{"id":215246,"date":"2026-04-20T11:46:52","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T16:46:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=215246"},"modified":"2026-04-20T11:46:52","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T16:46:52","slug":"aew-collision-hits-misses-4-16-young-bucks-vs-rascalz-put-on-a-tag-team-clinic-shirakawa-challenges-shida-moxley-faces-nick-wayne-thekla-vs-windsor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2026\/04\/20\/aew-collision-hits-misses-4-16-young-bucks-vs-rascalz-put-on-a-tag-team-clinic-shirakawa-challenges-shida-moxley-faces-nick-wayne-thekla-vs-windsor\/","title":{"rendered":"AEW COLLISION HITS &#038; MISSES (4\/16): Young Bucks vs. Rascalz put on a tag team clinic, Shirakawa challenges Shida, Moxley faces Nick Wayne, Thekla vs. Windsor"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-1600049458\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p>To help you add context, my \u201cHits\u201d are ordered from best to worst. With that said, let\u2019s move into the high points of this week\u2019s episode, starting with the most significant moments.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>HITS<\/h3>\n<p><strong>THEKLA vs. ALEX WINDSOR DELIVERS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>AEW trusted Thekla and Alex Windsor with the main event spot, and they delivered a match that felt both purposeful and defining.<\/p>\n<p>Thekla immediately stands out. Her presence and pacing feel distinct, and this didn\u2019t come across like just another debut; it felt like AEW making a conscious effort to spotlight her early.<\/p>\n<p>Windsor brought the physicality needed to ground the match, creating a strong push-and-pull dynamic throughout.<\/p>\n<p>Most importantly, this was a clean, focused main event. No overbooking, no unnecessary distractions; just a match that allowed both women to establish tone and credibility. That\u2019s how you build a division.<\/p>\n<p><strong>WOMEN\u2019S DIVISION PRESENTATION FEELS DELIBERATE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Beyond the main event, this episode reinforced something that\u2019s been trending upward &#8211; intentional structure in the women\u2019s division.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-449759880\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>For this episode of Collision, it felt like a direct response to some of the criticism we had on Collision Caf\u00e9 coming out of AEW Dynasty. There was a noticeable effort to give the division more direction.<\/p>\n<p>The Shida and Kris Statlander \u201cstrange bedfellows\u201d dynamic adds intrigue without being over-explained, and the Mina Shirakawa\u2013Shida backstage interaction worked without subtitles &#8211; the tone and familiarity carried it.<\/p>\n<p>This wasn\u2019t just about screen time. It was about purpose, and that\u2019s a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TAG TEAM MATCHES CONTINUE TO BE A COLLISION STRENGTH<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Collision continues to thrive as AEW\u2019s most consistent platform for tag team wrestling, and the opener set the tone.<\/p>\n<p>The Young Bucks are on a phenomenal run, controlling pace and structure in a way that makes every match feel intentional. The Rascalz, meanwhile, continue to deliver every time out\u2014arguably just as consistent, even without the same win record.<\/p>\n<p>This was a fast, clean, highly effective opening match that reinforced what Collision does best.<\/p>\n<p><strong>JON MOXLEY vs. NICK WAYNE<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1050529205\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>This was a smartly structured match that played to both strengths.<\/p>\n<p>Moxley brought his usual intensity and control, but the real takeaway here was Nick Wayne. Matches like this are how you build someone, giving them enough offense and moments to show growth without overextending the result.<\/p>\n<p>Wayne continues to look more comfortable in these spots, and working with someone like Moxley only accelerates that development. Simple, effective, and purposeful.<\/p>\n<p><em>ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Check out the latest episode of the &#8220;All Elite Conversation Club&#8221; with Joel Dehnel and Gregg Kanner, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreaker.com\/episode\/all-elite-conversation-club-dehnel-kanner-discuss-darby-allin-s-aew-world-title-win-jericho-s-unclear-character-fallout-from-dynasty--71419795\">CLICK HERE<\/a> to stream (or search \u201cpwtorch\u201d on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"All Elite Conversation Club - Dehnel &amp; Kanner discuss Darby Allin's AEW World Title win, Jericho's unclear character, fallout from Dynasty\" src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?episode_id=71419795&amp;theme=light&amp;playlist=false&amp;playlist-continuous=false&amp;chapters-image=true&amp;episode_image_position=right&amp;hide-logo=false&amp;hide-likes=false&amp;hide-comments=false&amp;hide-sharing=false&amp;hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"200px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>MISSES<\/h3>\n<p><strong>LIO RUSH\u2019S BLACKHEART CHARACTER DOESN\u2019T FULLY LAND<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Lio Rush is extremely talented in the ring; that\u2019s never been the question.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cBlackheart\u201d character, though, feels a bit out of place within AEW\u2019s current presentation. Credit to Rush for trying something different, but it hasn\u2019t quite clicked in this environment yet.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not about the effort; it\u2019s about the fit. Right now, it feels like a character that hasn\u2019t fully found its footing within the broader AEW landscape.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FINAL SCORE<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>HITS: 4<\/li>\n<li>MISSES: 1<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>FINAL THOUGHTS:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This was a focused, well-structured episode of Collision, anchored by Thekla vs. Alex Windsor in a meaningful way.<\/p>\n<p>The biggest takeaway is progress, especially in how the Women\u2019s Division is being presented with more intention.<\/p>\n<p>If AEW can continue building around performances like this while tightening character alignment across the roster, Collision will keep trending in the right direction.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>WRESTLING HISTORY:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This day in 2020 WWE ring announcer, Hall of Famer, and one of the company\u2019s very first employees, Howard Finkel, passed away at the age of 70.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>PODCAST PLUG<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Be sure to check out the Collision Caf\u00e9 I host with PWTorch\u2019s Taylor Halley, available exclusively to PWTorch VIP members.<\/p>\n<p>Did you know you can read an ad-free, silky-smooth-loading version of this website with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorchvipinfo.com\/\">PWTorch VIP Membership<\/a>? Also, unlock 35+ years of archives including nearly 2,000 PWTorch Weekly Newsletters dating back to the late 1980s, hundreds of retro radio shows from the 1990s, and two decades of podcasts including Post-PPV Roundtable Podcasts dating back to the mid-2000s. Plus, new VIP-exclusive articles and podcasts throughout the week, fully compatible with the native Apple Podcasts app. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorchvipinfo.com\/\">SIGN-UP PAGE<\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wade Keller Post-show (4\/15) - AEW Dynamite w\/Keller &amp; J.B.\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/s_Ld3DOWbjY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-3686385473\"><div id=\"pwtor-2273164371\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>To help you add context, my \u201cHits\u201d are ordered from best to worst. With that said, let\u2019s move into the high points of this week\u2019s episode, starting with the most significant moments. HITS THEKLA vs. <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2026\/04\/20\/aew-collision-hits-misses-4-16-young-bucks-vs-rascalz-put-on-a-tag-team-clinic-shirakawa-challenges-shida-moxley-faces-nick-wayne-thekla-vs-windsor\/\" title=\"AEW COLLISION HITS &#038; MISSES (4\/16): Young Bucks vs. Rascalz put on a tag team clinic, Shirakawa challenges Shida, Moxley faces Nick Wayne, Thekla vs. Windsor\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":215247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,28,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-215246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-specialists_hitsandmisses","category-specialists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2026\/04\/Screenshot-2026-04-20-at-11.40.59-AM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=215246"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":215248,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/215246\/revisions\/215248"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/215247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=215246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=215246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=215246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}