW Women’s Tag Team Championship: Divine Dominion (Megan Bayne and Lena Kross) (C) vs Babes Of Wrath (AEW TBS Champion Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron)

A Pier Six breaks out at the bell that sees Cameron and Kross go to the floor while Bayne and Nightingale try to truck each other in the ring. Bayne wins that battle but Nightingale fires up with an immediate Saito suplex in response. Nightingale hits a series of clotheslines in a corner and then yanks Bayne up for a powerslam. Cameron tags in and she smashes a prone Bayne with a leg lariat while Nightingale follows up with a running splash. Kross charges in and eats a Cameron thrust kick and a big slap from Nightingale. Cameron and Nightingale dispose of Kross with a double lariat before Cameron hammers Bayne with a cross-body that gets two. Nightingale tags in but Kross interferes from outside and drops Nightingale face-first onto the apron. Bayne badly botches a tope suicida so she takes a minute to compose herself before she and Kross drive Nightingale into the barricade. Back in the ring Bayne starts driving a shoulder into Nightingale before tagging in Kross. Kross nails Nightingale with a sliding lariat for two. We go to commercials.

Kross smashes Nightingale in the ring before driving Cameron off the apron. Bayne tags in and wastes Nightingale with a German that gets two. Kross tags in and she puts the boots to Nightingale and then misses a charge before tumbling over the top rope to the floor. Bayne charges in and Nightingale kicks her away before dumping her to the floor. Nightingale makes the tag and Cameron comes in with a series of lariats and forearms before a neckbreaker finally takes Kross down. Cameron hits an armdrag and then slaps on a single crab, but Bayne flies in and smashes Cameron in the back. Nightingale comes in and everyone battles mid-ring. Kross and Bayne snatch up the Babes and hit double fall-away slams before smashing both of them with running lariats. Kross covers Cameron and gets two. Bayne and Kross bully Cameron before Cameron surprises them with a double bulldog. Cameron tags in a not-looking-great Nightingale and she and Bayne slug it out mid-ring. Bayne gets dropped with a German and Kross charges in to get one of her own. Kross cuts off the flurry with a kick and then Bayne eats a clothesline after Kross misses a charge. Nightingale hits a double shotgun dropkick and Cameron tags in. Nightingale drops Cameron onto Bayne and Cameron’s cover gets two. Bayne uses Kross distraction to yank Cameron up but she slips off as Nightingale disposes of Kross. Cameron hits a powerbomb and covers Bayne for two. Cameron slaps the single leg crab back on as Nightingale puts one on Kross. Bayne makes the ropes to break it up. Kross charges back in and dumps Nightingale into a corner as Cameron fires up with chops on both Dominion ladies. Kross grabs Cameron from behind as Bayne smashes her with a dropkick that leads into a Kross German suplex. Bayne and Kross hit a double team chokeslam and Bayne covers Cameron for three.

Kross and Bayne are a formidable duo, but I think someone needs to tell Megan Bayne that she’s a hoss who doesn’t need to do lucha moves because she could have hurt herself and her opponent badly on that attempted tope. Kross is just kind of a lumbering menace to me, there’s nothing special about her other than she’s…you know…big. Bayne is usually decent but the botch put her in a place for a minute and she just didn’t look the same after. Nightingale and Cameron are game opponents who can bump for anyone, so this didn’t turn out too badly. Just do power moves, Megan. Wrestle like the big person you are. 2.25*

Winners AND STILL AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions – Divine Dominion (double chokeslam on Cameron)

Lexy Nair is backstage with The Brawling Birds who were supposed to wrestle but I guess aren’t now? Mina Shirakawa charges in and yells about wanting more of Thekla and will find whomever attacked Toni Storm. The three of them are going to have a six women match, apparently, with any three ladies who want to try their luck.

Myron Reed vs Johnny TV

Reed is accompanied by Dezmond Xavier and Zach Wentz, while TV has Mansoor and Mason Madden with him. TV uses interference to drop Reed to the outside where he’s immediately double-teamed by the MxM guys. TV dumps Reed back in and hammers away in a corner before slapping on a rear chinlock. Reed fights his way out and then they exchange holds until TV hits a rolling neckbreaker for two. Reed grabs a roll up for two and then smashes TV with an enziguri. Reed hits a springboard leg drop for two. Reed hits a superkick and then drops TV face first on the mat before covering and getting two. Reed gets caught and TV hits a rolling Alabama Slam and a running knee before covering and getting two. TV ascends but misses Starship Pain and Reed yanks him into a cutter. Reed ascends and waffles TV with a 450 splash. Reed covers and gets three.

Just a sprint between two guys who can really do some fun acrobatic moves. None of it looked like it would crack an egg, but if you like gymnastics, this was your jam. I generally like both guys and this was fine for what it was, but it’s kind of jarring to go from a hoss women’s match to this. Nothing you have to seek out unless you’re a big fan of either one of these guys. 2*

Winner – Myron Reed (450 splash)

Daniel Garcia, Jon Moxley and Claudio Castignoli are in the bowels of the arena somewhere and Garcia mentions that he used to be on the same page with Private Party but things changed and now he’s been forged in the fire of war while the Party took a “year-long vacation”. Moxley says that they look the same but he’s not sure they work hard. Moxley suggests that Private Party use their 200K to buy some guts because he doesn’t think they’re willing to pay the price. Moxley promises that they are swimming with sharks tonight. We go to commercials.

After commercials, Private Party are with Lexy Nair who asks about their history with Jon Moxley and Daniel Garcia. Isiah Kassidy mentions that he hasn’t forgotten what Moxley did to his hand, and that while he has love for Garcia he’s just in the way.

Daniel Garcia and AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley vs Private Party (Isiah Kassidy and Marc Quen)

Claudio Castignoli is out with Moxley and Garcia and holds Moxley’s title belt aloft. It’s Garcia and Kassidy to start. They grapple around to a stalemate. Garcia does some chain wrestling and then mocks Kassidy. Garcia and Kassidy have another rope running exhibition and Garcia smacks Kassidy in the head. Kassidy fires up with some rights but when he’s pulled off by the ref Garcia uses it to hit a double thrust. Moxley tags in and starts working Kassidy’s knee. They bully each other around in a corner and Moxley offers a free shot with his hands behind his back. Kassidy smashes him a couple times until Moxley drops him with a forearm. Quen gets a tag and he and Kassidy work some double-team stuff that breaks up the Riders momentum. Moxley drops Kassidy with a lariat and then drags Quen into his corner where Garcia tags in. We go to commercials.

Garcia tags in to stomp on Quen when the show returns. Moxley tags in and eats a high boot from Quen who then smashes Moxley with a kaman giri. Garcia tags in as does Kassidy and Kassidy drops Moxley and Garcia. Kassidy hits a springboard moonsault on Moxley before walloping Garcia with a swanton that gets two. Kassidy fires some forearms at Garcia and then wallops him with a Destroyer. Moxley charges in and gets yanked into a Kassidy DDT. Quen and Kassidy hit a double team cutter on Garcia and then Quen hits a cross-body on Moxley who’s on the floor. Kassidy hits a 450 splash and covers Garcia for two. Quen gets dumped by Garcia. Garcia distracts the ref and Castignoli just murders Quen with a lariat as Kassidy looks on helplessly. Garcia gets pulled into a roll up that gets two and then Moxley flies in with a cutter on Kassidy. Garcia hits a tombstone piledriver on Kassidy that gets two. Garcia pounds away with rights and then slaps on the Dragon Tamer. Kassidy taps out.

The Death Riders definitely got face pops during this match despite working as bully heels, so I don’t even know what to call them at this point. Private Party were game and Kassidy in particular did very well, but this was realistically never in doubt. People want to cheer for Moxley at this point so I’m not sure how this thing with Bruv is going to go unless Moxley goes back to committing atrocities surrounded by wrestling matches. 3*

Winners – Moxley/Garcia (Garcia Lion Tamer on Kassidy)

Here’s The Demand in a stairwell and Ricochet has words for Kenny Omega, Brody King, and Jack Perry. Ricochet says he’s been doing a lot of thinking lately and says that Perry won the National title because Omega told the refs to make it happen. Ricochet says the result on Wednesday will be DEMAND UP.

Mina Shirakawa and The Brawling Birds (Jamie Hayter and Alex Windsor) vs Nixi XS, Aminah Belmont and Haven Harris

Windsor smashes down XS to start and tags in Shirakawa. They and Hayter send all three jobbers into their corner and take turns beating on them. Shirakawa hits a top rope missile dropkick and then the Birds hit Two Birds One Stone on a helpless XS. Shirakawa puts on the Figure Four and XS taps immediately.

Squash have high levels of Vitamin C and Vitamin A particularly in winter varieties and that helps support immune function and reduce inflammation. .5*

Winners – Shirakawa/Birds (Shirakawa Figure Four on XS)

Hayter grabs a mic and she thanks Shirakawa for her help, and then tells her that they had nothing to do with the Toni Storm attack. Windsor calls the attack a “piss take” and then starts in on Thekla and the Sisters of Sin using brass knuckles. Here’s AEW Women’s Champion Thekla with the Sisters of Sin in the crowd. Thekla says she’s the champ and everyone else is nothing. Thekla calls the trio in the ring “silly bitches” and then swears on the dead body of Toni Storm that if anyone wants to try them again, they’ll end up like Storm. Shirakawa grabs a mic and challenges the Triangle to a trios match next week. We go to commercials.

When the show returns Lexy Nair is with Mark Davis, AEW TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher and AEW International Champion Kazuchika Okada. Nair talks about the Callis Family doing MJF’s dirty work but Fletcher doesn’t want to talk about that because he’s not a fan of MJF and wants his title in the Family. Fletcher talks about losing the Trios titles at Revolution and he says tonight is all about revenge. Okada says that Kevin Knight will find out tonight that he’s the greatest champion in wrestling history. Okada tells Fletcher that he’s not super happy about Fletcher reconciling with Takeshita, and Fletcher promises that he believes in Okada and is sure he’ll retain his title tonight.

Tomasso Ciampa vs Ace Austin

Ciampa works a wristlock to start and then drives Austin down when he tries to escape. Austin trips Ciampa up and rolls him over for two. Austin dumps Ciampa to the floor twice and then Ciampa sees the third attempt coming and puts the boots to Austin. Ciampa gets tossed again and then eats a huge kick from Austin on the apron. Austin hits a cross-body and then runs Ciampa back in. Austin hits a bunch of lariats and Ciampa responds with a forearm. Ciampa hits a draping DDT and Austin bails, so Ciampa goes out after him. Schiavone notes that Collision will air on Thursday night this upcoming week as Austin hits an enziguri and a roundhouse kick. Austin runs Ciampa back in but Ciampa catches him ascending and pounds Austin with a knee. We go to commercials.

Ciampa is chopping away when the show returns. Austin fires up with some chops of his own and then hits a cross-body splash. Austin hits a Side Russian Leg Sweep and a legdrop. Austin misses a charge as does Ciampa, and then Austin hits a kaman giri and a sit-out powerbomb that gets two. Austin eats a big slap but he responds with a twisting neckbreaker. Ciampa fires up with a low dropkick and Project Ciampa before covering and getting two. Ciampa hits a running knee but Austin basically no-sells it and plants Ciampa with a double stomp when he tries to come back in. Austin hits a twisting Whisper in the Wind and then runs right into a Ciampa knee lift. Ciampa pulls Austin on to his back and hits the Psycho Driller for two. (It’s an Air Raid Crash with a new name.) They slap away at each other and Ciampa eats a back roundhouse kick. Austin hoists Ciampa up for a rolling senton into a corner pad. Austin gets launched into an Exploder when he charges. Ciampa drops the knee pad and wallops Austin with a running knee that gets three.

The second act got real move-spammy with not a lot of selling, but the crowd ate it right up, so it is what it is. When matches go to “you do a move and then I’ll do a move and then you do a move” sequences it just sort of takes me right out of it, but crowds love big spots so this is how things go now. Ciampa moves forward but doesn’t really have a direction, and Austin maintains the fine Bang Bang Gang tradition of jobbing on Collision. 2.5*

Winner – Tomasso Ciampa (Running knee strike)

Post-match sees Juice Robinson come down to check on Austin, and Ciampa decides to leave quietly after Robinson detects a possible attack.

Lexy Nair is with The Rascalz who will face a reunited Aussie Open. Wentz says they’re taking over, and Xavier says they’re making a big splash. Xavier tries to do some math, and Wentz clarifies that when they win they’re all going to be in title contention. Some weed jokes are made, everyone grins, and we go to commercials.

The Babes of Wrath are backstage when the show returns. Cameron says she let Nightingale down, and Nightingale says it’s not true. Nightingale says she wouldn’t want to do it with anyone but Cameron, and this seems to be a break up as Cameron tells Nightingale to focus on the TNT title. Cameron says she’s going where the wind takes her, and indeed, this seems to be the end of their team.

AEW TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher and Mark Davis vs The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier and Zach Wentz)

It’s Wentz and Fletcher to start and Fletcher works a wristlock that Wentz cannot flip out of. Wentz hits a rana and a torneo splash that gets one. Xavier tags in and he and Wentz hit some double team stuff before Xavier covers Fletcher for two. Fletcher fires up with a body slam and tags in Davis. Davis gets hit with a shotgun dropkick and a Bronco Buster from Wentz. Wentz covers and gets one. Xavier tags in and Davis fries up with a cartwheel kick on Wentz. Davis catches a Xavier rana attempt and he drops Xavier into a Fletcher kick. Fletcher covers and gets two. Davis tags in and Xavier escapes the corner to tag in Wentz. Wentz hits a missile dropkick on both guys and then he and Xavier get caught by Davis and Fletcher before being rammed together. Davis and Fletcher hit overhead suplexes and we go to commercials.

Wentz hits a Blockbuster on Fletcher when the show returns. Wentz tags in Xavier who smashes Fletcher and Davis around. Xavier hits a thrust kick on Davis and then a bunch of karate thrusts on Fletcher. Xavier snaps off a cutter and covers Fletcher for two. Xavier gets tagged by Wentz and they hit a bunch of double team stuff on Fletcher that ends with a Xavier neckbreaker. Wentz’s cover gets two and Xavier tags back in. Davis intervenes, but Wentz and Xavier prove to be too fast as they send Fletcher to the floor while Xavier smashes Davis with a Pele kick. There’s a long reset period and Davis finally fires up to start smashing Xavier and Wentz around. Xavier lifts a few knees but Davis yanks Xavier into an immediate spike piledriver and gets three.

Yeah, something went wonky there at the end but they got to where they needed to go. It’s cool to see Aussie Open back together even if they clearly have both moved on from that era. I know Fletcher mentioned recently that he really enjoyed teaming with Davis again so I’m glad those two are getting some professional enjoyment from this. Xavier and Wentz are good bumpers and their offense is showy but not lethal-looking, if you get my drift. This was fine for what it was but the confusion at the end kind of took away from the whole flow and took the crowd out of it too. 3*

Winners – Davis/Fletcher (Davis spike piledriver on Xavier)

McGuinness and Schiavone talk up the main event, and then throw to some comments from Don Callis and Ricochet after ROH Global Wars about Kenny Omega and the upcoming match in Winnipeg. Cedar Rapids and Winnipeg in one week? THAT’S GOOD STUFF

Lexy Nair is with Kevin Knight who promises that 2026 will be the Year of the Jet. Knight reminds everyone that he got a visual pin over MJF and beat Okada in the C2, and promises to turn Okada’s dream into a nightmare. We go to commercials.

The Death Riders are backstage when the show returns and Jon Moxley seems grumpy. Shocking, I know. Moxley says he has no sympathy for the banged up Private Party, nor does he feel bad about Will Ospreay. Moxley says Ospreay got exactly what he asked for when he wanted an Unsanctioned cage match. Moxley promises that PAC has less patience than he does.

AEW International Championship: Kazuchika Okada (C) vs AEW Trios Champion Kevin Knight

Okada reverses a wristlock and Knight flips out of it to reverse back. Okada offers a clean break but then threatens a smack. Knight and Okada grin at each other as Knight stops an irish whip. Knight threatens a chop along the ropes and then Okada stops an irish whip before bailing to the floor. Knight invites Okada back in so Okada slides back in on the other side of the ring. Okada blasts Knight with a kick and then clubbers away with an elbow. Knight snaps off a couple of armdrags, but Okada prevents the third one and so Knight reverses, hits it, and then nips up when Okada bails. They go to the floor and Okada plants Knight with a DDT. Okada breaks the count and then sends Knight back in. Knight gets pissed at Okada’s bullying and Okada offers his chest for chops. Knight obliges and Okada no-sells it before walloping Knight with an uppercut. Knight fires up and smashes Okada with a jumping lariat and a bodyslam. Knight hits a standing UFO splash and gets two. Knight goes to the apron and hits a cross-body as we go to commercials.

Okada re-takes the momentum with a shoulder-breaker when the show returns. Okada hits a body slam and then ascends for his elbow drop. Okada taunts the crowd and then flips them off. Okada wants the Rainmaker but Knight fights out of it and smashes Okada with a beautiful dropkick. There’s a reset and Knight takes over with some kicks in a corner. Okada runs into a Knight lariat and a jumping DDT that gets two. Knight positions Okada and ascends but Okada slips the UFO splash attempt and mashes Knight with his own beautiful dropkick. Okada hits two short-arm lariats and then pulls Knight up for the Rainmaker. Knight ducks and then sends a charging Okada to the floor. Knight hits a springboard from the ring to the floor and both guys are down. Knight shoves Okada back in and hits another springboard lariat that gets two. Knight hits a running lariat and then mounts Okada on a turnbuckle. Okada slugs his way out of the superplex attempt but Knight springs up and wallops Okada with a top rope rana. Knight ascends and hits the coast-to-coast dropkick before covering and getting a LONG two. (That dropkick mashed Okada’s shoulder, hopefully he’s okay.) Knight ascends again and Okada rolls slowly away. Knight descends but thinks better of it and his UFO splash attempt meets Okada’s knees. Okada wants the Rainmaker but Knight pulls him into a roll up that gets two. Knight hits another roll up for two, and then Okada pulls Knight into a roll up while holding the ropes. The ref counts three and the crowd and Knight are beyond angry.

Well, if you’re going to have the very definition of a “one match show”, make it this match. I gave the C2 match 3.75* back in December and I think this one was a hair better even with the cheat-to-win finish. Okada works at a pace now and I don’t mind it as he’s 38 years old with a miles-long bump card, but he’s still crafty enough to make everything look like it hurts and he can still do the hits (dropkick, Rainmaker, top rope elbow) credibly. Knight obviously has a big future and I think he’s proven that with his C2 performance, his trios work, and nights like this. Now, he’s giving off slight heel vibes in some of his interviews and I’m interested to see if there’s character development coming out of a loss like this where he really had Okada reeling until being beaten by a savvy heel champ. Excellent television main event, though. 4*

Winner AND STILL AEW International Champion – Kazuchika Okada (roll up with rope assistance)

Schiavone runs down the upcoming Dynamite card as the credits roll and we’re out.

Collision is the pasta putanesca of the wrestling world. You open the fridge, find what you can, boil some pasta and see what happens. Occasionally you get a terrific match out of nowhere like tonight’s main event while the rest is just….stuff. The Babes of Wrath came to an end, and maybe that’s for the best. The rest of the show had a few things of note, but as usual most of it was wildly predictable stuff. We’ll call this thumbs in the middle and just move on to next week’s Wednesday-Thursday combo platter.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.