‘AEW: Collision’ Review (May 8 2025)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW’s Collision, which brings wrestling back to Saturday nights – though this week it’s on a Thursday(?!). We’ve got the commentary team of Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness calling the action, so let’s get into our review!
Match #1: Ricochet def. Angelico
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
There was a familiar face for wrestling fans in the crowd as Ricochet made his entrance – the one and only Zach Gowen. Angelico started this one off hot, keeping Ricochet grounded and even getting a little rub in on his bald head for good luck. In a less loving move, Angelico then slapped Ricochet’s dome a few times while he was stretching him out in a submission. But Ricochet turned the tables and scored the victory with the Spirit Gun. With another win in the ledger, Ricochet grabbed the microphone and ran down the Detroit crowd, noting how rooting for the Lions was the truest sign of the lack of intelligence of the locals. Ricochet then listed all the AEW legends he’s beaten since he’s joined the company. And speaking of legends, there’s one in the house – Zach Gowen. Ricochet was a huge fan of Gowen when he was growing up. In fact, he loved watching Gowen getting beaten up. But the difference is that back then, Ricochet said to Gowen’s children, their dad was on this side of the barricade. Now, he’s on that side. That didn’t stop Ricochet from putting his hands on Gowen, though. And when security tried to intervene, Ricochet beat them down, mocked them, and cut the hair of one. Gowen had seen enough. He jumped the barricade, entered the ring, and took the scissors. But when he turned his attention away from Ricochet for just a moment, Ricochet took out Gowen’s leg, then hit a Spirit Gun. That would have been too much on its own. But things really got out of hand when Ricochet took Gowen’s prosthetic leg and left with it in hand.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: All Star 8-Man Tag Match: The Don Callis Family (Kyle Fletcher, Trent Beretta, Rocky Romero and Lance Archer) def. The Outrunners, AR Fox and Bandido
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
ROH World Champion Bandido started things off against Kyle Fletcher, who was flanked by Family members Trent Beretta, Rocky Romero and Lance Archer. The two went back-and-forth for a couple of minutes, and then it was time for chaos. A procession of bodies hit the ring, leading to the Outrunners getting the best of Roppongi Vice. The edge was short-lived, as Archer hit Turbo and Truth with a double chokeslam and cleared the ring. Archer controlled the action from there, then gave way to Trent, who continued the abuse on Truth Magnum, including all four members of the Don Callis Family crushing Truth in the corner. But if you never quit, you can’t stop, and Truth Magnum has no quit in him. He reversed a suplex into a cradle on Fletcher and made his way to the corner for the tag. With his teammates all fresh and ready to go, Turbo, Fox and Bandido get the crowd to their feet with a series of absolutely absurd combination offense, largely featuring Bandido and Fox using their teammates to launch themselves to the outside and take out the whole Family. Back in the ring, Trent was the legal man for the Don Callis Family, as Fox tagged in on the other side. He took out Beretta with a modified fisherman’s buster, planted Archer with a hanging DDT, drilled Rocky in the corner, and kept an eye on Fletcher long enough to hit a back elbow when the Protostar tried to come to Romero’s rescue. Fox lost sight of Trent, though, who held the high-flyer long enough for Fletcher to take him out – for a moment, anyway. Fox rebounded with a double-cutter on Roppongi Vice, but Archer neutralized Fox, and Beretta and Romero hit their new combination maneuver, the Jackal Driver, for the win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Anthony Bowens def. Lee Johnson
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Lee Johnson and Blake Christian stepped to Bowens last week, and the Pride of Professional Wrestling wasn’t about to let the disrespect slide. Johnson gave a game effort, but a Mollywhop was all she wrote, giving Bowens the 1-2-3 victory.
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #4: Kris Statlander def. Willow Nightingale
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The history between these two is complicated, to say the least. So maybe communicating via wrestling match was what they both needed. Both women showed off their strength and striking in the opening moments, until Statlander mocked Willow with one of her poses on a nonchalant pin. Nightingale responded by laying in massive chops and elbows, then slamming Statlander’s head from post to post. Willow kept the pressure on, culminating in a cannonball to Statlander on the outside. But when Nightingale went for a suplex, Stat was able to reverse, taking all the momentum away from Nightingale. With both having taken their fair share of punishment, this one went back to the middle for more fisticuffs. Stat landed a devastating kick to the skull, but Nightingale countered with a rib-rocking spinebuster. An exchange of near-falls left Statlander on top, drilling Willow with a thrust kick followed by an axe kick to the back of the head. Speaking of “on top,” Stat and Nightingale went up to the top rope, and Statlander landed a massive superplex that had the fans on their feet. It seemed we were on track for an all-time classic … until the Death Riders arrived. Yuta Wheeler provided the distraction, and Marina Shafir choked out Nightingale with a chain as revenge for Willow getting involved in the Death Riders’ business. Both Statlander and the official were unaware, and Stat took home the win over an incapacitated Nightingale.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: Josh Alexander and Konosuke Takeshita def. Evil Uno and Alex Reynolds
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The Don Callis Family didn’t even wait for the bell to ring to go to town on the Dark Order. Takeshita beat up Uno on the outside, while Alexander got his licks in on Reynolds in the ring. It was clinical. It was brutal. And it was clearly a message being sent to Hangman Adam Page and Will Ospreay ahead of next week, when the two Owen Hart Cup finalists will team up to take on Alexander and Takeshita.
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #6: Speedball Mike Bailey def. Dralistico
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
This one spilled to the outside early, as Dralistico and Speedball showcased their athleticism. But it was a poke to the eye by Dralistico that defined this one early, allowing the LFI member to dominate Bailey – right up until Speedball scored a few kicks to the thigh, driving Dralistico back to the corner, where the two men exchanged chops. Bailey went for his 450 kneedrop off the top, but Dralistico dodged, setting up a chain of incredibly athletic maneuvers, including a crucifix bomb onto Bailey that Speedball responded to with a fortuitous Canadian Destroyer. A spinning heel kick from Bailey square to the head got Speedball the victory.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #7: Daniel Garcia vs. Dax Harwood (No Contest)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Mystery solved: Dax was the member of FTR who stepped in the ring to “answer” Garcia’s questions. And his answers were mostly violent, especially in the beginning, as Harwood slapped Garcia all around the ring. When Dax tried to piledrive Garcia on the outside, though, the former TNT Champion reversed it and catapulted Harwood into the ring post. Garcia maintained the advantage on the outside, repeatedly crushing Harwood, seated on a steel chair, against the barricade – right up until Cash Wheeler stepped in between the two and gave Harwood the opportunity to level Garcia. Wheeler kept getting involved, as did Stokely, until Daddy Magic came out to play some semblance of the equalizer. Yet the damage had been done. Despite being bloodied, Harwood pounded Garcia back in the ring. He also made a big mistake, though, in continuing to taunt and mock Garcia. Eventually, the younger star had enough, firing up with repeated palm strikes to Harwood’s chest, a massive lariat, and 10 punches to Harwood’s head in the corner. In a moment of desperation, treachery, or both, Harwood ripped the turnbuckle cover off of one of the top ropes in the corner, which loomed large when he fended off a submission attempt by Garcia and sent his former protege head-first into the exposed metal, leading to a pop-up powerbomb with an assist from the rope by Harwood. Rage is an incredible thing, though, as Garcia dug down deep to seize Harwood and superplex him THREE times in a row. The two men took the fight to the crowd, right by the commentator’s table, where Harwood saw fit to slap Nigel McGuinness’ headset off his head. That was too much for Nigel, who followed Harwood to the ring and laid in a headbutt and European uppercut. Cash Wheeler tried to counter McGuinness, but Daddy Magic was right there to help chase off FTR.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This week’s episode of Collision was a night packed with energy, but also left room for some frustration. While the show delivered plenty of strong in-ring action, some of the booking choices might leave fans feeling a little cold heading into Beach Break. Daniel Garcia and Dax Harwood put on a hard-hitting main event, but the no-contest finish after Cash Wheeler’s interference took the air out of what could have been a show-stealer. AEW’s overreliance on chaotic endings risks dulling the impact of otherwise great matches. On the women’s side, Willow Nightingale’s victory over Kris Statlander was a bright spot — a fierce, well-paced match that reminded everyone how deep AEW’s women’s roster can be when given time.
Mike Bailey and Dralistico tore it up in an exciting sprint, while Ricochet’s win over Angelico opened the show with dazzling athleticism, even if the match felt a bit rushed. The Don Callis Family’s eight-man tag was fun but predictable; it sometimes feels like their dominance is becoming too formulaic. Meanwhile, Toni Storm’s promo was a fun, eccentric highlight, and Jon Moxley’s intense address gave the show a much-needed edge heading into his steel cage clash with Samoa Joe. Overall, this Collision had strong moments, but the lack of decisive finishes and some safe booking choices kept it from being a truly great episode. AEW continues to build momentum toward Beach Break, but a little more risk-taking and cleaner storytelling could make all the difference.