‘AEW: Dynamite & Collision – Holiday Bash’ Review (Dec 17th 2025)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW, which was broadcast from Manchester’s Co-Op Live – which is only a 15-minute train ride from Nerdly HQ – and was a three-hour Dynamite/Collision Holiday Bash special! Also, AEW’s official recaps are getting rather long, so we’ll be abbreviating them where we can to save your eyes! With that, let’s get into the review…
Match #1: Continental Classic Blue League – Jon Moxley def. Roderick Strong
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
With both men needing a win and Strong facing elimination, the Continental Classic opener wasted no time getting started. The early going was evenly matched until Strong targeted Moxley’s injured ankle and took the fight into the crowd. A desperation dive from Moxley swung momentum, allowing him to grind Strong down with submissions. Strong rallied midway through with a flurry of strikes and near falls, escaping a piledriver and later landing a superplex, but couldn’t capitalise. The closing stretch saw multiple escapes from the Strong Hold, near falls off cutters and a piledriver, and a rear-naked choke that Strong barely survived. In the end, a Paradigm Shift followed by a decisive Death Rider sealed the win for Moxley, moving him to six points and officially eliminating Strong from the Continental Classic.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #2: $1 Million (£750,000) Winner-Takes-All Trios Match – The Elite (Kenny Omega, Matt Jackson & Nick Jackson) def. Don Callis Family (Kazuchika Okada, Konosuke Takeshita & Hechicero)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Omega and Takeshita started hot before the Bucks cycled in to take early control, only for Hechicero to turn the tide and the Callis Family to settle into quick-tag dominance. Momentum swung back and forth as Omega fought out of trouble, setting up a flurry of triple-team offense from The Elite and a round of dives to the floor. The middle stretch saw Matt isolated until Nick’s explosive hot tag cleared the ring, nearly pinning Takeshita after a Bucks combo. The match escalated when Okada tagged in to face Omega, drawing a huge reaction as the two traded strikes and narrowly avoided each other’s finishers. Chaos followed with rapid tags, near falls, and constant saves as both teams unloaded their biggest weapons. In the closing moments, miscommunication plagued the Callis Family, allowing Omega to re-enter, suplex everyone in sight, and set up the finish. A triple superkick, V-Trigger, and assisted One-Winged Angel put Hechicero away, sealing the win for The Elite and the one-million-dollar prize.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Match #3: 8-Woman Tag Match – Mercedes Moné, Athena and MegaProblems (Megan Bayne & Marina Shafir) def. The Babes of Wrath (Harley Cameron & Willow Nightingale) and Timeless Love Bombs (“Timeless” Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Moné and Nightingale started, but Cameron tagged in almost immediately to get an assist on a body splash for a quick pin attempt. Athena tagged in and decked Cameron, but Cameron came right back with a pair of kicks and then Sole Food. Shafir tagged in and took Cameron out with a sweep. Shirakawa made a blind tag and hit a springboard splash onto Shafir. Shirakawa caught Shafir in an STF and took Bayne down with a DDT at the same time! Storm tagged in and slammed Shirakawa onto Shafir, but was immediately attacked, and the match broke down quickly. As Cameron tried to fight her way to the corner, all of her opponents pulled her teammates off the corner. Storm recovered and tagged in! She snapmared Shafir and then nailed a DDT before a hip attack in the corner. She tried for Storm Zero, but Athena stopped it with a thrust kick. Shirakawa hit a dropkick from the top to take out Athena, but Moné immediately put Shirakawa down with a backstabber. Cameron and Moné took each other out. Storm Zero, but Shafir escaped, and then Nightingale and Bayne tagged in! They traded shots until Nightingale hit a big spinebuster for a two-count. Bayne escaped a Dr. Bomb and met Willow on the top rope with a hurricanrana! Cameron clotheslined Cameron over the top, but Shafir sent her to the outside! Storm nailed a hip attack to knock Shafir off the apron, and Shirakawa took everyone out with a crossbody from the top! Athena took down Storm from behind, and Moné tagged in, but Athena still hit a dive to the outside. As Moné started to charge across the ring, Nightingale hit her with a POUNCE! Nightingale followed with a cannonball off the apron to Bayne. When she got back in the ring, Athena hit Nightingale with an O-Face, and Moné quickly covered her to win the match for her team!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #4: Continental Classic Gold League – PAC def. Kyle Fletcher
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
PAC controlled the early exchanges by outwrestling the bigger Fletcher and keeping him grounded, but Fletcher shifted momentum with a thunderous clothesline and took the fight to the floor. The two traded big suplexes and counters, with Fletcher scoring a near fall off a Michinoku Driver and PAC responding with a moonsault to the outside and a Tiger Suplex that nearly ended it. The closing stretch was a rapid exchange of near falls and reversals. Fletcher survived the Brutalizer by reaching the ropes and answered with a brainbuster, only for PAC to kick out. When Fletcher went back to the well, PAC countered with an avalanche poisonrana, then followed with the Black Arrow to seal the win, earning a pinfall and moving into a four-way tie in the Gold League.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Match #5: Dynamite Diamond Battle Royale – Winners: Ricochet and Bandido
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The battle royale erupted before the bell, with The Demand ambushing Brodido to even the numbers. Early chaos saw Ace Austin dive on Ricochet, the Acclaimed briefly reunite to eliminate Kaun’s momentum, and Ricochet quickly tossing Max Caster over the top. Eliminations came fast, with Davis dumping Austin, Ricochet helping eliminate Bowens, Alexander knocking out Shelton Benjamin, and a rapid exchange that saw Luchasaurus and Davis eliminated in succession. The final stretch came down to Bandido, King, Ricochet, and The Demand. After a series of saves and sacrifices, King eliminated both himself and Toa Liona to protect his partner. Bandido sealed it by countering Kaun with a poisonrana over the top, leaving Bandido and Ricochet as the winners. The two now advance to face each other in the Dynamite Diamond Ring final on Christmas Eve.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: Continental Classic Blue League – Orange Cassidy def. Máscara Dorada
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Cassidy played smart early by tying up Dorada on the ground, but Dorada fought back with a similar strategy, surprising Cassidy. The speed picked up with Cassidy outpacing Dorada with some Lucha-esque offense. Cassidy could not solve Dorada for the next few minutes, as Dorada continued to strike and evade. Cassidy slowed things down with some light slaps, but got to the top carefully, only to be yanked down. With his hands in his pockets, Cassidy worked Dorada to the outside, but Dorada came back with a backbreaker and a shooting star press to the outside. Dorada came back in with a body press from the top to get a two count. Cassidy was too hurt to hit a Beach Break, so Dorada nailed a power slam for a nearfall. Cassidy tried to hit a tornado DDT, but Dorada stood up to save the impact, so Cassidy relaunched himself and hit the DDT on the second attempt! At the 10-minute warning, Cassidy got caught with a backbreaker, but Dorada couldn’t connect from the top and the two traded nearfalls. Dorada draped Cassidy over the top by his arm. Dorada went to the top, but Cassidy was ready and blocked him. Dorada tried to turn it into a pin, but Cassidy reversed that and trapped him for a three-count! Cassidy has two straight wins and is at six points!
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #7: Jamie Hayter def. Isla Dawn
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Hayter had plenty of support from the home country fans, but Dawn came out strong by sending Hayter over the top and followed with a dropkick and then a kick from the apron. That put Dawn in control for the next few minutes until the two collided in the middle of the ring, thinking the same thing. Hayter fought back with a clothesline in the corner and a suplex for a two count. Dawn recovered with a side kick and a side suplex, which got a two count. Hayter elbowed her way out of trouble, put Dawn down, and then hit Hayterade to win it!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #8: AEW World Tag Team Championship – FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler) def. Bang Bang Gang (Juice Robinson & Austin Gunn)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
FTR kept using diversions and Stokely to get the advantage until Robinson got help from Gunn to escape a suplex. Robinson catapulted Wheeler over the top, and Bang Bang Gang was in charge! FTR didn’t stay down for long and wound up isolating Gunn in their corner for multiple minutes. The referee missed Robinson capturing Harwood in a small package because Wheeler was distracting him. Gunn turned things around, but Wheeler tagged in and got help from Harwood with a clothesline to finish a sunset flip, yet Gunn was able to escape. Gunn finally escaped FTR long enough to tag Juice, and he unloaded on Harwood and Wheeler with jabs as the crowd was with him on every shot! Robinson nailed a spinebuster on Wheeler and then another on Harwood to get a nearfall on the same move that beat FTR last month. FTR almost got a double suplex, but Gunn broke it up, and Robinson cradled Harwood into a nearfall. Robinson went to the top, but Stokely got on the apron with something in his hand. Wheeler came over to help, so Robinson ran him into Stoke, and the powder flew out of his hand! Harwood tried to attack, so Robinson moved, and Wheeler was knocked to the floor. Robinson rolled up Harwood for a two-count! Gunn superplexed Harwood, and Robinson nailed a splash for their own version of Power and Glory, but Wheeler came off the top with a splash of his own to break it up. Gunn got Harwood with a Famouser, and Robinson covered, but Harwood kicked out in the nick of time. On the outside, Gunn charged at Wheeler, who sent Gunn into the timekeeper’s area. Back in the ring, Robinson had no one to tag, so FTR looked primed to hit the Shatter Machine, but Gunn pulled Wheeler into the ringpost! Robinson hit the Left Hand of God, followed by a Famouser, and the referee counted to three as Harwood had his foot on the ropes. The referee waved it off as Bang Bang Gang celebrated with the titles. Harwood chop-blocked Robinson, and Wheeler came off the top with a stomp to the knee! Harwood locked in an inverted figure four as Wheeler held off Gunn, so Robinson had no choice but to tap out.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4.5/5
AEW’s Manchester Holiday Bash proved exactly why these international specials matter, delivering three hours that balanced stakes, spectacle, and genuine progression. The night opened with Jon Moxley beating Roderick Strong in Continental Classic action, a bruising, no-frills opener that didn’t just set the tone but officially knocked Strong out of contention. PAC vs Kyle Fletcher followed with urgency and intensity, the Manchester crowd firmly behind PAC as the tournament picture tightened further. The headline attraction came with The Elite defeating the Don Callis Family in the $1 million Winner Takes All trios match, a chaotic, high-energy clash that felt worthy of the occasion without overstaying its welcome. Elsewhere, Orange Cassidy picking up a win over Máscara Dorada kept his Classic run alive, while FTR successfully defending the tag titles against the Bang Bang Gang delivered dependable, heat-driven tag wrestling. The night was capped by MJF’s return and contract cash-in, reshaping the World Title picture in one move. A loaded card, meaningful results, and a red-hot crowd made this feel genuinely special.
