‘AEW: Collision’ Review (Jul 19th 2025)

Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Collision, which brings wrestling back to Saturday nights. We’ve got the commentary team of Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness and special guest Colt Cabana(!) calling the action, so let’s get into our review!

Match #1: Ricochet def. AR Fox

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Fox came out aggressive, firing a knee into Ricochet’s midsection and opting for punishment over finesse in the early goings. Ricochet tried to bait Fox into following him into the crowd, but Fox stayed focused, sticking to the ring and delivering a creative leg sweep followed by a spinning suplex that got a two-count. Fox had to keep one eye on the action and one on the outside, as Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona of the Gates of Agony prowled ringside like predators. Midway through the match, Toa Liona made his presence felt with a cheap shot to Fox’s lower back while the referee was distracted — and the damage gave Ricochet control. Still, Fox rallied, stunning Ricochet with a beautiful slingshot dive, then hitting a big senton from the top rope for a close near fall. A thrust kick and a spinning enzuigiri to the back of Ricochet’s head nearly ended it, but the resilient high-flyer somehow kicked out. With momentum building, Fox scaled the ropes again, but this time, Bishop Kaun once again got involved, distracting the referee. That allowed Ricochet to regroup. As Fox leapt off the top rope, Ricochet countered perfectly, blasting him mid-air with his devastating Spirit Gun — a flying knee strike to the face — and covered for the pin.

My Score: 3 out of 5

Match #2: Megan Bayne def. Tay Melo

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

With all allies barred from ringside, Megan Bayne and Tay Melo were left to settle their differences one-on-one in a high-stakes battle on AEW Collision — and it was the “Megasus” who proved once again why she remains undefeated on Saturday nights. From the opening bell, Melo attempted to gain the early advantage, backing Bayne into the corner and unleashing a barrage of clubbing blows. Melo, a decorated judoka and Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, wasn’t backing down. She countered a slam attempt into a Fujiwara armbar in the center of the ring. Bayne powered out with a one-armed lift, breaking the hold and reminding everyone that strength was on her side. Melo didn’t relent. She stunned Bayne with a flurry of offense — including a running PK, a jawbreaker, and a trio of pump kicks that each rocked Bayne flush in the jaw. But the Megasus stayed on her feet, showing her grit and absorbing the damage. In a chaotic back-and-forth sequence, Melo countered with a guillotine choke that nearly sapped Bayne’s oxygen. While the submission wasn’t fully locked in, it slowed Bayne down — and weakened her just enough for Melo to follow up with an improvised Canadian Destroyer-style spike. But Bayne had the presence of mind to fall close enough to the ropes to survive the pin attempt. Looking for the finish, Tay Melo went for her signature Tay-KO but couldn’t lift Bayne, who countered with a fallaway slam. And then came the end. Bayne leveled Melo with a flying lariat, then hoisted her high and dropped her in the center of the ring with the Megasus Bomb — a thunderous sit-out powerbomb — for the win. “She almost took her head off!” McGuinness shouted.

My Score: 3 out of 5

Match #3: Alex Windsor def. Taya Valkyrie

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

U.K. standout Alex Windsor made her AEW Collision debut in a high-profile matchup against veteran Taya Valkyrie — and walked away with a statement-making submission victory. Accompanied by Johnny TV and the MXM Collection, Valkyrie entered the match with swagger, but Windsor was all business. The match began with even back-and-forth action, each competitor testing the other’s timing and technique. Windsor scored early with a deep arm drag and a dropkick, then followed with a quick cover for a one-count. Windsor stayed aggressive, ducking a lariat and firing back with a driving clothesline that dropped Valkyrie hard. She followed with another near-fall off a headbutt, her offense beginning to wear down her more experienced opponent. Late in the match, Valkyrie tried to regain momentum with a step-over toe hold and a brief tease of the Figure Four Leglock, but Windsor reversed and escaped to the ropes. Taya responded by stomping Windsor’s back and slamming her to the mat — but couldn’t capitalize. That’s when Windsor struck. She nailed Valkyrie with a big discus lariat, followed by a stunning headbutt. She then caught Valkyrie off-balance and locked in a sharpshooter — her second attempt at the hold in the match. This time, she sat deep and wrenched back on Valkyrie’s legs, forcing her to tap out.

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #4: $200,000 4-Way Tag Match – Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona) def. The Gunns (Austin & Colten Gunn), CRU (Lio Rush & Action Andretti) and Big Bill & Bryan Keith.

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

With $200,000 on the line, four of AEW’s most dangerous duos collided in a high-stakes, high-impact match on AEW Collision. The match began with rapid tags and flurries of offense from all four teams, including a sequence where CRU showcased their speed with tandem offense that dropped Austin Gunn early. The Gunns used clever double-team tactics and ring awareness to stay in the mix, but as the match broke down, chaos erupted. Bodies flew across the ring and ringside area, with Big Bill drawing huge reactions for his raw power. Lio Rush connected with a diving axe handle and nearly toppled Bill, but the powerhouse responded moments later by flooring both members of CRU and flattening Austin Gunn with a monstrous shoulder tackle. Austin Gunn attempted the Fame-Asser, but Ricochet then appeared briefly at ringside, providing a distraction that allowed Gates of Agony to re-enter the ring and take control. With Action Andretti isolated, Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona delivered a devastating double-team powerbomb, “Open the Gates,” for the pin.

My Score: 2.5 out of 5

Match #5: Open Challenge – Kyle O’Reilly def. Max Caster

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

O’Reilly marched toward the ring as the timer started — and Max immediately rolled out of the ring to stall for time. He began literally running laps around the ring, shouting back, “Kyle, stop! Okay? Hey Kyle — stop! Kyle, stop!” as O’Reilly chased him at full speed. With Caster trying to run out the clock, it was clear he wanted no part of a technical fight. But his strategy failed when Roderick Strong, accompanying O’Reilly at ringside, prompted Max to trip and stumble as he glanced nervously at Strong. And O’Reilly took full advantage. Back in the ring, O’Reilly began dissecting Caster with his trademark strikes and takedowns, eventually catching him clean with a knee to the face. Caster briefly attempted to mount offense, but was quickly overwhelmed. O’Reilly caught him flush and transitioned effortlessly into a straight armbar — torquing the elbow and forcing Caster to tap out with 2:42 still remaining on the five-minute clock.

My Score: 0 out of 5

Match #6: RUSH def. Katsuyori Shibata

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

In a collision between two of wrestling’s most feared strikers, RUSH, accompanied by The Beast Mortos and Dralístico, went one-on-one with AEW World Trios Champion Katsuyori Shibata in a violent, unrelenting main event — and walked away with a controversial victory, thanks in part to interference from the rest of La Facción Ingobernable. From the moment the bell rang, the match exploded into a slugfest. RUSH and Shibata exchanged open-hand strikes and brutal forearms without hesitation. Shibata briefly seized control with a pump kick and a basement dropkick in the corner, but RUSH rebounded with a series of vertical suplexes then a German suplex, followed immediately by a thunderous response from Shibata in kind. The two warriors mirrored suplexes and traded chops that left their chests shredded. Both men pulled out technical offense to complement the violence. Shibata locked in a figure-four leglock, then transitioned into a sleeper hold in the center of the ring. As RUSH began to fade, Shibata went to drive the finish home, but that’s when things unraveled. With the referee distracted, members of LFI—The Beast Mortos and Dralístico—interfered at ringside. The interference gave RUSH enough time to recover and reverse Shibata into the ropes. Then, with brutal precision, RUSH struck. After a snapmare by Shibata to set up the PK, RUSH countered with a big forearm, then stomped Shibata down into the corner. Finally, he charged in with his signature The Bull’s Horns — a diving running dropkick that crushed Shibata against the turnbuckles. He followed up with a cover and scored the three-count.

My Score: 3.5 out of 5

Match #7: All-Star 8-Man Tag – Bandido, Máscara Dorada & JetSpeed (Kevin Knight and “Speedball” Mike Bailey) def. Don Callis Family’s Hechicero, Lance Archer, Rocky Romero & Josh Alexander

The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:

Things started at a breakneck pace with Bandido and Hechicero reigniting their growing rivalry. After a tense lockup and some mask-grabbing mind games, Bandido nearly caught Hechicero in a submission early — mirroring the end of their previous encounter — but Hechicero escaped and tagged out. From there, the match spiraled into beautiful chaos. Dorada dazzled with a springboard drop step into a spin wheel kick, and JetSpeed lit up the crowd with rapid tags and stereo dropkicks. But the Don Callis Family wouldn’t back down. Archer tried to impose his will with a double chokeslam attempt, but a triple dropkick from Bailey, Knight, and Bandido staggered the Murderhawk Monster and brought the crowd to its feet. The action spilled all over ringside, including Bailey flooring Josh Alexander with a flatliner followed by a PK to Rocky Romero. Back in the ring, Bandido showed off his freakish strength with a delayed vertical suplex on Josh Alexander, while Dorada took out Archer with an elevated moonsault off the middle rope, assisted by Knight and Bailey. Rocky Romero nearly stole the match late with a double flatliner to Dorada and Knight, but Kevin Knight broke up the pin just in time. From there, the match devolved into total chaos. Lance Archer tagged back in but took too long setting up for the Blackout, allowing Knight to counter with a missile dropkick, sending Archer crashing to the floor. With the field cleared, Bandido nailed a 21-Plex, as Dorada scaled the top rope and landed a picture-perfect shooting star press onto Rocky Romero for the pin.

My Score: 3 out of 5

Final Verdict: 3/5

This week’s showwas a middle-of-the-road effort that delivered solid wrestling but struggled to feel truly memorable. The highlight of the night was undoubtedly Dustin Rhodes’ first appearance as TNT Champion. His heartfelt promo struck the right emotional tone and set the stage for what could be an intriguing feud. The surprise interruption added just enough heat to keep things interesting. Meanwhile, Ricochet vs. AR Fox was a fast-paced, athletic match that delivered the kind of action fans expect—even if the outcome felt a bit predictable. Rush vs. Shibata stood out as a physical, technical bout that appealed to longtime wrestling purists. Whilst the Death Riders attack on Colt Cabana added some needed edge to the show, hinting at deeper factional violence and storylines to come. However, the rest of the episode leaned heavily on well-worn formulas. The four-way tag match for $200K had fun moments, but it didn’t do much to stand out from similar recent matches. And the eight-man tag main event, while technically solid and fast-paced, felt like yet another in a long line of crowded, chaotic closers with little lasting consequence. Overall, this episode of Collision had its moments, particularly in character development and a few standout matches, but it lacked the energy or freshness to push it into must-watch territory. Good, not great.