Collision Review – 05.16.26

It’s a busy time for AEW, so catch up with Dynamite right here.

Collision comes to the TNT airwaves LIVE AND IN LIVING COLOR from the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury, MD. The announce 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. Double or Nothing is just over a week away and things are heating up, so LET’S WATCH SOME WRESTLING!

Sending all good thoughts along to Rebel!

Schiavone welcomes us all to “AEW DYNAMITE FROM SALISBURY MD!” and I can’t even use the excuse that Tony’s been hit in the head a lot. Tony’s just kind of…old. Speaking of Dynamite, JUST AFTER THE SHOW Jon Moxley, Motivational Trainer held a brief promo meeting in the hallway to discuss Kyle O’Reilly and how he’s had a lot of difficulty with him. The exception is that the Jon Moxley of today is better than the Jon Moxley of six months ago. Moxley says O’Reilly has his number, but the Continental championships brings all the dragons he wants to slay to his door. Moxley says he will find a way. Claudio Castignoli has words for Brody King regarding the Owen Hart Tournament. PAC says it’s Death Riders against the world, and that inspires Wheeler Yuta and Daniel Garcia to repeat it and leave. Marina Shafir is left and she’s holding Moxley’s belt and as she leaves, she stares into the camera and says “Bring it, you fucks.”.

AEW World Trios Championship Eliminator Match: The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly and Mark Briscoe) (C) vs Shane Taylor Promotions (ROH Pure Champion Lee Moriarty, Carlie Bravo and Shawn Dean)

Apparently something went down between these two teams at Supercard of Honor to set this up. Shane Taylor is out with his crew, and I’m guessing the Conglomeration is using Freebird rules with the Trios titles since Roddy Strong is the actual title holder. Briscoe and Bravo start and they exchange headlocks before Briscoe trucks Bravo down. Briscoe hits a thrust chop to the throat and a bunch of right forearms. Moriarty tags in and wants some kung fu with Briscoe, but he decides to tag O’Reilly in instead. O’Reilly grabs a double wristlock but Moriarty escapes it. Moriarty grabs a convoluted jackknife cover for two. Moriarty gets a shoulder tackle and O’Reilly goes to an ankle lock in response. A fight breaks out between everybody as O’Reilly pounds away on Moriarty in a corner. Briscoe tags in and does the same thing, and then Cassidy tags in and hits Dean once. Dean tags in and wants Cassidy’s “hands in pockets” routine, so Cassidy obliges. Cassidy hits a monkey flip on Dean before a pissed Bravo charges in. Cassidy whoops both of them but when he ascends Moriarty sneaks over to yank him down in a corner. There’s some miscommunication amongst the faces leading to Dean and Bravo knocking O’Reilly to the apron, where he’s leg-dropped by the gigantic Taylor. We go to commercials.

Dean hits a Bronco Buster on Cassidy when the show returns before tagging in Bravo. Cassidy snaps off a tornado DDT but Bravo charges over and prevents a tag. Moriarty and the rest of STP form a chain as Moriarty has Cassidy in an abdominal stretch. That gets broken up by the referee after he finally turns, and Cassidy is finally able to tag in O’Reilly. O’Reilly has a cravate on Moriarty, and he snaps Moriarty over before kicking him in the chest and slapping on an armbar. Bravo and Dean charge in to break that up and they combine on a lofted neckbreaker on O’Reilly. Dean covers and gets two. O’Reilly fights is way out of a neutral corner and tags in Briscoe. Briscoe works over Moriarty with left jabs and a flying forearm. Briscoe deals with Bravo and Dean after they charge in. Briscoe sends Dean to the floor before trying the Jay Driller on Dean. That gets broken up but all the heels end up on the floor where Dean gets wiped out by a Cassidy tope. Briscoe wants to do his chair-assisted tope but Taylor climbs on the apron to prevent it. Briscoe sends him to the floor and O’Reilly follows with a flying knee on Taylor. Briscoe wipes out all three heels before O’Reilly runs Bravo in for a Froggy Bow and a Jay Driller. Briscoe covers Bravo and gets three.

The fans were into this and very much into Mark Briscoe, but given that it’s about a 20 minute drive from Sandy Fork to Salisbury, I’m guessing he’s wrestled there a few times at least. Bravo and Dean are one of those teams that could probably be on Dynamite more but Khan likes them in ROH and here we are for their semi-annual appearance on one of the big shows before returning to the ROH wasteland. I thought this was fun and actually had some structure and psychology and for a Collision multi-man, that’s saying something. 3*

Winners – The Conglomeration (Jay Driller on Bravo)

Post-match sees McGuinness talk up a revenge match between Mark Briscoe and Tommaso Ciampa on Dynamite, as well as the Continental eliminator between Jon Moxley and Kyle O’Reilly. Schiavone then mentions Will Ospreay and Samoa Joe meeting for the first round of the Owen Hart tournament at Double or Nothing. Here’s Will Ospreay with comments on all that post-Dynamite. Ospreay mentions that he’s been away for six months and has been frustrated and angry before coming back and losing at Dynasty. Ospreay talks about struggling since then and having a match stopped by a doctor, and worries he can’t be the guy that AEW fans trusted in the past. Ospreay mentions that Jon Moxley is the Ace of AEW and he finds it funny that the man who took him away from what he loves has now brought him back focused on winning the Owen. We go to commercials.

Lexy Nair is backstage with the victorious Conglomeration and AEW TBS Champion Willow Nightingale when the show returns. O’Reilly is excited about this coming Wednesday’s eliminator match and says he’ll push all his chips in to go to Double or Nothing. Nightingale congratulates the group on winning, and she’s focused on Red Velvet tonight. That match is happening right now, says Nair!

AEW TBS Championship: Willow Nightingale (C) vs ROH Women’s Television Champion Red Velvet

Velvet has some comments before the match and she seems grumpy. Velvet beat Nightingale four years ago in an Owen qualifier, as we’re informed by McGuinness and Schiavone. Nightingale gives a clean break in a corner and then shoves Velvet away after another lock-up. Nightingale gets tripped down and Velvet works a wrist. Nightingale breaks out of it and walks right into a Velvet high boot. Nightingale recovers from that and trucks Velvet down, but she runs into a Velvet leg lariat after some more rope running. Velvet clubbers away in a corner but misses a charge. Nightingale responds with a bunch of lariats. Velvet grabs a crucifix for two, but Nightingale snatches Velvet up for a Fisherman’s Buster that gets two. Nightingale misses a walking senton and gets crushed by a Velvet standing moonsault that gets two. Nightingale bails and Velvet goes out to continue the clubbering on the floor. Nightingale gets pissed and yanks Velvet up for a brainbuster on the floor as we go to commercials.

Nightingale misses a charge when the show returns, and Velvet and her go toe to toe on the apron. Nightingale misses a cannonball and we reset with both women on the floor. Velvet is back in first and Nightingale finally makes it in. Velvet hits a low thrust kick and gets two. They slug it out and Velvet drops Nightingale with a DDT. Velvet hits a Meteora and a cazadora into a bulldog that gets two. Nightingale fires up with a spinebuster that gets two, and then Nightingale yanks up Velvet for an Oklahoma Stampede. Velvet fires off another DDT and Nightingale prevents another move by reversing whatever Velvet was trying into a front facebuster. Velvet recovers and hits another Meteora, but Nightingale fights off another cazadora and drops Velvet with a uranage that gets two. They start slugging it out again and Nightingale wins the exchange with a lariat. Nightingale is favoring a shoulder and gets mounted in a corner. Velvet ascends and hits a sunset flip powerbomb and a rolling roundhouse that gets two. Velvet misses a couple of kicks and gets hit with THE POUNCE. Nightingale pulls up Velvet and delivers the sit-out powerbomb that gets three.

This felt a little long to me, and they just kept trading moves instead of working sequences, but that may be more in the way this was agented than anything else. Willow always gets the crowd going and she did again tonight, but Velvet held her own here and looked solid, mostly. 3*

Winner AND STILL AEW TBS Champion – Willow Nightingale (Sit-out powerbomb)

Schiavone and McGuinness talk about this week’s events and as a reminder Dynamite and Collision will be in a three hour block this Wednesday. McGuinness brings up the Women’s bracket in the Owen Hart tournament to highlight the clash between Nightingale and Alex Windsor at Double or Nothing.

Schiavone tosses to a video package on Sammy Guevara who will challenge Darby Allin for the AEW World title tonight. Guevara is with Lexy Nair and “everyone’s favorite pillar” tells Nair to shut it. Guevara points out that he’s beaten Allin four times throughout their history together and will do it again tonight. Guevara also mentions wanting to shave MJF bald as well, and there’s only one way this is going to go and it’s going to end with him as the AEW World Champion. We go to commercials.

Here’s Lexy Nair with AEW Men’s World Champion Darby Allin who knows that MJF would never show up to Collision. People have been asking Allin why he’d defend so close to the PPV and it’s because Guevara is as crazy as he is. Allin mentions that if he holds on to the title tonight Mike Bailey can get his match on Wednesday night.

Schiavone says something is going on backstage and it’s Tommaso Ciampa beating the crap out of Mark Briscoe. They fight down to ringside and Briscoe gets the advantage. Briscoe hits a tope suicida and tosses two chairs in the ring. They continue fighting on the floor before going back in. Briscoe piles up the chairs and wants the Jay Driller but Ciampa goes low to prevent that. Ciampa hits Briscoe with a massive chairshot across the back and then chokes Briscoe in a corner with the edge of another chair. Ciampa mounts Briscoe in a corner and then sets up the chairs. Ciampa is then chased off by a charging Kyle O’Reilly and Orange Cassidy. Briscoe grabs a mic and calls Ciampa a punk before wanting to make Wednesday night “Anything Goes, No DQ”. Ciampa gripes from the floor as their match graphic comes up for the currently scheduled Dynamite match.

Schiavone mentions that Swerve Strickland will return this Wednesday and will face Bandido at Double Or Nothing in the first round of the Owen tournament.

The Opps (Samoa Joe and Anthony Bowens) vs Lethal Twist (Jay Lethal and Lee Johnson)

Blake Christian is out with Lethal and Johnson. Bowens will start with Lethal but Lethal wants Joe for some reason. Joe tags in and Lethal pops him in the face before strutting with Johnson. Joe starts firing off some rights and a low kick before putting his boot over Lethal’s jaw in a corner. Lethal bails so Joe tags in Bowens. Johnson tags in and Bowens trucks him down. Johnson fires up with a kick and puts his middle finger in Bowens face. Bowens doesn’t like this and immediately starts kicking the crap out of Johnson before sending him to the floor. Lethal charges over to try to help and Bowens slams him back-first into the apron a bunch of times. Joe loves that and pats Bowens on the back. Bowens heads back in and tags in Joe while working over Johnson. Joe hits a running senton on Johnson and gets two. Lethal prevents Johnson from being slammed into a corner, but a peeved Joe decides to slap Lethal hard on the back instead. Joe sends Christian flying off the apron before getting caught by Johnson with a throat yank over the top rope. Lethal follows with a missile dropkick on Joe, and we go to commercials.

Lethal has Joe in a headlock when the show returns, but when Joe tries to escape Johnson charges in to prevent the tag. Johnson tags Lethal back in and he lands a big double sledge on Joe’s back. Lethal fires off some rights and then runs directly into Joe’s snap powerslam. Joe finally tags in Bowens as Johnson tags in as well. Bowens runs over Lethal and Johnson and ends his flurry with a swinging Flatliner on Johnson that gets two. Lethal hits Joe with a tope suicida and Bowens pops Lethal to send him to the floor as well. Bowens gets rolled up by Johnson for two, and then walks right into a Johnson thrust kick. Lethal hits a Savage Elbow and Johnson covers Bowens for two. Lethal tags in and wants the Figure Four, but Bowens kicks him off so Lethal tags in Johnson. Joe charges in and waffles Johnson with a lariat before putting the Coquina Clutch on Lethal. Bowens puts a reverse wrist lock on Johnson and he taps immediately.

I’m not too sure what this accomplished other than getting ancient rivals Lethal and Joe back together for another tussle. There’s tremendous chemistry between the two, as you might expect, and this was fine for what it was. I struggle to think WHY it happened, but that may be a bit too existential at 2:22 AM on a Sunday morning. 2.5*

Winners – The Opps (Bowens wrist lock submission on Johnson)

Bowens grabs a mic post-match and mentions that he’s found a group of men who understand everything he does for the business and AEW. Bowens calls himself the fans hero, and wants a standing ovation. Joe claps behind him and the crowd responds pretty well to this, and Bowens mentions how much Joe has taught him already. Joe takes the mic and calls for Will Ospreay while mentioning that decisions have consequences. Joe is honored that Ospreay calls him a dream match, but it’s unfortunate that it’s going to turn into a nightmare for Ospreay. THEM’S FIGHTIN’ WORDS PA!

Here’s another look at the Swerve Strickland-Bandido Owen qualifier and Swerve threatens a whole bunch of things. Here’s Lexy Nair with Brodido and Brody King threatens Swerve a bunch after what he did at Supercard of Honor. Bandido promises that Swerve will not win at Double or Nothing and vows to make Swerve a danger to no one after it’s over.

AEW Women’s Tag Team Championship Five Minute Challenge: Divine Dominion (Lena Kross and Megan Bayne) vs Allie Katch and Kaia McKenna

It’s Katch and Bayne to start and Bayne goes to work along the ropes. Katch eats a Bayne dropkick and some forearms. Kross tags in and smashes Katch in their corner with some back elbows. Kross charges over and smashes McKenna off the apron before snatching Katch up for a sidewalk slam. Bayne tags in and her and Kross smash Katch and McKenna together before hitting stereo fall-away slams. Bayne and Kross smash their opponents with lariats before snatching Katch up for the Divine Intervention. Bayne covers Katch and gets three.

They managed to cut thirty five seconds off this week’s match time versus last week, so well done ladies! That’s how you stomp grapes! 1*

Winners – Divine Dominion (Divine Intervention on Kross)

Schiavone throws to a preview of the four way battle for the AEW Women’s World Championship at Double or Nothing. Shockingly, AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla thinks that her opponents are all dumb bitches. We go to commercials.

Here’s Lexy Nair with ROH Women’s World Champion Athena and Mina Shirakawa who will also battle in the first round of the Women’s Owen. Athena broke Shirakawa’s hand last year in the Owen, and Shirakawa wants payback. Athena doesn’t seem to take her too seriously and name drops TONTSY STORM. Shirakawa and Athena start barking at each other and poor Lexy Nair has to step in between them.

Nigel McGuinness defeated Josh Woods at Supercard of Honor and we’re shown highlights as McGuinness talks it over. There’s also highlights of Lio Rush losing to AR Fox after Action Andretti turned on him. EARLIER TODAY McGuinness caught up with Lio Rush and Rush says it’s good to see him while putting over McGuinness’s win. McGuinness wants a comment about Andretti turning on Rush and Rush says these things happen and it’s fine. Rush now has blood-red eyes and sends out black slime from his mouth while saying “it’s fine, it’s fine”.

The Dogs assault a backstage PA after he fails to hand Clark Connors an item properly.

The Dogs (Clark Connors and David Finlay) and AEW National Champion Mark Davis vs The Rascalz (Myron Reed, Zach Wentz and Dezmond Xavier)

Davis and Xavier will start and Xavier manages to send the Dogs from the apron to the floor while the Rascalz triple-team Davis. The Dogs save Davis and take him to the floor so the Rascalz charge over and boot all three off the apron. A Pier Six erupts on the floor and the heels take control. Xavier starts smashing Davis with enziguris and Wentz tags in. The Rascalz resume triple-teaming Davis but the Dogs charge in and regain control for the heels. Everyone hits sentons on Wentz and we go to commercials.

Wentz fights his way out of the Dogs corner when the show returns. Wentz crawls over and Connors flies in to prevent any tags. Wentz smashes Connors with a knee and finally tags in Reed as Finlay also gets tagged in. Reed hits an enziguri on Finlay and then Xavier flies in to hit a running cutter on Connors. Reed hits a superkick on Finlay and then he and Xavier combine for one on Finlay. Reed and Xavier combine on a shotgun neckbreaker and Xavier covers Finlay for two. Wentz tags in and the heels break up a triple team attempt. Davis tags in and the Dogs hoist up Reed and Wentz. Reed and Wentz escape with poison ranas and Xavier flies up to superplex Davis to the mat. The Rascalz hit stereo topes and then roll Davis back in. The Rascalz hit a tilt-a-whirl shotgun dropkick and then combine for a senton/frog splash/450 splash combo as Finlay breaks up the subsequent cover at two. The Dogs start pounding on the Rascalz on the floor but Reed catches them both with double stunners upon their return to the ring. Davis fires up with two huge lariats on Reed and then tags in Finlay. Davis hits his jumping piledriver and Finlay flies in with The Last Clip. Finlay covers Reed and gets three.

Given that the Dogs and Davis are part of the heel side in the Stadium Stampede match next week, I was not surprised at this outcome. As you would expect, there was a lot of action here. The crowd was pretty into this and it’s kind of a shame that Gabe Kidd isn’t around to be in the mix here with the Dogs finally looking more at ease. 3*

Winners – The Dogs/Davis (Finlay hits Last Clip on Reed)

After commercials, it’s time for the main event, but first Lexy Nair is chatting with Anna Jay. Jay brings in Tay Melo and they want anyone to try them.

AEW Men’s World Championship: Darby Allin (C) vs Sammy Guevara

This is No Countout but DQ’s are in effect and Guevara attacks at the bell to send Allin to the floor. Guevara sets up a table and grabs a ladder after tossing Allin into a barricade. Guevara smashes Allin with a running knee and then barks into a camera. Guevara mounts Allin on the table and ascends on the ladder. Guevara reaches the pinnacle and utterly murders Allin with a swanton through the table. Guevara drags Allin back to the ring and covers for two. Guevara hoists Allin up but Allin slips off and slaps on the Scorpion Death Lock. Allin looks to pass out while holding Guevara and the ref backs Guevara off to check on Allin. Guevara hits a springboard splash and covers Allin for two. Guevara tries another cover and gets two. Guevara mounts Allin in a corner and they slug it out before Allin pushes Guevara away. Allin gets dumped hard to the floor and Guevara stalks out to continue assaulting him along the barricade. Guevara hits a springing reverse thrust kick and then tosses Allin back in. Guevara hits Three Amigos and covers Allin for two. Guevara goes to a rear chinlock and Allin smacks his way out of it before walking into a Guevara superkick. We go to commercials.

Allin sends Guevara to the floor with a shotgun dropkick when the show returns. Allin botches a tope suicida with Guevara seemingly trying to catch him for a cutter. Guevara tosses Allin back in and gets caught in a sleeper after springboarding off the top rope. Guevara collapses with Allin on his back and crawls to the ropes to break the sleeper. Guevara is draped on the apron and Allin ascends, but Guevara rolls away. Allin stalks down the apron and Guevara rises up to hit him with a shotgun dropkick. Guevara rolls Allin back in and covers for two. Guevara yanks up Allin and mounts him over a top turnbuckle. Guevara ascends and they slug it out before Allin pushes Guevara away. Guevara springs right back up and nails Allin with an avalanche Spanish Fly that gets two. Guevara appears to have hurt his knee on the Spanish Fly and Allin drops him jaw-first over his head when Guevara wades in. Allin walks into a Guevara superkick but Allin shakes it off and hits a springboard shoulder tackle. Allin hits a Code Red and covers Guevara for two. Allin hits a big back elbow but Guevara shakes it off for two Go To Sleeps. Guevara ascends and hits a frog splash for two. Allin bails to the floor and Guevara follows to set up another table. Guevara places Allin on the table and ascends to a top turnbuckle. Guevara misses a 630 when Allin slips off the table. Allin rolls Guevara in and nails him with a Coffin Drop that gets three.

Collision definitely needs more eleven minute overruns. The story with Allin being this incredible fighting champion only to lose to Max next week is going to be an interesting topic as the weeks roll forward. For anyone questioning why Guevara deserved a title shot, it’s apparently open season and calling your shot is all you need to do right now and so here we are. Allin has Mike Bailey Wednesday night and then MJF next weekend where I assume all of this will end. 3.5*

Winner AND STILL AEW Men’s World Champion – Darby Allin (Coffin Drop)

Schiavone screams a bunch about how great Allin is as the credits roll and we’re out.

I thought this was a better effort tonight from the Collision team. There was a lot of ROH talent on the show but nothing stood out as subpar other than the Dominion squash – can they not squash some higher profile talent (and yes I know Allie Katch is legit on the indies) to build up the prestige of the titles a little bit? Everything else was fine and continued the build for Double Or Nothing. I suspect that Darby-MJF is going to be a hell of a deal, too. The show went eleven minutes over and I don’t like that at all, but what can you do?

Thanks for reading and commenting. Enjoy your Sunday.