Dynamite
Date: October 28, 2026
Location: Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, Missouri
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone

It’s the Halloween Dynamite with Fright Night, which very well could mean some snappy costumes. We also have some title shots with the TBS and TNT Titles on the line. That’s all in addition to the build towards Full Gear and Blood & Guts, which should make for a rather full show. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Commentary runs down the card.

Death Riders vs. The Cut

Yes the Cut, as The Last Outfit was dropped after less than a day. Moxley and White start things off and of course White hands it off to Finlay instead. That’s fine with Moxley, who chops away in the corner before it’s off to Garcia. The Cut stomps him down in the corner, which doesn’t last long either as it’s back to Moxley. That means White bails out to the floor and Finlay takes over on Moxley’s leg.

Now White is willing to come in and crank on said leg, followed by a chinlock. Garcia gets in a running clothesline and hammers away on both villains in the corner at the same time. The Dragontamer goes on and is broken up just as fast, with the brawl heading outside as we take a break.

We come back with Garcia neckbreakering his way out of trouble and bringing Moxley back in. A bunch of rights and lefts in the corner have White rocked and Moxley sends him outside for a whip into the steps. Back in and the Paradigm Shift connects, setting up the running corner clotheslines. There’s the cutter to White and a dive to Finlay, with Garcia getting two on White. Cue Ace Austin so Wheeler Yuta cuts him off, allowing Clark Connors to spear Garcia. The Blade Runner gives White the pin at 14:06.

Rating: B-. This is what it should have been with White looking to be on the way towards a big Continental Title match with Moxley. Have him win some matches against Moxley and company to set that up and everything should go well. The Cut (thank goodness for that name change) is already feeling like a threat and that’s nice to see.

Post match the beatdown continues with Gabe Kidd’s save not working. Claudio Castagnoli comes in for the real save though and the Death Riders grab chairs to clean house. Moxley issues the challenge for Anarchy In The Arena at Full Gear.

We look back at the challenge being thrown out for the women’s Blood & Guts on Collision.

Jack Perry vs. Kyle Fletcher

Fletcher bails outside for an early hug from Don Callis so Perry goes outside for one from Taz. Back in and Fletcher backs him into the corner before taking Perry down. Perry knocks him outside for a dropkick into the barricade and then sends him over said barricade. Another running dropkick knocks Fletcher off the barricade but Fletcher gets in a leg lariat. We take a break and come back with Perry still in trouble off a slam.

Another slam wakes Perry up a bit and he gets in a hard clothesline. Fletcher is sent outside for some dives but catches the third into an apron bomb. Perry is fine enough to snap off a hurricanrana to the floor but Fletcher snaps off a dragon suplex. The brainbuster gives Fletcher two so he hammers away in the corner, with Perry reversing into a powerbomb.

Perry is back with a poisonrana into the Snare Trap, sending Fletcher straight over to the rope. They fight in the corner, with Fletcher getting caught in a super hurricanrana. Perry gets superkicked out of the air and the brainbuster onto the buckle finishes for Fletcher at 16:22.

Rating: C+. So Fletcher seems to be in line for another big push, though I’m not sure what is left for him to do outside of winning the World Title, which he shouldn’t be doing soon. Then you have Perry, who was getting warm for a bit and then got smacked down by Samoa Joe. That’s only going to get him so far for so long without a change.

Post match Fletcher challenges Will Ospreay for the World Title at Full Gear.

Video on Blood & Guts, as narrated by Dean Malenko, known violent wrestler.

Here is the New Level for a chat. They’re not sure about the idea of a Texas Deathmatch as they haven’t been around long enough to hate Brodido. They kind of like the champs but they like the idea of taking the Trios Titles that much better. Cue Brody King but Hangman Page calls him off, again saying we don’t want to get into a Texas Deathmatch. Hold on though as here is Prince Nana to point at the screen.

We see Swerve Strickland holding Bandido’s match, which he then puts back on a rather bloody Bandido. Back in the arena and King thinks New Level was behind the attack, with Page having to calm him down as they plead their innocence. I get the idea, but they’re already having Anarchy In The Arena. Do we really need another big team violence match? Especially with Blood & Guts so close to Full Gear?

Don Callis and his Family are ready to beat various opponents.

FTR vs. Motor City Machine Guns

Match #3 (1-1 so far) in a best of five series and Stokely is dressed as James Brown. Shelley and Harwood go to the mat to start with Shelley getting an armbar, allowing Sabin to come in and stay on the arm. The Guns take turns on the arm, followed by the Dream Sequence. Harwood needs a breather on the floor, which allows him to take over on Sabin back inside. It’s right back to Shelley, with Wheeler having to make a fast save. FTR is sent outside and we take a break.

We come back with Sabin hitting his big suicide dive but Harwood rolls through a high crossbody for two. Wheeler gets in a powerslam and Harwood’s slingshot powerbomb connects, albeit on the illegal man for no count. Shelley breaks up the PowerPlex but the second attempt is a lot more successful for a near fall. Some rollups get two each on Harwood and a Shatter Machine drops Harwood for two more. Back up and Wheeler grabs a German suplex but Shelley rolls through into a cradle to pin Harwood at 12:58.

Rating: B. You know what you’re going to get with these guys and the matches are still good. The important part here is that we’re already over halfway done with the series and it hasn’t overstayed its welcome yet. In other words, it’s still going to be fresh when they wrap it up and that’s a great thing to see.

Post match FTR shakes hands but throw powder in the Guns’ eyes and take out Shelley’s knee.

Queen Aminata and Persephone have a staredown in the back, with Britt Baker (in a 1972 Olympics sweatshirt and looking rather large in….some kind of costume) mocking Aminata.

Here is Tommaso Ciampa for a chat. He had the National Title won at WrestleDream and everyone but the referee saw it. That’s why he’ll be taking on Matt Sydal this Saturday on Collision, which is a message to Andrade that he wants a rematch. This brings out Ilja Dragunov, who takes issue with Ciampa saying he can beat anyone. Ciampa might have a match set for Collision, but what about the two of them fight right now? The fight is teased but Ciampa bails instead. Yeah this should work.

Roderick Strong wants the Conglomeration to be more serious and they’re facing the Cut on Collision.

Marina Shafir vs. Rachel Armstrong

Shafir sends her into the corner to start and hammers away, followed by some judo throws. A double underhook facebuster sets up Mother’s Milk to make Armstrong give up at 1:37.

Post match Shafir calls out, and receives, Mercedes Mone. They argue about genitalia and Mone slaps her (with Shafir allowing it) but Shafir takes her into the corner. Cue the Cut to jump Jon Moxley (who was on commentary) as well as Gabe Kidd for trying to make a save. More Death Riders are beaten down as well so here is Claudio Castagnoli with a trashcan.

Castagnoli throws the trashcan at a Gunn….and it bounces back to Castagnoli, who catches it on the fly in a stroke of luck that made the save that much better.. Juice Robinson chairs Castagnoli in the back and Castagnoli gives him an amazing glare, with Robinson being too stupid to know he’s about to die. The Cut finally holds Castagnoli back for a wrench shot to the head to put him down. White isn’t done and gives Castagnoli a Blade Runner on the exposed concrete. Good beatdown, but nothing was topping that trashcan catch.

TNT Title: Darby Allin vs. Josh Alexander

Allin is defending and tries to start fast but gets knocked outside rather quickly. Alexander sends him into the steps and they go up to the apron. Allin gets caught in an ankle lock, followed by a scary German suplex onto said apron. Taz is of course right there to talk about the physics until Allin throws Alexander off the top for a crash onto the apron as we take a break.

We come back with Allin’s Coffin Drop to the floor being countered into a release German suplex. Allin is of course able to pop back up for a suicide dive but comes up favoring his elbow. Back in and Allin gets Alexander’s head gear off for some hard shots, setting up the Scorpion Deathlock. That’s broken up so they go outside again, with Allin sitting him in a chair. Alexander gets up and trips Allin down before setting up another chair.

A jumping Tombstone off the apron sends Allin through both chairs, say it with me, for two (34 seconds later) so here is RPG Vice. Cue Steven Borden (in a clown mask in the front row) for the save and Alexander gets the ankle lock. That’s reversed into a Last Supper to retain the title at 13:19 (or 2:15 after Allin got Tombstoned through chairs).

Rating: C. Yeah whatever. I was getting into the match and then Allin took that ridiculous bump which just slowed him down a bit rather than, you know, HURTING HIM. We got the idea of Allin a long time ago and yet here he is, doing more dumb stuff and surviving it every time. If driving him from the apron through two chairs doesn’t finish him, why would I think anything else would?

We look at some AEW moments in St. Louis.

Steven Borden says he’s doing this because something like Blood & Guts is in the Borden Family. He trusts his teammates and Darby Allin wants blood and guts.

TBS Title: Queen Aminata vs. Persephone

Persephone, with Britt Baker, is defending (thankfully commentary points out that Baker is Miss Trunchbull from Matilda, which leaves me less confused). Aminata starts fast with an attempt at the Chocolate Kisses, with Persephone breaking out rather quickly. Back up and they chop it out until Aminata gets in a running faceplant. Now the Chocolate Kisses connect but a Baker distraction lets Persephone choke in the ropes.

We take a break and come back with Aminata caught in a headscissors but crawling over to the rope. A headbutt sets up the clothesline comeback on Persephone, followed by a fisherman’s neckbreaker. One heck of a hard stomp gives Aminata two but Persephone is up with a spear.

Aminata sends her into the ropes though and Off With Her Head sends Persephone crashing to the floor. Persephone is sat in a chair for a running dropkick but Baker gets in a belt shot. Back in and Persephone’s moonsault gets two, leaving Aminata to hit another headbutt. Off With Her Head gives Aminata the title at 13:27.

Rating: B-. Aminata still doesn’t do much for me but what matters here is that she got to win something. She has spent a lot of time being built up and now she has finally gotten somewhere, which has been lacking for her entire time in AEW. The company definitely deserves credit for trying someone new and hopefully it works out.

The locker room comes out to celebrate with Aminata to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Overall, the show was a good one with some nice action (and the latest stupid Allin moment) but I’m not sure why this show had a special branding. You had a few people in costume (Renee Paquette had some cat ears and Persephone and Aminata were in black and orange) but there was no special themed match or promo or really anything that made this show feel special. Anyway, the good thing is they built towards the two upcoming big events and that’s a hard thing to do with two major things coming up so soon.

Results
The Cut b. Death Riders – Blade Runner to Garcia
Kyle Fletcher b. Jack Perry – Brainbuster onto the turnbuckle
Motor City Machine Guns b. FTR – Rollup to Harwood
Marina Shafir b. Rachel Armstrong – Mother’s Milk
Darby Allin b. Josh Alexander – Last Supper
Queen Aminata b. Persephone – Off With Her Head

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Collision
Date: October 24, 2026
Location: LJVM Coliseum, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, Paul Wight

The pretty quick road to Full Gear continues here and the card for the next pay per view is already starting to come together. We have a few weeks to go before then though and that means AEW needs some big stuff to fill in the time. That’s what we’ll be doing tonight with FTR vs. the Motor City Machine Guns in the second match of their best of five series. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Here is Jay White, flanked by the Bang Bang Gang and what is left of the Dogs. White teases the Guns Up line but thinks the team needs a new name. It’s supposed to be the Bullet Club but America is too stupid for that, so they’re…..The Last Outfit? Are they going to team with a washer/dryer combination in a low rinse cycle street fight against a dry cleaner?

Anyway they’ve had issues before but they can be friends again and take out the Death Riders. Marina Shafir and Roderick Strong can be together and happy now that the team is going after them. White can’t stand Orange Cassidy with his stupid kicks, but he’s going to take the Continental Title from Jon Moxley. You better be down with the Last Outfit and if not, they have two words for everyone. No starch?

Kyle O’Reilly and the Conglomeration aren’t impressed with the Last Outfit.

We look at the Motor City Machine Guns beating FTR at WrestleDream.

FTR vs. Motor City Machine Guns

Match #2 in a best of five series with the Guns up 1-0. Wheeler and Shelley start things off but it’s quickly off to Harwood, who gets caught in the Dream Sequence. We settle down to Sabin fighting out of the corner and backdropping Harwood for two. Wheeler comes in off a blind tag for a bulldog but everything breaks down. FTR is sent outside for a suicide dive and we take a break.

We come back with Shelley giving Harwood a belly to back superplex. The Shatter Machine is broken up and the tag brings in Sabin to clean house. Everything breaks down and Shelley’s sunset flip gets a quick two. FTR tries a spike piledriver but Sabin breaks it up and gets two off a high crossbody. Another Shatter Machine attempt is broken up and Sabin is elbowed into a German suplex for two more.

A small package gets Sabin out of trouble and he gets over to Shelley for the tag. Sabin’s missile dropkick sets up Shelley’s frog splash for another near fall. Skull & Bones is loaded up so Stokely offers a distraction, only for Wheeler to be sent into Stokely and Harwood. Back up and the Shatter Machine connects out of nowhere, with Shelley diving in for the save. Sabin and Harwood crash out to the floor, leaving Wheeler to grab a rollup and the rope for the pin at 16:11.

Rating: B. It’s not quite as good as their match at WrestleDream, but this was still a treat to watch as you probably expected. You have two of the best teams of their era getting a lot of time to see what they can throw out there. I liked the match again and thankfully it’s only best of five rather than seven, which is that sweet spot to avoid running it into the ground. Hot match here, again, which shouldn’t be a surprise at all.

Video on Blood & Guts being set up.

Will Ospreay is ready for Blood & Guts and none of his teammates are going to submit or surrender. Adam Copeland says he swims in blood and guts and is ready to end the Don Callis Family.

Death Riders vs. Shane Taylor Promotions

Mixed eight person tag. The brawl starts fast with Moxley and Taylor slugging it out in the ring, with Moxley hammering away in the corner. The Riders beat up the Promotions on the floor as Taylor takes over on Moxley inside. Bravo comes in and gets double shouldered by Moxley and Shafir.

It’s off to Shafir to armbar Adora, with Dean making a save. That earns Dean the running clotheslines in the corner, followed by Moxley’s cutter as we take a break. We come back with Garcia getting crushed in the corner, with a BBC (Wight: “Is that the British Baseball Club?”) making it worse. Moxley comes in with a dive for the save and Garcia gets in a spinning neckbreaker. Castagnoli (in a mask) is in to clean house, including muscling Taylor up for a suplex. It’s off to Shafir vs. Adora for the standing clotheslines, with Garcia grabbing Dean in the Dragontamer. The Brutalizer makes Adora give up at 9:55.

Rating: B-. I saw the Riders beat up the Promotions enough over the summer to not need to see it again anytime soon. That was the case here, though it was nice to see Shafir getting some focus on the way to her big showdown with Mercedes Mone. Having her use the Brutalizer is a nice tribute and I could absolutely go for that being a regular thing. More good stuff here.

Post match Moxley says Jay White thought he started a war, but the Death Riders have been at war with everyone. White made a move, but now it’s Moxley’s move.

Josh Alexander vs. Blade Brown

Alexander backs him into the corner to start and snaps off a belly to belly. Brown is allowed to get in some free chops and is promptly destroyed. An arm trap piledriver and the ankle lock finish Brown at 1:46. Total squash.

Post match Alexander puts over the Don Callis Family and thinks it’s time to bring in some gold. So on Dynamite, he wants the TNT Title. He’d be a fighting champion, just like Adam Copeland, but they smashed his head in on Dynamite. Cue Copeland, who beats up RPG Vice as Alexander runs. More of the Family runs in to lay Copeland out.

We look at Ilja Dragunov’s debut on Dynamite, where he beat Mike Bailey.

Swerve Strickland vs. Myron Reed

Strickland jumps him before the bell but Reed says he’s in. The Vertebreaker is blocked though and Reed sends him outside for a dive. Back in and Strickland easily wins a slugout and sends Reed to the floor again for a kick to the head. Reed is back up with a posting though and the big running flip dive over the post drops Strickland again. Strickland easily plants him again and we take an early break.

We come back with Strickland getting serious enough to take his shirt off but getting Stundog Millionaired. Reed plants him down on the apron and hits some clotheslines but the diving cutter is blocked. A poisonrana and 450 give Reed two but Strickland (eventually) muscles him up into the Vertebreaker for the pin at 10:55.

Rating: C+. This is where AEW’s booking style becomes an issue, as you don’t need someone on the level of Myron Reed giving a former World Champion this much trouble. That’s not even factoring in that Strickland jumped him before the bell and still had this much trouble. It’s to let someone like Strickland run through an opponent and that’s what we should have seen here.

United Empire vs. Allen Brothers

Bailey kicks Steve away and then blasts Robert with a kick to the head. Andrade takes off his pants (Nigel: “Tony, what are you doing? Put those dollar bills away.”) and the Tornado Kick finishes Steve at 1:54.

Post match Andrade loads up the photo with the fan but gets jumped by Tommaso Ciampa. Bailey chases Ciampa off.

Lena Kross/Megan Bayne vs. Wrathlander

Bayne shoulders Statlander down to start but gets knocked down. That brings Kross in for an elbow from behind and a double boot drops Statlander again. A double clothesline gets Statlander out of trouble though and it’s off to Cameron for a headscissors. Everything breaks down and Wrathlander fire off the right hands in various corners but Kross and Bayne are back with stereo fall away slams.

We take a break and come back with Bayne booting Cameron down for two. Cameron chops her way out of trouble and everything breaks down. A crucifix bomb puts Bayne down and Cameron kicks Kross away, allowing the tag to Statlander. Everything breaks down and something like a cartwheel dive off the apron hits Kross on the floor. Bayne and Cameron fight to the floor and Statlander’s toss Blue Thunder Bomb sends Kross flying. Cue the Sisters Of Sin to jump Wrathlander for the DQ at 10:41.

Rating: C+. I was liking the match but I’m not sure why you wouldn’t want Wrathlander to get a win on the way to their title shot. They’ve only been a team for a little while and some wins would help them. Then again there is a good chance for this to be setting up Blood & Guts, which shows the problems with building to a pair of matches at once, as Wrathlander needed to get a better win here.

Post match Thekla whips Kris Statlander with a belt but Willow Nightingale runs in with a chain for the save. Bayne is back up though and the villains stand tall.

Post break Nightingale and Wrathlander say the Brawling Birds hate those five too. How about Blood & Guts?

Jay White vs. Kyle O’Reilly

White immediately bails out to the floor as Wight and McGuinness do their weekly bickering on commentary. Back in and they go with the grappling with O’Reilly taking over on the arm. White kicks him into the corner so O’Reilly goes after the leg. The ankle lock sends White over to the rope and it’s a diving knee off the apron to take White down on the floor. An attempted chair shot is cut off so White dragon screw legwhips him over the rope.

We take a break and come back with White staying on the leg. O’Reilly strikes him down, including a legsweep to set up a guillotine. That doesn’t last long so O’Reilly grabs a reverse fisherman’s suplex for two more. Another guillotine is broken up and a Downward Spiral gives White two.

White goes after the leg again but O’Reilly is back with a rebound lariat. A brainbuster gives O’Reilly two more and he grabs a cross armbreaker to send White over to the ropes. O’Reilly misses a dive off the apron and hurts his leg again, meaning it’s a Blade Runner on the floor. Another Blade Runner inside gives White the pin at 14:03.

Rating: B. It’s no surprise that these two had a good match as they’re talented wrestlers who were allowed to do their thing. If nothing else, White absolutely should have gotten the win as the Last Outfit is officially a thing. It’s a good way to close the show after White and company got the big moment to start the show so they have a nice bookending here.

Post match the Conglomeration runs in but the Last Outfit surrounds them for the beatdown. The Death Riders come in (from the entrance rather than the crowd as a surprise) and the big brawl is on. Claudio Castagnoli throws some people around but gets caught with a low blow. Moxley goes Abdullah The Butcher by grabbing a fork but gets taken out as well. Orange Cassidy is up with some Orange Punches and a dive, only to hit Moxley by mistake. White gets in a Blade Runner to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. I liked this show for the most part, but I’ve been a Jay White fan for a long time. He’s far better as a heel and while having that many people in a stable is a stretch, the biggest problem is the name. Granted the fact that I’m a few days late with this and AEW has already seemed to rename them The Cut (not great, but better) shows that at least AEW isn’t tone deaf. Other than that, good show here, with the opener being a hot match and the Blood & Guts announcement feeling important.

Results
Motor City Machine Guns b. FTR – Rollup with ropes to Shelley
Josh Alexander b. Blade Brown – Ankle lock
Swerve Strickland b. Myron Reed – Swerve Stomp
United Empire b. Allen Brothers – Tornado Kick to Steve
Wrathlander b. Lena Kross/Megan Bayne via DQ when the Sisters Of Sin interfered
Jay White b. Kyle O’Reilly – Blade Runner

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Dynamite
Date: October 21, 2026
Location: Watsco Center, Coral Gables, Florida
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone

We’re done with WrestleDream and Will Ospreay is still the World Champion, having survived Clockwork Carnage. That probably isn’t the biggest surprise but he was pinned a few times in the match and that very well could set up some challengers for him in the coming weeks. Those coming weeks also include Full Gear so let’s get to it.

Here is WrestleDream if you need a recap.

We run down the card.

Young Bucks vs. Don Callis Family

Non-title. The Family jumps the Bucks to start fast and they’re sent outside, with the Bucks being sent into the steps. A powerbomb sends Nick onto the announcers’ table and another puts him through it. Back in and the double standing clothesline hits Matt and three piledrivers knock him cold. Doyle bearhugs Nick out and it’s a double pin on the Bucks at 2:49. The Bucks had no significant offense here whatsoever and it was a total squash.

Long WrestleDream recap.

Adam Copeland/Will Ospreay vs. Don Callis Family

This would be Kyle Fletcher/Kevin Knight for the Family. Copeland and Knight start things off with Copeland hitting an early clothesline. Knight is right back up to choke in the corner, earning himself a swinging neckbreaker. Ospreay comes in to face Fletcher and it’s already time to slug it out. Fletcher gets knocked down for the standing corkscrew moonsault and it’s back to Copeland. Ospreay’s running hurricanrana is blocked though and a standing Doomsday Device dropkick drops Copeland as we take a break.

We come back with Ospreay in trouble and getting kneed in the face. The brainbuster is countered into a Stundog Millionaire but Knight is over to cut off the tag. A Phenomenal Forearm gets Ospreay out of trouble though and it’s back to Copeland to start firing off the clotheslines. Knight gets back up with a springboard clothesline of his own and Fletcher’s Michinoku Driver gets two.

Everything breaks down and Fletcher knocks Ospreay off the apron. Cue Kazuchika Okada to distract Copeland, who is fine enough to give Fletcher a Killswitch. The spear hits Knight but Okada gets in a belt shot to Copeland. That and a brainbuster are enough to give Fletcher the pin at 13:22.

Rating: B-. This was your standard big time tag match and it was a good way to set up a few things. Copeland has quite a few options for singles matches and it seems like Okada is going to be up next. There is definitely something to be done with Copeland going after the World Title but warming up with Okada isn’t a bad idea either.

Okada’s diabolical smile after costing Copeland is great, but he stops to come in and beat on Copeland instead. More of the Family comes in and Ospreay is beaten down as well. Fletcher holds up the World Title and the lights go out. Darby Allin, the returning Steven Borden and a Young Buck run in for the save. Borden: “I’m back. For Blood & Guts.” On one hand, I get the idea, but with the Bucks getting wrecked, Borden having had about five matches, and there only being so much reason for him to hate the Family, this feels like a less than thrilling Blood & Guts team.

Swerve Strickland vs. Tome Filip

Strickland gives him the House Call before the bell and finishes with a Vertebreaker at 22 seconds.

Orange Cassidy/Jay White vs. Death Riders

Garcia grabs a waistlock to start but gets backed into the ropes so White can escape. A chop and suplex give White an early one and Cassidy comes in for a less than strong effort on a double suplex. Yuta comes in to take Cassidy down by the leg before blocking the Stundog Millionaire. Cassidy gets tied up in the ring skirt and pummeled, leaving White to get taken down with a suicide dive as we take a break.

We come back with Cassidy escaping a sunset flip attempt and calmly walking over to bring in White. Some chops and a DDT get two on Yuta but it’s Garcia grabbing the Dragontamer. Cassidy offers the lazy strikes for…I guess we’ll call it a save as everything breaks down. The Fastball Special hits raised knees and it’s a pair of Orange Punches into the Blade Runner to pin Yuta at 10:27.

Rating: B-. This was about what you would have expected, with the makeshift team getting to beat the lower part of the Death Riders. I do love seeing White getting a chance to win as the important thing he’s back and at least he’s getting to have some success. That just needs to stay the case for a long time, which is far from a guarantee.

Hangman Page and Brodido are happy to be the first three time Trios Champions but Swerve Strickland comes in. He and New Level (not here) want a rematch so Page says name the time and the place. That would be Full Gear, but Swerve wants Texas Death. Page says no way as he’s not letting them get dragged down to that level again. The rematch seems to be set though.

Nick Wayne, with a shirt advertising his win over Chris Jericho, arrives and glares at Jericho’s image on a truck.

Here is Mercedes Mone for a chat. She brags about her recent wins and calls her challengers stupid before telling Renee Paquette to get out. Mone is the division and she wants to know who is next…so here is Marina Shafir, who has Mone a bit shaken. Shafir tells her to not be a pu*** and Mone bails.

Roderick Strong vs. Jon Moxley

Non-title. They go with the grappling to start and Moxley gets a hammerlock on the mat. Strong is back up with a quick dropkick for two but Moxley wins a strike off. A running dropkick to the leg has Strong going outside, where he drops Moxley onto the apron. We take a break and come back with Moxley in trouble but grabbing a quick Paradigm Shift.

Strong falls outside so Moxley hits him with a suicide dive before unloading on him in the corner. Some backbreakers have Moxley in more trouble but he’s right back with the big clothesline. A tiger driver lets Strong grab the Stronghold, which Moxley escapes rather quickly. The rear naked choke finishes for Moxley at 11:02.

Rating: B-. Yeah this was what you have to expect from Moxley as he runs through another name. The match is pretty formula based at this point, which makes it a bit pesky when Moxley is on the shows so often. It was a perfectly fine match, but I’ve seen Moxley do something like this so many times that it’s hard to get that interesting.

Post match Moxley rolls out and Strong is left in the ring, when the Dogs run in to jump Strong. Moxley sees it and gets back inside to call them off…so the Dogs jump Moxley from behind. Gabe Kidd runs in to stop them but gets beaten down by the Dogs as well. The Conglomeration and Jay White run in, but White turns on the Conglomeration (ending their partnership after what must have been a good 30 minutes).

The rest of the Bang Bang Gang runs in to jump the Conglomeration, as well as the Death Riders who try to make a save. Claudio Castagnoli tries to fight back but can’t hang with the numbers. So the Dogs are split and most of them have joined the Bang Bang Gang (which now has seven members) but Kidd seems to be full time Death Riders. I still have no idea why the Dogs need to be here but this was a hot angle for sure, and White is FAR better as a heel.

Video on Ilja Dragunov, who is ready to share all of the passion that he has around here.

Megan Bayne, Lena Kross and the Triangle Of Madness jump Kris Statlander, Harley Cameron and the Brawling Birds to leave the latter four laying.

Here is Nick Wayne for a chat. Wayne brags about his TWO wins over Chris Jericho and we get a double shot of pyro. That means Jericho needs to come out here and apologize (which was established before the rematch) and, eventually, he does show up. Wayne keeps cutting him off, saying how excited he’s been to hear this, eventually getting a WOULD YOU PLEASE SHUT THE H*** UP!

Jericho praises Wayne for his win and says Wayne has learned a lot. Wayne brings up the win again and more pyro goes off. Jericho: “How do you do that?” Wayne: “I’m a prodigy.” Wayne keeps demanding the apology and Jericho calls him a douchebag. Then again, Jericho was the same when he was 21 and does apologize.

Jericho says this is the turning point of Wayne’s career and he can get to the top of his business, just like Jericho did. He lists off some great names that have helped him over the years and if Wayne listens too, he can become that big of a star. Jericho: “So don’t f*** it up.” Jericho leaves and Wayne looks like he has something to think about. Wayne has been doing very well in this and that continued here.

We look at the first Motor City Machine Guns vs. FTR match from WrestleDream.

Queen Aminata vs. Maya World

For a TBS Title shot against Persephone, who is on commentary with Britt Baker. World flips out of a wristlock to start but gets pulled into Chocolate Kisses. The fisherman’s neckbreaker is broken up and World sends her outside for a middle rope crossbody. We take a break and come back with the exchange of forearms.

Aminata misses a boot in the corner and gets moonsaulted for two. They trade rollups for two each until World’s running knee gets two. Aminata sends her into the ropes but the threat of Off With Her Heads has World bailing to the floor. World is put in a chair for the running shot off the apron and Off With Her Head finishes for Aminata at 10:13.

Rating: C+. World is back and is already losing, though Aminata will be fine as another victory for Persephone. I’m not sure if I get the appeal of Aminata for the most part but AEW certainly sees a lot in her as she has been around rather frequently. She’s far from bad, but I’m not sure I can picture her as a real threat to win the title.

Don Callis announces that the Don Callis Family is in for Blood & Guts.

Samoa Joe, with the Opps (minus Anthony Bowens), wants the World Title back. Jack Perry comes in to say he wants one more match with Joe to get the handshake he didn’t get last time. Sure.

Mike Bailey vs. Ilja Dragunov

They go to the mat to start before Dragunov takes him to the corner for a missed chop. Bailey takes the leg down and we’re off to a chinlock. A headscissors sets up a running kick in the corner but Dragunov is right back with a jumping kick. They head outside where Bailey kicks the apron by mistake, allowing Dragunov to hit a German suplex as we take a break.

We come back with Dragunov unloading with forearms but getting kicked in the head for a double down. Bailey can’t get a cross armbreaker and has to kick his way out of a half crab attempt. Back up and Dragunov wins a strike off before rolling the German suplexes (with Taz doing his always great physics lessons). Dragunov’s top rope backsplash gets two and they go to the apron, where Bailey hits some moonsault knees to put him down.

Dragunov catches him on top and fires off a bunch of headbutts, setting up the superplex. The D Bomb (a running forearm to a downed opponent) misses as Bailey gets two off a small package and a crane kick puts Dragunov down again. The tornado kick connects but Bailey’s Ultimate Weapon is broken up. Instead it’s a D Bomb to the leg and a regular D Bomb for the pin on Bailey at 16:04.

Rating: B. This was certainly a Dragunov match but it was necessary to introduce him to the new audience. Dragunov isn’t the biggest guy in the world but he knows how to beat the fire out of someone. This was a good way to show what they have with him and Dragunov looked good. Bailey was his usual self here and that’s all he needed to be.

Dragunov celebrates to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. They were in a weird place here as they only had so much to build from coming out of WrestleDream. What we got worked, though they’re now building towards Blood & Guts as well as Full Gear at the same time. This was a good first step, but they need to find some time to let things breathe a bit. Having so many big shows in a row can wear things out a bit and that’s a danger they’re approaching. That might start clearing up after Full Gear, but at least the build is off to an effective start.

Results
Don Callis Family b. Young Bucks – Double pin
Don Callis Family b. Will Ospreay/Adam Copeland – Brainbuster to Copeland
Swerve Strickland b. Tome Filip – Vertebreaker
Orange Cassidy/Jay White b. Death Riders – Blade Runner to Garcia
Jon Moxley b. Roderick Strong – Rear naked choke
Queen Aminata b. Maya World – Off With Her Head
Ilja Dragunov b. Mike Bailey – D Bomb

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

WrestleDream 2026
Date: October 17, 2026
Location: Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Paul Wight, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

We’re back on pay per view and it has been a rushed build to say the least. Not only are we only a few weeks removed from All Out, but the Pac tribute show took away some of the time. That’s absolutely not on AEW (or anyone, as it was a tragic situation that had to be dealt with) but it has made things a bit tricky. The big main event is a new concept match called Clockwork Carnage for the World Title, which is certainly intriguing. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Megan Bayne/Lena Kross vs. Sisters Of Sin

Hart and Kross grab each other to start with Kross grabbing a backbreaker. Hart’s armdrag is blocked and it’s off to Blue, who is taken into the wrong corner. A middle rope hurricanrana gets Blue out of trouble and a crucifix gets two on Bayne. Kross offers a distraction though and Bayne suplexes Blue as we take a break.

We come back with Blue slugging away and grabbing a tornado DDT. It’s back to Hart to pick up the pace with some kicks to the face, followed by a crucifix bomb for two on Kross. A running…I think Codebreaker hits Kross in the ropes but Bayne German suplexes both Sisters at the same time. Blue catches Bayne with a Cheeky Nandos kick and a powerbomb out of the corner but Bayne grabs a release gordbuster. Kross knees her in the face and Divine Intervention finishes Hart at 9:38.

Rating: C+. Perfectly fine opener here with Bayne and Kross continuing to be the monsters that they are. Getting them back on their horses after losing to the Brawling Birds is the best thing that can be done and it worked well enough here. The Sisters will be fine as long as they’re with Thekla and there’s no reason to think that will be changing anytime soon.

Kickoff Show: Don Callis Family vs. Alex Breeze/Papi D/Rhys Maddox

The destruction starts fast with Papi being clotheslined on the floor. Maddox tries some chops to Wardlow, who runs him over without much effort. A bunch of powerbombs give the Family a triple pin at 2:45. I have no idea why this needed to be on the show.

Kickoff Show: Death Riders/The Dogs vs. Bang Bang Gang/Conglomeration

12 man tag and Jay White is back. Connors chops Strong in the corner to start and it’s a string of double suplexes to put the Riders and the Dogs down. Castagnoli isn’t having that and grabs his own double suplex, followed by a ridiculous 70 second (and by real time, not the off speed fan counting) Swing to Cassidy.

Castagnoli falls outside and we take a break, coming back with Austin fighting his way out of the corner. The diving tag brings in White as everything breaks down and some dives have the villains in trouble. Finlay gets in a backbreaker so it’s back to Colten, who gets in a dropkick to Castagnoli.

That’s it for the offense though as Colten is sent into the corner for the running clotheslines. Marina Shafir gets in one of her own so Willow Nightingale sends her crashing out to the floor. Yuta sends Nightingale outside and the fans are not exactly pleased. We get the parade of knockdowns until the Gunns start taking over but Yuta cuts that off. The Fastball Special finishes Colten at 11:03.

Rating: B. This was the fun kind of match where AEW excels, even with so many people in there that only Castagnoli, with that absolutely ridiculous (in a good way) Swing getting to stand out. It doesn’t help that it feels like these teams have been feuding for the better part of ever without much changing. With so many people involved though, that’s about all they can do to get them all a chance. Rather entertaining match here.

Kickoff Show: FTR vs. Motor City Machine Guns

Match #1 in a best of five series and Stokely is here with FTR. Shelley and Wheeler start things off but it’s quickly off to Harwood, who gets caught in a hammerlock. The Guns take turns working on the arm so it’s back to Wheeler, who gets armdragged into an armbar of his own. Harwood is knocked outside and we take a break.

We come back with everything breaking down and the Guns clearing the ring, much to the fans’ delight. Wheeler tries a tag on the floor and for once the referee enforces a rule, meaning Harwood has to come back in to take over on Shelley. That doesn’t last long as it’s back to Sabin for the alternating chops to Harwood as the pre-show ends and we go into the main pay per view. Therefore the pyro goes off, apparently rather pleased about Wheeler getting caught in the Dream Sequence.

Shelley’s baseball slide misses though and he gets dropped face first onto the apron. That means Shelley can get caught in the ropes and kicked in the face a few times, followed by an abdominal stretch. Wheeler switches in for one of his own before it’s back to Harwood, who gets dropped with a clothesline. That’s not enough for the tag though as Wheeler is back in with a chinlock, which is broken up rather quickly as well.

A Stunner over the top rope slows Harwood down but he drops Shelley with a right hand. Shelley gets his gord bustered for two and the chinlock goes on again. Shelley fights up again and dives over for the tag to Sabin, who is pulled off the apron in one of those spots that will always work. Wheeler misses a charge into the corner though and it’s finally back to Sabin to clean house. Stokely offers a distraction but punches Harwood by mistake, leaving Wheeler to get in a cheap shot.

Harwood gets in a spinebuster for two but Sabin grabs a cutter. That means a missile dropkick into a frog splash for two and a pair of sunset flips get two each. Skull & Bones hits Harwood so Wheeler puts the foot on the rope for the save. Sabin chases Harwood, who catches him in a spike piledriver for two. The Shatter Machine is broken up though and it’s a Dirt Bomb to finish Wheeler at 26:05.

Rating: A-. Well yeah of course these teams are going to have a great match. They’re teams who are basically designed to have awesome matches and that’s what they did here. This was exactly what you would have been expecting and if they keep that up in the next few matches, we should be in for something awesome. Granted there is also the chance that things will get stale as they face each other so often, but that is the chance you run with something like this. Anyway, heck of a match here.

The opening video looks at the work that has to be done to become a champion and the issues that have brought us here.

We recap Thekla challenging Mercedes Mone for the Women’s Title. Thekla says Mone has never been toxic and Mone implies that she has a large belt shaped penis.

Women’s Title: Mercedes Mone vs. Thekla

Thekla is challenging. Mone sends her into some buckles to start and chokes with the boot. The Statement Maker goes on less than a minute in but Thekla spiders out in a nice counter. Thekla poses in the ropes and avoids a charge to send Mone outside, where Mone is whipped into the barricade. A running boot and high crossbody give Thekla two but Mone is back with a quick gutbuster.

The Meteora gives Mone two and she’s already getting annoyed. Some double arm cranks have Thekla in more trouble and Mone grabs the surfboard. Back up and Mone misses a charge in the corner and gets caught in an upside down leg choke. They head to the apron with Mone hitting a Codebreaker but the running Meteora hits the post. Thekla stomps her off the apron and dances and the spider superplex connects back inside.

A spear drops Mone for two but she’s back up with a sunset bomb into the corner. Now the Meteora can connect in the corner and the middle rope version gets the same. Thekla is right back with something like an Octopus on the mat, followed by a stomp for two. Mone has to roll out to the floor, where she takes off the mask and smacks Thekla upside the head. Thekla escapes the Mone Maker but misses a stomp, allowing Mone to hit the Mone Maker to retain at 14:33.

Rating: B. This was about what I was expecting, with Thekla feeling like enough of a threat to keep the match interesting. Mone is likely to hold the title for a long time and Thekla is one of the few women right now who feels strong enough to give her a real threat. That’s a good thing to see, though I’m not sure who is supposed to come after the belt next without feeling like a nothing challenger.

We recap Chris Jericho vs. Nick Wayne. Jericho thinks Wayne is a young whippersnapper and Wayne is mad that Jericho broke his necklace. They’re 1-1 and like to trade low blows so we’re having a rubber match.

Nick Wayne vs. Chris Jericho

Wayne insists that he is described as really handsome and such, which the fans don’t like. Wayne spits in Jericho’s face to start and is quickly knocked outside for a whip over the barricade. Jericho stops to hug Paul Wight at ringside before catching a diving Wayne for an AA onto the steps. We get the Jericho camera spot before he takes Wayne inside to stomp away.

The super hurricanrana is broken up as Jericho is knocked outside for a moonsault. Back in and Jericho trips him to cut off a dive before winning an exchange of chops. The Judas Effect misses but Wayne’s World is countered into a Codebreaker to leave them both down. They chop it out until Jericho gets in a brainbuster but the Lionsault is broken up. Wayne misses a dive while Jericho is tied in the ropes, meaning Jericho can hit a big dive to the floor. Back in and Wayne hammers away in the corner but gets powerbombed down, setting up the Walls.

That sends Wayne over to the rope and he grabs some water on the floor, which he spits into Jericho’s eyes. A Sliced Bread on the apron hits Jericho and a 450 gets two back inside. Wayne’s World misses so Wayne settles for a middle rope cutter. Jericho Hulks Up though and catapults Wayne into the corner. The low blow….doesn’t do anything to Jericho so Wayne kicks him low again with no effect for a second time. Jericho reveals a cup and uses it to hammer Wayne, who ducks the Judas Effect and gets a small package for the win at 14:50.

Rating: B. The ending is going to need some time to sink in as Wayne got a clean win but it felt like he caught Jericho rather than beating him. That’s about as good as you’re going to get and the good thing is that Jericho did indeed get pinned with no cheating. Well no effective cheating at least. They need to move on though as the match has been done enough, with Jericho giving him a pair of wins.

Post match Wayne brags about winning another match against Jericho, who looks disgusted.

We recap the Don Callis Family challenging the Young Bucks for the Tag Team Titles. The Bucks won the belts at All out and the Family has won some matches to set this up.

Tag Team Titles: Young Bucks vs. Don Callis Family

The Family (Kevin Knight/Kyle Fletcher in this case) are challenging. Nick and Knight lock up to start with Knight getting in a shoulder and doing the muscle pose. Back up and Nick is knocked out to the floor so we’ll try Matt vs. Fletcher instead. They trade shoulders with the much bigger Fletcher getting the better of things to take over, with Knight coming in for a pop up dropkick.

Everything breaks down and the Family does the stereo running bulldogs, ala the Bucks, and Matt stays in trouble. Back up and Matt avoids a charge, allowing Nick to come in and clean house, with the Family being knocked outside. The big moonsault connects and Don Callis is chased into the crowd to a positive reaction. Back in and Fletcher gets German suplexed but Matt is dropkicked out of an electric chair. Knight’s pair of clotheslines (corner and sliding) gets two but Matt gets in the slingshot X Factor.

The moonsault to the floor takes Fletcher out and there’s the rolling tag off to Nick. Everything breaks down and the rolling northern lights suplexes get two on the Family. The springboard double stomp to the back sends Fletcher crashing into a sitout powerbomb for two. A nasty Michinoku driver gets two on Matt but Nick is up with a step up Canadian Destroyer off of Matt’s back to take Fletcher out. The Bucks give Fletcher an assisted springboard hurricanrana to take him down again before going up.

That takes too much time though and it’s a double crotching, followed by Knight’s UFO Splash to Matt. A DDT onto the apron drops Fletcher but Knight gets out of a Meltzer Driver on the floor. That only works once though, as Nick runs the announcers’ tables to hit the second Meltzer Driver to drop Knight, leaving a hurricanrana to get two on Fletcher back inside.

The EVP Trigger gets two but Fletcher is back up to send Matt into the Tree of Woe. Nick is sent into the corner as well and Knight his a double Coast To Coast, setting up Fletcher’s brainbuster for two. A super brainbuster onto the turnbuckle and the UFO Splash gets two more, with Matt making a save. Fletcher loads up something in the corner but Knight tags himself in, only to springboard into a superkick. Fletcher comes back in for some running shots in the corner before walking into a string of superkicks. Knight springboards into Fletcher by mistake and the EVP Trigger to Knight retains the titles at 22:39.

Rating: B+. As usual, the Bucks have a very entertaining match with the teams both getting in a bunch of cool looking stuff. It might not look the most realistic (an understatement) but it’s some of the best junk food style wrestling out there. The Bucks weren’t going to lose the titles so soon after their latest crowning moment, but I can hardly complain about something like this.

Quick recap of the TBS Title match. Persephone is champion and a bunch of women are after the title. That’s about it.

TBS Title: Queen Aminata vs. Hyan vs. Dani Luna vs. Persephone

Persephone, with Britt Baker, is defending and runs her mouth a lot to start, earning a quick triple beating. Back up and Persephone gets stared at by all three at once, with Persephone and Aminata fighting to the floor. That leaves Luna to basement clothesline Hyan for two but Aminata is back in for the Chocolate Kisses. Hyan is back up with the knees to Aminata with Persephone having to make a save.

A fall away slam drops Luna and a German suplex gets two with Aminata making the save this time. Luna’s middle rope dropkick is speared out of the air to give Hyan two but Luna is back up with an apron German suplex to Persephone. That just earns Luna another shot from Aminata, who hits a top rope double stomp but Persephone makes the save. Luna kicks Persephone to the apron and they slug it out on the apron. Aminata headbutts Luna into a powerbomb onto the floor from Luna before Aminata stomps Hyan through an open chair.

Back in and Aminata’s Off With Her Head hits Persephone for two, with Hyan making another save. A Michinoku Driver gives Hyan two before Luna fall away slams Hyan and Persephone at the same time. The slingshot Blue Thunder Bomb gives Luna two on Aminata and it’s Luna winning a slugout with Hyan. Persephone moonsaults onto the two of them and hits another to Hyan for the pin to retain at 13:56.

Rating: B. It was an exciting match with some good near falls, though this title still feels like a rather low level title. Persephone just does not seem like a top star or really someone who matters that much. She’s certainly talented and is smooth in the ring, but she still doesn’t come off some that big of a star. Maybe she needs some kind of a change to make that work, but it’s not getting there thus far.

We recap Andrade El Idolo defending the National Title against Tommaso Ciampa. There isn’t much to this one, as Ciampa wants a title and helped Samoa Joe pin Andrade earlier this week.

National Title: Andrade El Idolo vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Ciampa is challenging. They stare at each other to start and immediately strike it out, with Ciampa missing the knee to the face. An exchange of suplexes stagger both of them until Andrade hits a high crossbody to send Ciampa bailing to the floor. The removal of the pants takes too long though and Ciampa jumps him from behind. A running clothesline looks to set up the running knee again, with Andrade bailing out to the floor.

The Three Amigos have Ciampa in trouble on the floor and a split legged moonsault gets two back inside. Ciampa is sent outside for a springboard corkscrew dive and we pause for a photo with the woman at ringside. Which woman? The woman there to take a photo with Andrade. Back in and Ciampa sends him into the ropes for the running knee out to the floor, meaning it’s time for Ciampa to be pleased with himself.

Ciampa stops for a photo with a child (I’m assuming his daughter given the kiss thrown in) and we hit the chinlock back inside. Andrade fights out of a chinlock but gets knocked right back down. Ciampa stomps away in the corner but the super Air Raid Crash is broken up. Instead Ciampa settles for a running knee in the corner, allowing him to take off his own trunks, revealing I JUST KNOW trunks. Andrade fights up and hits a backbreaker but only gets his pants half off as Ciampa jumps him again.

Andrade knocks him off the top for the double moonsault and NOW the pants come all the way off. The running knees in the corner and ropes get two on Ciampa as the fans are rather into this. Ciampa is able to catch him on top for a shove out to the floor but he stops to beat up Andrade’s pants. That takes so long that Andrade is back up for Dia de los Muertos and two more. Ciampa’s running knee cuts him off for two of his own and they knock each other down for a double breather.

Back up and they strike it out again with Ciampa rolling him up for two. They go outside where Andrade misses a middle rope moonsault and gets shoved into a cameraman. Ciampa knees him down for two more and grabs the belt, with the referee cutting it off. The chair is cut off as well but it’s enough for Andrade to hit a DDT onto the belt for two. The DM retains the title at 20:57.

Rating: B. I was getting into this one more and more as Ciampa getting the title was far from out of the question. That’s what makes for a better match as you don’t know where it’s going. Other than that, it was a hard hitting match, though Ciampa stopping to beat up the pants for so long was rather out of character for him. He’s more focused than that most of the time and that’s not great to see.

We recap the Trios Titles match, which is pretty much a backdrop for Hangman Page vs. Swerve Strickland.

Trios Titles: New Level/Swerve Strickland vs. Hangman Page/Brodido

Page/Brodido are challenging in a 2/3 falls match. Creed headlocks Bandido to start but Bandido flips away for the finger guns. They run the ropes with Creed avoiding a bunch of shots and the champs triple teaming Bandido down. Bandido is able to muscle Kofi up into a suplex for two and it’s off to Page for the fall away slam. It’s already time for Page and Strickland to brawl on the floor with King getting involved and having to be pulled off of Creed.

Bandido has to calm Page and King down and we settle to Page booking Kofi in the face. A belly to back suplex into a backsplash gets two on Kofi but he kicks King out of the corner. That and a moonsault put King down and it’s Creed coming back in to take over. A springboard tornado DDT plants Bandido and Swerve is in for a suplex. Bandido’s very spinning DDT drops Strickland but New Level catches Bandido with a springboard wheelbarrow Fameasser for a near fall. The assisted top rope DDT plants Bandido (of course) for the first fall at 9:29.

New Level/Strickland – 1
Page/Brodido – 0

Page and Strickland get into it again with Page being sent to the apron, where he gets tagged back in a few seconds later. Strickland gives Page a backbreaker but Page gets the Deadeye, with New Level pulling him to the floor. The camera goes wide for some reason and we come back with Bandido hitting his pop up cutter on Creed. King sends Creed and Strickland into the corner for a cannonball and Page blasts Kofi with a clothesline. The monkey flip 450 gives Bandido the pin on Creed at 13:48.

New Level/Strickland – 1
Page/Brodido – 1

Bandido flip dives onto New Level on the floor but Strickland hurricanranas Page off the apron. Bandido is draped over the barricade for a double stomp to the back but King is back up with a suicide dive onto all three champions. A shooting star press gives Bandido two on Creed and the X Knee into the Buckshot Lariat into the German suplex gets two with Kofi making a save. Everyone is down and of course we get the big Page vs. Strickland showdown.

Strickland kicks King off the apron and hits Page with a rolling Downward Spiral. Page Deadeyes Kofi on the apron but gets caught with the Swerve Stomp. Creed fails at slugging away at King and is taken up top but King is taken down with a Vertebreaker. Bandido is back up with a springboard poisonrana to Creed, followed by a super fall away slam to New Level. Strickland is back up and tries Big Pressure but gets reversed into a rollup to give Bandido the pin and the titles at 24:21.

Rating: B+. It was a wild match and little more than an excuse for Page and Strickland to fight again, as they always do. At the same time, the match was a ton of fun and that’s what you knew it was going to be. They got to do all kinds of insane spots and kept their feud going even longer. If nothing else, I’m glad to get the titles off of New Level, who feel ready to move into the tag team scene where they belong.

Post match New Level and Brodido show respect but Strickland drops the title rather than handing it to Page. Yeah that fits.

We meet the newest member of the roster: Ilja Dragunov. Yeah that’s not surprising but it should be a lot of fun.

Quick recap of Mark Davis vs. Jon Moxley for the Continental Title. Davis pinned him in a tag match and that’s about it. Moxley is seemingly on a downward spiral but is ready to fight through it, as he tends to do.

Continental Title: Mark Davis vs. Jon Moxley

Moxley is defending and Pac’s chair now has his name on the towel. They fight along the ropes to start and go nose to nose in a rather aggressive way. Back up and a running shoulder doesn’t work for Moxley, who bounces into the corner. Davis takes him into another corner and chops away before raking Moxley’s eyes over the rope. A Downward Spiral into the buckle has Moxley in more trouble and Davis gives him a running forearm. Moxley is already busted open and gets forearmed even more to draw extra blood.

They go outside with Moxley’s leg getting bent over the barricade and we’re off to the chinlock inside. The right hands to the cut in the corner don’t seem to do much to Moxley, who knocks him off the top. There’s the suicide dive over the announcers’ table and Moxley hits some more effective right hands back inside. Some clotheslines and a cutter drop Davis but Moxley can’t get a cross armbreaker. Then he does indeed get a cross armbreaker, which is broken up just as fast.

Dirty Deeds is blocked and Davis’ tilt-a-whirl faceplant gets two. The piledriver onto the apron knocks Moxley silly but he’s back on his feet about a minute later. Naturally Moxley is all angry but we pause for the referee to check on him, with the Death Riders popping up in the crowd to cheer him on. See they’re not at ringside so it doesn’t count. Moxley gets back in with a stomp for two and they slug it out again. Davis dropkicks him into the corner but Moxley is back with a running clothesline to knock both of them down.

Back up and Moxley puts his own hands behind his own back so Davis can hit him harder. Davis knocks him silly and grabs a choke, which Moxley reverses into one of his own, which is broken up with a cannonball into the corner. Moxley breaks up another piledriver on the apron and hits a suicide dive. Back in and Davis hits a clothesline to the back of the head setting up a German suplex. Moxley’s Death Rider gets two so he slugs away, only to get clotheslined. Davis gets pulled into a Brutalizer, followed by a choke for the tap to retain the title at 23:26.

Rating: B. This has been “Jon Moxley is TOUGH and AWESOME and THE BEST FIGHTER EVER” part….whatever we’re up to now. The idea was that Moxley needed to prove himself and the only way to do that was to get beaten up a lot and then come back and win. That might work a bit better if we hadn’t seen it so many times, but I never bought the title being in jeopardy. But at least we know that Moxley is indeed, awesome and tough.

Post match Moxley is rather pleased. And don’t forget tough.

We recap the Clockwork Carnage match for the World Title. So it’s basically an eight man Royal Rumble and if you survive all of the entrances, you advance to a 15 minute Iron Man match with the most falls leaving as World Champion.

AEW World Title: Clockwork Carnage

Will Ospreay (one of eight entrants with three minute intervals) is defending and it’s Ospreay in at #1 and Konosuke Takeshita in at #2. They forearm it out to start and the fans are indeed behind Ospreay. Takeshita is sent outside for a slingshot forearm and some rather loud chops have him in more trouble inside (as the ring is sounding strange here for some reason). Ospreay is knocked outside for a dive from Takeshita and it’s Mike Bailey in at #3 (as the clock is already being trimmed, which is pretty normal).

Bailey and Ospreay double team Takeshita and kick him down for two but spend too long posing. That lets Takeshita knock both of them down and Ricochet is in at #4. An anklescissors sends Ospreay outside for the big running dive and Ricochet’s springboard high crossbody hits Bailey back inside. Bailey and Ospreay go up top with Takeshita, who superplexes both of them at once. Ricochet’s 450 gets two on Takeshita and Darby Allin is in at #5.

A quick Code Red gets two on Ricochet and a Coffin Drop to the floor hits Takeshita. The suicide dive hits Takeshita’s jumping knee but Ospreay takes Takeshita out as Kazuchika Okada is in at #6 (That would be the fourth entry with three minute intervals, meaning twelve minutes. We’re just over ten minutes into the match, so they’re certainly trimming time.).

Okada gets to clean house, including a dropkick to put Allin on the floor. Bailey comes back in to flip Okada off and the Rainmaker is countered into a sunset flip for two. Takeshita gives Bailey a heck of a wheelbarrow suplex and the Blue Thunder Bomb into Raging Fire gets rid of Bailey at 13:51.

Adam Copeland is in at #7 and finally catches Ricochet with a big boot as the fans sing the song. The spear misses but Copeland gets his knees up to block Ricochet’s shooting star press. Takeshita counters the spear into a Blue Thunder but Okada Rainmakers Takeshita for the elimination at 15:58.

An Oscutter gets two on Okada and Vertigo gives Ricochet two on Allin. Samoa Joe is in at #8 to complete the field (Joe, Ospreay, Ricochet, Allin, Okada and Copeland) and start us off on the 15:00 Iron Man section (with only pins and submissions counting). Ricochet’s suicide dive is sidestepped by Joe, who backsplashes Allin’s knee. The MuscleBuster gives Joe the pin on Allin with 14:27 to go.

Joe – 1 (for the sake of simplicity, I’ll only list points earned and will omit anyone with no points)

Joe dives onto someone on the floor and Ricochet is smart enough to pin Allin with 14:13 to go.

Joe – 1
Ricochet – 1

Copeland is in with a full nelson slam to Ricochet but gets caught with a Rainmaker to give Okada the pin at 13:48 to go.

Joe – 1
Ricochet – 1
Okada – 1

Ospreay’s Phenomenal Forearm hits Okada and Ricochet steals another near fall, with Joe pulling him to the floor. Stormbreaker plants Okada but Ricochet dives in for the save, with Ospreay breaking up the cover. A Styles Clash gives Ospreay the fall on Ricochet with 12:11 to go.

Joe – 1
Ricochet – 1
Okada – 1
Ospreay – 1

Allin Coffin Drops Ospreay for the pin with 12:06 to go.

Joe – 1
Ricochet – 1
Okada – 1
Ospreay – 1
Allin – 1

Copeland and Allin have a staredown (as commentary points out that it’s sudden death between anyone who is tied in the event of a draw) and Allin la majistrals Copeland for the pin with 11:28 to go.

Allin – 2
Joe – 1
Ricochet – 1
Okada – 1
Ospreay – 1

Copeland can’t believe it and misses a charge to the floor, leaving Ospreay to Hidden Blade Allin for a fall with 11:00 to go.

Allin – 2
Osprey – 2
Joe – 1
Ricochet – 1
Okada – 1

Ricochet and Ospreay slug it out in the corner until Ricochet’s super hurricanrana gets two. A running knee knocks Ospreay down again and a shooting star press gives Ricochet two. Ricochet beats up some more people on the floor (where a table has been set up) but gets sent to the apron by Ospreay with 7:00 left.

Ospreay charges into a boot but Copeland spears Ricochet off the apron and through the table at ringside. Joe and Allin fight on the floor and Okada drops a top rope elbow on Ospreay. A standing Spanish Fly gives Ospreay two on Okada and Joe plants Allin on the floor with 5:00 left. Joe walks away from the Oscutter and then does it again before grabbing the Koquina Clutch on Ospreay. Commentary is begging Ospreay to tap out, which he FINALLY does with 3:32 to go.

Allin – 2
Ospreay – 2
Joe – 2
Ricochet – 1
Okada – 1

Joe is looking rather cocky as he slowly beats on Ospreay. The MuscleBuster is escaped though and Copeland spears Joe for the pin with 2:09 to go.

Allin – 2
Ospreay – 2
Joe – 2
Ricochet – 1
Okada – 1
Copeland – 1

Another spear out of the air pins Ricochet with 2:01 to go.

Allin – 2
Ospreay – 2
Joe – 2
Copeland – 2
Ricochet – 1
Okada – 1

Another spear to Ospreay is countered into a small package for two as we have 1:30 left. The Hidden Blade misses and Copeland hits an Impaler but can’t cover. Instead he pulls himself up for another spear but Okada cuts him off. Okada gets speared down but Ospreay hits a Hidden Blade on Copeland and steals the pin with 3 seconds left.

Ospreay – 3
Allin – 2
Joe – 2
Copeland – 2
Ricochet – 1
Okada – 1

And time expires to retain Ospreay’s title at 32:05.

Rating: B+. There’s a lot to go through here. First of all, it was fun, and the drama at the end was good. The star power was absolutely there and it felt like a big match. You can also tweak it a bit with the amount of people involved in the second half. At the same time, I’m not sure if this felt like a pay per view main event. It feels more like a #1 contenders match and maybe that’s what it becomes later on now that it’s established. For something where they didn’t really have anything else ready, this was about as good as it was going to get and I did enjoy it, so well done overall.

Post match Copeland shows respect to Ospreay to end the show.

Overall Rating: B+. For a show with very little in the way of stakes or hype (again, not AEW’s fault given the circumstances), this more than over delivered. I had a good time with the show and while there were some matches that definitely could have been trimmed, it was a heck of a second tier pay per view. All things considered, this was a big hit and while it wouldn’t work every time, they escaped through hard work and a unique main event format. Solid show here, but they need to make the next one feel a lot more important.

Results
Megan Bayne/Lena Kross b. Sisters Of Sin – Divine Intervention to Hart
Don Callis Family b. Alex Breeze/Papi D/Rhys Maddox – Triple pin
The Dogs/Death Riders b. Conglomeration/Bang Bang Gang – Fastball Special to Colten
Motor City Machine Guns b. FTR – Dirt Bomb to Wheeler
Mercedes Mone b. Thekla – Mone Maker
Nick Wayne b. Chris Jericho – Small package
Young Bucks b. Don Callis Family – EVP Trigger to Knight
Persephone b. Queen Aminata, Hyan and Dani Luna – Moonsault to Hyan
Andrade El Idolo b. Tommaso Ciampa – DM
Hangman Page/Brodido b. New Level/Swerve Strickland 2-1
Jon Moxley b. Mark Davis – Bulldog choke
Will Ospreay won Clockwork Carnage

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Collision
Date: October 14, 2026
Location: Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Excalibur, Walker Stewart, Tony Schiavone

It’s the second, and shorter, half of the three hour AEW block this week and the last show before Saturday’s WrestleDream. There are still some spots left for the Clockwork Carnage match and that means we should be getting a focus on everything else on the card. Then again you never know around here. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

We open with the United Empire getting up after losing in Dynamite’s main event.

Renee Paquette asks Jon Moxley about another loss and he throws a bunch of stuff while making various noises. She kneels down next to him and asks what’s wrong. Moxley says he’s in pain but doesn’t know what kind anymore. Marina Shafir calms Moxley down, which isn’t likely to go well at home.

Clockwork Carnage Qualifying Match: Ricochet vs. Ace Austin

Ricochet backs him into the corner to start so Austin is back up with an armdrag into an armbar. Back up and Ricochet pulls him down for a face first trip into the apron. They get back inside with Austin firing off some chops but getting sent outside again. The big running flip dive takes Austin out again and we take a break.

We come back with the two of them fighting over a suplex until Ricochet is placed on top. The running anklescissors doesn’t work as Ricochet flips onto his feet so Austin grabs a suplex to leave both of them down. Back up and Ricochet wins a slugout before backflipping over for a German suplex. Ricochet has to bail out of a shooting star press and gets pulled into a swinging faceplant to give Austin two. That just earns Austin a running headbutt, followed by the Spirit Gun and Vertigo for the pin at 11:13.

Rating: B. Gah stop beating Austin so often! He has some very consistent performances but loses so often that it stopped mattering a good while ago. Hopefully they find something else for him to do besides be the Bang Bang Gang’s whipping boy, as he deserves a lot better than this. I get that Ricochet needs to be in the title match but there was no one else for him to beat?

We get a sitdown interview with the Don Callis Family, who don’t want to wait for the Young Bucks. Kyle Fletcher is ready to beat the Bucks again, with Kevin Knight agreeing. Callis himself loves that plan but the Bucks run in with superkicks and right hands to break that up.

Justin Roberts reads orders to cheer for the rather handsome Nick Wayne, who is here for a celebrating of his win over Chris Jericho at Grand Slam. He announces his win and pyro goes off, which goes so well that he does it again. A third attempt just brings out Jericho, with Wayne cutting the music off. Wayne throws us to a video on the match at Grand Slam, set to Superman by Five For Fighting.

Jericho isn’t surprised at the video leaving out a few parts, so Jericho shows his own video, complete with the low blows. So Jericho made a highlight reel of himself getting hit in the groin? What a weirdly specific theme. Anyway Jericho wants a third match, but Wayne says if he wins, Jericho has to apologize to him. Jericho is in, saying he wants to teach Wayne some things. Then Jericho kicks him low as this feud just keeps going.

Tommaso Ciampa is ready to take the National Title from Andrade El Idolo. Samoa Joe (Ciampa’s partner on Dynamite) is ready to win the World Title.

Hyan/Dani Luna vs. Persephone/Britt Baker

Luna is a British powerhouse who debuted at All Out. Hyan immediately knocks Persephone into the corner to start as Baker yells at Luna on the floor. Back in and Hyan pump kicks Persephone but Baker gets in a trip from the floor. That lets Baker grab a hanging swinging neckbreaker and we take a break.

We come back with Luna coming in to clean house, including a middle rope dropkick to send Persephone flying. A top rope superplex drops Baker and Luna powerbombs Persephone for two more. Everything breaks down and all four get dropped, leaving Hyan to spear Baker for another near fall. Persephone is back up to take Hyan down on the floor and Baker’s swinging neckbreaker gets two on Luna. Persephone’s belt shot almost hits Baker but they’re sent into each other instead, allowing Luna to grab a rollup to pin Baker at 10:31.

Rating: C+. Luna getting a win is good as she’s still brand new and was already 0-1 around here. She’s not exactly a top level star in the first place so her getting a pin here is a good thing. Persephone still doesn’t feel like a huge star but at least she’s around on television fairly regularly so she’s starting to feel more normal.

Post match the villains are back up for the beatdown but Queen Aminata makes the save.

We get a vignette for someone conducting music. That almost has to be Ilja Dragunov.

TNT Title/Clockwork Carnage Qualifying Match: Hechicero vs. Darby Allin

Allin is defending in addition to trying to qualify. Hechicero starts fast on the arm and neck, with a double arm crank and a knee to the neck working on both at once. With that broken up, Hechicero pulls him into a surfboard to get the legs in on the pain thing too. That’s broken up as well so Allin bites the hand and puts it down the post to strike away. Hechicero is right back up with a spinning faceplant onto the apron, with Allin’s face taking quite the crash.

We take a break and come back with Hechicero flipping him into a choke but Allin backflips out for the escape. Allin’s sunset bomb is countered into another choke, which can’t stay on long due to the ropes. Allin gets in a rollup, with his leg giving out after the kickout. The swinging backbreaker is countered into a crucifix driver to give Allin two. That’s enough for Allin to go up but the Coffin Drop is countered into a cradle, albeit after Hechicero rolls him all around the ring. Allin knocks him outside for a suicide dive and the standing Coffin Drop connects as well. Back in and another Coffin Drop retains the title at 14:11.

Rating: B. Allin was at his best here as it felt like he was trying to survive and as usual, it worked. Hechicero does all kinds of things that no one else even approaches and it was fun to see him torment Allin until the end. It’s smart to keep Hechicero’s appearances limited around here, as it makes his stuff feel that much more special.

Post match the Don Callis Family runs in to go after Allin so the United Empire makes the save. Kazuchika Okada takes Will Ospreay down but Adam Copeland runs in for a save of his own. Ricochet comes in and takes over but gets taken down by Konosuke Takeshita, who gets taken down by Samoa Joe. The parade of knockdowns continues and the big wild brawl wraps up the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Much like Dynamite, this was about trying to get as much stuff done as they could in the limited time they had to complete the build up. It worked as well as they could have done it here and again, not their fault after everything changed a few weeks ago. They’re pretty much banking everything on Clockwork Carnage though and hopefully it lives up to the hype, as otherwise WrestleDream is in big trouble. Nice enough show here, as it felt like a third hour of Dynamite for a change.

Results
Ricochet b. Ace Austin – Vertigo
Dani Luna/Hyan b. Persephone/Britt Baker – Rollup to Baker
Darby Allin b. Hechicero – Coffin Drop

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Dynamite
Date: October 14, 2026
Location: Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Excalibur, Walker Stewart, Tony Schiavone

It’s the first half of the double show bit again, as we have an hour of Collision tonight after Dynamite. That’s due to this being the last night before this weekend’s WrestleDream, meaning we need some rapid fire qualifying matches for Clockwork Carnage. That should be enough to carry things so let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Death Riders vs. Wardlow/Don Callis Family

Davis backs Garcia into the corner but Garcia goes after the leg. That earns him a shot from an interfering Doyle, who gets to face Kidd. Wardlow comes in as well and runs Kidd over so it’s already back to Garcia, who is knocked into the corner. Moxley is in to get shouldered down as well, with Wardlow doing it a second time.

Some stomping in the corner has Moxley in more trouble so it’s back to Garcia. This time he escapes a Powerbomb Symphony attempt and grabs the Dragontamer, which is broken up rather quickly. We take a break and come back with Garcia powering up for his dance and knocking Doyle down. Moxley and Davis come in to slug it out with Moxley hammering him in the corner.

Davis’ piledriver is countered into a quickly broken bulldog choke so Moxley hits a running dropkick to the floor. The suicide dive takes Davis out again and it’s time for the rapid fire clotheslines to Davis inside. Marina Shafir gets in one of her own and the Dragontamer into the Stomp gives Moxley two. Wardlow is back in and gets guillotine choked, which is broken up as well. Davis is left alone to blast Moxley with the clothesline and the piledriver finishes Moxley off at 16:08.

Rating: B. The ending was the latest attempt to make Davis feel like a threat to Moxley’s title and yeah it’s just not going to work. The match was good, albeit a bit long, with Wardlow being back and not really getting to stand out. It’s not the best idea to put him in there with two powerhouse partners as it takes away what made him feel special. Fix that up, and get him away from the Family whatsoever, and it should be a lot better.

Clockwork Carnage Qualifying Match: Adam Copeland vs. Josh Alexander

Alexander grabs a headlock to start as commentary again explains Clockwork Carnage (which does make sense, though it sounds messy). They’re quickly on the floor where Alexander takes over on the leg as we take a break. We come back with Alexander staying on the leg but running into a jumping boot to the face. They trade big forearms from their knees and then more from their feet, with Copeland getting fired up to take over.

Copeland knocks him out to the floor, followed by the Impaler back inside. Alexander counters the spear into some rolling German suplexes for two and the ankle lock goes on. That’s broken up and Copeland hits an exposed buckle, allowing Alexander to get in his own spear for two. Copeland is back up to knock him to the apron for a slingshot cutter but Alexander gets in a crotching on top. Copeland escapes a superplex though and drops him onto the turnbuckle, followed by the spear for the win at 11:17.

Rating: B-. It’s nice to see Copeland getting in the ring on his own, which doesn’t really happen that often. He’s gotten the tag run out with Cage out of the way and if you want him to, let him do one more singles run. He certainly has the standing and resume to make it a realistic chance and this is at least a step in that direction.

Post match Copeland says that Christian Cage broke three ribs and suffered a collapsed lung five minutes into the ladder match at All Out. Cage kept going in that match for the fans, who applaud him. Due to that, Copeland had to think about some things because he knows he’s aging out. The truth is that 2027 will be his last year in wrestling (the fans disapprove), which is why he has to go for the AEW World Title.

This brings out Don Callis and Brian Cage, with Callis saying he’s known Copeland his entire career. Callis says he needs to be the one who makes this kind of a decision about Copeland’s retirement. Cue the Family to lay Copeland out. Cue Konosuke Takeshita and the Conglomeration for the save. That’s a big story and Copeland’s last year in wrestling could be quite the big deal depending on which way it goes.

Clockwork Carnage Qualifying Match: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Brian Cage

They immediately go to the exchange of forearms and Takeshita hurricanranas him out to the floor. Cage is able to change places with him for the running flip dive and then drops Takeshita onto the barricade. Back in and Cage choke tosses him into the corner, followed by a sitout Alabama slam for two.

We take a break and come back with Cage powering out of a full nelson. A powerbomb and spinning kick to the face drops Takeshita onto the ropes for the 619. Takeshita gets in a Blue Thunder Bomb for two of his own, followed by a sitout powerbomb for two more. Cage catches him up top for a super hurricanrana and then the apron superplex, with Takeshita rolling through into Raging Fire. That sends Cage rolling to the ropes so they trade some hard clotheslines. Cage loads up the F5 but Takeshita slips out for a jumping knee to the face. A dragon sleeper makes Cage tap at 12:21.

Rating: B. This was better than I was expecting, with Takeshita getting to show that he can work with a power wrestler, which doesn’t seem to happen very often. At the same time, Cage looked better than I was expecting and this was one of his better matches in AEW. Good stuff here, even with the result not being in doubt, which happens in a lot of these matches.

The new United Empire (Will Ospreay/Mike Bailey/Brawling Birds/Andrade El Idolo) are ready for tonight and Saturday. Of note: we’re over an hour into the show and this is the first segment to not involve the Don Callis Family. Maybe space them out a bit?

Here are FTR and Stokely for a chat on the stage. Dax Harwood says being a champion is what matters to him (rather than his annoying wife or bratty daughter) and he wants a reason why they aren’t the #1 contenders. This brings out the Motor City Machine Guns, who respect FTR but want to be the best. Harwood mentioned beating the Young Bucks three times, but could FTR beat the Guns three times? We get an official challenge for a best of five series, with Shelley wanting to do the first match tonight. Stokely says they’ll do it at WrestleDream instead. At least it gives the Guns something to do for a change.

After Grand Slam, Hangman Page ranted about Swerve Strickland but Brodido calmed him down, telling him to focus on the Trios Titles.

Clockwork Carnage Qualifying Match: Myron Reed vs. Kazuchika Okada

Non-title. Okada backs him against the ropes for the slap on the chest so Reed comes back with some forearms. Reed sends him outside but Okada slides back in for a flapjack. Okada has to bail out of the top rope elbow, instead knocking Reed down again as we take a break. We come back with the top rope elbow hitting Reed and there’s the middle finger. A superkick into the hanging Downward Spiral gives Reed two, setting up the big dive over the top to take him out again.

Back in and Okada counters a Stunner into a Tombstone and they head outside. This time Okada gets backdropped on the floor, setting up another hanging Downward Spiral, this time off the barricade. Reed gets in a 450 off the steps but a regular version hits raised knees back inside. A quick poisonrana off the top plants Okada, who is up 12 seconds later for the Rainmaker and the win at 11:03.

Rating: B-. This was about what you would have expected, with Okada not seeming to take it seriously and popping up after one of Reed’s big moves at the end. There was absolutely no way that Reed was winning here so the match was more a waiting game until the Rainmaker. They could have done this in about five minutes and saved us a good deal of time.

Video on MJF, who was named #1 on the PWI 500.

New Level is told that Swerve Strickland had some family business to deal with but he’s sent a friend: comedian Mojo Brookzz. Cue Brookzz, who is very enthusiastic about being here.

Here are New Level, with Brookzz and Prince Nana, for a chat. Brookzz hypes up the match again the Good, The Bad and the Ugly, with Brookzz saying Bandido wears a mask for being ugly. Kofi admits that Bandido beat him last week but it’s going to be different at WrestleDream because it’s three on three. There are levels to this so THANK GOD for the NEW LEVEL! This was pretty nothing and Brookzz was more of a distraction than anything else.

Triangle Of Madness vs. Lena Kross/Megan Bayne/Mercedes Mone

Mone shoves Thekla in the face to start but Thekla starts writing around a bit to avoid a charge. That earns Thekla a string of shoulders in the corner and Bayne blocks a middle rope Codebreaker. Hart comes in and gets choked on the rope but a quick dropkick in the corner has Bayne in trouble. It’s already back to Mone and the villains take over as we go to a break.

We come back with Blue snapping off a headscissors but Bayne counters a headscissors into a buckle bomb. Mone’s running Meteora gets two, with Thekla making the save. That lets Blue get in a basement dropkick and Thekla gets to come in and clean house. A high crossbody gets two on Kross and Thekla slaps on the Muta Lock. Bayne breaks it up and gets caught in a guillotine choke but Mone gives Blue a Backstabber. Thekla runs Kross over for two so Hart gives Kross the mist. A double gordbuster and the Stomp gives Thekla the pin on Kross at 11:10.

Rating: B-. I’ll take this over a similar deal to the opener, as Thekla pinning Mone would have felt really basic. Instead Thekla gets a win over a monster, which is quite different than what she’ll have to do on Saturday. It felt like a fresher way to get to the title match, even if Thekla getting the belt back feels like a long shot.

Samoa Joe/Tommaso Ciampa vs. United Empire

Andrade and Ciampa start things off, with the latter quickly bailing into the corner to bring in Joe. That means Andrade gets his eyes raked over the top rope but Andrade fights back for a high crossbody. Ospreay comes in with a running boot to Ciampa and a step up moonsault for two. Andrade sends Ciampa outside for a slingshot dive and of course we pause for the weekly photo.

We take a break and come back with Ciampa avoiding a crossbody, allowing the tag back to Joe. The corner enziguri gives Joe two but Andrade’s running forearm puts Ciampa down. That’s enough for the tag back to Ospreay and the comeback is on. Stormbreaker is blocked and Joe trips Ospreay up before walking away from an Oscutter attempt. Joe drops a backsplash to quite the reaction for quite the near fall and it’s back to Andrade. The Koquina Clutch is broken up so Ciampa grabs Willow’s bell onto the belt to knock Andrade silly. Now the Clutch can finish for Joe at 14:11.

Rating: B. There is something about Joe and Ciampa that make them fun to watch. They feel like people out there trying to win a fight and that’s not something you often see. Joe isn’t likely to win the title on Saturday but he feels like a threat and that’s noteworthy in any match. On the other hand, assuming Ciampa gets a title shot against Andrade, not only does he feel like a threat, but he feels like he should take the title. You don’t want Ciampa to be “that guy who won one thing months ago and keeps losing, so give him this instead.

Post match Joe hands Ospreay the title as Andrade vs. Ciampa for the National Title is set for WrestleDream to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This show was a rushed effort to set up the Clockwork Carnage match and that was something that was going to have to happen. Between the Pac show and grand Slam, there wasn’t much time to get ready for WrestleDream. It’s not great, but it’s not on AEW whatsoever this time. This show had some good action, though it was mainly focused on one big match at WrestleDream. It worked well enough and it had to be done, so nice job.

Results
Don Callis Family/Wardlow b. Death Riders – Piledriver to Moxley
Adam Copeland b. Josh Alexander – Spear
Konosuke Takeshita b. Brian Cage – Dragon sleeper
Kazuchika Okada b. Myron Reed – Rainmaker
Triangle Of Madness b. Lena Kross/Megan Bayne/Mercedes Mone – Stomp to Kross
Samoa Joe/Tommaso Ciampa b. Will Ospreay/Andrade El Idolo – Koquina Clutch to Andrade

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Collision
Date: October 10, 2026
Location: Adidas Arena, Paris, France
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone, Excalibur

We’re still in Paris for the second half of Grand Slam, which should be quite the card. Dynamite already worked well enough and the Collision side has a big lineup as well. We have a Clockwork Carnage qualifying match, as well as Chris Jericho vs. Nick Wayne part two. Let’s get to it.

Here are is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Conglomeration vs. Death Riders

Tornado rules and Jon Moxley is on commentary. Yuta jumps Nightingale to start, which doesn’t seem to be quite fair. Yuta and Cassidy are left in the ring to trade rollups and a Stundog Millionaire has Yuta in trouble. Shafir comes in to go after O’Reilly’s leg and they pop up to a standoff. Nightingale is in to shove them together but Shafir gives her a rolling German suplex.

Back up and Nightingale takes Shafir out before getting into a chop off with Castagnoli. Yuta is up with a suicide dive to Nightingale and Castagnoli reverses Cassidy’s dive into a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker. We take a break and come back with O’Reilly surrounded and triple teaming him down. Yuta hits a big springboard dive to the floor but Castagnoli is sent outside with him. That leaves Nightingale to clothesline Shafir in the corner and then Pounce Yuta to the floor.

Back in and Cassidy Orange Punches Castagnoli and tries his own Swing, which is countered into the real version. Strong is back in with a backbreaker to Garcia but can’t hit one on Shafir. The Dragontamer has Nightingale in trouble but O’Reilly ankle locks Shafir at the same time. The women, both in holds, slap each other until both of them are broken up. Some running elbows in the corner have O’Reilly in trouble and a spike Neutralizer finishes him off at 14:36.

Rating: B. Rather hot opener here and that’s all you could hope for, even with the wacky rules. This was more about getting a bunch of combinations together and letting them have some fun, which is one of those things AEW does rather well. The teams can trade wins forever and it won’t do much damage, plus you had the women in here to mix it up a bit. Nice match.

Chris Jericho is ready to bring Collision to his cruise next month.

Chris Jericho vs. Nick Wayne

Rematch from Jericho beating him a few weeks back. Wayne jumps him from behind to start fast but Jericho (wearing beads around his neck to mock Wayne) fires off some chops. A backdrop puts Jericho on the floor for a dive but Wayne takes his sweet time getting up. That means a triangle dropkick off the apron and there’s the dive to put him down again.

Jericho goes some beads to a fan but gets caught with a Sliced Bread on the floor (McGuinness: “Or would you call that a Sliced Baguette?”). Jericho is right back with an AA onto the announcers’ table and we take a break. We come back with Jericho hammering away on top and snapping off a super hurricanrana.

It works so well that Jericho does it two more times and aw heck, let’s make it four. Jericho loads up the Judas Effect but charges into a running neckbreaker. Back up and Jericho hits a Codebreaker but the Lionsault is broken up. The Walls go on instead so Wayne bites the ankle to escape. A kick to the head and Wayne’s World finish Jericho at 13:19.

Rating: B-. Well, at least Wayne got the win back and that’s what he has been needing. Odds are this sets up a third match between the two of them and there is no reason for Jericho to go over there. The four hurricanranas were a cool moment, but the result is what matters here, as Wayne gets a pretty big win in front of a rather invested crowd.

Wayne is rather stunned by the win.

Kazuchika Okada wants in the Clockwork Carnage match.

Clockwork Carnage Qualifying Match: Lee Moriarty vs. Mike Bailey

Moriarty’s ROH Pure Rules Title isn’t on the line. Moriarty takes him down to start but gets caught with a hurricanrana. Bailey misses something off the top and gets pulled into a headscissors to slow things down. A hot shot and swinging neckbreaker have Bailey down again and we’re off to the crossarm choke. Bailey is back up to send him outside for a triangle moonsault and we take a break.

We come back with both of them being knocked down on the floor. They dive back inside and lock hands to strike it out, setting up an exchange or rollups for two each. Moriarty pulls him into the Border City Stretch, which is broken up just as fast as Schiavone runs through matches as fast as he can. Bailey gets up and kicks him down, setting up the Ultimate Weapon for the pin at 9:42.

Rating: C+. That’s a good example of a match where you didn’t have much in the way drama, as not only is Bailey a bigger star but he’s also an ROH champion, which doesn’t give you the best odds. Bailey was his usual self here, with a bunch of strikes and the cool finish. They had to hurry to get Bailey qualified though and this worked, even with another RO….oh you get the idea by now.

Post match Will Ospreay comes in to celebrate with Bailey.

Ricochet wants in Clockwork Carnage.

Swerve Strickland vs. Carlie Bravo

New Level and Shane Taylor Promotions are here too. Strickland starts fast by kicking him down and a basement dropkick gets an early near fall. An Octopus hold goes on and a string of neckbreakers have Bravo in more trouble. Back up and a quick Zig Zag lets Bravo hammer away, followed by the chinlock.

Strickland is right back up and hits the rolling Downward Spiral. The Promotions offer a distraction and pull Strickland outside, with Taylor himself taking out the New Level. A slingshot cutter gives Bravo two so Strickland kicks him in the face. The Swerve Stomp finishes Bravo at 6:42.

Rating: C+. Bravo got in a lot of offense here and Strickland’s win was delayed by the interference. If nothing else it’s nice to have Strickland win here so we don’t have to continue attempting to make the Promotions feel important. We’ve been there before far too often and there isn’t much of a reason to try it again at the moment.

The Death Riders are ready to work hard and keep going, with Jon Moxley being ready for Mark Davis at WrestleDream. Gabe Kidd wants to fight the Don Callis Family on Dynamite. Marina Shafir says the Death Riders are against the world.

National Title: Andrade El Idolo vs. Michael Oku

Oku, with Amira, is challenging. An early knockdown isn’t enough for Oku to get in his half crab so he knees Andrade down instead. That earns him the tranquilo pose in the rope so Oku knocks him outside. Andrade cuts off a charge with an overhead belly to belly into the barricade.

We pause for the photo, which allows Oku to get another shot and a photo of his own. We take a break and come back with Oku getting the rather enthusiastic half crab, which is broken up rather quickly. Oku hits a frog splash to the back but misses one to the chest. Instead Dia de los Muertos and the DM finish Oku at 8:17.

Rating: C+. Oku is a technically sound star but this was more about getting Andrade in the ring, which isn’t a bad idea. The good thing is that Andrade’s roll continues, though I’m more curious about how he’ll execute the World Title contract. It would be nice to see him do that after losing the title, though that only makes so much sense as you don’t want a #1 contender losing. Good enough match here, even without much time.

Post match Andrade holds up the contract and says he’ll defend the title every week. The catchphrase is loaded up but the lights go out and it’s Tommaso Ciampa interrupting. I’ve heard worse ideas. They shake hands and Ciampa kisses him on the cheek before hitting Willow’s Bell.

Sisters Of Sin vs. Kris Statlander/Harley Cameron vs. Megan Bayne/Lena Kross

For a shot at the Brawling Birds, who are on commentary. Kross, Bayne and Statlander fight to the floor to start and we get the opening bell. Cameron elbows Blue in the corner and Statlander is back in with a slingshot hilo. Hart breaks up Cameron’s half crab but Kross and Bayne are back in to take over. Bayne clears the ring and we take a break.

We come back with Statlander planting Hart for two but the Sisters’ double basement superkick gets two on Cameron. Kross and Bayne hit stereo Towers Of Doom and a dropkick/German suplex combination gets two on Hart. Statlander counters Divine Intervention into a double hurricanrana and Staturday Night Fever finishes Hart at 8:21.

Rating: B-. I do like some fresh blood in the title picture, even if it’s Cameron and Statlander as something of a random team. If nothing else, it’s better than having Bayne and Kross get another shot. The Sisters continue to be in the middle of the pack, as they’ve been for the better part of ever, Stardom titles or not.

Tag Team Titles: The Dogs vs. Young Bucks

The Bucks are defending and get jumped before the bell. That doesn’t last long as the Bucks are back with their high five bulldogs. The Dogs are sent outside for the suicide dives but Finlay crotched Matt on top. Nick is in with a flying clothesline to Finlay and it’s time for the rolling northern lights suplexes. The hanging Swanton connects for the Bucks but Connors is up with a running shoulder on the floor.

We take a break and come back with Matt hitting a dive on the floor but the big tag is cut off. A rolling tag works a bit better as it’s Nick coming back in to clean house. The top rope Swanton and elbow give the Bucks two each and a sunset flip into a German suplex has Finlay in trouble.

We’re off to the stereo Sharpshooters, both of which are broken up. Some superkicks only get the Bucks so far as Finlay clotheslines both of them down. The Meltzer Driver is broken up with a spear and a high/low gets two on Matt. The Full Clip gets two more with Nick having to make the save. A superbomb is broken up with a super hurricanrana and the BTE Trigger retains the titles at 13:28.

Rating: B-. This was in a weird spot as there is only so much you can do with a match that isn’t exactly in doubt. There was no way the Bucks were going to lose here, but at the same time, that’s how the match was set up. The match was more about the Bucks getting on the show and in front of the Paris fans, which was a perfectly fine way to go. Good enough main event here, Dogs aside.

Post match the Don Callis Family runs in to jump the Bucks before their title shot at WrestleDream. The Family stands tall to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. This was another good show, even if it didn’t feel as important as the rather awesome Dynamite. They are going to be going into a rapid fire build towards next Saturday’s pay per view and we’ll likely get that on the three hour AEW block next week. For now though, at least they gave the fans what they wanted and it was far from bad, even if it felt a bit more like a house show than anything else.

Results
Death Riders b. Conglomeration – Spike Neutralizer to O’Reilly
Nick Wayne b. Chris Jericho – Wayne’s World
Mike Bailey b. Lee Moriarty – Ultimate Weapon
Swerve Strickland b. Carlie Bravo – Swerve Stomp
Andrade El Idolo b. Michael Oku – DM
Kris Statlander/Harley Cameron b. Megan Bayne/Lena Kross and Sisters Of Sin – Staturday Night Fever to Hart
Young Bucks b. The Dogs – BTE Trigger to Finlay

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Collision
Date: October 3, 2026
Location: Truist Arena, Highland Heights, Kentucky
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, Paul Wight

We’re done with All Out and rapidly closing in on Wrestledream, with the schedule being a bit crunched because of the Pac tribute show from earlier this week. That should make for a bigger Collision here, as they don’t have a lot of time to waste with just two weeks before the pay per view. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

We run down the card.

Kofi is excited to be here and can’t wait to get going. Lee Moriarty says he’s been Pure Champion for 799 days and wants more respect. Kofi doesn’t get what’s wrong with him.

Kofi vs. Lee Moriarty

Non-title and Austin Creed is on commentary. Moriarty spins out of a hammerlock to start and we’re at a standoff. They trade a crossarm choke and Moriarty takes him over to the ropes for the break. Kofi sends him to the floor and teases a dive but bounces off of the ropes instead.

Back in and a leg lariat gives Kofi two but Moriarty plants him with a running DDT and it’s time for a breather on the floor. Moriarty bridges back on his neck and mocks Kofi as we take a break. We come back with Moriarty hitting a backdrop but getting knocked off the top. A tornado DDT and dropkick have Moriarty in trouble until he pulls Kofi into a triangle choke. That’s broken up and Kofi tries a springboard….I think crucifix driver but completely misses.

Instead Moriarty gets in a suplex so Kofi kicks him down and drops the double leg. Trouble In Paradise misses and Moriarty pulls him into a Border City Stretch. Kofi makes it over to the rope so Moriarty punches him in the head. Kofi’s choke has Moriarty in the rope, only for Moriarty to send Kofi head first into the buckle. A European clutch gives Moriarty two but Kofi is back up with Trouble In Paradise for the pin at 13:17.

Rating: B+. Yeah this was exactly what you would have expected, with two established talented guys getting to show what they could do. Moriarty can wrestle a technical match as well as anyone and Kofi is one of the most consistently successful stars of his generation. This was quite the opener and Kofi is quite a good addition to the roster.

We take a look at the Pac tribute show, which is still hard to see.

Commentary gives some thoughts on Pac, with McGuinness sounding close to breaking.

The Young Bucks talk about Pac and how helpful he was to them in Japan when they were starting out. You can hear the emotions here and Nick breaks down in tears.

Video on Will Ospreay vs. Kazuchika Okada at Grand Slam Paris, which was announced after All Out.

Commentary announces Clockwork Carnage, which is a rather complicated match involving eight wrestlers entering but possibly being eliminated until they’re all in. Once that is up, the remaining wrestlers have what is basically a fifteen minute Iron Man match and the most points win. So a Royal Rumble/Iron Man hybrid?

Conglomeration vs. Solorato/Griff Garrison

Garrison gets taken into the corner for some double chops as Wight pops back onto audio to yell at McGuinness for muting him. Cassidy gets more fired up than usual and hammers away with about twenty five right hands in the corner. Comorato crotches Cassidy on top but Solo stops to do the Macarena. A tornado DDT gets Cassidy out of trouble and Garrison gets high/lowed on the floor. Back up and Solo tries a 21 Plex of all things, which is easily broken up. The Orange Punch finishes Comorato at 3:09.

Rating: C. This was a more serious Conglomeration than usual and that’s certainly a way to go, as Cassidy being serious might not be the best idea. I’m assuming this is in response to Strong being annoyed at the team’s recent loss so maybe they’re going in something of a different direction. Then again it’s just Solorato/Garrison so it only means so much.

Post match here are the Death Riders for their scheduled match and a staredown.

Bang Bang Gang vs. Death Riders

The Gang starts in on Yuta’s arm with some alternating shots before Austin gets pulled into the wrong corner. Austin fights back against Garcia and Yuta, meaning it’s time for the double fireman’s carry with the squats. Castagnoli breaks it up with a big boot though and we take a break. We come back with Austin hitting a brainbuster, allowing the tag off to Colten. That means right hands and a dropkick to take over, with Austin coming in for the still cool Quick Draw.

Everything breaks down and a step up clothesline to the back gets two on Garcia. Castagnoli’s powerbomb out of the corner gets two on Colten and it’s off to the six way slugout/knockdown. Marina Shafir and Juice Robinson tease a fight but Gabe Kidd breaks it up. The Gunns chase Kidd off but Yuta dives onto both of them. That leaves Austin to get crushed with running elbows in the corner, with Shafir getting in a shot of her own. The running knee and Dragontamer finish Austin at 12:20.

Rating: B-. Hey look: Austin takes the fall in a match with the Gunn Club there to do it instead. For the life of me I do not get why Austin has to take so many losses but here we are again. Other than that, it was a good enough tag match and a way for the Riders to get a regular win after their big showcase on Wednesday.

Darby Allin talks about how things have been put into perspective and he thought Steven Borden’s career was over at All Out. The Tag Team Titles will still be waiting for them though and it’s time to focus on the TNT Title. Kyle Fletcher never lost it so Allin wants to give him a title shot at Grand Slam so Allin can feel alive.

Myron Reed vs. Dante Martin

They trade rollups to start as McGuinness and Wight have what sounds like a less than playful exchange on commentary. Martin knocks him outside and rolls through a slingshot sunset flip attempt. Reed is right back up with a dropkick and we take a break. We come back with Reed hitting the hanging Downward Spiral from the apron to the floor. Marin is back up for the suicide shove but Reed tries the running diving cutter. The term is try as Martin blocks it and reverses into a poisonrana on the floor. Back in and Martin goes up for…something that takes so long that he dives into a cutter. Reed’s 450 finishes at 9:49.

Rating: B. It was a nice collection of flips and dives with the 450 being a cool looking finish but this felt like it would have been better suited for a middle of the show match on Ring Of Honor. Martin feels like he has been ready to move up to the next level for years now and there is no reason to suggest that is the case. Reed is talented but I have no reason to believe he’s going anywhere either.

Thekla tries to go see Mercedes Mone but can’t get an answer to a knock. Then Mone sneaks up from behind and knocks Thekla down. This has been “Mone is smart and her challenger is dumb”.

Megan Bayne/Lena Kross vs. Emily Rose/Joiya Blake

Divine Intervention finishes Rose at 46 seconds.

Post match Julia Hart comes out for her match and a staredown with Bayne/Kross. Yeah I saw them do that about thirty minutes ago.

Julia Hart vs. Queen Aminata

Hart gets headbutted out to the floor to start, followed by the Chocolate Kisses back inside. Hart knocks her down out of the corner though and Aminata is in trouble as we take a break. We come back with Aminata getting two off a stomp and putting her in a chair on the floor. That means a running double stomp to drive Hart through chair for a nasty crash and they go back inside. Back in and Hart gets in an Octopus, which is reversed into an Air Raid Crash for two. A Backstabber with the feet has Aminata in trouble again but she knocks Hart into the ropes. Off With Her Head finishes Hart at 9:13.

Rating: C+. They were hitting each other hard but this show has been on a streak of matches that do not feel even remotely important. You know where Hart and Aminata are at the moment and it would be ridiculous to think that either of them is going anywhere off of this win. Maybe Aminata can get a shot in Ring Of Honor or something but it’s not happening here, at least not in anything serious.

New Level are glad about what they’re doing so far and Kofi wants to be a singles champion. That means an official challenge to Bandido for Grand Slam, which is certainly a switch.

Jack Perry says he beat Katsuyori Shibata and wants Samoa Joe, who returned at All Out.

Samoa Joe is back and hopes that Perry can be man enough after the beating he’s going to get.

Adam Priest vs. Mark Davis

Davis chops him down to start but Priest is able to get in a knockdown to the floor. A dragon screw legwhip over the rope has Davis in trouble but he’s able to run Priest over as we take a break. We come back with Priest taking out the leg and hitting a top rope DDT. Another twist of the knee has Davis in trouble but it’s too early for the half crab. And then the half crab goes on to have Davis screaming quite a bit. That’s broken up and Priest goes after the leg again but gets pulled into the piledriver to give Davis the pin at 8:39.

Rating: C+. This show has turned into ROH Collision as you’re getting longer matches with zero doubt about who wins. At the same time, and really far worse, is that neither of these two are going to have anything changed with the result. Davis beat someone he should beat and Priest lost to someone he should lose to. That’s been the case with most of the matches this week and it’s making for a very dull watch.

Queen Aminata is told she might get a title shot and says she’ll face Mercedes Mone at Grand Slam. Then she can go on to WrestleDream to beat Thekla up.

Grand Slam rundown.

Jon Moxley vs. Jake Doyle

Non-title Eliminator Match. They start slowly and Moxley can’t get very far by running into Doyle. A running shoulder doesn’t work but the second is more successful for Moxley. Back up and Doyle powers him into the corner but Moxley reverses and hammers away. A running shoulder sends Moxley off the apron and into the barricade and we take a break.

We come back with Moxley in trouble on the floor and a ridiculously slow count, which allows Moxley to sit down next to the post for a few moments. Back in and Moxley wins a slugout, even throwing in some kicks to the leg. The rebound lariat hits Doyle and a cutter sends him outside for a suicide dive. Back in and Doyle tries a powerbomb but gets his face bitten instead. A piledriver just wakes Doyle up and he powerbombs Moxley for two. Back up and Doyle tries Into The Void but gets pulled into the rear naked choke to give Moxley the win at 13:19.

Rating: B. That was exactly what I was expecting, with Moxley selling a bunch and then winning in the end. The match was good and all, but the result was exactly the same as it so often is with Moxley and that makes for a tedious watch. Moxley being there made it feel more important than the rest of the show but dang this did not come off like a main event.

Overall Rating: C+. This really did feel like a Ring Of Honor show, with a bunch of people having matches to fill in the time. A few of them might be building to something, but so many of the matches felt like background noise while commentary announced matches for the two upcoming shows. You have a live television show with the wrestlers there so make this more like this week’s Dynamite. The wrestling was good but the presentation didn’t work, which made this feel very, very long.

Results
Kofi b. Lee Moriarty – Trouble In Paradise
Death Riders b. Bang Bang Gang – Dragontamer to Austin
Myron Reed b. Dante Martin – 450
Megan Bayne/Lena Kross b. Emily Rose/Joiya Blake – Divine Intervention to Rose
Queen Aminata b. Julia Hart – Off With Her Head
Mark Davis b. Adam Priest – Piledriver
Jon Moxley b. Jake Doyle – Rear naked choke

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

Dynamite
Date: September 30, 2026
Location: Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

These things never get easier. Unfortunately this is another tribute show to a fallen wrestler, as Pac tragically passed away over the weekend, less than twenty four hours after wrestling at All Out. I would be surprised if there is much of anything in the way of regular storyline development here and that is absolutely fine in this case. The rules are basically out the window with this kind of a show and that’s how it should be. Let’s get to it.

In Memory Of Pac.

Excalibur is alone on commentary to start and reads a tribute to Pac and you can hear his voice breaking as he talks about things Pac cared about.

Tony Schiavone is in the ring with a photo and wreath for Pac, who he says taught them all a lot. Pac taught them about how you could be a bastard (which he uses in a friendly way) to some people and part of a family elsewhere. You can learn to be friendly to everyone, which is what Pac taught us.

We go to a clip from after All Out, with Jon Moxley talking about how he gave everything he could and you just have to keep getting up. There’s nothing better than this and every day is a gift. There are two kinds of eulogies: some about who you were and some about what you did. Moxley wants to be the former and he and Will Ospreay have wrestling in the palm of their hands. He gets up and leaves with the Death Riders following him, with Pac the last one to leave. That was about as haunting as you could get.

Back in the arena, the locker room is on stage for a ten bell salute.

Continental Title: Jon Moxley vs. Orange Cassidy

Moxley is defending and Pac’s chair is left sitting in its usual spot as he walks to the ring. You can tell Cassidy is shaken up here and Excalibur sounds on the verge of tears. The bell rings and Cassidy pauses for a second before Moxley grabs a hammerlock, sending Cassidy to the ropes. An armdrag sends Moxley into the ropes and they trade some quick near falls. Moxley tries the bulldog choke, sending Cassidy straight over to the rope. Back up and Cassidy is sent out to the floor and we take a break.

We come back with Moxley getting two off a delayed piledriver. Moxley hammers away in the corner but gets sent into the buckle for his efforts. That doesn’t last long for Moxley, who knocks Cassidy down, meaning it’s time to roll around a lot. Moxley finally catches him but Cassidy pops up for a high crossbody. Cassidy goes up top and this time it’s Moxley rolling away, which is rather rather clever.

The Orange Punch connects, with Moxley popping off a cutter to leave them both down. Back up and they trade the lazy kicks, with Moxley teasing the hands in the pockets but flipping Cassidy off instead. The Stundog Millionaire hits Moxley but he’s right back with a big clothesline. The Brutalizer is blocked so Cassidy tries his own, which is blocked as well. A Stomp and Death Rider retain the title at 17:17.

Rating: B. This was a good, hard hitting match between two people who were associated with Pac in different ways. Slipping in some of Pac’s moves was a great touch and you could feel the emotions from both of them. That’s how this match should have gone and it was a nice moment between two guys who are probably wrecks.

Post match Moxley sits up…and here is a rather somber looking Bryan Danielson. He gets in the ring, looks at Moxley, and breaks into tears for the big hug.

Hangman Page talks about getting to know Pac and how much Pac cared about everyone.

Don Callis Family vs. The Elite

Eight man tag (RPG Vice/Kyle Fletcher/Kevin Knight for the Family) and yeah that’s quite the reunion. The Family jumps them to start fast but get beaten up by the Bucks, with the flipping neckbreaker/backbreaker combination putting Fletcher down. The Bucks pose but get taken down by Romero, only to get stared at by Page.

Romero is surrounded before the Elite clears the ring for a four man Rise Of The Terminators. Naturally that means a quadruple dive and quadruple right hands in the corner. Fletcher breaks up More bang For Your Buck and Strong Zero gets two on Nick with Matt making the save. The Family clears the ring and we take a break.

We come back with Matt fighting out of trouble and grabbing the rolling northern lights suplexes. It’s back to Page to clean house, with a running shooting star press getting two on Knight. Omega gets the tag and fires off the Snapdragon as everything breaks down. Another Strong Zero is broken up with some superkicks, followed by a Buckshot Lariat/V Trigger combination. The One Winged Angel finishes Trent at 14:01.

Rating: B-. This was about having a special treat for the fans with the Elite getting back together. Like them or not, they’re the core group of AEW and having them back together is a big moment. I doubt it leads to some full time reunion, but as a way to give the fans something memorable on a night like this, it worked well.

Cash Wheeler and Jay White offer tributes.

Renee Paquette reads a statement from Pac’s family and has some trouble getting through parts of it.

Here are New Level and Swerve Strickland (with Austin Creed in tears) to lay the Trios Titles down and put a Pac towel over them (as Pac held the titles for more combined days than any individual person).

Ricochet talks about basically living with Pac in Japan and how they had known each other for such a long time.

Ricochet vs. Will Ospreay

Non-title. They both kneel in the middle of the ring and hug for quite the emotional moment. Ricochet takes him down to start and they trade some flips for an early standoff. Ospreay misses a charge in the corner and gets taken down by a springboard high crossbody. Back up and Ospreay knocks him outside for the slingshot dive. They get back inside with Ricochet taking over and getting in his own big dive.

We take a break and come back with Ricochet charging into an overhead belly to belly into the barricade. Back in and Ospreay hits the Kawada kicks and a DDT plants Ricochet on his head for two. A hurricanrana gives Ricochet two of his own and a middle rope Phoenix splash gets the same. Ospreay is back up with a super poisonrana so of course Ricochet sticks the landing. Ricochet’s poisonrana works about the same so Ospreay snaps off a poisonrana to leave them both down.

They get up and trade forearms until Ospreay flips him up into a Blue Thunder Bomb. Ricochet’s sitout powerbomb gets two more and he shooting star knees Page in the back of the head for a nice tribute to Pac. The shooting star press gives Ricochet two but Ospreay is right back with a Styles Clash. A Hidden Blade connects and Ospreay looks up, with the fans knowing what’s coming. The Black Arrow (with the camera showing the Pac graphic in a great visual) finishes Ricochet at 16:13.

Rating: B+. You knew what you were going to get coming in and that’s exactly what it was. This was all about being a tribute to Pac with both of them using his offense, including Ospreay in the end. They were trying to honor their friend and it was a heck of a match between two people who know exactly how to do this style. Rather great stuff.

Post match the seconds come in as Ospreay breaks down in tears. Ospreay and Ricochet share a big hug.

Will Ospreay talks about being told he was similar to Pac and it couldn’t have been a bigger compliment. Then he got to meet and work with the real Pac, who was such a great person.

Hyan/Marina Shafir/Thunder Rosa vs. Britt Baker/Persephone/Mercedes Mone

Shafir comes to the ring in a jersey which I’m assuming has some kind of a tie to Pac. Persephone headlocks Hyan to start with Hyan getting out and hitting a big boot. Rosa comes in and gets caught with a basement dropkick for two. That’s shrugged off and Shafir comes in for a 619 into a headscissor driver to plant Persephone on the apron as we take a break.

We come back with Rosa in trouble and getting Meteoraed by Mone. Persephone comes in for a chinlock with a knee in the back but Rosa is up with a knockdown. It’s back to Shafir, who strikes and throws Mone without much trouble. Everything breaks down and a spear hits Shafir and Baker adds a Stomp. Lockjaw is loaded up but Shafir flips Baker into the Brutalizer for the tap at 10:57.

Rating: B-. Shafir winning was almost a guaranteed result and that’s not a bad thing. She was clearly close with Pac and rarely gets in the ring so let her have the moment like this. Much like the rest of the show, the wrestling wasn’t the point here, as this was about having Shafir get in the tribute ending.

Swerve Strickland talks about meeting Pac and immediately knowing how great he was. He misses Pac already and always will.

Darby Allin talks about fighting Pac on a golf course and hopes they can fight there again someday.

Don Callis Family vs. Death Riders

Wardlow is here as the newest (I think?) member of the Family (teaming with Jake Doyle/Josh Alexander/Mark Davis/Lance Archer). The Riders come to the ring and do their circle around Pac’s chair and Jon Moxley sits in on commentary so the Riders need a fifth man. That would be…..freaking BRYAN DANIELSON, wrestling his first match in nearly two years (well, save for an 8 second pin over Max Caster last June but I think we can let it slide.

The big brawl is on to start with Yuta giving Doyle a basement dropkick and not covering. We settle down to Garcia getting caught in the wrong corner but he fights out for the tag to Kidd. After Kidd rams his own head into the buckle, he gets pulled into a quickly broken chinlock. Castagnoli comes in to drop Alexander over the top rope and it’s the Swing as everything breaks down.

Wardlow Samoan drivers Yuta and we take a break. We come back with Yuta fighting out of trouble and hitting a missile dropkick. Danielson gets the tag and fires off right hands into the YES Kicks. Alexander pulls Danielson into an ankle lock, which is broken up rather quickly. Castagnoli’s springboard uppercut drops Wardlow and we hit the parade of knockdowns.

Danielson gets in the big kick to the head and it’s Garcia coming in to strike away at Doyle. Yuta and Danielson hit stereo running knees Shafir gets caught by Archer, who is triangle choked over the top. Garcia gets in his dance and the Riders hit about 20 running clotheslines to Doyle in the corner. The Dragontamer with a Stomp from Castagnoli is enough to pin Doyle at 15:23.

Rating: B. Same as everything else on the card here as the wrestling wasn’t the point. Having the Riders win was the only way to go and Danielson being out there was a great surprise. He’s kind of the “in case of emergency” wrestler for AEW and again, this isn’t exactly a regular show so going outside of the regular rules is perfectly fine.

Post match we get the big hugs from the Riders and Danielson.

And now we close it up with the big tribute video, taking us through the history of Pac’s career, including his time on the indies and then AEW, looking at Death Triangle and the Death Riders. We see clips of him with Brodie Lee and the Butcher, along with some narration, including Jon Moxley’s eulogies line from earlier. Pac says until we meet again to wrap it up.

We get one final shot of the chair with the Death Riders and Danielson in the background to end the show. That’s as emotional and gutwrenching of a moment as I’ve seen in wrestling in a long time. I know everyone is messed up over this in the first place but AEW could not have done this better.

Overall Rating: A. What else is there to say? This show was designed to pay tribute to Pac and they did that about as perfectly as could have been done. This was pretty much just raw emotion and grief throughout the night as a lot of the people probably still haven’t processed what happened. Pac was a part of this company’s (and the industry’s as a whole) family and it is never easy to lose someone like that. This was an incredible spectacle as they basically stopped everything else to get us here, which is how it should have been. Pac will be missed very much and this show explained why. Absolutely outstanding.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Orange Cassidy – Death Rider
Elite b. Don Callis Family – One Winged Angel to Beretta
Will Ospreay b. Ricochet – Red Arrow
Marina Shafir/Hyan/Thunder Rosa b. Britt Baker/Persephone/Mercedes Mone – Brutalizer to Baker
Death Riders b. Don Callis Family – Stomp to Doyle

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

All Out 2026
Date: September 26, 2026
Location: Now Arena, Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone

It’s the sequel to the biggest show of the year (in case you couldn’t tell by the name) and we have a pair of huge matches on top of the card. That would be a ladder match (tables and chairs implied) for the Tag Team Titles and Will Ospreay defending the World Title against Jon Moxley. Let’s get to it.

In today’s “AEW Needs To Stop”, I just spent 20 minutes watching the Buy In (where matches have aired at least the last two editions) on their YouTube channel expecting to get to the matches (as listed in the chapters on said YouTube channel) and then realized it was just the talking one. I need to watch the OTHER pre-show, the Tailgate Brawl. Stop making this more complicated than it needs to be.

Pre-Show: Jack Perry vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Shibata takes him down with a headscissors so Perry headstands his way out. Back up and Shibata allows him to fire off some chops, with a bigger chop putting Perry down. They go outside for more Shibata chops and we take a break. We come back with Perry uppercutting him into the corner and pounding him down.

A running boot sends Shibata out to the apron and Perry suplexes him on the floor. Back in and Perry pulls him into the Snare Trap but Shibata rolls out and fires off some kicks to the chest. Perry dropkicks him down and gets two off a tiger driver. Shibata gets in some more chops and tries a sleeper, with Perry backflipping into a cradle for the pin at 9:14.

Rating: C+. This was Perry working his way up through the Opps to Samoa Joe, which isn’t a big stretch as the team other than Joe is hardly top level opposition. The match could have been on pretty much any edition of Collision with the same result and that’s about what you would want on a pre-show. Perry winning was never really in doubt and that’s ok for a match like this. It was little more than a hill to climb and Perry did fine.

Post match Samoa Joe comes back and Perry wants a handshake but gets headbutted instead.

Pre-Show: Sisters Of Sin vs. Mina Shirakawa/Queen Aminata

This was teased on TV earlier this week due to a brawl after a singles match. Hart fights out of Shirakawa’s early headlock but gets rolled up for a quite two. Blue (the hometown star) comes in to take over on Aminata, who is right back with the Chocolate Kisses. Shirakawa is back in and gets DDTed as we take an early break.

We come back with Shirakawa fighting back and hitting a top rope Codebreaker to Hart. The Figure Four goes on to Blue, with Aminata adding a top rope double stomp. Hart makes the save and the Sisters get in some stereo submissions, which are broken up as well. Aminata gets in a fisherman’s neckbreaker to Blue but Hart pulls Aminata off the apron. That leaves Blue to grab a quick Code Blue for the pin at 9:54.

Rating: C+. It’s another perfectly fine match to keep the crowd going and having the hometown star win is fine. Naturally Shirakawa took the fall because that’s what she does most of the time. I’m still not sure how this is the best use of her AEW can find but at least she was on the show.

Pre-Show: Bang Bang Gang vs. The Dogs/Death Riders

Texas Tornado rules and both teams have football gear, including helmets and shoulder pads for the villains. They go down into three point stances and the bell rings to start the fight. Finlay gets caught in the corner and caught with some running forearms. White chops Finlay outside, where we run a football play so Connors, in his football pads, can run people over.

We take a break and come back with White getting crushed in the corner over and over to knock him silly. Don’t worry though as Austin has a football and gets in a three point stance to run down the ramp and take the other team out. Austin gets inside for a running flip dive right back to the floor.

White gets the football and flip dives onto the pile at ringside, leaving Finlay alone in the ring against the entire Gang. We pause for a brawl between Marina Shafir and Juice Robinson, allowing Finlay to hit Austin in the head with a football helmet. The parade of knockdowns leaves almost everyone down until the Blade Runner pins Yuta at 11:55.

Rating: B-. Of all of the football themed matches I’ve seen over the years, this has been the most recent. The idea of tying it into the pre-show’s name was pretty unnecessary for teams who have had such issues, but if this means I don’t have to see the Dogs for the rest of the night, I’ll take what I can get. And the Gang actually won something!

And now, the show proper.

The opening video looks at both Chicago and the show’s main matches.

National Title: Pac vs. Andrade El Idolo

Andrade is defending and the fans seem to like him. An early Dia de Los Muertos gets two on Pac, who can’t get a crossface. Pac flips out of a running hurricanrana and they trade running boots to put each other down. Back up and Pac suckers him in off a handshake attempt but gets high crossbodied for two. The third Amigo is broken up so Andrade goes with a dropkick to the floor instead.

The slingshot dive to the floor is kicked out of the air though and Marina Shafir gets in some stomps. Pac sends him into the barricade but Andrade fights back as they go up top. Back in and the double moonsault gives Andrade two but he takes WAY too long loading up the running knees, allowing Pac to grab a suplex into the corner. A slingshot cutter gives Pac two more and they trade forearms, with Andrade getting the better of things.

Now the Three Amigos can work a bit better, allowing Andrade to take his pants off. The springboard corkscrew dive hits Pac on the floor but we pause for the photo…which is broken up by Shafir. Pac gets in a cheap shot so a 450 can connect for two back inside. Andrade hits him with a big Dia de Los Muertos so Pac rolls outside. That means a whip into the barricade to put Andrade in more trouble. The Black Arrow misses so Shafir offers a distraction, allowing Pac to hit his big running clotheslines. The Brutalizer goes on, with Andrade rolling him up for the pin to retain at 18:39.

Rating: B+. Yeah this was as fired up and impactful as you would have expected, with Andrade getting a big pay per view win on his way to getting his World Title shot. Pac was a good choice for a challenger as well, as he was able to offer a good challenge without losing much by not winning the title. Rather good opener here in a match that lived up to its high expectations.

We recap the Don Callis Family vs. Steven Borden/Darby Allin. The Family is trying to become a more cohesive in an effort to get some gold, while Allin seems to want to turn Borden into another version of his partner in Sting.

Don Callis Family vs. Steven Borden/Darby Allin

For a future Tag Team Title shot. Fletcher wants to start with Borden and powers him up against the rope. Borden fights out of the corner with Allin coming in as well to clear the ring out. Knight comes in and gets armdragged into an armbar, followed by a dropkick to send Knight into the ropes. It’s off to Allin for the rather high springboard armdrag but Knight knocks him into the corner.

Fletcher kicks Allin off the apron and then powerbombs him onto the steps for a nasty crash. Back in and Allin tries a sunset flip but Knight tags out, allowing Fletcher to get in a quick kick of his own. Allin gets over to the corner for the tag, which the referee doesn’t see thanks to a Knight distraction. The Family gets sent into each other though and now the tag brings in Borden to clean house. That doesn’t last long as Borden is knocked outside and sent into the barricade, leaving Allin to come out with the dive.

Knight clotheslines him right back down and ties Allin in the Tree Of Woe, meaning it’s time to load up the Coast To Coast. Borden gets up to save Allin and climbs up for a top rope staredown with Knight (uh oh). They springboard at each other and collide (which wasn’t helped by Borden jumping way before Knight, with Borden slamming his head into the mat and knocking himself cold. The doctor comes in and the referee stops the match, with the Family winning at 12:25.

Rating: B-. I’ll wait to hear how Borden is doing before going into a rather lengthy rant about how utterly idiotic it is to allow someone who hasn’t even been wrestling for a year to do that kind of a spot. Anyway, Borden continues to look fine in limited doses (that dropkick is very good) but he’s still in over his head. Allin doing most of the work for his team is the right way to go, though I’m not wild on a former World Champion spending so much time trying to bring up the son of a legend on TV every week.

Commentary gets rather serious, as they should after this kind of an ending. This also serves as a way for Borden to get out of the arena, likely on a stretcher.

Persephone has issued an open challenge for the TBS Title.

TBS Title: Persephone vs. ???

Persephone, with Britt Baker, is defending against….the debuting Dani Luna (powerhouse, formerly from TNA). They fight over a lockup to start and an exchange of shoulders doesn’t go anywhere. Persephone grabs a belly to belly and gets in some rollups, only to get blasted by the rather strong Luna. A basement clothesline puts Persephone down again and Luna easily blocks a monkey flip attempt.

Baker pulls Luna outside though and Persephone hits her suicide dive. Back in and Persephone gets two off a northern lights suplex but Luna hits a middle rope dropkick. Luna puts her down again with a running boot and something close to a Blue Thunder Bomb gets two. They go to the apron, where Persephone gets in a German suplex before hammering away back inside.

A rolling Kimura has Luna in more trouble as the fans only seem so interested in this. Back up and they clothesline each other for a double down so Persephone rolls to the apron. Luna muscles her up with a German superplex for two more, followed by her Lunar Landing (fireman’s carry into a sitout spinebuster) but Baker makes a save. Luna dives onto Baker but gets taken down by Persephone, setting up the Razor’s Edge to retain at 13:41.

Rating: B-. The match was fine, but this had no business being on pay per view. Persephone doesn’t feel like a star and she’s defending against someone who a lot of the fans either don’t know much about or don’t care about. That’s not a recipe for a pay per view match and it shouldn’t be a surprise that it only got so far. The wrestling was fine, but it was a match between two people who only mean so much around here.

We recap Tommaso Ciampa challenging Kazuchika Okada for the International Title. Ciampa is stepping up and wants one of the best in the world so the title shot is on.

International Title: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tommaso Ciampa

Ciampa is challenging. Okada backs him into the ropes for the slap to the chest to start. That works so well that Ciampa does it right back to him, with Okada coming back with a knockdown of his own. Back up and Okada teases the middle finger, which sends us into an exchange of forearms. The running knee misses for Ciampa and Okada realizes he dodged a big shot there.

Ciampa gets in another knee to send Okada outside, where a knee lift knocks Okada off of the announcers’ table. A Don Callis distraction lets Okada elbow away in the corner and a neckbreaker puts Ciampa back down. Okada hits a DDT to send him to the apron, where Ciampa is able to get in some chops. The super Air Raid Crash is broken up and Okada dropkicks him head first into the post.

Ciampa is hung over the barricade for a DDT and it’s time to flip off Ciampa’s daughter (on her 8th birthday). The girl flips him off right back and Ciampa is up to unload on Okada at the barricade. Back in and Ciampa rolls some German suplexes before the Fairy Tale Ending gets two. Okada gets in the Air Raid Crash onto the knee, setting up the top rope elbow. The middle finger is extended and then bitten by Ciampa so Okada gives him a dropkick.

Ciampa pulls him up for a quick Project Ciampa for two so Callis gets off commentary for a distraction. The big screwdriver shot is cut off by a knee and the running knee gives Ciampa two. Ciampa’s Rainmaker is blocked and he misses another knee, allowing Okada to get in a tilt-a-whirl powerslam. The Rainmaker retains the title at 21:02.

Rating: B+. This was another awesome match and the kind that I was expecting when it was announced. Ciampa has been doing very well since he came to AEW, though there was no real reason to believe he was winning the title here. Okada still seems to be involved in the long running story with other members/ex-members of the Don Callis Family so this was just a rather good side trip. As a sidenote, good luck topping Ciampa’s daughter flipping Okada off, because that was just great.

Steven Borden is awake and alert and being observed. That’s good to hear.

We recap the Women’s Tag Team Title match. The Brawling Birds won the title last month in London so it’s time for a rematch with no rules.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Megan Bayne/Lena Kross vs. Brawling Birds

The Birds are defending in a Chicago Street Fight. Naturally the fight, including the weapons, starts on the ramp with the Birds taking over. Hayter throws in some chairs before setting up a table at ringside. They get inside, where Kross and Hayter are knocked down but manage to send the challengers into the open chairs. A double suplex drops Bayne onto a chair onto Kross but she’s fine enough to suplex Windsor into the corner.

Bayne sends a chair flying at Windsor and Hayter gets sent though the table at ringside. Kross holds Windsor over the ropes for the kendo stick shots from Bayne. Hayter is back up for the save and Windsor gets the kendo stick. Kross gets a trashcan put over her head for a missile dropkick and a double chair shot puts her down again. Back up and Bayne gets in her own knockdown, leaving everyone down and Bayne/Kross busted open.

Four chairs are put up so they can sit down and trade forearms, with the Birds being dropped for two each. Hayter gets up to kick away, only for Bayne to hit a double German suplex. It’s time to bring in a piece of the barricade, which takes too long, allowing the Birds to suplex Kross onto it instead.

That’s shrugged off and the Divine Intervention onto the open chairs gets two, with Hayter making the save. We get to the next natural step, meaning a barbed wire board being put up in the corner. That takes too long as well, allowing Hayter to Death Valley Driver Bayne through the board. The thumbtacks are poured out and Two Birds One Stone sends Kross into them to retain the titles at 17:40.

Rating: B. This was the kind of violent match that you would expect, though it ran a few minutes longer than it needed to. You had both teams beating the fire out of each other, with the Birds getting their win in what should be their match. It’s pretty much exactly what was expected and it went well, though dang I’m sick of the tacks spot.

Steven Borden is at the hospital and speaking, which is a good sign.

We recap the Trios Titles match. New Level debuted last month and joined forces with Swerve Strickland to win the titles. Now the former champions are getting a one on one rematch.

Trios Titles: Brodido/Hangman Page vs. New Level/Swerve Strickland

New Level/Strickland are defending. Kofi starts with Bandido, the latter of whom easily pulls him out of the air. They trade finger gun points to the face and Bandido dropkicks him down, leaving Kofi to stick the landing off of a monkey flip. That’s enough for a handshake so Creed and King come in for a change. Creed fires himself up and is promptly knocked down to the floor, with page getting in a shot from the apron.

Back in and Page comes in to kick Creed in the face, with Bandido adding a slingshot hilo. Strickland is up and goes after Page on the floor, with the old anger coming out again. That’s broken up and Strickland gets the tag in the melee to stomp Bandido down in the corner. An assisted moonsault gives Kofi two on Bandido and something like a Hart Attack gets the same.

Bandido’s comeback attempt is cut off by a backbreaker so he goes with a corkscrew crossbody instead. Page and Strickland almost get into it again, leaving Bandido to hit a pop up cutter. The tag brings in King to clean house, including a Death Valley Driver to Kofi on the apron. The Cannonball to Kofi gets two, with Strickland making the save. Now we get the Page vs. Strickland showdown, with the two of them slugging it out and going nose to nose, followed by, of course, more slugging.

Page is sent outside and Strickland hits a running flip dive to take him down again. Kofi kicks Bandido from the apron and Strickland gives Page a House Call to leave everyone mostly down. Back in and stereo Blockbusters give Page two and Creed chops away at King. Creed manages to fireman’s carry King, leaving Bandido to fireman’s carry Page and Kofi at the same time. Geez what a showoff.

King gets out and stacks Creed on top of the other two for a triple Samoan drop. Bandido moonsaults out onto the floor, followed by King German suplexing Bandido, who German suplexes the New Level at the same time. Creed is able to powerbomb King out of the corner and Swerve’s 450 gets two. Page is back up to stare Creed down but it’s broken up too, with everyone being knocked down. Page uses Kofi as a launchpad to hit the Buckshot Lariat but gets caught with a House Call. The 21 Plex is countered into Big Pressure to retain the titles at 23:59.

Rating: B+. As soon as this match was announced, you could guarantee two things. One, it would be a wild party match with no tagging and that Bandido would take the fall. Bandido losing on AEW PPV has become a running theme and now he’s getting pinned by the same person multiple times. Anyway, this was the crazy match you would expect and it was a blast, with tagging just being kind of a suggestion rather than a rule.

We recap Thekla vs. Willow Nightingale. It was seemingly designed to be a triple threat also involving Mercedes Mone but Mone is injured so let’s do a #1 contenders match instead.

Thekla vs. Willow Nightingale

For a Women’s Title shot at WrestleDream. Thekla sends her into the ropes to start but misses a charge. It’s too early for the Babe With The Powerbomb so they trade some rollups for two each. Back up and Nightingale Pounces her into the ropes but Thekla is back up to knock Nightingale off the top. The whip into the barricade has Nightingale in more trouble and Thekla gets to snap the fingers back inside.

A stomp onto Nightingale’s injured hand has her in more trouble but she’s fine enough to knock Thekla down again. The basement dropkick gives Nightingale two of her own and it’s off to a Texas Cloverleaf. With that broken up, Thekla is sent crashing out to the floor but she’s able to take over again. A big dive to the floor takes Nightingale down again and they trade some forearms. Since we’re actually having a count, they dive back inside at nine, where Thekla misses a stomp.

The Death Valley Driver gives Nightingale two and they both go up top. Thekla knocks her down though and a double stomp hits the bad hand. They both spider up and a clothesline leaves both of them down. Cue Julia Hart so Skye Blue can get in a belt shot to Nightingale, only for Hart to miss a belt shot of her own and hit Thekla by mistake. That’s enough to give Nightingale two so Thekla kicks her in the head. The Stomp gives Thekla the pin at 13:37.

Rating: B. Another perfectly good match which didn’t quite feel like it was a major pay per view showdown. I do like the idea of Thekla getting the shot as it means getting to hear her talk some more, though I don’t quite like Thekla’s odds in the title match. Nightingale gets to move on to something else, which won’t be a lengthy World Title reign because that’s not her style it seems.

We recap the Tag Team Title match, which has tables, ladders and chairs. Does the rest really matter?

Tag Team Titles: Adam Copeland/Christian Cage vs. FTR vs. Young Bucks

Copeland and Cage are defending in a ladder match and FTR’s British Tag Team Titles, which they just had to wear here, aren’t on the line. The brawl is on to start fast with Copeland and Harwood going outside to grab the first ladder. Back in and the champs take over, including bringing in the chairs. The Bucks set the chairs up and bulldog FTR onto them, with the champs getting back up and hiptoss Matt onto the chairs.

FTR grabs a ladder to beat on the Bucks, earning themselves dives from Copeland and Cage. Copeland goes up the ladder, which is cut off by a dropkick from Matt. The Bucks go up and are pulled right back down, meaning it’s time for the Bucks and FTR to take turns breaking up climbs. Nick gets a ladder dropped down onto him so FTR beats up the champions instead.

The Bucks get back up to take over, including monkey flipping Cage onto a ladder against the ropes. Copeland finds the really big ladder, which is bridged into a regular ladder. Harwood superplexes Copeland onto the bridged ladder and it’s time for more slugging. The tables are set at ringside with a backdrop sending Wheeler through one. Matt is sent onto another one, which doesn’t break. With that OUCH out of the way, Cage gives Nick a super Killswitch onto the ladder to leave him on another planet.

Copeland is back in to beat on FTR with a chair but Stokely throws powder at Cage. Stokely climbs a ladder and is shoved down, sending him crashing through a table at ringside for the huge crash. A spike piledriver onto the apron knocks Copeland silly and a Meltzer Driver on the floor does the same to Harwood. Copeland and Harwood are put on tables for stereo splashes from the Bucks, allowing them to go up.

Harwood makes the save (oh come on) and they all climb up for the six way brawl on the ladders. That’s broken up and a Shatter Machine hits Matt so Copeland and Cage chair FTR down. The Conchairto misses though and Nick springboards onto the ladder. Matt is back up as well and it’s a BTE Trigger to Cage, allowing the Bucks to get the titles back at 23:29.

Rating: B+. Well of course they did. The Bucks winning the titles isn’t exactly a major shock in AEW and it was either going to happen at All In or here. This was exactly what you would have expected, with a bunch of violence and carnage as the weapons were destroyed. If you liked TLC matches, you’ll like this and that’s about as much thought as I’m going to put into a match that has been done to death.

Wardlow is coming back. I’m sure it’ll be a smash.

We recap Will Ospreay defending the World Title against Jon Moxley. Ospreay came back from a broken neck (at the hands of Moxley) and won the World Title after Moxley helped train him. Now Moxley is getting a title shot.

AEW World Title: Jon Moxley vs. Will Ospreay

Ospreay is defending and Moxley’s Continental Title isn’t on the line. We get a special entrance for Ospreay, including narration, a live violin and what I believe is Assassins Creed gameplay footage. They stare at each other for a good while until Ospreay’s attempt at a single leg backs Moxley against the ropes. Ospreay goes for the arm and they grapple to the mat, with neither being able to get very far. A shoulder puts Moxley down so he grabs a headscissors, with Ospreay bouncing up for the escape.

Ospreay’s running hurricanrana sends Moxley to the floor and of course Ospreay is right there with a slingshot dive. Back in and Moxley bites Ospreay’s head on top, where a DDT brings him down onto the buckle. That’s enough to bust Ospreay open so Moxley fires off crossface shots to the head. A neckbreaker gives Moxley one and he snaps Ospreay’s finger. The piledriver gives Moxley two as the fans aren’t reacting that hard on the kickouts, likely knowing that the insanity is still to come.

Ospreay counters another piledriver to Moxley pulls him into an STF of all things. Ospreay is able to reverse a cross arm choke into one of his own, followed by a Phenomenal Forearm for two more. The standing corkscrew moonsault gets another near fall and yes indeed it’s time to trade forearms. Moxley has to block a Styles Clash and pulls him into a rear naked choke. That’s broken up so Moxley hits a Gotch style piledriver for two more.

The Stomp is blocked and Moxley can’t believe it, even as Ospreay strikes away and grabs a Styles Clash for two. The Oscutter gets two more so the Death Riders offer a distraction, meaning it’s time to brawl with the United Empire. A Hidden Blade hits Moxley but the referee is bumped somewhere in there. The Riders and Empire get inside to keep up the brawl so here is Andrade El Idolo to take Pac out.

A Paradigm Shift and Hidden Blade connect but Marina Shafir hits Ospreay with the briefcase. The rather slow count gets two on Ospreay so here are the Brawling Birds to go after Shafir. Hayter hits a big dive to the floor and everyone else brawls off. Moxley crosses himself and hits a big briefcase shot to Ospreay for two more. Two more Paradigm Shifts drop Ospreay for two so Moxley grabs his choke. Ospreay gets up and flips out of the corner for another Hidden Blade. Stormbreaker gives Ospreay two and Moxley starts laughing, only for another Hidden Blade to knock him cold and retain the title at 32:45.

Rating: B. This was a hard hitting match that you would have expected, with all of the interference and such bringing it down. It felt like something closer to a Jeff Jarrett or HHH title defense from way back in the day, which isn’t the best thing to see. Ospreay needed this win as it ties up his biggest loose end as champion and now we get to see whomever is next. Good match here, but tone it down with all of the interference next time.

Post match Moxley takes the belt from Ospreay and gives it back to him. Make up your mind man.

Overall Rating: B+. This show was going to have trouble getting out of All In’s shadow but it was more than good enough. The action was good and it felt like a big card, which thankfully didn’t feel like it was dragging. I liked it rather well and while it didn’t have any great matches, it had a bunch of very good ones and that’s more than enough for a solid PPV, as usual.

But cut out that two pre-shows thing. It’s just stupid.

Results
Jack Perry b. Katsuyori Shibata – Rollup
Sisters Of Sin b. Mina Shirakawa/Queen Aminata – Code Blue to Shirakawa
Bang Bang Gang b. The Dogs/Death Riders – Blade Runner to Yuta
Andrade El Idolo b. Pac – Rollup
Don Callis Family b. Darby Allin/Steven Borden via referee’s decision
Persephone b. Dani Luna – Razor’s Edge
Kazuchika Okada b. Tommaso Ciampa – Rainmaker
Brawling Birds b. Lena Kross/Megan Bayne – Two Birds One Stone onto tacks to Kross
Swerve Strickland/New Level b. Brodido/Hangman Page – Big Pressure to Bandido
Thekla b. Willow Nightingale – Stomp
Young Bucks b. FTR and Adam Copeland/Christian Cage – The Bucks pulled down the titles
Will Ospreay b. Jon Moxley – Hidden Blade

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6