{"id":217390,"date":"2026-06-01T23:48:56","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T04:48:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=217390"},"modified":"2026-06-02T11:02:25","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T16:02:25","slug":"aew-collision-hits-misses-5-27-26-statlander-and-shida-steal-the-show-in-lights-out-main-event-andrades-momentum-continues-ospreay-death-riders-vs-the-rascalz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2026\/06\/01\/aew-collision-hits-misses-5-27-26-statlander-and-shida-steal-the-show-in-lights-out-main-event-andrades-momentum-continues-ospreay-death-riders-vs-the-rascalz\/","title":{"rendered":"AEW COLLISION HITS &#038; MISSES (5\/27\/26): Statlander and Shida steal the show in Lights Out main event, Andrade\u2019s momentum continues, Ospreay &#038; Death Riders vs. The Rascalz"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-1295241792\" 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>THE WOMEN DELIVERED<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If AEW wants fans to become invested in women\u2019s feuds beyond title matches, this is the blueprint. Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida closed the show with a Lights Out Philly Street Fight that felt appropriately violent, personal, and escalating throughout. Rather than rushing into weapon spots simply because the stipulation called for it, both wrestlers built toward the chaos. That patience made the bigger moments land harder once the match reached its final stretch.<\/p>\n<p>The light tube spot will understandably generate the most discussion, but what stood out most was how committed both women were to the story they were telling. Nothing felt performative. Nothing felt like violence for the sake of violence. Instead, it felt like two wrestlers settling a score that had reached the point where normal rules no longer applied.<\/p>\n<p>This was also a reminder of how valuable Statlander can be when AEW positions her as a featured player rather than just another talented wrestler on a crowded roster. She looked like a star; Shida looked incredibly resilient in defeat, and the division benefited from meaningful television time in the main event slot.<\/p>\n<p>More importantly, the match felt important. That\u2019s something AEW\u2019s Women\u2019s Division has struggled to achieve consistently. On this night, there was no question what the show\u2019s centerpiece was. More of this, please.<\/p>\n<p><strong>AEW CONTINUES REBUILDING ANDRADE\u2019S MOMENTUM<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For years, Andrade\u2019s AEW run has been defined by stops and starts. Every time momentum appeared to be building, something seemed to interrupt it. Injuries, roster depth, changing creative priorities, or simple bad timing prevented him from ever fully establishing himself as a consistent upper-card threat. Recently, however, that has started to change.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2108821238\" 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>His win over Ace Austin was exactly what it needed to be. The match was fast-paced and technically sharp, giving Austin enough offense to remain credible while still making Andrade feel like the clearly superior wrestler.<\/p>\n<p>Austin continues proving he belongs whenever AEW gives him meaningful opportunities, but the bigger takeaway here was Andrade\u2019s continued upward trajectory. AEW deserves credit for sticking with Andrade long enough to finally find a presentation that feels sustainable.<\/p>\n<p><strong>OSPREAY AND THE DEATH RIDERS CONTINUE THEIR UNEASY ALLIANCE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The opening trios match featuring Jon Moxley &amp; Pac &amp; Will Ospreay against The Rascalz served its purpose, providing viewers with an entertaining sprint to start the night. The Rascalz remain one of the more reliable acts in wrestling at maximizing limited television time. Their speed and chemistry generate energy from the start, making them ideal opponents for a match designed to showcase bigger stars.<\/p>\n<p>More importantly, the match continued the uneasy relationship between Ospreay and the Death Riders. AEW has spent considerable time developing that dynamic, and the interactions remain far more interesting than a standard exhibition match would have been. Sometimes, wrestling television works best when it remembers that matches can advance stories while still being enjoyable in their own right. This accomplished both.<\/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-review-double-or-nothing-mjf-regains-the-world-championship-foley-s-debut-fletcher-returns--72237278\">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 review Double or Nothing, MJF regains the World Championship, Foley's debut, Fletcher returns\" src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?episode_id=72237278&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\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>MISSES<\/h3>\n<p><strong>THE WOMEN DESERVE CONSISTENCY, NOT CREATIVE WHIPLASH<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The biggest frustration with the AEW Women\u2019s Division isn\u2019t the talent, it\u2019s the inconsistency in how that talent is presented from one show to the next.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-201157466\" 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>On Collision, Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida were trusted to close the show in a Lights Out Philly Street Fight that received nearly 16 minutes and was positioned as the most important match on the card. Both women delivered, creating one of the strongest television matches the division has produced this year. Yet less than two hours earlier on Dynamite, Anna Jay an&amp;d Tay Melo defeated Allie Katch &amp; Ava Everett in just 1:10. That\u2019s the problem.<\/p>\n<p>Nobody is arguing that every woman\u2019s match needs to be a 15 minute main event, but it\u2019s difficult to convince viewers that the division matters when one segment presents women as major attractions and another reduces them to little more than a commercial-break squash.<\/p>\n<p>The issue becomes even more noticeable when the AEW Women\u2019s World Champion wasn\u2019t featured or meaningfully referenced across the entire three-hour Dynamite and Collision block. Think about that for a moment.<\/p>\n<p>The Statlander-Shida main event proved that viewers will invest when women are given time, focus, and meaningful stories. The crowd reacted accordingly, and both wrestlers delivered one of the strongest television matches the division has produced this year. That\u2019s why the Dynamite booking stands out.<\/p>\n<p>Collision provided a perfect example of what this division can be when AEW fully commits to it. Statlander and Shida were given time, the main event slot, and the opportunity to tell a meaningful story. They rewarded that trust by delivering one of the strongest women\u2019s television matches AEW has produced this year.<\/p>\n<p>Good booking deserves praise. Bad habits deserve criticism. Both things can be true at the same time, and this episode was a perfect example of that reality. The company has assembled one of the deepest women\u2019s rosters in North America. Toni Storm, Mercedes Mon\u00e9, Athena, Kris Statlander, Hikaru Shida, Willow Nightingale, Anna Jay, and Tay Melo are more than capable of carrying meaningful stories and television time. Collision showed what the division can be when AEW fully commits to it. Now the challenge is making that commitment feel consistent across all of its programming.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>FINAL SCORE<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>HITS: 3<\/li>\n<li>MISSES: 1<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>FINAL THOUGHTS:<\/strong> This was a good episode of Collision, anchored by a great main event. Kris Statlander and Hikaru Shida delivered the type of heated grudge match that AEW\u2019s women\u2019s division has often lacked, Andrade continued building momentum as a singles star, and the opening trios match effectively reinforced ongoing storylines involving Will Ospreay and the Death Riders. What stood out most wasn\u2019t just how good the main event was. It was a reminder that AEW\u2019s women\u2019s division continues to succeed whenever it\u2019s given meaningful opportunities. That\u2019s why both the praise and criticism throughout this review come from the same place. Collision provided evidence of what works. The frustration comes from knowing the company doesn\u2019t always apply those same standards across all of its programming. When AEW invests in the division, the division almost always rewards that investment. Statlander and Shida proved that once again in the strongest match of the night.<\/p>\n<p><strong>WRESTLING HISTORY:<\/strong> On this day in 1999, \u201cStone Cold\u201d Steve Austin retained the WWF Championship against The Undertaker and Triple H in an Anything Goes Triple Threat Match at WWF No Mercy, a UK-exclusive pay-per-view held in Manchester, England.<\/p>\n<p><strong>PODCAST PLUG:<\/strong> 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 href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorchvipinfo.com\/\">a 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.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorchvipinfo.com\/\">CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON VIP MEMBERSHIP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-3790962504\"><div id=\"pwtor-914510705\"><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 THE WOMEN <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2026\/06\/01\/aew-collision-hits-misses-5-27-26-statlander-and-shida-steal-the-show-in-lights-out-main-event-andrades-momentum-continues-ospreay-death-riders-vs-the-rascalz\/\" title=\"AEW COLLISION HITS &#038; MISSES (5\/27\/26): Statlander and Shida steal the show in Lights Out main event, Andrade\u2019s momentum continues, Ospreay &#038; Death Riders vs. The Rascalz\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":217391,"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-217390","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\/06\/Screenshot-2026-06-02-at-11.01.11-AM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217390","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=217390"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217390\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":217392,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/217390\/revisions\/217392"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/217391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=217390"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=217390"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=217390"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}