Collision – 10.10.26

SK reviewed this week’s Grand Slam: Paris Dynamite, and what a show that was!

Collision was recorded after Dynamite on October 6 and comes to the TNT/HBO Max airwaves from The Adidas Arena in Paris, France. The announcing team for tonight’s show is Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, and Excalibur on match calls and analysis, Arkady Aura on ring intros, and Renee Paquette on interviews and news. We are on the road to next weekend’s WrestleDream, so let’s watch some wrestling!

Mixed Tornado “Fight In Paris”: The Conglomeration (Willow Nightingale, Orange Cassidy, Kyle O’Reilly, and Roderick Strong) vs The Death Riders (Marina Shafir, Claudio Castignoli, Daniel Garcia, and Wheeler Yuta)

Like I’m going to be able to recap this. Gabe Kidd and AEW Continental Champion Jon Moxley send out the Death Riders after a jumping circle of goonery. Moxley joins commentary, and Yuta smashes Nightingale with a kick to start things. (Not a fan of that, but whatever. Sickos!) Cassidy and Yuta exchange a bunch of cover attempts for two as everyone else fights around ringside. O’Reilly slaps a guillotine on Yuta only for Shafir to come in and yank O’Reilly into a sleeper. O’Reilly reverses an ankle lock into an attempted armbar. Shafir breaks out and squares up with O’Reilly but Garcia comes in to break it up before anything further can happen. Shafir and Nightingale start battling and Nightingale grabs a roll up for two. Castignoli looms up behind Nightingale and Strong comes in to assist Nightingale in chopping Shafir and Castignoli. Castignoli dumps Strong and Cassidy flies in to DDT Castignoli. Shafir takes Cassidy down with a swinging crucifix driver on the apron, and there’s a bunch of spots on the floor. Castignoli crushes Strong with a backbreaker, and we go to a break.

The Death Riders have O’Reilly surrounded in a corner when the show returns. O’Reilly starts kicking everyone but the numbers overwhelm him. Strong flies in and he gets sent right back out as Castignoli launches Yuta on Strong and O’Reilly. Shafir and Cassidy start fighting and Cassidy flies out to take out the Death Rider menfolk. Nightingale and Shafir’s skirmish is broken up by Yuta and Nightingale doesn’t like that at all. Nightingale’s spinebuster on Shafir and subsequent cover get broken up by Castignoli at two. Cassidy tries to giant swing Castignoli but gives up because Claudio weighs too much. Castignoli manages to hit the giant swing on Cassidy and it goes for awhile before O’Reilly comes in for some strikes. Castignoli gets disposed of and Garcia takes his place. Strong comes in to crush Garcia wiht a backbreaker, and then it’s time for inter-marriage violence as Shafir slaps on the Mothers Milk on Strong. There’s simultaneous submissions put on Shafir and Nightingale by O’Reilly and Garcia but Strong comes in to break it up. Castignoli and Yuta start a violence conveyor belt on O’Reilly and Castignoli covers O’Reilly for three.

I have issues with intergender stuff. I also desperately need to know why the Death Riders, who are getting all the sympathy heat one group could possibly get, could not fight some actual heels. The crowd wants to be behind them right now, and rightfully so! Stop booking them against mega-babyfaces like the Conglomeration, Tony, for crying out loud. Anyway, this was a fight, as promised, and someone won, and I guess everyone enjoyed it. I did not. 2.5*

Winners – The Death Riders (Castignoli pins O’Reilly)

Chris Jericho is holding Collision on a boat on November 7th. I hope they let Britt Baker cut another promo in 50 mph winds! Commercial time.

Nick Wayne vs Chris Jericho

Renee Paquette says Nick Wayne has newly-gained confidence and is now a different guy because of it. In the immortal words of Ron Burgundy, I DON’T BELIEVE YOU, RENEE. Jericho emerges shirtless, which maybe isn’t the best choice for him at this point. “Judas” remains the best part of Jericho’s act, as we see a grey-haired young lady in the crowd singing along vociferously. Wayne attacks immediately and a chop battle breaks out. Wayne hits a flying forearm and runs right into a Jericho dropkick. Jericho bites Wayne along the ropes before getting dumped to the floor. Wayne hits a springboard moonsault and manages to smash his own back into the announce table. Wayne decides to clear the announce table to Schiavone’s annoyance, and Jericho decides this is taking too long so he dropkicks Wayne again. Jericho hits a cross-body and gives a fan some beads. Jericho sends Wayne into the barricade and gives out some more beads. Wayne uses the barricade to nail Jericho with Sliced Bread #2. Jericho catches a Wayne charge and uses the announce table for a Death Valley Driver as we go to commercials.

Jericho hits a rana as the show returns. Jericho mounts Wayne on a turnbuckle for some right hands and another rana. Jericho puts Wayne up there again and climbs up for more right hands and a third rana. Jericho puts Wayne up again and hits a fourth rana. Wayne springs up for a leaping neckbreaker and a chop battle starts. Wayne hits a superkick and wanders into a Jericho lariat. Wayne hits a stunner and Jericho follows with a Codebreaker that gets two. Jericho hits a bulldog and Wayne kicks Jericho’s leg out of his leg during a Lionsault attempt. Wayne misses a second rope move and Jericho puts on the Liontamer. Wayne bites Jericho’s ankle to break it up, and Jericho angrily pushes the ref aside. Wayne uses that opportunity to blast Jericho in the nuts and roll him up for two. Wayne kicks Jericho right in the head before hitting Wayne’s World for three.

I don’t like Nick Wayne all that much, but he’s young and Jericho is old and at some point, the young guys have to start clearing out these dinosaurs. Wayne’s mannerisms are really goofy, but as a slimeball heel, I guess it sort of works. Jericho got all his shit in, because of course, and Wayne ends up winning fairly cleanly, so it accomplished something, apparently. 2.5*

Winner – Nick Wayne (Wayne’s World)

Here’s Konosuke Takeshita talking about wanting to win a shot at some gold at WrestleDream, so he wants in to the Clockwork Carnage deal. Speaking of which…

Clockwork Carnage Qualifying Match: Lee Moriarty vs Speedball Mike Bailey

There was a lot of hand-wringing over Moriarty getting this qualifier and like… at least he’s won 20 matches this year? I don’t get it, but whatever. Bailey eats a back elbow and they grapple to a standoff. Bailey crushes Moriarty with a tope and ascends. Moriarty and Bailey exchange kicks after Bailey’s leap fails, and they go nose-to-nose. They grapple on the mat and Moriarty slaps on a headscissors. Bailey slips out and Moriarty hits a Hot Shot before blasting Bailey with a couple of kicks. Moriarty ties Bailey up before Bailey dumps Moriarty out. Bailey waffles Moriarty with a moonsault and it’s time to sell some goods and services.

Moriarty just murders Bailey with a tope suicida but Bailey basically no-sells it and waffles Moriarty with his double-knee drop. Schiavone announces that Dynamite this week will be a three-hour block with more qualifying matches, including Darby Allin vs Hechicero, and Kazuchika Okada taking on Myron Reed. There’s a cover exchange with both getting two. Moriarty hits a neckbreaker for two, and slaps on a Border City Stretch. There’s another cover exchange and Moriarty’s sleeper is countered into a cover by Bailey that gets two. Bailey ascends for the Ultimate Weapon and that ends things.

Speedball is a good guy to put in something like Clockwork Carnage, because he’ll hit his highlight moves to make things look cool, and he has no chance of winning, which is something you need in a match like that. I wish anyone in AEW would sell anything for longer than a second or two, but it’s merely a pipe dream of mine. This was pretty much exactly what you’d expect from these two. 2.5*

Winner – Bailey (Ultimate Weapon) – Bailey qualifies for Clockwork Carnage

Post-match sees AEW Men’s World Champion Will Ospreay emerge to congratulate Bailey.

Here’s Ricochet to talk about wanting in to Clockwork Carnage.

AEW World Trios Champion Swerve Strickland vs Carlie Bravo

Fellow Trios champions Austin Creed and Kofi along with Prince Nana are out with Swerve. Bravo has Shane Taylor, Shawn Dean, and Trish Adora out with him. This is a lot of people at ringside. Bravo’s immediate attack is swatted away by Swerve. Swerve hits a couple of basement dropkicks and covers Bravo for two. Swerve torques on Bravo’s neck before slapping on an octopus. Swerve pulls Bravo into several swinging neckbreakers before dumping Bravo to the apron. Swerve uses the ropes for another hanging neckbreaker before going to some rabbit punches in a corner. Bravo gets dumped to the apron again but this time he snaps Swerve’s throat over the top rope. Bravo goes to ground and pound before firing off some right jabs in a corner. Bravo plants Swerve with a clothesline and works a rear chinlock. Swerve rolls through and yanks Bravo up for a brainbuster. Swerve dumps Bravo down for a flying forearm and slips Bravo’s subsequent charge. Swerve fires off a Flatliner and Taylor leaps upon the apron as a fight breaks out on the floor. Kofi and Creed get run over by Taylor so Swerve tries to assist, but Bravo uses that to nail Swerve with consecutive cutters to get two. (Excalibur mentions some goof named “El Generico” at this point. I swear, that act is remembered more fondly than I ever would have expected.) Swerve gets rolled up for two, and he fires off a House Call in response before ascending. Swerve hits the Swerve Stomp and that ends things.

Hey, a one-segment match! Thank you Swerve. Anyway, I’m guessing there will be a Trios match out of this at some point? Who can tell. Swerve really didn’t go at full menace for this, but Shane Taylor Promotions rarely requires anyone to go full bore, if you get what I’m saying. Fine for what it was, I guess. 2.75*

Winner – Swerve Strickland (Swerve Stomp)

Here’s Jon Moxley with Gabe Kidd and Marina Shafir to talk about their last week and being a man down. Moxley promises to keep working harder than anyone else in this sport. Moxley is fired up about Mark Davis, and Gabe Kidd chimes in to say that they outwork the rest of the rats every single day. Kidd and Shafir say that Don Callis can bring anyone he wants on Wednesday night and it’s Death Riders against the world.

AEW National Championship: Andrade (C) vs Michael Oku

Oku is accompanied by Amira Blair. Renee Paquette points out that Oku holds a victory over Will Ospreay. Is that a big deal? I feel like a lot of guys have beaten Ospreay over time. There’s grappling to start and Oku’s rana sees Andrade land on his feet as we reset. Oku hits a POUNCE-like knee lift and runs Andrade into a tranquilo pose along the ropes. Oku dropkicks Andrade to the floor and gets the crowd going. Oku goes out to the floor and gets tossed into the barricade when he charges Andrade. The OnlyFans Plant of the Week gets a selfie with Andrade. Blair wants a selfie as well, and Oku uses that opportunity to mash Andrade with a flipping shoulderbreaker. Blair and Oku celebrate this accomplishment as we go to a break.

Andrade is in control when the show returns. Andrade misses a charge and Oku slaps on a single-leg crab (which apparently is his finisher, according to McGuinness). Andrade rolls over and Oku blasts him with a PK. Oku hits a springboard top-rope moonsault and gets two. Oku ascends again for a frog splash on Andrade’s back and goes up again. Oku misses a second frog splash attempt and rolls up Andrade for two. Andrade fires off the Dia de los Muertos, and the DM finishes things.

We missed Andrade removing his pants during commercials, and I’ll be honest, I feel a bit let down. Oku is really good but I hope he stays in Europe because he’s just another guy if he joins one of the big American companies. This was good, as Andrade’s heater continues apace, and Oku was a good opponent for this one-off defense that had absolutely no story or build. 3*

Winner AND STILL AEW National Champion – Andrade (DM)

Post-match sees Andrade grab a mic to say that he’s been waiting for the right moment to use his contract for a title shot, but for now he’s going to be defending the National title every week. Andrade says anyone backstage is welcome to try him, and he’s got one question for them. Here’s Tommaso Ciampa out to go face to face with Andrade. Ciampa offers a handshake and Andrade takes it before Ciampa plants him with a kiss on the cheek. As Andrade goes to leave, Ciampa blasts him with a knee shot before nailing Andrade with the Willows Bell on the National title belt. Ciampa holds the belt close as Andrade writhes on the mat. We go to commercials.

AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions The Brawling Birds (Jamie Hayter and Alex Windsor) are out for commentary for this next match.

AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship Number One Contenders Match: Wrath-Lander (Harley Cameron and Kris Statlander) vs Divine Dominion (Lena Kross and Megan Bayne) vs Sisters of Sin (Julia Hart and Skye Blue)

I can’t decide if I like “Wrath-lander” as a team name. Kross and Bayne go nuts on Wrath-lander at the outset and everyone tumbles to the floor as the bell sounds. Blue flies in to pound on Cameron and gets a one count. Cameron and Blue mix it up and Cameron fires off a neckbreaker. Statlander and Cameron run wild on Blue for a minute but Hart comes in to break up a single leg crab from Cameron. Blue smashes Cameron with a knee and Kross and Bayne come back in for some violence. Bayne tosses Blue over the top rope on to a pile of opponents and we go to a break.

Blue and Hart drop Cameron with a facebreaker when the show returns, but Bayne breaks up the cover at two. Bayne and Kross come in to battle it out with the Sisters and that goes poorly for them. Hart and Blue ascend but Statlander and Cameron break that up. There’s a double tower of doom spot as Bayne and Kross come back in for that, and Bayne covers Hart for two. Kross nails Blue with a high boot and Statlander eats a thrust kick from Kross. Statlander fires off a double DDT on Kross and Bayne. Hart wants a submission on Statlander, but she rises and Cameron pushes Blue off onto Kross and Bayne. Statlander hits Staturday Night Fever on Hart and covers her for three.

So I guess I don’t get this booking because both the Birds and Wrath-lander are babyface teams, theoretically, and Khan’s got a real penchant for not giving the fans anyone to hate in a lot of his matches lately. It’s weird. Anyway, this was your typical Collision trainwreck tag where there’s a million things going on and then someone wins. 2.5*

Winners AND NEW number one contenders for the AEW Women’s Tag Team Championships – Wrath-lander (Staturday Night Fever on Blue)

Post-match sees Statlander and Cameron give the Birds a bit of guff while the Birds are snacking on baguettes and beer, and we go to commercials prior to the main event.

AEW Men’s World Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (Matt and Nick Jackson) (C) vs The Dogs (Clark Connors and David Finlay)

Renee Paquette indicates that the Bucks want to make the most of “this run” and well, maybe that means this is the last one or something. Who can tell. The Dogs attack as “Blind” Rick Knox finally decides to ring the bell after the Bucks get some revenge. Connors is tossed back in and Finlay prevents any further Nick violence by dropping him onto a top turnbuckle. Connors is whipped into Nick, but Nick fires up and smashes Finlay and Connors heads together. Matt gets a tag and takes out Connors with a lariat. Matt hits some Northern Lights Suplexes with Connors joining in to receive the third one. Nick and Matt combine on a draping senton that gets two on Finlay. The Bucks miss a BTE Trigger on Finlay and Finlay follows with a backbreaker on Matt. Matt gets dumped and Connors waffles him with a spear. The Dogs throw up the FOR LIFE gesture, and we go to commercials.

Matt smashes Connors on the floor with a splash when the show returns. Finlay grabs a roll up on Matt for two before yanking him up. Matt slips out of it and hits a DDT and a superkick on Finlay. Nick gets a tag and he crushes the Dogs with a cross-body before hitting them with a ropewalk armdrag. Finlay misses a charge and Nick smashes him before going to hammer on Connors. Matt ascends at the same time as Nick and simultaneous top rope moves get a two count on Finlay. Matt tags back in and Finlay fights his way out of a double-team attempt briefly before getting mashed by a Matt knee. Matt hits a rolling blockbuster on Finlay and gets two. Nick hits a double stomp on a draped Finlay and he flies into a Matt powerbomb that gets two. The Bucks put on a pair of Sharpshooters and Connors prevents Finlay from tapping before they make the ropes. The Bucks call for a Superkick Party but the the Dogs aren’t interested as Connors fires Nick over with a powerslam. Finlay mashes the Bucks with a double lariat but they no-sell it and crush Finlay with double superkicks. Finlay and Matt slug it out and Connors prevents a Meltzer Driver attempt. Finlay hits a reverse slam and covers Matt for two. The Dogs hit a high-low and Connors covers Matt for two. Connors ascends and they hit the Full Clip on Matt for two as Nick makes the save. Matt is hoisted up and he escapes with a rana. Connors is disposed of and the BTE Trigger on Finlay ends things.

Everything you’d expect from a Young Bucks defense on Collision with Rick Knox being present only to count three at the end. 3.25*

Winners AND STILL AEW Men’s World Tag Team Champions – The Young Bucks (BTE Trigger on Finlay)

Post-match sees Kevin Knight and Kyle Fletcher fly in to attack the Bucks. Don Callis is also out for some violence, and Knight and Fletcher leave the Bucks laying before picking up the tag titles and standing over the fallen Bucks. The credits roll and we’re out.

This Collision was more fun than most, but the crowd was burnt by the end and it showed. I give AEW credit for setting up WrestleDream so quickly with this compressed timeline and following the PAC tribute show. They’ve done a good job in that regard. I just think everyone in the company could use a deep breath at some point as they’ve all been through a lot.

Thanks for reading. Enjoy your Sunday.