‘AEW: Collision’ Review (Jul 31st 2025)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Collision, which – this week – is another Thursday night special. We’ve got the commentary team of Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness calling the action, so let’s get into our review!
Match #1: AEW World Tag Team Title Eliminator Tournament Quarterfinal – Brodido (Brody King and ROH World Champion Bandido) def. Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Kaun made the tag out to Toa Liona, who called for Brody King to tag in, but Bandido had no intention of leaving the action and stood up to Liona. After a stalemate between Bandido and Liona, King tagged in and the meat was served. The two biggest men in the match traded shots with Liona shockingly walking right through King’s massive chops across the chest. And then one of the best parts of the week, the newest, never-seen before tandem offense from Brodido! With more tandem tag team offense on the way from the top rope, Kaun crashed into Bandido and King, with the ROH World Champion landing painfully behind the turnbuckles. With Liona handling a staggered King on the outside, Kaun hit a devastatingly brutal backbreaker across the turnbuckles leaving Bandido in a broken heap. GoA remained in control and showed off some of their own unique offense, hitting an assisted backcracker in the corner. Despite taking so much punishment, Bandido somehow battled through more double teams and finally made the much needed hot tag to King. A fresh King completely swung the momentum of the match, hitting a massive cannonball in the corner before stereo dives with Bandido taking out the GoA on the outside. King hit his patented running cross-body, squishing Liona against the guardrail while a flying Bandido took both himself and Kaun into the first row. Bandido took to the air with a ceiling-scraping frog splash and nearly got the win, but Kaun made the save to break up the pin and keep his team in the match. With Kaun sitting on the top turnbuckle, Liona lifted Bandido up for an avalanche powerbomb and then dove to the outside to take out King. As Liona and King teetered on the ring apron, King snatched up the big man with a big Death Valley Driver to take Liona out of the mix. Back in the ring, a superplex to Kaun by King set up Bandido for something that can only be described as a leg-launched 450 splash, as King sent a running Bandido in the air. That was enough for the win and sent Brodido to the AEW World Tag Team Eliminator Tournament semifinals.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: Kris Statlander def. Lena Kross
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
With plenty of love from the Chicago crowd, Kris Statlander brought some Staturday Night Fever to Thursday’s special edition of AEW Collision. Lena Kross posed an interesting challenge for Statlander, as she had similar size and strength, although that didn’t faze the former TBS Champion. She seemed to have no problem lifting Kross high for an impressive vertical suplex, earning even more adulation from the fans. Statlander switched things up at the end, locking Kross in a new submission to get the victory.
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #3: Thekla def. Willow Nightingale
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Hart and Blue made their presence felt right away, stepping up to the apron as the match began, allowing Thekla a chance to take advantage of a distracted Nightingale. The power of Nightingale got her right back in the match and a massive Pounce sent Thekla spiraling to the outside. The bug, or should we say Toxic Spider, turned the tide by reversing a whip into the stairs, sending Nightingale shoulder first into the steel. A vicious head scissors across the neck of Nightingale was a frightening image, as Thekla took momentary advantage. Once again, The Babe with the Power lived up to her name by cutting off Thekla with a big clothesline. Thekla got the better of traded blows with the bigger Nightingale. Willow dropped Thekla with a crushing Death Valley Driver, but it was only good for a two count. As the two jockeyed for position on the top rope, it was Thekla who won out with a breathtaking release spider superplex. As Nightingale tried to recover on the outside, Hart and Blue backed her right into a flying body press from a soaring Thekla. After getting Nightingale back in the ring, Thekla looked to capitalize, but Willow cut her off again and seemed to be on the verge of victory. With Willow looking to end it, once again Hart and Blue stepped up on the apron, and the slight distraction opened up a path for Thekla to cut through Nightingale with a spear before a finishing stomp to get the three count.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: AEW World Tag Team Title Eliminator Tournament Semifinal – FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) def. Bang Bang Gang (Juice Robinson and Austin Gunn)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The rejuvenated Robinson began the match for his team and took it right to both Dax and Cash, much to the chagrin of Big Stoke on the outside. Robinson and Gunn gave Stoke another up-close moment when they hit tandem dives to FTR, as the Chicago crowd erupted in delight. As they’ve done many times before, FTR were able to turn the tide and isolate Gunn in their corner. Robinson begged for a tag in the corner and the Chicago crowd willed Gunn to reach out his hand, but the tag was made behind the referee’s back thanks to Gunn was in dire straits against the guard rail, yet found new life when he got out of the way of a double axehandle by Cash, sending the former AEW World Tag Team champion off the metal. Finally, Robinson tagged in and was a house of fire, as he fed off his hometown crowd of Chicago. Dax was able to roll up Robinson with a lot of leverage and that should have been enough, but Stoke added a little extra help with his crutch only for the referee to catch it in time. Taking a bit of a page out of FTR’s book, Gunn and Robinson hit Power and Glory on Dax, but Cash made another save with a frogsplash of his own. Robinson looked to pay homage to the injured Jay White with a Blade Runner, but Dax was able to escape. However, Robinson was not to be denied, as he hit the Blade Runner for a nearfall. It looked like the Right Hand of God and a Fame-Ass-Er would put Dax away, but Cash made yet another save. Gunn found a way to roll up Harwood for what should have been a three count, yet the referee was tied up by Stoke faking an injury. In the confusion, Wheeler reversed the pin just in time for the referee to make the three count, stealing one for FTR, as they move on to the finals.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: Max Caster “Best Wrestler Alive” Open Challenge – Winner: Max Caster
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Caster began a cardio routine of sorts on the outside to keep his distance from RUSH and ran more than 90 seconds off the clock. Unfortunately, Caster took his eye off his opponent and ran into a huge shot from RUSH. A trip around the ringside guardrails put Caster in a bad way, and with three minutes still remaining. However, RUSH acknowledged the crowd just a little too long, leaving an opening for Caster to hit a pescado to the outside. The offense didn’t last long for Max, as RUSH pounded his way back into control. For some reason, RUSH continued to take his time and gloat, seemingly unfazed by the seconds running away. RUSH continued the assault in the corner with less than 20 seconds to go. As RUSH set up for a dropkick to the corner, the crowd counted down to zero. MAX CASTER HAS SURVIVED THE FIVE MINUTES!
My Score: 0 out of 5
Match #6: SkyFlight (Scorpio Sky, Darius Martin and Dante Martin) def. Shane Taylor Promotions’ The Infantry (Carlie Bravo and Shawn Dean) & Shane Taylor
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
After making the deal with Don Callis earlier in the night, Shane Taylor Promotions was set to take on the trios team of Scorpio Sky and Top Flight, Dante and Darius Martin. STP showed their cohesion early, but SkyFlight began to gain more confidence as the match went along. The leadership of Christopher Daniels seemed to give a much needed boost to Dante and Darius. Eventually, it was Scorpio Sky picking up the win for his team with a TKO.
My Score: 2.5 out of 5
Match #7: TNT Championship Chicago Street Fight – Kyle Fletcher def. Dustin Rhodes
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Rhodes came out throwing big shots, as you might expect from Rhodes in this street fight. The match spilled to the outside, where Fletcher spiked Rhodes with a DDT on the steel steps. Fletcher decided to go for broke by setting up a table against the guardrail, but Rhodes side-stepped a dive and the Protostar crashed and burned, shattering the table with his body. With new life, Rhodes went under the ring to find a cowbell, cracking Fletcher in the skull twice, drawing blood across his forehead. Rhodes took Fletcher to the outside and attempted to hit a bulldog through a table, but Fletcher broke free and set Rhodes through the wood. Fletcher was in control and now found his own use for the cowbell, repeatedly lashing Rhodes across the back. Rhodes battled back with a Code Red for a two count and then a Cross Rhodes, yet Fletcher wouldn’t stay down for three. Both men wielded chairs, and Rhodes won the duel, knocking Fletcher’s chair from his hands. However, a little too much playing to the crowd by Rhdoes gave Fletcher the opening to hit a superkick into the chair careening off the TNT Champion’s face. Fletcher smelled blood (literally) and immediately set up two chairs to hit a dangerous tombstone on the steel. Somehow Rhodes was able to kick out. As another table was set up in the middle of the ring, Rhodes and Fletcher were perched on the top rope with Rhodes hitting an Avalanche Canadian Destroyer through the table. And somehow Fletcher kicked out! Rhodes found his own version of The Iron Claw, a glove covered in thumbtacks. Fletcher battled through the claw, putting Rhodes down before finding his own thumbtacks which he scattered all over the ring. Both men traded multiple suplex reversals and Fletcher grabbed the advantage with another superkick, but Rhodes immediately answered with a vicious powerslam into the tacks! With Fletcher tied up in the corner, Rhodes stepped back to kick Fletcher in his Protostars, but stopped himself. He took the remaining tacks and poured them down the front of Fletcher’s trunks! As the kick landed on Fletcher’s lower regions, his dumbfounded look of pain was felt by everyone watching. Rhodes seemingly had the match in hand when Callis slipped Fletcher a screwdriver. A sickening stab to the head caused even more damage to Rhodes’ already crimson mask, and Fletcher wasn’t done. In one of the most heinous visuals in AEW Collision history, Fletcher repeatedly stabbed Rhodes’ left knee with the screwdriver, eventually leaving the bloody tool in the flesh as the ringside doctor tried to intervene. After a slight hesitation, Fletcher cracked Rhodes with another big kick. A brainbuster on the tacks finally ended the match with The Protostar Kyle Fletcher becoming TNT Champion for the first time.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4/5
This episode of Collision was a violent, emotionally-charged night that proved AEW can still deliver when it leans into what sets it apart – grit, unpredictability, and genuine stakes. The Chicago Street Fight between Kyle Fletcher and Dustin Rhodes was more than just a title match; it was a symbolic torch-passing drenched in blood and defiance. Fletcher came off like a made man by the end, showing he’s ready to step up as one of AEW’s top midcard players, while Rhodes gave one of his most selfless performances in years. FTR’s win in the tag tournament semifinals was solid, if slightly by-the-numbers—well-wrestled, and the Bang Bang Gang sis the best they could given Robinson and Gunn were they only two healthly memeber of their faction. Still, it served its purpose in keeping the brackets moving and reminding fans of FTR’s consistency. The real surprise was Brody King and Bandido’s team-up. On paper, it looked random; in execution, they had real chemistry. Their wild, physical match with Gates of Agony injected energy into the show early and some of the moves the duo put together were SO innovative and surprising! Overall, this episode had an edge. It didn’t feel overly polished or micromanaged. It embraced chaos, let stories breathe, and wasn’t afraid to get ugly—qualities that make Collision feel distinct. One of the better outings of the summer.