AEW Collision 4/26/2025 Playoff Palooza

AEW Collision 4/26/2025 Playoff Palooza

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/04/aew-collision-4172025.html

Next week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/aew-collision-532024.html

This show started at 8:50PM due to the NBA Playoffs, which had one of the closest finishes I've ever seen with Aaron Gordon barely letting go of the ball with 0.1 seconds left on a dunk.

Swerve Strickland comes out to talk. The Young Bucks then come out. They say to show respect to your founding fathers. They say the people didn't want to hear what Swerve had to say. They say they bumped up his match from later to right now.

Thoughts: This was stupid as The Bucks are back to having powers to control the show yet haven't used any of those powers of the last few months.

Swerve Strickland vs Blake Christian

SS hits a back elbow then is tripped by Lee Johnson outside. BC clubs on SS then boots him in the corner. BC dropkicks him behind off the 2nd rope. BC poses. Swerve cartwheels over him then BC dropkicks him. BC corkscrew dives him through the ropes.

SS is sent into the rails then BC is sent into the rails. SS is sent into the post. SS' head is banged off the steps. SS neckbreakers BC over the 2nd rope. SS 2nd rope euros the back of BC's neck.

BC boots him out of the corner. SS hiptosses him. BC stunners him. BC misses a 450 and takes a flying house call kick. SS hits a JML driver and pins him.

Thoughts: BC got a little more offense in than I thought he should of, but at least it wasn't too long. Swerve won as expected here.  

Swerve stares at the Bucks from the ring after. Swerve gets hit from behind by Lee Johnson. Swerve then rolls into a flatliner on him to take him out. The Bucks hit Swerve from behind. Swerve then takes an EVP trigger and The Bucks do his dance. They go for the Meltzer driver but Nana gets involved. Kenny Omega then comes out and gets beaten up on. Kenny thwarts The Bucks by hitting a dragon suplex on one of them. The Bucks then exit.

Samoa Joe does a promo. He says people like Mox seem so complicated. He says the truth is though that they are simple. He says Mox creates chaos everywhere he goes. He says he distracts his problems. Joe says he's not a problem that will be distracted. He says he will not go away. He says he's an inevitability. He says he's coming for him and his AEW Title. He says there's nothing him or The Death Riders can do about it.

AEW Women's Title Eliminator - Toni Storm (c) vs Queen Aminata

Toni rolls her off the lock-up twice. Queen then rolls her. Queen twerks on her and goes for an armbar. Toni rolls up her out of it. Queen shoulders her over. Queen front facelocks her. Queen hip throws her. Queen hits corner punches.

Toni goes up and over then shoulders her over. Toni dropkicks her. Queen headbutts her on the apron then bangs Toni's face into her butt. Queen PK's her from the apron. We go to PiP break and return. Queen headbutts her and both go down. Toni thesz presses her and hits mounted shots. Toni hits chest forearms on Queen. Toni ddt's her.

Toni STF's her. Queen rolls her up for 2 then trips her into the 2nd buckle. Queen facewash kicks her then sends her into a chair against the rail. Toni trips Queen into a chair then running hip attacks her. Toni top rope crossbodies her for 2. They trade forearms. Toni slaps her.

Queen forearms her then Toni does a sky high for 2. Queen hits a twisting neckbreaker on Toni. Toni germans her. Toni hits a corner hip attack then a storm zero and wins.

Thoughts: Toni was obviously winning so it was hard to get too excited about this. The first half of this was mostly Queen finding ways to put Toni's face in her butt. It was just average overall and Toni won as expected. 

Lexy interviews Jeff Jarrett, Karen Jarrett, Jay Lethal and Satnam Singh. They are asked what's next. Jay says they should ask Sonjay Dutt if he shows up. Dutt shows up. Dutt says they need a minute and ask Lexy to leave. Jay asks what Dutt's problem was and where he has been. Jay says Dutt has gotten them nothing lately. Jay says they are sick of sitting on the sidelines. Jeff says he told Dutt he wanted AEW gold and says he's listening to the wrong people. Jay says he's got the idea's this time. Dutt then tries to grab Singh as he leaves and they talk in their language before Singh leaves.

Max Caster is in the ring. He says we are looking at the best wrestler alive. He says he has been taking on all comers. He says he brings the excitement, the drama and a play-off atmosphere tonight, which he says is rare in this city. Max tries to get a chant for himself going. 

Open Challenge - Max Caster vs Hologram

Max misses a shot and is spin kicked. Holo flying headscissors him. Holo hits a standing spanish fly then topes him into the rails. Max misses a corner charge and Holo spinning torture rack bombs him to win.

Thoughts: Max loses again. It's still not clear where this is going or what the purpose of it is except to job out Max.

Tornado Tag Match - Cru (Lio Rush and Action Andretti) vs Top Flight (Dante and Darius Martin)

All four fight to start. AA's head is banged off the apron then he kind of avoids being sent into the steps. Cru grab kendo sticks but Top Flight takes them. Cru stalls. AA takes a double back elbow. Lio takes a flying clothesline. AA is double monkey flipped then takes a double backdrop for 2. AA chases Leyla Grey around then ring then Dante gets tope'd by Lio. AA seated moonsaults onto Darius outside.

Dante is thrown into the rail and Darius is lariated for 2. Darius has a trash can put on his head then he is hit with kendo stick shots. We go to PiP break > full break and return. Lio has a trash can thrown in his face. AA is hit with a trash can lid, as is Lio.

Lio rolls up Darius for 2. Darius takes shots and is dropped. AA jumping neckbreakers Dante for 2. Dante takes a cutter. AA pulls out a bag of beads. Lio is half-nelson dropped on them for 2. 

Dante is pushed off the top to the floor. Darius is tripped into the chair seat then AA dropkicks the chair into Darius' face. Darius takes a double falcon arrow onto an unfolded chair. Lio grabs a chain. Leila takes it from him. Darius is pushed into Leila, knocking her off the apron. Lio hits a springboard seated stunner on Darius. AA hits a torture rack neckbreaker on Darius. Lio top rope splashes Darius and AA springboard 450 splashes Darius to win.

Thoughts: This one is becoming the never ending feud at this point and hopefully this is the end of it. It was your usual hardcore match. It was fine but they did not go all out here and it wasn't a classic or anything. Some blood would have helped this also. 

Anna Jay vs Taylor Gainey

Jay wristlocks her and side kicks her. Tay boots her out of the corner. Jay spinning heel kicks her in the corner then gori bombs her for the quick win.

Thoughts: It was just a quick squash and not much else.

Penelope Ford comes out after. They get in each other's faces. Megan Bayne's music hits and Jay gets nailed by Ford. Ford chokes her then chokes her on the ropes. Baye then F-5's Jay.

We get a video for Mercedes Mone vs Jamie Hayter. Jamie says money breeds ignorance and makes you weak. Mone says she's a global champ that wants all the gold. She says only Jamie is stopping her from doing that right now. Mone says no one will stop her.

ROH World Title Match - Bandido (c) vs. Dralistico

Here's a random one. Why this is on here and not ROH, I don't know.

They compete for cheers early and Dral teases walking out. Dral kicks a handshake away then chops him. Dral moonsaults off Band's shoulders then flying headscissors him out. Band misses a slingshot splash. Dral springboard diving headscissors him. Dral then tope con hilos him outside. Band is sent into the steps then Dral is sent into the rails.

They trade shots on the apron. Dral botches a flying headscissors off the apron to the floor on Band. We go to PiP break and return. Band dropkicks him then plancha's him. Band then does a dangerous looking fosbury flop outside. Band hits a top rope splash for 2.

Dral hits kicks and corkscrew kicks him for 2. Dral knees him in the gut. Dral la mistica's him but Band rolls him up for 2. Dral superkicks him then hits a crucifix driver. Band no sells it and knees him in the face. Both then go down. 

They fight on the buckles. Dral 2nd rope hurricanrana's him then hits a springboard diving codebreaker for 2. Dral toyota rolls but is alley oop'd off of it. Band hits a 21plex and wins.

Thoughts: Both guys had sloppy moments in this one and it wasn't their best match. Band won was expected. They didn't really sell all that much here which wasn't surprising. They tried, but this wasn't it.

Big Bill and Bryan Keith talk. Bryan says Jericho won't come back until he's not disappointed. Bryan says Bill says they need to crack skulls and get W's. Bryan says it's two sides of the same coin. Bill says they need to do this whether Jericho wants it or not. Bill says the question is whose skull will they crack? Bill threatens the boom mic guy and says they could take two rookies from the local wrestling school. Bill says they need a challenge and tells The Gates of Agony to make a name for themselves at their expense. Bill says they are calling them out.

Rush vs AR Fox

We're back to pushing Rush again. He always seems to get pushed,  disappear for a few months and then comes back with a new version of LFI. I'm expecting that to happen again.

Rush forearms AR before this starts then sends him into the rails. Rus hits knees to the head against the rails. Rush corner lariats him then stomps on him there. Rush facekicks him in the corner. AR rolls him up for 2. AR kips down out of a shot, kips up and enzugiri's him. AR then suicide dives him.

AR hits a top rope swanton for 2. Rush corner dropkicks him in the face and pins him.

Thoughts: I was surprised this was all squash. I expected AR to be more competitive before going down. AR lost as expected here and it was fine.

Rocky Romero and Trent Beretta talk in the back. Trent says they have always been called underrated but it's been 20 years and that's an insult. Rocky says it's also an insult that they were asked to join The Conglomeration but weren't put on a shirt.

The Outrunners appear. Rocky yells at them and Trent nails them. Trent says we will appreciate everything they have done from here on out.

Kyle Fletcher does a promo. He says it would be the most satisfying moment to win the Owen Cup and beat Will Ospreay at the same time. He says Adam Page may be a cornerstone of this company but that company is dead. Page says Virginia is for lovers but he's going to stomp him and whoop his @ss. Kyle says Page will say his full name.

FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) vs. Paragon (Kyle O'Reilly & Roderick Strong)

Stokely Hathaway is with FTR as he just joined them on Wednesday. RS and Dax go at it. Dax shoulders him over. Dax and RS trade shots. Dax shoulders him over. RS dropkicks both FTR members. RS and Kyle pound on their opponents in the corner then go for stereo submissions. FTR escape.

Dax yells at Tony Schiavone and Nigel outside. Dax chops Kyle. Kyle leg kicks Cash then Cash takes a uranage backbreaker. Cash takes kicks and chops then Dax does as well. Dax is suplexed onto Kyle. Dax is lariated over the top. Cash takes a backbreaker + 2nd rope knee drop for 2. Kyle ankle locks Cash.

RS dropkicks FTR through the ropes. We go to PiP break, full break and return. RS is knocked over the top. Kyle chest kicks Cash then Cash flying lariats him on the apron. Dax dropkicks the steps into RS' leg. RS' leg is tied up in the ring rungs and stomped. Kyle is sent into the rails and steps.

Kyle is tied up in the ropes and takes shots from Dax. Kyle is lariated over the top. Dax slingshot suplexes Kyle for 2. Dax misses a corner splash. Cash lariats Kyle. Cash hits punches on KYle. Kyle leg kicks him and forearms him.

Kyle chest kicks Dax and legsweeps Cash. He wants the tag but RS was knocked off the apron. Kyle chest kicks both of FTR. Kyle knees Cash in the gut then Dax and Kyle double clothesline each other. Cash drops RS knee first on the steps.

Kyle guillotine chokes Dax but Cash diving lariats Kyle to break it up. We go to PiP break and return. Kyle and Dax trade. Kyle backdrops him. Cash misses a shot against the rails on Kyle. RS is trying to crawl up the steps.

RS gets in and hits chops on Cash. He flying lariats Dax. RS back body drops Dax. RS hits punches on Dax. Dax gets a 2 count on RS. RS drops Dax on his knees for 2. Dax bangs RS' leg on the post then figure fours it around the post. Dax then figure fours RS inside. Kyle breaks it up with a top rope diving knee drop. Kyle then topes Cash outside.

Kyle trips Dax into an ankle lock. Cash breaks it up with a top rope splash. Kyle takes a spike piledriver and is pinned.

Thoughts: It was a solid tag. RS was out for a lot of this as FTR had taken out his knee and knocked him off the apron. He sold the knee well. I do think this would have been better with the heel and face roles reverse tough and I do question how well FTR's heel run will work longterm since there's very few limited face teams for them to fight.

Adam Cole comes out. Stoke trips him. Strong takes a shatter machine. Cole is cornered then Daniel Garcia comes out with a crowbar. FTR then back off.

Garcia gets on the mic. He calls FTR the biggest, fakest pieces of trash he has ever met. He said they tried to stab him in the back but didn't dig the mic deep enough to finish the job. DG says he will be after them until he makes them pay.

Overall thoughts: It was the usual Collision B-Show that didn't have a lot of star power on it. Most of the matches were predictable here as usual. The main was solid and Cru/Top Flight was okay but there was nothing you really needed to see on this one. I didn't like the stuff with The Young Bucks as they are back to having all kinds of powers that they just opted not to use for months for unknown reasons. I just thought it was an average show overall and would give it a 5 out of 10 rating.