SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
AEW COLLISION REPORT
FEBRUARY 7, 2026 (recorded 2-4)
LAS VEGAS, NEV. AT PEARL THEATER AT THE PALMS
AIRED ON TNT & HBO MAX
REPORT BY JOSHUA WHITE, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Tony Schiavone & Excalibur
Ring Announcer: Arkady Aura
Attendance: WrestleTix reported tonight that 1,773 tickets had been distributed; arena is set up for 1,773. The arena has a capacity of 2,500 spectators when configured for concerts.
[HOUR ONE]
-Collision’s still unfamiliar intro video and song played before Tony Schiavone welcomed everyone to show. Tony said they’re starting off with a big-time, high-stakes tag match.
(1) THE YOUNG BUCKS (Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) vs. GOA (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona)
The Young Bucks made their entrance with their classic AEW music, and completed the theme with tassels and fake money dropping from the ceiling. GOA made their entrance without Ricochet. The crowd chanted “Be Elite” as the bell rang three minutes into the hour to start with Matt and Toa.
Toa shoved Matt to the mat easily and then dropped him with a shoulder tackle and a scoop slam. Nick tagged inand ran right into a scoop slam. Toa missed and elbow drop allowing Nick to catch him with a forearm. Nick made a blind tag to Matt and they took Toa down with a double dropkick. Kaun entered and The Bucks took him down with an assisted sliced bread.
They hit a double knee on Kaun and he rolled out of the ring. Nick and Matt went for a double dive, but Toa caught Matt and Kaun caught Nick in midair and slammed them to the ground. Back in the ring, Toa and Kaun put Nick into a double nerve hold. Matt broke up the hold after a couple strikes.
Matt dodged strikes from both, and Toa and Kaun inadvertently hit each other. Nick joined in and they hit a double dropkick that took Kaun and Toa down. Nick went for a dive to the outside, but Toa and Kaun caught him and rammed him into Matt in the ropes. Kaun went for the pin, but Matt kicked out at two. Kaun catapulted Matt up into a midair headbutt from Toa as they went to commercial. [c]
Back from commercial, Matt dodged Toa in the corner and then escaped a suplex attempt from Kaun. Matt went for the tag, but Kaun hit him from behind. Kaun charged Matt again, but he dodged, flipping over the top rope and hitting Toa with a flipping cutter on the outside.
Nick got the hot tag and hit Kaun with firsts, a back elbow, and running high knee before delivering a running bulldog. Nick hopped to the apron and blasted Toa with running kick before nailing him with a standing moonsault from the apron to the floor. Nick hit Kaun with a flying crossbody in the center of the ring and held on for the pin, but Kaun kicked out at two.
Nick hit a double stomp on Toa and rolled into a backstabber on Kaun leaving both members of GOA down. Nick and Matt hit simultaneous flying elbows drop and senton. The both went for the pin, but Kaun and Toa both kicked out, even though Kaun and Matt were the legal pair.
Matt lifted Kaun onto his shoulders, but Toa broke it up. Toa stacked Nick and Matt both onto his shoulders and delivered and impressive double Samoan drop. Nick and Matt rolled to ringside where Kaun hit them with a plancha over the top rope. Toa followed up with a big man moonsault from the apron taking Nick and Matt back down.
Kaun and Toa hit Matt with an assisted spear. Nick tried to springboard in, but Kaun took him out of midair with a dropkick. Kaun and Toa hit Matt with a double team cutter. Toa made the cover, but Matt kicked out at two.
They set up for their double team powerbomb, but Matt escaped to the apron. Matt ducked a charging Kaun, pulling the top rope down sending Kaun tumbling to the floor. Toa missed a senton on the apron, allowing Matt to make the tag to Nick. Nick seamlessly ran up the ropes and hit a flying twisting press onto Toa and Kaun at ringside.
Back in the ring, Nick and Matt set up for the BTE Trigger, but Kaun escaped with a. backslide for a quick two count. Nick escaped and then the Young Bucks connected with the BTE Trigger. Nick made the cover, but Toa broke up the count. Matt and Nick hit a series of superkicks on Toa, who shrugged them off. Nick eventually hit Toa with a DDT when Matt delivered a superkick to Toa’s knee. Matt Nick drilled Kaun with the TK Driver and Matt made the pin for the win.
WINNERS: The Young Bucks in 13:00
(White’s Take: The Bucks were in their classic gear with their classic entrance and put on a classic fast-paced, athletic Bucks style tag match. They haven’t slowed down a bit and GOA provided a good contrast in style and held their own in a pretty good match that had actual stakes.)
-After the match, FTR and Big Stoke appeared on the screen to congratulate them. Stokely told them they’re not going to get the titles just ‘cause they want to live the good ol’ days. Stokely wished he could walk so he could get out of the chair and smack them. Dax said the Bucks can’t touch their legacy, with three AEW tag title reigns. Dax said they’re good, but they not FTR-good.
-They showed a video package highlighting Ciampa’s debut, title win, establishing the open challenge, and noting that this first open challenge was answered by Roderick Strong and Claudio. [c]
-Brody King was backstage after his victory on the main event of Dynamite. He said that was the biggest win of his career, until next week in Australia.
-Renee was in the center of the ring and welcomed Kris Statlander to the ring, Statlander made her way to the ring. Before Renee could even finish her first question, Thekla appeared in spider pose. Renee dropped an “Oh shhh” before she escaped the ring and Thekla nailed Statlander with a spear. Sky Blue and Julia Hart came to the ring and held Statlander in place while Thekla whipped Statlander’s exposed back with her belt. Thekla mockingly called her “Big Stat Daddy” before saying she doesn’t care what the stipulation is and the end will always be the same. Thekla continued to deliver belt shot before saying it’ll be toxic. Thekla posed with the belt before her music played and she left the ring. As they got to the entrance, Statlander interrupted and called Thekla a stupid bitch and told her she gets to meet Straplander. She went on to tell Thekla their match with be a strap match.
(White’s Take: Thekla interrupting a live Statlander promo is basically a full-fledged face turn. I’m glad Statlander clarified that “Straplander” was in reference to their impending strap match, and not, as I first suspected, a weird x-rated superhero film.)
-Lexy was backstage with Kyle Fletcher. Fletcher said he doesn’t respect the TNT open challenge if it takes multiple people and they can just jump him in line. Okada interrupted and said they’re family, and he cares about Kyle’s success, unlike Takeshita. Okada said he wants Fletcher to return to Australia with the TNT title so he can be a champion, like him.
(2) SCORPIO SKY (w/Christopher Daniels & Leila Grey) vs. KEVIN KNIGHT (w/”Speedball” Mike Bailey)
Scorpio Sky made his entrance accompanied by Christopher Daniels, and the returning Leila Grey, apparently taking her valet duties back from Zayda Steel. Kevin Knight made his way out to the stage with “Speedball.” The bell rang to start the match 31 minutes into the show.
Scorpio stopped to encourage an “SCU” chant. Knight told him he was talking about the past. They locked up, spinning each other into the ropes and the corner until the ref broke it. Scorpio grabbed a wristlock, but Knight countered it, taking Scorpio to the matt and dropping a knee on his left elbow.
Scorpio came back with an arm drag into a wristlock. Scorpio hit the ropes and dropped Knight with a shoulder tackle. The had a strange pose off before Scorpio got a “bald” chant. Scorpio forced Knight into the corner with a few strikes. Knight caught Scorpio in the corner and dropped him onto the top rope. Knight knocked him loose with a springboard dropkick. Knight got a running start, leapt over the top rope, and connected with a flying clothesline to Scorpio on the ramp as they went to commercial. [c]
Back from break, Knight hit a clothesline on Scorpio followed by a scoop slam. Knight went for a standing splash, but Scorpio got his knees up. Scorpio hit a running knee followed by a lariat and a pair of back elbows. Knight hit the ropes but ran right into a sky-high sitout spinebuster. Scorpio held on for the pin, but Knight kicked out at two.
Scorpio lifted Knight up for a TKO, but Knight grabbed the ropes and pulled himself to the apron. Knight went for a springboard clothesline, but Scorpio caught him and delivered a neckbreaker across his knee. Scorpio went for the pin, but Knight kicked out at two.
Scorpio set up for a fisherman suplex, but Knight countered into a roll up for a to count, then a backslide fort another to count. Knight dodged a lariat attempt and drilled Scorpio with a jumping DDT. Knight made the cover, but Scorpio kicked out at two. Knight climbed to the top rope, but Scorpio met him on the turnbuckle and delivered a superplex.
Knight backed Scorpio into the corner with a dropkick. Scorpio caught Knight with a boot and hopped onto the middle rope, but Knight jumped from the mat and took Scorpio down with a hurricanrana. Knight landed a flying clothesline and climbed back to the top rope. Knight connected with the Ufo Splash, made the cover, and got the win.
WINNER: Kevin Knight in 12:00
(White’s Take: Good showcase match for Kevin Knight against semi-credible opponent.)
-Hook was standing in the middle of a street, upset about The Opps having lost the trios and world championship. Hook said he has news, and that while Joe is out with injury, Hook is in charge of The Opps. He said he was born a winner and leader and that he inspires people.
(3) MINA SHIRAKAWA vs. VIVA VAN
Mina Shirakawa made her entrance as they showed video of her perform Aning for Stardom and tagging with her current opponent. Viva Van was already in the ring, and the bell rang to start the match 50 minutes into the hour.
Van and Mina traded wristlocks, with Van escaping with a flip before mocking Mina’s chest-shaking pose. Mina took Can down with a slingblade. Mina set up for the Glamorous Driver, but Van countered it and delivered a series s of knee strikes. The crowd gave a weak dueling chant as Van stomped Mina into the mat.
Van took Mina to the mat in a straight jacket hold, but Mina got to her feet and escaped. Van hit the ropes and Mina met her with a. rolling elbow strike. Mina hit a combination of strikes and connected with a twisting splash. Mina went for the pin, but Van kicked out at two.
Mina slammed Van’s knee repeatedly into the mat. Mina attempted to lock in a figure four, but Van kicked her way out of it. Van blocked a forearm and hit an uppercut followed by a rolling heel kick. Van went for the cover, but Mina kicked out at two. Van set Mina onto the turnbuckle, but Mina kicked her away and delivered a slingblade from the top rope.
Mina hit a rolling elbow, then another one to the back. Mina missed the spinning backfist but caught Van with a second one. Mina rolled Van into a figure four position, locked int eh hold, and Van tapped out
WINNER: Mina Shirakawa in 6:00
(White’s Take: Though it was nice that they gave a bit of background between the two competitors, this still seemed like we were looking at a squash match. Not sure what they’re doing with Mina, but I guess as long as they’re doing nothing with her they may as well do something with her; which describes what they did in this match.)
-Mina made her way up the ramp, but stopped in her tracks with Marina Shafir’s music played. Yuta and Moxley appeared through the crowd as well.
(4) MARINA SHAFIR & WHEELER YUTA vs. ZAYDA STEEL & DANTE MARTIN
Moxley joined the commentary as before Zayda Steel and Dante Martin made their entrance, along with Darius and Christopher Daniels. The bell rang to start the match 58 minutes into the hour.
Zayda caught Marina by surprised by jumping on her back with a sleeper. Yuta pulled her off but then Dante tossed Yuta to the floor and hit him with a plancha to the floor. In the ring, Zayda went for a hiptoss, but Marina countered it into a judo throw followed by a roundhouse to the chest.
Marina tied Zayda’s legs into a pretzel and smacked her on the butt. Zayda escaped and went for a sleeper hold. Marina got to her feet to escape and Zayda caught her with an inside cradle for a two count. Zayda went for a kick, but Marina caught her leg and slammed her to the mat.
Marina kicked Darius off of the apron before Yuta tagged in. Marina distracted the ref as Yuta tried to attack Zayda, but she escape and Dante him hit with a springboard crossbody. Dante landed a dropkick and mad the cover, but Yuta kicked out at two.
Dante tried to jump off the rope, but Marina grabbed Dante’s boot, allowing Yuta to land a shotgun dropkick. Yuta executed a bridging German suplex into a pin for a two count before they went to commercial. [c]
[HOUR TWO]
Back from break, Yuta delivered a loud chop on Dante in the corner. Yuta set Dante onto the turnbuckle and raked his back. Dante fought Yuta off and landed a flipping press onto Yuta as Moxley, on commentary, said that Yuta’s hair is naturally beautiful. Dante crawled for the tag, but Marina pulled Zayda off the apron.
Yuta executed a German suplex into a bridge for a two count. Yuta followed up with elbows to the head. Dante fought back with a few forearms, but Yuta gouged his eyes. Dante flipped over a charging Yuta sending him crashing to the floor. Dante tagged in Zayda who charged in and took Marina down with a Thesz press with punches.
Zayda ducked a lariat and took Marina down with a neckbeaker. Zayda climbed to the top rope where Yuta tried to intervene, but Zayda smacked him. Zayda dropped Marina across the top rope and climbed back to the top rope. Zayda went for a crossbody from the top rope, but Marina caught her and rolled through before slamming Zayda down. Marina locked in the mother’s milk submission. Yuta hit Dante with a dropkick when he tried to break it up, and Zayda had no choice but to submit.
WINNERS: Wheeler Yuta & Marina Shafir in 9:00
(White’s Take: Another match the seemed like it could have and maybe should have been a quick squash. I like Zayda and Dante, but Yuta and Marina have a much bigger match ahead of them, so they shouldn’t struggle with competitors who struggle to make it onto ROH shows.)
-After the match, Christopher Daniels checked on Dante and Zayda. Yuta pulled out some clippers and kicked Daniels away. He grabbed Dante by the hair, but seemingly had second thoughts about shaving his head and let go. Yuta then grabbed Zayda by her long blonde locks, but Toni Storm’s music interrupted the proceedings. Toni charged the ring with scissors followed closely by Orang Cassidy. Marina and Wheeler rolled out of the ring and escaped.
-They threw to a video of Hayter and Windsor sharing a story and a drink in what appeared to by a hotel bar. A random guy approached them and asked “are you birds thirsty?” Windsor slammed his face into the bar and Hayter broke a glass over his head. Hayter had an epiphany and said she had a name for their team. Groovy text appared on the screen that read “Brawling Birds.”
(White’s Take: At this point I have to wonder if they’re trolling us with bad tag team names, or if there’s some kind competition to see who can come up with the worst. If it’s the latter, Hayter and Windsor have a real chance at winning. Meanwhile, “Hayter & Windsor” sounds like a perfectly fine tag team name.)
-A video from after Dynamite aired and MJF screaming at Hangman. MJF said he will get handled. He said he hopes Hangman beats Andrade so he can kicks his ass. But he said it’d be just as fun if Andrade wins and he’ll lay down the “Hebrew hammer.” He told Brody that his win was a fluke and that he doesn’t stand a chance. MJF said his back is against a wall, but that’s when the devil is at his most dangerous. He told Brody to bark if he wants, because at Grandma Slam Australia, he’s going to make Brody his bitch.
(White’s Take: A little more yelling than one would like in the beginning part, but presumably this took place immediately following his shocking loss on Dynamite. The rest of it was a well done promo as he discussed his possible future opponents, even acknowledging that he’s somewhat looking past Brody.)
(5) THEKLA (w/Julia Hart & Skye Blue) vs. BRITTNIE BROOKS
Thekla made her entrance as Julia and Sky walked behind her. Brittnie Brooks was waiting in the center of the ring as the announcers recounted that Thekla will face Statlander in a strap match at on Dynamite. The match started as the bell rang 16 minutes into the second hour.
Thekla ducked a clothesline attempt and dropped Brittnie with a forearm. Thekla rocked Brittnie with a second forearm and posed spider style in the corner. Brittnie struggled to her feet and Thekla nailed her with a spear. Thekla made the cover and picked up the victory.
WINNER: Thekla in 1:00
-After the match, Julia and Skye held Brittnie down as Thekla removed her belt. Thekla beat Brittnie mercilessly and threatened the ref when he tried to break it up. Thekla posed over Brittnie.
-They went to a video of Moxley standing in a dark alley. He said that Takeshita beat him in the Continental Classic. Moxley said he doesn’t believe in familiar, he believes in iteration. If it doesn’t work one way, come back and try another way. He said he and Takeshita are both chasing the dragon, but only one will find it.
(6) GRIZZLED YOUNG VETS (Zach Gibson & James Drake) & BIG BILL & BRYAN KEITH vs. EDDIE KINGSTON & ORTIZ & THE RASCALZ (Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz) – Parking Lot Match
Big Bill, Bryan Keith, James Drake, and Zach Gibson all stood in front of a white limo parker on the top of the parking garage of the Palms, with the Vegas skyline in the background. Eddie Kingston and company pulled up in and SUV, and I guess the match 20 minutes into the hour as Kingston threw a trash can at the group and everyone charged.
They all paired off, with Kingston swinging a sledgehammer at Drake. Drake ducked and the sledge smashed through a car’s window. Drake gouged Eddie’s eyes as Wentz his Big Bill with a trash can lid. Drake broke a piece of drywall over Eddie’s head and went at him with a hammer, but Eddie caught him with a low blow. Eddie took the hammer and scraped it across Drake’s face.
Wentz dodged a big boot from Big Bill and he kicked out a car’s headlight. Wentz dodged a second boot and Bill kicked off the car’s side mirror. Bill grabbed a brick from his backpack and chucked it at Wentz. Wentz ducked and the brick went through the car window. Wentz came back and hit Bill with a trash can lid.
They cut over to Ortiz slamming Gibson’s body in the hood of a different car. Ortiz back suplexed Gibson onto the car’s hood. Wentz and Xavier climbed onto the top of the limo. Wentz did a moonsault and Xavier shoved him in midair off of the limo onto Gibson and Keith. Bill hit Ortiz with a big boot before Xavier leapt off of the top of the limo towards him. Bill caught Xavier and rammed in into the limo before slamming him on the trunk. Bill pressed Xavier over his head and launched him over the entire limo as the went to break. [c]
Back from break, Keith and Xavier dueled with hammer as smoke started to roll out of the back seat of the limo. Wentz smashed Keith with a trash can lid and shoved him into the smoky interior of the limo. Wentz followed and closed the door. Eddie charged in and hit Drake, Gibson, and Bill with a kendo stick.
Bill fought off Eddie and Ortiz. The door to the limo opened and Keith stumbled out coughing. Wentz called him a lightweight and delivered a thrust kick. Xavier landed a shooting star press from the top of the limo onto Keith. Wentz and Xavier placed the trash can on Keith’s head and crumpled it with a double superkick.
Xavier beat Drake with a kendo stick until he fell onto the hood of a car. Wentz and Xavier climbed on top of the car with him, but Bill shoved Xavier, sending him tumbling off the end of the car. Bill dragged Wentz down and slammed him into the car. Bill climbed onto the hood of the car with Wentz and chokeslammed him into the windshield. Miraculously, the was a camera inside the car that caught Wentz busting through the glass.
Gibson lifted Xavier onto his shoulders as Drake climbed onto the top of the car. Drake jumped from the top of the car for the doomsday device the sent Xavier crashing to the concrete. Eddie came brawling into the scene and blasted Drake between the legs with a chunk of wood. Bill tried to escape by climbing onto the limo, but Eddie and Ortiz followed him up there. Eddie and Ortiz hit Bill with a double suplex on top of the limo.
Drake, Gibson, Eddie, and Ortiz all brawled with each other until Gibson and Drake both hit simultaneous low blows. Gibson and Drake both choked Eddie with their GYV scarf. Eddie was on the verge of going out, but Ortiz came from behind and wrapped a cord of some kind around Drake and Gibson’s neck.
Ortiz choked both members of GYV before Isla Dawn appeared from nowhere and broke a chunk of drywall over Ortiz’s head. Drake and Gibson held Ortiz as Isla prepared to hit him with a lead pipe. But, Myron Reed, the third member of the Rascalz, came flipping off the top of a nearby car, taking out Drake and Gibson.
Isla went after Myron with the pipe, but he blocked it. Myron lifted Isla onto his shoulders and tossed her into the back of a van Meanwhile, Ortiz powerbombed Drake onto the hood and windshield of a car as Eddie drilled Gibson with a DDT on top of another car. Gibson’s corpse slid down onto the windshield, where Eddie pinned him for the three count.
WINNERS: Eddie Kingston & Ortiz & The Rascalz in 13:00
(White’s Take: For what should’ve been an exciting match, this really dragged on, just kind of meandering from spot to spot. There were some interesting and exciting spots for sure, but also some silly and attempted-murder spots that didn’t add up to much. I did appreciate the setting though, on top of a parking garage with the lights of Vegas in the background.)
-The camera panned across the carnage as Eddie and Ortiz peeled their teammates off of the concrete and windshield. They asked if they could go medicate as they went to commercial. [c]
-Lexy was backstage with Roderick Strong. He yelled “Lexy” before noting that things haven’t been going the way he expected, but that’s why he answered the open challenge. Mark Briscoe appeared to tell him he was in for a hell of a fight. Mark said Roddy has what it takes to become TNT champion and asked his Conglomeration partner for the first shot if he wins. Roddy said he’s not in the Conglomeration and walked off.
(7) TOMMASO CIAMPA vs. RODERICK STRONG vs. CLAUDIO CASTAGNOLI – TNT Championship match
Claudio music played and he appeared in a stairwell lit by red light before making his way through the crowd to the ring, wearing a mask and holding the CMLL title. Strong’s music played and he entered the ring in the traditional way. The lights went out as Ciampa’s music started. Ciampa clutched the TNT title as he made his way to the ring. The bell rang and the match got under way 43 minutes in the second hour.
Strong immediately pummeled Claudio into a corner until Ciampa pulled him off. Claudio stepped over Strong’s dropdown and Ciampa met him by tossing him over the top rope to the floor, leaving Ciampa and Strong alone in the ring. They traded heavy chops before Ciampa stomped Strong’s foot and launched him over the top rope. Claudio caught Strong and slammed him into the apron.
Claudio and Ciampa faced off in the center of the ring, where they traded forearms. Ciampa hit a pair of boots to the face, but Claudio caught the third and landed a European uppercut. Claudio hit the ropes, but Ciampa followed him and caught him with another boot to the face. Ciampa hit the ropes as Strong slid into the ring and Ciampa ran right into a dropkick from Strong. Claudio summarily dropped Strong with a lariat.
Claudio stacked Ciampa and Strong in the corner and charged in with a European uppercut. A spot occurred where everyone hit running strikes on each other in various corners until Ciampa took down Claudio and Strong with a combination DDT and reverse DDT. Claudio got to his feet and Ciampa hit him with chops. Claudio hit a knee to the gut on Ciampa and then set Ciampa and Strong up for a double vertical suplex. However, the blocked it and reversed into a double suplex on Claudio.
Ciampa and Strong fought onto the apron. Claudio pulled Ciampa off the apron onto his shoulders, but Strong hit Claudio with a dropkick through the ropes to break up whatever Claudio was up to. Strong rammed Claudio into the barricade and then attempted to suplex him onto the barricade, but Claudio blocked it and dropped Strong onto the barricade.
Claudio charged Ciampa, but he sidestepped and Claudio crashed into a chair against the barricade. Ciampa hit a running knee on Strong, who was still hanging from the barricade. Ciampa charged Claudio, but Claudio caught him and lifted him up into a press slam before dropping him face first across the commentary table as they went to commercial. [c]
Back from break, Claudio charged into a boot from Ciampa, but Claudio fought back with a. European uppercut. Claudio attempted to deadlift Ciampa from the apron into the ring, but Ciampa fought it off and landed on the top turnbuckle. Strong came from behind and slammed Claudio down. Ciampa came off the top rope with a crossbody, but Strong caught him in the air with a dropkick.
Strong hit a backbreaker of Ciampa followed by a tiger driver stacked into a pin. Ciampa kicked out at two, but Strong transitioned it directly into the Stronghold variant of the Boston crab. Claudio tried to break it up with a boot to Strong’s face, but he held on to the submission. Claudio hit him with an uppercut that broke it up.
Claudio lifted Ciampa up for a suplex, but Strong pulled Ciampa back down. Ciampa and Strong set up for a double suplex, but Claudio countered it into a double suplex on Ciampa and Strong. Claudio hit Strong with a running uppercut at ringside. When he tried to get back into the ring, Ciampa caught him with the Willow’s Bell DDT. Ciampa followed up with the double underhook facebuster, which he previously called The Fairytale Ending, which Excalibur noted is basically the same as The Angel’s Wings. Ciampa made the cover, but Claudio kicked out at two.
Ciampa lowered his knee pad and lined Claudio up. Ciampa charged, but Claudio blocked the knee and swept out Ciampa’s legs before delivering a giant swing. Only a few rotations before Strong broke it up with a dropkick. Strong went for a jumping knee, but Claudio caught him, popped him into the air and blasted him with a European uppercut.
Claudio set up for the Neutralizer, but Strong backdropped his way out of it. Claudio flipped over and landed on his feet, but he turned around into a jumping knee from Strong. Claudio bounced off the rope and Strong hit another knee strike. Strong sat on top of Claudio for the pin, but Ciampa flew in from offscreen and drilled Strong in the head with his exposed knee. Ciampa covered Strong and got the three-count.
WINNER: Tommaso Ciampa in 15:00 to retain the TNT Championship
(White’s Take: It’s ridiculous hat an open challenge would result in a three-way, especially as Fletcher had been singled out as the next challenger. You set those things aside, and you had a very good main event to breathe life back into the show. All three men worked exceptionally well together, as one might expect given their shared history. This was best case scenario for a triple threat, without devolving into long one-on-one stretches while the third guy takes a nap at ringside. All three guys were constantly involved creating a movement and drama throughout.)
After the match, Fletcher’s music played and we walked out onto the stage in a suit. Fletcher made his way to the ring and grabbed the TNT title belt. Fletcher stared at the title before handing it to Ciampa. Fletcher grabbed a microphone and asked Ciampa how it felt to be all elite, and to never fill his shoes. Fletcher said he’s the greatest TNT champion of all time. Fletcher said he was happy to take his title back from Briscoe. He said he wants to walk into his hometown with the TNT title and get the hometown cheer he deserves. Fletcher challenged Ciampa to a TNT title match on Dynamite. Ciampa held the belt up and gave Fletcher a peck on the cheek before leaving the ring. Fletcher told him that next Wednesday he’ll find out what the best really looks like.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Last week’s Collision got my hopes up that we were in the midst of a Collision revival of some kind, but instead we’ve almost all the way back down to typical Collision territory. Not to say there weren’t some bright spots. The Young Bucks with their old gear and entrance put on a very good Young Bucks style tag match with GOA. Kevin Knight looked good in a competitive match with Scorpio Sky. And Ciampa continued to shine in a banger of a main event three-way for the TNT title. However, the middle of the show dragged in a way that was unbecoming even for Collision. The parking lot fight could’ve picked things up a bit, but was just a collection of spots with no particular story or hook. We did get follow-up on MJF and Brody, which is nice, but it’s just reinforcing what we saw on Dynamite and then will also see on Dynamite. I had hoped that Ciampa hosting an open challenge would give Collision a spark similar to the US title open challenge on Smackdown. Even on a blah show, you always have a great one-on-one match with stakes. Of course, they immediately screwed that up on Collision by allowing two people to answer an open challenge at once, and then scheduling the most anticipated possible match-up (Fletcher) for Dynamite. Long story short: Watch the first two matches for a fun start to the show, and then fast-forward to the main event for fantastic finish.
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