Collision – 09.23.26

SK reviewed Dynamite.

Collision comes to the TBS airwaves with a third hour of programming after Dynamite ended, due to the upcoming All Out PPV happening on Saturday. The show comes to TBS/HBO Max from Fishers Events Center in Fishers, IN. The announcers for tonight’s show are Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, and Taz on play-by-play and analysis, Justin Roberts on ring introductions, and Renee Paquette on interviews and news. Dynamite has come to a close, so let’s watch some wrestling!

As Dynamite ended, AEW Men’s World Champion Will Ospreay said some bad words while reminding Jon Moxley that he does in fact feel like the World Champion. Ospreay and his new United Empire pal Speedball Mike Bailey make their exit.

Here’s Jack Perry complaining about calling out Samoa Joe and then being told he’s got to go through Katsuyori Shibata first. Perry and Shibata will go at it during the pre-show for All Out.

Here’s Renee Paquette introducing Divine Dominion (Megan Bayne and Lena Kross) and AEW Women’s Tag Team Champions Brawling Birds (Alex Windsor and Jamie Hayter) for some face to face. A tea table is brought out and Bayne tells Paquette the treats are courtesy of Divine Dominion. As the champs have some tea and biscuits, Bayne and Kross put the badmouth on the Birds. Kross reminds the Birds that she and Bayne have beaten Hayter and Windsor in singles matches and it’s all coming down on Saturday. Windsor and Hayter offer a “may the best team win” wish and then, predictably, fisticuffs ensue. Kross and Bayne hit stereo powerslams on the champions directly on the ramp, and make the “we want the belts” gestures.

Last Wednesday evening, The Conglomeration were trying to overcome their Trios loss, but Roderick Strong has had enough. Strong says they are world champions and he’s not just going to be happy for people that have beaten them. Strong says he can’t do this anymore and exits, leaving a frustrated Kyle O’Reilly and a bored Orange Cassidy.

Kevin Knight and Kyle Fletcher vs The Outrunners (Turbo Floyd and Truth Magnum)

Don Callis joins the commentary team, much to Schiavone’s chagrin. Floyd plants a chop on Fletcher and flexes, and immediately regrets it when Fletcher starts running him over before blasting Floyd with a high boot. Knight tags in and he and Fletcher hit some double-team stuff before Knight grabs a cover for two. Knight works a side headlock and Magnum gets a tag. Floyd drops Knight on his back and Fletcher snatches Magnum out of the ring to smash him into the ring steps. Knight works over Magnum before Fletcher tags in. Fletcher mashes Floyd off the apron with a running high boot before Knight blasts Floyd with a flying lariat. We go to commercials.

Knight tags in and he and Fletcher beat Magnum down as the show returns. Knight’s cover gets two. Magnum smashes Fletcher off the apron and Knight flies in to try to prevent the tag. He fails miserably and Floyd runs wild. Magnum flies in and he and Floyd combine on a bulldog/lariat combo on the heels. The YOUSONOFABITCH elbow drop happens and Knight breaks Magnum’s cover at two. Fletcher yanks Floyd into a half-and-half and mashes him with a thrust kick. Fletcher nails Floyd with the sheer drop brainbuster and Knight’s UFO splash ends things.

This was fun, but very predictable. I love the Outrunners and wish they’d get some more and better shine than this jobbers to the stars business that happens whenever they turn up on AEW shows, but it is what it is, I guess. Fletcher and Knight are fine, but they barely sell, which doesn’t help the presentation. 2.75*

Winners – Fletcher/Knight (Sheer drop brainbuster into the UFO splash on Floyd)

Post-match sees Renee Paquette join the Callis guys in the ring. Paquette asks about Saturday, so Fletcher shoos her away and wants the crowd to say his full name. IT’S KYLE MURIEL FLETCHER! Fletcher puts the badmouth on Darby Allin and Steven Borden, before saying he’s come around on the idea of teaming with Knight when he was originally skeptical. Fletcher promises a cakewalk on Saturday as he and Knight become the number one contenders. Darby Allin‘s music hits and RPG Vice are poised to attack on the ramp, but Allin and Borden are IN THE RAFTERS. Allin thinks it’s funny that Fletcher thinks he’s stupid enough to get jumped by all 50 members of the DCF. Knight still has beef with Allin over the TNT title and says Allin will be dealing with Knight and his “flamingo” on Saturday. Allin questions the use of the term “cakewalk” and says they better not call it an upset when he and Borden win. Everyone barks at each other to end the segment.

Excal runs down the matches for the Tailgate Brawl before going over the current All Out card.

Here’s Chris Jericho out for some yap. Jericho reminds everyone that he beat Nick Wayne clean as a sheet, and Wayne responded by kicking Jericho “in the plums”. Jericho invites Wayne out, and shockingly, his music hits. Here’s Nick Wayne out looking swank in all black. Wayne decides to stay on the apron in case Jericho decides to kick the ropes into his nards as Wayne did on Wednesday. Wayne enters and puts over his looks before saying he doesn’t believe Jericho just wants to talk. Jericho says that Wayne did what he had to do with the cheap shot on Wednesday before threatening to do something RIGHT NOW. Jericho mentions their similarities before calling Wayne an egotistical sonofabitch. Jericho wants to tell a story and questions if Wayne knows who Nick Bockwinkel is. (This segment is dying.) Jericho puts over being on the same show as Bockwinkel when he was 21 in Winnipeg. Bockwinkel’s post-match comments to Jericho were “You go to fast and you do too many moves” and Jericho scoffed at it. Jericho knows he was an arrogant prick and Wayne picks up that he’s talking about him in the same way. Wayne says he never should have lost to Jericho, and promises that it will never happen again. Wayne says pro wrestling is all he’s ever known and the only thing Jericho taught him was that he might have to change a few things to beat Jericho. Wayne challenges Jericho for Grand Slam: France in two weeks, and it’s apparently agreed to. They go nose-to-nose and Jericho calls Wayne a kid who’s “going to get the shit kicked out of him AGAYNE”. Jericho accepts the challenge and exits. We go to commercials. (Listen, the “you go to fast and do too many moves” thing was a total softball and I’m not swinging at it, Jericho. I just won’t.)

Here’s Renee Paquette with Hyan who lost on Dynamite to Persephone. Hyan is pissed about Dr. Britt Baker’s comments on television earlier and introduces her new tag team partner, Thunder Rosa. Rosa puts out a challenge for next week’s Dynamite in Pittsburgh for her and Hyan to face Persephone and DrBBDMD. We’ll see if it’s accepted.

Here’s AEW Women’s World Champion Mercedes Mone out to join the commentary team. Mone is sporting a bedazzled face mask to cover up her broken nose.

Artist of Stardom Champion Skye Blue vs Queen Aminata

Julia Hart is out with Blue, while Mina Shirakawa seconds Aminata. Aminata bullies Blue to a corner but gives her a clean break. Blue hits a reverse thrust and pats Aminata’s head, so Aminata decides she wants a test of strength. Aminata drops Blue on her butt with a headbutt attempt and returns the pat. They slug it out and and Aminata wins the skirmish with a bunch of forearms. Blue gets mashed with a double sledge and a snap suplex. Aminata pulls Blue in for some chocolate kisses before blasting Blue with a kick. Hart yanks Blue out to the floor to prevent further damage, and everyone gathers on the floor. Blue smashes Aminata into the ring steps and then starts chatting with a grumpy Shirakawa. Blue suplexes Aminata from the steps to the floor, and we take a break.

Blue smashes Aminata down when the show returns. Blue kicks Aminata who’s had about enough of that. Aminata blasts Blue with a forearm and some lariats. Aminata yanks Blue over with a German and follows with a running boot. Aminata hits a double stomp and Blue grabs the bottom rope to prevent any count. Aminata clubbers away and gets caught by a Blue inside cradle that gets two. Blue fires off an knee but gets pulled over in a tornado suplex that gets two for Aminata. Aminata ascends and Hart jumps up to distract. Blue and Aminata exchange a bunch of roll ups that get two, and Blue waffles Aminata with a knee that gets two. Blue yanks Aminata up and wants Code Blue, but Aminata breaks out and hits Blue with the Queen’s Crown. Aminata hits the Off With Her Head running boot and covers Blue for three.

This was pretty solid for what it was, and I really think Aminata has something going. She needs more showmanship in terms of getting the crowd ready for her stuff, but the days of her looking super green are over. Blue works at her pace and tries to make things count, but she’s still a bit awkward and perhaps that’s part of the charm. Anyway, this was decent. 3*

Winner – Queen Aminata (Off With Her Head running boot)

Post-match sees Hart and Shirakawa charge in for some more fisticuffs and here’s Thekla out to change up the advantage. Thekla quickly helps the heels overwhelm the faces, but here’s Willow Nightingale out to add to the fun. The Sisters of Sin scatter and Nightingale looks them over while Mone ascends onto to the desk to remind everyone who the champ is.

Here’s Britt Baker and Persephone to accept Rosa and Hyan’s challenge for Pittsburgh next week. Persephone says she’ll offer an open challenge for the TBS title at All Out, but it’s not open to either Rosa or Hyan because they’re GIANT LOSERS WHO LOSE OFTEN. We go to commercials.

Ace Austin vs PAC

Austin gets some advice from Coach Juice Robinson before entering. Despite this show now being twelve minutes over before the bell rings here, PAC takes his sweet-ass time getting to the ring. There’s some acrobatics to start and Austin hits an armdrag. PAC smashes Austin with a knee and slips a charge. PAC nails Austin with a hip toss and Austin responds with some kicks off of a drop toehold. Austin hits a basement dropkick and yanks PAC up for some squats. PAC goes to the eyes and Austin nails him with a dropkick to send PAC to the floor. Austin nails PAC with a running kick from the apron and then crushes PAC with a pescado splash. Austin runs PAC back in and yanks him up for more squats before waffling PAC with a Death Valley Driver. We go to a break.

PAC is in control when the show returns. PAC torques on Austin’s neck but runs into an Austin high boot when he charges. Austin fires PAC down from behind and mashes him with some lariats. Austin hits some kicks and a backdrop suplex before crushing PAC with a legdrop. Austin nails PAC with a bunch of corner lariats and PAC misses another charge. Austin hits a guillotine legdrop and gets a long two. (We’re 21 minutes over at this point.) Austin gets pulled into a German and PAC lures Austin in for an Exploder into a corner. PAC positions Austin and ascends for the Black Arrow that ends things.

Yeah, this ended up getting compressed. These two have a much better match in them with more time, but the overrun just killed any chance this had of being a really decent main. As it stands, PAC looked solid enough while bumping around for Austin. He and Andrade should put on a solid outing, I would believe, on Saturday. 3.25*

Winner – PAC (Black Arrow)

Post-match sees PAC slap the Brutalizer on Austin and that brings out Jay White to attack PAC. Here’s The Dogs and The Death Riders out and this brings out the rest of the Bang Bang Gang. A giant brawl breaks out as Excal talks up All Out. Here’s AEW National Champion Andrade out to smash PAC around and drive him into the crowd. They fight through the crowd as the credits roll and we’re out at 26 minutes over time.

For a ninety minute “hour long” show, this was decent enough. I thought the women’s match was solid, as was the main. Hopefully everyone got what they wanted out of the extra long shows tonight and is stoked for All Out.

Thanks for reading!