Collision Review – 07.25.26

In case you either missed or need a refresher on Dynamite, SK has you covered RIGHT HERE

Collision was recorded earlier this week and comes to the TNT and HBO Max airwaves from The Pinnacle in Nashville, TN. Tonight is the go-home show for tomorrow evening’s Redemption card, and we’ll be dotting a few I’s and crossing a few T’s tonight, no doubt. The announcing team for tonight’s show includes Tony Schiavone, Paul Wight, and Nigel McGuinness on match calls and analysis, Arkady Aura on ring introductions, and Lexy Nair on interviews and news segments. Let’s watch some wrestling!

.Tommaso Ciampa vs Zach Wentz

Ciampa beat Wentz’s teammate Myron Reed on last week‘s Collision so let’s see how Wentz fairs. Wentz leaps onto the apron and Ciampa greets him with a running knee strike. Ciampa goes to the floor to continue the assault and then stops to bark at Friend of Jericho Paul Wight, who rises out of his chair to loom over Ciampa. Ciampa thinks better of that strategy and grabs a chair. A recovered Wentz flies down the apron to kick the chair out of Ciampa’s hand before crushing him with a moonsault. Wentz tosses Ciampa in and the bell finally rings.

Wentz hits a torneo splash and gets a one count. Ciampa rises with a double thrust but Wentz fires up with an Atomic drop before SWEEPING THE LEG. Ciampa bails to the ramp but Wentz will have none of that. Wentz ascends and hits a senton before driving Ciampa back in. Wentz meets Ciampa’s knees off another dive and Ciampa springs up to drive Wentz down with an Exploder in a corner. Ciampa uses his shirt to choke Wentz and then goes to work in a corner. Ciampa elbows Wentz down and then flexes to the crowd. Ciampa gets caught by a Wentz lifted knee and we reset with both guys down. Wentz hits some forearms and a chop before mashing Ciampa with a back body drop. Wentz hits a running kick and then crushes Ciampa down with a blockbuster that gets two. Ciampa fires up with a huge right cross and wants the knee strike but Wentz ducks it and waffles Ciampa with a bunch of kicks. Wentz ascends and meets a Ciampa knee strike that gets two. Wentz sneaks in a roll up for two and follows with a kaman giri. Ciampa yanks Wentz into the Willow’s Bell DDT on the ramp and then whales him with the running knee strike. Ciampa pulls Wentz back in and hits a second knee strike, and Aubrey Edwards counts three.

I am not interested in this Jericho-Ciampa feud in the slightest, and nothing about this match felt like Ciampa was ever in danger of losing. I don’t really get why Paul Wight is suddenly Jericho’s avatar either, but here we are. This was just an exhibition for Ciampa, no more, no less. 2*

Winner – Tommaso Ciampa (running knee strike)

Ciampa has a mic post-match and tells everyone that he’s better than Chris Jericho. Ciampa takes a marker and draws the Painmaker logo on his face before telling the crowd that the Psycho Killer is better than the Painmaker. Ciampa promises violence in Montreal.

Here’s Speedball Mike Bailey who’s role in Montreal is now being part of a six-man ladder match that will determine the new number one contender for the AEW International Title. Bailey mentions that Montreal is his hometown and he’ll have family and friends in attendance.

The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) vs The Death Riders (Wheeler Yuta and Daniel Garcia)

AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley joins commentary. It’s Yuta and Matt to start and Matt hits a rolling tackle that sends Yuta down. Garcia tags in and runs into an armdrag. Nick tags in and he and Matt hit double-team moves on both Death Riders. The Bucks hit bulldogs on Yuta and Garcia while high-fiving and then mount them in corners for right hands. The Death Riders fire up and smash Nick down. Garcia drops a bunch of right hands and turns right into a Matt superkick. Garcia ascends and dives into stereo superkicks before Matt powerbombs Garcia onto Nick’s roundhouse kick. Matt hits a double stomp on a prone Garcia and then wallops Yuta on the floor with a suicide dive. The Bucks miss a BTE Trigger and crash knees. There’s a sequence where everyone gets moves in before Matt hits three Northern Lights suplexes in a row with the third being on both Yuta and Garcia. Matt mashes Garcia with a bunch of rights but Yuta provides some distractions and the Death Riders take over. We take a commercial break.

Yuta grabs Matt from behind as the show returns but Matt ducks out of the way and Garcia mashes Yuta to the floor. Garcia smashes Nick off the apron and Yuta returns to double team Matt. Yuta holds Matt up so Garcia can fire off a bunch of kicks to Matt’s chest and then Yuta plants Nick with a German that gets two. Garcia tags in and they start a two man violence conveyor belt. Matt cuts that off with a DDT on Garcia and finally tags in Nick. Nick hits a cross-body on both guys but his flurry gets cut off by some knees. Nick shakes that off for a double lariat and then goes to work on Yuta in a corner. Matt flies over and Garcia dumps him to the apron but Matt shakes that off with a kaman giri before ascending. Matt hits a double stomp on Garcia before flying over to yank Yuta into a Lungblower. The Bucks ascend for dives and a double cover gets two. All four guys are in the ring and the Bucks hit a bunch of stuff before nailing Garcia with the BTE trigger. Yuta breaks up the cover at two. The Bucks want the Meltzer Driver but here’s PAC and Claudio Castignoli out to start trouble. There’s another conveyor belt with Yuta and Garcia as PAC has Rick Knox shockingly distracted. Castignoli flies in to end that with a lofted uppercut and Garcia covers Matt for two. Garcia puts on the Sharpshooter but Nick hits a thrust kick to break it up. Here’s AEW Men’s Tag Team Champion Christian Cage out to blast Castignoli in the nuts with a kick while AEW Men’s Tag Team Champion Adam Copeland spears PAC on the ramp. Back in the ring Matt grabs a roll up on Garcia for two. The Bucks hit the Meltzer Driver on Garcia and that ends things.

This went all kinds of places in the second act after the break. If you like Bucks chaos matches, this would be your jam. We weaved two stories in here with PAC and Claudio being the challengers for Cope and Cage at Redemption, while the Bucks had their moment with Moxley in the post-match. I liked this when Garcia and Yuta were controlling the pace and acting like it was a tag match and the rest of it was what it was. 3*

Winners – The Young Bucks (Meltzer Driver on Garcia)

Post-match sees the Bucks walk over to have words with Moxley before Will Ospreay flies in with a Hidden Blade on Nick. Moxley hits the Paradigm Shift on Matt and the Death Riders stand over the fallen Bucks. Ospreay is the last to leave and he exits with Moxley through the crowd. We take a commercial break.

Here’s highlights of AEW International Champion Kyle Fletcher at SDCC being confronted by Brody King. Eventually Bandido also got involved with everyone pushing and shoving each other. Fletcher was dragged off while Bandido got a nice chant from the nerds in attendance.

CMLL World Women’s Champion Persephone vs Angelica Risk

Schiavone on Risk: “She’s got quite an attitude.” You know who else had an attitude, Tony? CAPTAIN REDNECK DICKY MURDOCH, THAT’S WHO. Perspehone mashes Risk around with forearms and then blasts her with a shotgun dropkick. Persephone bullies Risk in a corner before running into a Risk high boot. Persephone shakes that off and ends things with a Razor’s Edge.

Did you know that East Nashville hosts a Tomato Festival every year? Well now you do. .25*

Winner – Persephone (Razor’s Edge)

Here’s Lexy Nair backstage with ROH Women’s Champion Athena, Diamante, and Billie Starkz. Athena has words for The Brawling Birds and calls them “dumb dafty ducks” while promising an asswhipping.

The Lethal Twist (Jay Lethal, “Shotty” Lee Johnson, and Blake Christian) vs Sky Flight (Matt Sydal, Scorpio Sky, and Dante Martin)

Jeff Jarrett and The Demand are with the announce team, and Christopher Daniels is out with Sky Flight. (Jarrett would not leave the desk for quite some time, in fact.) Three announcers, four wrestlers at the desk, and six in the ring, plus Daniels. We are getting people on this show TONIGHT! There’s a ton of tags to start and a Pier Six breaks out. Sky Flight drive the Twist to the floor and everyone hits topes as we take a commercial break.

The Lethal Twist pull off a series of moves when the show returns with no tags involved whatsoever. Johnson works over Sky in the corner and Lethal tags in. Lethal smashes Sky down and does the Flair strut before mashing Sky with a shotgun dropkick that gets two. Christian tags in and puts the boots to Sky but Sky kicks him away. Johnson charges in and gets rolled up for two before Martin tags in for a series of knee lifts. Martin hits a kaman giri on Johnson and then crushes him with a springboard senton. Lethal breaks up the cover at two. Everyone flies in to hit a move and Martin gets distracted by Ricochet. Johnson crotches Martin and hoists him up for a double stomp from Christian that leads into a rolling Death Valley Driver. Johnson covers Martin and the ref counts three.

Is this a meaningful result? I have no idea. I’m not actually sure I know why the Demand are feuding with Sky Flight but I think there’s something about maybe them trying to recruit Lethal’s crew to be pals with them? This was a lot of people in and around ringside for what amounted to a party match. 1.5*

Winners – The Lethal Twist (Double stomp from Christian into a Death Valley Driver from Johnson on Martin)

Post-match sees Ricochet’s crew slap hands with the Lethal gang.

Here’s a video package on Redemption. There’s a Countdown show immediately following this show that will hype things up.

AEW International Championship Number One Contender’s Ladder Match Qualifier: Nick Wayne vs AR Fox

Wayne attacks prior to the bell but Fox responds with a rana. Fox yanks Wayne into the second rope before yanking Wayne into a neckbreaker. Wayne recovers and yanks Fox into an overhead suplex. Fox bails to the floor and Wayne goes out to ram him into the barricade. Wayne chops Fox and sets him on a chair for a kick but then takes his good sweet time. Fox recovers to blast Wayne with a lifted knee and then drags Wayne over to the steps. Wayne trips up Fox and we go to a commercial break.

Wayne is standing on Fox’s head when the show returns. Fox recovers and yanks Wayne into a rolling neckbreaker on the floor. Fox dumps Wayne back in and hits a package sit-out powerbomb for two. Fox hits a back elbow and Wayne no-sells it to yank Fox into a snapdragon suplex. Fox hits a reverse thrust and mounts Wayne on a turnbuckle. Fox pulls Wayne down and yanks him into a cutter before ascending. Fox hits a swanton and covers Wayne for two. They trade strikes and Fox mounts Wayne. They slug it out and Wayne hits an inverted Spanish Fly. Wayne yanks Fox into a Prodigy Plex that finishes things.

Wayne now joins Komander, Jack Perry, Speedball Bailey, and the Beast Mortos in the ladder match, with one spot left to be filled. I’m sure there will be some high spots in that one. This was technically proficient and they clearly have chemistry from being longtime training partners. 2.5*

Winner – Nick Wayne (Prodigy Plex)

Here’s a look at Darby Allin after Dynamite ended on Wednesday. Allin is upset about the outcome of his match with Kevin Knight and wonders how far Knight is willing to go.

AEW World Trios Championship: The Conglomeration (Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, and Orange Cassidy) (C) vs ROH Trios Champions The Outrunners (Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum) and Dalton Castle

It’s Magnum and Cassidy to start and Magnum pushes Cassidy down to give him the Road Warrior flex. Magnum tags in and does the same. Cassidy has had enough of that and it’s time for HANDS IN POCKETS. Magnum trucks Cassidy down but Cassidy no-sells it to mash Magnum with a dropkick before nipping up. Cassidy flexes for the crowd to a huge ovation and a pose-off ensues. Both guys get hoisted on to their teammates shoulders for more flexing and then a Pier Six breaks out. We go to a commercial break.

Cassidy hits Castle with a tope when the show returns before driving back in. The Outrunners drive Cassidy off the apron and then smash Cassidy with combined double axe handles. Strong flies out to mash both Outrunners around (Floyd is yet to remove his ROH trios tag belt and apparently will just be wearing it for the entire match). Castle gets mashed by O’Reilly and Strong and Cassidy comes off the from the floor to hit a SAVAGE ELBOW that gets two. Another Pier Six erupts and Strong decides to use Cassidy as a weapon. Strong destroys everybody with Cassidy and covers Castle for two. O’Reilly comes in and Castle breaks things up with a huge back elbow (Schiavone once again uses this time to mention Hangman Page’s return since there’s been zero sighting or sound from him since, which is just neat!) Floyd’s belt-wearing finally comes into play as O’Reilly’s knee strike meets the belt faceplate. Strong gets revenge for that with some chops but Floyd cleverly jumps so Strong’s last chop hits the belt. I KNEW WE WERE GOING SOMEWHERE WITH THIS. Floyd hits a double lariat and then eats some tremendous kicks from Cassidy. The Outrunners drive Cassidy down and then hit the You Son Of A Bitch elbow drop on Cassidy for two. O’Reilly makes the save and chaos erupts with everyone flying in for moves. Strong drops Floyd with a half-and-half suplex. Castle catches Cassidy coming off the top but Cassidy turns it into a DDT. Floyd comes in and there’s a small package by Cassidy that gets two. Cassidy grabs a jackknife roll up on Floyd and that ends things.

Schiavone announces that the Conglomeration will defend the Trios titles on the Buy-In against The Lethal Twist at Redemption. I’m sure that will be delightful. I missed the Outrunners something fierce so I’m glad to see them back on Collision albeit temporarily, more than likely. This was about what you’d expect for this type of thing, and as both teams are babyface, there wasn’t a lot of HEAT heat to it, if you know what I mean. 2.75*

Winners AND STILL AEW World Trios Champions – The Conglomeration (Cassidy jackknife roll-up on Floyd)

Post-match sees The Demand and the The Lethal Twist fly out to attack. The heels gain the advantage and Jeff Jarrett removes his headset to eat a right hand from Ricochet. The babyfaces gain control in the ring and Cassidy mashes Ricochet with a Superman Punch. A recovered Jarrett murders Ricochet with a guitar shot and Jarrett’s music plays to end the segment. We go to commercials.

Here’s Jack Perry to talk about being in the ladder match but Nick Wayne interrupts immediately. Wayne says opportunities have always been there for Perry but Wayne has had to chase them. Wayne promises to climb the ladder and become the number one contender but also vows to hurt Perry and become a PILLAR himself. Perry councils Wayne and mentions that he doesn’t have his “sugar daddy” anymore. Wayne promises to make the most of the chance at Redemption as Perry exits.

AEW International Championship Number One Contender’s Ladder Match Qualifier: El Clon vs ROH Television Champion Lio Rush

Clon would be more fun in the ladder match but Rush is getting the push currently, so let’s see where this goes. (I didn’t read the spoilers for this because Collision spoilers are sad.) There’s some acrobatics to start and Rush fires off a chop. Rush bites Clon’s hand before dumping Clon to the floor. Rush hits a Pele kick and and flies out to mash Clon’s head into the announce table. Rush clotheslines Clon down and gets two. Rush has gotten busted open over his right eye so his already disturbing appearance has now been added to with some color. Rush mounts Clon on a top turnbuckle but Clon kicks him down and ties Rush up with the tag rope. Clon hits two running high boots and we go to a break.

Rush hits a powerbomb and a small splash for two when the show returns. Rush ascends and Clon slips away to smash Rush with a Pele kick. Clon snaps off a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and covers Rush for two. Rush fires up with a neckbreaker and smashes Clon with a right. Rush mashes Clon with a roundhouse kick and Clon bails. Rush hits a tope suicida and dumps Clon back in. Rush hits a springboard stunner for two. Clon fires up with some strikes and they exchange roll ups. Clon uses the bottom rope for leverage on his roll up and the ref counts three.

I’m not sure why we’re suddenly jobbing out ROH champions on Collision but here we are. Like Darius Martin had to be backstage and he could have flipped around and gotten pinned by Clon. Weird booking of this stuff, but I guess ROH is whatever it is at this point. Clon moves on to become the final member of the six man ladder match tomorrow night and I guess Lio goes back to tormenting people on Honor Club. 2.5*

Winner – El Clon (roll-up with rope leverage)

Post-match sees Clon puts the boots to Rush before dropping a bunch of right hands. This brings out Speedball Mike Bailey send Clon packing with a thrust kick. Here’s Komander out as well to help things before he and Bailey eye each other up.

Here’s a look at the AEW Men’s World Championship match between champion Kenny Omega and challenger Kevin Knight. Schiavone runs down the Redemption card and don’t forget everything starts an hour earlier – the Buy-In starts at 6 PM Eastern and the PPV starts at 7. Hopefully that helps everyone that complains about the lengths of the shows on work nights. We go to commercials.

Here’s Juice Robinson and Jay White to promo about the double chain match at Redemption against The Dogs. Clark Connors and David Finlay have some words in response.

Maya World and Willow Nightingale vs AEW Women’s World Champion Thekla and AEW TBS Champion Hikaru Shida

Shida immediately starts whaling on World and then drives her over for a one count. A fight breaks out on the floor between all four and Thekla smashes World into a ring post. Shida whoops on Nightingale and then talks shit while showing Nightingale the TBS belt. Thekla and Shida fire off simultaneous suplexes and Thekla drives World back in. Thekla mounts World as Shida does the same to Nightingale and everyone counts right hands. The faces slip out and start mashing the heels with lariats. Shida and Thekla get driven together and Nightingale sends them both down with a lariat. We go to commercials.

Thekla is controlling World when the show returns, and Shida tags in. Thekla drives Nightingale off the apron and then returns to attack World. World breaks out of the double team and finally tags in Nightingale. Nightingale runs wild on Shida and blasts Thekla off the apron. Nightingale hits a Hip Attack and kicks Shida down. Nightingale hits a spinebuster and Thekla breaks up her cover at two. Nightingale eats a right from Shida who then pokes her in the eye and grabs a roll up for two. Nightingale fires off a slap but gets grabbed by Thekla when she runs the ropes. Shida mashes Nightingale with a knee and then drives her down with a Falcon Arrow for two. World breaks up that cover and starts battling with Shida. World hits a double stomp and Thekla comes in to blast her with an elbow. Everyone ends up on the mat and World and Thekla crawl out to get tags. World eats a reverse thrust kick and then World shoves her down when she charges. Nightingale drives Shida to the floor and then goes out. Nightingale misses her rolling tackle but World flies out to smash Shida and Thekla with a tope. Thekla removes her belt and the ref takes it away before she can use it. As the ref is getting rid of the belt Shida grabs a kendo stick that World had come out with and smashes World in the back with it. Thekla hits the Toxic pose and spears World for three.

I thought this was fine and probably the match of the night overall. There was some chaos but everything held together and we got to where we needed to get by the end. I think when you mash four people together who don’t team all the time and hope that it works is a risky strategy but this one held together. So we move on to Redemption and I would expect Thekla to retain to set up the huge match with Mercedes for Wembley. Shida, on the other hand, that could go either way I think. I guess we’ll see. 3.5*

Winners – Thekla/Shida (Thekla spear on World)

The heels pose with their belts as the credits roll and we’re out.

The ladder match stuff kind of took over the show here as did whatever this feud is with the Demand and SkyFlight. This was better than last week but I wouldn’t call it a home run or anything. Redemption’s card seems lacking to me with no Swerve, MJF, and Hangman, but I guess we’ll see how everything goes because AEW usually nails PPV’s.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Enjoy your Sunday and enjoy Redemption.