Collision
Date: January 24, 2026
Location: Addition Financial Arena, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Paul Wight, Excalibur

This is kind of a weird one as the show was originally going to air live but the weather forced a double taping after Dynamite. That could mean a bit of a rushed show but hopefully the talent can make it work out. The big main event this time is for the CMLL World Title as Claudio Castagnoli defends against Roderick Strong. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

Hangman Page vs. Katsuyori Shibata

They go straight to the slugging to start and head outside, with Shibata being sent into the announcers’ table. Shibata misses a running big boot and gets booted over the barricade, meaning it’s time to brawl in the timekeeper’s area. Page keeps hammering away and takes him inside for a fall away slam. The triangle clothesline is cut off with an elbow to the face though and Shibata starts in on the leg. An early Figure Four is reversed, with Page making it to the rope.

We take a break and come back with Page cutting off the kicks the chest so they can chop it out. Shibata hits a running boot in the corner and they trade release German suplexes. They knock each other down for a double breather and the fans approve, as usual. The referee misses Shibata’s low blow and they head to the apron, where Page hits the Deadeye (that low blow didn’t exactly do a lot of damage). The moonsault to the floor hits Shibata but he’s right back with some kind of a neck crank. That’s broken up and Page hits a clothesline into the Buckshot Lariat for the pin at 13:23.

Rating: B-. It was a hard hitting fight as Page and JetSpeed continue their battle against the Opps. Odds are we’ll see a big showdown as a Dynamite main event in the near future, though the Trios Titles still don’t feel overly important. At least Page is getting some nice wins, as he feels like one of the biggest stars in the company and is coming off like one, which is something he has been needing.

Earlier this week, Don Callis and Ricochet were on a golf course and seem to be on the same page. Davis and Doyle beating people up in the background was funny.

Isla Dawn vs. Kris Statlander

Non-title and the Grizzled Young Veterans are here with Dawn. Statlander forearms away in the corner to start and a catapult sends Dawn into the corner. Dawn avoids a charge though and forearms away, followed by a Saito suplex for two. Statlander is right back with a Falcon Arrow into Staturday Night Fever for the fast pin at 2:49.

Post match Thekla pops up on screen wearing a Statlander shirt, which she takes off, spits on, and makes a Star Trek reference.

Jack Perry, holding his knife, says he wants Ricochet’s National Championship. Ricochet took Perry’s friend from him and now he’s taking the title, but it won’t be enough. Nice promo here.

We actually talk about Ace Austin winning on Ring Of Honor but he can’t be here due to travel issues (I’m guessing due to not being there for Dynamite, which is fine), so we have a replacement.

Don Callis Family vs. Billy Gunn/Austin Gunn

Don Callis is on commentary. Fletcher backs Austin up against the ropes to start and then throws him down without much trouble. Austin is back up with a running neckbreaker and it’s off to Billy, who is starting to look his age. Billy tells Fletcher to suck it so it’s off to Takeshita instead. Takeshita powers him into the corner and then out to the floor, where Callis offers a distraction. That means a cheap shot to put Billy down and we take a break.

We come back with Fletcher avoiding the Fameasser, only to get caught with the second attempt. The 3:10 To Yuma drops Fletcher, with Takeshita having to make the save. The Quick Draw is blocked though and Fletcher hits a dragon sleeper to put Austin down. Takeshita comes in with the Blue Thunder Bomb and Billy has to make the save. The running knee misses so Fletcher kicks Austin in the corner, setting up Raging Fire for the pin at 10:20.

Rating: C+. This was little more than a nice moment with Billy teaming with his son under bad circumstances. There wasn’t much else they could have done so this was about as good as it could have gone. Fletcher and Takeshita weren’t going to lose a match to the regular Bang Bang Gang lineup so this was actually a slight upgrade.

Post match Takeshita and Fletcher seem to be ok but here is Kazuchika Okada. Fletcher has to hold Takeshita back, which can’t be good.

Ricochet says Jack Perry will get his National Title shot in Las Vegas, which is the only place with enough luck for a Jack to have a chance against a King.

The Grizzled Young Veterans are still mad at Eddie Kingston and Ortiz and weapons are teased. Why in the world would this feud continue? The Veterans have lost every time. Why?

Alec Price/Jordan Oliver vs. Davis and Doyle

Doyle runs both of them over without much trouble to start and Davis comes in for a German suplex. Price and Oliver are tossed at each other in a nice idea and we settle down to Davis dropping Oliver. The kickout just annoys Davis so it’s off to Price for a running boot in the corner. Oliver and Price are thrown at each other again and a piledriver/swinging Boss Man Slam get the double pin at 3:53.

Rating: C. I can go with an entertaining squash as Davis and Doyle got to run through these two, with the toss spots being rather fun. Davis and Doyle are a good example of what happens when you do what should be obvious, as they’re big guys who look alike. Don’t make this more complicated than it should be and you’ll be fine. Unlike Price and Oliver, who are losing so much that they’re reaching levels of pitiful.

Post match Callis talks about having a vision of destroying FTR and owning the Tag Team Titles.

FTR and Stokely Hathaway pop up on screen, with Hathaway saying Callis lies a lot so FTR is keeping the titles.

Darby Allin goes to see Bam Margera and they skateboard a lot.

TBS Title: Julia Hart vs. Willow Nightingale

Nightingale is defending and they start with some running, followed by blocking the other’s hiptoss attempt. Hart bounces off of her, which doesn’t seem to be a great idea. A fisherman’s suplex gives Nightingale two so Hart strikes away to some more success. An Old School hurricanrana drops Nightingale, who pops right back up.

Cue Skye Blue for a distraction so here is Harley Cameron to cut her off. Nightingale’s Cannonball misses though and Hart grabs a neckbreaker for two. We take a break and come back with Hart hitting some running corner clotheslines. Nightingale hits a much harder clothesline (Wight: “She started swinging in Florida and stopped in Nebraska.”) but Hart superkicks her off the corner.

They head outside, where Nightingale pulls her off the barricade for a suplex and the Cannonball gets two back inside. Hart is right back with something like a Black Widow, which is broken up just as quickly. The Babe With The Powerbomb is countered into a hurricanrana for two, only for the second attempt to retain Nightingale’s title at 10:43.

Rating: B-. Hart continues to look smooth in the ring and she’s good at this kind of a match, where there is only so much drama about a title change but it’s an entertaining match anyway. Nightingale getting to beat someone is a good thing to see and the fans still love her. That’s a fine use of time on this show and I was never bored so call it a success.

The Rascalz are eating and talking about the nice couch they have. They’re ready to fight the Cru and Myron Reed is eventually out after losing some Rock Paper Scissors. This wasn’t as funny as the team usually is but they’re still new.

Magnus vs. Andrade El Idolo

Andrade chops him up against the ropes to start and a backdrop puts Magnus down again. A very loud chop connects for Andrade but Magnus knocks him outside. The dive is cut off, allowing Andrade to seemingly give a woman his number. We take a break and come back with…Andrade having lost his pants. Dang it that’s never good.

Andrade hits Three Amigos into an Eddie Dance but pulls Magnus up at two. The double arm crank goes on and Andrade gets to start untying the mask, which isn’t overly nice. Magnus fights back and hits a dive into the announcers’ table, followed by a Swanton for two back inside. Andrade sends him hard into the corner though and the running knees set up the DM for the pin at 11:08.

Rating: C+. This was about what you would expect from Andrade, as he had a fine match that didn’t exactly offer much in the way of interest. It was just Andrade doing his stuff and getting a win over someone who doesn’t mean much around here. Magnus got in a bit of offense but at least he only dragged this a bit beyond a squash.

Post break Andrade says he wants the World Title and is coming for Swerve Strickland on Dynamite.

CMLL World Title: Roderick Strong vs. Claudio Castagnoli

Castagnoli, with Wheeler Yuta, is defending, Jon Moxley is on commentary and Strong has Orange Cassidy with him. Castagnoli jumps him during the entrances but Strong chops back and tells Castagnoli to hit him harder. A headlock works a bit better for Castagnoli but Strong is back up with some right hands in the corner. They go outside with Strong striking away, only to get dropped hard onto the barricade.

Back in and Castagnoli starts in on the leg with some cranking, plus a slam to send the leg into the rope. A neckbreaker doesn’t work for Castagnoli as Strong sends him outside, only for Castagnoli to ram the leg into the barricade. We take a break and come back with Castagnoli staying on the leg but Strong kicks him to the floor. A dropkick through the ropes connects and Strong is back in with the belly to back faceplant for two.

Castagnoli goes right back onto the leg but the Neutralizer is blocked. Instead Castagnoli goes with an uppercut for two and kicks away at the leg in the corner. They go up top where Strong manages a super Angle Slam for two, setting up the Stronghold. The rope is grabbed (Moxley: “Oh boy.”) and Castagnoli Swings him into the half crab.

Strong gets out so the knee is wrapped around the post, with Yuta getting in a cheap shot. Cassidy Orange Punches him, only for Castagnoli to drop Cassidy right back. They head back inside, with Strong hitting a knee to the face but Castagnoli goes back to the leg. A one legged Swing sets up the Neutralizer to retain the title at 18:20.

Rating: B. This was a solid main event with Castagnoli getting to avenge his loss to Strong in the Continental Classic. That’s a good way to set up the main event of Collision and while the title doesn’t mean much around here, it’s at least something with a bit of a connection to AEW. The leg stuff worked well too, with that swinging single leg crab looking awesome. Nice job here.

Overall Rating: B. Maybe they should tape the show after Dynamite more often. This was a rather entertaining show and while it felt like it was another case of setting up Dynamite, it did so well enough. That’s mostly what Collision tends to be and while it didn’t have anything you really needed to see, it did a nice job of making me more interested in Dynamite. Throw in a good main event and I’ll take that week to week.

Results
Hangman Page b. Katsuyori Shibata – Buckshot Lariat
Kris Statlander b. Isla Dawn – Staturday Night Fever
Don Callis Family b. Billy Gunn/Austin Gunn – Raging Fire to Austin
Davis and Doyle b. Jordan Oliver/Alec Price – Double pin
Willow Nightingale b. Julia Hart – Babe With The Powerbomb
Andrade El Idolo b. Magnus – DM
Claudio Castagnoli b. Roderick Strong – Neutralizer

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: November 12, 2025
Location: First Horizon Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
Commentators: Excalibur, Bryan Danielson, Tony Schiavone

It’s time to get back to one of the biggest shows of the year with Blood & Guts. This time though that means a pair of matches as the women are getting a chance as well. Other than that, Powerhouse Hobbs is facing Hangman Page in a falls count anywhere match, so this is going to be a violent night. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

For the sake of simplicity, here are the rules for Blood & Guts for both matches:

• One entrant from each team starts for five minutes.
• The team with the advantage gets to send in its second entrant.
• Every “few” minutes another entrant enters.
• Once all entrants are in, the first pin or submission wins.

Team Statlander vs. Team Mone

Kris Statlander, Willow Nightingale, Harley Cameron, Jamie Hayter, Mina Shirakawa, Toni Storm
Mercedes Mone, Skye Blue, Julia Hart, Thekla, Megan Bayne, Marina Shafir

Willow Nightingale and Skye Blue start things off and they go straight to the hockey fight style. Nightingale puts her hair up and commentary knows that’s going to be serious. They head over to the space between the ropes and the cage, with Nightingale slingshot alley ooping her into the steel. A Pounce sends Blue into the cage and she’s already busted open. Blue tries to fight out of the corner and it’s Julia Hart in to give the villains control (not quite five minutes but that’s going to happen).

Hart hammers away and starts looking for something in the turnbuckle pad. Nightingale manages to get to the other ring but a flipping elbow rocks her again. Harley Cameron is in to even things up and it’s a Sling Blade to take Hart down. Cameron slips out of a double suplex and Nightingale is there with a double clothesline. A baseball slide dropkick in to a chair hits Hart in the corner and we take a break.

We come back with Thekla coming in to uneven things up and house is quickly cleaned. Thekla whips out a belt to start some whipping and stereo dropkicks have Nightingale and Cameron in trouble. Jamie Hayter comes in to make it 3-3 and cleans house with a trashcan lid. That’s not enough so she grabs a barbed wire kendo stick. The tacks are poured out and Thekla is sent face first into them for a crash that should have been a bigger deal.

Megan Bayne is in at #4 and starts wrecking people, including a double suplex to Cameron and Nightingale. Hayter slugs away until Cameron’s trashcan lid to the back has no effect on Bayne. Kris Statlander evens things up again (wearing the title, which seems inconvenient), including a Vader Bomb. The injured Queen Aminata chases off the also injured Penelope Ford and we get the Statlander vs. Bayne showdown as we take another break.

We come back again with Cameron climbing the structure and Bayne giving chase, only for Bayne to be powerbombed down. Everyone is down and Mercedes Mone (yes the belts are at ringside) is in for the next to last advantage. House is quickly cleaned, including a tornado DDT to send Statlander onto the belt. Since we don’t have enough weapons (and no one in the other ring), Mone goes outside and grabs some belts for her team to use as weapons.

Mina Shirakawa comes in with a barbed wire baseball bat, which she throws at Bayne for a dropkick. Shirakawa goes after Mone until Marina Shafir completes her team. Shafir takes Statlander outside and knocks her into a bed of nails before beating up Hayter inside. Toni Storm completes the field and NOW we can officially have a submission to end the match. Storm hits Shafir in the face, which is shrugged off so Storm can be sent into the cage.

With that not working, Storm dips her taped hands into a bucket of broken glass, because when you can go Ian Rotten, you go Ian Rotten. A double DDT puts Bayne down and we take a break (now that the match can end). We come back with Blue being powerbombed onto a table, which doesn’t break. Statlander drops an elbow onto Blue….and the table only half breaks. That’s enough to set up the parade of knockdowns until Cameron whips out the puppet (oh no). Mone pulls it away….and reveals the brass knuckles under the puppet (nice save), which knock Mone silly.

Hart and Thekla slip through part of the cage and go outside to take the key from the referee, meaning the fight can go to the floor. Statlander and Mone go up, with Statlander Samoan dropping her through the belt table. The villains lock the cage, with a bunch of Statlander’s team outside. Storm pours out the bucket of glass and it’s a double DDT to send Shafir into said glass.

Back up and Shafir breaks a mirror over Storm’s head, leaving Statlander to superplex Bayne between the rings. Shirakawa grabs a figure four with the barbed wire baseball bat on Bayne, only for Shafir to….put glass in her foot and stomp Shirakawa for the save. Why she couldn’t have just, like, stomped her without injuring herself, isn’t clear. That’s enough for the villains to hold Storm while Shafir chokes Shirakawa. Bayne whips Shirakawa with a belt until Storm gives up to save her at 46:09.

Rating: B-. I’m never quite sure what to think of these things. I did like a lot of this and it was violent, but they could have dropped a member or two per team and, of course, shortened it a lot. The ending was fine enough as Storm and Shirakawa have been established as having that kind of relationship, but I’m not sure how good it was for a finish.

It kind of sums up the underlying problem with the match: I’m not quite sure what the major feud was supposed to be. It started with Thekla vs. Hayter, but that’s not exactly a top story. They had a bunch of stuff going on here, and the match felt like it was too much going on at once. As usual, it needs to be trimmed down, which is a regular issue for AEW.

We recap Hangman Page vs. Powerhouse Hobbs, who had a heck of a fight last week.

In the back, the Don Callis Family lays out Jurassic Express. The Young Bucks pop up and say it was a message. Don Callis wants an answer about the Bucks joining next week.

Hangman Page vs. Powerhouse Hobbs

Non-title and Falls Count Anywhere. Page has taped up ribs and Hobbs rips off a turnbuckle pad to start. They both tease sending each other into the buckle until Page knocks him into the other ring. Page misses a shot and gets knocked down with a clothesline. Hobbs heads outside but takes too long, allowing Hobbs to hit a shot from the apron. A charge misses Page and only hits the steps but Hobbs is right back up to slam page onto various things.

Hobbs is World’s Strongest Slammed onto the steps Page backdropping Hobbs off the announcers’ table (Hobbs landed on his tailbone and that looked ROUGH). Page clotheslines him over the barricade and they go into the crowd, with Page hitting a moonsault in the people. Hobbs cuts him off with a spinebuster through a table and they go up into the crowd. Page takes his boot off for a running shot to the face, knocking Hobbs off a balcony and through a table (which explodes) to give Page the pin at 14:11.

Rating: B+. I got into this one as it felt like Page was fighting against a monster and had to do whatever he could to survive. I cringed more at the backdrop off the table than anything in the cage match, as that’s the kind of thing that makes it look like more of a painful fight. Page came off like he was in a war here and Hobbs felt like a monster. Hobbs losing again isn’t great to see, but at least he held his own in there.

Post match the Opps run in to go after Page, with the cage lowering. Eddie Kingston and Hook comes out for the save just in time. Page turns the Full Gear match into a cage match. Of course.

Tony Schiavone brings out Ricky Steamboat for a special appearance. He talks about his history in this territory and his history around here with Ric Flair. The story is cut off by FTR (Steamboat: “I KNOW HIM!”), with Stokely Hathaway introducing himself to Steamboat. As Steamboat makes fun of Hathaway’s height, Stokely says he wants his favorite wrestler front row at Full Gear. Hathaway: “You got Macho Man’s phone number?”

FTR brags about making Steamboat look good in his retirement match and Harwood mentions Steamboat being his trainer. The thing is…Steamboat didn’t teach him a thing. Steamboat says he didn’t teach Harwood to have his attitude, but Harwood says Steamboat taught him to save his money.

If he and Ric Flair (who hasn’t been seen) followed that advice, they wouldn’t have to be here tonight. The brawl is teased with FTR telling Steamboat to get out and Steamboat saying he’s going to play it smart here. FTR jump shim so Bandido and Brody King make the save, with Steamboat getting in a few chops to send the villains running. This was WAY too long and dragged badly.

Team Death Riders vs. Team Darby Allin

Jon Moxley, Wheeler Yuta, Daniel Garcia, Claudio Castagnoli, Pac
Darby Allin, Orange Cassidy, Mark Briscoe, Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly

Allin and Yuta start things off and they go straight to the floor, with Allin missing a charge and crashing into the barricade. They get back inside with Allin hitting a quick Coffin Drop from the cage to a standing Yuta. That’s enough to send Yuta to the other ring to reach for Allin’s skateboard. Allin gives him a Code Red and uses the thumbtacks on the back to cut Yuta open. Orange Cassidy is in to give the good guys the advantage and BREAKS HIS OWN SUNGLASSES. He uses the pieces to stab Yuta in the head (I’ve seen worse ideas) and Yuta is bleeding even more.

A jumping skateboard shot to the back has Yuta down again as Daniel Garcia is in to even things up. Garcia chokes Allin and Cassidy at the same time and a double chain shot puts Cassidy down. We take a break and come back with Garcia and Yuta being tied up with the chain as Mark Briscoe joins the fray. Well he’s supposed to at least as he has been attacked in the back.

Roderick Strong goes instead to buy time and drops Yuta onto Garcia. Claudio Castagnoli evens things up and sends Strong into a chair in the corner. Cassidy chokes Castagnoli….who swings Allin at the same time, because that’s something a human can do. The bleeding Strong’s head is rubbed into the cage and one heck of an uppercut drops Allin. Kyle O’Reilly is in as the next to last member of his team but Garcia and Yuta are back up with chair shots.

Yuta gives Allin a piledriver on the chair and we take another break. We come back again with Jon Moxley coming in and stabs O’Reilly in the head with a fork. Strong is stabbed in the head and Allin is stabbed in the back…and Briscoe isn’t here as Moxley stabs Strong with a piece of the mirror from the first match. We get word that the Don Callis Family attacked Briscoe as Allin is piledriven into a pile of glass. That’s enough to send us to another break and we come back again with Pac completing the field (with the villains up 5-4).

Allin Coffin Drops from the roof onto everyone else, leaving the very bloody Strong to get beaten up by Pac. One heck of a running clothesline drops Allin….and here is Briscoe with some boltcutters to break into the cage. Briscoe sends a toolbox into the ring and the good guys find some tools. Moxley shrugs off a wrench shot (of course) as Briscoe sets up a table on the floor. Garcia is put on the table and Briscoe goes up the cage, only for Garcia to move before the big jump.

Yuta joins Briscoe on top so Briscoe and O’Reilly rig up a pulley system to get some chairs up there. Yuta has to low blow his way out of a Jay Driller and we take one more break. We come back with Briscoe hitting the Jay Driller to Yuta onto a chair on top of the cage as Allin chokes Moxley with a hammer. Cue Gabe Kidd to drag Allin up the aisle as Cassidy puts his hands in his pockets.

They are then stapled as Kidd chokes Allin on the stage. Pac pulls All on top of the entrance…and Kidd lights some tables on fire. Pac is sent through the flaming tables and Kidd is taken away by security. Moxley chokes O’Reilly with a chain and gets flipped off so Castagnoli wraps a chair around O’Reilly’s neck. Cassidy rips the staples out of his pockets and Strong is up with some running knees. The Orange Punch hits Moxley and Garcia is sent into a table in the corner, with Garcia bouncing off of it in a nasty crash.

A powerbomb sends Yuta into (not through) another table in another corner before he gets whipped through it. Cassidy counters Swiss Death into an Orange Punch but Strong can’t put Castagnoli through the table (Where did they get these things from?). Another Orange Punch knocks Moxley into an ankle lock, which is reversed into the bulldog choke. That’s reversed into an ankle lock with a grapevine and Moxley taps at 54:07.

Rating: C. Was it a disaster? No. Was it bad? Not really. What it was instead was a FAR too long match that felt like it was just there to fill in time, with stuff like the Allin being sent through a burning table just being a moment in a long series of them. It’s another match that could have had nearly half an hour cut out without losing much. Now that being said, the ending was rather good and tied in with the bigger Moxley story. That part was well done, but it came at the end of a very long match and it didn’t have as much of an impact that it could have had otherwise.

Overall Rating: B-. This is just what Blood & Guts is and that isn’t a surprise anymore. It goes on far longer than it needs to and doesn’t exactly make me care about most of the people involved. I’m certainly not more interested in seeing Full Gear (which is now going to feature a smaller cage match) and that’s not a great feeling. The non-cage match here was very good, but the big focus was on Blood & Guts, which was pretty much exactly what you would have been expecting.

Results
Team Mone b. Team Statlander when Storm submitted
Hangman Page b. Powerhouse Hobbs – Boot to the head
Team Allin b. Team Moxley – Ankle lock to Moxley

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: November 8, 2025
Location: Bayou Music Center, Houston, Texas
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness

It’s the last show before Blood & Guts and as luck would have it, we’ll be getting to see what happens with the two advantage series. That should be enough to carry most of the show, but other than that, we’re likely in for some build towards Full Gear, which is coming up as well. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

We run down the card.

FTR vs. Bang Bang Gang

Stokely Hathaway is here with FTR. Gunn starts with the Guns Up pose to Harwood before taking Wheeler down in an armbar. That’s broken up and it’s off to Harwood vs. Robinson as things slow down a bit. Robinson hammers away in the corner but is smart enough to catch Wheeler with a spinning high crossbody.

Harwood is taken out again but Wheeler is back in with a chop block to take Robinson down. Robinson fights out of trouble and gets two off a sunset flip, followed by a double DDT. Gunn gets the tag and cleans house, including busting out the old Quick Draw. Wheeler low bridges Gunn to the floor though and we take a break.

We come back with Robinson coming in to clean house, including a leg lariat to Harwood. A slingshot dive drops Wheeler but Harwood rolls through a high crossbody and grabs the tights for two. Cue Bandido and Gravity to go after Hathaway, though they stop to superkick Wheeler. The Fameasser of the middle rope staggers Harwood and the forward DDT gives Robinson the pin at 14:09.

Rating: B. They certainly kept the energy up here and it made for a hot opener. At the very least, I rather like seeing the Gang get a nice win, as they’ve been doing nothing for such a long time now. Hopefully this is a sign that they’re getting back on their feet, as it’s not like they had much further to fall.

Kyle Fletcher is ready to beat up Ace Austin tonight and Mark Briscoe at Full Gear. Kazuchika Okada comes in to say they’ll win and be Proto-Kada. Fletcher likes it…I think?

TNT Title: Kyle Fletcher vs. Ace Austin

Fletcher is defending. They fight over wrist control to start with Fletcher taking him down and striking a double biceps pose. Back up and Austin knocks him outside for an early breather so things can reset a bit. A big boot puts Austin down but he’s right back with la majistral for two. Fletcher backbreakers him into a swinging full nelson slam for two and we take a break.

We come back with Austin striking away, setting up a Russian legsweep. Fletcher bails out to the floor, where he counters a kick to the chest into a powerbomb onto the apron. Back in and the sitout Last Ride gets two on Austin, who is right back with some corner clotheslines.

A super hurricanrana plants Fletcher though and a faceplant gives Austin two. The Fold misses though and Fletcher lawn darts him into the corner. Austin fights back up but another Fold attempt is countered into a brainbuster for two. They trade kicks to the head until Fletcher takes him up top for the brainbuster onto the turnbuckle to retain at 14:38.

Rating: B. Good stuff here, as Austin is someone who has proven himself well in AEW thus far and Fletcher is rather dependable to put it mildly. This is the match designed to have Austin become a big deal and that’s a good way for him to go. Then again, that’s how a lot of people are treated in AEW and the results have been a mixed bag of success.

We look at Megan Bayne and Marina Shafir joining forces.

Kris Statlander thinks Mercedes Mone has a lot of things that she’ll never have, but Statlander has the focus. Statlander will follow her into Blood & Guts and then on to Full Gear to beat her once and for all.

The Don Callis Family wants the Death Riders to destroy Mark Briscoe and offers them favors for a job well done. Jon Moxley isn’t interested and a lot of staring ensues.

Anna Jay/Tay Melo vs. Hyan/Maya World

Melo takes Hyan into the corner to take over and Jay comes in to hammer away. World makes a save but gets sent outside, meaning it’s a Gory Bomb into a knee to the face to finish Hyan at 1:48. Total dominance.

Athena is annoyed at getting pinned by Harley Cameron, who is getting a Ring Of Honor Women’s Title match later this month. Now it’s time for pain in Blood & Guts and then retaining the title.

Women’s Blood & Guts Advantage Series: Skye Blue vs. Jamie Hayter

Blue’s team is up 1-0 and a win gives them the advantage. They trade some early rollups and go outside, with Hayter giving chance but getting sent into the steps. Back in and Hayter’s spinebuster lets her hammer away but she misses a dropkick. Blue gets two off a basement superkick and we take a break.

We come back with Hayter hitting a middle rope dropkick for two, followed by a big boot for the same. They trade forearms and then headbutts, with Hayter falling on top for two. Blue powerbombs her out of the corner for the same but Code Blue is countered. Hayterade gives Hayter the pin at 10:06.

Rating: B-. They weren’t exactly hiding the fact that Hayter was going to win here as otherwise there wouldn’t have been another match. Hayter continues to rise up the rankings and hopefully she’s able to get back into the title picture sooner than later. Blue is someone who can take losses without losing much and it won’t hurt her, so this was fine.

Post match the Triangle Of Madness run in for the beatdown but Harley Cameron and Willow Nightingale make the save.

Women’s Blood & Guts Advantage Series: Thekla vs. Harley Cameron

For the advantage. It’s a brawl to start with the fans entirely behind Cameron in quite the reaction. They go outside with Cameron hitting a Russian legsweep before heading back inside. Thekla pulls her out of the corner for a face first crash onto the buckle, followed by a suplex on the floor. Thekla adds another one and we take a break with Cameron in trouble.

We come back with Cameron getting caught with the upside down choke in the ropes for two. Back up and a running faceplant drops Thekla and Cameron gets to stomp away in the corner. A sling blade gives Cameron two and she headbutts Thekla into the Tree Of Woe for a running dropkicks. That doesn’t get her very far though as Thekla hits a spear for the pin and advantage at 12:04.

Rating: C+. Cameron is getting better in the ring but what matters the most is that the fans love her. You can’t plan that kind of thing and it made for a great step forward for her career. She’s coming up on the biggest singles match of her career, which makes the loss here a bit of a bad idea, but it’s not like Cameron is likely to beat Athena anyway.

Jet Speed aren’t done with FTR and they’re ready to be in the Casino Gauntlet match for the North American Title.

Anthony Bowens insists that the Acclaimed is done. He and Max Caster will both be at the Tailgate Brawl but Tony Khan insists that there is more interest in them working together. Therefore, that’s what will happen at the Tailgate Brawl. Bickering ensues.

Full Gear rundown, oddly with the camera on commentary instead of the graphics.

Video on Hangman Page vs. Samoa Joe, setting up Page vs. Powerhouse Hobbs at Blood & Guts.

Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat will both be at Blood & Guts.

Men’s Blood & Guts Advantage Series: Jon Moxley vs. Roderick Strong

For the advantage. Moxley’s early front facelock is countered into an armbar but he pulls that into a Kimura. That’s broken up so Strong shoves him out to the floor, where Moxley gets to flip off the crowd. Back in and Moxley takes over on the arm again, with Strong being knocked outside for a change. Moxley follows him outside but gets whipped into the steps. Strong tries a suplex but gets dropped onto the steps as we take a break.

We come back with Moxley tying up the legs with an Indian deathlock, sending Strong over to the ropes. A butterfly superplex drops Strong for two but he’s right back with a tiger driver for the same. Moxley tries the bulldog choke, which is escaped just as fast for the slugout. Marina Shafir trips Strong so here is Kyle O’Reilly, who is cut off by Wheeler Yuta.

That earns him an ejection so here is Pac to kick Strong in the face. That’s only good for two so Moxley gets a cross armbreaker, which is quickly escaped. Pac loads up a table at ringside but Strong puts an invading Daniel Garcia through it instead. A full nelson slam sends Moxley onto the steps and….someone (it’s Darby Allin) grabs his leg to make sure Strong wins by countout at 18:10.

Rating: B-. It was a nice brawl and Moxley’s fall continues, but I could go a long, long, long time without seeing the Death Riders doing anything again. It feels like the same “here comes all of them one after another as Moxley does submissions” that we’ve seen forever. In theory the team is mostly done after Blood & Guts, but that feels like it has been the case for a long time now.

Overall Rating: B-. This started really well and then slowed down a good bit. The problem is you’re only going to get so much out of control series for matches that are going to wind up with everyone staring at each other for a big showdown. Full Gear didn’t get a ton of attention here, but odds are that will have a lot of fallout from Dynamite. This was another Collision that would have been better at just an hour, which is so often the case around here.

Results
Bang Bang Gang b. FTR – Forward DDT to Harwood
Kyle Fletcher b. Ace Austin – Brainbuster onto the turnbuckle
Anna Jay/Tay Melo b. Hyan/Maya World – Gory Bomb into a knee to the face to Hyan
Jamie Hayter b. Skye Blue – Hayterade
Thekla b. Harley Cameron – Spear
Roderick Strong b. Jon Moxley via countout

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: October 15, 2025
Location: Cable Dahmer Arena, Independence, Missouri
Commentators: Bryan Danielson, Excalibur, Tony Schiavone

It’s another special night as we have WrestleDream coming up in three days. As a result, this week sees Dynamite and Collision going back to back, which means we’ll be seeing the final pushes to the pay per view in one night. That means we’ll be seeing quite a bit here so let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Opening sequence.

We look at Kota Ibushi breaking his leg on Collision, leading to Jack Perry saving Kenny Omega from a post match brawl. Omega doesn’t trust Perry but says we’ll see where it goes tonight.

We run down the card.

Renee Paquette sits down with Toni Storm and Kris Statlander for their final words before the title match. After they all take off their jackets (including a frustrated Paquette), Storm says she needs the title back and is ready to do anything to get it. If that means being murdered by Statlander, so be it. Statlander says she is constantly evolving, so the woman who beat Storm for the title is already gone. She is the champion and will be forever. Storm gets up and they go face to face, with Storm saying they’ll meet each other in the ring. Paquette is frustrated and wants her jacket back.

Here are Storm and Statlander in the ring and the fight is on. Storm hands her the belt and drops to her knees, only to German suplex Statlander down. Then Statlander drops to her knees as Storm picks up the title, which she hands to Statlander and leaves.

Jack Perry is cutting a piece of wood and says he doesn’t hate the Young Bucks. He is happy with what they did together but they weren’t there when he needed them. That’s why he had to look to his past for help, which is why he is back with Luchasaurus.

Gates Of Agony vs. Hurt Syndicate

Ricochet and MVP are here too. Benjamin and Kaun start things off and slug it out, with Benjamin shrugging off the beating in the corner. Kaun gets kicked down and it’s off to Lashley for a double shoulder. A delayed suplex drops Kaun but he kicks the ropes into a low blow on Lashley.

Liona gets in a Samoan drop on the floor and we take a break. We come back with Liona charging into an overhead belly to belly, allowing Benjamin to come in and clean house. Benjamin’s running DDT plants Kaun and Lashley collides with Liona on the floor. The distraction lets Ricochet come in with a Spirit Gun to Benjamin, allowing Kaun to steal the pin at 9:38.

Rating: B-. There is something fun about watching these teams throw each other around with some rather impressive power. It’s little more than a preview for the six man tag at WrestleDream and in that case, the Gates really needed the win to give them some more momentum. Nice match here, with the villains cheating to win as they should.

We look at Darby Allin getting in a fight with Jon Moxley at New York Comic Con.

Earlier today, Moxley and Allin had a face to face meeting with some glass between them. Moxley says the game is rigged in both directions because neither of them will ever quit. Allin can join the Death Riders and end this but he doesn’t respect Moxley. Why would he want to join someone who treated Bryan Danielson the way they did?

Moxley says sacrifices have to be made but Allin talks about how he saw the freedom at the top of Mount Everest. Now Moxley is chipping away at everything around here, though Moxley says Allin is fighting ghosts of the past. Then Pac comes in to jump Allin, whose blood winds up on the glass. I am out of words to explain how sick I am of Moxley and everything he says and does.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Roderick Strong

They go with the grappling on the mat and then against the ropes to start. Strong avoids a charge in the corner and chops away before chopping away even more. Castagnoli’s headlock is broken up so he grabs it again, followed by a hard elbow. Strong fights up and gets out to the floor, where Castagnoli swings him into the barricade.

We take a break and come back with Castagnoli grabbing a crossface, which sends Strong into the ropes. That’s enough to start the comeback and sending Castagnoli outside for a drop onto the barricade. Back in and Strong drops him onto the turnbuckle, only to charge into Swiss Death for the pin at 10:49.

Rating: B-. As usual, the match was fine, but it’s kind of hard to get interested in a match between two people who have been beaten down this much. Castagnoli is in a better place than Strong, though that’s not saying much. Strong hasn’t won anything important since he’s been in AEW, so how much does it matter for either of these two to win here?

The Don Callis Family is having a birthday party for Don Callis. After a quick song, Callis says this is all about power and is presented with….a video from Konosuke Takeshita, who promises to win the IWGP World Title for Callis. Kazuchika Okada cuts the video off and they toast to family.

We see Konosuke Takeshita winning the IWGP World Title earlier this week.

Don Callis Family vs. Kenny Omega/Jurassic Express

Omega and Alexander start things off, with Alexander immediately tagging Hechicero. Omega’s leg is taken out and twisted around, setting up a dragon screw legwhip. The comeback is cut off as Omega won’t tag and gets taken down by the leg again. Alexander works on the leg in the ropes but Omega gets out and rolls over for the tag to Perry. That means Alexander is quickly beaten down Davis runs Perry over as we take a break.

We come back with Alexander pulling Perry into the ankle lock, which is quickly broken up. Omega dramatically gets on the apron for the tag, with even Callis admitting that Omega is on fire here. A running knee gets two on Alexander as everything breaks down. Davis and Luchasaurus knock each other down but Luchasaurus is back up to take over.

Callis offers a distraction to cut off the V Trigger but Perry sacrifices himself to take a clothesline from Davis. A piledriver gets two on Omega and Hechicero grabs a cross armbreaker, with Luchasaurus having to chokeslam Alexander onto them for the break. Everything breaks down and a springboard Doomsday Device finishes Hechicero at 13:57.

Rating: B. The match was pretty good, though there is only so much interest that is coming from the Don Callis Family. They’ve been around for so long and are so dull most of the time that it’s making their matches run with an anchor. Throw in the drama between Perry and Omega being solved in all of a few minutes and this wasn’t the most dramatic match.

Post match the Young Bucks run in to jump the Express, with Omega coming in to yell until Luchasaurus makes the save. Perry moonsaults onto the Don Callis Family.

Skye Blue vs. Jamie Hayter

Julia Hart is here with Blue. Hayter grabs a front facelock to start before switching into a headlock takeover. Back up and Hayter sends her into the buckles, followed by a snap suplex for two. They go outside where Hart’s distraction lets Blue grab a neckbreaker as we take a break.

We come back with Hayter hitting a missile dropkick and a Saito suplex getting two. They trade shots to the face and Hayter’s backbreaker leaves both of them down. Hayter takes her outside for a throw, followed by a fireman’s carry backbreaker back inside. Hayterade finishes Blue off at 12:05.

Rating: C+. The long build towards Blood & Guts continues and it’s still only so interesting. It’s a feud that has been going on for a bit, though it still doesn’t feel violent or angry enough for that kind of a match. I do like that Hayter is at least getting some wins, as she was on fire before her crazy long injury layoff and needs to be built back up in a big way.

Post match Thekla pops up on the screen to say she attacked Hayter (back in May) because Hayter was there. At WrestleDream, they’ll get toxic to the core.

Mercedes Mone brags about winning her tenth title (in DENMARK), which ties Ultimo Dragon’s record. She’s going to defend her CMLL Women’s Title on Friday and on the same day, become the longest reigning TBS Champion of all time. Then she’ll win at WrestleDream! And yes, you are supposed to be impressed that Mone is winning all of these tiny independent titles. That’s really what they’re doing here.

Trios Titles: Opps vs. La Faccion Ingobernable

The Opps are defending and Hangman Page is on commentary. Hobbs and Mortos start things off with Hobbs firing off the clotheslines in the corner. Mortos is right back with a Sling Blade so Rush comes in and requests Shibata. They chop it out and trade German suplexes until Shibata’s STO leaves them both down. Joe comes in to fire off the jabs at Mortos before it’s right back to Shibata, who is quickly triple teamed. A triple dropkick drops Shibata again and we take a break.

We come back with Shibata still in trouble, including with Dralistico sending Mortos into him for a spear in a cool sequence. Shibata suplexes his way out of trouble and it’s back to Hobbs to clean house. Joe is in as well and starts to run people over, with a powerslam getting two on Dralistico. Everything breaks down and the Koquina Clutch finishes Dralistico at 11:25.

Rating: B-. It wasn’t a great match, but I definitely appreciate the titles being defended. There is little more frustrating than for titles to just sit on the shelves for months on end so getting a title defense in there is a good move. Joe gets to look dominant enough going into the title match on Saturday, which is even more important than anything involving these titles.

Post match LFI jump Joe and Rush spits at Page, who comes in to clean house, with LFI bailing to the floor. Joe gets the World Title and, eventually, hands it to Page before leaving to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. Not a bad show at all and it did a nice enough job building towards a lot of the WrestleDream matches. At the same time, sweet goodness they have got to get away from the Death Riders and Don Callis Family. I’m not sure who thought it was a good idea to have two huge heel stables, but it’s even worse with having them be so dull. This company really needs some better villains, because what they’ve got at the moment is not working. As usual, the in-ring side of things was fine, but the rest left a good bit to be desired.

Results
Gates Of Agony b. Hurt Syndicate – Spirit Gun to Benjamin
Claudio Castagnoli b. Roderick Strong – Swiss Death
Kenny Omega/Jurassic Express b. Don Callis Family – Springboard Doomsday Device to Hechicero
Jamie Hayter b. Skye Blue – Hayterade
Opps b. La Faccion Ingobernable – Koquina Clutch to Dralistico

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: September 27, 2025
Location: Marshall Health Network Arena, Huntington, West Virginia
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness

We’re back to the regular Collision and that means we’re going to be seeing something interesting this week. In this case, we’re done with All Out and less than a month away from WrestleDream. That means we should be in for some nice action, as well as the build towards the next pay per view. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

The Death Riders, Paragon/Matt Menard, Jamie Hayter, the Triangle Of Madness, Kommander and Hologram…well normally they’re ready to fight but Kyle Fletcher runs in and jumps Hologram (who was interrupted by the CLON deal anyway).

Death Riders vs. Paragon/Matt Menard

Garcia and O’Reilly get things going, with Garcia having to use the ropes to escape a headscissors. Castagnoli comes in to beat up Menard before it’s off to Moxley for a knee to the head. It’s back to Garcia, who gets taken into the corner for the alternating strikes, including O’Reilly firing off the knees. Menard hammers down the right hands in the corner and O’Reilly adds a running dropkick against the barricade. We take a break and come back with O’Reilly in trouble.

O’Reilly fights back but Castagnoli is right there to pull Menard down before the tag. Instead O’Reilly gets over for the tag off to Strong who strikes away at everyone. The Sick Kick hits Moxley for two but Castagnoli is back to swing Strong into Moxley’s dropkick for another near fall. Menard comes in for the big showdown with Garcia and hammers him down but it’s quickly off to Moxley to take Menard down. Garcia’s stomp finishes Menard at 14:23.

Rating: C+. The problem here is very simple: the big climax of the match is the goofy commentator getting his hands on one of the least interesting heels in the company. Simply put, it’s just not something that I cared to see and the live audience didn’t seem thrilled either. It doesn’t feel important and they are going to need something more interesting than that if they want Garcia to feel like a big deal. Oh and look: Paragon losing. What a novel concept.

Video on Bandido/Brody King.

King wants to get his hands on the Don Callis Family and wants to settle the score with Josh Alexander and the Young Bucks. On Dynamite. When he teams with Bandido. And Kenny Omega.

We recap the Opps/Hangman Page/Death Riders brawl from Dynamite but in a bit of a production gaffe, Nigel tries to throw it to a post show interview but we go to the ring instead.

Death Riders vs. Rachael Ellering/Rosario Grillo

Yuta jumps Grillo to start fast and stomps away in the corner. The elbows to the head have Grillo in more trouble and Yuta drags him over for the tag to Ellering. Shafir quickly kicks her down and Mother’s Milk gets the tap at 2:11.

Post match Yuta is not happy with Kris Statlander, who betrayed the people who cared about her the most. He’s the reason she’s the champion today and on Dynamite, she will pay for making the wrong choice. Speaking of people making the wrong choice, Darby Allin will not give up and go away. Allin saw a lot of dead bodies on Mount Everest, so the Death Riders will put him right next to them. Jon Moxley yells about the Opps a bit more.

We look back at Darby Allin challenging Jon Moxley for WrestleDream and the I Quit match is official.

Now we get the video from after Dynamite, with Hangman Page and the Opps being ready to destroy the Death Riders next week. Samoa Joe promises a lot more lessons in violence.

Anthony Bowens/Max Caster vs. Swirl

Bowens and Caster argue over who gets to start and keep changing places until Caster drops to the floor. Then Caster pulls Bowens out with him so they can argue some more, with Christian diving onto Caster to take over. Back in and Swirl rolls into a right hand to Bowens, who comes back with a snap suplex. What used to be Scissor Me Timbers is broken up and Caster gets chopped in the corner as we take an early break.

We come back with the fans getting behind Caster but Christian kicks him in the face to cut if off. Bowens goes to leave but Jerry Lynn comes out to yell at him, forcing Bowens back. The tag brings Bowens in to clean house, including something like a reverse Angle Slam to Johnson. Christian is back up with a running flip dive to Caster, followed by a handspring kick/brainbuster combination for two on Bowens. Caster tags himself in but Johnson shoves Bowens into him for the crash out to the floor. Bowens is back up with a heck of a right hand, allowing Caster to get the rollup pin at 11:15.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure if the former Acclaimed are going to get back together but I’ll take this over another loss. If nothing else, the division could certainly use the help, though I’m not sold on another old 90s veteran being what it takes to get them back together. If that’s what they’re doing, why not just have Billy Gunn in the role again?

Post match Lynn wants some scissoring but Bowens walks away despite a tease.

The Matriarchy isn’t happy with Luchasaurus being gone but Nick Wayne is ready to go after Christian Cage.

Women’s Tag Team Titles are coming.

Anna Jay and Tay Conti are very excited about the titles being introduced and this is what they have been wanting for years now.

Outrunners/Dalton Castle vs. Corey Sparks/Cowpoke Paul/KM

KM is a good eight inches taller than his partners. Paul (as in COWPOKE Paul) gets taken down by the Outrunners to start and it’s off to KM, who gets suplexed by Castle. The Mega Powers Elbow into the Bang A Rang finishes KM at 1:30. Eh I like it.

Video on Mark Briscoe beating MJF in a table n tacks match at All Out. Now Briscoe is back with the Conglomeration and they’re funny, but they’re no joke.

TNT Title: Kyle Fletcher vs. Kommander

Fletcher is defending and gets rolled up for a fast two. A sunset flip gets the same on Fletcher, who is right back with a slam to cut Kommander off. Some stomping and another slam give Fletcher two but Kommander kicks right back. The very bouncy springboard takes Fletcher outside and Kommander sends him into the barricade. Fletcher cuts off the charge though and powerbombs him onto the apron twice in a row as we take a break.

We come back with an announcement that Hologram is going to be out of action for “quite a while” so his TNT Title shot is off. Kommander gets two off a tornado DDT but Fletcher knocks him down again. They head to the apron, where Kommander has to escape a brainbuster and Tombstone.

Instead it’s a running headscissors to the floor but Fletcher is right back with a Michinoku Driver for two. Fletcher gets kicked outside for a step up twisting moonsault. Back in and a springboard Canadian Destroyer sets up a 450 for two Cielito Lindo hits raised boots though and Fletcher lawn darts him into the buckle. The brainbuster retains the title at 13:30.

Rating: B. I wasn’t expecting much here and they wound up having a heck of a match, with Kommander doing some amazing high spots but Fletcher kept reeling him in and eventually caught him. Above all else, you can see the star power in Fletcher growing every week and this felt like an important person getting a win. Kommander did his part too and I liked this a good bit.

We look at Hologram being attacked earlier, plus Kyle Fletcher’s win.

Fletcher says this was about reestablishing dominance and he’s just so upset about not facing Hologram. Now he has no one to face but he wants someone to step up to give him a challenge on Dynamite.

And it’s going to be Orange Cassidy.

Big Bill/Bryan Keith vs. Hook/Eddie Kingston

Hold on as Hook has talked to Tony Khan and this is now a Texas Tornado match. Sure why not. Hook throws Keith down to start as the other two fight on the floor. Kingston comes back in and gets side slammed by Bill but Hook and Kingston clothesline him out to the floor. Keith gets double shouldered as well but Bill pulls Kingston outside for a ram into the steps as we take a break.

We come back with Hook still in trouble, with Bill hammering away. Schiavone gives us some breaking news: Dynamite will be TWO AND A HALF HOURS this week. Well to be fair, it has been a full week since they’ve gone longer than two hours. Kingston crotches Bill, who pops back up to try a double chokeslam. That’s broken up and a double suplex puts him down for two. Back up and Bill boots Kingston and hits a clothesline for two, only for Kingston to dragon screw leg whip him down. Keith is knocked down as well and the spinning backfist sends him into Redrum for the pin at 10:18.

Rating: C. This was pretty much exactly what you would have expected, as it was a rather unnecessary stipulation with Bill getting to be a wrecking ball until his partner lost. Kingston’s return felt important enough but his stuff in the ring is only so good. At the same time, I guess Kingston is the latest person Hook will be attached to in a desperate attempt to get him over.

The Bang Bang Gang agrees that they need new numbers and Ace Austin comes up. He seems to be the newest member. I still want to know why they aren’t selling Ace Austin playing cards.

Here’s what’s coming on Dynamite.

Jamie Hayter vs. Julia Hart

Skye Blue is here with Hart. Hayter powers her down to start fast and a big boot drops Hart again. Hart gets thrown into the corner again but bails to the floor, allowing Blue to get in a cheap shot. We take a break and come back with Blue pulling Hayter outside again, only to get suplexed down this time. Hayter sends Hart into the buckle over and over and a dropkick sends her into the corner.

The Saito suplex gives Hayter two and she gives Hart a Samoan drop, which is countered into a crucifix for two. Hayter is right back with a fireman’s carry onto the knee but Hart manages a neckbreaker. Hart kicks her down and this the moonsault for two as Hayter’s foot is on the rope. An Octopus has Hayter in more trouble, which is reversed into a Tombstone for two. Hayterade gives Hayter the pin at 10:47 (because in AEW, you have to kick out of one big move before the pin).

Rating: B-. Nice main event here, with Hayter trying to get back the star power that was absolutely there before she got hurt. At the same time, the Triangle Of Madness is only looking so strong, though you know they’re going to be a factor in the Tag Team Title tournament. Hart’s moonsault still looks awesome though and it’s good to see her use it occasionally.

Post match Blue comes in to jump Hayter, who gets double superkicked. Queen Aminata runs in with a belt for the save. Thekla is here as well and Hayter says she had an idea. There is one simple way to solve this: Blood & Guts! You knew the women would get their own version at some point, which is fine, but PLEASE don’t let it be another 45 minute match which should be half of that at most. Schiavone says it might be on Wednesday, only to say actually it won’t be to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. The Fletcher vs. Kommander match was rather good and the main event was fine enough, but dang that stuff with the Death Riders at the start was more than a bit tedious. Collision still feels like it would be a lot better as just an hour long show but that doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon. Either way, not a bad show here, but it felt rather long multiple times, save for the TNT Title match.

Results
Death Riders b. Matt Menard/Paragon – Stomp to Menard
Death Riders b. Rosario Grillo/Rachael Ellering – Mother’s Milk to Ellering
Anthony Bowens/Max Caster b. Swirl – Right hand to Johnson
Outrunners/Dalton Castle b. KM/Cowpoke Pete/Corey Sparks – Bang A Rang to KM
Kyle Fletcher b. Kommander – Brainbuster
Hook/Eddie Kingston b. Big Bill/Bryan Keith – Redrum to Keith
Jamie Hayter b. Julia Hart – Hayterade

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

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

Dynamite
Date: September 10, 2025
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Bryan Danielson, Excalibur, Taz

It’s the last Dynamite in the 2300 Arena and that might mean AEW wants to go out with a bang. I’m almost scared to imagine what they could do around here, but with only ten days to go before All Out, they are going to need to do something special. If nothing else, we could use a World Title match for the pay per view. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Bryan Danielson is officially on commentary.

Josh Alexander vs. Hangman Page

Non-title grudge match so they slug it out to start with Page chopping him into the corner. Alexander’s ankle lock is broken up rather quickly with Page sending him to the floor, only for the dive to be forearmed out of the air. A brainbuster onto the apron rocks Page but he’s right back up with a moonsault to the floor. That’s reversed into an ankle lock, which Page escapes and clotheslines him over the barricade. Back in and Alexander hammers away in the corner but Page fires off some chops. A clothesline sends Alexander outside but it’s too early for Page to try the moonsault.

We take a break and come back with Alexander kicking him in the face, which just makes Page fight back for some reason. A Death Valley Driver gives Page two but Alexander is right back with the rolling German suplexes. They even go into the aisle, where Page slips out of a German suplex to suplex him into the barricade.

Both of them beat the count back in so they slug it out, with Page hitting a powerbomb for two. They fight to the top, where Alexander grabs a super Regal Roll. The ankle lock is countered and they wind up on the apron. The C4 Spike is countered into a Deadeye and Page hits a moonsault. After the Don Callis Family is dispatched, the Buckshot Lariat finishes for Page at 16:23.

Rating: B. Good match here, even with Alexander losing again, though it’s a bit different when it’s the World Champion. Alexander can have a good match with just about anyone and that was the case here, with Page getting to fight off some odds and win. It’s a nice way to open the show and they had a hard hitting match.

Post match Page says he didn’t lose all kinds of blood to win the title to just have MJF change the stipulations under threats of pain. At the same time, wrestling is the word that matters in AEW, because he is the All Elite WRESTLING World Champion. Kyle Fletcher comes out to say he hasn’t gotten a response to his title challenge so Page tells him to get in the ring.

Page says he sees a lot of potential in Fletcher but he can’t even put on his socks. While Fletcher is full of potential, he isn’t ready, which Fletcher says he’s heard his whole life. Page is willing to give Fletcher the title shot, but he needs Fletcher to do it himself. The title can be on the line if the Don Callis Family is left out. This really does not feel like a pay per view World Title match.

We look at MJF costing Mark Briscoe his match on Collision.

MJF talks about getting married recently but he’s not going on his honeymoon until Mark Briscoe is dead. He’s been married to a long time, because he’s married to hatred.

The Young Bucks are tired of the food at catering and even Brandon Cutler turns on them. Jon Moxley comes in to say they’re in on the $500,000 tag match. This is of course TOTALLY DIFFERENT than an all-star tag match.

Emi Sakura/Mercedes Mone vs. Riho/Alex Windsor

Riho gets taken into the corner so Sakura can come in to stomp away. That’s broken up and it’s off to Windsor for some Poetry In Motion. Mone has to pull Sakura away from a half crab and the dive takes her down. We take a break and come back with Mone hitting the running knees in the corner.

Riho fights back and knocks Mone down, allowing the tag off to Windsor to clean house. The Sharpshooter is blocked so Windsor holds Mone up for a top rope double stomp from Riho. Everything breaks down and Sakura comes back in, with Riho half crabbing her for the tap at 9:45.

Rating: C. Yeah fine. This is the latest time where we’re told how important Riho and Sakura are and how it’s a big deal that Sakura trained Riho so Riho beating her with a basic move is important. I still have pretty much no interest in anything Riho does as she popped back up and was put right into the title picture again, but that’s something AEW loves to do.

Ricochet and the Gates Of Agony want to take out the Hurt Syndicate at All Out.

Video on FTR vs. Christian Cage/Adam Copeland, with a bunch of stats about how awesome both teams have been over the years.

Here are FTR and Stokely Hathaway to say it won’t be a dream match at All Out, but rather a fight. This should have been a dream match but Harwood stops to go get in fans’ faces to ask if they want to fight. Instead, FTR beats up a cameraman until security breaks it up. Well that’s overly aggressive.

Shelton Benjamin accepts a challenge from Ricochet, with everyone else staying in the back. The six man is set for All Out as well.

Ricochet vs. Shelton Benjamin

Ricochet dropkicks him into the corner to start and hammers away to send Benjamin outside. The big flip dive takes Benjamin down and a springboard splash gets two back inside. Benjamin fights back and sends him into various things on the floor to take over. Ricochet is back with a whip into the announcers’ table and a kick from the apron as we take a break.

We come back with Benjamin snapping off a German suplex before they trade some kicks to the chest for a double down. Benjamin hits a running clothesline and intercepts Ricochet’s scissors. The scissors are broken up but here are the Gates Of Agony for a distraction/cheap shot to give Ricochet the pin at 11:09.

Rating: B-. Nice match here, with Benjamin continuing to look like he’s about fifteen years younger than he really is. It made for a nice power/technical vs. high flying match and I had fun with the whole thing. The six man at All Out should be good too and this was a nice little preview.

Post match the Syndicate comes out for the big brawl and everyone has to be separated.

Hook is sitting around a fire in New York and understands that he was replaced in the Opps. It’s time for him to stand on his own. Or maybe not.

Don Callis and Kyle Fletcher are ready for Fletcher’s title shot at All Out.

Toni Storm vs. Skye Blue

Non-title street fight and Storm does a Sandman inspired entrance. They start in the aisle with Storm missing a kendo stick shot, allowing Blue to stick her instead. Storm fights back and plays a stop sigh like a guitar (kind of like New Jack) but Blue is back with a staple gun to various personal areas. Some staples have Blue in trouble and the hip attack puts her on the floor as we take a break.

We come back with the two of them slugging away on the barricade and then sitting down to trade shots to the head. A street sign to the head rocks Storm, who is right back with a shot of her own. Storm pulls a covering off a table to reveal a bunch of mouse traps (and cheese, because of course), with Blue managing to powerbomb her onto said traps. Back in and Storm sends her into a chair in the corner and chairs her down, followed by a DDT for two.

A small tennis (I know it’s not tennis but I don’t know what sport it’s actually used in) racket is used for a spanking but Blue is back with a powerbomb out of the corner onto a trashcan for two. Storm is right back with another sign, which is hip attacked into Blue. Storm Zero onto a chair finishes Blue at 11:45.

Rating: C. I get what they were going for here, but a lot of this was just kind of dumb. It’s the big ECW style silly weapons brawl and I get why they needed to do that, but the stuff with the cheese and the staple gun came off as more ridiculous than anything else. At least Storm won and there were some funny spots so it could have been a lot worse. Just not for me, though at least they avoided stuff like barbed wire and tacks etc.

Post match the rest of the Triangle Of Madness runs in for the beatdown but Kris Statlander and Jamie Hayter run in for the save. The villains take over again though and Thekla spears Storm and holds up the title again.

Willow Nightingale wants to punch Marina Shafir in the face but Harley Cameron comes in with a song.

Here is what’s coming on Collision.

There will be a tournament for the Unified Title at All Out:

Kazuchika Okada
Michael Oku

Konosuke Takeshita
Anthony Bowens

The Beast Mortos
Mascara Dorada

So yes, Okada has to defend the title to get into the pay per view title match.

Death Riders/Young Bucks vs. Opps/Bandido/Brody King

For $500,000. King beats up the Bucks to start fast and it’s off to Bandido for the Macarena. Joe comes in to kneebar Yuta and then hammers him down in the corner. Shibata gets to do the same but Yuta manages a middle rope dropkick. Everything breaks down and the Bucks are sent outside for a big suicide dive from King. Castagnoli gets beaten up in the ring and Bandido drops a frog splash for two as we take a break.

We come back with Bandido armdragging the Bucks down and bringing Hobbs in to clean house. Stereo clotheslines put Castagnoli and Hobbs down and it’s off to King, who runs Nick over for two. Everything breaks down again and the Bucks fire off the superkicks. Bandido breaks that up and tries a monkey flip but the Bucks trip him down and an assisted rollup gets the pin at 13:20.

Rating: B-. Another all star style match here, with the Bucks getting another main event spot and another win. I’m sure this will set them up for a Tag Team Title shot at All Out, which is hardly the most appealing idea in the world. It was another energetic match, but nothing that hasn’t been done around here a lot.

Post match the Bucks and Bandido/King brawl to the back, leaving the Death Riders to beat on the Opps. Darby Allin runs in for the save but Daniel Garcia comes in to take him out, apparently joining the Death Riders. Allin is left laying to end the show. It’s a surprise, but it’s still just Daniel Garcia.

Overall Rating: B-. This show did some good work towards building to All Out, but the pay per view is looking a bit underwhelming. Hopefully they can fix that up a bit in the future, but for now, things could look a lot worse. If nothing else, it’s nice to see them getting out of Philadelphia for a bit, as they need a change of scenery after the last few weeks. Nice show here, but nothing exactly great.

Results
Hangman Page b. Josh Alexander – Buckshot Lariat
Riho/Alex Windsor b. Emi Sakura/Mercedes Mone – Half crab to Sakura
Ricochet b. Shelton Benjamin – Rollup
Toni Storm b. Skye Blue – Storm Zero onto a chair
Young Bucks/Death Riders b. Opps/Bandido/Brody King – Assisted rollup to Bandido

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

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Collision
Date: August 30, 2025
Location: 2300 Arena, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone

We’re still in Philadelphia as the residency continues and this time around it’s the more wrestling based show. We’re rapidly approaching All Out and some of the matches have either been set or are coming together. This week will likely be more about getting us ready for those matches so let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Daniel Garcia vs. Blake Christian

Matt Menard is here with Garcia…and here are the Death Riders to give Garcia some pointers. Christian hits a quick dropkick and Garcia is already out on the floor. Garcia fights back but gets sent face first into the barricade. Back in and Christian grabs a chinlock but Garcia fights up and chops away. Christian knocks him down again and tries a 450, which is pulled into a guillotine choke, followed by the piledriver for the win at 6:05.

Rating: C. The match was fine, with Garcia getting a win to get some momentum back after losing to Jon Moxley. I’m not sure what Garcia is going to be doing with Moxley, but as long as it doesn’t involve Moxley getting the World Title back, we should be fine. Christian is someone who keeps feeling like he could become something in Ring Of Honor, though being a jobber in AEW isn’t helping that effort.

Post match Garcia won’t say what Moxley said to him, instead challenging Moxley for next week. Cue Wheeler Yuta to say the challenge is accepted.

The Conglomeration is ready for tonight but Roderick Strong isn’t happy with Kyle O’Reilly for teaming with Tomohiro Ishii.

Conglomeration vs. Don Callis Family

Alexander and O’Reilly start with O’Reilly taking him down into a quickly broken cross armbreaker. Fletcher and Ishii come in to slug it out before it’s back to O’Reilly, who gets elbowed down. O’Reilly comes right back and grabs a cross armbreaker, which he floats into an ankle lock. Fletcher comes up with a bloody eye as Ishii and O’Reilly kick away. O’Reilly is sent outside and kicked down though, allowing Fletcher to pose as we take a break.

We come back with O’Reilly fighting out of a super fireman’s carry and grabbing a Kimura on Alexander. That’s broken up as well so it’s a double clothesline to leave both of them down. Ishii is back in to take over on Fletcher, including the brainbuster for two. A German suplex rocks Fletcher but he comes back with a nasty Falcon Arrow.

O’Reilly and Alexander come back in to slug it out until O’Reilly gets a cross armbreaker. Ishii pounces Fletcher out of the way but Alexander makes the rope. O’Reilly’s flying knee to the floor only hits chair though, leaving Ishii to knock Alexander down. Fletcher is back in for the save though and Alexander grabs a straitjacket piledriver for the pin at 13:04.

Rating: B-. The Family’s dominance continues as they rack up another win, even if it’s over a team who are only kind of regular partners. That isn’t going to sit well with Roderick Strong, who wants revenge, and now we might be getting to see what he’ll be doing about it. I’m not sure if that’s going to be with or without the Conglomeration, though it’s not like the team has much in the way of a standard lineup.

Post match Strong comes out to check on O’Reilly but doesn’t seem to want to help Ishii.

Jamie Hayter and Thekla are brawling in the back, with Hayter getting the better of it until security breaks it up. Thekla dives off a balcony to take Hayter down though.

Mother Wayne wants Kip Sabian and Killswitch to calm things down but Sabian blames him for everything. Mother tells Sabian to take a walk.

Jay Lethal vs. Hologram

This is something of an upgrade for Hologram. They trade some early knockdowns to start with Hologram flipping over him out of the corner and it’s an early standoff. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker plants Hologram and a faceplant does it again as we take a break. We come back with Lethal hitting a running clothesline against the ropes, followed by the suicide dive.

Hologram comes right back with one of his own before grabbing a kneebar back inside. That’s reversed into a Figure Four from Lethal, with Hologram making the ropes. A Backstabber slows Lethal down though and it’s the spinning torture rack bomb for the pin at 9:51.

Rating: B-. It’s still taking its sweet time, but at least Hologram is getting wins over some bigger names. He’s been needing something to do for way too long now and this is about as good as anything he can get. As usual, Lethal is good at making someone else look better in the ring and that seems to be his role these days, which is a smart use for him.

Post match the Hologram code appears but stops working. Instead we see a black and red Hologram, with a graphic saying SOON. So we’re doing an evil twin. You have 184 titles in this promotion and that’s what you have for someone on a thirty one match winning streak?

Video on Ricochet/the Gates Of Agony vs. the Hurt Syndicate.

Alex Windsor vs. Ashley Vox

Windsor shoves her down to start but Vox is back up with a quick dropkick. A Blue Thunder Bomb and powerbomb get Windsor out of trouble and a Sharpshooter makes Vox give up at 1:11.

Post match Windsor calls Mercedes Mone “one pissed off little woman”. Windsor says Mone crossed the line by bringing up Will Ospreay and issues the challenge for the TBS Title.

Earlier today, Mark Briscoe and Don Callis met up in the back, with Callis avoiding Briscoe’s challenge for the TNT Title. Instead, Callis says he has to beat a member of the Family to get the shot, which works for Briscoe.

Adam Priest/JD Drake vs. FTR

Priest takes Harwood down by the leg to start but gets reversed into a headlock. Priest goes for the leg again and hands it off to Drake for more of the same. That’s broken up and Wheeler comes in to suplex Priest, who gives him a dropkick. Drake goes up but gets knocked down by Harwood as we take a break.

We come back with Drake hitting a moonsault for two but FTR is back up with a Shatter Machine. Priest comes back in to clean house until a shot to the face cuts that off. Harwood strikes him down in the corner but gets pulled out with a German suplex. Priest gets sent into the post a few times though and a Border City Stretch gives Harwood the win at 8:50.

Rating: C+. I’m not sure how much this made FTR feel like they’re ready for Copeland and Cage at All Out but at least they won in convincing enough fashion. FTR isn’t a team who needs to be built up and they would have been better off getting to talk a bit after a squash. The match is going to be something of a dream match in the first place so this only gave them so much.

Post match Wheeler says this is isn’t about Adam Copeland, but rather that FTR should have the Tag Team Titles back. They’re ending this in Toronto. Harwood says this will be a dream match but the fans almost yell him down. This is going to be a charity exhibition for two guys who made their names off the letters TLC 25 years ago. They’ll be facing two men who made their names off the letters FTR, so don’t make them wreck Copeland and Cage.

The Don Callis Family is ready for the eight man tag on Dynamite.

Big Bill vs. Juice Robinson

Bryan Keith and Austin Gunn are here too. Bill puts him on top to start so Robinson grabs a rather aggressive headlock. A belly to back suplex can’t get Bill out of trouble but a big boot to the face knocks Robinson silly as we take a break. We come back with Robinson being dropped onto the barricade but managing to send Bill into a lighting structure. That’s shrugged off and Bill grabs a bearhug, which is broken up rather quickly. Robinson starts in on the leg and his big left hand gets two. Keith offers a distraction though and the swinging Boss Man Slam finishes Robinson at 9:29.

Rating: C+. This is a feud that has been going on for a few weeks now and I’m not sure where it’s going to go. The problem is the Bang Bang Gang is barely a group anymore as you have the midcard wrestler teaming with one half of the tag team. That’s only so much to go on and it’s not like Bill and Keith have anything going on either. At least Bill got to look all dominant again though, as it suits him well.

SkyFlight wants to keep winning but Darius Martin wants gold. Like the ROH Six Man Tag Team Titles. If that’s your goal, you might want to look into another career.

Gabe Kidd is ready to hurt Darby Allin.

We look at Allin’s various extreme antics. Eh apparently it’s for a fundraiser so fair enough.

Toni Storm/Mina Shirakawa/Queen Aminata vs. Billie Starkz/Triangle Of Madness

No Thekla for the evil team here. Storm and Blue start things off with Storm headlocking her into an armbar. Starkz comes in with a facebuster but charges into a backbreaker, allowing Shirakawa to fire off a kick to the chest. It’s off to Hart to headscissor Aminata but some hip attacks send the villains outside. Mina adds a huge dive onto the pile and we take a break.

We come back with Aminata and Hart knocking each other down, allowing Storm to come in and dropkick Blue. Everything breaks down until Storm is left alone with Blue, who drops her for a double down. Mina and Hart get the tags, with Mina grabbing a quick backbreaker. Blue reverses the Figure Four before it’s back to Starkz, who gets hit in the head. The Glamorous Driver finishes for Mina at 12:00.

Rating: B-. Kind of a weird choice for a main event here as you had two members of a trio in there against a fairly makeshift hero team. It wasn’t bad at all and Storm certainly brings star power to anything she does. She’s going to need a new challenger soon and while this didn’t feel like it was about setting that up, it did feel like a good way to get Storm and Mina on the show.

Post match Thekla runs in to jump Mina and the big beatdown is on, with Storm being left laying. Mina and Aminata gets the same treatment and the Triangle poses. Jamie Hayter doesn’t appear for the save.

Overall Rating: B-. This was very much a run of the mill Collision, with the focus being on the stories you rarely get on Dynamite and a more relaxed pace. It’s rarely a show you need to see, but it’s a different kind of show from Dynamite in a good way. Sometimes you need to mix it up a bit and while the show still feels like it has a lot of filler, it’s nice to do something differently from the Dynamite model of everything going as fast as it can.

Results
Daniel Garcia b. Blake Christian – Piledriver
Don Callis Family b. Conglomeration – Straitjacket piledriver to Ishii
Hologram b. Jay Lethal – Torture rack bomb
Alex Windsor b. Ashley Vox – Sharpshooter
FTR b. Adam Priest/JD Drake – Border City Stretch to Priest
Big Bill b. Bryan Keith – Swinging Boss Man Slam
Toni Storm/Mina Shirakawa/Queen Aminata b. Billie Starkz/Triangle Of Madness – Glamorous Driver to Starkz

Remember to follow me on Twitter @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: August 13, 2025
Location: Andrew J. Brady Music Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Taz

We have about a week and a half to go before Forbidden Door and the show could use some build, as there are only a few matches set up. MJF seems to be coming after the World Title and has that contract waiting if he wants to use it. There is always the chance for some shenanigans there too, though MJF also has to deal with the Hurt Syndicate. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Here are MJF and Hangman Page for a face to face chat to get things going. MJF says Page is the main character and he is the main antagonist of AEW. He wants Page to be as angry as possible and the only reason Page is still standing is MJF hasn’t broken him yet. Page doesn’t like being called Seabiscuit and brings up that Seabiscuit wins in the end. He wants MJF to execute the contract already, like a man would.

MJF says Page is the real problem, even if people treat him like he’s perfect. Page can’t be all good and MJF is planning to expose him as a weak minded, depressed, alcoholic little boy. The difference is that MJF is real and he’s going to crucify Page. That doesn’t work for Page, who knows his faults like no one else.

If MJF wants to talk about Forbidden Door, he can use that contract he has to take his shot but he’s afraid. MJF should know that AEW is about going all in so prove that he is not a scared little boy. That’s finally enough for MJF to agree to use the contract. Why do I have a feeling that there’s going to be some kind of shenanigans in how he worded that?

We recap Darby Allin challenging Jon Moxley for Forbidden Door.

Hometown star Moxley, with the Death Riders, says whatever Allin thinks is happening at Forbidden Door isn’t happening.

Jon Moxley vs. Kevin Knight

The Death Riders are here with Moxley and Mike Bailey is here with Knight, who stomps Moxley into the corner to start. Moxley is fine with winning a chop off and sends Knight outside to hammer away. Knight is able to jump up to the apron for a nice dropkick and they’re back inside. That doesn’t last long as Knight sends him to the ramp for the running clothesline but Moxley sends him crashing into the barricade.

We take a break and come back with Knight fighting out of a crossface but getting pulled into another neck crank. That’s broken up as well and Knight hits a dropkick before biting Moxley’s hand. They go up top, where Moxley rakes him across the back, only for Knight to grab a top rope superplex. A cutter out of nowhere drops Knight for two but he’s right back up to send Moxley outside. The slingshot dive connects but the UFO Splash hits knees back inside. Moxley chokes him out at 13:44.

Rating: B-. Knight gets a nice rub by being in there against Moxley, though there was pretty much no way he was going to win here. Moxley is trying to get back on track after losing the World Title and the big match against Darby Allin, whenever that happens, could get him there. Or it could be another big hit for the Death Riders, which would be rather nice to see.

Post match the choke stays on so Bailey comes in, earning himself a beating as well. Cue Darby Allin with a body bag and a skateboard for the save. Wheeler Yuta is put in the body bag but Moxley breaks that up. Allin is put in the bag instead and Castagnoli gives him the spinning torture rack slam. The villains get a chair but Will Ospreay is back for the real save. Ospreay says he and Moxley can both bring their friends to Forbidden Door for a lights out steel cage match. Well yeah I’d say that counts as different.

We recap FTR attacking Adam Copeland, who wants revenge.

Mercedes Mone/Thekla/Skye Blue vs. Alex Windsor/Queen Aminata/Willow Nightingale

Hold on though as here is Toni Storm to cheerlead in the crowd…but Athena is (elsewhere) in the crowd too. Blue and Windsor start things off with Windsor running her over. Nightingale comes in for the rapid clotheslines in the corner so it’s off to Mone. Aminata gives her a swinging full nelson (screaming ensues) and Windsor gets in some slams. Windsor is caught in the wrong corner for some choking though and we take a break.

We come back with Nightingale giving Blue a Death Valley Driver as everything breaks down. Nightingale cleans house and gets two on Thekla, followed by Aminata’s running side slam for the same. Windsor Russian legsweeps Mone into a basement clothesline for two but has to go after Blue. Everything breaks down again as Storm and Athena approve from the crowd. Blue superkicks Windsor but charges into a spinebuster and the Sharpshooter for the tap at 9:56.

Rating: C+. Windsor has gotten a heck of a nice push since showing up a few weeks ago. I’m not sure if that’s going to get her any gold anytime soon, but at least she’s getting a chance to do something. If nothing else, she’s already getting to go after Mercedes Mone so there is something to build on from here. The rest of the women were pretty much just there to keep things going, but the match was good enough.

Post match Storm and Athena get in a brawl in the crowd and the six in the ring start brawling again. Athena and Storm wind up on the ramp with Storm fighting back and saying we can do this in Scotland. Storm and Windsor get to tango a bit.

Will Ospreay has been talking to some New Japan stars and can confirm that Hiroshi Tanahashi is on his team. As Renee Paquette is doing the interview, Ospreay asks to talk to her husband next week.

Adam Copeland vs. Stokely Hathaway

Justin Roberts calls him Cope but commentary and the chyron say Adam Copeland and that’s good enough for me. FTR is banned from ringside and Hathaway has to be dragged to the ring by security. Hathaway’s attempt at a spear does nothing to Copeland, who punches Hathaway in the mouth. They go to the floor, where Copeland does a quick audience poll, with the fans not liking Hathaway that much.

Apparently he has no chance of getting any women either, with Copeland asking one woman if Hathaway has a shot. Woman: “Is this a serious question?” Back in and the spear drops Hathaway so here is FTR…who can only watch as Copeland hits another spear. FTR finally come in, which breaks their restraining order, but Copeland beats them down anyway. Another spear to Hathaway is cut off by some powder for the DQ at 4:23.

Rating: C. This was about exactly what it was clearly going to be, with Hathaway having no chance against…well anyone really. It was more a matter of waiting for the screwy finish and FTR had to get involved with the match somehow, just so Copeland can go after them later. The survey thing was funny enough, so call this a decent joke fight.

Post match Copeland gets beaten down until Christian Cage, with Spike, runs in for the save. Nick Wayne tries to jump Cage with a chair but Cage uses Spike to knock it out of his hands. The fans certainly seem to approve and Cage hands Spike to Cope. We get the big hug and the tag match is pretty much a matter of time.

We get what looks like a shot of the New York skyline and an H spotlight comes on.

Young Bucks/Don Callis Family vs. Brody King/Hologram/Tomohiro Ishii/Hiromu Takahashi

The Bucks still can’t get their entrance right, with Justin Roberts referring to them as “these guys”. Takahashi is a big surprise and slugs it out with Fletcher to start. Everything breaks down in a hurry and the Bucks superkick Roberts to….why would that make me boo them? Hologram hits a big flip dive onto the pile and we take a break.

We come back with King clotheslining all four villains down and Cannonballing Fletcher. Another flip dive takes the Bucks down on the floor but Alexander gets in a shot to cut King off. Fletcher knocks Takahashi off the apron, which is enough of a distraction for King to get in a shot of his own. Ishii comes in to clean house but Hologram’s 450 hits raised knees. Takahashi cuts off the Bucks but gets World’s Strongest Slammed onto the apron. King is dropped on the ramp and we take another break.

We come back with Hologram grabbing some hurricanranas and bringing Takahashi back in to make the comeback. Alexander is dropkicked into Fletcher in the corner but the Bucks hit Takahashi with a standing assisted Sliced Bread. Fletcher shoves Takahashi, who quickly kicks his way out of trouble. Alexander can’t hit the C4 Spike so Takahashi gives him a Downward Spiral for two instead. King is back up with the suicide dive, setting off a string of various dives. Back in and Takahashi gives Alexander the Time Bomb for the pin at 16:25.

Rating: B+. This was the traditional wild multi man tag match that AEW tends to do well. As usual, Alexander takes the pin, which is kind of annoying as he never had much of a shot to stand out, but you can’t have Fletcher lose and the Bucks have been jobbing a good bit lately. Granted it might make sense for them to do it again, but at least the match was rather entertaining.

Renee Paquette’s audio isn’t working for an interview on the ramp. After a bit of a delay (it happens), she brings out Swerve Strickland for a chat. Strickland won’t say if he is medically cleared or not because all he cares about is beating Kazuchika Okada. Cue Okada to say Strickland has no chance. Strickland just asks “Whose house?” so Okada does his catchphrase. Security has to break it up rather quickly.

Jon Moxley is told Will Ospreay has Hiroshi Tanahashi for his Forbidden Door team. Moxley: “Tanahashi Tanahashi?” He goes to the jobber dressing room….and apparently recruits the Young Bucks. Ok points for a funny visual.

Confirmed for Forbidden Door: Adam Copeland/Christian Cage vs. Nick Wayne/Kip Sabian (remember FTR are still alive in the #1 contenders tournament so they might be busy that night) and the cage match, with the Death Riders/Gabe Kidd/Young Bucks vs. Will Ospreay/Darby Allin/Hiroshi Tanahashi/Kenny Omega/Kota Ibushi.

Opps vs. La Faccion Ingobernable

Non-title. Hobbs blasts Mortos with a flying shoulder and it’s quickly off to Joe to beat on Dralistico. Shibata comes in but gets caught in the wrong corner for some running clotheslines. We take a break and come back with Dralistico working on Shibata’s leg and Rush adding the cocky kick to the face. Shibata gets up and trades the strikes with Rush in the corner. Another big shot is enough for the tag off to Hobbs to clean house. Joe comes in rather quickly and Koquina Clutches Dralistico for the win at 8:58.

Rating: C+. They only had so much time here, especially with so many people involved. At the same time, it’s nice to have Joe back, as you can only have so much with having two of the three Trios Champions around. I’m not sure why this couldn’t be a title match as the belts have only been defended once since mid April, but odds are they’ll be on the line at Forbidden Door.

MJF jumps Hangman Page in the parking lot and rams his head into a car hood over and over to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. While it was a bit of a step down from last week’s outstanding show, this was still quite a good show with more than enough to keep me interested. Forbidden Door got a huge boost this week with the cage match being set up, plus the big Copeland/Christian reunion. That was the important moment and now the question is when they get to face FTR. Solid show again here.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Kevin Knight – Choke
Alex Windsor/Queen Aminata/Willow Nightingale b. Mercedes Mone/Thekla/Skye Blue – Sharpshooter to Blue
Adam Copeland b. Stokely Hathaway via DQ when Hathaway used powder
Hiromu Takahashi/Hologram/Tomohiro Ishii/Brody King b. Don Callis Family/Young Bucks – Time Bomb to Alexander
Opps b. La Faccion Ingobernable – Koquina Clutch to Dralistico

Remember to follow me on Twitter @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: August 6, 2025
Location: Wolstein Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone

We’re getting closer to Forbidden Door and the show is at least starting to come together. There might not be many matches officially announced but we should be getting some of that covered this week. This might including World Champion Hangman Page, who is going to need a new challenger after dispatching Jon Moxley again last week. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

MJF, now the CMLL World Light Heavyweight Champion, is willing to send Mark Briscoe to Hell so he’ll never see his brother again. Or just back to Delaware. Tonight, Mark Briscoe’s luck runs out.

Jon Moxley vs. Mike Bailey

The Death Riders are here with Moxley while Bailey has Kevin Knight. Bailey kicks away in the corner to start so Moxley reverses to rain down some right hands. A crossface chickenwing has Bailey in more trouble but he gets up and flips away. Some kicks send Moxley outside, where he goes to the eyes to cut Bailey off. Shafir sweeps Bailey’s leg out and Moxley slaps Knight in the face.

The fight is teased but Bailey uses the distraction to take Moxley down. The moonsault knees to the back hit Moxley on the barricade and we take a break. We come back with Moxley working on the arm/fingers before shoving him into the corner. Bailey blocks a whip out of the corner though and hits a middle rope dropkick. The running shooting star press gives Bailey two, followed by the top rope version for the same.

A cross armbreaker has Moxley in more trouble and the moonsault knees connect. The Death Riders’ distraction let Moxley hit a big boot into a Crash Landing for two but Darby Allin pops up in the crowd and kidnaps Wheeler Yuta. Moxley has to break out of another cross armbreaker and hits the Death Rider for the pin at 14:15.

Rating: B. This match had Bailey getting beaten up and Yuta possibly vanishing. I’d call that a success on multiple points to start and Moxley gets some of his heat back after the consecutive losses to Page. That being said, it shouldn’t take him that long to beat a tag wrestler, especially with the Death Riders out there helping him.

Alex Windsor is ready for her four way TBS Title #1 contenders match. Toni Storm is ready to “whip out her t*** and tango” with Athena tonight. Then she dances off with Windsor.

The Death Riders are in the parking lot when Darby Allin throws a white bag (Wheeler Yuta shaped) out of his car. The team opens the bag and finds a note saying FORBIDDEN DOOR attached to Yuta. Excalibur seems to think that’s obvious, but without a “check yes or no” option, how can we be sure?

Earlier today, Mercedes Mone returned and, when asked about her loss, told Renee Paquette to not be such a mark.

Alex Windsor vs. Queen Aminata vs. Skye Blue vs. Billie Starkz

For one of three spots in a four way for the TBS Title at Forbidden Door and Toni Storm and Athena are both here. Starkz gets knocked outside to start and Blue is chopped back and forth. Blue asks both of them to stop and is double chopped down for her request. That leaves Aminata to waistlock Windsor and kick her in the back.

Blue breaks that up and pulls Aminata outside for a ram into the steps. Windsor gets taken down with a running hurricanrana and Blue gives Aminata a hanging neckbreaker to the floor. Starkz dives in to crush the pile and we take a break. We come back with Aminata slugging away at Blue until Windsor gives Blue a blue thunder bomb for two. Windsor’s sitout powerbomb gets two on Starkz but Aminata breaks up the Sharpshooter.

Aminata and Windsor strike it out before German suplexing the other two down. A bunch of headbutts leave everyone down, with Athena and Storm seeming to approve. Aminata gives Blue a reverse implant DDT but Starkz Swantons in for the save. Aminata and Blue go to the floor, leaving Windsor to discus lariat Starkz. Athena’s attempt at a save is cut off by Storm and Windsor’s small package gets the pin on Starkz at 11:31.

Rating: B-. I’ve liked what I’ve seen from Windsor so far and she’s a nice breath of air to the division. Her moving on to an immediate title match is a good sign for her future, even if she isn’t likely to win the title. This was almost as much about Athena vs. Storm though, which is feeling like a big time title match which could go either way. Nice stuff here.

Post match Mercedes Mone comes in for the staredown. The distraction lets Athena hit the O Face on Storm. Mone and Athena have a bit of a staredown of their own.

The Young Bucks, in their founding fathers gear, commandeer the camera and yell at the production guy for not doing their entrance properly in recent weeks. They have some special instructions for him tonight.

Here is Kyle Fletcher, with the Don Callis Family, for a chat. Don Callis cuts Renee Paquette off and says he is building such a huge roster because it means power. The more titles you have, the more power you have, and he loved seeing Fletcher take out Dustin Rhodes last week.

Fletcher talks about how Rhodes doesn’t belong in the same ring as him and says anyone who tries to take the title from him will receive the same fate. Callis unveils a new painting of the two of them together, with Fletcher naked and the title strategically placed and a rather muscular Callis next to him. Fletcher is ready to be champion for a long time and is first title defense is this weekend on Collision.

Cope is ready to deal with Stokely Hathaway and FTR and next week he’s facing Hathaway. If FTR interferes, their whole restraining order is gone.

#1 Contenders Tag Team Title Tournament Semifinals: Brody King/Bandido vs. Young Bucks

The Bucks’ entrance is screwed up again as the set doesn’t rise, leaving them to crawl underneath. In addition, their instructions are read verbatim, including saying to make them look like stars instead of jobbers. On top of that, they are now listed as Max and Jeremy, their Generation Me names from TNA. Throw in bad pyro and a messed up version of their song and things aren’t looking great for them.

Bandido runs Matt over to start and King clotheslines both Bucks down. The Bucks are sent outside for a moonsault from Bandido, setting up King’s running crossbody against the barricade. We take a break and come back with Matt still in trouble, with Bandido’s crossbody connecting for two. A cheap shot from the apron cuts Bandido off though and Risky Business gives Matt two of his own.

King comes back in and gets taken down with a standing Sliced Bread into a kick to the head for two. More Bang For Your Buck doesn’t work due to King being a rather large man and it’s back to Bandido. The Bucks take him down as well though and a slingshot X Factor sets up the apron moonsault to King. A superkick into a flipping cutter has the Bucks in even more control and we take another break.

We come back with the Bucks arguing over what they should call the EVP Trigger. That’s enough of a delay for their knees to collide so King can come back in for a Cannonball to Matt. Bandido hits a big step up flip dive to the floor but some kind of a double team move doesn’t quite work. Nick superkicks Bandido but gets superplexed by King. Back up and multiple superkicks rock King and the TK Driver gets two on Bandido with King having to dive over for a save.

Nick dives at King, who Death Valley Drivers him on the apron, leaving Matt and Bandido to fight on the barricade. Bandido gets the better of things and takes him back inside for the X Knee into the 21 Plex, with Nick making a save of his own. The super flipping fall away slam gives Bandido two on Matt so King comes back in for the monkey flip into the 450 to finish Matt at 20:26.

Rating: A-. The match was a lot of fun with the flips and the dives, plus the Bucks losing, which makes the story that much better. It’s one thing to have them be treated like losers, but that doesn’t make a difference if they keep winning. Here they look like goons and lose at the same time, albeit after a very entertaining match. Rather awesome stuff here, with the Bucks looking like goons again to make it better.

Video on MJF vs. Mark Briscoe, including some of the rather personal insults they’ve thrown at each other.

The Hurt Syndicate is ready to hurt either team in the tournament finals at Forbidden Door. MJF comes in to say they they can win the World Title, but MVP says he’s tired of hearing about MJF all the time. The team is about them, but MJF’s ego is out of control. MVP gives him the thumbs down.

FTR and Stokely Hathaway don’t like what Adam (thank goodness that seems to be his name again) is doing. Hathaway is on a crutch and says Adam is a bully. He’s going to pin Adam next week anyway though, just like that.

Video on Swerve Strickland vs. Kazuchika Okada.

Here is Strickland for a chat (oddly in the aisle). Strickland talks about doing well in big matches as well and brings up the things he’s done to people he likes, such as Will Ospreay. So what will he do to someone like Okada? Three times now, Okada has come after him to no avail and now it’s Okada in a big match because he is in there with a dangerous man. Strickland is ready to win the title at Forbidden Door, while Don Callis cries like a little b****. Good stuff here from Strickland, who knows how to make things feel big.

Mark Briscoe is ready to do his talking with his fists and make MJF pay for his sins. When asked if a win puts him in the World Title picture, Hangman Page comes in to interrupt. They’ve known each other for a long time and he hopes Briscoe is his next challenger. We get a respectful handshake.

Willow Nightingale interrupts Queen Aminata to give her a pep talk but Kris Statlander interrupts, seemingly mocking Nightingale. That doesn’t work for Nightingale, who tells Statlander to get serious and then come find her.

MJF vs. Mark Briscoe

Briscoe punches him in the face to start and teases the Froggy Bow but MJF bails into the crowd instead. That’s fine with Briscoe, who chases him up the steps and then back to ringside. It’s already time for a table but MJF rolls away before another Froggy Bow attempt. MJF uses the referee as a shield and pokes Briscoe in the eye, setting up the chinlock. Some back rakes and choking have Briscoe in more trouble so MJF drops him ribs first across the top.

We take a break and come back with Briscoe fighting out of an abdominal stretch and Hulking Up. MJF gets dropped but manages to roll away before the Froggy Bow for the third time. Instead it’s a Bang Bang Elbow from Briscoe, followed by a flip dive through the ropes. Briscoe puts him on a table but MJF rolls away and hits an Alabama slam back inside.

The Boston crab has Briscoe in more trouble but he slips out before countering the Heatseeker as well. MJF crotches him on top, only to get knocked back down. NOW the Froggy Bow can connect…for two, which is quite the letdown after it being one of the stories of the match. Another Froggy Bow through the table misses MJF, but does make good table contact. Back in and the Heatseeker to Briscoe gets the pin at 17:30…even with the foot on the rope, but MJF knocks it away at 17:30.

Rating: B. The ending feels like a way to set up the World Title match at Forbidden Door, as MJF can have a title match and Briscoe gets cheated out of the win. That’s a good way to keep things going and it came after a hard hitting match. MJF was out to win and Briscoe was out to prove a point, which is why MJF was able to avoid so much of Briscoe’s offense. Nicely put together match here with the ending making sense as well.

Post match MJF beats Briscoe down and gets in a Dynamite Diamond Ring shot. Hangman Page comes out for the brawl, which is broken up but they brawl again with security not being able to do much. The threat of a Buckshot Lariat sends MJF running to end the show.

Overall Rating: A. The show featured solid action throughout and set up some more things for Forbidden Door. I can go for that kind of a show, as it has me more interested in seeing where things are going. It continues to make me wonder why the pay per view needs all of those guest stars, as this was far better than seeing everyone come in to do their annual guest staring appearances. Heck of a show here and I could go for a lot more like this.

Results
Jon Moxley b. Mike Bailey – Death Rider
Alex Windsor b. Queen Aminata, Skye Blue and Billie Starkz – Small package to Starkz
Brody King/Bandido b. Young Bucks – Monkey flip 450 to Matt
MJF b. Mark Briscoe – Heatseeker

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

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Dynamite
Date: July 23, 2025
Location: Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, Illinois
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re rapidly approaching Forbidden Door with just over a month to go before the show. That means it is time to start getting ready for the show with some matches being announced. Other than that, we’re still dealing with some fallout from All In, which will likely continue tonight. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

There is going to be a tournament to crown new #1 contenders for the Tag Team Titles with the title shot at Forbidden Door.

Hangman Page is willing to face Wheeler Yuta tonight but MJF comes in to tease cashing in.

Hangman Page vs. Wheeler Yuta

Non-title. Yuta jumps him during the entrance and chokes away on the floor to start fast. Page fights back and sends him into the barricade a few times, followed by a fall away slam into the corner. Yuta goes to the eyes but Page shrugs it off and finishes with the Buckshot Lariat at 3:15.

Rating: C. Well, I can always go with seeing Yuta taking a beating and this was as squashy as it could have been. At the end of the day, Page shouldn’t be breaking a sweat over the top heel stable’s job guy and this was a good way to make Page look like a killer. Nice opener here, which did exactly what it should have done.

Post match Page grabs the chain and beats on Yuta to bust him open. Page thinks twice about hanging him though. That’s going to require a name change. Maybe Fish Feeder Adam Page.

Athena, in a Shark Week fin hat, has Billie Starkz ready to take out Toni Storm.

#1 Contenders Tag Team Tournament First Round: FTR vs. Jet Speed

Stokley Hathaway, on a crutch, is with FTR. Knight gets knocked to the floor to start and Bailey is beaten down in the corner. That’s broken up and Jet Speed hit stereo dives to the floor to pick up the pace. We settle down to Harwood striking Bailey up against the ropes. That doesn’t last long either as they go outside, with back to back backdrops putting FTR down.

We take a break and come back with Jet Speed hitting stereo missile dropkicks and stereo moonsaults (one inside, one outside) for two on Wheeler. Harwood is back up to wrap Knight’s leg around the post and Wheeler goes after Bailey’s leg on the floor. Back in and Harwood Sharpshooters Knight, who breaks out and blocks the PowerPlex.

We take another break and come back with Knight hitting a springboard forearm to Harwood and Bailey sunset flipping Wheeler for two. Bailey takes both of them out with a dive and drops the moonsault knees for two more. An electric chair and (standing) dropkick combination gets two on Wheeler and Bailey dives over the barricade to take him out again. Back in and Harwood’s slingshot powerbomb is countered into a hurricanrana to give Knight two. Harwood reverses another hurricanrana and Hathaway offers the crutch for extra leverage and the pin at 17:30.

Rating: B. Good, fast paced match here with the right team going over. The problem with having such dominant champions as the Hurt Syndicate is you can only have so many teams as realistic challengers. FTR is as good of an option as we have at the moment and while Jet Speed gave them a good fight, it should have gone this way.

Post match Hathaway rants about Cope injuring him last week, calling him a cancer to AEW. Cue Cope, who is barred from getting too close to FTR. The good thing is he’s made a business deal with some people who can and they are in the business of hurting people. Cue the Hurt Syndicate for the brawl and FTR bails. Cope tries to spear Hathaway but hits a security guard by mistake.

The Matriarchy is ready to back up their words with physicality because they are now uncaged.

Jon Moxley isn’t going to make excuses for his loss but by the end of the night, we’ll find out who Hangman Page really is.

Here is Will Ospreay for a chat. Ospreay talks about the work that he put in to help get the World Title back in AEW. The problem is he had some bad discs in his neck, but he can be treated. With the right help and the hard work, he can be back for Forbidden Door. He’s still coming for the Death Riders too. Swerve Strickland comes out to show some respect.

Video on Julia Hart, Thekla and Skye Blue, who are apparently now a unit.

Willow Nightingale needs something fresh to do and could go for fighting Thekla.

We look back at the Hurt Syndicate brawling with FTR.

MJF isn’t sure what was up with that because it should be about getting the World Title. Bobby Lashley chokes him against the locker and says he wants MJF out of the team. MVP shakes his head at MJF and walks away.

Toni Storm vs. Billie Starkz

Non-title with Athena watching from the balcony. Storm grabs a headlock to start and sends her into the corner, allowing a quick pull up of the skirt. Starkz manages to knock her to the floor and hit a running Swanton off the apron. Back in and Starkz grabs a suplex and we take an early break.

We come back with Storm hitting a Thesz press and pounding away. Storm powerbombs her for two but Starkz is back with a brainbuster onto the knee. A fisherman’s suplex gives Storm two and they trade rollups for some near falls each. Storm’s hip attack sets up a failed Storm Zero attempt but she’s able to block a Swanton. The chickenwing finishes for Storm at 9:28.

Rating: C+. Again, perfectly logical here with Starkz being out there to soften Storm up rather than really going for the win here. Athena feels like a different kind of challenger and I’m starting to expect her to win the title. This was a good way to keep things moving, even if Starkz continues to be a bit less than smooth in the ring.

Post match Starkz drops Storm with a belt shot and here is Athena to send her into the steps over and over. A contract shot to the head looks to set up the cash in but Alex Windsor breaks it up.

Swerve Strickland vs. Hechicero

Prince Nana is here with Strickland and Don Callis handles Hechicero’s entrance. Hechicero ties up the arms to start but Strickland flips out of an early choke attempt. The mat grappling goes to Hechicero until Strickland reverses into something like an abdominal stretch. That doesn’t last long either as Hechicero is back with a swinging hammerlock backbreaker. A tilt-a-whirl backbreaker puts Hechicero down again though and we take a break.

We come back with Hechicero planting Strickland, who laughs at him. A slugout goes to Strickland, setting up the elbow to the back. Strickland’s 450 gets two and a bit of frustration seems to be setting in. Back up and Hechicero pulls him into a choke, which doesn’t last long either. The rolling Downward Spiral sets up the Swerve Stomp but Lance Archer runs in for the DQ at 11:15.

Rating: B-. Well at least neither of them didn’t get pinned. There was no reason for either of them to take a fall here, with Strickland gearing up to go after Okada and Hechicero likely being next in line for Bandido. I’m not wild on the run-in DQ, but in this case it’s the best case scenario if the match was made in the first place.

Post match Bandido and Brody King run in for the save and brawl to the back with the villains. Cue Kazuchika Okada to hit Strickland with a chair but Strickland fights back, with the threat of a House Call with a chair sending Okada scampering.

Ricochet and the Gates Of Agony brag about their recent success.

Here is MJF for a chat. He knows the fans aren’t that bright but he doesn’t need Bobby Lashley to get the title back. As for Hangman Page, he’s ready to execute this contract and take his title back but here is Mark Briscoe to interrupt. After making a kosher pickle joke, Briscoe says MJF stole a win from him in the Casino Gauntlet match and wants MJF next week. MJF: “No.”

If Briscoe was supposed to win the contract, he would have done it, but when the pressure is on, Briscoe loses. The fans might love Briscoe but he’s just a joke and everyone knows it. MJF respected one man from Delaware and he would have listened to a challenge from him. Briscoe must be miserable waking up every day, knowing that he’s not as respected as his brother Jay. That’s enough for Mark to come to the ring, with MJF bailing.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Mark Briscoe

Briscoe backs him into a corner for an exchange of strikes, eventually flipping over Castagnoli and chopping him down. Back up and Castagnoli stomps away in the corner before sending Briscoe to the apron for another chop off. A running clothesline puts Castagnoli on the floor, where he’s fine enough to swing Briscoe into the barricade.

We take a break and come back with Castagnoli dropping him again but pausing to look at Darby Allin in the crowd. Briscoe kicks him to the floor for a suicide flip dive and the fans are rather enthused. The Froggy Bow only gets two but Castagnoli is back with a middle rope slam for the same. The Neutralizer is blocked so Castagnoli hits a running uppercut for two. Back up and a small package gives Briscoe the pin at 13:19.

Rating: B. Good stuff here as Briscoe is starting to be treated as a bigger deal every week. That’s great to see, as he has been losing bigger matches far too often. I’m not sure if he’s going to beat MJF in their big showdown, but at least he’s being built up in the process. Castagnoli is pretty firmly in his spot to put people over and that’s a good use for him.

Post match Marina Shafir comes in to take out Briscoe and here is Jon Moxley. He calls out Hangman Page, who comes out to say he’ll keep getting up. Next week, they can do it for the title one more time, but under Page’s rules: everyone but a referee will be banned from ringside. Page knows Moxley will accept so he’ll see him next week. The match is made official to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. The word that keeps coming to mind here is “logical”, as most of the things that happened here made sense. There were matches set up (naturally some of them were in a tournament but that’s going to happen around here) and nothing felt insane. Throw in the absence of the Young Bucks and a limited amount of Don Callis and I can go with what we got here.

Results
Hangman Page b. Wheeler Yuta – Buckshot Lariat
FTR b. Jet Speed – Rollup with assist from Stokley Hathaway
Toni Storm b. Billie Starkz – Chickenwing
Swerve Strickland b. Hechicero via DQ when Lance Archer interfered
Mark Briscoe b. Claudio Castagnoli – Small package

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

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