Collision Review – 05.06.26

You’ll never understand this episode of Collision unless you read the DYNAMITE RANT OF DOOM!

Rest in peace, Ted Turner. We’re sending all the love to Rebel as well.

Tonight’s one-hour long Collision aired directly after Dynamite finished and it comes to the TBS/HBO Max airwaves from The North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, SC. The announcers for tonight’s show are Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, and Tazz on match calls and analysis, Justin Roberts on ring introductions, and Renee Paquette on backstage interviews and breaking news segments. Let’s watch some wrestling!

The show opens with the post-match fallout from AEW Men’s World Champion Darby Allin retaining his title over AEW TNT Champion Kevin Knight. Sting holds up Allin’s hand, and then raises Knight’s hand as well. Allin and Knight shake hands and Knight makes an exit while Sting puts a hand over Allin’s head before whispering some words. Sting leaves and Allin painfully rolls to the apron. Here’s MJF out and Schiavone makes “whiny complainy baby” noises. MJF tells Allin that no one wants to see him with the title anymore and it’s time for MJF’s rematch. Allin has a microphone and reminds MJF that he’ll get his rematch when he puts something on the line. MJF offers to put up the Burberry scarf, and Allin declines. MJF offers the Dynamite Diamond Ring as an incentive, and Allin says no to that. MJF puts up ONE MILLION DOLLARS, and Allin says no to that as well. Allin says he wants something that MJF flew 15 hours to keep, and it’s his HAIR. MJF yells off mic for Allin to be reasonable, and Allin says the contract signing will happen next week for Hair vs Title, and if Max doesn’t show up, he’ll never ever get another shot. MJF is wildly unhappy and leaves. Here’s AEW International Champion Kazuchika Okada out by himself and he wants Allin at Dynamite for the World Title this coming Wednesday. Allin: “IT’S ON, BITCH!”

Just a quick comment here – I think that AEW has too many titles, and I don’t think it’s a good idea to job out a guy like Knight to Allin just to put on a banger. Like, I get that everyone is aspiring to the world title, that makes sense, but each champion should have their own mini-division of challengers to deal with, not just be fighting amongst the other champions. It’s just my opinion, but I thought about it after Okada made his challenge and what outcome to that match would make anyone happy in terms of a clean decision? Okada rarely jobs, and Allin is the world champion with a Hair vs Title match upcoming. It’s just odd booking to me.

Here’s Renee Paquette backstage looking for a medical update on Will Ospreay. Doc Sampson mentions that Ospreay returned from Japan in decent shape, and he’ll get an MRI this week for further clearance. Paquette asks for clarification on Ospreay’s training with the Death Riders, and Ospreay confirms that he’s not a Death Rider and will never be one, he’s just training himself up to get to a point where he knows he needs to be.

Speedball Mike Bailey vs AR Fox

There’s a handshake to start, and Tazz complains immediately as he “doesn’t like that”. There’s some acrobatics to start and Bailey snaps off a bunch of low kicks that send Fox to the floor. Fox comes back in and trips up Bailey, but makes Fox miss a move twice before crushing him with a twisting moonsault. Bailey runs Fox back in and ascends for a missile dropkick. We go to commercials.

They’re slugging it out when the show returns, and Bailey hits a knee strike before dropping Fox to the apron. Fox recovers with a DDT and then ascends while changing positions to nail Bailey with a corkscrew brainbuster. Bailey bails to the floor so Fox can’t make a cover. Fox hits a tope con hilo and Bailey ends up rolling back in. Fox hits a senton atomico and covers Bailey for two. Fox positions Bailey and ascends again, but Bailey sees it coming and slips the jump. They each miss a bunch of moves until Fox nails Bailey with an enziguri. Fox wants Lo Mein Pain but misses it. Bailey hits a leaping 450 knee drop and covers Fox for three.

A lot of the cooler stuff happened during commercials but this one was really never in doubt. I thought this was one of the more “choreographed” matches I’ve seen in awhile, but I’ve gotten more used to it now and if two guys want to go out there and show off a bit, go for it. I don’t know what they’re going to do with Bailey but they clearly like him enough to keep putting him in television matches despite his tag partner being a singles champ now. 3*

Winner – Speedball Mike Bailey (450 knee drop)

EARLIER TODAY AEW TBS Champion Willow Nightingale talked about wearing the TBS championship and what Ted Turner meant to the name of the belt. Nightingale says whomever wants next, just step up because Nightingale plans on defending the Turner legacy every week.

Schiavone and Sting’s tribute at the start of the show was pretty cool, as was this bit from Willow.

PAC is with the Death Riders and wants Darby Allin to remember who the real thorn in his side is. PAC has a 2-1 record over Allin in singles, and PAC thinks that that has earned him a shot at the title. PAC wants Allin to prove him wrong.

Are the Death Riders heels or faces? I DEFY ANY OF YOU TO ACTUALLY CONFIRM WHAT SIDE THEY’RE ON.

Jamie Hayter vs Skye Blue

Hayter slugs Blue to start but Blue grabs a quick roll up for two. Hayter boots Blue down and Blue bails to the floor. Hayter invites her back and Blue mashes Hayter with a kick from the apron. Blue kicks Hayter in the head and covers her for one. Blue yanks Hayter up and Hayter fires up with some right forearms. As all this is going on, Excalibur confirms that PAC will get his world title shot on Saturday night during Fairway To Hell. Blue comes off the second rope and Hayter tosses her over her head. Hayter clobbers Blue with a clothesline and covers her for one. Hayter smashes Blue along the apron and wants a suplex, but Blue ducks it and smashes Hayter face-first on the apron. Blue sends Hayter face-first into the barricade and we go to commercials.

Blue charges and eats a Hayter back elbow when the show returns. Hayter sticks out a boot and then waffles Blue with a missile dropkick and a release German. Hayter hits a big lariat and an overhead Fisherman’s Exploder that gets two. Hayter hits a spinebuster and goes to ground and pound. Hayter wants the Hayterade but Blue rolls out and gets two. Blue tries a knee lift and they start exchanging blows. Blue does get a knee lift and wants Code Blue but Hayter grabs a roll up for two. Hayter crushes Blue with a headbutt and covers her for two. There’s a reset and then Hayter drives Blue into a corner with her shoulder. Hayter mounts Blue on a top turnbuckle but Blue pulls Hayter’s head down for a Cheeky Nandos. Hayter catches Blue charging in and tries for a lofted sleeper, but Blue slips out and starts throwing rights. They slug it out on the second rope and Hayter hits Hayterade from OUTTA NOWHERE off the second rope. Hayter’s cover gets three.

I thought this was really solid and physical as hell. I know Blue is not afraid to get in there and throw bombs from time to time so I was glad her and Hayter really went for it. 3.25*

Winner – Jamie Hayter (Hayterade from the second rope)

Post-match sees AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla and Julia Hart watching things from the crowd, and Thekla is derisively clapping for Hayter’s victory. Hayter offers a deep bow and Thekla shows off her belt in response. Hayter goes back to Blue and the cameras totally miss Hayter nailing Blue with another clothesline. Everyone scowls at each other.

Here’s The Don Callis Family backstage with Don Callis in front of Mark Davis, AEW International Champion Kazuchika Okada, Konosuke Takeshita, and Andrade El Idolo. Callis is assured that Mark Davis will be beating Jack Perry at Fairway to Hell, and he’s also super pleased that Okada has a world title shot on Dynamite. Takeshita reminds Okada to not worry about trying to win the world title, he should be worried about Takeshita beating him for the International title at Double or Nothing. Callis says Okada is his hand-picked world title winner, and Andrade asks him how he knows this before leaving. Callis shakes it off and promises more gold for the Family.

Rush vs Manny Lo

Tazz: “He should be Manny Go and just get the hell out of here.” Tazz, I agree. Lo offers a handshake and gets tossed into a corner for some chops for his kindness. Rush just murders the guy and then wallops him with The Horns before covering and getting three.

20 second squash! .5*

Post-match Rush reminds everyone what they get if they mess with the BULL.

Here’s AEW National Champion Jack Perry continuing on his bus ride through the countryside. Perry calls Mark Davis a “big stupid dog” and climbs some rocks to show that he’s at the top of the mountain. Perry: “And if you don’t like that, FUCK YOU.”. Right on, little man. Go on and tell’em.

10 Man Tag: The Death Riders (Claudio Castignoli, Wheeler Yuta, and Daniel Garcia) and The Dogs (Clark Connors and David Finlay) vs The Young Bucks (Nick and Matt Jackson) and The Bang Bang Gang (Austin and Colten Gunn, and Ace Austin)

It breaks loose on the ramp and the bell sounds with everyone fighting. The Bucks fight it out with Garcia and Yuta and then everyone joins in for a “human centipede suplex situation” as Moxley calls it. The faces hit the aforementioned giant suplex and then there’s a bunch of punching in all four corners. There are four backdrops and Castignoli charges in to break up everyone’s fun. That goes badly for him and everyone is on the floor again. The Bucks hit some moves on Castignoli, and then a fight breaks out on the other side with Garcia and Austin. Connors spears Austin through the ropes and then the Gunns double team Finlay with a neckbreaker. The Gunns wanted 3:10 to Yuma but that all goes awry with the recovered Dogs laying waste to both of them. We go to commercials.

An actual tag match has broken out during the break, but of course a Pier Six breaks out as soon as the show returns. There’s a conveyor belt of heel smashing done on Austin Gunn, and then Castignoli hits the big swing followed by a Garcia dropkick. Castignoli bullies Austin Gunn around and then gets yanked into a front facebreaker. Colten gets a tag and runs wild on the heels for a minute before snapping off a neckbreaker on Yuta. Castignoli gets dumped and Colten smashes Yuta with a uranage that gets a long two. There’s interference on the floor so Colten launches Ace Austin to the floor with a back body drop to smash Castignoli. Garcia puts Colten into the Dragon Tamer and Garcia flies in with a stomp. Garcia’s cover gets two. Colten nails Garcia with a lariat and tags in Matt Jackson. Matt hits two Northern Lights but Garcia prevents the third and Finlay tags in. Matt gets a three way suplex on the Dogs and Garcia and gets a long two. Nick charges in and he and Matt hit double team bulldogs on the Dogs. Matt and Nick ascend and combine on a swanton and a Savage elbow. The Bucks hit superkicks on the Dogs, and then on Garcia and Yuta. The Bucks hit the BTE Trigger on Finlay and Yuta breaks up the cover at two. Everyone flies in to hit a bunch of moves in a row and it ends with Castignoli and Colten mashing each other with simultaneous lariats. Ace Austin and Yuta get tags, and they slug it out mid-ring. Yuta gouges the eyes and runs right into an Austin dropkick. Yuta shakes it off and tries a German but Austin lands on his feet. The Bucks charge in and they and Austin hit triple superkicks on Yuta. Austin hits The Fold on Yuta and covers him for three.

Ending the night with a party match is probably not a bad idea overall. The fans get to see a bunch of high spots and the babyfaces win and how much of it will you remember by Friday? Probably not a lot. None of these folks have actual programs going on, they just fight in a bunch of combinations on television with no endgame or goal in sight. But hey, the crowd eats it up, the ratings remain fairly steady, and everyone seems very happy with everything. 3*

Winners – The Young Bucks/The Bang Bang Gang (Ace Austin The Fold on Yuta)

Post-match sees Juice Robinson charge down to celebrate with the babyfaces as Excal puts over Fairway to Hell. There’s another ten man tag scheduled for Dynamite because TEN MAN TAGS ARE EVERYONE’S FAVORITE THING. The credits roll and we’re out.

I thought in conjunction with Dynamite, this was a solid night for AEW overall. There’s a lot of moving pieces as Double or Nothing is now two and a half weeks away. I haven’t seen Scott’s thoughts yet on Dynamite but I thought Allin-Knight was really decent and other than the Rush squash, Collision’s hour of matches were decent to good.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Have a great Thursday.