By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Staffer (@DonThePredictor)
AEW Collision (Episode 148 – The Summer Blockbuster)
Taped June 11, 2026, in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the Andrew J. Brady Music Center
Simulcast on June 13, 2026, on TBS and HBO Max
[Hour One] Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness checked in on commentary. Schiavone ran down the evening’s lineup. Arkady Aura was the ring announcer and introduced the opening match…
Don’s Take: Roughly half an hour before showtime on Thursday, WrestleTix listed the venue as being set up for 1,266 with all tickets distributed. The listed capacity is roughly 4,500.
1. Kenny Omega vs. Bad Dude Tito (w/Mikey Nicholls). The early part of the match was even between the two, with Tito using power to counter many of Omega’s offensive attempts. Eventually, Omega wore Tito down with the snap dragon suplex, two running knees, and his One Winged Angel finisher.
Kenny Omega defeated Bad Dude Tito in 4:53.
After the match, Omega took the mic and talked about Zack Sabre Jr. being his path to getting back to the top. He put Sabre Jr. over as one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time next to Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness…
Don’s Take: Nice to see Omega make a rare Collision appearance, and it was smart to advertise it on Dynamite. This was the expected outcome as they build toward his match with Zack Sabre Jr. at Forbidden Door. I know they’ve met before, but it’s definitely a clash of styles that has me interested in seeing how they’ll work together in the ring.
Kyle Fletcher was backstage with AEW National Champion Mark Davis. Fletcher said that Davis was not at fault for not making the finals of the Owen Hart Foundation Cup Tournament. Fletcher blamed Konosuke Takeshita and said that the Don Callis Family continues to have an issue with him. Kazuchika Okada joined the duo. Together, Okada and Fletcher said they need to bring the AEW International Title back to the Family…
2. Hikaru Shida vs. Zayda Steel (w/Christopher Daniels) in a Survival of the Fittest qualifying match. The match was even to start until Shida draped Steel’s head over the ring apron and delivered a running knee to the sternum. Shida grabbed Steel’s head and made her look at the TBS Title, declaring it hers. [C]
Down the stretch, Steel had a good showing on babyface comeback offense and several near falls. In the end, it was Shida with a leg lock on Steel for the submission… [C]
Hikaru Shida defeated Zayda Steel in 9:54 to qualify for the Survival of the Fittest match.
Don’s Take: This was a good outing for Steel, who looked good even in defeat. I continue to feel that there’s something there. They just need to get it out of her. A heel TBS Title run by Shida would be fun.
Lexy Nair was backstage with members of The Opps, Anthony Bowens, Hook, and Katsuyori Shibata. Bowens thanked Samoa Joe for teaching him the way of violence, as that will lead them back on top. Bowens tells the fans to applaud them; Hook tells Bowens to stop acting like the leader, as it’s not about applause or being friends; it’s about violence. Hook tells Nair that if she wants to talk to The Opps, she should talk to him…
3. “The Rascalz” Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz vs. Aaron Atlas and Austin Atlas. This was a complete squash. Xavier and Wentz hit Austin with their double team Light It Up finisher for the win…
“The Rascalz” Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz defeated Aaron Atlas and Austin Atlas in 1:40.
Don’s Take: Finally! I hope this is the beginning of a push where the Rascalz can enter the title picture.
After the match, Xavier took the mic and said that the Rascalz were the hottest trio in AEW. Wentz introduced Myron Reed, which led to…
4. Kevin Knight (w/Don Callis) vs. Myron Reed for the TNT Championship. Callis joined the commentary team. The match was even to start. In a cool spot, Reed was out on the floor and delivered a cutter to Knight by the ropes to block a dive onto the floor. Knight recovered and gained the offensive advantage. [C]
Reed battled back and mounted the babyface comeback. Two highlights included Reed delivering a cutter to Knight on the floor and Reed delivering his No Cap slash for a near fall. In the end, it was Knight hitting his Crash Landing finisher for the win…
Kevin Knight defeated Myron Reed in 13:12 to retain the TNT Championship.
Don’s Take: This was fun. I am in the camp of those who feel that the Don Callis Family doesn’t need another member. I also feel that Don Callis is best reserved for talent that is rough on promos and needs a mouthpiece. Knight doesn’t fit that description and needs reps on the mic. That said, I am interested in seeing how he evolves into the role of a heel.
AEW Women’s Tag Team Champions, Megan Bayne and Lena Kross, voiced over a video package talking about their dominance and saying that when they’re done, they’ll be the only two left. [C]
Maya World cut a promo saying that her brother passed away last week and was told she could take time off. She said she needed the opportunity to win the Owen Hart Foundation Cup tournament. She addressed Athena and said that Athena taught her everything she knows, and if that bites her in the ass, that’s on her. She said she’s the “It Girl” and not some Cinderella story.
Athena cut a backstage promo saying she’s conflicted between her ambition and her morals. She said she was truly sorry that World’s brother passed away, but she’s focused on all the hard work she’s done to get to the semi-finals, as she’s never gotten there before. She noted that she may have taught World all that World knows, but she didn’t teach her all that she knows. She closed by saying that just because World is the “It Girl,” that doesn’t mean that she’s not living in Athena’s world…
5. ROH Women’s Champion Athena vs. Tiara James. This was another complete squash. James got in a few hope spots, but Athena quickly finished her with the Koji Clutch submission…
Athena defeated Tiara James in 2:17.
[Hour Two] After the match, Athena continues to attack James, but Maya World makes the save and runs her off. Athena gets back in the ring and attacks World, ramming her face into the mat repeatedly…
Don’s Take: While I wish this were a permanent move, it was nice to see Athena out from behind the paywall as she prepares to face Maya World in the semi-finals of the Owen Hart Foundation Cup Tournament. As an aside, my condolences to the Maya World and family.
Ricochet was with Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona. Ricochet, after being 2-1 against Chris Jericho, is getting back on track in his quest for gold and is targeting AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita…
6. “The Young Bucks” Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson vs. “The Dogs” David Finlay and Clark Connors. This was wild from the beginning with the usual action you’d expect from a Young Bucks match. There were several dives onto the floor and around the ringside. At one point, Matt ran across the stage to dive onto Finlay. During the follow-up, Finlay and Connors hit their Full Clip move on Matt on the floor. The Dogs remained in control. [C]
Matt made the hot tag to Nick, who cleaned house. More wild action and innovation down the stretch. The finish saw the Bucks set Connors up for the Meltzer Driver. Nick was pulled to the floor by Finlay and rammed into the ring post. Connors distracted the referee and pushed Matt into Finlay, who nailed him with the shillelagh. Connors went for the pin, but Nick broke it up. Nick fought both men off for a bit, but they tossed him to the floor. Connors and Finlay hit Full Clip on Matt for the win…
“The Dogs” David Finlay and Clark Connors defeated “The Young Bucks” Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson in 16:07.
Don’s Take: Well, this was a surprise. I don’t see the Dogs taking the titles from Adam Copeland and Christian Cage, but this gave them the strong win they needed to be at least considered a threat, even though it wasn’t clean. The nice thing is that the Bucks were protected in the loss and are at a stage in their careers where they can absorb a loss here and there.
A video recapped the Mark Briscoe/MJF segment from Dynamite. Kyle O’Reilly, Roderick Strong, and Tomohiro Ishii were backstage, with O’Reilly announcing that the Forbidden Door teams for the steel cage match will be picked on Dynamite…
Don’s Take: If you’re a tribal AEW fan who believes that the company does no wrong, stop reading here and move on to the next segment. I understand that a multi-person steel cage match gets a lot of guys on the show, will be a bloody brawl, and appeals to the company’s hardcore fanbase. Fine. And I respect the fact that AEW didn’t revert to the trope they’ve done in the past, where MJF lines up 3 to 5 guys for his challenger to beat to earn a title shot. This is different, and that’s fine. My issue is that there are severe booking flaws here. On the heel side, MJF has paid off the Don Callis Family and promised Kevin Knight a title shot if the team wins. Don Callis has also promised Andrade El Idolo a title shot. This is all fine. But if the stipulation is that Briscoe’s team needs to win to get Briscoe the title shot, that means that Briscoe doesn’t actually need to score the victory. And if that’s the case, why would any babyface, even someone in the Conglomeration, be motivated to win a match where he’s not the one getting the title shot? This may have worked in the 80s or 90s, but in 2026, it’s been fairly well-established in wrestling that, while friendships can exist, when a title is involved, it’s every man for himself. So, all that said, I’m interested to see if they explain this because it’s creating a big gap in logic for me.
Athena will meet Maya World next week on Collision in an Owen Hart Foundation Cup Women’s Tournament semi-final match…
Tony Schiavone apologized to the Stardom promotion for Thekla disrespecting them. Thekla interrupted and said she wouldn’t apologize to anyone, including any dumb bitches. She tells Stardom that they had her and fired her, and now she’s on top of the world. She said her saliva is worth more than Stardom. To illustrate this, she spat on her hand and wiped it on Schiavone’s jacket. She said she knows that everyone in Stardom wants a piece of her, so she challenged them to send her their best, and she will give them an AEW Women’s World Title shot at Forbidden Door. She invites Taro Okada to attend as well and says she’ll get him a first-class ticket. [C]
Ace Austin, Juice Robinson, Austin, and Colten Gunn were backstage. Apparently, they’ve opened a dog neutering business with the $200,000 they won in an all-star multi-man tag match, and The Dogs are their first customers…
Don’s Take: Please make this feud end.
7. Julia Hart vs. Persephone in a Survival of the Fittest qualifying match. Hart went after Persephone’s injured eye. Persephone retaliated by dropping Hart face-first onto the announce desk. [C]
It was more of the same down the stretch, with Hart continually going after the eye. At one point, Persephone hit a spear, followed by a power bomb on the stage. Hart went for the mist to the eyes, but Persephone caught her with a crucifix powerbomb for the win… [C]
Persephone defeated Julia Hart in 9:09 in a Survival of the Fittest Qualifying Match.
Don’s Take: I keep hoping AEW will do something with Hart, as I think she’s improved quite a bit over the past several years. Booking-wise, she just can’t seem to get away from being a minion in a faction that takes losses.
Starlight Kid answers Thekla’s challenge for AEW Forbidden Door. Thekla was backstage with Lexy Nair and said she hates Kid as much as she hates Stardom. She said that she’ll make sure that her AEW debut will also be her last time in AEW. She added that she’ll leave her for dead and spit on her grave. She said that Stardom’s blood will be on her hands…
Don’s Take: I’m not that familiar with Stardom, so this doesn’t excite me as much as it does someone who is a regular watcher of the promotion.
8. Jake Doyle (w/Kevin Knight) vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey. Knight joined the commentary team. The action spilled to the floor. Knight distracted Bailey, allowing Doyle to sling Bailey’s head into the announcer’s desk. [C]
Tons of action down the stretch. Bailey went for his double knees to the back finisher, but missed. Doyle immediately hit his power bomb finisher for the win… [C]
Jake Doyle defeated “Speedball” Mike Bailey in 10:02.
Don’s Take: This was another pleasant surprise. I’m a fan of Bailey from his TNA days, and he’s had a solid place on the mid-card. I really like Doyle and am happy the company didn’t give up on him while he was sidelined with injury. Unlike Kevin Knight, Doyle can benefit from being paired with Callis.
9. “The Death Riders” Jon Moxley, Pac, Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, and Marina Shafir vs. “Shane Taylor Promotions” Shane Taylor, Carlie Bravo, Shawn Dean, Lee Moriarty, and Trish Adora in a ten-person Street Fight. The fight started in front of the building and was the wild brawl you’d expect. Eventually, the action made its way back to the ring, where Moxley attacked Moriarty with a steel chair. Eventually, Shane Taylor Promotions got the better of Moxley, with Taylor knocking him out with a pair of brass knuckles. Castagnoli, wearing a mask, went on the attack. Adora attempted to stop him several times and was taken out by Shafir. Castagnoli put Adora in the big swing while Shafir drop kicked her. [C]
Shane Taylor Promotions regained control, but the Death Riders quickly retaliated. The Death Riders took turns attacking Moriarty in the corner. Adora suplexed Shafir on the stage, while Dean put Pac through a table. Moxley delivered White Noise to Moriarty through the timekeeper’s table.
Down the stretch, Shane Taylor Promotions delivered a triple power bomb to Moxley through a table, Shield style, which was a nice throwback. The heels surrounded Shafir, who was busted open. Adora emptied a bag filled with Legos, army men, thumb tacks, and broken glass. They exposed Shafir’s feet and dropped her feet first into the toys and glass. Shafir powered up and ground her feet into the debris and began kicking the heels.
Garcia locked Moriarty in the sharpshooter, which was broken up by Taylor. The Death Riders took turns attacking Taylor in the corner, with Moxley delivering the Paradigm Shift for the win…
“The Death Riders” Jon Moxley, Pac, Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, and Marina Shafir defeated “Shane Taylor Promotions” Shane Taylor, Carlie Bravo, Shawn Dean, Lee Moriarty, and Trish Adora in 23:14 in a ten-person Street Fight.
Don’s Take: The show was slotted for 2.5 hours and ended just after 10:30 PM ET. The main event was the wild brawl you thought it would be, and highly enjoyable. I think that Shane Taylor and crew gained something from this program with the Death Riders and am interested to see what’s next. As an aside, Shafir is a certified badass!
This was a very good episode with several top-level talents, two upsets, a wild main event, and some newsworthy Forbidden Door developments. As for the Dynamite lineup, Will Ospreay and Swerve Strickland will meet face-to-face, MJF and Mark Briscoe will meet in a 12-man tag team match, and Mercedes Mone will meet Hazuki in an Owen Hart Foundation Cup Women’s Tournament semi-final match.
That’s all for me for tonight. Will Pruett’s review of tonight’s episode will be available for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons). I’ll also be back next week with another Collision review. Until then, enjoy wrestling!
Be the first to comment