‘AEW: Collision’ Review (May 22nd 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: RPG Vice & Konosuke Takeshita def. Outrunners & Bandido
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Don Callis also joined the commentary desk for this one, stating before the bell that he’s quite the fan of Adam Cole – something the TNT Champion found hard to believe. In the ring, ROH World Champion Bandido and Trent Beretta started the action. A series of counters and chops left Bandido in the driver’s seat, as he lifted Beretta for a stalling vertical suplex and held him aloft for more than 10 seconds. When Rocky Romero and Takeshita attempted to make the save, the Outrunners were quick to cut both off, hitting them with vertical suplexes of their own in unison with Bandido. Truth Magnum became the legal man on his side, with the Don Callis Family able to isolate one half of the Outrunners on their side of the ring. Once Magnum did make his way over to tag in Bandido, the ROH World Champ cleared the ring, setting up a stiff altercation with Takeshita. Bandido got his licks in, but Takeshita leveled his opponent with one brutal forearm to the chin. Bandido rolled to the apron and climbed the turnbuckle, taking out Takeshita with a tornillo. Bandido attempted a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, but Takeshita reversed into a Blue Thunder Bomb for a two-count that was broken up by the Outrunners. RPG Vice sent Truth and Turbo out to the floor, giving the Don Callis Family an opportunity to hit some triple-team offense on Bandido. The Outrunners returned to save their partner, as Bandido nailed Romero with a GTH. Takeshita snaked his way back into the ring for a German suplex on Bandido, but Bandido rolled through to land a thrust kick, leaving both men on the mat. Bandido made the tag to Turbo Floyd, who hit both members of RPG Vice with a big haymaker, then scoop slammed all three members of the Don Callis Family. The Outrunners gave Takeshita the double Bionic Elbow, but Rocky interrupted an attempted Total Recall before Lance Archer, who had been lurking at ringside the whole time, crushed Bandido on the outside. With the numbers in their favor, Trent and Takeshita set both members of the Outrunners up, and Rocky came off the top rope to drive them head first into the mat and score the win for the Family.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #2: TBS Championship Match – Mercedes Moné def. CMLL’s Reyna Isis
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The women began with a collar-and-elbow tie up that gave neither the advantage. A second exchange led to a roll-up by Isis, followed by a hurricanrana and a roll-up of her own by the TBS Champion. With both women back on their feet, Isis gestured toward her waist in the universal sign for “championship belt,” then did a little dance. Moné responded by locking in the Statement Maker, then doing the CEO dance once Isis got to the ropes and forced a break. A big leg drop off the top rope to a dangling Moné scored a two-count for Isis, followed by another near-fall after two massive running blows off the rope to the champion. Isis landed two rising knees to the face of Moné, but she caught the third and took Isis to the mat with a head-scissors takeover, setting her up in the corner for a Meteora. But Isis had the wherewithal to counter Moné coming off the top rope into a codebreaker. The counters kept coming, as the TBS Champion slipped behind her opponent for a backstabber. Isis attempted to regain the momentum, but all it took was a moment for Moné to cinch in the Statement Maker and pick up the submission win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #3: Kyle Fletcher def. Jay Lethal
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Two former ROH World TV Champions collided in this one, with Fletcher accompanied to the ring by both Don Callis and Lance Archer. Lethal played some Ric Flair-based mind games to claim the upper-hand to start, fending off Fletcher stomping on him in the ring and trying to take the fight to him on the outside. But a moment’s lapse in focus to fist-bump Adam Cole at the commentary desk spelled a superkick to the face for Lethal. Both men made their way back into the ring, where Lethal targeted Fletcher’s knees before finally being able to tie the Protostar into a figure-four leglock. Fletcher suffered for nearly a full minute before he was able to make it to the ropes and force a break. Lethal climbed to the top rope for a King’s Elbow, but Fletcher leaped to stymie Lethal with a blow to the head. Lethal beat Fletcher back to the mat and set up once again for the Elbow, but Fletcher got the knees up for the counter. A stiff kick to the chest in the corner by Fletcher was followed by a brainbuster on Lethal to give the Protostar the win.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Paragon def. Grizzled Young Veterans
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
James Drake and Kyle O’Reilly were in the ring first, showing off their wrestling chops, before O’Reilly quickly tagged in Roderick Strong, landing some tandem offense before O’Reilly exited to the apron. Drake backed his way toward Zack Gibson, who tagged himself in, saved Drake from a suplex, then sent Strong to the corner for back elbows by both members of GYV. Strong ate a European uppercut from Gibson but slipped over the top and tagged in O’Reilly. Gibson made the tag to Drake, and the two tripped O’Reilly then landed a low dropkick to the temple on the Paragon member. O’Reilly made the tag to Strong, who came in like a house on fire with a backbreaker and a high angle suplex on Drake and Gibson. Unfortunately for Strong, O’Reilly had taken a beating, leaving Strong alone to try to combat both members of GYV. Gibson hit a lungblower on Strong followed by a coast-to-coast dropkick by Drake. It was only a last-second save by O’Reilly that prevented a pinfall victory by GYV. With both members of Paragon looking worse for the wear, Grizzled Young Veterans started to mix in some trash talk with their brutal blows. Perhaps that was a mistake, though. In the blink of an eye, O’Reilly and Strong took Drake out with a high-low and got the win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #5: Josh Alexander def. AR Fox
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Did someone order more Don Callis?! The Walking Weapon made his way to the ring first, with Callis sitting in on commentary once again, followed by an energetic entrance by Fox. Callis had heard Cole’s challenge backstage, and he was more than game to accept. In fact, Callis was ready to give Paragon the Big Three of the Don Callis Family: Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher and Josh Alexander. But first, Alexander was set to take on Fox, catching the high-flyer right out of midair and slamming him straight into the mat. In the corner, Alexander laid in a big chop, but Fox countered in the other corner for a cutter. That sent the Walking Weapon to the outside to gather his wits, but Fox kicked the Walking Weapon right on the chin and followed that up with a moonsault. The advantage was short-lived, though, as Alexander cut Fox off in the ring and mounted him for several bone-jarring shots to the skull. Alexander went for the ankle lock, but Fox slipped out and hit two more cutters on Alexander, then took out the Walking Weapon with a huge dive over the top rope to the outside. Back in the ring, both men dodged out of the way of the other, but Alexander caught Fox once more for a huge German suplex then the C4 Spike for the win.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: CMLL Trios Match – Mistico, Mascara Dorada and Templario def. Los Depredadores (Volador Jr., Magnus and Rugido)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Templario and Rugido started things off for their respective sides, and they started things off at a fever pitch. Templario rocked Rugido with several leaping kicks, then made the tag to Dorada, as Magnus made his way into the ring for Los Depredadores. Bodies kept flying in and out of the ring, as Dorada showed off his athleticism and took down Volador Jr. with a spinning head-scissors takeover. Los Depredadores feigned as if they were going to head back to the locker room, but after they took a moment to collect themselves, they went back to their corner, sending Volador Jr. in to face off with Mistico. Volador Jr. was prepared for Mistico’s acrobatics, as he dropkicked the masked wrestler square in the back as Mistico came bouncing off the ropes. But Mistico recovered and took out all three members of Los Depredadores, opening the door for Mistico, Mascara Dorada and Templario to hit stereo dives to the outside on their opponents. Mistico and Templario continued to take out Los Depredadores with dives to the outside. Meanwhile, Mascara Dorada spiked Magnus with a poisonrana, then landed a Shooting Star Press for the win.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #7: Speedball Mike Bailey and Komander def. RUSH and Dralistico
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
With Bailey and Komander in the ring, RUSH came down the entranceway alone – which, unsurprisingly, was a ruse, as Dralistico attacked LFI’s opponents from behind. He and RUSH laid waste to both Bailey and Komander on the outside, even smashing a can of Idrinq into Bailey’s face. Bailey countered RUSH’s attempt to send him into the ropes, though, and made the tag to Komander as the two cleared house. Both Bailey and Komander nailed RUSH and Dralistico, respectively, with two dives to the outside, but on the third, the members of LFI stepped aside. Dralistico tore at Komander’s mask with the two men perched on the top turnbuckle, then tied Komander into the tree of woe and kicked him square in the breadbasket. Double-team offense from LFI wasn’t enough to keep Komander from tagging in Bailey, who went to work with his educated feet on Dralistico from head to toe. RUSH tagged in for LFI, with Bailey brave enough to stand toe-to-toe with the larger, stronger man. A spinning discus forearm put an end to that illusion, however, with RUSH smashing Bailey into the corner then striking the tranquilo pose in the middle of the ring. When RUSH was knocked to the outside by Komander and Dralistico rushed to his teammate’s aid, Bailey countered the charging luchador with a thrust kick then a triangle moonsault to Dralistico on the outside. Komander then wiped out both members of LFI with an incredible corkscrew dive with absolutely unbelievable height on it. Stereo Shooting Star Presses scored a stereo two-count for Bailey and Komander, but LFI kicked out. Bailey made the tag to Komander and set Dralistico up for a springboard destroyer, only for RUSH to break up the subsequent pin. A massive headbutt from RUSH took out Komander, and a knee strike sent Bailey rolling to the ring floor. On the outside, Speedball evaded a stampeding RUSH, instead sending him crashing into the ring steps. With RUSH out of the picture, Komander landed a Cielito Lindo for the win.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Final Verdict: 3.5/5
This week’s Collision delivered a strong go-home show ahead of Double or Nothing, packing in action, tension, and just enough chaos to stir excitement. The night was driven by storytelling more than surprises, but the pacing never dragged. The contract signing between FTR and the unlikely duo of Nigel McGuinness and Daniel Garcia had great energy, teasing an emotionally complex showdown. Kyle Fletcher continued to impress, though his match felt more like a formality than a statement. The Don Callis Family remains entertaining, but it’s starting to feel like they’re spinning their wheels a bit – they need a big win (title maybe?). Mercedes Moné’s TBS Title defence was solid, if not spectacular, but her presence continues to elevate the division. Paragon’s win showed off crisp tag chemistry, while Josh Alexander’s dominant victory added some needed grit to the card. The highlight, however, was the electric main event with Komander and Mike Bailey outshining La Facción Ingobernable in a dazzling display of speed and innovation. Collision didn’t reinvent anything, but it delivered where it mattered, building anticipation, reinforcing character arcs, and promising a lot for Double or Nothing.