‘AEW: Collision’ Review (Feb 22nd 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, Jim Ross, and Excalibur calling the action, so let’s get into our review!
Match #1: Hologram def. The Beast Mortos
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Beast Mortos bulldozed Hologram with a running shoulder tackle. Hologram dropkicked Mortos, knocking Mortos back to the barricade. Hologram hit a swan diving hurracanrana to the outside on Mortos. The Beast Mortos pounced Hologram with a shoulder block! The Beast Mortos connected with a tornillo through the ropes! The Beast Mortos gorilla press slammed Hologram from the top rope! Hologram fired off a thrust kick and then flew out of the ring with a torpedo tope suicida, knocking Mortos into the barricade. Mortos cracked Hologram with a crucifix bomb on the stage! Hologram hit Mortos with a flipping sunset flip bomb on the stage! The Beast Mortos planted Hologram with a Samoan Drop. The Beast Mortos nailed Hologram with a back breaker. Hologram used a Spanish Fly reversal. Mortos swung for the fences with a lariat. Mortos was looking for a press slam off the top rope, but Hologram countered. Hologram rolled through and pinned the Beast Mortos!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Julia Hart def. Queen Aminata
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Queen Aminata grabbed a headlock. Queen Aminata kicked Julia in the back and followed up with a running knee strike. Julia Hart dished out some chops and then rammed into Aminata with a running lariat. Queen Aminata blasted Julia with a running boot to the face. Julia Hart fired back with a thrust kick. Julia Hart went for a moonsault, but Queen Aminata countered by raising her feet into Julia’s face. Queen Aminata hurled Julia with two German Suplexes. Julia blocked a third attempt. Julia locked on a flying octopus hold and forced Queen Aminata to tap out!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #3: Gabe Kidd def. The Butcher
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kidd assaulted the Butcher in the corner. Kidd headbutted the Butcher. Kidd and Butcher traded chops. Gabe Kidd hurled Butcher with a side suplex. Gabe Kidd sent Butcher soaring with another suplex, this time on the arena floor. Butcher got back into the ring and pummeled Gabe Kidd with stiff strikes. Gabe Kidd fired back with a comebacker lariat. Kidd stuffed Butcher with a piledriver and pinned Butcher! After the match, Kidd grounded and pounded Butcher.
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #4: The Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, & PAC) def. Daniel Garcia, Angelo Parker, & Matt Menard
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Angelo Parker dropkicked Yuta. Claudio came in with a tag. Claudio flattened Cool Hand Ang with a European Uppercut. Claudio staggered Ang with another uppercut. Pac threw Ang into the turnbuckles. Pac distracted the ref so Yuta could hit Ang with a cheap shot. Daddy Magic tagged in and hit Pac with a back elbow. Daddy Magic followed up with a cutter for a near fall. Claudio grabbed Menard and whipped him into the barricade. The Death Riders triple teamed Menard and then Claudio body slammed Menard. The Death Riders isolated Menard, Pac putting Daddy Magic in a headlock. Pac pump kicked Daddy Magic. Menard rallied back with a power bomb to Pac! Menard tagged Garcia and Garcia cleaned house on the Death Riders. Garcia put Yuta in the Dragon Tamer! Claudio came in, grabbed Garcia, and planted him with a jack hammer! Claudio put Garcia in the Giant Swing and then Pac dropkicked Garcia. Cool Hang Ang superplexed Pac for a near fall. Pac locked Ang in the Brutalizer and forced Cool Hang Ang to tap out! Pac wouldn’t release the hold, and the Undisputed Kingdom stormed down to even up the odds. The Undisputed Kingdom worked with Garcia and Menard to knock the Death Riders out of the ring. AEW World Champion Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir walked to the ring. “The Rated R Superstar” Cope came down with two steel chairs and the Death Riders retreated through the crowd! Cope put Pac’s head on one of the steel chairs and then hit Pac with a con-chair-to!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #5: “The Best Wrestler Alive” Open Challenge Match – Brody King def. Max Caster
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Brody blasted Max with a chop. Caster hit a low dropkick to Brody’s knees, taking him off his feet and bringing the match to the ground. Brody back dropped Caster and followed up with a splash in the turnbuckles. Brody smashed Caster with a running cannonball and pinned Caster!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #6: The Murder Machines (Brian Cage & Lance Archer) def. Local Jobber 1 and 2
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Before the match even began, the Murder Machines carried their downed opponents to the ring over their shoulders! The Murder Machines completely decimated their opponents. Archer hit the Black Out. They ended things with the choke slam power bomb combination and Archer picked up the pin!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #7: ROH World Championship Match – Chris Jericho def. Bandido
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Jericho poked Bandido in the eye and hit a shoulder tackle. Bandido rallied back with a running lariat. Bandido flew over the top rope, crash landing onto Jericho! Jericho countered a springboard with a Code Breaker for a near fall. Jericho battered Bandido with repeated lariats in the corner. Jericho launched Bandido with a top rope hurracanrana! Jericho and Bandido exchanged chops on the apron. Bandido wiped out Jericho with a hurracanrana off the apron. Bandido connected with a tornillo to the champion. Jericho planted Bandido with a Death Valley Driver. Bandido and Jericho knocked one another down, both scoring with right hands. Jericho caught Bandido’s leg, anticipating a knee strike, and countered with the Walls. Bandido reached the bottom rope, forcing the ref to break the submission hold. Bandido press slammed Jericho with one hand! Bandido followed up with a frog splash for a near fall! Bandido brought Jericho down with a sunset bomb. Jericho retaliated with a lionsault for a near fall. Bandido cradled Jericho but Jericho kicked out at the two-count. Jericho took down Bandido with the Highspot head scissors. Jericho climbed to the top turnbuckle, but Bandido met him up there. Bandido picked up Jericho and flipped Jericho with a reverse slam! Bandido went for the 21 Plex but Jericho rolled forward, holding onto Bandido, and earning a hard fought victory!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3/5
Another OK episode of Collision this week, one that YET AGAIN suffered from too many squash matches. Though this week’s episode did feature much better matches on the rest of the card, with Mortos and Hologram opening the show super-strong, with Julia Hart and Queen Aminata following that up with a fantastic women’s match. The trios match was just as strong and… surprisingly, Jericho managed to deliver a decent match in the main event too. Though I don’t know who, apart from Jericho himself, is calling for these types of long matches featuring the ageing wrestler?
