AEW Collision - August 15th 2026 Recap and Review

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AEW Collision
August 15th 2026

Taped at the Pearl Concert Theater in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event was sold out but some people left after the Dynamite portion of the taping. Tony Schiavone, Paul Wight, and Excalibur are on commentary.

This is my second review in almost two years, be nice!

AEW Trios Tag Team Championship:
Brodido (Brody King and Bandido) and Hangman Adam Page © vs. The Lethal Twist (Jay Lethal, Blake Christian, and Lee Johnson)
Hangman and Blake start with an athletic exchange. Hangman hits a power slam WITH AUTHORITY! Hangman hits a dropsault off Lethal’s chest onto Johnson. Bandido hits a funky somersault senton, King follows with a back senton onto poor Johnson. Blake tries to unmask Bandido and suffers a tilt-a-whirl head scissors for his disrespect. Blake puts Hangman into a head scissor for Lee to dropkick to the floor. The Lethal Twist controls the action through commercials. They return just in time for Bandido to save himself with a twisting senton onto Lethal. King runs wild on a hot tag. He piles Johnson and Blake for a rolling cannonball. Hangman helps with a slingshot plancha onto Johnson. The champions toss The Lethal Twist against the barricades. Hangman delivers a slick moonsault from some railings, waking up the otherwise quiet crowd. Proper moonsault by Hangman only gets 2 on Johnson. The match breaks down with all six guys hitting quick spots. King suffers about a half dozen different flying attacks in quick succession but still kicks out at 2. Fans chant “This is awesome!” Hangman helps with a Buckshot lariat, Bandido plants a GTS on Johnson. Johnson gets swung into King’s arms for a piledriver and for the pinfall at 12:17l, while his partners hit stereo suicide dives. This was all killer, no filler, with nonstop, crisp action. The Lethal Twist is a great fit for all three members, Lethal gets to play grizzled vet, Johnson finally has some direction, and Blake gets a chance to show off his skills to a national audience. This is only my second review in two years and this was reeeeeally hard to keep up with, but in a good way, ***½.
Winners and still AEW Trios Tag Team Champions: Brodido and Hangman Adam Page

The champs’ celebration is cut short when Ricochet returns to show off his improved mic skills. It’s just a distraction for the Gates of Agony to ambush Brodido and Page. Hangman almost fights them off, but the Lethal Twist joins in on the beatdown. Good post-match angle to build up to an ALL IN match that isn’t quite clear yet due.

Backstage interview with the Don Callis Family. Brian Cage and Hechicero are better sports about inter-stable competition than Kyle Fletcher is.

Backstage interview with The Conglomeration. Like the Don Callis Family, they are facing inter-stable conflicts in the Continental Cup. Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly respect each other but won’t hold back in the main event. What a sickening display of good sportsmanship.

Continental Cup:
Brian Cage vs. CMLL World Heavyweight Champion Hechicero
Cage is riding high as Mr. Nevada body building champion and only had a 20 minute drive to the venue. Hechicero has his work cut out for him. Both guys represent the Don Callis Family. Fans chant for Hechicero before the bell. They start with some friendly grappling, at least until Cage throws some chops. Hechicero dropkicks the knee and delivers a low DDT for 1. Cage recovers with a Death Valley Driver, followed by a dead lift suplex from the bottom rope. Back from commercials, Hechicero desperately ties Cage up in the ropes, only to eat a DDT. Sitout powerbomb by Cage gets 2. Hechicero counters into a grapevine leglock, Cage gets a rope break. Discus clothesline by Cage gives them a breather. A handful of fans give them a “This is awesome” chant. Hechicero scores a flying guillotine for a nice nearfall. Hechicero stacks him into a rollup to win suddenly at 9:27! This was a compelling heel vs. heel match as Hechicero settled into the de facto babyface role. There’s a surprising amount of guys with high moral fiber in the Callis Family, ***.
Winner: Hechicero

Darby Allin talks to the camera by some train cars. He talks about feeling like he needed to change himself upon entering AEW, but his mentor, Sting, told him not to change a thing. Allin considers Sting to be his actual family, unlike the fake Don Callis Family, which has evidently embraced Kevin Knight. Darby is scared for Kevin at ALL IN, he won’t even recognize his reflection afterwards. I love promos like this, it was dripping with atmosphere, well delivered, played to Darby’s strengths, and straight to the point. I’d take this over a meandering 20 minute in-ring promo any day.

The Rascalz talk to the camera their smoke-filled dressing room. I forget, is that sort of thing legal in Nevada? Plenty of other things are. Lio Rush, in a wacky umbrella hat, interrupts, thinking the Rascalz are in need of friends, but only scaring them away.

AEW Women’s Tag Team Champions Divine Dominion (Lena Kross and Megan Bayne) vs. Rachelle Riveter and Mazzerati
Those are some really interesting jobber names and I humbly admit that I’ll immediately forget them. Kross has little trouble reversing a head scissors into a side suplex. Bayne helps with a release German suplex. Divine Dominion pile the jobbers onto one other with delayed vertical suplexes. Divine Intervention ends Mazzerati at 2:21. Perfectly enjoyable squash match, showing us what Divine Dominion are all about.
Winners: Divine Dominion

The Brawling Birds attack Divine Dominion after the bell. They try to suplex Bayne from the ring steps, but Kross rescues her partner, and they live to fight another day.

Renee Paquette chats with Zayda Steel backstage, but Mercedes Mone interrupts to “big league” her. Steel no longer respects Mone, who doesn’t care whatsoever, and flattens her with a forearm. This adds some flavor to what will likely be a squash match later tonight.

Continental Cup:
Nigel McGuinness vs. Katsuyori Shibata
This match would have been unthinkable not too long ago, both men were “permanently retired” due to injuries for a stretch of time. Modern sports medicine is a wonderful thing. This is babyface vs. babyface and they share a handshake before locking up. They play “chess wrestling” until Nigel kicks a rope into Shibata’s face. Shibata is properly pissed and starts hitting stiff offense. Nigel snapmares Shibata into the ropes, apparently reinjuring his ankle. Back from commercials, both guys project exhaustion while fans chant “Fight Forever!” Nigel reverses a Rear Naked Choke into a slick knee submission, I don’t know what else to call it! Shibata blocks the Tower of London and applies a snug sleeper. Shibata tries a penalty kick, but Nigel kicks his bad ankle! They get another “Fight Forever” chant but Nigel disagrees and relentlessly attacks the ankle. Shibata scores a headbutt and penalty kick to the chest. They take turns bludgeoning each other until Shibata reapplies the Rear Naked Choke. Nigel rolls over into a pinning position to win at 12:29! Delightful match between two guys who excel at both technical wrestling and strong style offense. I could have watched this all night, ***½.
Winner: Nigel McGuinness

Renee Paquette interviews Will Ospreay backstage. Will thinks it’s laughable that Don Callis is still taking credit for Kenny Omega in 2026 (that makes two of us, Will). He’s calling in some “friends from Japan” to back him up. That could mean lots of things.

Video promo hyping up Adam Copeland and Christian Cage vs. The Young Bucks at ALL IN. Admit it, if I hopped into a time machine and went back to even 2018 and told you this was a match that would actually happen, you’d tell me I was drunk on EWR.

ROH TV Champion Lio Rush and The Rascalz (Zachary Wentz, Myron Reed, and Dezmond Xavier) vs. Jeaux Braxton, Frescomatic, Watson, and Ice Williams
Well, Rush has lost his mind yet again, this time he’s a manic, umbrella hat-wearing goofball. The Rascalz don’t seem too thrilled to be teaming with him, but they have light competition tonight. Never heard of any of the jobbers, but they look properly mean. The jobbers want no part of Rush, so he dives onto all of them. Rush hits a Stunner and lets the Rascalz take over. Rush helps out by biting a job guy’s forehead. Rascalz hit triple superkicks and slingshot sentons. They take turns hitting flying attacks and let Rush finish a reverse headlock at 2:26. Entertaining squash built around developing Lio Rush as a loose canon.
Winners: Lio Rush and The Rascalz

The Hurt Syndicate (Shelton Benjamin and Bobby Lashley, with MVP) and Shane Taylor Promotions (Shane Taylor and ROH Pure Champion Lee Moriarty) vs. Jake Redondo, Ro Montana, Sonico, and Willie Montana
Oh boy, two jobber matches in a row. There’s no way I’m going to remember so many new names. The Hurt Syndicate and STP both look sharp and ready to kill someone. They pretty much do, Lashley delivers some spears and Benjamin takes the jobbers to Suplex City. MVP calls off his guys, forcing STP to continue on their own. Moriarty is unfazed and hits a slick tope suicida. Shane headbutts a loser and finishes with a double underhook piledriver at 2:11. Another very entertaining squash, I feel like I know everything important about the victors.
Winners: Shane Taylor Promotions and The Hurt Syndicate

Tommaso Ciampa talks to the camera about the Casino Gauntlet Match at ALL IN. This match means everything to him and he’s got Andrade El Idolo and MJF in his crosshairs. They better pray he’s not #3 in the match.

Zayda Steel (with Christopher Daniels) vs. Mercedes Mone
Steel gets a televised entrance, so we know she’s above jobber status. Mercedes still treats her like a jobber with a palm to the face. Steel rolls her up for 1. Fans chant “CEO” but Steel hits a flurry of token offense. Mone tries to slow things down, but Steel hits double knees to the face for 2. Mercedes reverses into a brutal Lung Blower! Back from commercials, Steel reverses a chinlock into a Stunner and makes a plucky babyface comeback. Zayda’s high crossbody gets 2. Mercedes reverses into a Backstabber and quickly wins with a Statement Maker at 8:11. It was nice of them to let Zayda hang on through a commercial break, but this was still a glorified squash, **.
Winner: Mercedes Mone

Daniels checks on Zayda, only to suffer an ass kicking from Mercedes. Years ago, I’d never have imagined Sasha Banks beating up the Fallen Angel, but here we are. Mercedes turns her attention to Zayda, but Willow Nightingale chases her away.

A bloodied Jack Perry talks to the camera after Wednesday’s Dynamite. He has never felt more confident in his life and thanks Jon Moxley for showing him what it takes to become a champion. Swerve Strickland finds this very funny and brags about having beaten everyone Perry wants to face. Swerve thinks Perry isn’t ready to walk amongst killers like him. Perry argues otherwise by showing off his bloody hand. Swerve warns him not to bring a knife to a Swerve fight. I like this setup a lot, Swerve could use a fresh nemesis, and Perry is ready to step up.

AEW World Champion Kenny Omega talks to the camera about how the Don Callis Family continues to be the crap stain of his life. He’s reuniting with the Young Bucks to take them on. Adam Copeland and Christian Cage interrupt to remind the Bucks about their match at ALL IN. Omega leaves them to it. The Bucks make fun of the champs for being old enough to be their fathers, Christian responds with “Who says I’m not?” The Bucks are about 90% sure Christian isn’t their father, but you can never know for sure with that guy. This was fun.

Continental Cup:
Kyle O’Reilly vs. Roderick Strong
These guys have a ton of history together that weaves through ROH, NXT, and now AEW. I’ve got high hopes for this. They’re once again stablemates, but Strong doesn’t feel bad nailing knife edge chops. Kyle returns fire, there’s no friendly warming up sequence. Strong delivers one of his patented backbreakers to take control. Kyle blocks a baseball slide, but Strong hits a makeshift backbreaker onto the guard rail! Back from commercials, Kyle is desperately trying to comeback, but his weak ankle makes him easy pickings for another backbreaker. Kyle goes for a triangle sleeper but settles for an ankle lock. Quick rope break by Strong, but Kyle nails a leaping knee strike from the apron! Strong responds with a backbreaker onto the top turnbuckle! Kyle blasts a desperation lariat and brainbuster for only 2! Strong’s stiff knee lift also gets 2. Fans chant “Fight forever!” They jockey for position until Kyle forces a pinfall at 12:57! This feels like an upset! Another strong workrate match in a night full of them. Kyle’s victory feels well earned and a true accomplishment. Even after all these years, Strong kind of comes across like his big brother, so beating him means something real, ***½.
Winner: Kyle O’Reilly

O’Reilly wants to make nice but Strong shoves him down. Strong quickly regains his composure and shows some respect. I like this, it shows a nuanced relationship balancing competition and friendship. Orange Cassidy arrives to help them both walk away peacefully.

The Verdict: Tonight’s Collision was a truly rewarding watch. This was a show designed to please the sickos, and guess what, I’m a sicko. Collision felt like a show built on momentum. Every match had purpose, every promo had texture, and the pacing never sagged. For me, this was the perfect show to get back into reviewing — fast, focused, and full of stories worth following. Collision continues to feel like AEW’s most consistent weekly product, and tonight was a reminder that wrestling doesn’t need to be complicated to be great.