‘AEW: Collision’ Review (Apr 16th 2026)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Collision, which brings wrestling back to Saturday nights. We’ve got the commentary team of Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness calling the action. Also, as usual, we’ll be abbreviating AEW’s huge match recaps where we can to save your eyes and your time! With that, let’s get into the review…
Match #1: Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) def. The Rascalz (Zachary Wentz & Myron Reed)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Bucks stayed at ringside following the earlier chaos as Wentz and Reed, joined by Dezmond Xavier, entered the fray. Nick and Matt quickly took control with slick double-team offence, isolating Wentz and cutting off Reed. The Rascalz rallied, with Reed creating space for the hot tag as Wentz exploded into action, sending the Bucks outside for stereo dives and a flurry of high-impact offence that briefly put them in control. Momentum swung back and forth in a frantic, high-speed exchange. The Bucks regained control with tandem offence and near-falls, even locking in stereo Sharpshooters, but the Rascalz refused to stay down. Counters, cutters and superkicks flew as both teams traded big moments down the stretch. In the end, the Bucks countered a tornillo attempt, hit their flipping piledriver on Wentz, and secured the hard-fought victory.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: AEW World Trios Championship Eliminator – The Conglomeration (Orange Cassidy, Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly) def. The Lethal Twist (Jay Lethal, Blake Christian & Lee Johnson)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Lethal and O’Reilly kicked things off at a brisk pace, with The Conglomeration quickly asserting control through sharp tags and fluid double-teams. Cassidy brought his usual antics, even getting Christian’s hands in his own pockets, but distractions from Johnson allowed Lethal Swirl to take over, isolating Cassidy and cutting the ring in half with a series of coordinated attacks. After a lengthy beatdown, Cassidy finally escaped and tagged Strong, who stormed in and cleared house with backbreakers and inventive offence. O’Reilly soon followed, dishing out strikes and submissions as momentum swung wildly between both teams. Near-falls piled up as all six men traded big shots and counters down the stretch. In the end, chaos broke in The Conglomeration’s favour—Strong and Cassidy neutralised Lethal and Christian, leaving O’Reilly to lock in an ankle lock on Johnson, forcing the submission and sealing the win.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #3: Hikaru Shida & Kris Statlander def. Big Anne & Danika Della Rouge
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Statlander handled Della Rouge with relative ease in the early going, with Della Rouge eating a turnbuckle off a catapult by Statlander. Anne tagged in, and Statlander immediately got her to the corner for a leaping elbow and running forearm. Shida tagged in, although Statlander didn’t seem ready for it. Statlander and Shida stacked up Anne and DDR in the corner, with Shida taking them both down with a running knee. Shida hit a knee lift from the floor to DDR on the apron. Shida followed with a Falcon Arrow on DDR, but decided to tag in Statlander with a boop on the noggin, who was once again caught off guard. Statlander finished DDR with Staturday Night Fever to get the pinfall victory!
My Score: SQUASH out of 5
Match #4: AEW Continental Championship Eliminator – Jon Moxley def. Nick Wayne
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Nick Wayne returned to an AEW ring to a huge reaction from his hometown Seattle crowd, soaking in the moment early—much to Jon Moxley’s annoyance. Wayne showed flashes of confidence, even landing stiff shots and a diving elbow, but his inexperience quickly caught up with him when Moxley baited him with a handshake and spiked him with a piledriver. From there, Moxley took control, grinding Wayne down with brutal strikes and submissions. Wayne fought back valiantly, firing off a string of near-falls with a Sliced Bread, Dragon Suplex and Code Red, even busting Mox open after a fierce exchange. The momentum swung back and forth as Wayne pushed the veteran further than expected. But in the end, Moxley’s ruthlessness proved too much. He weathered Wayne’s final burst, locked in control, and finished things decisively with the Death Rider for the win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: PAC def. Lio Rush
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Rush made an immediate impression with his unnerving, almost feral entrance, unsettling even PAC and the Death Riders. That unpredictability carried into the match, as Rush absorbed punishment and seemed to thrive on it, forcing PAC into a more cautious approach. Still, PAC managed to take control early, slowing things down with strikes and a brutal tombstone on the outside. Rush rallied with explosive bursts, landing a poisonrana, stunner and a wild dive to the floor, pushing PAC further than expected. His erratic offence kept PAC guessing, but brief distractions and missed opportunities cost him at key moments. In the end, PAC capitalised, regaining control with a German suplex and momentum lariat before locking in the Brutalizer to put Rush to sleep and secure the win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #6: Brody King, Máscara Dorada & Místico def. Cole Rivera, KC Riff & Ricky Gibson
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
With Bandido in Mexico training ahead of next month’s Ring of Honor Supercard of Honor, he had asked his friends Místico and Dorada to have King’s back in Washington. Gibson made the mistake of hitting King first from behind before the bell and was quickly chopped down. Rivera got the same treatment. Riff came in and got triple-teamed by King, Dorada and Mistico in the corner. With Riff down on the outside, Dorada went over the top with a tornillo to take him out! King fired up the crowd, as Gibson was sent back in to get a Gonzo Bomb from King, who scored the pinfall for the quick win!
My Score: SQUASH out of 5
Match #7: AEW Women’s World Championship – Thekla def. Alex Windsor
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
With the AEW Women’s World Championship on the line, Thekla opened with mind games, baiting Windsor into a chase before turning the tables. Windsor quickly regained control with suplexes and heavy strikes, but Thekla shifted momentum with a nasty apron attack and a diving crossbody to take over. Thekla leaned into a more methodical offence, using submissions and rope-based attacks to wear Windsor down. Windsor fired back with power moves and repeatedly threatened with the Sharpshooter, forcing Thekla to scramble for the ropes. The two traded big shots and near-falls as the match built to a heated finish. In the end, Thekla resorted to underhanded tactics—producing brass knuckles behind the referee’s back and blasting Windsor to steal the win, retaining her title in decidedly questionable fashion.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
This week’s show felt like a show that understood exactly what it needed to be – fast-paced, varied, and anchored by consistently strong in-ring action. The opening tag between the Young Bucks and The Rascalz set the tone perfectly, delivering the kind of breathless, high-speed chaos you expect from both teams, while the Trios eliminator kept that momentum rolling with another tightly worked, crowd-pleasing contest. Elsewhere, the show balanced things out with efficient squashes that didn’t overstay their welcome, alongside more grounded bouts like Moxley vs. Nick Wayne and PAC vs. Lio Rush, both of which showcased rising talent pushing established names. The main event capped things off nicely, with Thekla and Alex Windsor delivering a heated title match with just enough edge to make the finish sting – in a good way. It’s not a flawless episode, but it’s an easy, enjoyable watch from top to bottom, with very little wasted motion and a clear sense of purpose throughout.
