Collision Review – 07.11.26

THE BIG CHEESE covered Dynamite on Wednesday. All good thoughts to Jim Ross in the upcoming weeks.

Collision is LIVE on TNT from the Berglund Center in Roanoke, VA. The announcing team for tonight’s show consists of Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness on match calls and analysis, Arkady Aura and Bobby Cruise on ring introductions, and Lexy Nair and Renee Paquette on interviews and breaking news. We have a big return to start of the show, so let’s watch some wrestling!

I’ll say this for Max, if he is nursing an injury, he took a lot of punishment on Wednesday night.

Here’s a highlights package of Kenny Omega defeating Maxwell Jacob Friedman for the Men’s world championship this past Wednesday night. Schiavone is in the ring, and then introduces Hangman Adam Page. Page is in street clothes and gets a nice hand from his home-state crowd. Page mentions being a gardener and how he enjoys being outside and planting seeds. Page says the process of planting a seed and watching it become beautiful. Page talks about his physical therapy and gardening during his time away. Tonight Page wants to plant one more seed and he’s not sure if it will blossom or grow at all. Page mentions the history of him giving up the right to challenge for the Men’s world title when pressing for Texas Death as a stipulation to get to MJF. Page says he’s always strived to be a man of his word and while the stipulation isn’t written in ink anywhere, Page intends to be a man of his word. Page declares that he will never challenge for the Men’s world title ever again while staring into the camera. Page says he saw Kenny Omega win the title, but Omega’s words post-match really hit home for him. Page says there are miles and miles of empty tracks laid out before him. Page talks about “dipshit” Kevin Knight’s title, and also how Speedball Bailey might be holding Mark Davis’s title by the end of the night. Page will absolutely never turn down a fight with Continental champion Jon Moxley, and also mentions new TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher. Page says he’s defined himself by the World title, but now he’s faced with the question of who he is without that title. Page says everyone is going to find out along with him. Page thanks Schiavone and slaps some hands as he heads back up the ramp.

McGuinness throws to another Beach Break highlights package.

ROH Men’s World Championship: Bandido (C) vs Katsuyori Shibata

Shibata gives a clean break after pushing Bandido into the ropes. Three’s a handshake of respect before Shibata gets a go-behind takedown into a side headlock. Bandido slips out and works an ankle, but Shibata rolls through and they both grab legs. Bandido rolls it over and they both release simultaneously. Shibata kicks Bandido during another handshake and a pump kick battle breaks out. Shibata drives in a knee and slaps Bandido down for two. Bandido goes to the apron for a kaman giri and then ascends for a frog splash. Shibata runs Bandido nearly into the referee who ducks, and Shibata uses the distraction to blast Bandido in the nuts. Shibata crotches Bandido over the top rope and then blasts him to the floor with a running high boot. We go to commercials.

Shibata is torquing on Bandido’s neck when the show returns. Shibata bullies Bandido around and a forearm battle ensues. They exchange backfists and both guys are down. They go to the apron and Shibata ends up snapping off a DDT and a vertical suplex. Shibata tosses Bandido back in and covers him for two. Shibata invites a chop battle and he runs into a couple of Bandido superkicks. Bandido hoists Shibata for a gorilla press slam before ascending. Bandido hits a Shooting Star Press and gets two. Bandido hoists Shibata across his shoulders but Shibata slips off and drives Bandido into a corner. Shibata mashes Bandido with a running basement dropkick and a butterfly suplex that gets a LONG two. Bandido fires up with a big chop and then hoists Shibata into a knee strike. Bandido wants the 21 Plex but Shibata rolls through and gets two. Shibata blasts Bandido with a chest kick and we reset again. Bandido grabs a rana and gets two. They exchange lariats before Shibata runs Bandido over. Bandido snaps off a Pele kick but eats a bunch of rights from Shibata. Bandido blocks another low blow attempt and rolls up Shibata for three.

The finish was kind of abrupt but I thought this worked decently enough for a one-off like this. With no backstory to play to here, they went out and had a fairly basic strong style match intermixed with some lucha work. You’ve seen this type of match in New Japan before if you pay attention to that company, is what I’m saying. Anyway, this was fine for what it was. 3.25*

Winner AND STILL ROH Men’s World Champion – Bandido (roll up)

Here’s Renee Paquette with AEW TBS Champion Hikaru Shida and her opponent for tonight, Harley Cameron. Cameron congratulates Shida for winning the title while mentioning all her sins along the way to getting it. Shida says she did it by herself without friends. Shida says Cameron isn’t on her level, and Cameron points out a lot happened while Shida was away. Cameron points out that she was a champion while Shida was away. Shida says TBS stands for The Best (is) Shida. We go to commercials.

Here’s Lexy Nair with Speedball Mike Bailey who says he let Don Callis get in his head, but he’s gotten some victories since then and promises to be the National champion walking into Redemption.

AEW TBS Championship: Hikaru Shida (C) vs Harley Cameron

Shida attacks prior to the bell and the ref backs her off before signaling for things to start. Shida pulls Cameron into an overhead suplex and covers for two. Shida bullies Cameron around and grabs a rear waistlock that she spins into a front slam. Shida hits some forearms and Cameron flies off the ropes for a single leg takedown. Shida kicks out of that and they exchange blows along the apron. They trade going in and out and Cameron hits an Eat Defeat. Cameron snaps off a between-the-ropes dropkick and then yanks Shida into a DDT on the floor. Cameron chases Shida up the ramp and Shida fires up with a backbreaker. Shida gets the crowd going and then blasts Cameron with a running knee. We go to commercials.

Cameron hits a twisting neckbreaker as the show returns. Cameron slips a Shida charge and blasts her with a back kick. Cameron mounts Shida for some right hands and then waffles her with a sling blade. Cameron hits a Shining Wizard and gets two. Cameron ascends and Shida springs up to nail her with a right. They fight it out and Cameron wants a sunset flip powerbomb, but Shida pulls Cameron in close and BITES her on the forehead. Shida wants a pump kick and Cameron bites her leg in response. Shida gets caught in a falcon arrow and Cameron gets two. Cameron slaps on a half crab and Shida grabs the ref’s leg for leverage to drag herself to the ropes. Cameron gets pulled into a roll up that gets two. Shida puts an ankle lock on and Cameron rolls it over and blasts Shida with an enziguri. Shida hits a knee strike and covers Cameron for two. Shida hits a side driver and gets two. Shida grabs a sort of bow-and-arrow submission and Cameron taps.

This was a little long for me. Cameron has come a long way and is competent enough now to get through this stuff, and Shida could maybe use some time with the weights? She struggled to move Cameron around the way she wanted to. Anyway, McGuinness was openly rooting for Cameron here which was odd to me, but the match itself was kind of an awkward styles clash that just kept going. I’m not putting too much of this on Cameron, quite frankly. 2*

Winner AND STILL AEW TBS Champion – Hikaru Shida (submission)

Post-match sees Shida continuing to assault Cameron with rights. This brings out Queen Aminata and Shida bails.

Lexy Nair is with The Lethal Twist and Matt Sydal runs in to tell them not to join The Demand who immediately join the scene. Ricochet mentions him and Sydal being tag champs in New Japan about ten years ago but he’s moved on since then. Ricochet says if Sydal wants to be in his business they can hook it up and he’ll show why he left Sydal’s “old, musty ass”. Sydal calls Ricochet BALD and runs away and everyone yells. We go to commercials.

Here’s The Don Callis Family (Brian Cage, Trent Baretta, AEW National Champion Mark Davis, and Jake Doyle) clapping as new AEW TNT Champion Kyle Fletcher joins the scene. Fletcher says it feels right to be standing there as champion with Takeshita in his rearview mirror. Fletcher puts over Davis’s defense against Speedball in the main event, and talks about Jake Doyle fighting Andrade on this week’s Dynamite. Fletcher then brings up Hangman Page and the fact that the DCF have three titles for him to shoot for. Barretta mentions that Darby Allin isn’t here tonight but he would fight him if Allin was there. Fletcher mentions Don Callis not being in the building tonight but everything they do is for him.

Here’s some highlights of Brawl in the Ballpark that happened last night at the Minnesota Twins stadium complex.

Here’s AEW World Trios Champions Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong out for a chat. Cassidy says they’re still Trios champs, but there’s one more person in the Conglomeration who wants to be a champ. Here’s Willow Nightingale out to join the group. Nightingale says she missed this and loves everyone. Nightingale talks about having to relinquish the TBS title and having to drop out of the Owen Hart women’s tournament. Nightingale congratulates Mercedes Mone on winning the Owen and Shida for winning the TBS title. Nightingale says she was motivated to make her Wembley dreams come true by those events and that caused her to join the Casino Gauntlet match that she ended up winning. Nightingale talks about being blindsided by Thekla and then left laying by Mone’s belt shot. Nightingale says they both have made a terrible mistake, but for her, Redemption isn’t about getting even. Nightingale says Thekla has been a hell of a champion but she’s coming for her at Redemption. Strong hands Nightingale a backpack as she swears she’s walking out of Redemption as the champion. Nightingale promises to then see Mone at All In. There’s a group hug and everyone leaves.

Here’s Skye Blue putting over the Triangle of Madness, and also tells Divine Dominion to keep bringing the violence to them because they thrive in it.

The Death Riders (AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley, Claudio Castignoli, Wheeler Yuta and Daniel Garcia) vs AR Fox, Dante Martin, Darius Martin, and Komander

It’s Darius and Garcia to start. Garcia grapples Darius down and gives him some attitude, so Darius drives Garcia down and mocks his dance. Darius grabs a wristlock and Garcia uses a hair pull to break out of it. Garcia trucks Darius down and then runs right into a Darius dropkick. Dante tags in and he and Darius works some double team stuff that ends with a standing Shooting Star Press from Dante that gets two. Fox tags in and drops Garcia with a twisting suplex that gets one. Moxley gets a tag and he goes to work on Fox’s wrist while driving him down. Fox slips away and tags in Komander, while Castignoli tags in. Komander does some acrobatics and Castignoli calmly waits until he’s done to blast Komander with a kick. Komander leaps into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and Yuta tags in. Komander fights his way out of a double team but Yuta eventually makes him pay with a bunch of right hands. Komander decides to hit a top rope rana on Castignoli who’s on the floor before blasting a charging Yuta with a right. Komander hits a cross-body and a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Yuta and Garcia breaks up the cover attempt with a kick. A Pier Six erupts and we go to commercials.

Yuta is working a rear chinlock on Dante when the show returns. Dante fights his way out and Yuta’s charge sees him end up on the floor as Dante slips it. Moxley distracts the ref while Castignoli charges in to dump Dante out to the floor. Garcia and Yuta put the boots to Dante but Darius has had enough and mashes them both with a tope suicida. Castignoli lines up Darius for a high boot to break up his flurry so Komander does a ring-length ropewalk and blasts Moxley and Castignoli with a backflip. Fox gets a tag and waffles Garcia and Yuta with a top rope Molly-Go-Round looking thing. Fox mashes both guys around and nails both guys with stunners. Fox hits an over-the-top-rope flying splash on Yuta and then flies to the other side to do it to Garcia. Fox ascends and hits a swanton but gets immediately pulled into Castignoli’s giant swing. Everyone comes in and there’s some awkwardness between Moxley and SkyFlight. Dante nails Moxley with a tope suicida and Garcia and Yuta go to work on Dante mid-ring. Komander tries to fight Garcia and Yuta and gets dumped face-first on the mat. Fox flies in with another swanton and covers Garcia for two. Fox ascends again and misses a 360. The Death Riders start a violence conveyor belt and it ends with Garcia slapping on the Dragon Tamer. Moxley stomps Fox’s head and Garcia covers him for three.

The crowd was INTO this. I was not. That being said, this is probably as over as Moxley has been maybe ever in this company. Moxley and his goons beating up high-flyers has kind of lost its appeal at this point, and honestly, he doesn’t have an ongoing feud or storyline so this is basic content for this show. You can seek it out if you want but there’s nothing here but Death Rider greatest hits and some acrobatics from the babyfaces. 2.75*

Winners – The Death Riders (Moxley stomps Fox’s head, Garcia covers for three)

Post-match sees Moxley with a microphone. Moxley puts over Will Ospreay having a great chance against “broke-ass” Kenny Omega at Wembley and then says it’s Death Riders vs The World. They leave through the crowd.

Here’s AEW Women’s Tag Team Champions Divine Dominion who are disgusted by the women’s tag division. They insult the Sisters of Sin and tell them to keep carrying Thekla’s bags because they’ll never have the tag titles. We go to commercials.

Here’s AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla to say that there’s only three people that she trusts. Skye Blue, Julia Hart, and herself is that list and everybody else is an enemy. Thekla is not scared of Mercedes Mone or Willow Nightingale. Thekla insults Nightingale’s motivational personality and says the only thing dumber than a dumb bitch is a happy one.

Here’s The Bang Bang Gang partnering with a pet adoption center to put a dog named “Finlay” and one named “Clark” into new homes. There’s more Dogs-related humor and they’ve got two words for everyone.

Brian Cage vs Zach Wentz

Trent Baretta is out with Cage, and Myron Reed is out with Wentz but doesn’t come to ringside because apparently Wentz is capable of fighting off two dudes. Wentz gets tossed into a corner and clotheslined. Cage gets dumped to the floor and Wentz nails him with a kick and a tope. Cage eats a couple of kicks and then gets crushed by a Wentz moonsault. Wentz gets pushed into the apron and then Cage rams him into the ring steps. Cage hits a second rope sheer drop suplex and we go to commercials.

Wentz elbows his way off of Cage’s shoulders when the show returns. Wentz hits a kaman giri and ascends for a missile dropkick. Wentz hits some elbows and some kicks before nailing Cage with a double stomp. Wentz hits a handspring knee lift and covers Cage for two. Cage slips a charge and runs into some kicks from Wentz. Wentz hits a twisting cutter and gets two. Cage fires off a discus lariat and yanks Wentz up for a second rope release German. Cage hits the Drill Claw and that ends it.

Kind of simple and to the point, although Wentz certainly gave it the old college try in defeat. Cage gets a win on television somehow, and Wentz goes back to tagging? I’m not sure what we accomplished here. 2.25*

Winner – Brian Cage (Drill Claw)

Trent Baretta vs Darby Allin

Baretta has a mic post-match and points out that he challenged Darby Allin to a match, but Allin isn’t even in the state. Barretta calls for a ref to raise his hand, and here’s Darby Allin from outta nowhere to blast Baretta with a dropkick and a tope suicida. Allin kicks the crap out of Baretta but Cage stalks over and causes Allin to be distracted. Baretta misses a charge and Allin tosses him in. Cage again distracts Allin and Baretta crotches him on a turnbuckle before he tumbles to the floor. Baretta tosses Allin back in and covers for two. Allin grabs a headlock and tosses off some right hands but runs right into a Baretta back flip and running knee. Baretta covers and gets two. Allin gets mounted on a top turnbuckle but he pushes Baretta down. Allin hits a Coffin Drop on Cage to the floor and then Allin runs right into a Baretta double stomp. Baretta nails Allin with Strong Zero on the apron and covers him for two. Baretta mounts Allin again but Allin fires up to rake the back. Allin hits an avalanche sunset flip powerbomb and gets two. Allin springs up for the Coffin Drop and that ends things.

Listen, I know Khan likes to think he’s running Crash TV here from time to time but what is this? I guess this keeps Allin as a foe for the Callis Family but that feels like a sad thing rather than something to be excited about. 2.5*

Post-match sees Cage fly in for a series of powerbombs as Mark Davis has joined the scene. Speedball Mike Bailey charges out with a chair to break up any further assaults.

Here’s Willow Nightingale calling in Maya World to say how great World was at Forbidden Door. Nightingale wants a trios match and wants World to get a bestie to fight Divine Dominion and Mercedes Mone in Boston.

Here’s a look at Andrade El Idolo who’s on a boat with some ladies. Andrade hits the catchphrase and we’re back to the arena.

AEW National Championship: Mark Davis (C) vs Speedball Mike Bailey

Kyle Fletcher has joined commentary. Bailey hits some chops and Davis trucks him down in response. Bailey wants an armbar and Davis yanks him up to escape it. Bailey goes to ground and pound before tossing off a bunch of strikes. Davis lofts a charging Bailey into the ropes and then nails him with a body slam and a standing senton. Davis punches Bailey in the head before blasting him with kicks. Davis covers and gets two. Davis puts on a leg lock and bites Bailey’s exposed toes. Daivs smashes Bailey down with a walking powerslam but misses another senton attempt. Bailey sneaks out to the apron for an enziguri before ascending to nail Davis with a missile dropkick. Bailey snaps off some kicks and then mounts Davis on a top turnbuckle. Davis pushes Bailey down but Bailey springs up with a kaman giri. Bailey hits a Frankensteiner and then nails Davis with a springboard moonsault on the floor. Bailey hits a superkick and Davis ends up on the announce table. Bailey eats some rights and they rise. Davis yanks Bailey into a piledriver on the announce table and we go to commercials.

Bailey fires off a chop when the show returns but Davis blasts him with a right in response. Davis yanks Bailey around by his feet and Bailey rolls through to blast Davis in the chest with a kick. Bailey hits a double stomp and nails Davis with a roundhouse kick to the jaw. Bailey hits some kicks and Davis bites his foot again. Davis kicks Bailey into a corner and then pie-faces him a bunch. Davis misses a charge and Bailey ascends for a 450 senton that gets a LONG two. Bailey is distracted by Jake Doyle who’s suddenly at ringside and Davis uses that to crush Bailey with a lariat. Davis pulls Bailey into a Vertebreaker. Bailey gets a roll up for two and then fires off a couple of kicks. Bailey gets another straight-jacket roll up for two. Bailey hits a roundhouse kick to the jaw for two. Bailey hits a spinning enziguri and then misses a knee drop. Davis blasts Bailey to the apron with a forearm. Davis yanks Bailey up but Bailey fights out of it with some kicks. Bailey SWEEPS THE LEG and then misses a double knee drop on the apron. Davis drives Bailey awkwardly straight down the apron. Bailey sneaks in another roll up and gets two. Davis fires off a lariat and then spikes Bailey with a piledriver that ends things.

This was your match of the night, in my opinion. The crowd was into all the near-falls and Schiavone was predictably losing his mind on commentary. There were some awkward spots and Bailey almost got crippled twice, but it turned into quite a battle in the second act. 3.5*

Winner AND STILL AEW National Champion – Mark Davis (piledriver)

Post-match sees a Don Callis Family celebration mid-ring. Schiavone runs down a bunch of upcoming matches, and we’re out.

Live Collisions are usually a bit better than this but these things happen from time to time. I thought the main event kind of saved things and even it had some flaws. It was good to see Hangman Page back, and I thought the developments with Willow Nightingale set some things up nicely. Wednesday should be interesting in terms of seeing what might be next for new champ Kenny Omega, and Andrade-Jake Doyle could be fun.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Enjoy your Sunday. Give some good thoughts for Jim Ross and Rebel this week.