Collision Review – 05.30.26

AEW has been busy this week, so let’s catch up: Dynamite | Collision Pt. 1

Collision is LIVE tonight and coming to the TNT/HBO Max airwaves from The VBC Propst Arena in Huntsville, AL. The announcing team for tonight’s card are Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness on match calls and analysis, Arkady Aura on ring introductions, and Renee Paquette on interviews and breaking news. Let’s watch some wrestling!

Here’s Tommaso Ciampa out to join Schiavone and McGuiness at the commentary desk.

Here’s AEW World Trios Champions Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly flanked by AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita and Strong bellows for Takeshita before asking him if he’s ready. Takeshita thanks the crew for the help on Wednesday and promises that things are not over. O’Reilly tells Takeshita to let them worry about the “Dong Phallus Family” while he focuses on Daniel Garcia and everyone will still be champs by the end of the night. Cassidy hands Takeshita a backpack for his title belt and the Conglomeration leave to make their entrance.

Trent Baretta, Rocky Romero and Lance Archer have some words for the Conglomeration backstage. Romero promises that everyone’s backpacks will be empty by the end of the night. You’re jobbing tonight Rocky, but sure.

AEW World Trios Championship: The Conglomeration (Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, and Orange Cassidy) vs The Don Callis Family

Remember to consult your AEW guide books, but if you don’t have it handy, I can point you to the part where it says “If Rocky Romero is in a match, he’s jobbing”. Ciampa puts the stink-mouth on Chris Jericho before being informed by Tony Schiavone that Jericho isn’t actually in Huntsville. Ciampa is predictably bummed about this and says he wasted a trip to “frickin’ Huntsville Alabama” in the harshest way possible.

Strong stars with Baretta and bullies him to a corner before mashing him with a backbreaker. Cassidy and Romero tag in and Romero misses a charge. The faces all tag each other and take turns smashing Romero around before it ends with a Strong backbreaker followed by a massive Cassidy elbow drop. Cassidy is interrupted and Romero snaps off a rana. Romero shides and shimmies before trying to slap on a full nelson on Cassidy. Cassidy hits an armdrag and dropkick as Ciampa wonders why the heels don’t “tag in the six foot seven guy”. Cassidy mocks Romero’s shimmy as indeed, Romero continues to ignore the six foot seven guy while tagging in Baretta. Baretta flies in with a running knee and then goes to ground and pound. Romero gets another tag and smashes Cassidy with a right and some running forearms. Cassidy fights his way out of the heel corner and then gets whipped to the apron in front of Archer. Cassidy escapes and finds Archer in the ring. O’Reilly gets a tag and starts working over Archer before taking out Baretta and Romero on the apron. O’Reilly SWEEPS THE LEG and then keeps on whooping Baretta and Romero. O’Reilly flies off the apron with a knee strike on Archer, who charges back with a shoulder tackle. Archer catches a charging Cassidy and chokeslams him on the apron. Archer catches Strong and smashes him head-first into the barricade. We go to commercials.

Baretta and Romero are working over O’Reilly when the show returns, but O’Reilly fires up with a clothesline before tagging in Strong. Strong runs wild on Romero and Baretta before hitting Archer with a between-the-ropes dropkick. Strong pulls up Cassidy and uses him as a weapon against Baretta and Romero. Archer comes in and yanks up Cassidy, so Strong uses Cassidy as a deadweight and kicks him while Cassidy pulls Archer into a DDT. Strong’s cover of Archer is broken up at two by Romero. Strong dumps Romero and and then runs into a flying cross-body from Archer. Cassidy tags in and the heels all bail to the floor before Romero flies in to drop Cassidy with a neckbreaker. Baretta hits Cassidy with a running dropkick and wants a Gotch-style piledriver. After Baretta hits it O’Reilly flies in to break up the subsequent cover at two. Baretta hits O’Reilly with a Dragon Screw leg whip and rises to hug Cassidy before pulling him in again. Cassidy gets out of it with a back body drop and Strong tags in. Cassidy hits the Orange Punch on Baretta and O’Reilly hoists Baretta on to his shoulders. Cassidy ascends and while that’s happening, O’Reilly cuts off a charging Archer with a guillotine along the ropes. Cassidy jumps off of Baretta and drops an elbow on Romero, and that finishes things.

Rocky jobs! What a shocking result that is. Anyway, this was a fun trios match to open the show and at least the Dong Phallus Family didn’t get more gold. I thought Strong was the major highlight here for the Conglomeration but everyone chipped in and this fifteen minute match didn’t feel that long for once. 3.25*

Winners AND STILL AEW Trios World Champions – The Conglomeration (Cassidy elbow drop on Romero)

Here’s a look at the dominant women’s tag team champions Divine Dominion who will face TayJay in an eliminator tonight.

AEW Women’s Tag Team Championship Five Minute Eliminator Match: Divine Dominion (Megan Bayne and Lena Kross) (C) vs TayJay (Anna Jay and Tay Melo)

Divine Dominion now have a voice-over as part of their entrance theme and I’ll be honest, it doesn’t really help the presentation. Kross and Bayne charge at the bell but Jay and Melo slip it and start slugging it out with the champs. Kross and Bayne take over pretty quickly and fire Jay and Melo into a do-si-do. Bayne and Kross charge and hit each other with lariats, but they shake it off and catch the charging Melo and Jay for fall-away slams. Bayne crushes Jay with a series of short clotheslines and then Kross tags in for some shoulder tackles. Bayne tags in for more shouldering and then Kross does the same. Bayne tags back in for more smashing as the crowd is getting restless with this. Kross tags in as Bayne waffles Jay with a double underhook toss slam, which Kross follows with a running short-arm clothesline. Kross covers and gets two. Bayne tags in and Jay fights her way out of the heel corner. Bayne drives Melo off the apron but turns into a Bayne small package that gets two. Bayne pulls Jay into an immediate powerslam and tags in Kross. Kross eats a big boot from Jay and a charging Bayne gets dumped to the floor. Kross eats a Jay reverse thrust kick as Jay finally manages to tag in Melo. Melo slides in and mashes Kross with a high boot, an elbow, and a bunch of forearms. Melo hits some pump kicks and Kross cuts off the flurry with a right. Jay tags in and she and Melo drop Kross with a superkick and a blockbuster. Jay and Melo drop Kross with a double team spike DDT and Bayne breaks up the cover at two. Melo gets dumped to the floor and and Kross yanks Jay into a Bayne dropkick/German suplex but Jay kicks out at two. Bayne and Kross want the Divine Intervention but Melo breaks that up. Jay slaps the Queenslayer on Bayne and the time runs out at the five minute mark. TayJay earn a shot at the tag champs!

All matches should be five minutes long in my opinion. Not really, but I like when matches are kept short but hard-hitting by design, especially when people take the time to sell a little bit in them. It’s not that hard, it’s basic wrestling stuff! Anyway, this was as good as I’ve seen anyone look against Bayne and Kross and in a bottle, was pretty fun overall. 3*

Winners – TayJay (Lasted the five minute time limit and earn a tag team championship opportunity)

It’s time for the WEDNESDAY RECAP and you can read about a wild three hours of show with the reviews linked above. SK covered Dynamite and I handled the hour of Collision.

Tommaso Ciampa has a microphone and is in the ring and is bummed that Chris Jericho isn’t in Huntsville, so Ciampa is going address Jericho while he sits at home. Ciampa has an itemized list of why he hates Jericho and there are 1004 reasons on it. Number one is “Fozzy sucks”. Number two is Jericho’s “light up sparkly jackets”. Number three is Jericho’s “crappy cruises” and number four is Jericho’s armbars. Number five is Jericho’s hair, and the fans are slowly losing patience with this while calling Ciampa bald. Ciampa says he’s seen every single version of Jericho that there’s been and has been in the same halls that he’s walked. Ciampa knows Jericho is scum and he thinks he’s got everyone fooled with this “good vibes tour”. Ciampa says a snake is always a snake and will see Jericho when he sees him. Ciampa heads to the back and we go to commercials.

CMLL Women’s World Champion Persephone makes her way to ringside to join commentary prior to the next match.

Hazuki vs Maya World

Hazuki comes to the Owen Hart tournament from Stardom, and will battle Persephone in the quarterfinals. Hazuki works a wristlock and World reverses and goes to a side headlock. Hazuki grabs a roll up for two after some acrobatics, and World grabs a backslide for two in response. Hazuki and World hit athletic nip ups to a pop. World trucks Hazuki down and then snaps off a reverse thrust kick. World goes to the apron and hits Hazuki with a kick before covering and getting two. World yanks Hazuki up but she slips off and runs World into a rana and a shotgun dropkick. Hazuki hypes up the crowd and kicks World in the head a few times. Hazuki hits a big running boot and glares down at Persephone as we go to commercials.

Hazuki fires some right hands when the show returns. World cuts off the flurry but gets caught in a German suplex. Hazuki charges and World blasts her with a kick before pulling of a sunset flip that gets a LONG two. World wants to ascend but Hazuki catches her and smashes World with a kick. Hazuki pulls World off the apron with a draping DDT that gets two. Hazuki positions World and ascends but World springs up and misses a charge. World charges again and drops Hazuki with a flying elbow. World hits a tope suicida and pushes her back in the ring. World stops to give props to Persephone and a quickly-recovered Hazuki smashes her with another tope before glaring at Perspehone. Hazuki yanks up World and pushes her back in before ascending. Hazuki misses her dive and Hazuki runs into a bridging crucifix from World that gets two. World hits a thrust kick and ascends, but she just misses her moonsault. Hazuki hits an elbow and then drops World with a top rope lungblower. Hazuki ascends and she hits a top rope senton for three.

This is one of those matches that generally draw complaints about them being too long and too even with one person as the decided favorite, but I was fine with it for the most part. World is pretty game these days and has been doing some solid work in ROH, but the problem is that not many folks in the paying crowds actually watch that show to know this stuff. Anyway, this builds up the first round match between Hazuki and Persephone and hopefully that delivers. 2.5*

Winner – Hazuki (top rope senton)

Post-match sees Persephone in the ring to go nose-to-nose with Hazuki prior to Schiavone throwing to the graphic for the Women’s Hart tournament. Dynamite has Alex Windsor vs a wild card entry, and the Hazuki-Persephone match will be on Collision next weekend.

Back at the desk Schiavone wants to recognize the recent passing of “Loverboy” Dennis Condrey who lived in Huntsville and came to the shows whenever AEW was in town. In what I’m sure will be a VERY talked about moment, Schiavone talks over pictures of the Condrey-Bobby Eaton version of the Midnight Express and mentions Jim Cornette by name along with showing his face in the pictures. Some highlights of the Midnights appearing in ROH are shown and a picture of Condrey with FTR is also shown. Schiavone puts over the Midnights and specifically the contributions Condrey made. This was a hell of a tribute and I’m sure Cornette will be touched by this despite his feelings for AEW in general. We go to commercials.

A video package highlighting “Taiga Style” Lee Moriarty is shown.

ROH Pure Wrestling Champion Lee Moriarty vs Tim Bosby

Shane Taylor and The Infantry along with Christyan XO accompany Moriarty and Taylor joins commentary. Moriarty does a bunch of acrobatics to escape clubbering attempts from Bosby, and then takes him over for a submission. Bosby slaps a leg over the bottom rope to break that up and then starts firing off forearms. Bosby drops the straps like he’s Jerry Lawler, and immediately runs into a Moriarty leaping chest kick. Moriarty pulls Bosby into an STF and Bosby taps immediately.

Stomp those grapes, Lee. 1*

Winner – ROH Pure Champion Lee Moriarty (STF)

Post-match sees the Infantry putting over Moriarty while calling the Alabama audience stupid. Here’s The Death Riders entrance music to cut off their rant.

AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley and PAC vs The Infantry (Carlie Bravo and Shawn Dean)

Shane Taylor remains on commentary. Marina Shafir is out with the Death Riders. Bravo and Moxley start and Moxley drives Bravo to the mat. Moxley trucks Bravo and tags in PAC. PAC works a wristlock and yanks Bravo into a corner. PAC slips a Bravo charge and after some acrobatics, PAC casually hip-tosses Bravo halfway across the ring. PAC hits some revers thrust kicks but is distracted by XO from the floor. Shafir saunters up on to the apron to confront XO who wants no part of that. Shafir orders XO off the apron and walks her back up the aisle. Dean uses this distraction to yank PAC to the floor and he and Bravo put the boots to PAC as Moxley loses his mind in the ring. Moxley grabs a chair from ringside and threatens Bravo and Dean with it, and as they retreat and the ref follows, Taylor springs out of his commentary chair to drop Moxley with a right hand. Bravo and Dean try to double-team PAC and Bravo plants PAC with a leaping DDT. We go to commercials.

PAC is fighting out of a Bravo rear chinlock when the show returns. Bravo drives Moxley off the apron and Dean tags in. Dean kicks Moxley down and he and Bravo double-team PAC. Dean wants the Bronco Buster and Bravo and Dean talk a lot of trash before Dean covers and gets two. Moxley has recovered and stomps around to threaten the Infantry before he stalks up and down the apron. PAC snaps off a jawbreaker and then hits a high boot on a charging Dean. Bravo charges in and dumps PAC to the floor. PAC catches a leaping Dean and promptly Germans him on the floor. PAC shoulders a charging Bravo and then leaps across the ring to tag in Moxley. Moxley predictably runs wild while utterly destroying Dean with right hands. Moxley mounts Dean for more rights and a nice bite on his forehead. Moxley yanks Bravo and Dean in for simultaneous implant DDT’s and then Dean and Bravo combine to cut off Moxley’s flurry. They plant a charging PAC with a Shatter Machine and then Dean ascends. Moxley gets the knees up and he and PAC start doing the Death Riders conveyor belt of destruction. Shafir joins in when XO complains to the referee. Moxley yanks Dean into the Death Rider and that finishes things.

If you’re keeping score at home, the Death Riders are pure babyface underdogs this week. Next week, who knows?! I thought this was decently put together and agented well, but I wouldn’t say that there was a ton of selling going on here from a nitpicky standpoint. There’s no real story here, either, other than the Death Riders getting to show off a bit and the Infantry getting a long heat sequence through the break on PAC. I don’t think this one will be remembered by Wednesday night but in a vacuum, it was fine. 3.25*

Winners – The Death Riders (Moxley Death Rider on Dean)

Renee Paquette is with The Triangle of Madness and AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla has words for the bitches who danced for her at Double or Nothing. Thekla wants to look ahead to Forbidden Door and calls the President of Stardom a “little worm” who she promises to get fired and kicked out of the country because she runs this place. Paquette tries to steer the conversation back to the Owen Hart tournament and Thekla says the only one she’s afraid of that’s in the tournament is Skye Blue who says it’s her chance and she’s going to take it. Thekla mocks her and wonders if Blue will just get hurt again, and Julia Hart steps in between them to cool things down. Everyone bickers and then they hug it out while laughing because everyone are dumb bitches and this group is not like the other groups. Thekla says nothing can come between her and her title and kisses Blue on the forehead as it’s time to sell goods, products, and services to an unsuspecting public.

Here’s The Conglomeration in the locker room off their successful Trios defense. O’Reilly mentions that if the Death Riders or the Dong Phallus Family interfere in the main event, they have Takeshita’s back. Strong bellows KYLE and wonders who’s turning a rainbow-colored bumbershoot. It turns out it’s Lio Rush and he’s worried about the rain. Cassidy says if you don’t move it can’t see you and the three freeze as Rush slides in front of them claiming “it’s fine, it’s fine”. Rush exits and Cassidy says he just made that up and has no idea if it’s actually true. OH ORANGE CASSIDY, YOU DO GO ON.

The Dogs (Clark Connors and David Finlay) vs The Bang Bang Gang (Austin and Colten Gunn)

Connors has a bag of disposable cameras that he stole during the attack on Cope and Cage on Wednsday night. Finlay promises a new five second pose and Connors hands some out while Finlay calls the crowd stupid for not knowing how to use smart phones. Their pose is interrupted by the entrance music of The Bang Bang Gang who actually have four members on the stage tonight! Juice Robinson and Ace Austin do not accompany the Gunns to ringside and AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley has joined commentary.

Colten and Finlay start and Finlay powers Gunn down after he catches a kick attempt. Gunn kicks Finlay away and trucks him down a couple of times. Austin tags in and he and Colten continue working over Finlay before Colten nails Finlay with a back elbow. Austin’s cover gets two and Finlay rises up to tag in Connors who stops Austin’s rally with a right. Austin trips up Connors and starts firing off left jabs. Gunn signals the crowd and smashes Connors with a right. Austin hits a cutter and Finlay charges in as does Colten. The Gunns flatten Finlay with a double-team hiptoss and send him to the floor with a double lariat. The Gunns tell everyone to suck it and we go to commercials with everyone going to the floor to continue the fight.

I got a bowl of Crunch Berries during the break and friends, they still hit. Connors lines up Austin and blasts him with a shoulder after the show returns. Finlay works over Austin along the ropes and then he and Connors mock the Gunns. Austin slips away from the heel corner and Colten tags in to start smashing the Dogs around. It ends with a Colten cutter on Connors and a leaping uranage on Finlay that gets two. Colten gets hit by a POUNCE from Connors and the Dogs start double-teaming Colten. The Dogs hit a double shoulder tackle and Connors cover gets two. The Dogs line up Colten and he slips their charge as they crash together. Austin gets a hot tag and ascends for a double cross-body. Austin hits a Fameasser on Connors and covers him for two. Finlay charges over and everyone resets before starting to slug it out mid-ring. The Dogs go to the eyes and we reset again. Finlay flies back in to clip Colten’s previously damaged leg and Connors grabs a roll up on Austin for two. Austin grabs a roll up for two, and when he gets kicked off by Connors Finlay flies in with a shillelagh smack to the jaw. Connors spears Austin and that finally ends things.

Unlike the Death Riders tag match, this had a lot more chaos and high spots to it, but I found a few things to enjoy. The Gunns have improved tremendously since starting with the company and I hope that now that Colten is back they keep getting television opportunities. The Dogs are finding their way and are starting to look more comfortable with the American pace of tag matches. I guess we’ll see where any of this leads but obviously the Dogs are pointed at Cope and Cage currently. Moxley’s jabbering about ring attire didn’t help this presentation at all but I get the impression Moxley really enjoys hearing himself. 3*

Winners – The Dogs (Connors spear on Austin Gunn)

Post-match sees the Dogs try for some more damage before Juice Robinson and Ace Austin charge down to prevent it. Robinson glares after Connors and Finlay as they back up the ramp.

JetSpeed is over and now they will meet on Dynamite for the TNT Championship. Alex Windsor will meet WILD CARD ENTRY in the Women’s Owen on Dynamite, while Hazuki and Persephone will meet on Collision. Divine Dominion will defend the Women’s tag titles on Collision against TayJay.

Schiavone announces Survival of the Fittest taking place to determine the new TBS champion and the finals will be on July 1 during that night’s Dynamite. We go to commercials.

Brian Cage and Jake Doyle vs Tommy Mars and Jimmy Wild

Mars and Wild look like they’ll be joining the local Cinderella cover band after this short attempt at being pro wrestlers is over. Doyle just kicks the crap out of one of these poor buggers and Cage tags in to continue the assault. Cage hits a German and the second jobber gets a tag. Cage mashes him down and brings Doyle back in for more violence. Cage brings the other goof back in and he and Doyle finish things with stereo drivers.

Stomp those grapes, Phallus Family! .5*

Winners – Doyle/Cage (general asskicking)

A bunch of stage hands come out to try to move Doyle and Cage along but they can’t get that done before AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita’s music hits. Doyle and Cage predictably lose their shit and are held back by the stage hands and Security as Takeshita makes his entrance.

AEW International Championship: Konosuke Takeshita (C) vs Daniel Garcia

Jon Moxley is flanked by Marina Shafir and remains on commentary. Takeshita dumps Garcia down and grabs a side headlock. Garcia flips it into a head scissors and Takeshita emerges easily. They reset and Garcia bullies Takeshita to a corner before slapping his chest a bunch and asking for it to be brought. Takeshita tries to fire a forearm at Garcia who slips it and kicks Takeshita. Takeshita trucks Garcia down and then hits him with a high boot followed by a flying clothesline. Garcia fires up with a double thrust and Takeshita smashes him down. Garcia bails after Takeshita threatens him and Garcia wants a word with Shafir. Takeshita has no chill and decides to not let that happen as he smashes Garcia around on the floor before tossing him back in. Garcia bails again and catches Takeshita by crotching him on the ring apron. Garcia hits a Dragon Screw, daps up Moxley, and we go to commercials.

Garcia gets blasted by a forearm but he clips Takeshita’s knee to resume his front facelock. Shafir has taken over on commentary and says she’s waiting for Garcia to “put his toe in Takeshita’s butthole because that’s the only way he’s going to win”. You know what, let’s just roll with that. Garcia climbs on Takeshita’s back and Takeshita transitions him over to a piledriver position. Garcia works his way down to an ankle lock. Shafir: “Right in the butt, Danny”. Takeshita stands up and yanks Garcia into a release German. Moxley and Shafir switch again and Schiavone admonishes Moxley for “giving his headset to a crazy woman just now”. Takeshita smashes Garcia in a corner but Garcia fires up after some grappling and slaps on an STF. Garcia manages to escape and hits a jumping stomp on Takeshita’s knee. Garcia hits a stuff piledriver and Takeshita no-sells it to waffle Garcia with a running knee. We reset with both guys down but Takeshita rises first and Garcia catches his charge before slapping Takeshita down with a right. Takeshita fires up and walks into some slaps. They start slugging it out and Garcia runs into a Blue Thunder Bomb that gets two. Takeshita limps to a corner and cannot work his normal knee strike. Garcia hits a curb stomp and brings Takeshita to a corner. Garcia ascends and they slug it out up top before Takeshita starts dropping headbutts. Garcia hits an armdrag from the top rope and slaps on the Liontamer. Garcia leans back into it and Takeshita takes his neck before trying for Raging Fire. Takeshita slips off and gets a roll up for two, and then yanks Garcia over for a release German. They slug it out and Takeshita wins it by yanking Garcia up for Raging Fire.

I thought this got good towards the end but it still felt like “you do a move then I’ll do a move” at times. I like Takeshita and I’m fine with Garcia’s dorky exuberance so this mostly worked for me, I just wish it had been agented a little more closely to allow for longer heat sequences. Overall though, you give the people a proper main event and everyone goes home happy when the babyface champion pulls out the win. No major issues here. 3.75*

Winner AND STILL AEW International Champion – Konosuke Takeshita (Raging Fire)

Post-match sees the Dong Phallus Family charge out to attack Takeshita while Moxley is asked what he’s going to do. Moxley rises up and immediately gets attacked by Shane Taylor Promotions. Speedball Mike Bailey and the Conglomeration come flying down and the chaos continues all over the place. Nigel McGuinness gets involved with the Infantry and it’s absolute chaos in terms of the enormity of this brawl. Finally the babyfaces gain some control and the ring is left with the Death Riders, the Conglomeration, Bailey, and Takeshita all eyeing each other up warily.

Schiavone runs down the upcoming matches and we’re out with everyone still barking at each other.

I’m not sure we needed two hours tonight after three on Wednesday, but here we are. Apparently it’s Shane Taylor Promotions season again, and why can’t that wheel occasionally land on the “Dalton Castle & The Outrunners” space sometime? The show was typical Collision stuff mostly, with two squashes included for good measure. It’s always wall-to-wall action on this show and tonight was no different. Quality-wise, there was some good and some bad but for the most part, it was fine for a live Collision.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Enjoy your Sunday, and feel free to comment on this thread, lurkers. We like new blood and new opinions!