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AEW COLLISION SPRING BREAKTHRU REPORT
APRIL 16, 2026 (recorded 4/15)
EVERETT, WASH. AT ANGEL OF THE WINDS ARENA
AIRED ON TNT & HBO MAX
REPORT BY JOSHUA WHITE, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Excalibur & Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuinness
Ring Announcer: Arkady Aura
Attendance: WrestleTix reported that 2,866 tickets had been distributed; arena is set up for 3,184. The arena has a capacity of 9,000 spectators when configured for concerts. Attendance for the previous visit on May 15, 2024 was 3,553.
[HOUR ONE]
-The Collision entrance video played, including recent additions like Jericho and Darby as champion. Schiavone welcomed everyone to Spring Breakthru before Adam Copeland’s music played. Copeland made his way to the ring and grabbed a microphone.
Copeland said that Dynasty didn’t go his way, including his face getting messed up. He gave credit to FTR for doing what they said they would do and added that Christian was getting an MRI to see if his arm is broken. He said they gave his wife a piledriver, and they took his watch, which Christian would consider worse. He said with Christian you don’t mess with his watch, wine, or women, in that order. Copeland noted FTR saying they’re not getting another title shot, and said that it’s not only about the titles and they’re not going to walk away. Copeland said they will take their pound of flesh before FTR’s music played.
They didn’t immediately come up, but after a moment Stokely and FTR walked out and marched toward the ring. Rocky Romero and Trent Baretta slid in from behind and attacked Copeland. Dax and Cash slid into the ring and the four men stomped Copeland down in the corner. The Young Bucks’ music played, and they ran down to the ring to make the save. The Bucks cleared the ring with superkicks, except Trent hung around to get a spear from Copeland. Copeland shook hands with the Bucks before his music played.
(White’s Take: It looks like they’re building towards a three-way with the Bucks, FTR, and Cope & Cage, which could be an interesting generational match. Copeland was fine here, we didn’t have to wait for the crowd to sing his song and his promo was short and to the point without some of the “rah-rah” stuff he occasionally leans into.)
-Jack Perry was backstage and told Don Callis that he beat his biggest and best in Mark Davis. Perry challenged whichever goon Callis wants to send for the National title on Dynamite.
(1) THE YOUNG BUCKS (Nick Jackson & Matt Jackson) vs. THE RASCALZ (Zachary Wentz & Myron Reed)
The Bucks were already in the ring from the first segment as the Rascalz’s music played. Myron Reed and The bell rang to start the match ten minutes into the show.
Nick and Wentx started out with Wentz athletically escaping and armdrag before Nick landed a spinning heel kick. Matt got the tag and The Bucks hit a combination gutbuster and flipping neck beaker. Reed charged in, ducked a double clothesline, but Nick and Matt caught him with a. combination German suplex and sunset flip.
They set Reed on the middle rope and Wentz came in for the save, but caught a catapult into a kick from The Young Bucks. Matt held Wentz in place as Nick came off the top rope with a double foot stomp. Reed shoved Nick into Matt and flipped out of back-to-back back suplex attempts to get the tag to Wentz.
Wentz caught Nick on a leapfrog attempt and delivered a German suplex. Wentz took Matt down with a combination of strikes. Reed and Wentx hit a simultaneous suicide dive onto the Bucks at ringside. They returned to the ring and Wentz jumped off of Reed’s back for a second dive onto Nick and Matt. Back in the ring, Wentz and Reed caught Nick with a combination thrust kick and German suplex into the pin attempt for a two count as they went to commercial. [c]
Back from commercial, Matt got the hot tag and caught Wentz in the air for a trios of Northern Lights suplexes. He went for a fourth, but caught Reed as he sprang into the ring and Matt delivered a double Northern Lights. Matt and Nick hit simultaneous bulldogs from the corner, high-fiving each other along the way.
The Young Bucks climbed opposite corners and connected with a swanton from Nick and an elbow drop from Matt. Matt hooked the leg, but Wentz kicked out at two. Nick and Matt performed a pair of sunset flips into a pair of sharpshooters. The crowd chanted “tap,” but Wentz managed to crawl to the ropes to break the hold.
Nick and Matt started a superkick party, but Reed ducked one and landed a cutter before catching a thrust kick from Matt. Wentz hit Matt with a high knee followed by a twisting cutter. Reed hit Nick with a cutter from the ring, grabbing Nick from the apron, and landing on the floor. Wentz landed a twisting splash before Reed hit a 450 splash onto Matt. Wentz went for the pin, but Nick broke up the pin.
Wentz set Matt on his shoulders as Reed climbed to the top rope, but Matt shoved him into his partner in the ropes. Nick came in and hit Reed with super hurricanrana. Nick and Matt hit Wentz with the BTE Trigger in the center of the ring. Matt made the cover as Nick held back Reed, but Reed pushed him into the pile to break the pin.
Wentz attempted to come back with a tornillo onto Nick and Matt, but they caught him in the air. Matt set up for the tombstone as Nick went to apron. Wentz countered into a roll-up on Matt, but when Matt kicked out at two, it shoved him to Nick on the apron and Wentz clocked him with a clothesline. Went hit Matt with a thrust kick and went back at Nick on the apron, but Nick executed a moonsault to dodge Wentz and connected with Reed on the outside. Wentz turned around into Matt, who scooped him up into a tombstone as Nick returned to complete the TK Driver. Matt made the cover and got the win.
WINNERS: The Young Bucks in 14:00
(White’s Take: Somewhere down the line, there is a Young Bucks and Rascalz PPV tag title match that will absolutely cook. This, by itself, was a crazy athletic spotfest of a match that was fast-paced and completely entertaining to anyone not predisposed to hate The Young Bucks style of match.)
-After the match, Clark Connors and David Finlay attack from behind. Dezmond Xavier tried to make the save, but Finaly rammed him into the ringpost before dropping Reed with a spinning forearm. Connors hit a pounce of Reed that knocked him into the barricade. In the ring that nailed The Full Clip on Wentz. Finlay grabbed a mic and said they’re down one dog, but the mission is the same: they want bodies and gold. Connors said this message is for the whole tag team division, saying they’re all about to get screwed. [c]
-A video aired for Divine Dominion, featuring them posing as gods saying that their beauty is exquisite, their power is undeniable.
(2) THE CONGLOMERATION (Orange Cassidy & Kyle O’Reilly & Roderick Strong) vs. JAY LETHAL & LEE JOHNSON & BLAKE CHRISTIAN – AEW World Trios Championship eliminator match
The Conglomeration’s music played while Cassidy, Strong, and O’Reilly made their way to the ring with matching backstages and matching trios titles. Jay Lethal, Blake Christian, and Lee Johnson made their entrance, introduced as the Lethal Twist. The bell rang and the match started 33 minutes into the hour.
Lethal forced Kyle into the corner and stomped him down. Kyle came back with a few strikes before Lethal hit a hip toss. Kyle took advantage of a cartwheel with a pin attempt for a two count. Cassidy tagged in and they hit a combination Manhattan drop and running boot. Cassidy made the cover but only got one.
Strong got the tag and worked on Johnson before tagging in Kyle to deliver a series of kicks. Lethal and Blake charged in but got a kick and a backbreaker. Strong set up for the tag team backbreaker, Cassidy climbed to the top rope, but then walked down and dropped an elbow from the mat.
Cassidy attempted to put his hands in his pockets, but Blake broke it up. Cassidy took Blake’s hands and put them in his pocket. Blake escaped and Cassidy put his hands into his pockets. Christian mocked him and flipped Cassidy off. Cassidy landed the Stundog Millionaire. Lethal knocked Kyle off of the apron with a belt shot while Johnson had the ref distracted.
Blake and Johnson hit a pair of strikes on Cassidy in the tree of woe before Blake hit Strong with a moonsault to the outside. Johnson catapulted Blake into a flying clothesline on Cassidy. Lethal, Johnson, and Blake all strutted in the ring as they went to commercial. [c]
They returned from commercial as Cassidy went for a tag, dodging Lethal and giving Johnson a back drop while Blake held his legs. Strong got the tag and hit chops and everyone and a knee lift on Lethal before giving Johnson a backbreaker. Strong lifted Cassidy up and slammed him into Johnson and Blake in opposite corners before tossing him into a flying DDT on Johnson.
Strong hit Blake with an Olympic slam and made the cover, but Lethal broke it up. Strong chopped Lethal and Johnson back and forth before tagging in Kyle. Kyle hit knee from the apron onto Lethal at ringside. Kyle hit Johnson with a combination of strikes before Lethal entered and got a few as well. Lethal attempted a figure four, but Kyle countered it with a roll up for a town count.
Blake and Johnson caught Kyle with combination of kicks before hitting a vertical suplex and running kick combination. Blake hit Strong with a running dive from the apron as Lethal hit a flying elbow on Kyle. Lethal made the cover, but Cassidy broke up the pin.
Blake hit Cassidy’s mocking kicks, and Cassidy came back with his own. Cassidy came back with a real thrust kick, but Blake came back with his own. Lethal held Kyle while Blake and Johnson took him down. Lethal slapped on the figure four, but Strong shoved Blake into Lethal to break up the submission.
Johnson hit a running kick on Kyle, but Kyle picked his ankle and rolled into an ankle lock. Lethal tried to intervene, but Strong connected with a jumping knee. Blake slid in but Cassidy caught him with an Orange Punch, leaving Johnson no choice but to tap out.
WINNERS: The Conglomeration in 13:00
(White’s Take: This match had its silly spots, as one would expect given the participants. It was a lot of fun chaos giving Lee Johnson and Blake Christian some spots to shine even as their loss was inevitable.)
-Shibata was backstage filming Hook who ran into Anthony Bowens, who wanted to know if he was in The Opps or not. Hook said he’ll tell him next week, ‘cause he’s the boss. Bowens said, “Okay, boss.”
(3) KRIS STATLANDER & HIKARU SHIDA vs. BIG ANNE & DANIKA DELLA ROUGE
Kris Statlander’s music played and she stepped out onto the stage before being joined by Shida. Big Anne and Danika Della Rouge were waiting in the ring. The bell rang tos tart the match 48 minutes into the show.
Statlander forced Rouge into the corner and then landed a back suplex. Rouge came back with a series of strikes before running into a choking back leg trip. Statlander catapulted Rouge into her own corner. Big Anne tagged in and Statlander hit an uppercut and running knee before Shida tagged herself in. They stacked Big Anne and Rouge in the corner, Statlander delivered a running clothesline before Shida hit a running knee onto them.
Shida hit a running knee lift onto Big Anne as she hung off of the apron. The crowd chanted for Shida as she executed a falcon arrow in the center of the ring. She seemed to be setting up for her finish, but instead tagged in Statlander, who promptly delivered the Saturday Night Fever and made the cover for the win.
WINNERS: Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida in 3:00
Shida and Statlander left up the ramp as a team while Schiavone hyped the night’s remaining matches as they went to commercial. [c]
(4) JON MOXLEY vs. NICK WAYNE – AEW Continental Championship eliminator match
Jon Moxley’s music played as he appeared backstage with the Death Riders in red light. He made his way out and through the crowd as Renee played sideline reporter, putting over Nick Wayne as a local talent succeeding in ROH, but this being his first AEW match in 264 days. Nick’s music played and his mother escorted him to the stage before he came to the ring by himself. The bell rang to start the match 548 minutes into the show.
Nick Wayne ducked out of the ring to high-five his friends at ringside. Back in the ring, Nick escaped a headlock, but Moxley grabbed a hammerlock and forced him to the mat. Nick countered into a wristlock, but Moxley swept his legs and went for a pin, getting a one count. Nick caught Moxley with a few surprising forearms before he fired back with a chop that dropped Nick.
[HOUR TWO]
Moxley chopped Nick in the corner before climbing up and delivering a ten pack of punches followed by another big chop. Nick leapfrogged Moxley and landing a spinning uppercut. Nick brought Moxley over with a snapmare and hit a pair fo quick leg drops before kicking Moxley in the face disrespectfully.
Moxley rolled out of the ring and paced for a second before reentering and offering Nick a handshake. Nick held his hand out, and Moxley pulled Nick right into piledriver position. Moxley planted Nick with a piledriver as they went to commercial. [c]
Back from break, Moxley stomped on Nick in the corner before dragging him out and tossing him to the mat. Moxley went for the pin, but Nick kicked out at two. Moxley locked Nick into a variation of an STF on the mat. Moxley let go of the hold and charged into a pair of boots in the corner.
Nick hit a missile dropkick from the center rope. They traded strikes in the center of the ring, with Moxley getting the better of it. Nick ducked a clothesline and landing a standing sliced bread. Nick went for the pin, but Moxley kicked out at two. Moxley charged into a pair of kicks but still hit Nick with a running clothesline.
Nick came back with a dragon suplex followed by a code red into a pin for a two count. Moxley ducked a kick and landed a cutter. Moxley made the cover, but Nick kicked out at two. Moxley transitioned into a crossface. Nick managed to escape the hold and Moxley stomped at him on the mat.
Nick fired up and fought to his feet, delivering a combination of kicks. Moxley grabbed Nick by the head and bit at his face. Nick spit in Moxley’s face and connected with a roundhouse. Moxley rolled out of the ring and Wayne executed a high moonsault off the turnbuckle onto Moxley at ringside.
Back in the ring, Nick went for the Wayne’s World from the middle rope, but Moxley caught him in a sleeper. Moxley spun Nick around and went for a piledriver, but Nick rolled through into a jackknife pin. Moxley kicked out at two. Nick connected with a roundhouse to the head that cut Moxley to the side of his eye.
Blood ran down Moxley’s face as Nick charged him. Moxley ducked under and grabbed Nick, spun him down into the bulldog choke. Nick struggled to his feet, but Moxley forced Nick back down to the mat. Nick managed to get his foot under the ropes to break the hold. Moxley stuck Nick with the Death Rider and made the cover for the win.
WINNER: Jon Moxley in 15:00
(White’s Take: This is another in the line of a straight up really good match from Jon Moxley. Nick looked good, utilizing his speed and athleticism, while likely earning Moxley’s respect for the grit he showed in spots. Busting Moxley open probably made Moxley like him even more.)
Moxley walked around the ring with the title on his shoulder and blood flowing down his face as they went to commercial. [c]
-Lexy was backstage with Callis and Okada and she asked if Takeshita would get his match with Okada. Callis said that Takeshita did not play to the arrangement, and there doesn’t have to be a title match. Okada said he wants the match, and he knows he can beat him because he’s a champion, unlike Takeshita.
(5) PAC (w/Daniel Garcia) vs. LIO RUSH
Pac’s music played and he slapped hands with The Death Riders backstage before emerging through the crowd. Lio Rush’s creepy music played and he walked to the ring slowly while talking to himself. The bell rang as Lio continued to talk to himself in the corner 22 minutes into the hour.
Pac poked at him in the corner, but Lio had basically no reaction, just talking to no one. Pac gave him a boot and he sprung to his feet, startling Pac. Pac basically cowered int eh corner before getting up and hitting a spinning kick to Lio’s midsection. Lio screeched in pain from the kick and then dodged a second one. Lio flipped out of a back suplex but Pac dropped him with a shoulder tackle.
Lio Rush sat up bridged back and balanced on his head, which freaked Pac out again until his stomp on him. Lio came back with an enziguri that knocked Pac out of the ring. Lio chased Pac around the ring before setting his sights on Garcia. Lio tackled Garcia to the mat and choke him until Pac broke it up with a running boot.
Pac returned to the ring and distracted the ref as Garcia stomped at Lio on the floor. Back slid out and drilled Lio with a tombstone piledriver on the floor. Pac rolled back into the ring as Lio recovered at ringside and they went to commercial. [c]
They returned from commercial as Pac sent Lio crashing onto the corner. Pac climbed to the top rope, but Lio jumped to his feet, squatting and squawking. A confused Pac jumped down and Lio hit him with a forearm and then a handspring kick in the ropes, knocking Pac to the floor.
Lio performed his weird cat run and then hit Pac with a dive to the outside. Lio hit Pac with a. springboard stunner form the bottom rope. Lio made the cover, but Pac kicked out at two. Lio went for a rear choke, but Pac got to his feet and rammed him into the corner to break the hold. Lio nailed Pac with a reverse hurricanrana and went for the pin, but Pac kicked out at two.
Lio howled at kickout. Lio hit a stunner on Pac and held on, but Garcia distracted him on the apron. Lio approached Garcia, who splashed water of him. Pac hit a German suplex while he was distracted, but Lio got right back up and charged again. Pac sidestepped him and hit Lio with a second German suplex. Pac hit both ropes and nailed Lio with a running lariat. Pac locked Lio into the Brutalizer and Lio smiled as he passed out to the hold.
WINNER: Pac in 11:00
(White’s Take: In an alternate universe, this would be an awesome fast-paced, hard-hitting match. In this universe, however, we had Pac fearfully retreating from the four-foot tall Lio Rush like Seth Rollins from The Fiend just because Lio shaved his head and got contact lenses. Maybe it could work if they did anything to establish or explain the character, but as it stands, it’s just some combination of bad and embarrassing, especially for Pac, the non-nonsense Death Rider.)
-The threw to a video package on Bandido where he beat people up in a small wild west town.
(6) BRODY KING & MISTICO & MASCARA DORADA vs. RICKY GIBSON & KC RIFF & COLE RIVERA
Brody King’s music and he marched to the ring. Mistico’s music played and he entered alongside Mascara Dorada. Ricky Gibson, KC Riff, and Cole Rivera waited in the ring. The bell rang to start the match 36 minutes into the second hour.
Brody chopped KC Riff down and he rolled out of the ring. Gibson charged Brody and met the same fate as the crowd led an “f Ice” chant. Dorada and Mistico delivered a pair of chops on Rivera in the corner before Brody hit a double handed chop.
Mistico hit a suicide dive onto all three guys at ringside. Mistico held Rivera up so Dorada could hit a dive as well. Dorada rolled Gibson into the ring where Brody drilled him with the Gonzo Bomb. Brody made the cover for the win.
WINNERS: Brody King & Mascara Dorada & Mistico in 1:00
-Shida and Statlander were backstage celebrating their win. Mina Shirakawa said she needed to talk to Shida. Mina said she knows what Shida said about Harley and also saw her kendo stick when they found Toni Storm. Mina told Shida she doesn’t trust her. They argued in Japanese until Statlander broke them up. Mina told Statlander she doesn’t trust Shida. [c]
-They showed a rundown from Dynamite of Darby winning the title.
(7) THEKLA vs. ALEX WINDSOR – AEW Women’s World Championship match
Alex Windsor made her entrance to a polite applause. The lights went dark and Thekla’s music played as she came to the ring. The bell rang to start the main event 48 minutes into the hour.
Thekla ducked a quick lariat attempt and then dodged another. Thekla rolled out of the ring, but Windsor followed. Thekla rolled into the ring, and when Windsor followed Thekla pummeled her on the mat. Windsor hit the ropes and dropped Thekla with a shoulder block.
Thekla caught Windsor with a forearm and climbed to the top rope. Thekla jumped over Windsor and then charged into a stiff clothesline. Windsor lifted Thekla up and hit a vertical suplex. Windsor hit a side Russian leg sweep followed by a downed clothesline. Windsor made the cover, but Thekla kicked out at two.
Windsor attempted a sharpshooter, but Thekla kicked out of it and rolled to the outside. Windsor stepped to the apron and went for a kick, but Thekla caught her foot and swung her down, face-first into the apron. Thekla slid into the ring, hit the opposite ropes and nailed Windsor with a boot that knocked her to the floor.
Thekla climbed to the top rope as Windsor got to her feet. Thekla jumped from the top rope and hit Windsor with a crossbody to the floor. Thekla laid on Windsor’s body and mocking said her name as they cut to commercial. [c]
Back from break, Thekla took Windsor down with a snarpmare followed by a kick to the side of the head. Thekla made the cover, but Windsor kicked out at two. Thekla landed a pair of overhand chops on Windsor in the corner. Windsor reversed a whip int the corner and hit a clothesline in the corner. She followed up with a diving shoulder block that brought Thekla down.
Windsor went for the sharpshooter again, but Thekla kicked her way out of it again. Thekla hit the ropes but ran into a blue thunder bomb. Windsor held on for the pin, but Thekla kicked out at two. Thekla ducked a clothesline and hit a big right hand. Windsor blocked a follow-up punch and connected with a headbutt.
Windsor final locked in the sharpshooter in the center of the ring. Thekla crawled wildly towards the ropes and finally got a hand on the bottom rope to break the hold. Windsor set up for a suplex, but Thekla blocked it, hit the ropes, and spun into a flying octopus hold. Windsor stumbles into the ropes to break the submission.
Thekla landed a kick to the midsection and then charged into a clothesline from Windsor that left both women down. Windsor climbed to the top rope, but Thekla got to her feet and met her with a right hand, Thekla climbed to the top with her as Windsor tried to fight her off. The crowd chanted “this is awesome” as Thekla slipped out a pair of brass knuckles. Thekla tried to hit Windsor, but she caught her and delivered a headbutt.
Thekla collapsed onto the turnbuckle and Windsor went for a sunset flip into a powerbomb, but Thekla held onto the rope and punched Windsor in the head with the brass knuckles as the ref’s view was obstructed. Thekla slid the weapon out of the ring and nailed Windsor with a running stomp. Thekla made the cover and got the win.
WINNER: Thekla in 11:00 to retain the Women’s World Championship
(White’s Take: Thekla continues her compelling run as the women’s champion. I can overlook the cheating to win as a heel, particularly it’s not established that she would’ve lost if she didn’t cheat, it may have simply taken her longer to win, there would be no way know. I like Windsor in the ring, but her character oscillates between generic and annoying.)
Thekla stood over Windsor and held the title up. Thekla did her spider pose as Schiavone signed off.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Kind of an underwhelming follow-up to a very newsworthy Dynamite. But Collision is all about underwhelming follow-ups mixed with solid in-ring action. A hot opening tag match and a very good women’s main event made for a good show overall. Moxley and Nick Wayne was also enjoyable, but the winner was obvious in this one, as it was in every single match. Other than parts of Lio Rush and Pac, there was nothing noticeably bad on the show, but not a whole lot worth seeking out if you aren’t already drawn to the wrestling.
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