Collision Review – 04.02.26

Dynamite was full of things! Read SK’s review of it RIGHT HERE.

Collision was recorded after Dynamite went off the air on April 1, 2026. The show comes to the TNT airwaves from the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The announcers for tonight’s show are Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, and Nigel McGuinness on match calls and analysis, Arkady Aura on ring introductions, and Renee Paquette and Lexy Nair on backstage interviews and breaking news segments. Let’s watch some wrestling!

You know I love tag team wrestling, friends.

AEW Continental Championship Eliminator Match: Jon Moxley (C) vs Anthony Bowens

Moxley is out alone, per Continental rules, and there’s a 20 minute time limit. Moxley bullies Bowens to start and then gives him the Greco-Roman Double Bird Salute. Bowens fires up with right hands and a big chop. Bowens pounds away with forearms and elbows but walks into a Moxley kick when he pursues him further. Moxley fires off some rights and then rakes Bowens back. Bowens drops Moxley to the floor with a lariat and a frustrated Moxley slowly makes his way back in. Moxley shoots the half and they grapple before Bowens grabs a crucifix for two. Moxley kicks Bowens and then bites his forehead. Moxley drops a bunch of right hands but Bowens reverses and does the same. Moxley bails and Bowens goes out after which proves to be stupid. Moxley dumps Bowens into the crowd after a right and then they fight along the barricade. They fight into the crowd and it’s time for commercials.

Moxley has a hammerlock that pushes Bowens to the mat, and Moxley had worked the shoulder over during the break according to Excal. Moxley works a double wristlock and then starts firing off forearms. Bowens fires up with some strikes and a reverse thrust kick as we get the 10 minute announcement. They slug it out and Moxley eats a pump kick and a chop before Bowens mounts him in a corner. Bowens hits a superplex and both guys are down. (Schiavone takes this time to tell us how “excellent” this match is. Never change, Big T.) Bowens runs into a cutter and Bowens fires up with an enziguri to Moxley’s head. Bowens snaps off a reverse DDT and covers for two. Bowens hits some kicks but jumps into a bulldog choke and then into an armbar. Bowens makes the ropes and Moxley goes to the floor in frustration. Bowens follows out and reverses into a back body drop before going for a chair. Bowens swings and misses a couple of times and Moxley pops him with a right before they both go back in. Bowens grabs a quick roll up for two and then smashes Moxley with three rolling elbows. Bowens covers and gets two and Moxley immediately grabs the bulldog choke. Moxley transfers the momentum into the Death Rider and his cover gets three.

Bowens was game and was trying to show more of a killer instinct per his current “I’m trying to join the Opps” storyline (which really hasn’t been mentioned on television in weeks leading up to this, but whatever). Moxley gave him 15 minutes or so which he typically does in these type of eliminator matches. Bowens has a decent singles offense moveset considering how long he did tags, but he doesn’t follow his moves quickly enough and still wants too much praise from the crowd. Moxley just works methodically trying to find someone’s weakness and when he does, he ends things relatively quickly. This was a solid opener. 3.5*

Winner – Jon Moxley (Death Rider)

Post-match sees Will Ospreay sneak into the ring and deliver a Hidden Blade to Moxley. Ospreay grabs the chair that Bowens had used earlier and the Death Riders pour out to yank Moxley out of the ring before further damage can occur. Ospreay grabs a mic and reminds Moxley that this isn’t personal before calling Moxley a “sloppy bitch”. Moxley has left the title belt behind and Ospreay grabs it while reminding Moxley that it was him instead of Claudio who pulled the trigger on hurting him in August. Ospreay wants a small change to the Dynasty match to make it for the Continental title so that no one else is allowed at ringside. Ospreay leaves the title and calls Moxley a “little bitch” as Schiavone announces that Tony Khan has made the match for the Continental title just that fast.

Here’s Andrade, AEW International Champion Kazuchika Okada, and Mark Davis backstage. Okada says that Davis and Andrade have a tag match with the Rascalz so they can get revenge for what happened to his best friend Kyle. Okada implores Andrade to fight for Fletcher because he’ll be watching.

AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions Divine Dominion (Lena Kross and Megan Bayne) vs Ava Lawless and Kristara

Bayne starts with Kristara and dumps her to the mat before trucking her with a shoulder. Bayne wallops Kristara with a chop and then tosses her with an overhead belly-to-belly. Kross and Lawless tag in Bayne and Kross yank up the jobbers to crash them together before dumping with fall-away slams. They hit double running splashes and then run the jobbers over with lariats. Kross yanks up Lawless so she can mash her in the Dominion corner before Bayne tags in for a release German. Kristara runs in to try to break up the finisher which proves to be a bad idea for her, and then Bayne and Kross yank up Lawless for the Divine Intervention. Kross covers Lawless and gets three.

I’m guessing we’ll get around to other competent teams like the Brawling Birds challenging for these titles at some point, but these squashes are just content for time. 1*

Winners – Divine Dominion (Divine Intervention on Lawless)

Here’s Jon Moxley with Wheeler Yuta and Marina Shafir to banter about Will Ospreay challenging for the Continental title. Moxley says that his title is “the highest stakes in the game” due to the nature of being out there alone. Moxley doesn’t believe Ospreay is 100% and he’s fine with letting delusional people being delusional. Moxley tells Ospreay to expect no mercy. We go to commercials.

Here’s The Hurt Syndicate to tell everyone that they’re back and that they’re going to add someone to the ranks. MVP says business is about to pick up and they’re about to hurt some people.

TBS Championship Open Challenge: Willow Nightingale (C) vs Hikaru Shida

This is Shida’s first AEW match in over 500 days due to her ongoing visa issues. There’s a handshake to start and a clean break along the ropes. Nightingale trucks Shida over twice before Shida gets the better of her the third time. Shida gets dropped in a corner and Nightingale hammers away with clotheslines. Shida fires up with a running knee to the face and a knee strike to the back of Nightingale’s head. Shida covers and gets two. Shida works a rear chinlock and then transitions to leg scissors. Nightingale rolls her back for two and after they rise Nightingale wallops Shida with THE POUNCE. Shida goes to the floor and Nightingale hammers her with a cannonball. We go to commercials.

They’re on the apron when the show returns. Nightingale eats an enziguri that drops her to the floor and Shida wants a chair. Shida sets up the chair and uses it as a launching pad for a jumping knee strike. Shida rains down right hands and then runs Nightingale back in. Shida ascends and hits a top rope Meteora for two. Shida clubbers away but gets caught in a spinebuster when she runs the ropes. Nightingale gets a sunset flip for two, Shida reverses for two, and then Nightingale hits a Death Valley Driver that gets two. Nightingale positions Shida and ascends. Nightingale misses her moonsault and eats a Shida knee that gets two. Shida hits another running knee and gets two. Nightingale grabs a backslide and gets three.

It’s so good to see Shida back, her pace and strikes were missing from this division. Hopefully she can stick around this time and be around more often. Nightingale gets a solid win over a longtime vet in the company and for the first time in awhile didn’t look like she was going to hurt someone. No complaints with this one. 3*

Winner AND STILL AEW TBS Champion – Willow Nightingale (backslide)

Post-match sees Shida think about whaling Nightingale with her kendo stick, but she thinks better of it as Nightingale suddenly realizes what’s going on. Shida beats the mat in frustration as we go to commercials.

AEW Men’s World Tag Team Champions FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) vs Mo Jabari and London Lightning

In addition to Stokely, FTR are accompanied by a bunch of Security goobers. Lightning starts with Harwood and Harwood hits a shoulder tackle for two. Harwood fires off a lariatand then chops Lightning in a corner. Lightning fires up with a springboard shoulder that drops Harwood and then tags in Jabari. Wheeler tags in and he and Harwood work over Jabari in their corner. Wheeler fires off some uppercuts and then tags in Harwood. Jabari fires up with an enziguri and tags in Lightning. Lightning runs into a Shatter Machine and Harwood covers him for three.

Just a match to set up the post-match stuff. 1*

Winners – FTR (Shatter Machine on Lightning)

Post-match sees Cope and Cage emerge with chairs in hand. They kick the crap out of the Security goons and then head into the ring for fisticuffs with FTR. Cage goes low on Harwood and then bites Wheeler’s head before sending him into Cope’s elevated DDT. Cope sets up a Conchairto and Stokely prevents it before some Security runs in to actually start fighting with Cope and Cage. They set up a Conchairto one of these helpless idiots and deliver it before glaring at a retreating FTR and Stokely.

Here’s The Brawling Birds with Lexy Nair along with Mina Shirakawa. Windsor and Hayter put themselves over, and Hayter mentions that she was once AEW Women’s World Champion at one point before it was ripped away from her. Hayter challenges Thekla for Dynasty, and Shirakawa tells Hayter to beat the PISS out of Thekla.

Juice Robinson vs Tommaso Ciampa

Ace Austin is out with Robinson but he retreats to the back before Ciampa emerges. Robinson and Ciampa exchange armlocks before Ciampa uses Robinson’s hair to grab a headlock. Robinson trucks Ciampa and then hits an Atomic Drop and a standing senton. Ciampa snaps off a jawbreaker but Robinson shakes it off and fires Ciampa’s head into a turnbuckle. Robinson hits another Atomic Drop and then smashes Ciampa’s head into a top turnbuckle ten times. Robinson mounts Ciampa and drops a bunch of rights before biting Ciampa. Ciampa goes to the floor and Robinson gets dropped from the apron when he comes out. Ciampa returns the biting and then runs Robinson back in. Ciampa puts the boots to Robinson but Robinson fires up with a lariat that sends Ciampa to the floor. Robinson hits a cross-body and then Ciampa spits a bunch of water at him. Ciampa sends Robinson into the announce table as we go to commercials.

Ciampa hits a chop that pisses Robinson off when the show returns. They start slugging it out and exchange some headbutts. Ciampa hits a big boot but gets caught in a spinebuster when he runs the ropes. Robinson fires off some jabs and chops before mashing Ciampa with a lariat and a half-nelson slam that gets two. Ciampa hits a knee and then dumps Robinson to the floor with a knee strike. Ciampa goes out after and Robinson reverses an irish whip to send Ciampa into the barricade. Robinson follows with a rolling cannonball before they both go back in. Robinson hits another cannonball and then yanks Ciampa up for a jackhammer that gets two. Robinson ascends and misses his dive as Ciampa then drops his knee pad. Robinson snaps off a leg lariat but Ciampa manages to go low while beefing with the referee. Ciampa pulls Robinson into the Widow’s Bell and covers for two. Ciampa mounts Robinson on a turnbuckle and pulls him up, but Robinson slips down and powerbombs Ciampa for two. Ciampa hits a low dropkick and they start chopping it out again. Ciampa smashes Robinson down and delivers two running knee strikes. Ciampa covers Robinson and gets three.

I hope at some point the Bang Bang Gang can reunite as a whole and actually win some matches. There’s nothing wrong with being qualified “opponents” but the Gunns, Jay White, and Juice deserve better than this JTTS status they currently hold. Ciampa was fine here, this was a good and worthy back-and-forth unlike previous Collision matches he’s had. I don’t know where this will lead for Ciampa with Kyle Fletcher out, but I guess we’ll see. 3.25*

Winner – Tommaso Ciampa (two running knee strikes)

Here’s a fired up Isiah Kassidy to mention that Marc Quen is out for awhile so it’s time for him to swim with the sharks again. We go to commercials.

LAST NIGHT AFTER DYNAMITE Darby Allin tells everyone that he has to beat Andrade at Dynasty to get his title match, and that Kenny Omega said he would honor it as well if Omega wins the title. Brody King and AEW National Champion Jack Perry slide into the scene to mention that both of them have beef with Allin but that Allin was there when King was being attacked by the Death Riders. Allin says they all hate the Don Callis Family and asks if they can co-exist for one night on Dynamite. Perry mentions that Allin set him on fire for the third time, and then everyone leaves.

Andrade El Idolo and Mark Davis vs The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier and Zach Wentz)

Don Callis is out and joins the announce team, while Myron Reed accompanies Wentz and Xavier. Andrade and Davis attack prior to the bell and smash the Rascalz around on the floor. Aubrey Edwards begs everyone to get in the ring but Andrade and Davis just keep assaulting everyone on the floor. Finally the Rascalz fire up and hit stereo tope suicidas before running Davis in. Edwards finally calls for the bell and Xavier works Davis over in a corner. Xavier and Wentz hit some combo offense and Xavier slaps on a side headlock. Xavier hits some kicks but runs into an Andrade kaman giri when he runs the ropes. Davis smashes Xavier down and waffles him with a standing senton before tagging in Andrade. Andrade covers arrogantly and gets two. Andrade runs Xavier into the DCF corner and then smashes Wentz off the apron with a forearm. Xavier and Andrade slug it out and Andrade ends up on the floor. Andrade punches Xavier as he flies out with a dive. Andrade finds the Only Fans Plant Of The Week, takes a selfie with her, and we go to commercials.

Andrade hits a back elbow on Xavier and covers him for two when the show returns. Andrade works a headlock as Callis calls them “Vicious and Delicious” on commentary. Xavier eats a big boot from Andrade after missing an enziguri attempt. Xavier hits a reverse thrust on a charging Andrade and Davis and Wentz get tagged in. Wentz hits some quick offense on Davis and then mashes him with a high knee. Wentz hits some kicks and then comes off the second rope with a torneo that gets two. Davis snaps off a German in response and then fires some knees into Wentz’s head. Wentz grabs a quick roll up for two, and then Davis has had enough and wallops Wentz with a lariat that gets two. Xavier and Andrade charge in and Andrade gets dumped. The Rascalz hit some combo offense on Davis but Davis lifts his knees to prevent their finisher. Davis yanks Wentz into a piledriver and then tags in Andrade. Andrade hits his double underhook torneo slam and covers Wentz for three.

Yeah, this one was never really in doubt either. One thing about Collision, it’s pretty rare when you get a match that doesn’t have obvious winners as it’s starting. For a makeshift team, Davis and Andrade were fine but Andrade beat Kenny Omega on Dynamite a few weeks ago and now he’s doing this stuff. I wonder how long he’ll stay motivated if this is the way moving forward – and yes, I know they’re doing some kind of storyline stuff with MJF right now. We’ll see where it all leads and how he fares at Dynasty against Darby Allin. 3*

Winners – Andrade/Davis (Andrade double underhook torneo slam on Wentz)

Post-match sees Kazuchika Okada, Trent Baretta, and Rocky Romero emerge to assault the Rascalz. Okada pulls Xavier into what would have been a Rainmaker but Myron Reed flies in to break the whole thing up and send RPG Vice and Okada scurrying up the ramp. Everyone barks at each other as we go to commercials.

The Dogs (Clark Connors and David Finlay), Claudio Castignoli, and Wheeler Yuta vs Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong, Mistico and Kevin Knight

Marina Shafir is out with the heel team, and this will be tornado rules. The heels attack prior to the bell and I’m guessing I’m going to have a difficult time recapping this. Castignoli smashes Mistico around in the ring and puts the boots to him. (The arena is very dark at this point, I’m not sure how many folks stuck around for the fourth hour on a Wednesday night.) Castignoli tears at Mistico’s mask and then mashes him with a lariat. Mistico gets caught and Castignoli presses Mistico over his head. Mistico fires up with an enziguri before hitting his rope-walk armdrag. Mistico hits a tope suicida on Castignoli and then Connors and Finlay fly in to break up that momentum. Cassidy and Knight come in to prevent Yuta from doing damage, and then they combine on nip-ups before the Dogs fly in for some revenge. It’s constant chaos and Yuta and Castignoli team up on Mistico to deliver simultaneous elbow drops. Knight ascends to hit a cross body on both Death Riders and then Knight and Mistico hit some combo offense on Yuta before Knight covers and gets two. Knight mashes Yuta with rights and Mistico comes in to do the same. We go to commercials.

The heels are in control in the ring when the show returns and everyone is working over Cassidy in a corner. Cassidy dumps Yuta and Castignoli but he gets caught in a double charge by the Dogs as Connors covers Cassidy for two. Connors ascends and it’s broken up by Strong. Strong tosses Cassidy into both Dogs and then they dump the Dogs before Cassidy covers Connors for two. Knight and Mistico work with the Death Riders and Mistico hits his helicopter leg scissors to send Castignoli to the floor. Yuta flies in with a right and sends Mistico back in. Mistico disposes of Yuta and then Strong deal with both Dogs before Cassidy comes in to dispose of both Dogs. The heels combine to smash Knight around, but the faces take over and get three Strong Holds. Castignoli breaks it up and he gets dropped by Strong and Cassidy. The Dogs fly in and get dumped. Yuta hits a Baisaku knee on Knight and covers for two. The Dogs and The Conglomeration guys have fought their way to the back so it’s down to the Death Riders and Knight/Mistico. Mistico goes into Castignoli’s giant swing and Yuta ends that with a kick to Mistico that gets two. Yuta misses a rocket launcher and Mistico slaps on La Mistica on Castignoli. Knight hits the UFO splash and covers Yuta for three.

Listen, I didn’t call about 89% of what went on in this match because it was literally impossible. A tornado eight man was always going to be absolute chaos and it was. The faces won, whatever was left of the crowd went home happy, and this show ends on a fun note for once. I’ll take it. 2.5*

Winners – Cassidy/Strong/Mistico/Knight (Knight UFO splash on Yuta)

Post-match sees Mike Bailey come out to celebrate with Knight and Mistico. The credits roll and we’re out.

Whenever they record Collision my expectations are immediately lowered. I would tell you that the competitive matches were decent enough and the squashes were just kind of there. I think the big development from this is that the Ospreay-Moxley Dynasty match is now for the Continental title which means no Death Riders at ringside. Cage/Cope and FTR will be interesting from a conditioning standpoint because AEW PPV matches tend to be long affairs. At any rate, we march onwards towards Dynasty. Thumbs in the middle.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Have a good Good Friday.