So it’s time for Redemption and that means…I have no idea actually, as this show isn’t exactly feeling important. We are only a few weeks away from All In and AEW has made it clear that is the show that really matters. The thing is I’m sure the action will work and thank goodness it’s starting an hour earlier than Forbidden Door. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Trios Titles: Conglomeration(c) vs. Lethal Twist

This was added to the card on Collision this week and sure why not. The six man titles are a fine way to get a show going and the fans are going to get behind anything the Conglomeration does. It helps that the Lethal Twist are a regular team and it’s interesting to see an actual unit getting a chance like this. Granted they’re more regulars in ROH but it’s better than nothing.

There is no reason to believe that the titles are changing hands here so I’ll go with the Conglomeration retaining. It should be a nice seven to ten minute match to warm up the crowd and that’s what a Kickoff Show match is supposed to be. Just don’t do a bunch of them over and over and everything should be fine. But yeah for now, the champions retain the titles.

Tag Team Titles: Adam Copeland/Christian Cage(c) vs. Death Riders

The title reign has been kind of a weird one, but it still feels like we’re on the way to big ladder match with the Bucks at All In (possibly FTR as well). That leaves us with some not so thrilling title defenses, first with the Dogs and now this one. I’m sure the match will be fine, but it feels pretty thrown together without much of a story outside of the Riders attacking the champs.

At the end of the day, it’s Pac and Claudio Castagnoli challenging so I’ll say the champions retain. There isn’t much of a reason to believe that the titles are changing before All In, with the champions being set up for something bigger in just over a month. Castagnoli has been a jobber to the stars for a long time now and that is going to be the case for a good while, as he isn’t winning a title here.

International Title: Kyle Fletcher(c) vs. Bandido

It’s time to have Bandido face another singles champion on an AEW pay per view with almost no chance for him to win. As usual, the ROH World Title isn’t a factor here whatsoever, which is a great way to extend his title reign high up the ranks. I have no idea how Bandido is the only choice to take these losses and it’s not doing ROH any favors, but neither is a lot of the stuff done there.

So of course I’ll go with Fletcher to retain here, as there is no reason to believe that Bandido is going to snap his losing streak in these matches. The match will be rather awesome as both of these guys are outstanding when they’re given the chance, but that is only going to do so much good for Bandido when he keeps losing. Either let him win something or just don’t put him in these matches time after time.

Bang Bang Gang vs. Dogs

This is a double chain match and I continue to not get the appeal of the Dogs. It feels like a team I needed to watch for years in New Japan to really get as they’re just kind of there week after week. They’ve been feuding with the Bang Bang Gang for a few weeks now and that should at least lead to a good match. I’m just not sure why it needs to be in a double chain match.

The Gang is back to full strength for the first time in forever and Jay White needs the win to help establish himself a bit more so we’ll go in that direction. Hopefully the Gang is able to stay healthy this time around, as the injuries have just wrecked them. Let them get a win here, as I have no idea what the point is in boosting up the Dogs, who just don’t feel all that important.

Young Bucks vs. Will Ospreay/Jon Moxley

So here we have one of the bigger stories in AEW, as Moxley has seemingly poisoned Ospreay’s mind and turned him to the dark side, just as he is on the way to the World Title shot at All In. There is a grand total of zero reason to believe that Ospreay is going to go into the title match in his home country as a villain, so the question becomes when Ospreay turns on the Death Riders.

I don’t think it happens here though, as I’ll go with Ospreay and Moxley to win a heck of a fight, as the Bucks can do rather well in this kind of a match. For now though, they need to lose to show that Ospreay has gotten better under Moxley, though I’m not sure where that leads. The Bucks lose now though, as Ospreay has something much bigger going on for All In anyway.

National Title: Mark Davis(c) vs. Andrade El Idolo

Now we get to something that has me intrigued, as this could go in a few different ways. Davis is on fire right now and having the singles run of a lifetime. At the same time, there is something to be said about El Idolo being this good as well. I could go for seeing him win the title on the way up to the main event, though it really is a match that could go in either direction.

I’ll go with El Idolo winning here, but I really hope that Davis gets another chance sooner than later. He’s doing far too well lately to just be left by the wayside. For now though, El Idolo moving up is the right way to go. I could see some interference costing El Idolo the title, though I’ll go with El Idolo winning the title here, which is the best of the good options that they have.

Jack Perry vs. The Beast Mortos vs. Komander vs. Mike Bailey vs. Nick Wayne vs. El Clon

This is a ladder match (because of course it is) for a shot at the International Title at some point in the future. As usual, there are a few names who just aren’t going to win here and that makes things a bit easier. You can pretty easily write off Mortos, Wayne and Clon, the latter of whom I had almost forgotten even worked here. That leaves you with three potential winners and one of them stands out pretty strong.

The key here is that this show is taking place in Bailey’s hometown of Montreal. That is a pretty easy way to set him up as a winner and while it seems that the big match is Bailey vs. Knight (ok not really big but AEW is presenting it as important because they used to be partners, which apparently makes any match important). I’ll go with Bailey winning here, as it is such a natural fit.

Women’s Title: Thekla(c) vs. Willow Nightingale

This is where All In rears its head again, as Mercedes Mone is waiting on the winner at the biggest show of the year. Thekla is someone who has turned into one of the most entertaining stars on the AEW roster and it is fun to hear whatever insanity she has going through her head during any given week. On the other hand though, it’s asking a lot to have Nightingale lose again here, and that’s where this might fall apart.

With Mone set to challenge the winner, I’ll go with Nightingale winning the title here. I don’t want to see Thekla lose the belt here, but it’s hard to imagine Mone challenging Thekla for the title. We’ve seen Mone take a title from Nightingale before and I’m hoping that they don’t do it again. That means Nightingale has to win though, and I’ll say that’s what we get here.

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Chris Jericho

This is No DQ and the big deal here is that it’s the Painmaker version of Jericho, which he’s used….oh at least a handful of times. Jericho has already lost to Ciampa in the first place but it’s time to see it happen again. This latest run hasn’t been the most successful for Jericho from a win/loss perspective and he is getting close to actually needing a win, which is hard to fathom.

I just don’t think that win comes here, as Ciampa losing in the big gimmick rematch would take a lot away from him. Ciampa has gotten somewhere with this run and I would hope that it doesn’t come crashing to a halt here. This should be a good fight with two people who work well together. Jericho will put up a great fight, but it needs to end up with a losing effort.

TBS Title: Hikaru Shida(c) vs. Maya World

World got a heck of a push in the Owen Hart Cup, but she still hasn’t actually won anything. That creates a problem, as she has to actually get some kind of an accolade before it stops mattering all that much. Winning the title here would be a great moment, though it feels more like Athena and the Ring Of Honor Women’s Title are more her destiny. She does have a chance here though and that’s rather intriguing.

As much as I think it would make sense, I just can’t picture Shida actually losing the title here. She’s not the strongest champion in the world and having World win the belt here would be great, but I’m not seeing it happening. Hopefully they find something world World to do and it’s far from crazy to imagine her winning here. I’m expecting the win to be delayed again though, assuming it ever actually happens.

AEW World Title: Kenny Omega(c) vs. Kevin Knight

This is where I’m wondering if they have some kind of a swerve planned here, as while this might wind up as a great title match, it’s not something that feels like a major pay per view main event. I wouldn’t even be surprised if this didn’t headline the show, as it just doesn’t really fit in that spot. It doesn’t help that Knight doesn’t feel like any kind of a threat to winning the title, which would be the case even without All In.

So yeah there is no reason to believe that the titles is changing hands here, as Omega is already set for the big title match at All In. That’s what the majority of the promos have been about and it doesn’t feel like Knight is going to even give Omega a real threat. It’s rare to see the World Title match feel like the most obvious result but that is absolutely how it comes off here.

Overall Thoughts

The more I think about this show, the less interested I am in the whole thing. The thing to remember is that the show should be entertaining and the match quality won’t be a problem. AEW has long since proven that it can make any card work and I’m sure they’ll do it again here. This show still feels like Fully Loaded 1998 though and that could make for a rough night.

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

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Collision
Date: July 25, 2026
Location: The Pinnacle, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone, Paul Wight

It’s the night before Redemption and that means we have one final push to get us ready for the pay per view. It isn’t feeling like the most important card and hopefully this show helps us get the whole thing set. That could have a few different results and we do have some titles on the line this week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Tommaso Ciampa vs. Zachary Wentz

Ciampa knees him off the apron before the bell but stops to yell at Wight, who isn’t having that. Wentz gets in a shot of his own and sends Ciampa inside for a whip into the corner. The big flip dive takes Ciampa down on the ramp but he gets the knees up to cut off a Swanton. A handspring knee gets Wentz out of trouble and he strikes away before grabbing a German suplex. Wentz’s Blockbuster gets two and he fires off the kicks away to put Ciampa down. Ciampa is fine enough to knee Wentz out of the air for two and the Willow’s Bell drops him onto the ramp. Back to back running knees finish Wentz off at 6:55.

Rating: B-. As usual, any member of the Rascalz is capable of working with almost anyone else and Ciampa is more than qualified. It made for an interesting match and Wentz got in some offense before losing in the end. This was basically a way to set up Ciampa on the way to his showdown with Jericho tomorrow and the good thing is they didn’t spend too long and make Ciampa seem like he was having major trouble.

Post match Ciampa says he’s better than Chris Jericho and, after drawing some lines on his face, says the Psycho Killer is better than the Painmaker.

Mike Bailey is ready to win the ladder match in his hometown at Redemption.

Young Bucks vs. Death Riders

Jon Moxley is on commentary. Matt catches Yuta with a running spinwheel kick to start and the Bucks take them both down without much trouble. The right hands in the corner are broken up but the Bucks are back with a backbreaker/top rope double stomp combination. The rolling northern lights suplexes have the Riders down but they strike away at Nick to take over as we take a break.

We come back with Matt fighting out of trouble but he gets caught in a catapulted wheelbarrow suplex for two. Matt’s standing Sliced Bread gets him out of trouble though and it’s back to Nick with the double high crossbody. Yuta gets Backstabbered out of the corner as Moxley praises the Bucks’ athleticism. Yuta kicks away but gets dropped by some superkicks. More Death Riders run in for the beatdown on the Bucks so here are Adam Copeland and Christian Cage to cut them off. The slingshot X Factor to Garcia sets up the Meltzer Driver for the pin at 12:29.

Rating: B. They built up a few matches at once here, with Moxley praising the Bucks before their match and the Tag Team Titles getting a moment as well. I’ll take that over extended sequences throughout the night and as usual, the Bucks had their fun match. It’s hardly the most structured classic, but it works well enough for a spot like this.

Post match here is Will Ospreay for a distraction, allowing Moxley to lay the Bucks out.

Bandido and Kyle Fletcher got in a fight at Comic Con.

Persephone vs Angelica Risk

Non-title. They talk trash to each other to start and Persephone knocks her into the corner. The Razor’s Edge finishes Risk off at 1:27.

Athena and the Minions are ready to take out the Brawling Birds, though Billie Starkz is a bit lost.

Lethal Twist vs. Skyflight

Ricochet and Jeff Jarrett are both on commentary. Sydal and Lethal start things off with Lethal getting in a strut but walking into a hurricanrana. Sky comes in to send Johnson into a jumping knee from Darius. Everything breaks down and the Twist are triple dropkicked to the floor for a triple dive as we take an early break. We come back with Sky in the Tree Of Woe and getting stomped down. Lethal starts in on the leg as Jarrett shifts us into a chat about Redemption. Sky fights up and brings Dante in to fight back, including an enziguri to Johnson. Everything breaks down and they trade knockdowns until Ricochet offers a distraction. The top rope double stomp/Death Valley Driver combination finishes Dante at 8:46.

Rating: B-. It’s another fast paced and entertaining match though the idea of the Demand feuding with Skyflight is about as much of a downgrade as you can get. Skyflight has some talented wrestlers but they’re about as much of a losing team as you can get. That can change, but as of right now, it isn’t exactly working all that well for them.

Redemption Ladder Qualifying Match: Nick Wayne vs. AR Fox

Wayne jumps him from behind to start and stomps away but Fox fights back without much trouble. A neckbreaker is rolled through into a suplex to drop Fox though and they’re out to the floor. Fox fights back but gets sent into the steps for quite the crash as we take a pretty early break.

We come back with Fox grabbing an anarchist suplex on the floor before heading back inside. A Swanton gives Fox two but Wayne rolls him up for the same. They go up top, where Wayne’s super Sliced Bread gets another near fall. A kick to the head and a Falcon Arrow finish Fox off at 11:51.

Rating: B-. Fox has grown on me quite a bit week after week and I’m hoping that he gets a chance to do something better in the future. He can work with anyone and still make it exciting, though he is also stuck in the midcard loop. I’m not sure if Wayne is that much of a better option to go over here but he’s a more successful name at the moment.

After Dynamite, Darby Allin freaked out about how he didn’t go far enough with Kevin Knight. So how far is Knight willing to go now?

Trios Titles: Conglomeration vs. Outrunners/Dalton Castle

The Conglomeration is defending and the ROH Six Man Titles aren’t on the line, because for some reason we’re getting champions vs. champions. Magnum shoves Cassidy down to start before running him over with a shoulder. Everything breaks down and it’s a six way handshake into a six way brawl as we take a break.

We come back with the Outrunners ax handling Cassidy off the apron, leaving Castle to get double chopped down. Back in and Cassidy’s elbow hits Castle so Strong picks Cassidy up and swings him around. It’s back to Floyd (wearing his belt of course) to clean house and the Mega Powers Elbow gets two on Cassidy. Castle is back in and gets DDTed by Cassidy, who sits down on a sunset flip to pin Floyd and retain at 10:58.

Rating: C+. And there was no one to take this loss other than the ROH Six Man Tag Team Champions? I get that they’re the minor league but it’s always felt dumb to have the top ROH names treated as losers and then ask me to be interested in what they do. The company has so many wrestlers on the roster and they didn’t have a better choice than this? Really?

Post match the Demand (hey, there’s a team who could have challenged for the titles) and the Lethal Twist (same) run in for the beatdown, with Jeff Jarrett coming off commentary for the save.

Jack Perry wants the World Title but he’s ready to come after the International Title. Nick Wayne comes in to say he’ll be winning instead. Perry tells him to make the most of his chance.

Redemption Ladder Qualifying Match: Lio Rush vs. El Clon

Rush’s ROH TV Title isn’t on the line. Rush runs the ropes to start and bites Clon’s chopping hand. A clothesline drops Clon for two but he’s back up with some running shots in the corner. We take a break and come back with Rush running into a backbreaker to cut him off again. Rush kicks him to the floor and hits the weird suicide dive, setting up a springboard Stunner for two. Clon knees him in the face so Rush tries a rollup, only to have Clon reverse into one of his own and grab the rope for the pin at 8:22.

Rating: C+. I….why? How in the world is this the best use of the ROH TV Champion? Rush has gotten one of the weirdest gimmicks in wrestling over and here he’s putting over El Clon in a qualifying match for a ladder match that Clon has no realistic chance of winning? How is this the best option that they had given all of the people they have around here? Throw any non-champion out there and it’s the exact same result.

Post match Clon stays on Rush but Mike Bailey runs in for the save. Komander comes in as well and has a staredown with Bailey.

Video on Kevin Knight vs. Kenny Omega.

Redemption rundown.

The Bang Bang Gang is ready to take out the Dogs.

Maya World/Willow Nightingale vs. Thekla/Hikaru Shida

Shida swings away at World to start and everything breaks down with the four way brawl on the floor. Back in and Shida and Thekla hammer away in the corners, which is quickly reverses for a double ram to send them together. We take a break and come back with Nightingale grabbing a spinebuster for two, with Thekla making the save. Shida’s Falcon Arrow gets two and everything breaks down again. Nightingale sends Shida outside but misses the running flip dive off the apron. Thekla grabs her belt but the referee takes it away, leaving Thekla to spear World for the pin at 10:54.

Rating: C+. With that result, I’m hoping that World wins the title, as otherwise she’s continuing to look like a loser, despite how much success she has had as of late. This was a quick way to build two matches at once and that’s often a good idea. It wasn’t exactly great, but I’ll take this over some quick promos that don’t say much.

Overall Rating: B-. This show was the last push towards Redemption and it left the pay per view in about the same place: an event that should be perfectly good, if not better than good, but it doesn’t feel overly important. This week had some completely acceptable wrestling and it worked well enough, though it’s not really a show you need to see. And I’d hope the fourteen regular ROH viewers will be annoyed at some of the results, as they should be, as it’s such an instance of stubbing your own toe for no real reason. Anyway, nice enough show here, but Redemption is going to have a rocky path.

Results
Tommaso Ciampa b. Zachary Wentz – Running knee
Young Bucks b. Death Riders – Meltzer Driver to Garcia
Persephone b. Angelica Risk – Razor’s Edge
Lethal Twist b. Skyflight – Top rope double stomp/Death Valley Driver combination to Dante
Nick Wayne b. AR Fox – Falcon Arrow
Conglomeration b. Outrunners/Dalton Castle – Rollup to Floyd
El Clon b. Lio Rush – Rollup while grabbing the rope
Thekla/Hikaru Shida b. Maya World/Willow Nightingale – Spear to World

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

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Dynamite
Date: July 22, 2026
Location: The Pinnacle, Nashville, Tennessee
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

It’s the last Dynamite before this weekend’s Redemption pay per view and we have some titles on the line tonight as well. That includes Kevin Knight defending the TNT Title, along with the Women’s Tag Team Titles being on the line. We should have a good show here and let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega are ready to team tonight. Ospreay mentions they’re undefeated as a team (stunning Omega in the process) and they agree to tag out if they need the help. Jon Moxley comes in to say there is no tension in this room and things get quiet rather quickly.

TNT Title: Darby Allin vs. Kevin Knight

Knight is defending but Allin jumps him before the bell and they fight into the crowd. Naturally Allin gets a running start and runs him over with a clothesline back to ringside. Allin climbs onto the top of the post and clotheslines him into the timekeeper’s area for the huge crash. They go inside for the opening bell and are almost immediately out on the ramp.

Knight sends him crashing into the barricade and a catapult sends Allin THROUGH the steps (with the top breaking off), which is only good for two back inside. Allin fights off the top though and grabs a pair of Code Reds for two. Knight’s arm is put inside of the post and then he is knocked outside for a Coffin Drop (from the bleeding Allin) as we take a break.

We come back with both of them down until Knight is up to send Allin into the referee. Knight grabs the belt but walks into the Scorpion Death Drop. The Coffin Drop takes too long though and Allin ties him in the Tree Of Woe for a Coast To Coast. That and the UFO Splash retain the title at 11:20.

Rating: B-. This was much more of a wild brawl than a typical match and that isn’t a surprise for Allin. Outside of the spot with the steps, it could have been a lot worse with all of the violence and carnage and stung show insanity. I was hoping Knight to drop the title here to avoid another champion vs. champion match at the pay per view but oh well.

Post match here are Kyle Fletcher and Kazuchika Okada for their tag match, with Knight seemingly not liking the two of them taking his moment.

Post break the Don Callis Family is in the ring, with Mark Davis not being worried about Andrade El Idolo at Redemption. Knight says he just won on his own, but Fletcher isn’t impressed, saying he hopes Knight wins another title on Sunday. Fletcher doesn’t need help either and he’s going to make sure that the title is banned from ringside at Redemption. And heck let’s do that again right now.

Kyle Fletcher/Kazuchika Okada vs. Brodido

The Family is banned from ringside, save for Don Callis himself, who is on commentary. Bandido and Fletcher go with the grappling to start until Bandido gets a wristdrag into a dropkick. King comes in for a suplex, plus the rather loud chops in the corner. It’s back to Bandido, who gets double flapjacked as we take a break.

We come back with Bandido slipping away from a double team and bringing King back in for some house wrecking. Fletcher is Death Valley Drivered onto the apron but Okada manages to hoist King up for an Air Raid Crash onto the knee. Fletcher is back in but runs into a swinging Boss Man Slam for two but Fletcher is able to superkick a moonsaulting Bandido out of the air. A pop up faceplant, followed by a frog splash (with Eddie Dance) give Bandido two each but Okada is back in with the Rainmaker. Unforgiven it hits Fletcher by mistake though and the 21 Plex gives Bandido the pin at 13:23.

Rating: B. The match was fast paced and kept a few things going at once, which is quite the use of what they had here. If nothing else, at least Bandido got a win to build him up a bit for Sunday and that was rather needed. Okada vs. Fletcher seems to be coming sooner or later and that should be….something.

Post match Okada begs Fletcher’s forgiveness but Fletcher yells a lot. Don Callis sends the team after Brodido but Andrade El Idolo comes in before the violence can start. The villains skedaddle.

We get a video on the Painmaker version of Chris Jericho.

Here is Mick Foley for a chat and yeah the fans like him. Foley brings out Thekla and Willow Nightingale for their staredown, with Thekla also showing off her new Stardom title (She has two belts, which comes after a segment involving four different champions staring at each other. Either unify some of the things or stop having everyone bring in their titles from elsewhere because good grief enough already.).

Thekla accuses Nightingale of hiding behind her smile and offers to beat the poison out of Nightingale at Redemption. Nightingale finds it interesting that Thekla accuses someone of wearing a mask and only cares about the AEW Women’s Title. Foley compares himself to Nightingale, as they both had smiles but Nightingale has more teeth.

Thekla tells Foley to shut up and that’s too far for Nightingale She calls Thekla a “dumb b****”, which has Thekla smiling as she tells Nightingale to smile anyway after she gets beaten up. Thekla hits her in the head with the mic and takes off her belt (the traditional kind, not the star shaped one), only to get Pounced.

Video on Hikaru Shida vs. Maya World.

Jay White vs. Clark Connors

The fans are behind White and they play a bit of chase to start. White gets behind him though and almost gets the Blade Runner. Instead White fires off some chops before grabbing an armbar. White sends him onto the ramp but Connors grabs the referee, setting up a spear through the ropes.

We take a break and come back with Connors going to the eyes and hitting a running shoulder. Another such shoulder only hits an open chair though and they get back inside, where White starts on the leg. Connors is fine enough to hit something of a Pounce but walks into a swinging Rock Bottom. The cutthroat suplex drops Connors, who is back with a powerslam for two of his own. Connors’ spear is countered into a guillotine choke, with White rolling over to choke him out at 12:33.

Rating: B-. I’m rather glad to see White get back in the ring as he has a style that makes him stand out for some reason. He’s good at what he does and feels like a star, though it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t stay healthy. At the same time, if the Dogs completely disappeared from AEW, I really can’t imagine I would notice.

Post match David Finlay runs in with the shillelagh shot to White so the Bang Bang Gang chases him off.

Adam Copeland and Christian Cage are jumped by the Death Riders, who can’t believe Copeland and Cage challenged them for Redemption. On Sunday, the Riders will remind them who they are.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Sisters Of Sin vs. Megan Bayne/Lena Kross

The Sisters are challenging and this is No DQ. That’s how they can get away with jumping the champions with kendo sticks before the bell and knocking them outside. Some running shots off the apron put Kross and Bayne down again and Blue unloads with the kendo stick shots back inside. Hart’s Old School hurricanrana is blocked with raw power but Blue is up for the save. Blue (bleeding from the head) is put in the corner where Bayne throws a chair at the chair on Blue’s chest and we take a break.

We come back with Bayne being put through a table on the stage and Kross being knocked down for two. Bayne is back up and it’s a string of shots to the face to leave everyone down. After Bayne takes off her hockey sweater, the four of them all grab a belt (yep) and miss a shot each. Blue is up to try…something to Kross but Bayne grabs her off the ropes for a chokeslam through the table at ringside. Back in and Bayne reverses Hart’s Octopus into a Tombstone and the Divine Intervention retains the titles at 12:45.

Rating: B. This got fun as the champs were having to fight to win for a change. You could definitely see Bayne getting more into this and showing a lot of emotion. That’s not something you often see from here and it could add something else to her future. At the same time, the Sisters gave them a good fight in a losing effort and I’ll take that for a match like this.

The Bang Bang Gang want a double chain match with the Dogs at Redemption. Well of course they do.

Jon Moxley/Kenny Omega/Will Ospreay vs. Don Callis Family

Ospreay and Hechicero go with the grappling to start with Hechicero grabbing a headscissors on the mat. That’s broken up and we’re already up to a standoff. Omega comes in to take over on Hechicero’s arm and the go….well the non-Callis guys take turns working on the arm. Omega gives Moxley a rather weak tag and Hechicero gets away for the tag to Doyle.

That means Moxley gets sent into the corner for the stomping but he’s able to send Doyle outside. There’s the suicide dive and Ospreay is back in for a Stundog Millionaire to Cage. Doyle runs Ospreay over though and Omega is knocked down as well and we take a break. We come back with Omega hitting a spinning kick to Cage, allowing the tag to Ospreay (and leaving Moxley hanging).

A moonsault hits Cage but it’s back to Hechicero to work on the knee. That sets up a kneebar but Moxley comes in for the save, even without the tag. Everything breaks down and Hechicero is left alone for some triple teaming, including the running shots in the corner. Omega knees Moxley by mistake though and Cage gives Omega a pumphandle knee to the face.

Moxley is back up to cut off a double Doomsday powerbomb and it’s a Hidden Blade/V Trigger combination to finish Hechicero at 13:19. Sidenote: Omega raises his fists in celebration right after getting the pin. I love little things like that as wrestlers are supposed to want to win. Be happy when you do.

Rating: B. The best thing here is that it went as it should have. There was almost no way, save for a total implosion, that Moxley and company were losing here as that’s a crazy lineup. At the same time, this match didn’t go too long and that’s great to see for a change. Sometimes the right call is for a match to do something like this and it worked well here.

Post match Omega apologizes to Moxley and offers a handshake but Moxley shoves him. They go nose to nose so Ospreay breaks it up, only for Omega to shove him down as well. Moxley is thrilled with the two of them fighting but here are the Young Bucks to go after Moxley and Ospreay. RPG Vice runs in so Omega tries to give them a V Trigger, only to get taken down by a very surprising diving clothesline from Kevin Knight to end the show. I appreciate the Knight vs. Omega stuff but I have a better chance of leaving Redemption with the World Title than Knight does.

Overall Rating: B. They were in a tough place here as Redemption feels as weak of a pay per view as any they have offered in a long time. It isn’t so much that the show is looking bad, but it doesn’t feel important. That makes building the show up very difficult and they did what they could here. It wasn’t a big time show but I liked it well enough, partially because it was almost twenty minutes shorter than last week. Believe it or not, a lack of overstaying your welcome can make a big difference.

Results
Kevin Knight b. Darby Allin – UFO Splash
Brodido b. Kyle Fletcher/Kazuchika Okada – 21 Plex to Fletcher
Jay White b. Clark Connors – Guillotine choke
Lena Kross/Megan Bayne b. Sisters Of Sin – Divine Intervention to Hart
Jon Moxley/Kenny Omega/Will Ospreay b. Don Callis Family – Hidden Blade/V Trigger combination to Hechicero

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

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Ring Of Honor
Date: July 21, 2026
Location: MGM Music Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Caprice Coleman

Well, since the last two weeks of shows going over two hours each wasn’t enough, it’s time to have the special bonus show. We tend to get one of these on the weeks of AEW PPVs because…somehow this is supposed to get more people watching. Maybe do something other than having the same stuff Ring Of Honor always does? Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Matt Sydal is officially in Skyflight but Shane Taylor comes in to say the team’s potential has a shelf life. Maybe Top Flight could join Shane Taylor Promotions. The two of them laugh him off.

Opening sequence.

Death Riders vs. Dark Order

Yuta and Reynolds start things off with the latter taking him down. Uno comes in to help slug away and Reynolds sends Yuta outside. That lets Yuta get in a choke from the apron, which has commentary surprised and Reynolds in trouble. A bridging German suplex gets two, with Uno having to make the save.

Uno comes in to clean house but stops to pose, allowing Reynolds to come back in rather quickly (or as “rather quickly” as you can get about six minutes into a match). Reynolds is sent outside though and the Riders fire off corner clotheslines. An STO/running knee combination finishes Uno at 7:04.

Rating: C+. The Riders being on the show almost feels like a given these days but it is nice to have them as a regular team. It’s fine to have them beat up a team like the Dark Order won are hardly important and it does make the show feel a bit more important. This was perfectly fine as a way to get the show going.

Redemption rundown.

Alan Angels vs. Komander

Angels grabs a double underhook to start but Komander slips out of…whatever it was going to be. Komander sends him outside but the rope run misses as Angels runs back inside. Angels hammers away to take over, with a half nelson suplex getting two. Back up and Komander flips away to dropkick Angels to the floor, where a big flip dive connects. Angels slips away again though and powerbombs him out of the corner for two. That doesn’t last long as Komander gets in a dropkick on top, setting up a super hurricanrana. Cielito Lindo finishes Angels at 4:04.

Rating: C+. Well, Angels popped back up, picked on AR Fox and lost to him and now he’s lost to Komander. That feels pretty on par for a returning star, as you have to lose a bunch to do pretty much anything else. As usual, Komander is a nice choice if you can’t get the bigger lucha stars and he filled that role well here.

Nick Comoroto vs. Zachary Wentz

Wentz strikes away to start but flips into a jumping Death Valley Driver. A backbreaker has Wentz in more trouble but he comes back with a springboard Codebreaker. Wentz jumps up top for a spinning cutter for the pin at 3:04. Well that was quick.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what the point was in having this match on the card, but that’s the case with a few of them. Wentz is a good high flier, though he tends to do his best stuff as part of the team. On the other hand you have Comoroto, who looks great and has not done a single thing of note since he came to AEW/ROH. That’s not his fault, but you would think someone who looks like that would at least get a chance of some kind.

Swirl/Premiere Athletes vs. Outrunners/Bustah And The Brain

Magnum slugs away to start fast and gets in a headscissors to Johnson. Everything breaks down and the double Styles Clash is broken up though and Price is sent into the wrong corner. The villains get to take turns stomping away but Price avoids a 450. That and a shot to the face are enough for Floyd to come back in for the string of slams.

A belly to back drops Daivari but Christian is up with a 450. The Sky Splitter knocks Christian down though and it’s a double Mega Powers Elbow to Daivari. Everything breaks down and the Outrunners hit their big ax handles from the apron. The double Styles Clash finishes Daivari at 8:04.

Rating: C+. I’m really not sure I get the point in taking the tag team that is 2/3 of the Six Man Champions and putting them in eight man tags without their partner. In theory it’s to give Castle’s back as much rest as possible as he’s more brace than man at this point, but did we really need the Athletes here? Of course not, but THE PREMIERE ATHLETES MUST BE ON EVERY ROH SHOW EVER! WHY? BECAUSE!

Post match Jay Lethal runs in for the belt shot but Dalton Castle makes the save.

Maya World vs. Tiara James

James hits a running shoulder to start but gets headlock takeovered for her efforts. World loads up something out of the corner but James is back up with a neckbreaker. The chinlock doesn’t last long and World knocks her off the ropes. That means a middle rope moonsault can get two, only for James to come back with a sitout spinebuster for the same. World is right back up with the spinning faceplant for the win at 5:25.

Rating: C. World is on her way to a TBS Title shot on Sunday and I would love to see her win the thing. Otherwise, she is getting further and further cemented in that midcard quagmire that so many of the other women are stuck in and that’s not good. She’s talented, the fans are into her and she’s at the highest point of her career. Maybe let her win something?

The Kingdom praises….artificial intelligence? They’re now the computerized Kingdom. Ok then.

The Opps vs. LSG/GKM/Max St. Giovanni

Hook headlock and then spinning drop toeholds GKM to start. Bowens comes in for the forearms to the back of the head and it’s off to LSG. That means the comeback is on for what must have been a good three seconds before Bowens gives him the jumping Fameasser.

Bowens is actually sent into the corner for an enziguri but that’s shrugged off as well. Shibata comes in for a single underhook suplex but GKM gets two off a quick rollup. Bowens isn’t having that and gets a Kimura on GKM, with a triple submission giving the Opps the win at 5:52.

Rating: C. Hokey smoke I am sick of the Opps. The team feels so utterly lost at this point and there is nothing that makes me want to see them. Even with Samoa Joe, they were the lowest of the low stables around here and this new lineup isn’t making it any better. Just get rid of the team already and find something else to fail at making Hook a star.

AEW National Title: Mark Davis vs. Dezmond Xavier

Xavier is challenging and gets shouldered down to start fast. A headscissors sends Davis into the corner though and Xavier is right back with a headlock takeover. That’s broken up and Davis shoves him into the corner, setting up a half crab in the ropes of all things. An Oklahoma Stampede drops Xavier for two more and we’re off to the chinlock. Xavier gets up and strikes away in the corner but misses his 450. Davis’ big running clothesline gets two so he hits another, setting up the piledriver for the pin at 7:41.

Rating: C+. This was a tacked on title defense with Xavier being little more than a slight speed bump on the way to Davis facing Andrade El Idolo at Redemption. At least it felt somewhat more important than the rest of the show and it did get fairly decent during its time. Davis has come a long way and it’s great to see that kind of development.

Overall Rating: C-. This was your big commercial for Ring Of Honor? A collection of cold midcard matches which could have been deleted scenes from the latest “GEEZ WHY DID YOU BUY A RING OF HONOR DVD” DVD? It’s another case of way too much being filmed and this show not being necessary in the slightest, but I’m sure we’ll get a regular two hour show this week, because Ring Of Honor is pure content for the sake of content and nothing more. As usual, the wrestling is perfectly acceptable, but it was the usual no effort from a show structure standpoint, with an AEW title match headlining, because ROH titles mean nothing.

Results
Death Riders b. Dark Order – STO/running knee combination to Uno
Komander b. Alan Angels – Cielito Lindo
Zachary Wentz b. Nick Comoroto – Spinning middle rope cutter
Outrunners/Bustah And The Brain b. Swirl/Premiere Athletes – Double Styles Clash to Daivari
Maya World b. Tiara James – Spinning faceplant
Opps b. LSG/Max St. Giovanni/GKM – Triple submission
Mark Davis b. Dezmond Xavier – Piledriver

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

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Dynamite
Date: July 15, 2026
Location: MGM Music Hall, Boston, Massachusetts
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re done with one of the bigger Dynamites of the year and now we have less than two weeks before Redemption. Last week saw Kenny Omega regain the World Title in a heck of a fight against MJF which means the title match at the pay per view (assuming there is one) could go in a few directions. The rest of the Redemption card needs to be set up as well so let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Beach Break recap.

Daniel Garcia and Wheeler Yuta warm up for their Tag Team Title match. Jon Moxley fires them up and then tells Will Ospreay that he has earned this but it is time for some hard decisions. Ospreay has to take the shot when he has the chance, no matter the target.

Tag Team Titles: Death Riders vs. Adam Copeland/Christian Cage

Copeland and Cage are defending. Yuta goes for Copeland’s leg to start before driving him down by the arm. That just earns him a big boot so it’s off to Cage vs. Garcia. Cage backs him into the corner and it’s back to Copeland to hammer away. The Riders tie Copeland up in the ring skirt though and pound him down to the floor as we take a break.

We come back with Copeland grabbing a powerslam, allowing a tag back to Cage. That means house can be cleaned quickly, with Garcia having his neck snapped over the top rope. Everything breaks down and Yuta’s German suplex gets two on Cage. The Riders do their weird spinning circle thing and then go to take off a turnbuckle pad. That’s enough for Cage to get in a low blow, followed by the spear to pin Yuta and retain at 11:57.

Rating: C+. This was perfectly acceptable match and they didn’t stay out there too long, which makes sense as there was no reason to think Garcia and Yuta were winning the titles. There is nothing wrong with getting the champs out there for a simple title defense and at least it’s against a regular team. Not bad here, with Cage just kicking Yuta low to set up the finish being pretty funny.

Post match the Dogs run in and beat the champs down so here is the Bang Bang Gang for the save. The Dogs are cleared out and Cage and Jay White have a staredown but things stay peaceful.

We look at Hikaru Shida attacking Harley Cameron after their match and Queen Aminata making the save. Aminata gets a TBS Title shot on Collision.

Video on Andrade El Idolo.

Andrade is ready to beat Jake Doyle and move on to eventually win the World Title. Oh and he has the Dynamite Diamond Ring, seemingly thanks to Will Ospreay. How you know?

The Conglomeration tease an open challenge for the Trios Titles and the Demand interrupt. Don’t worry though because they’re not going to lay a finger on the champs….but here is the Lethal Twist to jump the Conglomeration instead. Ricochet: “They’re not in the Demand!”

Andrade El Idolo vs. Jake Doyle

If Andrade wins, he gets a National Title shot against Mark Davis. Doyle knocks him outside at the bell and then hits the running shots in the corner. Andrade gets a boot up though and an enziguri sends Doyle back outside. We pause for the photo with the woman before they head inside…and go right back outside, where Doyle chokeslams him onto the apron.

We take a break and come back with Doyle knocking him down again. Andrade knocks him to the floor though and hits the middle rope moonsault, only to get powerbombed back inside. Doyle’s big right hand knocks Andrade out of the air for two but Andrade spinning elbows him in the face. The DM finishes Doyle at 12:15.

Rating: B-. This was pretty much the most obvious result in the world but it went fine, as the fans are WAY into Andrade at the moment. It makes sense too as he’s on fire and dripping with charisma. Keep going with him for the moment, as it’s working for the moment, though there is always the chance that Andrade could turn it off at a moment’s notice.

Video on Kenny Omega winning the World Title back last week.

Here is Omega for his World Title celebration. Hold on though as here are the Young Bucks to present Omega with the original World Title design. Omega didn’t think he was going to get back to this spot again and thanks everyone for believing in him. We have less than fifty days before All In and you are going to see the best version of Omega. This brings in Will Ospreay, who asks the Bucks to talk to Omega on his own.

The Bucks leave in peace and Ospreay is glad to see Omega as World Champion again. Last week Omega got hit in the face with the belt “and then you kicked out at once you cheeky slag!” Ospreay has wanted to be just a fraction of the wrestler Omega is and now he wants to show everyone what they can do at All In.

Cue Kevin Knight to interrupt, saying he wants to face Omega one on one. Knight wants the title shot at Redemption but Omega says no…but he’ll give Knight a title shot anyway because he thinks Knight has something. Then Knight listened to Don Callis, which Omega understands. Omega did that before and he bought into the idea, but Knight doesn’t need to be there.

Now Omega is saying the same thing that everyone but Callis believe: Knight doesn’t need Callis because he could be champion on his own. That makes Knight the only real fraud because there is a good guy in there who doesn’t need Callis. If Knight is getting the title shot, Omega wants him to get it on his own. Knight says there isn’t goodness in him, because it’s greatness.

With that, Knight decks Omega with the microphone and ducks the Hidden Blade to escape. Darby Allin runs in to jump Knight so here is the Don Callis Family to beat Allin down. The Death Riders come in for the save. Maybe a segment that was about Omega and Ospreay, with Knight coming in for his part, shouldn’t wind up having about a dozen people involved?

Jack Perry issues an open challenge for Collision. Luchasaurus is his tech guy.

Brodido vs. Nick Comoroto/Aaron Solo

Bandido gets to show off a bit with the gorilla press to Comoroto before King drops him onto Comoroto for an early two. King knocks them both down and Bandido’s frog splash gets a double pin at 2:16. That was efficient.

Post match Bandido runs into Kyle Fletcher and gives him a wanted poster. Oh sweet goodness Bandido is going to lose another singles match on PPV and no one is going to care about the Ring Of Honor World Title in the slightest isn’t he? It’s a rhetorical question because OF COURSE HE IS.

International Title: Kyle Fletcher vs. Komander

Fletcher is defending and gets taken down for an early near fall, which has Fletcher thinking twice. Komander sends him outside but gets pulled out of the air, allowing Fletcher to boot him in the face. Back in and Fletcher knocks him to the floor, setting up the big rope walk flip dive as we take a break.

We come back with Fletcher laughing at Komander striking away until a superkick puts Fletcher down. An apron superplex is escaped and Komander flips him off the top for a roll to the floor. Komander hits a big dive and a 450 gets two back inside. Cielito Lindo is broken up so Komander goes with a super Destroyer for two. A Michinoku Driver gives Fletcher two and he grabs the brainbuster to retain at 11:02.

Rating: B. Good match here, which shouldn’t be a shock. Komander getting title shot after title shot became a running joke but his matches have been enough of a blast to shake a lot of that off. At the same time you have Fletcher, who works well with anyone. Again, they didn’t go too long in a match where there was no drama and that helps so much.

Post match Fletcher goes for the mask so Konosuke Takeshita runs in for the save. Kazuchika Okada is here too though and the Rainmaker drops Takeshita. Brodido run in to take out Okada and Fletcher.

Kenny Omega is ready to face Kevin Knight but Darby Allin comes in to say Knight isn’t changing overnight. Allin is ready to take the TNT Title and leaves. Jon Moxley comes in to agree that some people cannot change.

Here are the Brawling Birds for a chat. They want the Women’s Tag Team Titles and All In is coming up so let’s consume alcohol.

Chris Jericho wants a rematch with Tommaso Ciampa at Redemption but he’ll bring the Painmaker.

Ciampa is in and issues an open challenge for Collision.

Darby Allin vs. Brian Cage

Cage jumps him to start fast and drops him onto the ramp as Taz talks about making the mistake of paying for Cage’s dinner before. Allin is sent flying with a fall away slam and we take a break. We come back with Allin hitting a running dropkick off the steps and grabbing a super Code Red for a near fall. Allin’s suicide dive connects but Cage is right back up with a gorilla press toss to send Allin head first into the post. Naturally Allin is up again with a Coffin Drop onto Cage onto the steps, followed by a regular one to pin Cage at 9:58.

Rating: C+. Have I mentioned that I’m sick of Allin doing stupid stunts in a match and then popping back up to win? It’s just been a few years of the same thing now and that’s a bit irritating. Allin vs. the Don Callis Family isn’t exactly an original story but at least he has a feud with Knight already built up and he very well may take the TNT Title next week.

Kyle Fletcher is ticked off and ready to defend against anyone. For now, he wants Bandido and the title shot is offered for Redemption.

Kevin Knight and Don Callis are ready to take out Kenny Omega. Mike Bailey comes in to say he’s ready for Knight to change back.

Maya World/Hyan/Willow Nightingale vs. Lena Kross/Megan Bayne/Mercedes Mone

Nightingale backs Mone into the ropes to start and the other four come in, with Hyan and World taking over in the corners. We settle down to Nightingale cartwheeling out of a whip into the corner but missing an enziguri. Kross is knocked down into the corner though, leaving Mone to get beaten up by Hyan and World. Mone is tossed onto Kross and Bayne and we take a break.

We come back with Mone hitting a Backstabber for two on World. Back up and World brings in Nightingale to clean house, including some elbows in the corner. A powerbomb gets two on Bayne and everyone knocks everyone else down for a big breather. Mone grabs Three Amigos to World and hits the frog splash with Hyan making the save. Bayne and Kross are back up but Nightingale breaks up the Divine Intervention. The Pounce sends Bayne flying and Hyan spears Mone, who is right back with the Mone Maker for the pin at 13:54.

Rating: B-. Well that was….long. It came at the end of a rather lengthy show but we needed every single bit of Mone’s stuff in there. After all, it had been a full what, hour or so since the last Eddie Guerrero tribute? Anyway, I’m not sure I get why Mone needed the attention here (yes it’s her hometown and Heaven forbid a heel not be the conquering hero in their hometown) when Nightingale is a week and a half away from her title shot, but I’m sure it made sense to Mone.

Overall Rating: B. They had to cover A LOT of ground here as there isn’t much time left for Redemption. While they managed to make that happen, which is rather impressive, they did it so fast that it was quite the packed show. It worked more than it didn’t, though it still had a lot of the same issues that tend to come up in AEW (inconsistencies with title shots, way too many champion vs. champion matches, so many people flying around, the obsession with Mone looking stronger than Superman). I’m beyond the point of believing those things are going to change, so all things considered, this show went pretty well.

Results
Christian Cage/Adam Copeland b. Death Riders – Spear to Yuta
Andrade El Idolo b. Jake Doyle – DM
Brodido b. Aaron Solo/Nick Comoroto – Double pin
Kyle Fletcher b. Komander – Brainbuster
Mercedes Mone/Lena Kross/Megan Bayne b. Hyan/Maya World/Willow Nightingale – Mone Maker to World

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

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Collision
Date: July 11, 2026
Location: Berglund Center, Roanoke, Virginia
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness

So Hangman Page is back. You might not have heard about this because Tony Khan announced it in a livestream on Friday rather than on the big Dynamite earlier this week but Page is indeed back. That leads to the question of what he is going to do, but with about two weeks to go before Redemption, he has to figure something out. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of Kenny Omega winning the World Title back from MJF on Dynamite.

Here is Hangman Page (with a not great haircut and recently having had a vasectomy) to say that he is….a gardener? He brags about his butterfly weed and talks about how fascinating it is to plant seeds and see what they become. Page wanted to be here in Roanoke because he needed to plant another seed.

Back in March, he lost a Texas Death match to MJF and maybe that was overconfidence, but he did lose. He’ll be a man of his word and never challenge for the World Title again. There are other titles to come after though and he’s coming for some of them. This felt like “Oh well, Page is nearby, let him show up and say something.”

Beach Break recap.

Ring Of Honor World Title: Bandido vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Bandido is defending and thankfully we hear about Shibata’s undefeated streak in Ring Of Honor rather than his success in AEW. Shibata backs him into the ropes to start and we get a clean break. Bandido gets wrestled to the mat without much trouble and has to go to the ropes to escape a kneebar.

Back up and they trade some running kicks in the corner with Shibata getting the better of things. Bandido pops up for a frog splash crossbody, only to get crotched on top. A running boot puts Bandido on the floor and we take an early break. We come back with Shibata knocking him out to the apron for a DDT, followed by a suplex on the floor.

They go back inside for the exchange of chops until Bandido grabs a gorilla press. A shooting star press of all things gives Bandido two but the X Knee is blocked. Back up and another X Knee connects but Shibata reverses the 21 Plex into a suplex of his own. Shibata hits a clothesline and tries a low blow, which is reversed into la majistral to retain at 12:33.

Rating: B-. This was your latest random Bandido title defense and as usual, it worked fine. If nothing else it’s nice to see Bandido winning a match on AEW TV, as he hasn’t had the best record around here. He’s rather talented, but it would be nice to see him have a feud over the title rather than one off matches with the title on the line. Just to mix it up for a change.

Earlier today, Hikaru Shida bragged about winning the TBS Title and ignored Harley Cameron’s praise before their title match.

Mike Bailey is ready to win the National Title.

TBS Title: Harley Cameron vs. Hikaru Shida

Shida is defending and jumps her before the bell. The bell rings and Shida sends her face first into the mat but Cameron gets in some kicks to the face. One of them sends Shida outside and a DDT on the floor has Shida in trouble for a full 17 seconds. With that out of the way, Shida hits a backbreaker into a running knee and we take a break.

We come back with Cameron hammering away in the corner but a sunset bomb is countered. Naturally Cameron bites the leg and grabs a half crab. Shida makes the rope and hits a running knee, setting up the weird surfboard hold to make Cameron tap out at 9:41.

Rating: C+. I can go for Shida getting a win in her first title defense but at the same time, it would be nice to not see Cameron lose so often. She can only be so bulletproof with her insane charisma and having her win something important would be nice for a change. That doesn’t seem likely anytime soon, but at least they’ve Shida’s reign is off to a nice start.

Post match Shida hammers on Cameron until Queen Aminata runs in for the save.

The Lethal Twist and Demand surround Matt Sydal. Threats are made but Sydal calls Ricochet bald and runs off.

Kyle Fletcher is happy with his International Title win but wants to see Brian Cage destroy the Rascalz.

We look at Brawl In The Ballpark, which saw some AEW matches take place at a Minnesota Twins game. Tying AEW to something big like Major League Baseball is a great thing.

Here is the Conglomeration for a chat. They liked Brawl In The Ballpark but know someone who wants to be a champion. This brings out Willow Nightingale, who is sad because she was out of action but she’s ready to go to Wembley. She’s going to prove that she’s ready to be the best and at Redemption, she’ll carry the Women’s Title around her waist.

Skye Blue is ready for Thekla to take out Willow Nightingale. And the Sisters Of Sin aren’t happy with Megan Bayne/Lena Kross.

Death Riders vs. Top Flight/AR Fox/Komander

Garcia takes Darius down to start so Darius takes Garcia down as well. Fox comes in for a spinning suplex but gets dragged into the corner for the tag to Moxley, with the fans rather approving. A quick takedown is enough for Moxley, so it’s off to Castagnoli to backbreaker a diving Komander. That’s shrugged off and Komander fights up to clean house with a hurricanrana. Everything breaks down and we take an early break.

We come back with Dante in trouble and getting stomped down for an early one count. Dante is sent outside for the stomping so Komander is there with the rope walk dive. Back in and Fox grabs a cutter, followed by the dives to the floor. The Swanton hits Garcia but Castagnoli swings Fox. Top Flight armdrags Moxley to the floor for a dive, leaving Komander to slug away on Garcia and Yuta. Fox is back in for the save but misses a 450, meaning it’s the running uppercuts in the corner. The Scorpion Deathlock has Fox in trouble and Moxley adds a Stomp to give Garcia the pin at 12:29.

Rating: B-. This got fun for a bit, though I’m not sure why the Death Riders needed so long to beat a thrown together team of people without the most success. That being said, it was good enough action and that’s about all you can ask for on a lot of Collisions. What else is Moxley going to do? Not appear on every show?

Post match Moxley declares it as the Death Riders against the World.

Lena Kross/Megan Bayne are sick of the tag team division, especially the Sisters Of Sin. Just keep carrying Thekla’s bags.

Thekla doesn’t think much of anyone but the Triangle Of Madness. Willow Nightingale can keep talking about her happiness but Thekla is going to take her out.

The Bang Bang Gang continue to offer their neutering services. I think we get the joke already.

Zachary Wentz vs. Brian Cage

Wentz knocks him to the apron to start and hits the handstand kick to the head, setting up the required dive. Cage fights back and hits the apron superplex and we take an early break. We come back with Wentz hitting a missile dropkick to leave both of them down. A handspring knee to the face gets two and a middle rope cutter drops Cage for two more. Cage blasts him with a discus lariat though and an apron German superplex sets up the Drill Claw to finish Wentz at 7:53.

Rating: C+. This was a pretty basic formula match with the fast paced guy against the monster and that’s all it should have been. Cage cuts Wentz off to get revenge for Kyle Fletcher and the Don Callis Family gets to celebrate for a bit. That being said, Cage’s return makes me wonder why the Family needs so many monsters, especially when a lot of them just stand around in the back.

Post match Trent Beretta gets in the ring and declares himself the winner over Darby Allin. Cue Allin and we’re having a match.

Darby Allin vs. Trent Beretta

Allin knocks him outside to start but gets distracted by Cage, allowing Beretta to take over. Back in and a quick Coffin Drop attempt is blocked, with Beretta hitting a backdrop into a faceplant. Allin fights up and dives onto Cage, only to get Strong Zeroed onto the apron for two. Beretta takes him up top but gets caught in a super Code Red. The Coffin Drop finishes for Allin at 4:20.

Rating: C. I’m not sure what the point was in having Allin just show up at the last second with no indication that he wouldn’t be around, but at least he won in a fun match. That’s all it needed to be and it’s not like Beretta losing is going to hurt her in the slightest. The fans are going to love Allin no matter what he’s doing and getting him on the show makes sense, pretty much no matter how he gets there.

Post match Cage is in to powerbomb Allin over and over, with Mike Bailey running in for the save.

Willow Nightingale meets Maya World and a six woman tag is set up for Dynamite, with the two of them and Hyan vs. Mercedes Mone/Lena Kross/Megan Bayne.

Andrade El Idolo is on a boat. How you know? Because that’s what the video shows him doing.

National Title: Mike Bailey vs. Mark Davis

Davis is defending and Kyle Fletcher is on commentary. Bailey can’t get a cross armbreaker to start so Davis slams him down for a backsplash. A big chop gives Davis two and he bites Bailey’s toe for a bonus. Bailey fights up and fires off the kicks in the corner, setting up a super hurricanrana. They go outside, where Davis piledrives him onto the announcers’ table and we take a break.

We come back with Bailey rolling out of a piledriver attempt and kicking him in the chest for two. A double knockdown leaves both of them getting a breather before Doyle bites the toe again. Bailey kicks him in the head and slightly overshoots the Ultimate Weapon for two. Jake Doyle offers a distraction and Davis gets in a kind of reverse Vertebreaker.

Bailey’s arm trap sunset flip gets two and Fletcher is panicking on the floor. The tornado kick sets up a missed Ultimate Weapon and Davis drops him with a running elbow. They fight to the apron, where Bailey’s moonsault knees miss, allowing Davis to clothesline him into the piledriver to retain at 14:13.

Rating: B+. This got rolling near the end and I wasn’t sure who was going to win, which is always a nice feeling. As usual, Bailey is a heck of a star in the ring and the stuff outside of the bells isn’t his best work. They kept that to a minimum here and things worked better as a result. Davis is doing rather well as a monster and that’s a lot more than I was expecting when he started his singles push.

Overall Rating: B-. The main event helped it a lot but there was quite a bit of the Don Callis Family on this show and that wasn’t a great thing. As usual, this show is entertaining enough while it lasts, but it always feels like it would be that much more effective at half of the length. Either way, it’s another perfectly good wrestling show without much going on and that’s pretty much Collision in a nutshell.

Results
Bandido b. Katsuyori Shibata – La majistral
Hikaru Shida b. Harley Cameron – Surfboard choke
Death Riders b. AR Fox/Death Riders/Komander – Stomp to Fox
Brian Cage b. Zachary Wentz – Drill Claw
Darby Allin b. Trent Beretta – Coffin Drop
Mark Davis b. Mike Bailey – Piledriver

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: July 2, 2026
Location: Viejas Arena, San Diego, California
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, Excalibur

It’s a rare Thursday show as there isn’t much of a point of airing in the usual 4th Of July time slot. The big story here is the rapid fire build towards Redemption, but we also have an extra push towards next Wednesday’s World Title match between MJF and Kenny Omega. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Death Riders vs. Shingo Takagi/Drilla Moloney

Pac and Takagi fight over arm control to start with Takagi getting in a headlock takeover. After a bit of a breather, Pac grabs a headlock of his own, followed by a running headscissors. Moloney comes in to shoulder Castagnoli down and some chops put him in the wrong corner. A rolling neckbreaker drops Castagnoli again and we take a break.

We come back with Moloney in trouble but jumping over Pac into a dropkick. Takagi comes back in and gets knocked down, only to drop Pac just as fast. An enziguri puts Pac down again and it’s back to Castagnoli vs. Moloney. A spinebuster drops Castagnoli and a top rope elbow gives Moloney two, with Takagi celebrating early. Everything breaks down and a powerbomb leaves everyone down again.

The Swing into the dropkick gets two on Takagi with Moloney making the save. Moloney is taken to the floor, where Daniel Garcia pops up to choke him from the crowd. That leaves Pac to clothesline Takagi for two as this match is still going. Moloney’s piledriver to Garcia on the floor is broken up and Takagi clotheslines Castagnoli. Garcia comes in for a distraction and Castagnoli rolls Takagi up for the pin at 18:12.

Rating: B-. Well that was long. I’m really not sure if we needed to keep up something set up with a bonus match thrown onto the Kickoff Show but AEW does some odd things. The match was good enough, though it seemed a bit slow paced until things picked up at the end. Hopefully this wraps it up though, as the Death Riders feuding with another stable sounds very tiring.

The Conglomeration is upset about Tomohiro Ishii and Mark Briscoe being out and injured. They’re still scared of Lio Rush (though he might like them), but Konosuke Takeshita wants to face El Phantasmo.

Andrade El Idolo vs. Brian Cage

Andrade jumps him to start fast and they trade the rather hard chops in the corner. Cage gets in a slam into a legdrop but Andrade knocks him outside for the corkscrew drive. We pause for the picture with the fan, allowing Cage to hit the apron superplex as we take a break. We come back with Cage charging into a knee in the corner, setting up the double moonsault to give Andrade two.

Three Amigos connect for Andrade but Page is back with a 619 into the sitout powerbomb for two more. Cage gets knocked off the top and it’s a frog splash to give Andrade another near fall. The running knees in the corner connect for Andrade, with Cage popping back up for an F5. Cage’s big clothesline is countered with the spinning elbow, setting up the DM to give Andrade the pin at 13:21.

Rating: B. I liked this fairly well as Andrade continues his roll around here. I’m not sure where it goes and I really don’t need to see Andrade running through the Family again (it’s been done) but the fans are way into Andrade right now. Giving him a bunch of matches on TV isn’t a bad idea and if it winds up making him more popular, great.

Post match Andrade hits the catchphrase.

Gabe Kidd is ready to come back and hurt people. You know, Gabe Kidd stuff.

Thunder Rosa/Mina Shirakawa vs. Zara Zakher/B3cca

Shirakawa dances a bit to start and a rollup gets two on B3cca. Everything breaks down rather quickly though and Rosa wins a slugout. Some running shots in the corner crush B3cca/Zakher, with Shirakawa adding a running basement dropkick. A Tijuana Bomb finishes for Rosa at 2:22.

Here is Thekla to brag about beating Starlight Kid and stealing her mask. After the show, she made Kid go to the strip club and dance for her. Stardom is dead so long live the Toxic Spider and she’s ready for anyone who shoots at her at All In. She’ll catch the bullet with her teeth.

Skyflight officially offers Matt Sydal a spot on the team and he….I think accepts? Either way he has their backs.

Shane Taylor Promotions vs. Bang Bang Gang/Adam Copeland

Ok then. Colten takes Moriarty down to start but comes out of the corner with a dropkick. Copeland comes in for a double hiptoss and the Edge O Matic drops Bravo. A double Quick Draw puts Bravo down again and Copeland seems rather pleased. Austin is pulled outside for the big beating and we take an early break.

We come back with Dean hitting a Bronco Buster on Austin, who fights up without much trouble. White comes back in for the dragon screw legwhips and the 3:10 To Yuma hits Moriarty. Taylor is back in to clean house but White saves Copeland from a middle rope splash. A double superplex brings Taylor crashing down and it’s a spear to Bravo. The Blade Runner finishes for White at 10:43.

Rating: B-. This was the fun match of the show and it went rather well, with the focus being getting White back in the ring. White looked good as usual when he’s in there, but the problem is keeping him in there. The feud with the Dogs should be enough to keep them busy, with Copeland and Christian Cage being another possibility.

Post match the Dogs come out for a staredown but the Death Riders run in to beat down the Bang Bang Gang. The Dogs join in on said beating, with David Finlay hitting White with the shillelagh.

Willow Nightingale is still training for a return. Her method this week: buying Billy Joel music.

The Demand vs. Sonico/Chris Nastyy/Jordan Oasis

An assisted cutter and frog splash have Nastyy in trouble as Liona’s eye is cut open BAD. His blood is all over Oasis, who is knocked out to the floor. Nastyy gets crushed and a springboard Doomsday Device finishes for Ricochet at 1:48. Total destruction.

Post match Ricochet says he doesn’t like Matt Sydal and says the three of them have been in demand for over a year. They get to make the decisions around here. Of all the people in AEW, Sydal is getting a focus? Really?

Athena vs. Rina

Non-title and for the #1 spot in next week’s Casino Gauntlet match. Rina fires off some dropkicks to start but Athena is up with a running uppercut. The flipping clothesline misses in the corner though and Rina is back up with a middle rope dropkick for two. They head outside with Athena taking over as we go to a break.

We come back with Athena getting pulled out of the air and Rina throwing her down by the hair. Athena grabs a quick Fujiwara armbar, which is turned into a rollup to give Athena two. Another Fujiwara armbar is broken up and Rina grabs a Gory Bomb. Double knees from the top and a cradle get two on Athena, who is right back with a shove onto the barricade. The O Face is broken up but a second attempt finishes Rina at 13:41.

Rating: B. They had a hard hitting back and forth match here and it’s nice to see Athena getting a win in AEW. At the same time, Rina was another example of “here’s a new person, she’s awesome, end of description”. I’m not saying she’s bad or anything close to it, but it can get a bit tiresome having so many people come in for the first time or their first time in a good while and just be expected to roll with them hanging against a top star.

Kyle Fletcher is ready to get the TNT Title back.

Mistico/Mike Bailey/Bandido vs. Rascalz

Reed dropkicks Bandido into the corner to start so it’s off to Bailey for the bouncing kicks. Bailey gets knocked down and a stomp to his back gets two, only for Wentz to miss a charge to the floor. That means the parade of suicide dives can commence but Bailey’s is cut off. Reed hits the big running diving cutter onto the pile as we take a break.

We come back with Wentz and Bailey getting a double tag to bring in Bandido and Reed. Everything breaks down and Mistico hits a springboard double elbow, followed by a springboard double dropkick. Xavier springboards into Bandido’s X Knee and, with Mistico and Bandido hitting dives, the 21 Plex finishes Xavier at 8:19.

Rating: B-. This was another match that felt like it was a way to get Mistico onto the show in any form. I’m really not sure why all he does is get thrown into tag matches, unless it’s some kind of a mandate from CMLL. The match was the usual bunch of flips and dives and as exciting as you would have expected.

Megan Bayne and Lena Kross think they’re too dominant for any team and say address them from your knees, because it’s easier to bow down.

Rush vs. Jordan Cruz

Rush knocks him outside to start and sends him into the barricade. Back in and some facewashes have Cruz down before the Bull’s Horns finishes at 1:38.

The Opps want an ROH World Title shot for Katsuyori Shibata. You mean AEW wrestlers can challenge for ROH titles? And yes, the match will be on Collision instead of Ring Of Honor (where Shibata wrestles as well). Anthony Bowens tries to get some enthusiasm going and is shot down.

Julia Hart vs. Maya World

For the #2 spot in the Casino Gauntlet. World takes her down for an early backsplash to start but they’re quickly on the floor where Hart fires off some chops. A Tarantula has World in more trouble and we take an early break. We come back with Hart grabbing Hartless but World stacks her up for the escape. A double stomp gives World two but a Shining Wizard is cut off with…something that involved a bunch of camera cuts. World’s tabletop suplex gets two but Hart knocks her off the top. The moonsault hits raised knees though and World’s Shining Wizard gets the pin at 9:48.

Rating: C+. It’s good to see World getting a win, though it isn’t going to mean much if she doesn’t win something that actually matters. That would mean beating Athena or possibly even Thekla and I don’t know if I can see the latter happening. Beating Athena should be a major moment and that’s a lot to put on someone like World, who hasn’t been around that long. It’s not a terrible idea, but it might be too soon. Either way, she definitely looked more confident out there and that is great to see.

Video on Tommaso Ciampa vs. Chris Jericho.

Video on MJF vs. Kenny Omega.

El Phantasmo vs. Kyle Fletcher

Don Callis is on commentary. They trade early rollups for two each to start, with Fletcher freaking out at a VERY near fall. An armdrag takes Fletcher down again but he’s back up with one heck of a big boot. We take a break and come back with Phantasmo hitting a crossbody into a Lionsault for two more. A DDT puts Fletcher, whose knee is banged up, down again but he’s right back up with a Michinoku Driver for two of his own.

Fletcher’s running charge misses and he crashes to the floor, with Phantasmo hitting a moonsault. That earns him a lawn dart into the barricade and Phantasmo has to dive back inside. A heck of a sitout Last Ride gives Fletcher two and he can’t believe the kickout. Some rollups give Phantasmo two each but Fletcher is back up with a running boot in the corner. The brainbuster finishes at 11:54.

Rating: B. They beat each other up and Phantasmo continues to feel like someone who could give almost any opponent a run for their money. It made for a good match as Fletcher has turned into one of the more dependable stars in AEW. I could go for more of Phantasmo, like say having him win a match.

Post match Callis gets in the ring and talks about the disloyalty of Konosuke Takeshita. Starting on Dynamite, the Family is taking everything from him, including the International Title. Takeshita comes out to chase Callis off to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. There was good action throughout the night but you could feel the extra half hour baked into this. A bunch of the matches felt like there were being dragged out for the sake of filling time and since Collision isn’t exactly known for its heavy emphasis on storyline development, this was a long show. Certainly an entertaining two and a half hours, but 10+ hours in five days from any promotion is quite taxing and I was ready for this show to end a lot earlier than it did.

Results
Death Riders b. Shingo Takagi/Drilla Moloney – Rollup to Takagi
Andrade El Idolo b. Brian Cage – DM
Thunder Rosa/Mina Shirakawa b. Zara Zakher/B3cca – Tijuana bomb to B3cca
Bang Bang Gang/Adam Copeland b. Shane Taylor Promotions – Blade Runner to Bravo
The Demand b. Sonico/Chris Nastyy/Jordan Oasis – Springboard Doomsday Device to Nastyy
Mistico/Mike Bailey/Bandido b. Rascalz – 21 Plex to Xavier
Rush b. Jordan Cruz – Bull’s Horns
Maya World b. Julia Hart – Shining Wizard
Kyle Fletcher b. El Phantasmo – Brainbuster

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: June 27, 2026
Location: Rio Rancho Events Center, Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness, Excalibur

It’s the night before Forbidden Door and we have another two hours to go before we get to the pay per view. In this case that means the Trios Titles are on the line and I’m sure we’ll get some more previews for tomorrow night. That’s about all you can do here, as in theory the card is all set. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Trios Titles: Conglomeration vs. The Opps

The Opps are challenging. Shibata backs Strong into the corner without much trouble and it’s already off to Hook to headlock O’Reilly. That earns Hook a backbreaker from Strong and a rather lazy elbow from Cassidy for some delayed ones. Bowens comes in and gets a hands in the pockets dropkick and it’s already off to Shibata. A cheap shot from the apron cuts Cassidy off and a pair of suplexes (apron and floor variety) have him in trouble as we take a break.

We come back with Cassidy getting sleepered down but Shibata jumps Strong rather than hitting the PK. Cassidy is able to get in a shot of his own and O’Reilly comes back in for the ankle lock on Bowens. A double clothesline drops the Opps and Strong comes back in and it’s time for a chop off with Shibata.

With Shibata in trouble Strong starts throwing Cassidy around like a weapon, which works oddly well. Shibata and O’Reilly forearm it out with the latter getting the better of things. Bowens is back in to take over with a string of strikes and a DDT out of the corner gets two on Cassidy. Back up and Bowens accidentally superkicks Shibata and the Orange Punch into the Angle Slam retains the titles at 14:00.

Rating: B-. This was a perfectly acceptable way to open the show as the fans are always going to be into the wacky hijinks of the Conglomeration. They’re a fine choice for the Trios Titles and a good way to open the show. On the other hand you have the Opps, who feel like they deserve a charity telethon. If this is the best they can do, just disband the thing already.

The Demand is ready to get back into the title hunt but the Lethal Twists come in. They think they should talk, with Ricochet and Jay Lethal admiring the other’s haircuts.

The Death Riders are ready to send Will Ospreay to get revenge on Swerve Strickland. Works for Ospreay, who says his friendship with Swerve is over and it’s time to go to Wembley.

TNT Title: Dezmond Xavier vs. Kevin Knight

Knight is defending and grabs a headlock takeover to start fast. Xavier goes after the arm and grabs la majistral for two, leaving Knight a bit shaken. Knight gets caught holding the rope so Xavier gives him a slingshot hurricanrana to send Knight underneath those ropes. Xavier follows him but gets caught with a clothesline off the steps and we take a break.

We come back with Xavier winning a slugout to put them both down but Knight is up first. A middle rope DDT gives Xavier two but Knight snaps off a sweet hurricanrana. Knight goes up so Xavier gets smart by rolling to the corner. Another rollup gives Xavier two but Knight hits a heck of a dropkick. Xavier’s hurricanrana spikes Knight and they slug it out from their knees. A spinning faceplant drops Knight and a Meteora gives Xavier two, with Knight rolling outside. The big dive takes him out but Knight gets the knees up to block a sky twister press. The Crash Landing retains the title at 12:56.

Rating: B. This was the hard hitting, athletic style match that you would have expected these two to have. It’s the kind of match you often see on Collision, as there was absolutely no reason to believe that the title was going to change hands but it was fun while it lasted. Xavier is a blast to watch and Knight is getting better every single week. Rather good stuff here.

Video on the twelve man cage match at Forbidden Door. That’s a lot of people in any cage, even if there is no way they all stay inside.

Here is the Triangle Of Madness for a chat. Thekla has been told that she is the only one who is making Forbidden Door feel like Forbidden Door. If she wants to destroy the forbidden door, she’s burning it down. Sky Blue is ready to show you how violent she can be on the Kickoff Show. To the point here, and thankfully it seems like the Thekla vs. Stardom stuff should be done soon.

Chris Jericho vs. JD Drake

Drake talks trash to start and gets chopped for his efforts before missing a charge. A super hurricanrana and enziguri send Drake outside so Jericho gives him a big dive. Back in and Drake hits a swinging Boss Man Slam for two, setting up the cannonball. Drake’s moonsault misses and Jericho grabs the Codebreaker. The Tommaso Ciampa style running knee sets up the Walls to make Drake tap at 5:18.

Rating: C+. Now this was refreshing, as there is no reason for Drake to have a long match against Jericho. Even an older Jericho should not be having any real trouble with Drake and they did it as they should have. I’ll take that as a nice change of pace and hopefully these shorter matches are included more often, as they can be rather effective.

Post match Jericho puts the hold on again until Tony Schiavone insists that Jericho is better than Tommaso Ciampa. Jericho says he’s been looking for Ciampa but knows he isn’t here tonight. He wants to thank Ciampa for leaving him beaten and bloody but Ciampa won’t be thankful for what Jericho is going to do to him next.

Thunder Rosa isn’t scared of Lena Kross/Megan Bayne, who don’t care about her. She insults their hats and takes her shirt off for some violence but nothing happens. The fact that Rosa’s partner, Olympia, isn’t here tonight makes it even sadder.

CMLL Women’s Title: Persephone vs. Billie Starkz

Persephone is defending and gets taken down early so Starkz can do some jumping jacks. That earns her a running hurricanrana but Starkz is back with a DDT onto the apron. It’s already time to load up the announcers’ table and Starkz adds a flip dive off of the table as we take a break.

We come back with Starkz cranking on both arms but making the mistake of throwing in a slap. Persephone knocks her down for two, followed by a superplex. Starkz blocks another suplex though and grabs the Last Shot to leave them both down. Persephone cuts off a running knee and gets two off a bridging northern lights suplex. A spear and Razor’s Edge retain the title at 9:20.

Rating: B-. If you ignore that the was no reason to believe that Starkz was going to win the title, this was a perfectly fine match. Persephone has been presented as a big deal in her limited appearances around here and it’s nice to have her thrown into the title match next week. Hopefully we have moved on from the idea of Starkz being the one to dethrone Athena, as I really do not see the point.

Post match Hikaru Shida runs in to go after Persephone but a bunch of the other women in the TBS Title match chase her off.

Premiere Athletes vs. Mike Bailey/Mistico

Bailey kicks Nese down to start but gets double teamed into the corner. The villains are quickly sent outside but cut off the dives to send Mistico and Bailey into the steps. Back in and Daivari takes over on Bailey but Mistico is up with a double springboard elbow. Stereo superkicks put the Athletes on the floor and now the dives connect. Back in and Bailey gets caught with a hammerlock lariat but moonsaults outside onto Daivari. That leaves Mistico to grab La Mistica to make Nese tap at 4:07.

Rating: C+. See what I mean about the shorter matches being nice? This was the regular “hey, Mistico is on this card” match and he did a few signature moves to get out of there. The Athletes are nothing more than low level villains and that’s all they needed to be here, as Mistico was the big focal point here.

Gabe Kidd is coming back and believe it or not, he’s angry. We’re just that lucky.

Jake Doyle vs. Adam Priest

Don Callis is here with Doyle (after not being here with Kevin Knight). Priest gets powered around and hit in the back to start. Doyle runs him over without much trouble and we take an early break. We come back with Priest grabbing a flying DDT and working on the arm. Doyle’s backdrop is countered into a cross armbreaker but he muscles Priest up into a powerbomb. A missed charge in the corner has Doyle in more trouble and Priest gets two off a DDT. Priest goes up and gets forearmed out of the air, setting up Into The Void to give Doyle the pin at 9:10.

Rating: C. This was another fine match with Doyle having to sweat a bit before picking up the win. Priest is turning into a rather useful jobber to the stars as he isn’t the biggest guy but can make his offense look good enough out there. Put him in a tag team and it could work out fine, if he’s actually given a chance.

Video on Maya World vs. Mercedes Mone in the finals of the Women’s Owen Hart Cup. Mone gets in a good line with “dreams don’t win championships, I do”.

Willow Nightingale is training to return to the ring and knows she made some mistakes before.

Maya World/Hyan vs. Athena/Mercedes Mone

It’s a brawl to start fast and Athena is dropped onto World’s raised knees. Hyan hits a double dive to the floor and World 619s Athena back inside. Mone fights back though and commentary responds by running down the Forbidden Door card. Athena hammers on World on the apron and gives her a hard knee before handing it back to Mone. World slips out of a double suplex though and rolls over for the tag off to Hyan. House is cleaned for a bit until Athena gets in a powerbomb onto the apron.

We take a break and come back with Mone’s backstabber dropping Hyan for two and Athena’s backsplash gets the same. The Third Amigo is blocked though and Mone misses a running knee in the corner. It’s back to World to pick up the pace, with a rollup and double stomp getting two on Athena.

That earns World a Codebreaker into a Backstabber with Hyan having to shove Athena into the cover for the save. Everything breaks down and Athena suplexes World but gets kneed down by Hyan to leave all four on the mat. Mone pulls World to the floor for the Statement Maker (for a tap), leaving Athena to middle rope O Face Hyan for the pin at 16:53.

Rating: B-. They are trying to make us believe that World has a chance tomorrow right? I’m not sure I’m seeing that happening here, as this story has been about as one sided as you can get. World is already a major underdog so unless the upset of all time in AEW is coming, I really don’t see this one going well for World, who has looked like a loser who got lucky to be here.

Post match Athena and Mone beat up Hyan until World comes in for the save. World moonsaults onto both of them on the floor to avoid looking like a total loser to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Most of the time, the main thing to remember about Collision is that it means almost nothing in the big picture of AEW. Everything that matters happens on Dynamite or the pay per views with only the occasional bone being thrown to Saturday night. If you can keep that in mind, Collision can be a rather enjoyable show as it feels like AEW but with no stakes. That’s a perfectly nice way to go, as there is no pressure and it doesn’t feel like everything is going a thousand miles per hour. I had a nice time with this, mainly because it didn’t feel like I was being bombarded with details and changes every two seconds.

Results
Conglomeration b. The Opps – Angle Slam to Bowens
Kevin Knight b. Dezmond Xavier – Crash Landing
Chris Jericho b. JD Drake – Walls Of Jericho
Persephone b. Billie Starkz – Razor’s Edge
Mistico/Mike Bailey b. Premiere Athletes – La Mistica to Nese
Jake Doyle b. Adam Priest – Into The Void
Athena/Mercedes Mone b. Maya World/Hyan – O Face to Hyan

AEW, 2026, Collision, Conglomeration, The Opps, Lethal Twists, The Demand, Death Riders, Dezmond Xavier, Kevin Knight, Chris Jericho, JD Drake, Thunder Rosa, Persephone, Billie Starkz, Lena Kross, Megan Bayne, Hikaru Shida, Jake Doyle, Adam Priest, Don Callis, Mercedes Mone, Maya World, Willow Nightingale, Athena, Hyan

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: June 24, 2026
Location: Rio Rancho Events Center, Rio Rancho, New Mexico
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Taz

It’s the last Dynamite before Forbidden Door and the finals are officially set for the Owen Hart Cups. That means we need to have the big hype segments for Sunday’s final showdowns. As for tonight, Zack Sabre Jr. is here again to face Jack Perry in his Forbidden Door warmup match. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Jon Moxley gives the Death Riders a pep talk. Will Ospreay gets in their bouncing circle and falls down. Well of course he did.

Death Riders vs. Brodido/Mistico

Yuta grabs Bandido’s arm to start and they trade takedowns. Back up and Bandido snaps off a running headscissors before headlocking Moxley. That earns Bandido a trip into the corner, meaning Castagnoli can stomp him down. Bandido shrugs that off and brings Mistico in to get a rather spinning headscissors to take Castagnoli down.

It’s off to King for the big man slugout and of course King can run the ropes to springboard into a double wristdrag to Castagnoli and Moxley. The Riders are sent outside for a triple dive and we take an early break. We come back with Bandido still in trouble and Moxley getting two off a suplex.

Bandido gets in a running kick to the chest and Mistico gets the much needed tag. That means house can quickly be cleaned, including a quick sunset flip for two on Castagnoli. Bandido muscles Castagnoli over for a suplex but Marina Shafir offers a distraction. That’s enough for Moxley to get in a belt shot and roll King up for the pin at 12:19.

Rating: B. This was a good, hard hitting opening match with King getting to showcase his impressive athleticism. At the same time, this doesn’t make Bandido look strong going into his title shot and Mistico has his upcoming tag match and this…really had nothing to do with that either. It’s a weird way to go, though Bandido getting a pin here would have made a bit more sense.

Post match Bandido has a quick staredown with the Riders.

The Conglomeration is ready to fight in the cage at Forbidden Door. Darby Allin is ready to fight and the team promises to load up their backpacks. The rest of the team leaves and Orange Cassidy looks a bit annoyed but insists he’s fine. Renee Paquette doesn’t seem convinced.

Survival Of The Fittest Qualifying Match: Marina Shafir vs. Harley Cameron

Cameron is in Supergirl inspired gear and gets kicked in the ribs to start fast. Shafir mounts her but Cameron is right out into a half crab. That’s broken up as well and Cameron knocks her outside for a crossbody off the steps. Back in and Shafir gives her an AA and we take an early break. We come back with Shafir snapping off some judo throws but Cameron manages a belly to back suplex. Cameron hammers away in the corner until Shafir knees her right back. The half crab is broken up again so Shafir flips her into a choke, only to have Cameron backflip into a cradle for the pin at 7:52.

Rating: C+. This was a nice surprise victory for Cameron but what matters the most here is that Cameron is going to be in next week’s match. I’m not sure if she’s going to win the title and she probably won’t, but at least she’s going to bring her rather amazing charisma to the whole thing. She’s a good bonus to the match and could even win the whole thing, which is kind of stunning considering where she was when she first came to AEW.

Video on Maya World vs. Mercedes Mone in the Women’s Owen Hart Cup finals.

Will Ospreay vs. ELP

ELP (El Phantasmo) works on the arm to start and runs Ospreay over with a shoulder, earning him a nip up. Ospreay sends him outside without much trouble and hits a slingshot dive but ELP is back up with a quick drop onto the apron. One heck of a moonsault takes Ospreay down again and we take an early break.

We come back with Ospreay hitting an enziguri, only for ELP to grab a tornado DDT. Ospreay’s forearms make ELP laugh and they trade kicks to the head until Ospreay grabs a standing Spanish Fly. ELP gets in a superkick for two of his own but Ospreay flips over into a Styles Clash. The Hidden Blade pins ELP at 10:42.

Rating: B-. It was another entertaining match with Ospreay getting to do all of his stuff, though again I’m not sure how well this did to make Ospreay look great. It did a good job of building up ELP, who hung with Ospreay for a good while before getting taken out. That’s something that happens quite a bit during this season and it’s kind of annoying as Ospreay is in the likely main event of Forbidden Door and ELP isn’t likely going to be here beyond tonight.

Post match Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana come out for a staredown, with Ospreay leaving through the crowd.

Swerve Strickland vs. Daniel Garcia

Garcia walks in from outside and…how long has he been waiting out there? Strickland runs him over to start so Garcia pops up to get in Strickland’s face. That’s not a good idea as Strickland shoves him down and stomps away, setting up a running boot to the floor. This time Garcia pulls Strickland down for a hammering but takes too long yelling at a fan. Strickland kicks him in the face again and we take a break.

We come back with Strickland missing a Swerve Stomp to the apron and getting his leg dragon screw whipped. Strickland’s leg is fine enough to roll over and drop Garcia with a suplex. Garcia’s clothesline is shrugged off so he kicks out the leg instead. The ankle lock has Strickland in more trouble but he backbreakers his way out. A powerbomb is spun into a powerslam (cool) to plant Garcia, who pops up with a Styles Clash for two of his own. Strickland House Calls him for two, followed by a Hidden Blade to finish Garcia at 12:25.

Rating: B. Much like the previous match, this was a good way to build up someone who has nothing going on while the person set for a big match on Sunday is going 50/50 with Garcia. If protecting Garcia is that important (and I’m sure it is for whatever reason), don’t put him in the match. Strickland and Ospreay should have looked like killers in their matches and instead they’re just out there taking 10+ minutes to beat stars beneath them.

Post match Strickland goes after Garcia’s arm so Ospreay runs back in for the brawl. Nana offers a distraction though and Strickland gives Ospreay the House Call. A Vertebreaker drops Garcia and Ospreay chases Strickland off with a chair.

Video on Team Ospreay vs. Team MJF.

Don Callis and his Family are ready to win but MJF cuts them off to rant about Mark Briscoe. The reality is that Briscoe has never beaten MJF and that isn’t going to change. MJF thinks the two sides haven’t been on the same page but Callis whips out a shirt for TEAM DCMJF and yes the image is of them muscular and in limited clothing. MJF and Callis love it but the Family is less than impressed.

Jack Perry vs. Zack Sabre Jr.

Sabre takes him down with a cravate and shrugs off Sabre’s attempt to go after the leg. They fight over a double arm crank until Perry rolls him up for some near falls. A very near fall sends Sabre outside but he’s fine enough to start in on the arm, including snapping it over the top rope.

We take a break and come back with Perry hitting a Sliced Bread but getting sent outside. Sabre grabs a cross armbreaker on the floor but has to let it go, allowing Perry to hit another Sliced Bread on the apron. A moonsault to the floor takes Sabre out again, only for him to grab a triangle choke back inside. Perry reverses into a sitout powerbomb for two and the Snare Trap has Sabre in trouble for a change. Sabre twists the arm around to escape so Perry grabs a package powerbomb for two more. That earns him a double arm crank, with Sabre using his leg to pull Perry’s arm down for the submission at 13:12.

Rating: B-. This was a good example of Sabre getting to take Perry apart, which boosts him up on the way to facing Kenny Omega on Sunday. Granted we saw Sabre do something similar in his most recent match around here so it was only so necessary. It’s certainly fitting the theme for the night though and we’ll get the big match with Omega soon enough.

Young Bucks vs. TMDK

Tito jumps Matt from behind to start fast but the Bucks are right back with their stereo running bulldogs. A double clothesline puts TMDK on the floor for the stereo dives, followed by some back elbows to the face back inside. Matt gets crotched on top though and Nick gets pulled out of the air, with a spinebuster getting two on Matt in a big crash. Matt flips away from both of them though and grabs a DDT, allowing the tag off to Nick. House is cleaned and the Superkick Party is on, setting up the Meltzer Driver to pin Nicholls at 4:20.

Rating: C+. It was fun while it lasted and I’ll take this over the rest of the matches, as the Bucks get a pretty nice win over a team who doesn’t have anything going on. That’s a good way to go here as there was no reason to have the Bucks in any serious trouble. Nice enough job here and I’ll take that just about all the time.

Post match TMDK jumps the Bucks and Kenny Omega makes the save. Forearms are exchanged with Sabre and TMDK bails. Omega says may the best man win on Sunday and he certainly will.

We look at Thekla invading a Stardom show and attacking the owner.

Survivor Of The Fittest Qualifying Match: Red Velvet vs. Queen Aminata

Velvet’s ROH Women’s TV Title isn’t on the line. Velvet rolls over her into a sunset flip for an early two and then wristdrags her down again. Aminata is right back with a snap suplex for one but the big headbutt misses. Aminata’s right hands in the corner are countered into a powerbomb and we take a break.

We come back with Velvet grabbing a sitout bulldog for two but Aminata gives her a slingshot reverse suplex to leave them both down. The running boot in the corner sets up a middle rope double stomp for two on Velvet. Back up and Velvet flips her off the top, setting up a frog splash to the back for two. Velvet kicks away and, after an apology, misses the big kick to the head. Aminata knocks her into the ropes and hits a PK for the pin at 10:17.

Rating: C+. And of course a reigning champion loses clean in a qualifying match. I’m sure there was absolutely no one else available to take this loss, but it’s just Ring Of Honor anyway, which has been treated like nothing since it was brought back from the dead to create a promotion of cannon fodder. This is the kind of stupid stuff that drives me crazy in wrestling and it doesn’t need to happen but here we are anyway.

The Young Bucks are ready to superkick their opponents at Forbidden Door but Adam Copeland and Christian Cage brawl through with the Dogs. They brawl into the makeup area and Connors blinds Copeland with some hairspray to take over. The Dogs choke them both out. And we get a five second pose, complete with Cage’s old over the top sunglasses.

International Title: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Ricochet

Takeshita is defending and the Gates Of Agony are here with Ricochet. An early cheap shot knocks Takeshita outside and the big flip dive hits him as well. Back in and a springboard 450 gives Ricochet two as he’s certainly starting fast. Takeshita is back up but misses a charge in the corner, allowing Ricochet to hit a 619. The springboard clothesline and a running shooting star press give Ricochet two and we take a break.

We come back with Ricochet striking away in the corner and knocking him out to the floor. The shooting star off the apron is countered into a suplex though and they’re both down. Back in and a Blue Thunder Bomb gives Takeshita two before they trade kicks to the head. The wheelbarrow suplex drops Ricochet, who is right back up with Vertigo for two.

A shooting star press gives Ricochet two but he flips out of a German superplex. Takeshita’s Last Ride gets two but Ricochet uses the referee to cut off the running knee. A kick to the head sets up a Ricosault for two and Ricochet is stunned on the kickout. Takeshita drops him with a clothesline though and it’s the running knee and Raging Fire to retain at 13:48.

Rating: B. I don’t think anyone is going to be surprised that these two had a fast paced match together and they made it work here. Ricochet getting a somewhat random title match is hardly a stretch and it’s fine as a main event for a bit of an odd show. Takeshita gets a nice title defense as well and that’s a good thing as he looks for his next big challenger.

Here is Mark Briscoe with something to say about MJF. He and his friends are ready to fight in the cage on Sunday and he brings up their history in Blood & Guts. That was all about the thrill of the fight but this has some more consequential implications. Briscoe agrees that he and MJF are nothing alike (and he thanks God for that) but he knows he can beat MJF if they get a chance. On Sunday, he’ll be fighting with his friends while MJF has some hired stars who don’t care about him.

Cue Don Callis for a distraction so MJF can jump Briscoe from behind. Briscoe fights back and we get the parade of people running in one at a time to hit a single big move. Andrade has to save MJF from the Jay Driller but they go face to face. Callis cuts that off and MJF loads up the ring, only to accidentally hit Andrade. The Jay Driller lays MJF out to end the show. This was pretty much what you would have expected, though they do have some stories in the big cage match, which does help things.

Overall Rating: B-. This is a good example of a show where it’s perfectly fine from a quality standpoint, but it’s not something that interests me. A good chunk of this show was built around setting up Forbidden Door matches for wrestlers who aren’t likely to be regulars around here in a few days.

They aren’t regulars coming into this show either and it made for a less than thrilling show. Forbidden Door isn’t doing much to get my attention this year, though they’ve done an effective enough job with what they had. Not a bad show at all here (though another champion losing in a qualifying match makes my head hurt), but not my taste for the most part.

Results
Death Riders b. Brodido/Mistico – Rollup to King
Harley Cameron b. Marina Shafir – Cradle
Will Ospreay b. ELP – Hidden Blade
Swerve Strickland b. Daniel Garcia – Hidden Blade
Zack Sabre Jr. b. Jack Perry – Double arm crank
Young Bucks b. TMDK – Meltzer Driver to Nicholls
Queen Aminata b. Red Velvet – PK in the ropes
Konosuke Takeshita b. Ricochet – Raging Fire

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

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Dynamite
Date: June 17, 2026
Location: Smart Financial Center, Sugar Land, Texas
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Taz, Excalibur

We’re less than two weeks away from Forbidden Door and the tournaments are on a roll. We have the two Owen Hart Cups and the qualifying matches for the upcoming Survival Of The Fittest, which is basically a tournament of its own. That’s in addition to the six on six cage match and tonight we’re getting that match minus the cage. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

MJF and the Don Callis Family are in the back with MJF bragging about his abilities and now he’s ready for Mark Briscoe and company. Other than that though, he’s ready for Will Ospreay, who needs to realize that it isn’t 2024 and time has passed Ospreay by. As for Briscoe, it’s hilarious that he thinks he has a prayer to win the match tonight or at Forbidden Door. Callis introduces the rest of MJF’s team, which includes Kevin Knight, Kyle Fletcher, Jake Doyle, Kazuchika Okada and Andrade El Idolo. That’s quite a team, but Andrade isn’t happy with the move. Callis calms him down, again, and tells him to do the match.

Kenny Omega vs. Tony Nese

This is the result of Nese wanting a match. Omega wastes no time in taking over and hitting the Snapdragon. The V Trigger and One Winged Angel finish at 1:49. Now that’s how you properly use an ROH star, as Nese doesn’t do anything on his own and was perfect cannon fodder for Omega.

Post match Omega gets the mic but here are TMDK to interrupt. The three of them get in the ring so Omega wisely bails, with the Elite coming out to back him up. Omega explains that no one knows what TMDK means anyway but he’s ready for Zack Sabre Jr. at Forbidden Door. This is what it should have been, as it’s just another thrown out there Forbidden Door match and I’d rather they do this than have Sabre get a bunch of TV time to build him up at the last minute.

We look at the Dogs beating the Young Bucks on Collision.

We run down the rest of the card.

Death Riders vs. Brodido

Garcia shoves Bandido around to start and takes him to the mat for a slap to the back of the head. Back up and Bandido takes over on him rather quickly and hand it off to King for a slam. Garcia stops to dance and is double chopped down and it’s time for Moxley to come in. The big exchange of forearms (complete with intense glaring) goes to King as Moxley is sent outside for the dive from Bandido.

We take a break and come back with King and Moxley striking it out again. Moxley hits a cutter but King pops back up for a running clothesline. Bandido comes back in to suplex Garcia into the corner but King stops to yell at Marina Shafir, allowing Moxley to get in a suicide dive. A spike piledriver puts King down on the floor and Bandido is knocked down as well.

King is getting to his feet about 40 seconds after being spike piledriven on the floor so the Riders throw him back inside for two. Moxley plants King down again and we take a second break. We come back with Moxley knocking Bandido off the apron so King can’t escape. Moxley and Garcia fire off the corner clotheslines but he double clotheslines his way out.

It’s off to Bandido for the house cleaning, with Garcia and Moxley both having to be saved from delayed vertical suplexes. Instead Shafir is suplexed and Bandido hits a big dive to hit all three of them. Back in and everyone is knocked down again until Bandido catches Garcia with a pop up knee. King dives onto Moxley and the 21 Plex finishes Garcia at 22:04.

Rating: B. Well that was…random. I’m not sure where this came from but it wound up being a good match, King’s ridiculous selling of a spike piledriver on the floor aside. If nothing else, it was nice to see Bandido avoid taking a fall as it keeps the ROH World Title looking even remotely important. I mean it isn’t, but at least they’re giving it a bit of an impression.

Kyle Fletcher and Kazuchika Okada aren’t sure who they’ll be facing tonight, but it won’t be Tomohiro Ishii, who has been attacked. Oh no. Not that guy who never wins anything important!

Tommaso Ciampa talks about how he used to respect Chris Jericho. He loved the version who changed the wrestling world and took over New Japan. The version last week though? The one with all of the puns? Ciampa hates that one and offers to dance with Jericho if Jericho is interested.

The Dogs are coming to the ring for a chat but Adam Copeland and Christian Cage pop up to beat them down. Cage says he didn’t do anything to the Dogs’ mothers because he would never do anything to a team named after their mothers. Copeland talks about the things he and Cage learned over the years, including facing teams like the APA and learning from their beatings. The Dogs can walk through the Forbidden Door, but they’re walking back out as housebroken little pups.

Starlight Kid is ready to stand up for Stardom and beat Thekla. Thank goodness someone is standing up for…that other promotion.

Thekla talks about doing everything that Kid did and she got fired from Japan. Now it’s time for Thekla to beat Kid and take her mask.

Bandido is really happy about the win over the Death Riders. Bandido wants to face Jon Moxley for the Continental Title at Forbidden Door so Jon Moxley comes in to tell him to shoot his shot. This is going to be Bandido’s third pay per view out of four where he loses a singles match with the person beating him having no interest in being the ROH World Champion. As in the title he has defended once in America this year. Which absolutely needs to be a thing.

Women’s Owen Hart Tournament Semifinals: Hazuki vs. Mercedes Mone

They run the ropes to start until Hazuki slips on a springboard attempt but knocks Mone down. The threat of a running shot sends Mone bailing out to the ramp and she bails again from what looks like a rolling clothesline. We take a break and come back with Mone hitting a nasty gutbuster for two, with Hazuki rolling outside this time. Mone knocks her into the corner for two more but Hazuki gets in a toss to the floor. The suicide dives connect, as does a missile dropkick back inside.

Back in and Mone gets in two Amigos but the third is blocked, leaving Mone to snap the arm over the middle rope. A Meteora knocks Hazuki onto the ramp as we take a break. We come back with Hazuki firing away but getting sent face first into the middle buckle. Hazuki knocks her down again and drops the top rope backsplash, setting up the crossface. That’s broken up as well and they trade forearms from their knees with Hazuki getting the better of things.

They trade kicks to the face for a double down but Hazuki is back up with a kick to the face for two more. A brainbuster sends Mone out to the floor but she comes back inside for an exchange of rollups. The Statement Maker goes on and is broken up, leaving Mone rather frustrated. La majistral gives Hazuki two and they trade running shots to the face. Mone catches her with a Backstabber into the Statement Maker out of mostly nowhere for the tap at 22:28.

Rating: B. I never know what to say in a match like this because this whole thing was based on what these two did when they faced each other somewhere else. I’m sure that match was great, but basically we’re just told “yeah they had an awesome match”. Hazuki doesn’t mean anything in AEW (where she debuted last month) but Mone gets to have another match that I’m sure will be described as a classic.

Video on Maya World vs. Athena in the other semifinal.

Here is Will Ospreay, who is rather happy after getting married over the weekend. Yeah he has to go on his honeymoon so he took his wife upstairs, did various things, and told her to clean herself up because he was going to Houston. With that out of the way, here is Swerve Strickland as well, with Prince Nana mocking Tony Schiavone’s suit.

Strickland says it’s been awhile and Ospreay says the look on Strickland’s face is different. Actually Strickland thinks Ospreay has changed because no one knows why Ospreay is with the Death Riders. Ospreay says people need to let it go because he’s training with them and the training is working. That night where the Riders hurt him though, he didn’t see Strickland anywhere. Then they agreed to help Hangman Page get the World Title but where was Strickland there again? So where was Strickland?

Before he can speak, Ospreay takes the mic and says his own dream is bigger than Strickland’s explanation. Their match is going to be the semifinals of Ospreay’s World Cup. Strickland threatens to take Ospreay out and asks where Page is now. After everything they did, Page is just gone and now Strickland is supposed to step aside again?

Strickland is ready to get his title back because he’s better than Ospreay on his best day. Ospreay shoves him down so Strickland gets the chain out. Cue the Death Riders, with Strickland saying Ospreay really has changed. They got the point across well enough, but this was a rather lengthy exchange.

Chris Jericho wants to go face to face with Tommaso Ciampa on Collision.

Will Ospreay yells at Daniel Garcia when Jon Moxley comes in to ask if Ospreay feels in control. Moxley tells him he can’t lose control and Ospreay lets go of Garcia.

MJF and the Don Callis Family come to the ring for the main event but Mark Briscoe and the Conglomeration pop up. Briscoe introduces the rest of the team, including Konosuke Takeshita (who he introduces with a less than great name for someone Asian) and Darby Allin.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Don Callis Family vs. Conglomeration/Darby Allin/Konosuke Takeshita

Briscoe starts with MJF, who breaks new ground by tagging out at the bell. Andrade comes in and is sent outside for his regular photo, earning a dropkick through the ropes from Briscoe. Back in and the good guys take turns beating on Andrade in the corner but he’s able to take his pants off anyway. Fletcher and O’Reilly come in with Fletcher posing a lot before taking over.

O’Reilly rolls into an ankle lock and everything breaks down into the big brawl. Takeshita hits the big running flip dive but Allin gets jumped from behind inside. Fletcher and Knight almost get in a fight until it’s MJF coming back in to stomp on Allin’s ankle. We take a break and come back with Doyle working on Cassidy’s arm, only for Cassidy to feed him MJF’s arm instead. That’s enough for Strong to come in and clean house, including throwing Cassidy at various people.

Doyle is back in and gets knocked down to give Strong two as everything breaks down again. We get the parade of knockdowns until Takeshita and Fletcher fight over a brainbuster. Takeshita gives him a Blue Thunder Bomb instead and it’s off to MJF vs. Briscoe for the big showdown. Briscoe cleans house again but Knight breaks up the Jay Driller. Allin hobbles after Knight through the crowd but Doyle grabs Allin and sends him off the stage and into the post. The Jay Driller plants MJF so Don Callis distracts the referee. MJF takes Strong down into the Salt Of The Earth for the rather fast tap 17:23.

Rating: B-. This is one of the things that AEW does and I don’t get it. They have this match go over seventeen minutes and then expect me to be interested in seeing it again, albeit in a cage, in about a week and a half. I really do not get it and while the match was good enough, I don’t really need to see them do it even bigger at Forbidden Door. The result is fine enough, even with Strong tapping out so quickly.

Post match the good guys are beaten down, with Andrade and MJF almost getting into a fight. That’s broken up and Briscoe gets hit in the face with the diamond ring to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. This was the big push towards Forbidden Door and it accomplished that pretty well. The important thing here was setting up some matches for the pay per view while also advancing some of the stuff that is already set. You need to have shows like this and they did it with some good matches here, albeit with some parts which were less than enthralling.

Results
Kenny Omega b. Tony Nese – One Winged Angel
Brodido b. Death Riders – 21 Plex to Garcia
Mercedes Mone b. Hazuki – Statement Maker
Maxwell Jacob Friedman/Don Callis Family b. Conglomeration/Darby Allin/Konosuke Takeshita – Salt Of The Earth to Strong

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