wrestling / TV Reports
Sambus’ AEW Collision Review 02.21.26
Image Credit: AEW
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Evening all! I don’t know about you but I’m still recovering from that tremendous Swerve/Omega match from Dynamite this past Wednesday – not to mention the ramifications coming out of it, with Strickland pretty definitively turning heel mid-match, pulling referee Aubrey Edwards in to absorb a V-Trigger in his stead. Then of course the post-match destruction, reminding everyone why his moniker of the Most Dangerous is more than just a name.
I doubt we’ll see immediate follow-up here, but Collision in itself is shaping up to be another in a long line of strong offerings, with another chapter in the Death Riders/Don Callis Family saga, pitting Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta & Pac against Konosuke Takeshita, El Clon & Mark Davis. This allows Moxley and Takeshita to get their hands on each other prior to Revolution one more time, but I’m all in for those Pac/El Clon exchanges.
We also have a CMLL World title defence, with Claudio Castagnoli taking on Josh Alexander in what could be a beautifully technical affair. Thunder Rosa makes her return to the ring to take on the Triangle of Madness’ Julia Hart, plus the AEW Trios titles will be on the line when Jet Set Rodeo defend against The Demand. I’m on board for alllll of that, so grab your drinks and snacks and let’s kick off our Saturday night graps in style.
Location: Oceanside, CA
Venue: Frontwave Arena
Commentators: Excalibur & Tony Schiavone
*We are LIVE from California, and Arkady Aura welcomes our first competitors to the ring…AHAAAAA! The Demand head to the ring for their Trios title shot.
[AEW World Trios Championships] Jet Set Rodeo (c) vs The Demand
We got some matching gear for Jet Set Rodeo, nice! Ricochet and Bailey start us out, and Ricochet shoves Speedball into his own partners, with Kaun and Liona attacking them on the outside. Knight enters the ring and gets double teamed by Ricochet and Kaun, and then Hangman gets stomped down. Page makes a comeback but Liona is there to play the numbers game. Ricochet is tossed to the floor by Page, and JetSpeed take out GoA with stereo missile dropkicks. Knee drop and the UFO Splash leads to Hangman delivering a sliding lariat to Ricochet. Knight tags in and he slaps the head. Kaun in, and Speedball lights him up with rapid fire kicks. Ricochet receives some kicks too followed by the running SSP for a 2 count. Ricochet takes Page off the apron with a springboard dropkick. Meanwhile Kaun gets to work whipping Bailey into the barricades, and Liona goes on a rampage, running through the Trios champs at ringside.
Double knees and a hip attack from the GoA on Bailey in the corner as the Jet Set Rodeo partners get back on the apron. Liona stomps the hand of Speedball, staying firmly in control. Excalibur and Tony Schiavone discuss the Dreamcast game Jet Set Radio as Ricochet hits the pendulum senton. Slap to the face by Liona but he misses a senton. Speedball hits a dropkick and now has space to make the tag…and he gets it, Hangman is in! Springboard lariat to Kaun, Ricochet tries to dive onto Page but is caught with the fallaway slam. Pop-up powerbomb! Discus lariat, 1, 2, Kaun breaks it up. Gates of Agony toss JetSpeed to the floor, and Liona hits a flipping senton off the apron. 450 from Ricochet! 1, 2, no! Superkicks to Ricochet, and to GoA but Liona won’t go down. He gets Bailey on his shoulders, catches Knight and hits a Samoan Drop/Fallaway slam combo. Speedball with a moonsault to the outside! Diving lariat from Knight! Page is on the apron…goes for the Buckshot but Ricochet rolls him up for 2. Moonsault from Page into a tombstone attempt but Ricochet reverses with a poisonrana! PEDIGREE from Kaun and holy shit he spiked him! Knight with a DDT. Ricochet with a big lariat turning him inside out. Page shoves Knight out the way, TOMBSTONE to Ricochet, everyone is down!
Page and Kaun battle on the apron, Kaun shoved away, Page with a Deadeye on the apron to Liona! Bailey with a triangle moonsault, adjusting to take out Liona on the floor. Vertigo on Page! 1, 2, NOOO! Ricochet looks for the Spirit Gun but Jungle Boy Jack Perry‘s music hits and Perry steps out onto the stage! Ricochet tosses Page to the apron but of course that just sets him up for the Buckshot lariat, and that’s enough for Hangman to get the 1, 2, 3.
Winners and STILL AEW Trios Champions: Jet Set Rodeo
Time: 14:27
Rating: ***1/2 – Fast and frenetic action which got surprisingly wild! That was a lot more fun than I was expecting. Good LORD Kaun almost killed Bailey on that Pedigree. Ricochet looked like a goof at the end in tossing Page to the apron and then immediately turning his attention to Perry, but I get what they were going for.
*Backstage, The Rascalz are surrounded by a fog of…well, THE SMOKE. Haha FTR show up and Cash says “I knew it, the Devil’s Lettuce!” Dax mocks them for filming themselves. Cash wishes they’d won so they could have beat the hell out of them. The Rascalz are game anyway, and they want an Eliminator match. Cash says they’ll see them out there and they will light their asses up.
The Young Bucks vs The Swirl
Inset promo as The Swirl head to the ring, and they have Jay Lethal with them as the Lethal Swirl. Lethal is tired of them being called the future when he knows they’re the ‘right now’. And they’ll prove that by beating the Young Bucks here tonight.
We get word that FTR vs The Rascalz is official for later tonight. Nick Jackson hits an assisted German on Christian and a lungblower on Johnson, before the Bucks hit stereo crossbodies to the floor. Blake with the twisting senton through the ropes, and Johnson hits a tope con hilo, bringing Nick Jackson back into the ring. All four trade some superkicks before Christian walks right into one. SUPERKICK PARTYYYY! The Swirl are down so the Bucks go up top for an elbow drop/swanton combo. We head to PIP as the Bucks stand tall.
Matt misses a lariat in the corner, and Christian comes back with a catapult lariat. Springboard lariat from Christian gets a 2 count. The Swirl get Matt in a tree of woe and Blake hits a tiger feint kick to the head. Double stomp on Matt across the back of Johnson, cover, 1, 2, Nick makes the save. Blake tries to prevent Matt from making the tag, but receives a Northern Lights suplex. Johnson tries to help out and Matt pumps the hips to deliver a double Northern Lights! Tag to Nick, meeting of the minds for the Swirl, and Nick hits the armdrag headscissor dive off the top. Buckle Bomb 15%, double stomp MMM Bop Drop, 1, 2, NO. The Bucks go for a superkick, Johnson evades and hits a double hurracanrana. Spear by Christian, and the Fosbury Flop! Frog splash from the apron with the assisted DDT by Blake. They roll Matt back into the ring, but Matt shoves Lee into the corner. Hurracanrana off the top from Nick Jackson! Doomsday Device to Johnson, and he lands on Blake! BTE Trigger, 1, 2, 3.
Winners: The Young Bucks
Time: 9:57
Rating: *** – The Swirl have some ‘cool’ and exhilirating offense but I always want them to slow it down a little, let it land. This was very high-spot-centric, but they hit everything they needed to.
*We see footage from House of Glory last night where MJF defended the AEW title against Zilla Fatu. We cut to backstage at the event, where MJF shouts at Andrade for getting involved in the match. Andrade says MJF is just giving opportunities out to everyone else because he’s scared he’ll have to face Andrade. Andrade’s eyes are on the title. MJF says Page will never wrestle for the title again so that means Andrade has his eyes on him.
[CMLL World Heavyweight Championship] Claudio Castagnoli (c) (w/ Marina Shafir) vs Josh Alexander (w Lance Archer)
Hot start as Alexander takes it to Claudio before the bell has rung. Josh has a show of strength with an impressive body slam on Castagnoli. Tilt-a-whirl slam from Claudio and he sends Alexander to the floor with a lariat. Seated senton off the apron! Aaaand a running European uppercut against the barricade takes Alexander over into the crowd. Back in, Castagnoli goes up top for a diving double axe handle for a quick 2 count. They get into a chop battle, and Claudio starts to dance and jig a little, he’s feeling it! Alexander pulls the straps down as they keep the chops going. Big slaps in the corner, and Claudio takes Alexander down with a big one off the ropes. Running knee in the corner, Josh dodges and Castagnoli spills to the floor. Alexander dives to the floor but Claudio catches him! Alexander avoids whatever he was looking for and Claudio runs into the steel steps, tweaking the knee, giving Josh an opening. Alexander whips the leg over the apron and continues to work it. Tight single leg crab with a slight ankle lock applied, transitions into a Figure Four. But Claudio eventually manages to reverse it, forcing Josh to grab the ropes.
Castagnoli struggles to get to his feet, the damage already done, but they begin to trade uppercuts. Alexander sweeps the leg with a swift kick to the shin. Alexander tries to slide under the legs of Claudio but Claudio quick-as-a-cat drops down and deadlifts him with a gutwrench suplex! Tremendous. Barrage of uppercuts in the corner from the champion. Cutter out of the corner, 1, 2, NO! Claudio staggers to his feet, looks for the Giant Swing but no, Alexander counters into the ankle lock. Alexander picks him up and plants him with a rib breaker on the apron. Crossbody to the back knocks Castagnoli to the floor, rolled back in, and Josh covers for 1, 2, no. Alexander tries a roll through and Castagnoli hits a double stomp but can’t capitalize. POP-UP UPPERCUT! 1, 2, NOOO! Castagnoli thinks about the Neutralizer, Josh holds onto the leg though, ANKLE LOCK! Claudio walks himself backwards…German deadlift and just drops Alexander with a vertical suplex, the STRENGTH OF THIS MAN! Lance Archer is up on the apron….so Marina gets up too! Claudio knocks him off, Alexander attacks from behind. Misses a splash in the corner though, and now Claudio gets the Giant Swing. Not many revolutions due to the leg but he hits the Neutralizer. 1, 2, 3!
Winner and STILL CMLL World Heavyweight Champion: Claudio Castagnoli
Time:13:51
Rating: **** – Niiiiice story here with Alexander finding that one opening with the leg and immediately going in on it, with Claudio selling it like the veteran he is. Claudio was in beast mode here, leaning into more of a face role, with impressive showings of strength peppered through the match. Yeah, this ruled.
*Megan Bayne is out for our ‘standby match’ of the evening.
Megan Bayne (w/ Penelope Ford) vs Becca
Bayne with the running boot as the bell rings. Deadlift German connects. Shoulders to the midsection and a chop to the chest as the crowd get behind Becca with chants. Becca evades to the apron but gets run into the buckles. Bayne with a German suplex from the outside in, lifting Becca from the apron. MegaBomb connects! 1, 2, 3.
Winner: Megan Bayne
Time: 1:31
Rating: N/R – Total squash, and Bayne signals for the belt post-match, hoping to get back into contention for the TBS title.
*We get highlights of Kyle Fletcher defending the TNT title in Australia.
*Tommaso Ciampa is with Lexy Nair backstage, and she asks how he’s feeling. Ciampa says he’s been All Elite for 24 days. Briscoe is healing up from the ladder match but when he’s back it would be an honor to share the ring again. Ciampa says Fletcher seems to be taking a bit of a vacation but when he gets back Stateside, the Psycho Killer wants his ‘Silvie’ back.
Death Riders (Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta & Pac) vs Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita, El Clon & Mark Davis)
Takeshita and Yuta start off as the legal men, and Yuta appears to be wrestling in his beanie. Takeshita tries to rip it off but Yuta is having none of it. Abdominal stretch from Yuta applied only for Takeshita to counter out of it. Flying forearm takes Yuta down and we get a tag to El Clon. Pac in too, let’s go! They flip over each other, neither man landing anything before Clon hits a series of kicks and kips up to his feet. Tilt-a-whirl backbreaker from Pac. Pac tries to do Clon’s kip up but almost falls over, catching himself. Davis in, scoop slam connects but the senton splash misses. Moxley tags in and they carry on where they left off on Dynamite. Suicide dive to the outside, Moxley brings Davis back in and looks for a piledriver, back body drop counters but Davis misses the butt drop. Mounted punches in the corner, Davis tries a powerbomb out of the corner but Moxley fires off a cutter instead! Death Riders run the train of strikes to Davis in the corner, dives to the floor and Moxley has the bulldog choke on Davis! Takeshita is the one to make the save. Clubbing blow from Davis takes Moxley down as we head to PIP break.
Takeshita whips Moxley into the barricade. Back inside the ring, Clon works over Moxley, then tags in Takeshita, who takes Moxley to the floor to send him into the steel steps. Takeshita tries a running knee in the corner, Moxley dodges, and Takeshita spills to the floor, but then dives back in to tag out. Moxley and Davis tee off on each other, big boot by Davis, German! Lariat from Moxley! Pac and Clon in, flying forearm from the Geordie. Hurracanrana to Takeshita! Pac springboards back in for a shotgun dropkick on Davis. Pac to the top, moonsault to the floor to take everyone out. German suplex on Clon, tombstone piledriver! 1, 2, kickout by Clon! Pac drags him closer to the corner, goes up top but Takeshita is there and meets him in midair with a right hand. Yuta with a Busaiku Knee! Moxley with a double DDT to Clon and Davis but Clon springs back to his feet! Clon and Pac hit stereo pump kicks to knock themselves down. Davis comes in with a chair, Marina grabs it from behind though. Davis takes a swing at her but Moxley takes him to the floor with a lariat. Clon with a Pele kick to Pac! Superkick to Takeshita, Yuta is launched off the top with a splash, 1, 2, kickout. Yuta is looking for Cattle Mutilation, avoids the knee strike. Dropkick to the face of Takeshita, pump kick in return. Yuta runs right into a right hand. Big boot to Moxley, Clon with a tope suicida to the outside. Takeshita hits the Raging Fire on Yuta for the 1, 2, 3.
Winners: Don Callis Family
Time: 14:32
Rating: ***1/4 – I like that we got to see more Moxley/Davis after Dynamite, and although the pacing was a little weird at times, they crammed a lot into that sub-15 mins. Pac and Clon continue to work on their chemistry, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re leading to a PPV match between them at Revolution.
*Moxley and Takeshita get in each other’s faces after the match. Davis and Yuta try to get involved respectively, but they get tossed back to the floor. Paradigm Shift on Takeshita!
*The Babes of Wrath have a message for MegaBad. What do they have to do to get them out of their heads? 3 defeats and it’s still not enough for them. Which belts do they want? Haha Harley asks if they want the belt on her pants. She tells them to buckle up!
Thunder Rosa vs Julia Hart
Lock-up to start, series of arm drags from Rosa and Hart spills to the floor, wanting a timeout. Rosa chases her around ringside and chops her in the chest. Rosa gets back in the ring but Hart has recovered and stomps her. Another arm drag from Rosa and a dropkick connects, followed by a sliding lariat for 2. Overhand chop, and now Hart gives the rope walk, wrenching it over the top rope as she drops to the apron, followed by a neckbreaker over the ropes. Standing moonsault, cover, 1, 2, Rosa kicks out. Hart tosses her back to the outside and they take it in turns chopping against the barricade. Back inside, short DDT from Hart gets 2. Chinlock applied, Hart is backed into the corner to break it. Thrust kick to Rosa, cover, 1, 2, no. Hart drives the knee into the center of the spine, wrenching her arms back. Rosa breaks out of it and delivers a stunner. Corner lariat, slingshot knees…running dropkick against the ropes. Modified Northern Lights suplex with a bridge, 1, 2, no. Tijuana Bomb is countered, Hart hits a Sole Food to the midsection. Misses a strike in the corner but delivers the Tarantula! Slooow Hurracanrana into an octopus hold, but Rosa muscles her up and plants her for a 2 count. STO from Hart, and she drags Rosa to the corner. Moonsault off the top…Rosa gets the feet up! Tijuana Bomb! 1, 2, 3!
Winner: Thunder Rosa
Time: 9:11
Rating: **3/4 – The heat wasn’t there and it wasn’t overly exciting but once again Julia Hart shows good character work, and I liked her talking a bit of trash to the referee. Rosa looked fine, perhaps some marginal ringrust but she should be back up to par with a few more reps.
*Thekla appears in the crowd, applauding Thunder Rosa, one of the greatest women in AEW and one of the dumbest bitches alive. Ha! She’s been out for 8 months and she picks her first fight with Thekla? Does she have a death wish? This belt is not Rosa’s anymore, because AEW is toxic baby. Hart is about to attack Rosa from behind but Kris Statlander is there to protect her, and Hart hightails it out of the ring.
*Private Party are drinking backstage with the Outrunners, Dalton Castle and the Bang Bang Gang, and they’re all happy it’s Saturday night. Private Party want to show what they’re still about.
*We come back to Gabe Kidd and Clark Connors taking issue with Tony Schiavone and Excalibur. Kidd heard Tony calling him mental last week. Clark wants to bleed dry the ‘orange boy’. Next week, any time, any place, Gabe Kidd is going to beat OC within an inch of his life. Clark Connors says Kidd might be mental but he ain’t joking, because he is his dog. Or dawg, I guess?
*Jon Moxley vs El Clon is signed for Dynamite! Mark Davis vs Brody King too!
[AEW World Tag Team Championships Eliminator Match] FTR (c) (w/ Big Stoke) vs The Rascalz (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz w/ Myron Reed)
The Rascalz are undefeated in AEW action thus far. Dax and Wentz tie up, with Dax slapping him in the face. Wentz rolls out of an armlock and slaps the HECK out of Dax in return. Corkscrew torneo from the middle turnbuckle, tag to Xavier, and they hit a series of kicks on Dax. Xavier delivers a cutter to Cash as he enters the ring, rising boots to Dax, blind tag though and a low bridge sends Xavier to the floor. Dax tosses him into the barricade as we go to PIP. Ha, Dax puts on a headset saying “Oh my God, we witnessed a murder!”
FTR isolate Xavier, Xavier with an inside cradle but Dax has the referee distracted. Double suplex attempt, Wentz catches his partner. They both hit double stomps to the backs of their opponents….moonsaults to the floor too! Xavier up top, Dax dodges, slingshot suplex is countered into a rollup for 2. Gamengiri by Xavier, sunset flip, Cash holds onto the arms of Dax but Wentz is there for a seated senton to break it! 1, 2, no. Dax and Xavier trade strikes as we hear that Swerve has been fined $100,000 for his actions on Dynamite.
Dax and Xavier battle on the turnbuckles, Dax gets shoved to the canvas, sideways SSP knocks him down! Wentz misses a double stomp, Tiger Driver from Dax!! 1, 2, NO. FTR look for Shatter Machine, but no, Xavier breaks it up, Wentz rolls up Dax for 2. Handspring knee, Hot Fire Flame but NOOO knees are up. Sheer Drop Brainbuster from Dax, 1, 2, NO! Xavier goes for a dive to the floor but Cash meets him with a huge right elbow. He then knocks Myron Reed into the steel steps. He goes to piledriver him but the Young Bucks run out so Cash grabs a steel chair. Meanwhile, Hot Fire Flame connects in the ring on Dax! 1, 2, 3!
Winners: The Rascalz
Time: 10:48
Rating: ***1/2 – FTR don’t have much luck in Eliminator matches, but that didn’t stop the result from being somewhat of a surprise. Perhaps this leads to a three-way at Revolution now? Regardless, this was a damn fine main event, with the Rascalz continuing to show up on top form in the spots they’ve been given so far, and of course FTR can do “FTR things” in their sleep. Timing was a bit off on the Bucks’ interference which gave us a few awkward seconds, but that’s a minor quibble.
*Gates of Agony are out, taking out the Rascalz. FTR trash talk with the Bucks’ family, and now FTR beat up Malachi Jackson! Jack Perry is out but here’s Ricochet with the Spirit Gun! FTR bring Malachi Jackson in the ring…SPIKE PILEDRIVER!! The Gates of Agony hold the Young Bucks back, forcing them to watch. Medical staff attend to the Jacksons as FTR and The Demand head up the ramp looking pretty pleased with themselves. And with that, tonight’s broadcast comes to a close. Good night everyone, see you next week!
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