‘AEW: Christmas Collision’ Review (Dec 25th 2025)
Welcome to this week’s review of AEW: Collision, which this week emanated from the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. As per usual, we’ll be abbreviating the official match synopsis where we can to save your eyes! With that, let’s get into the review…
Match #1: Continental Classic Gold League- Kyle Fletcher def. “Jungle” Jack Perry
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
The night opened with a first-time clash between two of AEW’s brightest young stars, with the Hammerstein crowd surprisingly split early on. Kyle Fletcher quickly targeted Jack Perry’s injured ankle, tearing off his boot and relentlessly stomping the joint to keep Perry grounded. Perry fired back with bursts of offence, including headscissors to the floor, but Fletcher repeatedly shut him down with brutal powerbombs and a vicious brainbuster on the apron. Despite a medical check, Perry fought on, trading near-falls and surviving a Michinoku Driver, a single-leg crab, and several punishing strikes. Perry rallied late, trapping Fletcher in the Snaretrap and scoring with a piledriver, but couldn’t put him away. In the closing minute, Fletcher regained control, rocked Perry with running boots, and sealed the win with a decisive brainbuster just before the time limit. The victory moved Fletcher to nine points, putting him atop the Gold League with two matches still to come.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #2: Continental Classic Blue League – Konosuke Takeshita def. Máscara Dorada
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
With his semifinal spot already secured, Konosuke Takeshita looked to lock up the top position in the Blue League against Dorada, and the two delivered a blistering, athletic sprint. Early exchanges were fast and respectful, with Dorada relying on speed and aerial offence to keep Takeshita off balance, including a moonsault to the floor and a 450 splash for a near-fall. Takeshita responded with brute power, countering Dorada’s risks with a Blue Thunder Bomb and crushing clotheslines. Dorada continued to rally with poisonranas, hurricanranas, and a running shooting star press, repeatedly pushing Takeshita to the limit. In the end, Takeshita shut the door with a lariat, a running knee, and Raging Fire to secure the pinfall, finishing league play undefeated at 5-0-1 and cementing his place atop the Blue League.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Match #3: Continental Classic Blue League – Roderick Strong def. Claudio Castagnoli
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
With a spot in the Blue League semifinals on the line for Claudio Castagnoli, and Roderick Strong fighting only for pride, Castagnoli came out firing, nearly stealing a quick win with a running uppercut at the bell. Strong survived, countering a Neutralizer into a jackknife pin, before Castagnoli took control with repeated near-falls, a superplex from the outside, and a relentless barrage of uppercuts. Castagnoli even tried to force a countout after launching Strong into the guardrail and into the front row. Strong barely beat the count and slowly fought back, finally cutting off Castagnoli’s momentum with boots, a knee to the jaw, and a decisive jumping knee strike. The upset gave Strong his first win of the tournament and spoiled Castagnoli’s chance to clinch the semifinals on his own, leaving him to wait on the result of Jon Moxley vs. Orange Cassidy later in the night.
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #4: Continental Classic Gold League – Kevin Knight vs. PAC (Time-limit Draw)
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Both men entered on six points, chasing Kyle Fletcher after his earlier win pushed him to nine, and neither showed any hesitation early. PAC tried to slow things down by bailing outside, but Knight refused to be rattled, repeatedly pulling PAC into strike exchanges and hammering him with flying clotheslines and a pendulum DDT for near-falls. PAC regrouped by targeting Knight’s leg and mixing power with aerial offence, cutting off Knight’s momentum just as it began to build. At the ten-minute mark, Knight surged back with a hurricanrana off the top and a standing UFO splash, while PAC answered with a brutal avalanche belly-to-belly and a German suplex on the floor as the match entered its final stretch. The closing minutes were frantic, with both men trading big moves, countering finishers, and narrowly escaping defeat. PAC locked in the Brutalizer with seconds remaining, but Knight survived to the time-limit draw. The result earned both men a point, leaving them tied with Claudio Castagnoli on seven, clinching a semifinal spot for Fletcher and setting up a win-or-you’re-in scenario later in the night for Jon Moxley and Orange Cassidy.
My Score: 4.5 out of 5
Match #5: The Babes of Wrath (Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron) def. Maya World & Hyan
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
Cameron hit a slingblade at the start on Hyan and tagged in Nightingale for some tandem offense. Hyan hit a jawbreaker to escape Willow and tag World, who walked right into a bodyslam by Nightingale. Cameron tagged in for an aided splash, and then The Babes knocked World and Hyan off the apron to the floor. Cameron held World and Hyan for a cannonball by Nightingale off the apron, and the Babes were rocking. After a short spurt of control for World and Hyan, Nightingale came in to stop their momentum and turned their double suplex attempt into her own suplex on both of them. Cameron tagged in and jumped on Nightingale’s back for a backpack senton, but Hyan came in to make the save. Nightingale POUNCED Hyan out of the ring. Cameron hit Sole Food on World while Nightingale followed with a roll of the dice, and the Babes were victorious!
My Score: 3 out of 5
Match #6: Continental Classic Blue League – Jon Moxley def. Orange Cassidy
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
With a C2 semifinal spot and second place in the Blue League on the line, Orange Cassidy and Jon Moxley wasted no time, Cassidy nearly stealing it at the bell with a flash pin. The fight quickly spilled to ringside, with both men using the guardrail and steps before dragging the battle back into the ring. Cassidy found openings with the Stundog Millionaire and an elbow off the top, while Moxley answered with elbows, lariats, and his trademark brutality. Late drama saw Cassidy rock Moxley with multiple Orange Punches, a Beach Break, and sustained attacks on Moxley’s injured ankle, but Moxley refused to stay down. Cassidy went back to the ankle again, only for Moxley to counter with a sudden small package to steal the win. The victory sent Moxley to the C2 semifinals, ending Cassidy’s run despite coming agonisingly close to the upset.
My Score: 3.5 out of 5
Match #7: Continental Classic Gold League: – Kazuchika Okada def. “Speedball” Mike Bailey
The following is courtesy of allelitewrestling.com:
With a C2 semifinal spot on the line alongside Kyle Fletcher, and the threat of a four-way playoff looming in the event of a draw, Kazuchika Okada and Mike Bailey delivered a fast, high-impact contest. Bailey’s speed set the tone early, launching himself at Okada with kicks and moonsaults both inside and outside the ring, while Okada answered with his trademark composure, cutting Bailey off with dropkicks, neckbreakers, and timely counters. The match escalated down the stretch with Bailey landing multiple aerial knees, hurricanranas, and near-falls, repeatedly coming within inches of the upset. Okada weathered the storm, countering Bailey’s offence and repeatedly threatening the Rainmaker. In the closing moments, Okada finally shut the door, using his weight and positioning to trap Bailey on the mat for the three-count. The win moved Okada to nine points and secured his place in the C2 semifinals.
My Score: 4 out of 5
Final Verdict: 4.5/5
This Christmas special of Collision had absolutely NO right being this good. A stacked slate of Continental Classic matches turned what could have been a throwaway holiday episode into one of the strongest Collisions of the year, and honestly, one of AEW’s best TV outings full stop. Fletcher vs. Perry and PAC vs. Knight were outright excellent, Okada vs. Bailey delivered big-match urgency, and the Blue League drama threaded through the night gave everything real stakes. Even the lower-card tag match played its role without overstaying its welcome. Crucially, this felt like a genuine go-home show: meaningful results, momentum shifts, and clear paths into the semifinals. Intense, purposeful, and loaded with great wrestling, this was Collision at its absolute best – a timely reminder of how effective AEW can be when the focus is firmly in the ring… and an episode that should put other wrestling companies on notice!
