Collision Review – 07.18.26

SK had Dynamite covered for us.

Collision was recorded Thursday July 16th and comes to the TNT/HBO Max airwaves from The MGM Music Hall in Boston, MA. The announcing team for tonight’s show are Tony Schiavone and Paul Wight on match calls and analysis, Arkady Aura on ring introductions, and Renee Paquette on interviews and news. Redemption is eight days away, so let’s see if any more of that card gets fleshed out tonight. It’s time, so let’s watch some wrestling!

I’m very happy to hear Tony Schiavone actually say “the turd emoji” out loud.

“Jungle” Jack Perry vs Nick Wayne

Perry pushes Wayne to a corner and tousles Wayne’s hair on the break. Schiavone mentions the Hangman Page return last week so hopefully Bryan Alvarez can sleep this weekend. Perry works a wristlock but Wayne rolls through and goes behind. There’s some standing switches and we reset again. Perry trucks Wayne down and then sends him to the floor with a dropkick. Perry hits a baseball slide dropkick and then tosses Wayne at the barricade for some chops. Perry does some cardio while yanking Wayne around by his hair. Wayne fires up and ends up DDTing Perry on the ring steps as we take a break.

Perry works Wayne over in a corner when the show returns. Perry drops Wayne over the second rope and nails him with a flying legdrop that gets two. Perry goes to the apron with Wayne and wants a piledriver but Wayne prevents it and nails Perry with an enziguri. Perry cuts off Wayne’s flurry by yanking him up for a powerbomb on the apron. Wayne fires off a snapdragon suplex that Perry no-sells. Perry crushes Wayne with a poison rana and then slips a Killswitch attempt to mash Wayne with a lariat. There’s a roll-up exchange as both get two, and Wayne sends Perry to the floor when he kicks out. Wayne hits a between-the-ropes Destroyer and Perry manages to beat the count at 9.9. Wayne hits a frog splash and a Fisherman’s Buster before covering and getting two. Wayne gets caught and eats a thrust kick and a running knee that finishes things.

Perry is just sort of drifting in the mid-card at this point with no major direction after his thing with Ricochet ended. He’s still tangentially involved with the Elite, I suppose, and with poor Luchasaurus almost perpetually out at this point, doesn’t really have a tag focus either. He got on television, though, so I guess that’s a good thing. 2.5*

Winner – Jack Perry (Running knee)

The Young Bucks narrate a video talking about how Kenny Omega’s world championship victory has inspired them to re-capture the AEW World Tag Team championships. The Bucks talk about how they don’t really trust Jon Moxley or Will Ospreay at this point and challenge them to a tag team match at Redemption. We go to commercials.

Here’s a video from AEW World Tag Team Champions Christian Cage and Adam Copeland talking about how the Dogs and the Death Riders have teamed up to be dicks to them. Cage throws out a challenge to Claudio Castignoli and PAC for Redemption, so we’ll see what happens there.

AEW TNT Championship: Kevin Knight (C) vs AR Fox

Knight attacks Fox prior to the bell and then goes to ground and pound after it sounds. Knight dumps Fox to the floor and goes out to ram Fox into the barricade. Knight dances on the announce table and then tosses Fox back in. Knight misses a springboard and walks into a Fox high boot. Fox hits a tieras and then pounds Knight with a rolling cutter. Fox clubbers away and then dumps Knight to the apron. Knight yanks Fox down but Fox responds with a rolling double kick. Knight fires up with a leaping lariat off the announce table and we take a break.

Fox hits a back elbow and a reverse thrust kick when the show returns. Fox pulls Knight into a cutter and ascends for a swanton that gets two. Knight begs off and then of course dumps Fox to the ramp. Knight gets caught on a top rope cutter and ends up trapped in the ropes. Fox hits a leaping Destroyer before ascending for a 450 splash that gets two. Fox yanks Knight back in and blasts him with forearms. Fox mounts Knight on a top turnbuckle and wants a Spanish Fly, but Knight prevents it and hits an Avalanche Crash Landing. Knight ascends and the UFO Splash finishes things.

Fox got his shine, that’s for sure. He’s a good opponent for when you need someone to get pushed a little bit but don’t have to worry about a title change happening. Knight moves on to face Kenny Omega for the Men’s world title at Redemption and Fox goes back to ROH, I suppose. 3*

Winner AND STILL AEW TNT Champion – Kevin Knight (UFO Splash)

Post-match sees Knight join the announce desk to say he just gave a preview of his match with Darby Allin on Wednesday night prior to facing Omega in Montreal.

The Don Callis Family (Brian Cage, Jake Doyle and CMLL World Heavyweight Champion Hechicero) vs Gino Medina, Tome Filip, and Nic Nolan

RPG Vice and Lance Archer are out to help with this titanic showdown. The Callis guys take turns beating on these jobbers and Cage hits a tilt-a-whirl knee strike to end it.

Did you know that there’s a law on on the books in Boston that says it’s illegal to take a bath without a doctor’s prescription? Well now you do. 0.25*

Winners – The Don Callis Family (Cage knee strike)

Post-match sees further assaults from the DCF before Speedball Mike Bailey emerges with The Conglomeration and The Rascalz. The Callis nerds go to the floor and everyone points and yells at each other.

Here’s Will Ospreay and Jon Moxley backstage. Ospreay talks about facing Adam Brooks tonight and advises him to not take what occurs too personally. Moxley addresses the Young Bucks challenge and says he’s always had a disdain for all things Elite. Moxley says it will be a little bit personal at Redemption. We take a break.

Here’s video from Clark Connors and David Finlay to say that the Bang Bang Gang promote gang violence and banging, neither of which have a place in AEW. They mock all of the BBG and call for Guns Down at the end.

Jon Moxley has joined the announcing team.

Will Ospreay vs Adam Brooks

Schiavone frames this as Ospreay getting Brooks this opportunity for AEW. There’s a hug and show of respect to start and Moxley doesn’t like it. Brooks blasts Ospreay with a high boot and clubbers away in a corner. Brooks pulls Ospreay’s face along the top rope but Ospreay fires up with some chops and rights of his own. Brooks cuts it off with a knee but gets caught by an Ospreay rana after some rope running. Ospreay hits a cross-body and then pounds away before dropping Brooks back-first onto the barricade. Ospreay tosses Brooks back in and hits a springboard forearm that gets one. Ospreay hits a reverse thrust but misses a springboard cutter attempt. Brooks drives a knee into Ospreay and then wallops him with a back elbow that gets two. They slug it out and Ospreay gets dumped to the apron. Brooks snaps the second rope on Ospreay’s nuts and then boots him in the head. Brooks hits a tope suicida. Brooks hits a series of running boots and then crushes Ospreay with an ushigoroshi that gets two. Brooks fish-hooks Ospreay and then yanks him up. Ospreay reverses and hits a reverse springboard Pele kick. Ospreay hits a jawbreaker and a standing sky twisting press for two. Ospreay boots Brooks in the head and Brooks grabs the ref to pull him in front of Ospreay. Brooks hits an enziguri and an Exploder before mashing Ospreay with a running dropkick that gets two. Brooks bullies Ospreay around and Ospreay fires off some huge right hands. They slug it out and Brooks wins the skirmish with a lungblower. Ospreay shakes that off and hits a Spanish Fly for two. Ospreay pulls off the elbow pad and Brooks spits at him. Ospreay fires off a bunch of forearms at a helpless Brooks and the ref stops it as Brooks can’t defend himself any longer.

No commercial break here as Ospreay got a showcase against a decent Aussie talent in Brooks. Obviously Ospreay wasn’t losing here so it felt mostly like an exhibition but the crowd loved seeing Ospreay at work. 3*

Winner – Will Ospreay (ref stoppage)

Here’s a pre-taped promo from Darby Allin talking about how he tried to give advice to Kevin Knight about staying humble. Allin says he’s going to take the TNT title to show Knight just what humble is.

ROH Women’s World Champion Athena vs Ava Everett

Athena fires off a bunch of suplexes, sends Everett to the floor, and blasts her with a kick. Athena tosses Everett into the barricade and then tosses her back in. Everett gets a short flurry which Athena ends with a high boot. Athena hits a bunch of Liger Bombs and pulls Everett into a submission that ends things.

Did you know that if you’re caught snoring with the windows open in Boston you can be issued a citation and fine? Well now you do. .5*

Winner – Athena (submission)

The Brawling Birds pass Athena on the way out for their match and some words are exchanged.

The Brawling Birds (Jamie Hayter and Alex Windsor) vs Tiara James and Kayla Lopez

The Birds attack at the bell and kick the crap out of the jobbers on the floor. Back in the ring Windsor and Hayter continue to pound away until the jobbers make a terrible mistake by trying a double team. The Birds end things with Two Birds, One Stone after cutting off the jobber flurry.

Did you know that it’s illegal to make Clam Chowder with tomatoes in Boston? Well now you do. .25*

Winners – The Brawling Birds (Two Birds, One Stone)

Here’s The Bang Bang Gang in an apartment to respond to the Dogs previous words. Jay White has David Finlay’s shillelagh and there’s a challenge thrown out for Dynamite. It’s announced that White will face Clark Connors on Dynamite during the entrances for the next match.

Tommaso Ciampa vs Myron Reed

Reed gives a clean break to Ciampa’s delight, but Ciampa doesn’t return the favor. Reed pounds away and Ciampa cuts it off with a series of boots that drive Reed down in a corner. Ciampa eats a springboard dropkick and Reed wants a tope. Ciampa sneaks back and mashes Reed with a knee lift. Ciampa drops the knee pad and eats a Reed superkick when he charges. Reed yanks Ciampa up for a slingshot suplex that gets two. Reed misses a top rope dive but mashes Ciampa with some kicks. Ciampa catches Reed with the Willow’s Bell DDT and we take a break.

Ciampa catches Reed with a knee lift when the show returns. Ciampa runs into a Reed legdrop and an enziguri. Reed flies over the top rope with a tope con hilo and then tosses Ciampa back in. Reed hits a flying forearm and covers Ciampa for two. Reed mounts Ciampa on a top turnbuckle but Ciampa yanks Reed up for an avalanche Air Raid Crash that gets two. Ciampa chops Reed down and then Reed fires up with a cutter. Reed hits two tope cutters and the second one gets a two count. They slug it out and Ciampa gets caught by a Reed stunner. Reed gets caught by a Ciampa knee and then yanked up for a backstabber. Ciampa lowers the knee pad again and finishes things with his running knee strike.

Ciampa gets a solid win here on his way to facing the Painmaker at Redemption. I have to admit, I didn’t think the Rascalz would amount to much in AEW but I have mostly enjoyed their work so far. Reed in particular has really emerged as quite a singles competitor and I hope he keeps getting shots. 3*

Winner – Tommaso Ciampa (running knee strike)

Post-match sees Ciampa eye up Paul Wight at the announce desk before threatening Schiavone. Wight immediately intervenes and Ciampa stands on Wight’s chair to have a chat. Ciampa tells Wight to tell “best friend” Chris Jericho that not only is he better than Jericho he’s also not afraid of the Painmaker. Ciampa says the fight in Montreal is going to be No Holds Barred, and Wight appears to think that is a good idea.

Renee Paquette is with Andrade El Idolo who is looking forward to taking on Mark Davis at Redemption for the National title. Predictably, AEW National Champion Mark Davis flies in to attack Andrade. Davis puts on a sleeper and Andrade sinks to the ground. Davis stalks away with his title as Andrade is left laying. We go to a break.

Here’s Renee Paquette in the ring to bring out Owen Hart Women’s Tournament Winner Mercedes Mone. Paquette asks Mone about who she likes in the Thekla-Willow Nightingale Women’s world title match at Redemption. Mone puts over Boston and says the Women’s world title is coming home with her after All In no matter who wins in Montreal. Mone talks about sending both Nightingale and Thekla to Japan and says neither of them can hide once the bell rings. Mone vows to walk out of All In with the title.

Here’s yet another promo from AEW World Tag Team Champions Adam Copeland and Christian Cage about PAC and Claudio now that the tag team title match is official for Redemption. Here’s the Young Bucks in to say that Copeland and Cage look great with the belts while mentioning they’ve held them three times. Cage insults the Bucks by saying that they’ve lost the titles three times because the titles are just things to them while Cage and Copeland consider them championships. Copeland tries to make amends before leaving.

ROH Men’s World Championship: Bandido (C) vs Adam Priest

The Code of Honor is observed and we’re off. Bandido hits a German and then points the finger guns at Priest’s head. Priest fires off a standing dropkick and yanks Bandido up for some chops. Bandido hits some thrust kicks but Priest fires up to send Bandido into the ring post a couple of times. We take a break.

They’re slugging it out when the show returns. Bandido wins a slap battle but Priest tries for a half-nelson. Bandido rips off a couple Germans and then yanks Priest up for a one-armed overhead suplex. Bandido ascends and misses a frog splash. Priest dumps Bandido over and grabs a two count. Priest mashes Bandido with a lariat, but Bandido fires up and tosses Priest over his head to the mat. Bandido wants the 21 Plex but Priest grabs the second rope to prevent it. Priest gets rolled over by a Bandido armdrag and then runs into a Bandido spinebuster. Bandido fires off a reverse thrust and then nails Priest with a deadlift bridging German that finishes things.

I had a thought this might go for awhile but we’re really not doing anything super long tonight with this show. Bandido gets a decent win here and moves on to face Kyle Fletcher for the International title at Redemption. Priest is another guy who’s a solid opponent when you need a good television win. 2.5*

Winner – Bandido (deadlift bridging German suplex)

Here’s Stardom of Artist Champions Skye Blue and Julia Hart to say that winning those titles was just an appetizer. Blue and Hart threaten Divine Dominion and want to invite them for a Hardcore title match in Nashville. We take a break.

AEW TBS Championship: Hikaru Shida (C) vs Queen Aminata

There’s a hockey fight to start things and they start firing forearms at each other. Shida hits the Greco-Roman eye poke and covers Aminata for one. Aminata hits a back kick and then pulls Shida in for chocolate kisses. Aminata hits a knee strike and then goes out with Shida on the floor. Aminata grabs a chair and sets Shida on it to mash her with a double slap. Aminata runs the apron and hits a double stomp to Shida’s chest. Aminata runs Shida back in and ascends but Shida rolls out to the ramp to escape things. Aminata misses a jump and appears to hurt her knee before they start fighting on the ramp. Shida gets rammed into a top turnbuckle but Aminata misses a subsequent headbutt attempt. Shida yanks Aminata up for a Dead Eye and we take a break.

Aminata has Shida in a Boston crab when the show returns. Shida breaks out of it and they slug it out. Aminata fires off some kicks and then pulls Shida into a spinning neckbreaker. Aminata ascends for a double stomp and covers Shida for two. Shida bails to the floor and Aminata limps out. Shida has her kendo stick confiscated and she goes to Aminata’s eyes. Shida runs Aminata into the barricade and then tosses her back in. Shida ascends and hits a top rope Meteora before pulling Aminata into a Falcon Arrow that gets two. Shida smashes Aminata’s knee and Aminata turns her over for a quick two. There’s more covers exchanged and Shida fires off a Dragon Screw leg whip. Aminata hits a headbutt in response and then mashes Shida with a running knee. Shida uses the ropes to turn Aminata over and get a three count.

It was going well until that finish. I thought Shida looked better tonight than she has, but Aminata really looked solid with her work. She’s firing things off with no abandon at this point and her stuff looks like it would actually hurt, so I appreciate that. Shida’s heel work is just slimy enough to make me see her want to get beat and that’s the whole point here. 3.25*

Winner AND STILL AEW TBS Champion – Hikaru Shida (feet on the ropes during a roll up)

Post-match sees Shida continue the assault with a kendo stick. Shida pounds away and here’s Maya World out to break things up and send Shida packing. Schiavone announces Shida will defend against World at Redemption. The credits roll and we’re out.

Listen, there are some throw-away episodes of this show from time to time and this was one of them. Obviously there’s a Saturday Night’s Main Event tonight and this was a taped show, so you get what you get. I think the compressed timeline caused them to have to move through a BUNCH of story stuff to get a card announced for Redemption and in that regard, mission accomplished tonight. We’ll move on to Dynamite this week and see where we are after that.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Enjoy your Sunday.