Collision – 09.19.26

SK covered this week’s Dynamite.

We are one week away from All Out, and tonight’s Collision is LIVE on the TNT/HBO Max airwaves from the Charleston Coliseum in Charleston, WV. The announcers for tonight’s show are Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, and Paul Wight on match calls and analysis, Arkady Aura on ring introductions, and Lexy Nair on interviews and news. It’s time, so let’s watch some wrestling!

Here’s AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley with comments about the All Out main event. Moxley reminds Will Ospreay that he’s chosen conflict with Moxley and things are Ospreay’s responsibility now. Moxley says it’s likely that he’ll win and Ospreay’s upcoming fall will be longer than Ospreay’s journey back from the hospital to Wembley will feel very short in comparison. Moxley says he’s been to the dizziest of heights and has been as low as you can go, and he’s climbed every single day. Moxley says Ospreay will be feeling gravity’s pull and it will be unpleasant for him.

AEW TNT Championship: Darby Allin (C) vs Myron Reed

A quick slap of hands happens just after the bell, and some go-behinds lead nowhere. Reed grabs a roll up for two. Reed gets caught in an Allin side headlock and finally manages to push Allin off. Allin fires off an armdrag so Reed bails as we reset again. Reed wades in with a kick and nails Allin with an enzgiguri. Allin shrugs off a charge and blasts Reed with a shotgun dropkick. Allin ascends and Reed springs up to trip him off the top turnbuckle all the way to the floor. Reed flies over a ring post to nail Allin with a tope, and we go to commercials.

Allin waffles Reed with a superplex when the show returns. They both go to the floor and Allin removes the famous corner chair that gets used so very often. Allin slaps away at Reed’s chest and then tries to fire Reed into the ring steps. Reed springs up and hits a reverse thrust kick to Allin before yanking him up for a draping DDT off the barricade. Reed ascends and misses a 450 as Allin moves out of the way. Allin yanks Reed into a Destroyer and covers for two. Reed bails again and Allin just destroys him with a suicide dive. Allin runs Reed back in and ascends but Reed rolls to the floor. Allin tries another suicide dive and Reed catches him in mid-air with a cutter. Reed tosses Allin back in and Allin rolls out to the apron. Reed hits his pescado cutter dropping Allin to the floor but both guys are hurt enough that Reed can’t take immediate advantage. Reed sets up a chair and runs Allin back in. Reed ascends and hits the No Cap 450 splash but Allin’s foot on the rope stops the count at two. Allin gets kicked off the apron, and lands with his head on the chair Reed set up. Reed charges and Allin slips away, so Reed destroys the chair and his back when he lands directly on it. Allin runs Reed back in, hits the Coffin Drop, and retains the title.

Okay, that Reed bump at the end was insane as his tope attempt saw him land back-first on the chair. I hope he’s okay, because damn. This was a solid opener but they spent so much time on the floor that it kept it from being great, at least for me. Myron Reed is a hell of a worker, and they clearly like him for situations like this, but at some point he either has to win something meaningful or he’s going to stop being as interesting as he currently is. Allin, as usual, took ludicrous bumps but seemed to save his theatrical tendencies for the PPV. 3.5*

Winner AND STILL AEW TNT Champion – Darby Allin (Coffin Drop)

Post-match sees Zach Wentz and Steven Borden emerge to check on their pals, and Allin and Reed exchange another show of respect. The Rascalz exit and Allin grabs a mic. Allin calls for a hand for Reed and gets it, and then says that teaming with Sting was one of the greatest things he ever got to do, and next Saturday he and Borden have a chance to become number one contenders to the tag titles he and Sting never lost. Allin says they’re jumping into the fire at All Out. Borden says he knows that it meant a lot to Allin to hold the titles with Sting, and he promises to lay all of it on the line so that Allin can be a tag champ again. Borden says he’d love to win the titles with Allin as his partner, and the path is clear for Chicago. (When Borden fires up, he sounds SO much like early surfer Sting it’s actually kind of wild.)

Here’s a look at Tommaso Ciampa attacking AEW International Champion Kazuchika Okada after Okada called him a bitch. They will meet at All Out.

Here’s another look back at Dynamite with Don Callis telling Kevin Knight and Kyle Fletcher that they will beat Darby Allin and Steven Borden to become the number one contenders for the tag titles. Fletcher is happy to get on board and says they’re going to cakewalk Allin and Borden. Fletcher makes fun of a hurting Okada, who rises to warn Ciampa that he called down the Rainmaker and now he’s got him. We go to commercials.

Here’s The Bang Bang Gang backstage, and Juice Robinson comes in with a whistle to gather the troops. Robinson challenges The Dogs and The Death Riders to a Tailgate Brawl. The Gunns will be on defense because they have THE BEST D. Ace Austin will be THE TIGHT END, and Jay White will be the quarterback even though he doesn’t know what that is. They get very fired up, chant a bunch, and I guess that’s a match now!

Here’s Willow Nightingale out to join commentary

Artist of Stardom Champion Thekla vs Zayda Steel

Christopher Daniels is out with Steel. Steel offers a handshake and gets a slap instead, so she leaps on Thekla for some ground and pound. Thekla kicks Steel but gets trucked in response. Steel hits a shotgun dropkick and covers Thekla for two. Steel yanks Thekla up and eats a right hand before Thekla clubbers away on Steel’s back. Thekla yanks Steel into a suplex that gets two. Thekla bullies Steel along the ropes but Steel manages to fire off a lungblower that gets two. Steel and Thekla exchange slaps before Thekla trips Steel up into the ropes. Thekla drives in a knee that sends Steel to the floor and Thekla follows for a double stomp on Steel’s back. We go to a break.

Steel is in front of Nightingale at the desk when the show returns, and Thekla comes out to beef with Nightingale. Thekla turns into a baseball slide dropkick from Steel. Thekla lures Steel into a corner for the spider guillotine before coming back in. Steel nails Thekla with a Thesz Press before firing off a bunch of rights and lefts. Steel lifts a knee and fires off a cutter that gets two. Thekla has had enough and fires Steel down by her hair. Steel yanks Thekla up for a cutter that gets two. A frustrated Steel stomps away on Thekla before ascending. Thekla springs up for a right hand and goes up with Steel. Steel fires off some elbows and wants a sunset flip powerbomb, but Thekla holds on to prevent it. Thekla ends up in the Tree of Woe so Steel nails her with a cross-body before ascending for a double stomp that gets two. Steel wants an Unpretty-her but Thekla slips out. Thekla hits the spider pose and spears Steel before yanking her up at two. Thekla hits the Curb Stomp and that ends things.

That was a long way to go for that finish, but I guess someone wants to maybe elevate Steel a bit? She’s still kind of clunky and step-county in terms of her ringwork, but she was game tonight and Thekla gave her some shine for whatever reason. I have no idea if these matches are agented but that was a lot of offense for Steel before Thekla just ended things. We’ll see if this leads anywhere for Steel, I suspect it won’t, but who can tell, really. 2.5*

Winner – Thekla (Curb Stomp)

Post-match sees Julia Hart join her stable-mate in the ring and she raises Thekla’s hand as they stare daggers at Nightingale. We go to commercials after a short hype video for Thekla-Willow at All Out.

PAC vs Adam Priest

PAC nails Priest with a running elbow at the bell and follows with a few head-smashes on various turnbuckles. PAC rams Priest into a corner and nails him with an Atomic Drop. Priest rises up and mashes PAC in a corner before going after PAC’s knee. PAC drops down and Priest grabs a half-crab before PAC makes the ropes. PAC snaps off a release German and then puts the boots to Priest in a corner. PAC hits a snap suplex and gets two. PAC snap-mares Priest over and drops a few elbows on the top of Priest’s head. PAC works a side headlock and Priest rises for some elbows to break out of it. PAC fires off a reverse thrust but Priest grabs PAC’s leg for a Dragon Screw before going back to the half-crab. PAC and Priest exchange roll ups with Priest getting two on his. PAC blasts Priest with a lariat and flies in with a Helluva Kick. PAC hits a tombstone, slaps on the Brutalizer, and that ends things as Priest taps out.

I do enjoy a one-segment match, and PAC certainly wasn’t wasting any time this evening. Priest is one of those guys who if he was even close to six feet tall would probably be more than what he is, but he’s a runt and so it is what it is when it comes to the bigger names. 2*

Winner – PAC (Brutalizer)

As PAC is leaving, Andrade’s entrance music fires up and PAC seems put out.

AEW National Championship: Andrade El Idolo (C) vs Daniel Garcia

Garcia greets PAC on his way back to the lair, and Garcia has Marina Shafir with him. Garcia is coming off winning the Butcher Battle Royal on last week’s Collision, and that apparently earned him this title shot as well as the $100K charity prize he claimed.

A “How You Know” chant seems to annoy Garcia before they lock up to start. There’s some wrist locks exchanged and Garcia drives Andrade to a corner for some taunting. Andrade dumps Garcia down and pitty-pats his head before getting the chant going again. Garcia and Andrade stand off and Garcia drives Andrade to the ropes. Andrade is tranquilo and Garcia seems annoyed. Andrade tries to remove his pants and Garcia loses it before driving Andrade to the mat for a bunch of kicks. Garcia gets sent to the floor and Andrade hits him with a pescado splash. We go to commercials.

Garcia nails Andrade with a running lariat in a corner when the show returns. Garcia goes up and drops a bunch of rights on Andrade’s head but walks away. Andrade wades in with a slap and wants Three Amigos, but Garcia breaks it up before sending Andrade to the apron for a rear choke. Andrade ends up on the floor and Garcia goes out to steal a fan’s phone for some selfies. Shafir flies in to keep Garcia on task, and he goes back in. Garcia bullies Andrade before they start slugging it out. Andrade drops Garcia with some lariats and a flying forearm. Andrade nips up and REMOVES HIS PANTS as he dumps a charging Garcia to the floor. Andrade crushes Garcia with a torneo and runs him back in. Garcia ends up in a corner and Andrade misses a Meteora as Garcia rolls him up for two. Garcia gets hit with two of Three Amigos but he prevents the last one and slaps on a rear naked choke. Andrade rises and drops Garcia back-first on the mat. Andrade slowly ascends and hits a double spring moonsault that gets two. There’s a very weird double roll up and the ref appears to count three at least twice, but somehow Andrade wins? Andrade wins.

I think I know what they were going for with that finish but it played out super-weirdly and left Garcia very frustrated. This was just okay up until that finish. The heat was kind of subdued and the fans really only popped for Andrade’s pants removal. I think these two have a much better match in them but tonight was not it. 2.5*

Winner AND STILL AEW National Champion – Andrade (roll up)

Post-match sees the Death Riders attack en masse and PAC has a mic. PAC guarantees he can beat Andrade again and wants him at All Out for the National title. Andrade calls PAC a bad name and gets his ass handed to him a bit more, but here’s Francesco Akira charging in to try to help. Akira slaps Claudio Castignoli‘s chest about 100 times before being grabbed from behind by Shafir. This leads to further Death Rider violence as Claudio just murders Akira with a bunch of chokeslams over his knee. Here’s Speedball Mike Bailey out with a chair and the Death Riders scatter. We go to commercials.

Speedball Mike Bailey vs Wheeler Yuta

Bailey and Yuta exchange go-behinds and Yuta goes to the ropes to break Bailey’s wrist-lock. Yuta gains the advantage and puts the boots to Bailey. Bailey fires off a rana and Yuta ends up on the floor. Bailey goes out for some chops and runs into Yuta’s facebreaker on the ring steps. Yuta smashes Bailey’s face into the steps and runs him in to stand on his ankle over a turnbuckle connector. Yuta stomps on Bailey’s foot and Bailey fires up with a second rope shotgun dropkick. Bailey starts in with kicks and then crushes Yuta with a running 360 splash that gets two. Yuta fires up and blasts Bailey with a bridging German that gets two. Yuta lines up Bailey and gets dumped to the apron. Bailey sweeps the leg and then crushes Yuta with a springboard moonsault. We go to a break.

Yuta and Bailey are up on the top rope and Yuta drops Bailey with an avalanche belly-to-back suplex as the show returns. Yuta chops away and Bailey can’t respond right away, but he does fire up and dumps Yuta to the apron. They exchange crucifixes and Yuta’s gets two. Bailey mashes Yuta with a spinning heel kick and drops Yuta with a Falcon Arrow. Bailey ascends and misses his leap, but he yanks Yuta into a cross arm-breaker. There’s a bunch of roll-ups that get two, and Yuta misses a Baisaku knee. Bailey hits a rana that gets two. Bailey hits a lock-up sunset flip and finally ends things.

Just move after move after move after move, this. No one sold for longer than a few seconds, but it did appear that both had a plan for each other, so that was something. Yuta has been the same guy for years now and could really use any kind of freshening that someone could come up with, but he’s forever “Death Rider henchman number five” and apparently that’s his lot in life forever. Bailey is what he is, and the fans love him, and so does Tony Khan. You didn’t miss much if you didn’t see this. 2.5*

Winner – Bailey (lock-up sunset flip)

Post-match sees Yuta continue to attack Bailey and the Death Riders and The Dogs are now in to whoop on the mighty Speedball. Here’s The Bang Bang Gang out to brawl with everyone as Schiavone screams about the Tailgate Brawl being official. Security tries to break it all up.

Here’s a pre-tape promo from Jack Perry who says he has to now walk with the killers. In response, here’s The Opps and HOOK seems unimpressed. When did Action Andretti get pulled into this goober collection? Katsuyori Shibata wanders in and Anthony Bowens says that if Perry wants to talk to Samoa Joe, he’s got to go through Shibata first.

Queen Aminata and Mina Shirakawa vs Georgia South and Emily Jaye

Please tell me that Georgia South is George South’s daughter. A quick wikipedia look says she isn’t, and now I’m depressed. How many partners has Mina had at this point? It seems like a high number. There’s a double Chocolate Kisses spot, and Shirakawa hits her driver on South. This ends with Shirakawa holding South in a Figure Four while Aminata’s kick damn near takes off Jaye’s head.

I guess maybe the women’s tag division needs to have someone else in it other than the Birds and Divine Dominion? Mina gets a pop whenever she shows up and I’ve always enjoyed Aminata’s lanky offense. I guess we’ll see where this goes. .5*

Winners – Aminata/Shirakawa (Aminata rolls up Jaye)

Here’s a grumpy Nick Wayne yelling about beating up Chris Jericho after their Dynamite match this past week. We go to commercials.

AEW Continental Championship Eliminator Match: Jon Moxley (C) vs Zach Wentz

Moxley works a wrist to start before some reversals. They grapple and Wentz breaks out of a go-behind before grabbing Moxley’s ankle. Moxley makes the ropes and we reset. Moxley goes on offense with some strikes but he wanders into a Wentz cross-body. Wentz hits a basement dropkick and Moxley goes to the floor. Wentz hits a torneo on Moxley and runs him back in. Moxley snaps off a cutter and we go to commercials.

Moxley has Wentz in a corner when the show returns. Moxley hits a bunch of running forearms and Wentz flies out with a high knee to break up the flurry. Wentz chops away and trucks Moxley a couple of times. A chop battle breaks out and Moxley gets kicked down to the mat. Wentz hits a running double stomp and mashes Moxley with a knee. Wentz nails a prone Moxley with a kick and blasts him with a Blockbuster that gets two. Moxley gets tripped up and Wentz slaps on a half-crab. Moxley rolls around and yanks Wentz down into a rear naked choke. Wentz breaks out of it and rolls Moxley up for two. Moxley gets caught with another knee and Wentz ascends for a rolling splash that misses. Moxley stomps Wentz’s head and nails Wentz with the Death Rider to finish things.

Schiavone called this “amazing” and I have to differ with Tony’s assessment there. At least this didn’t go into an endless overrun, but there wasn’t a whole lot to it as Moxley just absorbed all of Wentz’s offense and then just disposed of him with the Death Rider. Obviously Moxley wasn’t going to lose here with the world title match looming but he also didn’t seem super up for dealing with too much from Wentz, either. Nothing actively terrible here, but nothing I have to point you at to go seek out. 3*

Winner – Jon Moxley (Death Rider)

Post-match sees a Death Rider celebration before Moxley exits. Schiavone screams about the combined Dynamite/Collision on Wednesday night and hypes up All Out as the credits roll and we’re out.

They jammed a whole bunch of stuff into the second hour, and I think the show felt like it went off the rails a bit with that decision. Just an endless parade of Death Rider matches with the Aminata/Shirakawa squash in the middle to break the whole thing up. It was certainly an episode of Collision, but they move on to a bigger show on Wednesday and I would presume the Collision portion should have some solid stuff as it will be the go-home show for All Out.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy your Sunday.