Collision Review – 05.27.26

You should read Dynamite first, as we have another tacked-on hour of Collision here on a Wednesday!

Collision comes to the TBS/HBO Max airwaves tonight from The Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, PA. The announcers for tonight’s broadcast include Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Tazz on match calls and analysis, Justin Roberts on ring introductions, and Renee Paquette and Lexy Nair on interviews and breaking news. Let’s watch and join some wrestling in progress!

I think they might have pointed Mistico at Max again, but he’s hurt, so that’s gonna have to wait. Sigh.

Collision begins in the aftermath of AEW National Champion Mark Davis defeating Jack Perry in their quarterfinal match-up in the Owen Hart tournament. Renee Paquette joins Davis and Don Callis in the ring for some comments, and Callis and Davis seem overjoyed about getting to face Will Ospreay next. Callis hopes Ospreay was watching Davis tonight because next week he’s going to do the same thing to Ospreay. Callis promises that Ospreay was never the Chosen One and neither was Konosuke Takeshita. The Chosen One is revealed as Kyle Fletcher and I didn’t even know we were revealing this brand new secret tonight! Fletcher is accompanied by jobber extraordinaire Rocky Romero. Fletcher grabs a mic and wants some sugar from Callis, which, ew. Fletcher wants to chat about the elephant in the room and says the answer to “how could you, Kyle?” and it’s actually because he’s a genetic anomaly and the picture-perfect performer, and 100% cleared. Fletcher wanted to be the man to cut the dead weight loose from the Don Callis Family, because he’s been trying to hold it together for the last year, while Takeshita was trying to drive wedges. Fletcher says as soon as he was on the shelf, Takeshita went from caring about what was best for the Family to what was best for him. Fletcher wanted to lead the Family into the future alongside Takeshita, but he’s a selfish prick and….

Here’s AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita out for a chat and The Conglomeration are joining him. The Callis dudes bail to the aisle to avoid the five-on-three advantage while Takeshita gets a nice “you deserve it” chant. Takeshita wants Kyle Fletcher. Oh, I guess that’s it. Takeshita wants Fletcher is what you should take away from that.

Here’s Will Ospreay to congratulate Mark Davis on winning but Ospreay remembers getting hit with a doctors stoppage the last time he and Davis met. Ospreay is 100% now and there’s nothing stopping him from getting to Wembley. Jon Moxley wanders into scene, as do Marina Shafir and PAC. Moxley says “It’s time” and Ospreay and he fist bump. Shafir fist-bumps with Ospreay, but PAC leaves Ospreay hanging like a chump, so Ospreay happily bangs his own fists together. Moxley, PAC, and Ospreay have the Rascalz next!

Will Ospreay, AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley, and PAC vs The Rascalz (Myron Reed, Zach Wentz, and Dezmond Xavier)

I miss the Outrunners and Dalton Castle in these “we need some decent opponents for top of the card guys to go over” trios matches on Collision. A Pier Six breaks out at the bell and it’s Ospreay and Xavier in the ring hitting a bunch of acrobatics before Xavier snaps off a dropkick that gets two. Ospreay hits a high boot and drives a bunch of knees into Xavier’s head. PAC accepts a back tag and hiptosses a charging Wentz. Moxley tags in and Wentz decides it’s a good idea to go to a chop battle with Moxley. Moxley lets him chop away and then wallops Wentz with a back elbow. Ospreay tags in and Wentz gains the advantage as the Rascalz work a bunch of double and triple-team stuff. Reed and Wentz hit stereo topes on PAC and Moxley as we go to commercials.

Ospreay fights his way out of the Rascalz corner but he runs into a Wentz knee lift along the way. Ospreay manages to flip into a double knee strike on Reed and Wentz, and then tags in PAC. PAC hits a reverse thrust on Reed and then mangles him with a lariat. PAC smashes Wentz and Xavier around and throws a bunch of Germans before covering Reed and getting two. Moxley tags in and he and PAC start their running train of lariats and uppercuts. Ospreay joins in and he and PAC toss Reed into an Moxley cutter. Ospreay and PAC hit stereo topes on Xavier and Wentz, and Moxley nails Reed with a piledriver that gets two. Moxley wants the Death Rider but Reed grabs a roll up for two. Reed nails Moxley with a cutter and runs right into a Moxley lariat after hesitating. Ospreay tags in and stomps on Reed’s arm before nailing him with a helicopter bulldog. Wentz and Xavier charge in and Ospreay sets them up with Moxley and PAC who put them in submissions. Ospreay locks in the Death Ground and Reed taps immediately.

In the least shocking outcome of all time, a team with Moxley, PAC, and Ospreay went over. I think this was fine for what it was but like, I wouldn’t call this “competitive” or anything. They ran a more standard tag formula here then the normal Saturday night multi-man chaos matches, but it also felt like the Ospreay heat sequence during commercials was just tacked on for padding. Regardless, for a Collision multi-man, I’ll take it. 3.5*

Winners – Moxley/PAC/Ospreay (Ospreay submits Reed with the Death Ground)

Post-match sees Ospreay and PAC grin at each other before offering some grudging respect hand slaps.

Here’s The Opps backstage and Samoa Joe says things have been rough lately but their mission remains the same. Joe says Hollywood has been ringing so he’s stepping away for a few months and expects the rest to hold things down. Joe gives some love to everyone as Anthony Bowens and Katsuyori Shibata eye up HOOK.

Here’s a look at the the relationship between Hikaru Shida and Kris Statlander as it deteriorated over time. They will be in a PHILLY STREET FIGHT later. We go to commercials.

Here’s Lexy Nair running into AEW Women’s Tag Team Champions Divine Dominion. They mock their jobber opponents while leaving, and then Nair runs into the down and struggling Anna Jay and Tay Melo. I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED!

Andrade El Idolo vs Ace Austin

This is about the most Collision matchup you can possibly book right now, honestly. Andrade works a side headlock to start and then trucks Austin down after he escapes. Austin trips Andrade up and catches Andrade during a leapfrog. Andrade slips down and eats a back elbow. There’s a standing switch exchange and Andrade remains tranquilo as we take a 90 second commercial break.

They’re slugging it out mid-ring when the show returns. Andrade misses a charge and then just shoves Austin off the top turnbuckle to the floor. Andrade nails Austin with a torneo and then chats up Tony Schiavone. Andrade finds the Only Fans Plant of the Week and takes a selfie with her, but she enthusiastically comes over the barricade to get it. Andrade heroically lifts her back over and then goes back in the ring to roll up Austin for one. Andrade gets rolled up for two and then Austin wallops him with a knee. Austin hits a side suplex and a standing legdrop. Austin hoists Andrade who slips off. Andrade lifts a boot but eats an Austin enziguri. Austin hits a Death Valley Driver and covers Andrade for two. Austin hoists Andrade again and decides to ascend. Andrade starts firing off elbows and hits a sunset flip powerbomb on Austin. Andrade lines up Austin and misses his charge. Austin hits a springboard kaman giri and wants the Fold but when he charges Andrade nails him with a back elbow. Andrade hoists Austin for the DM and that finishes things.

Yeah, Andrade’s whole thing is pretty fun right now. Like, the selfies with fans is kind of dumb but he’s leaning into it so much that I’m starting to enjoy it. No Don Callis appearance during this and considering how much he’s been on the show already, it sticks out a bit to me. Ace Austin is a fine wrestler but he’s also an oompa loompa and thus will forever be a pin me-pay me kind of dude in a company like this. This was fine but nothing you’ll remember by tomorrow afternoon. 3*

Winner – Andrade El Idolo (The DM)

Post-match sees Andrade kiss Aubrey Edwards hand! TUNE INTO NITRO TO FIND OUT MORE as we go to commercials.

The main event is beginning at the 3 hour mark, so we’re gonna have a hell of an over-run here.

Unsanctioned, Lights Out, Philadelphia Street Fight: Hikaru Shida vs Kris Statlander

TK loves to tip the cap to ECW whenever he comes to Philly and here’s the latest example. Going right to a Street Fight seems like a wild escalation of this feud but here we are. Shida is armed with two kendo sticks and has a white tank top on so I think we’re going to see some color. Statlander kicks a kendo stick away and dumps Shida down for some ground and pound. Shida reverses and then runs right into a Statlander superkick. Shida ends up on the floor and Statlander waits to give chase. Statlander lands a knee strike and then tosses Shida into the ring apron. Statlander dumps Shida in and goes for plunder. Statlander finds a chair and of course Shida ends up with it immediately. Shida turns into a Statlander shoulder tackle and then Statlander launches Shida face-first into the chair. Statlander whips Shida into a corner and then yanks her up for chops and a running forearm. Shida gets the kendo stick and waffles Statlander with two shots that send her to the floor. Shida goes out and tosses Statlander into the barricade. Shida takes an apple from a ringside fan and wallops Statlander in the head with it. Shida mounts the barricade and punches Statlander in the head many times with the apple and then jams a second apple into Statlander’s mouth before kicking her directly in the face. (Who brings this many apples to a wrestling match?!) Statlander fires up and powerbombs Shida on the floor. Statlander clubbers away and they fight all the way to the back. Statlander stages a chair and a piece of guardrail and then tries for a suplex. Shida reverses it and we take our final commercial break according to Excalibur.

They’ve ascended to the second rope and Statlander sends Shida into a superplex on a pile of chairs. They both took some punishment from that and are down as we reset. Statlander uses a chair and Shida uses a kendo stick to smash into each other a couple of times and then Shida loses the kendo stick. Statlander hits a huge chair shot on Shida’s back and then crushes her with a Blue Thunder Bomb that gets two. Statlander rolls Shida onto more chairs and ascends for a moonsault, but Shida escapes and hits a second rope Meteora that gets two. They slug it out and Shida gains the advantage. Shida snaps off a Falcon Arrow and gets two, but Statlander immediately nips up to a huge pop. Statlander fires a chair at Shida’s face and sends her to the floor. Statlander goes to the floor and finds a table while Shida sets up a bunch of chairs on the opposite side of the ring. Statlander runs right into a Shida drop toe hold that sends her into the pile of chairs. Shida gets yanked up by Statlander who hits a Death Valley Driver onto the chairs. Statlander finds a light tube and Shida begs off, so Statlander stupidly puts the light tube down and walks into a Shida eye gouge. Shida hits a jumping knee lift and then tosses Statlander back in. Shida hits a rolling knee strike and then breaks the light tube over Statlander’s back. Shida hits the Falcon Arrow and only gets two. Statlander’s back is cut open and Shida rains down kendo stick strikes on it. Shida grabs a chair and mounts Statlander in it but Statlander fights out of it and fires the chair at Shida. Statlander and Shida go to the apron and Statlander snaps a kendo stick in half before stabbing Shida in the face with the broken end. Statlander hoists Shida up and hits a jumping Staturday Night Fever through the table. Statlander drags Shida back in and here’s Harley Cameron out to hand Statlander another kendo stick. Statlander smashes Shida in the back and then hits another Staturday Night Fever and that ends things.

The light tube shot really opened up Statlander’s back and really wasn’t needed for this, but Tony is gonna Tony whenever they come to the homeland. I think if you’ve read my thoughts long enough you’ll know by now that I am not a plunder brawl guy, but I will say that these two absolutely went for it and did not hold back, so I appreciate the level of effort given here fully. Again, we went from Shida turning on Stat at Double or Nothing directly to a Street Fight, but it’s Philly and this is how it is. 3.5*

Winner – Kris Statlander (Staturday Night Fever)

Post-match sees Harley Cameron come in to hug a clearly wiped-out Statlander while Excalibur quickly runs down eighty four upcoming matches in 30 seconds. The credits roll and we’re out at 19 minutes of an over-run.

The pace wasn’t as breakneck as most Collisions are, so I appreciated that. These were three decent matches, albeit wildly divergent in their scope. The Death Riders trios match served the purpose of continuing on Jon Moxley, Motivational Trainer’s Yoda-ing of Will Ospreay and everyone got to flip around a bunch, the Andrade match had no storyline but he got to talk about Rush going for the title a bit which furthered that tiny bit of storytelling, and the Street Fight was the spectacle main event that sends everyone home happy. Nothing wrong with this hour tonight, friends.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Go be awesome and hug someone you love today for me. It’s a tough anniversary for me today and I need y’all to be good to each other.