‘AEW: Collision’ Review (Jan 11th 2025)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW’s, Collision, which brings wrestling back to Saturday nights and is now all alone in AEW’s weekend programming following the end of Rampage. We’ve got the commentary team of Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness calling the action, so let’s get into the review!
Match #1: Cope def. Big Bill
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Big Bill backed Cope into the corner with a hard shove, showing off his strength. Cope hit a drop toe hold on the outside and then rammed Big Bill into the barricade. Cope went for the spear, but Big Bill dodged it and then booted Cope in the head. Big Bill hoisted up Cope and then dropped him on top of the barricade. Back in the ring, Big Bill worked on Cope’s neck, dominating the match. Cope rallied back, fighting to his feet. Cope asserted himself, chopping down the Redwood. Cope bashed Bill with knee strikes and then a vicious Northern Lariat to the back of the neck. Big Bill caught Cope and flattened him with a Bossman slam for a near fall. Jericho got on the apron and distracted the ref so Big Bill could remove the top turnbuckle pad, exposing the metal. Cope hit Big Bill’s head on the exposed turnbuckle and followed up with a running power bomb for a near fall on Big Bill. Big Bill jumped out of the way of a spear and Cope’s momentum sent Cope into the exposed turnbuckle. Big Bill cracked Cope with a boot to the head. Cope countered a choke slam with an Impaler. Cope speared Big Bill and covered him, but Big Bill kicked out at the two-count. Cope moved the ref out of the way so he could nail Big Bill with an undetected low blow. Cope applied a bulldog choke to Big Bill and won via ref stoppage!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #2: PAC def. Komander
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Komander tried for a monkey flip, but Pac landed on his feet. Komander flipped over the top rope and took down Pac. Komander did the spaceman walk on the top rope and then jumped onto Pac. Komander followed up with a crossbody press for a near fall on Pac. Pac whipped Komander into the barricade. Pac began to stomp on Komander. Pac smashed the face of Komander with a running pump kick. Pac grabbed Alex Abrahantes and began to assault him, but Komander saw enough and jumped off the top rope, moonsaulting Pac. Komander delivered a cutter to Pac. Komander spiked Pac with a DDT for a near fall! Pac was playing possum and moved out of the way of Komander, forcing Komander to crash and burn. Komander fired back with a poison rana! Komander climbed up top and went for the 450 splash but Pac countered by raising his knees into Komander’s ribs. Pac applied the Brutalizer and forced Komander to tap out!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: The Death Riders (Wheeler Yuta & Claudio Castagnoli) def. The Outrunners (Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Wheeler Yuta chopped at Truth, but Truth retaliated with chops of his own. Turbo tagged in and the Outrunners used tandem team offense on Wheeler. Claudio blindsided Turbo with a lariat as the ref had his back turned. Claudio squashed Turbo’s ribcage with a double foot stomp. Claudio wrecked Turbo with European Uppercuts. Turbo countered with a Thesz press and then grounded and pounded Claudio. The Outrunners hit double clotheslines, knocking the Death Riders over the top rope and to the arena floor. Turbo turned up the heat with fists of fire on Wheeler. Turbo body slammed Truth onto Wheeler. The Outrunners nailed Wheeler with the double bicep elbow. They set up for the Total Recall, but Claudio prevented it with a leg trip. Claudio put Turbo in the Giant Swing and Yuta dropkicked Turbo. Claudio attempted to superplex Turbo, but Turbo blocked it. Claudio distracted the ref long enough for Wheeler to strike Turbo. Claudio hit a gut wrench power plex and then the Death Riders finished off Turbo with the rocket launcher, allowing Wheeler Yuta to steal the pin!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Mariah May def. Harley Cameron
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Harley tried for a quick roll-up on the champ but couldn’t get a count out of it. Mariah headbutted Harley. Mariah chopped Harley. The challenger retaliated with a running lariat and then followed up with a Russian Leg Sweep. Mariah May brought down Harley with a pair of head scissors. Harley escaped an attempted ripcord from Mariah. The fans chanted for Harley, rallying her on. Harley hammered Mariah with vicious forearm shots. Harley splashed Mariah in the corner. Harley dropped the champion with a pump handle pick-up slam for a near fall. Mariah cracked Harley with a knee to the noggin. Mariah spiked Harley with the Storm Zero and then pinned Harley!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: Brody King def. Trevor Blackwell
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Brody dropped Trevor with a single chop! Brody tossed Blackwell across the ring like a child. Julia wagged her finger at Trevor. Brody blasted Blackwell with a running lariat and followed up with a cannonball in the corner. Brody finished off Blackwell with the Gonzo Bomb and picked up the 1-2-3!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #6: TNT Championship Match – Daniel Garcia def. Katsuyori Shibata
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Shibata and Garcia traded chops. Garcia had enough of it and applied a headlock. Shibata walloped Garcia with another chop, knocking Garcia off his feet. Shibata walked through Danny’s chops. Shibata got a head of steam and then dropkicked Daniel Garcia in the corner. Shibata wiped out Garcia with a double underhook butterfly suplex, good for a two-count. Garcia finally sent Shibata down with a lariat. Garcia rocked Shibata with a swinging neck breaker. Shibata cradled Danny for a near fall out of nowhere. Shibata booted Garcia in the face and followed up with a suplex. Shibata wiped out Garcia with a leg trip takedown. They exchanged chops again. Shibata grapevined the leg. Garcia countered with a dragon screw leg whip. Garcia locked on the Dragon Tamer in the center of the ring, but Shibata escaped and applied a heel hook. Shibata transitioned to a figure four. Garcia grabbed the bottom rope, forcing the rope break. Garcia ducked a PK. Shibata waffled Garcia with a chop. Garcia grabbed a jackknife pin out of nowhere and pinned Shibata!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #7: Chris Jericho def. Dax Harwood
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Dax and Jericho hooked up in a collar and elbow tie-up and shoved one another right out of the ring. Neither man refused to let go of the grip. They got back into the ring and locked up again. Jericho chopped Dax. Dax drilled Jericho with a dragon screw leg whip. Dax grabbed Jericho by the legs, but Jericho pulled back and forced Dax to hit the ring post with his head. Dax retaliated with a brain buster on Jericho for a near fall. Jericho brought Dax down with a hurracanrana. Jericho nailed Dax with two shoulder tackles. Jericho connected with a cross body from the top rope! Dax rocked Jericho with two consecutive German Suplexes. Jericho rolled forward on the third attempt and catapulted Harwood into the top turnbuckle. Jericho landed the lionsault and covered Dax, but Dax kicked out at the two-count. Dax got rolled up for a near fall after Jericho kicked Dax into the steel ring post. Dax superplexed Jericho into the ring. Chris Jericho cracked Dax with the Code Breaker on the arena floor. Dax jumped back into the ring at the count of nine! Jericho swung his ROH World title at Dax, but Dax ducked. Jericho poked the ref in the eye and whacked Dax with the belt and covered him, but Dax kicked out! Jericho dished out the Judas Effect and picked up the victory over Dax!
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
Well, well. It really does seem like AEW have a formula for Collision in 2025 (or it could all be a fluke) – two great matches, a squash, an OK match, and the rest of the card delivering solid, good matches. The order might change but that has been the case for the first two weeks of Collision this year. And I’m happy with that, even the squash matches – both of which have given the company’s “big guys” the opportunity to show why they should be considered dangerous! Hopefully we get better matches some weeks, but if this is Collision going forward then I’m here for it.