Collision Review – 08.08.26

Scott Keith (happy 23rd birthday!) reviewed a big night for AEW with his coverage of Grand Slam Mexico.

Collision comes to the TNT/HBO Max airwaves from The Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, CO. The announcers for tonight’s show include Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, and Paul Wight on match calls and analysis, Arkady Aura on ring introductions, and Lexy Nair on interviews and news. The Continental Cup has some big Round of 16 matches on tonight’s show, so let’s watch some wrestling!

Best of luck to Jim Ross this week during his surgery, and as always, please keep Rebel in your thoughts.

We start with a look back at Grand Slam Mexico and all the major results from that show.

Continental Cup Round of 16 match: Claudio Castignoli vs Ace Austin

The rules of this tournament involve the “no one at ringside” stipulation that the C2 and any Continental qualifier/title match includes. Castignoli gains the quick advantage with some kicks and drives Austin down. Austin fires off an armdrag but when he tries it again Castignoli blocks it and smashes Austin down. Castignoli misses a corner charge but drives in a knee in response. Austin trips Castignoli and hits a roundhouse kick before blasting Castignoli with a standing shotgun dropkick. Austin hoists Castignoli over his shoulders and drops him with a Falcon Arrow. Castignoli bails and catches an Austin cross-body attempt to drop Austin over the barricade. Castignoli whips Austin at the barricade and then lines Austin up for a jumping double sledge. Castignoli misses a charge and gets caught by an Austin running kick and a cross-body. We go to commercials.

Castignoli is torquing Austin’s arm when the show returns. Austin breaks out but runs into a sleeper. Asutin eats a right and a running uppercut that gets two. Castignoli misses an elbow drop and then gets tossed to the floor when he charges. Austin fires off a dropkick and we reset. Austin hits some elbows and a kick before backdropping Castignoli. Austin hits a legdrop and gets mounted on a top turnbuckle when he charges. Austin hits a springboard rana and Castignoli bails. Austin hits his leaping reverse tope/moonsault thing and then runs Castignoli back in. Austin ascends for a leaping guillotine legdrop and gets two. Austin wants the Fold but has to grab a sunset flip instead and that gets two. Austin tries another rope-assisted move and runs into a Castignoli uppercut that gets two. The crowd wants the giant swing but Austin pulls Castignoli into a leg-wrap choke. Castignoli hoists Austin up and then fires him over his head to land on his back. Castignoli hits a lofted uppercut and that ends things.

Castignoli moves on to the Round of 8 but he had a fight on his hands tonight. Austin did well here to play to his strengths, and this was worked at an even pace that kept the crowd engaged. I like Austin and wish he wasn’t eating as many losses as he does but every stable needs a guy like him and so here we are. No major complaints with this as an opener for the show. 3.25*

Winner – Claudio Castignoli (lofted uppercut)

Here’s a look back at the street fight main event from Dynamite and Will Ospreay’s eventual triumph in that match. A bloodied Ospreay told AEW World Champion Kenny Omega that he’s ready for Wembley and wonders if Omega is in post-match comments. We go to a break.

Here’s highlights of the Motor City Machine Guns after their big debut on last week‘s Collision.

The Brawling Birds (Alex Windsor and Jamie Hayter) vs Vertvixen and Viva Van

That’s a lot of V’s on the other side of the ring. There’s a quick hockey fight before the Birds take turns smashing Vertvixen around. Hayter destroys Vertvixen in a corner but eats a kick in response when she charges. Van tags in and gets a flying elbow for two. Vertvixen tags back in and Hayter murders both her and Van with lariats. Windsor tags in and runs wild before Hayter and her finish Vertvixen with Two Birds, One Stone.

Did you know that the first restaurant to officially trademark the term “cheeseburger” was a drive-in in Denver? Well now you do. .5*

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

Post-match sees AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions Divine Dominion attack the Birds from behind. They send the Birds to the floor and continue assaulting the duo. Kross and Bayne clear off the medical/timekeeper’s table and drive Windsor on top of it. It does not break and thus I suspect our friend Maffew will enjoy the footage. Kross and Bayne preen to the camera as Hayter checks on Windsor.

Here’s some highlights of the big six-man match at Arena Mexico specifically focusing on Darby Allin and Kevin Knight. Allin challenges Knight for the title at Wembley in a Falls Count Anywhere match. We’ll see if he accepts.

Continental Cup Round of 16 match: Orange Cassidy vs Matt Sydal

Cassidy uses “Jane” as an entrance theme tonight if you’re keeping score. Sydal cuts an inset promo and says he’s absolutely here to win the Cup after being out for 26 months. There’s a handshake of sorts and they lock up. Cassidy works a side headlock and Sydal reverses. There’s an exchange of crucifix covers that gets two and we reset. Cassidy hits an armdrag and Sydal responds with one of his own. Cassidy grabs another roll-up for two and then kicks Sydal down. Cassidy misses a standing moonsault so Sydal shows him how to do it properly. Sydal hits a lariat in a corner and ascends but Cassidy catches him and they fight it out. Cassidy fires off some forearms and Sydal almost falls off. They smash each other with rights and both topple to the floor as we go to a break.

Cassidy drops a bunch of rights on Sydal but eats a Sydal rana and a big kick to the jaw after they come back to the mat. Sydal ascends and hits a top rope Meteora for two. Cassidy slips a charge and ascends for a cross-body. Cassidy hits Stundog Millionaire before pulling Sydal into a jackknife cover for two. Sydal eats a Falcon Arrow and Cassidy covers for two. Cassidy runs into some Sydal kicks and Cassidy puts his hands in his pockets. Cassidy hits a dropkick that sends Sydal to the floor and Cassidy follows with a tope suicida. Cassidy runs Sydal back in for a tornado DDT that gets two. Cassidy yanks off his elbow pad and Sydal ducks the Orange Punch for a roll up that gets two. Sydal ascends and Cassidy ducks the Shooting Star Press attempt. Cassidy pulls Sydal over and the Beach Break ends things.

I don’t think anyone thought there would be an upset here and there wasn’t. Cassidy moves on to the Round of 8 and Sydal goes back to being “Sky Flight Henchman Number 4”. This was fine in a vacuum, Cassidy played all his greatest hits, and Sydal looked crisp and healthy. There wasn’t a lot of heat for this because while the crowd loves Cassidy, not one person there thought Sydal was winning. 3*

Winner – Orange Cassidy (Beach Break)

Post-match sees Cassidy raise Sydal’s hand in a show of respect before Cassidy exits.

Here’s Jon Moxley congratulating Claudio Castignoli before talking about all the “hungry young predators” that are coming after his title. Moxley talks about Jack Perry and mentions he’s teaming up with a group that Moxley doesn’t like in the Bang Bang Gang. Castignoli growls “against the world” at the camera and we go back to the arena.

The Rascalz (Desmond Xavier and Zach Wentz) vs Aaron Solo and Steven Fuerte

Myron Reed is out with Wentz and Xavier for this for some reason. Wentz destroys Solo at the outset before Xavier comes in to join the proceedings. Fuerte tags in and the Rascalz murder him with a mounted double stomp from Wentz. The Rascalz combine on their standing moonsault on Fuerte and Xavier covers for three.

Did you know that the largest piece of silver ever found happened in Colorado? It weighed almost 2400 pounds! Crazy. .25*

Winners – The Rascalz (standing moonsault on Fuerte)

Post-match sees the Rascalz cut a promo and Reed will be wrestling Speedball Bailey tonight. Reed wants Speedball RIGHT NOW.

Myron Reed vs Speedball Mike Bailey

The announcers put over Bailey’s performance against Kyle Fletcher in Arena Mexico. There’s a series of acrobatics and an agreement is struck to drop each other’s legs before a handshake. Bailey misses a roundhouse but pounds Reed with his rapid-fire low kicks. Bailey misses a charge and eats a Reed legdrop. Reed hits a sunset flip and a leaping thrust kick. Reed mashes Bailey with a springboard dropkick. Bailey bails and Reed misses a charge. Bailey crushes Reed with a moonsault as we go to commercials.

Reed and Bailey are slugging it out on the apron when the show returns. Bailey hits some kicks but Reed responds with a kaman giri of his own. Bailey sweeps the leg and then misses his flipping knee drop as Reed ducks into the ring. Reed tries his running over-the-top-rope cutter but Bailey catches him and plants Reed on the floor. Bailey hits a springboard torneo but maybe tweaked his knee on the landing. Bailey tosses Reed back in and slowly ascends. Bailey misses a jump but dumps a charging Reed to the apron. Reed hits a kaman giri and ascends but Bailey comes up to snap off a Frankensteiner. Bailey misses his spinning heel kick and Reed fires off a cutter. Reed charges into a double boot but when Bailey ascends Reed catches his double knee attempt and yanks Bailey into a cutter. Bailey goes to the floor and Reed launches himself over the ring post for a tope con hilo. Reed runs Bailey back in and ascends for the No Cap Splash, but Bailey sees it coming and escapes. Bailey turns Reed inside out with a Spanish Fly and that finishes things.

Find someone who loves you like Tony Khan loves Speedball Bailey. Swerve Strickland isn’t being used at all but Bailey is on television every week and on both shows! Anyway, I really like Myron Reed a lot and I hope that performances like this will get him more and better singles matches. Bailey is what he is but the fans seem to enjoy his goofy energy and moveset so we’ll all just move on. 3.5*

Winner – Speedball Mike Bailey (Spanish Fly)

Here’s The Dogs backstage and they seem kind of grumpy. Clark Connors puts over the Dogs recent record against the Bang Bang Gang and David Finlay brags that Jay White won’t survive their Continental Cup match on the upcoming Dynamite in Las Vegas. The Dogs say it doesn’t matter who they face because they’re off the chain.

Hikaru Shida and CMLL Women’s World Champion Persephone vs Hyan and AEW TBS Champion Maya World

It’s Persephone and Hyan to start. Hyan hoists Persephone over and bridge covers for two. World tags in and pounds on Persephone with some rights. Shida smacks World from behind as Persephone distracts the referee. World fights out of a double-team and drops Persephone with a spinning heel kick that gets two. Hyan tags in and nails Persephone with a sunset flip but Persephone immediately slips out of it and nails Hyan with a shotgun dropkick. Hyan goes to the floor where Shida gets a shot in. World dumps Persephone to the floor and she and Shida combine to mash World during a tope attempt. World topples to the floor and we go to commercials.

Persephone has Hyan in a rear chinlock when the show returns. Hyan elbows her way out and Persephone drives her down in response. Hyan hits an armdrag and finally tags in World as Shida tags in as well. World runs wild and mashes Shida in a corner. Hyan tags in and she and World combine on a rana that sends Hyan into Shida before a cover gets two. Persephone prevents another double-team move and Shida blasts Hyan with a knee. Persephone plants Hyan with a missile dropkick and Shida’s subsequent Falcon Arrow gets two. Shida tries a knee but Hyan fights back. Persephone breaks up a cover at two after a double-team facebuster. There’s a series of counters and World nails a fall-away slam and a tope suicida on Persephone. Hyan hits a spear on Shida for two. Shida hits a right and then drops Hyan very awkwardly in maybe what you’d call a tombstone? Anyway, whatever it was finishes things.

This was not too good, especially in the second act. It was kind of stop-start and I know they’re really trying with World right now, but Hyan is not ready for this level of competition yet. Shida’s apparent indifference to training once again turned a lot of her moves into a struggle and whatever that thing was that finished the match drew open groans of disgust from Wight and McGuinness on commentary. 1.5*

Winners – Shida/Persephone (Shida tombstone (?) on Hyan)

Here’s Lexy Nair with AEW TNT Champion Kevin Knight who says THE JET doesn’t listen to whatever other people have to say, but he’s heard Darby Allin’s challenge and will consider it. Knight says he’ll fight Chris Jericho for the title this week on Dynamite and we’ll see what happens after that for All In. We go to commercials.

Here’s some highlights of Konosuke Takeshita‘s current run in New Japan’s G1 tournament. Takeshita is aiming to win back to back G1’s and is doing very well so far. Wight and McGuinness put over Takeshita back at the desk before Schiavone throws it back to the wonderful Arkady Aura for ring intros.

The Bang Bang Gang (Juice Robinson, Austin Gunn, and Colten Gunn) and Jack Perry vs The Death Riders (AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, and PAC)

The Bang Bang Gang seems to REALLY enjoy “Tarzan Boy”. The Death Riders are accompanied by Marina Shafir as usual. I’m going to call the Gunns by their first name here and everyone else by their last name, just so you know. It’s Austin and Moxley to start and some grappling leads nowhere. Perry wants to tag in and does as Moxley waits. Moxley tags Yuta to make Perry wait and Yuta grabs a roll up for two. Perry fires up with a dropkick and Colten tags in. Austin tags back in and works Yuta’s arm. Robinson gets a tag and mashes Yuta’s elbow with a double sledge. Yuta bites Robinson and Robinson fires off some jabs to Garcia and PAC in response. Robinson hits a cross-body on both and here’s Moxley with an eyepoke on Robinson. Perry dumps Moxley to the floor with a dropkick and the faces stand tall in the ring as we go to commercials.

Yuta grabs a cover on Robinson for two when the show returns. Yuta and Garcia destroy Perry as Rick Knox decides to completely ignore it while chatting with the Gunns. Garcia has a guillotine and the Death Riders charge in to dump everyone off the apron. Robinson takes major punishment in the Death Rider corner and Garcia crushes him with a chop. Robinson fires up with a leg lariat and we reset with him and Yuta down. Perry and Moxley get tags and Perry pounds away with chops. Perry hits a running forearm and runs right into a Moxley high boot. Moxley wants a piledriver but Perry escapes. Perry and Moxley nail each other with lariats and both are down. Moxley tags Yuta in and he eats a Perry rana. Austin tags in and runs wild on Yuta and Garcia. It breaks down with everyone in the ring and Austin continues to run wild. Colten drops Yuta with a legdrop and his cover is broken up at two by the other Death Riders. The Death Riders start their VIOLENCE CONVEYOR BELT on Colten but Robinson springs in to break it up. Everyone hits moves and it ends with a Perry superkick and moonsault on Moxley. Yuta runs into a Colten dropkick and he and Austin want 3:10 to Yuma. Shafir distracts Rick Knox and here’s the Dogs out to crotch Austin around a ring post. Yuta goes low on Colten and Garcia and Yuta combine on a Baisaku Knee on Austin to finish things.

A chaotic multi-man tag on Collision? WHAT A NOVEL CONCEPT. This was what you come to expect from these matches – chaos, no selling, a ridiculous pace, and Rick Knox watching everything unfold while doing basically nothing but be there to count three. Now, I’d speculate that this win would indicate trouble for Moxley on Wednesday night but LOLMOXWINS might be back at full strength, so we’ll see. Everyone worked hard here, which is my nice way of saying this wasn’t my thing but I know others think it’s awesome. 3*

Winners – The Death Riders (Yuta Baisaku knee on Austin Gunn)

Post-match sees Perry level Yuta with a running knee and then start barking at a pissed Moxley. Moxley confers with his boys on the floor and everyone leaves without any further violence.

Here’s Speedball Mike Bailey backstage and says that he was excited about Grand Slam Mexico but is upset he didn’t win. Speedball throws out a challenge for MJF on Wednesday night, and here’s Nick Wayne into put himself over before saying he’s going to beat Bandido at Death Before Dishonor. Wayne wants Bailey and MJF on Wednesday night for the number two spot in the Casino Gauntlet at All In. Bailey thinks that’s fine and they wish each other good luck very sarcastically.

Back at the desk Schiavone throws to a package on the recent passing of Dory Funk Jr. and there’s a “Dory” chant in the arena as we go to commercials.

Here’s Lexy Nair back with The Hurt Syndicate and Shane Taylor Promotions (This is a LOT of people in one shot.) Taylor wants to acquire the services of the Syndicate and hands an envelope over which Bob Lashley pockets. MVP says they’ll be in touch.

The announcers run down the upcoming Continental Cup matches and preview some things happening on Dynamite.

Here’s Jack Perry, the Gunns, and Juice Robinson in a backstage area. Perry promises that he can pull an upset in Vegas and vows to show Moxley what a “sweet kid” is all about. Robinson screams about the Dogs and guarantees that Jay White is going to destroy David Finlay on Wednesday night.

Continental Classic Round of 16 match: Jake Doyle vs Eddie Kingston

Kingston cuts an inset promo where he puts over winning the first ever Continental Classic and promises to win the first ever Continental Cup. Kingston works a side headlock and Doyle springs out of it to drop Kingston with an elbow. Doyle trucks Kingston and Kingston rises up with some chops. Doyle again bodies Kingston down but misses a subsequent charge. Kingston fires off some chops but Doyle escapes and mashes Kingston with a lariat. Doyle drives Kingston into a corner and and then bullies him along the ropes. Kingston gets dumped to the floor and Doyle goes out to smash him with a lariat. Kingston fires up with some headbutts and rolls back in. Kingston gets slammed and Doyle covers for two. Doyle goes to Kingston’s eyes and then drives a shoulder in repeatedly. Doyle covers and gets two. Kingston fires off some rights and a huge chop. Kingston goes to machine gun chops in a corner but Doyle blocks an Exploder attempt. Doyle hoists Kingston up for an Oklahoma Stampede that gets two. We go to commercials.

Kingston lifts a boot when Doyle charges and then levels Doyle with a shoulder tackle. Kingston hits the Exploder and covers Doyle for two. Doyle mashes Kingston with a forearm before nailing Kingston with a lariat from behind. Kingston reverses a piledriver attempt and waffles Doyle with a Saito suplex that gets two. Kingston misses a backfist and Doyle yanks Kingston up for a sit-out powerbomb that gets two. Doyle goozles Kingston and mashes him with a right. Kingston fires off the backfist twice before slapping the Stretch Plum on. Doyle is forced to tap.

Schiavone tried to put this over as a classic main event, and it really was not at that level. Kingston is not the same after his devastating leg injury that kept him out for so long but he still has incredible charisma that keeps fans rooting for him. Doyle is a serviceable big man but definitely in the “other guys” category of the millions of folks in the Don Callis Family. If there’s anyone with smarts in the creative realm of this company, Kingston will draw Claudio in the next round just for the promos. 2.75*

Winner – Eddie Kingston (Stretch Plum)

Kingston celebrates as Schivone runs down a bunch of matches, and we’re out.

The Continental matches were solid overall tonight, but this was kind of a typical Collision with some storyline advancement, some enhancement matches, and a chaotic multi-man. I think the Colorado Springs fans got their monies worth mostly, and they seemed into things the whole way for the most part. Not everything worked to perfection as the ending of the women’s tag was pretty rough, but overall we’ll call this a success and move on to a big Dynamite in Las Vegas.