By Chris McNeil, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@chrismcneil227)
AEW Collision (Episode 118)
Houston, Texas, at Bayou Music Center
Simulcast live November 8, 2025, on TNT and HBO Max
[Hour One] The show opened with Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuiness hyping the matches for the night and what they mean for Blood and Guts…
1. “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler (w/Stokely Hathaway) vs. “Bang Bang Gang” Austin Gunn and Juice Robinson. Gunn and Harwood started things off. Harwood got a quick tag into Wheeler, who stopped Gunn from tagging out. Gunn took control with an arm drag and tagged in Robinson, with Wheeler tagging Harwood back in. Both Robinson and Harwood took turns with a series of counters.
Big Bill and Bryan Keith were shown watching the action on a backstage monitor. In the ring, Robinson and Gunn threw FTR over the ropes onto the ground. Stokely helped them to their feet. Wheeler took control once they were back inside the ring by working over Robinson’s left leg. Harwood continued the offense on Robinson with both Wheeler and Harwood double teaming Robinson until Robinson was able to get a double DDT on both men.
Robinson was able to make the tag to Gunn, who turned the tides with two near falls on Harwood. Gunn ran the ropes, and Wheeler pulled the top rope down, sending Gunn to the floor before a picture-in-picture break. [C]
Later in the match, Robinson was able to get three near falls on Harwood. Outside the ring, Stokely was interacting with two fans who turned out to be Bandido and Gravity. The brothers chased Stokely up the ramp, where he was then stopped by “JetSpeed” Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight. When Stokely turned around, he was hit by a superkick from Bandido, who joined Gravity in hitting Wheeler with a double superkick.
Harwood tried to get out of the ring to confront Bandido and Gravity, but he was hit by Gunn on the apron, and then he turned into a Flatliner DDT by Robinson for the win.
“Bang Bang Gang” Austin Gunn and Juice Robinson defeated “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler via pinfall in 13:55.
After the match, JetSpeed, Bandido, and Gravity celebrated in the ring with Bang Bang Gang. All three teams told FTR to get to the back…
Chris’s Take: Great match to start the night off with lots of back and forth action. The part with Bandido and Gravity going after Stokely followed by JetSpeed stopping him from getting away, added some good humor. Stokely’s reactions when someone is coming after him are always funny. With Bandido and Gravity costing FTR the match, this should add to the feud between the two teams…
Backstage, Renee Paquette interviewed Kyle Fletcher, who spoke about the stipulations of his match with Mark Briscoe at Full Gear. Kazuchika Okada interrupted the interview and apologized for Konosuke Takeshita not being there to support Fletcher. Okada said he is there to support Fletcher because, according to Okada, he and Fletcher are the captains of the Don Callis Family. He said that after Fletcher beats Briscoe at Full Gear, they will be “Protokada”… [C]
2. Kyle Fletcher vs. Ace Austin for the TNT Championship. Fletcher used his height as leverage in technical moves against Austin to start the match. Austin jumped off the top rope but was caught by Fletcher, who hit a backbreaker and a Full Nelson Slam, going into a picture-to-picture break. [C]
Late in the match, Austin took control with a leaping lariat. Austin propped Fletcher onto the top turnbuckle and sent him to the mat for a near fall. Fletcher regained control and then the wrestlers traded near falls until Fletcher hit Austin with a brainbuster onto the top turnbuckle for the win.
Kyle Fletcher defeated Ace Austin in 14:45 to retain the TNT Championship.
Chris’s Take: Another great match and really the type of match that makes AEW what it is. The crowd broke into “this is awesome” chants as well as “A E Dub” chants. Obviously, with Fletcher facing Briscoe at Full Gear, I think it was a giveaway that Fletcher would walk away with his championship still intact. Even so, Austin was great tonight and really in control of much of the match. This match definitely showcased Austin’s abilities, and I could see a storyline with the Don Callis Family making a move to recruit him, especially since he gave Fletcher a run for this money.
After the match, a recap was shown from last week’s Collision with Megan Bayne and Marina Shafir teaming up to beat Nixon Newell and Miranda Alize, and another recap of Bayne defeating Mina Shirakawa with an assist from Shafir on Wednesday’s Dynamite. Footage of Bayne’s time in Stardom in Japan was also shown…
Backstage, Kris Statlander had words about her upcoming match at Full Gear against Mercedes Mone. Statlander talked about Mone having things she will never have, but letting Mone know she lacks focus. Statlander said she will follow Mone into Blood and Guts and go through whoever she has to until Mone is focused on her, and then at Full Gear, when even when Mone is focused on her and Mone’s vision is clear, it still won’t make a difference…[C]
Footage aired from Wednesday’s Dynamite of the Death Riders running into Don Callis and Kyle Fletcher. Callis spoke about how the two groups could benefit from one another. The interaction ended when Jon Moxley asked Callis if they looked like they needed a favor from anyone…
3. “TayJay” Tay Melo and Anna Jay vs. Hyan and Maya World. World and Melo started off the match with Melo getting a tag into Jay and Jay getting a near fall, which was broken up by Hyan. Melo and Jay kept the momentum up with tags back and forth. With Melo kicking World off the apron onto the floor, Melo and Jay double-teamed Hyan for the win.
“TayJay” Tay Melo and Anna Jay defeated Hyan and Maya World via pinfall in 1:50.
Chris’s Take: This was a quick squash match to build up the team of TayJay. The Houston crowd cheered for Hyan and Maya World, who are known on the Texas independent scene.
Backstage, Lexy Nair interviewed Athena about her and Mercedes Mone being eliminated from the AEW Women’s Tag Team Title tournament by Harley Cameron and Willow Nightingale. Athena will go on to face Cameron for the ROH Women’s World Championship on November 20, 2025…
[Hour Two] Entrances for the next match took place…
4. Sky Blue vs. Jamie Hayter in a Women’s Blood and Guts Advantage Battle. Hayter went for a quick roll up on Blue, which resulted in another quick roll up from Hayter, followed by two quick roll ups from Blue. Hayter took to chasing Blue around the outside of the ring, with Blue sending Hayter into the steel steps. Blue superkicked Hayter for a near fall, going into a PIP break. [C]
Blue was in control until Hayter hit her with a dropkick off the top rope. Later, after more near falls from both women, Hayter was able to secure the win with the Hayterade after dodging Blue’s spin kick.
Jamie Hayter defeated Skye Blue via pinfall in 10:11.
After the match, Hayter was attacked by members of the Triangle of Madness. They continued their onslaught of Hayter on the outside of the ring until the “Babes of Wrath” Willow Nightingale and Harley Cameron came to even the odds. The fight went back into the ring with security and referees running out to try and restore order. The fans broke into a “let them fight” chant…[C]
Chris’s Take: This match was obviously used to set up the need for the deciding match between Harley Cameron vs. Thekla. The win for Hayter also demonstrated that she could overcome a key member of the other team.
A video package aired for Blood and Guts…
5. Harley Cameron vs. Thekla in a Blood and Guts Advantage Battle. The match started with the crowd in an uproar and Cameron and Thekla hitting each other fast and hard. Thekla suplexed Cameron twice going into a PIP break. [C]
Late in the match, both women were seated on the top turnbuckle, where they took turns punching each other until Cameron bit and headbutted Thekla. With Thekla laid out in the middle of the ring, Cameron missed a swan dive off the top rope. Thekla speared Cameron and got the three count…
Thekla defeated Harley Cameron in 12:00 to give her team the Blood & Guts advantage.
Chris’s Take: This match gives the Triangle of Madness momentum and leverage going into Blood and Guts. Thekla remained undefeated on Collision since her debut. Depending on what happens during Blood and Guts, we should see Thekla spotlighted in more singles matches.
Backstage, Lexy Nair interviewed “JetSpeed” Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight, who said they wanted to throw their names into the hate for the Casino Gauntlet match at Full Gear… [C]
Lexy Nair interviewed Anthony Bowens and Max Caster. Bowens told Caster they are done, and his first step forward will be at the Full Gear Tailgate Brawl. Caster said he would be there as well. Nair made a note that Tony Khan said when they are together, their ratings and merchandise go up, so they should plan on being there together. Bowens said he wanted the match canceled, and Caster agreed…
Schiavone and McGuinness hyped up the matches for Full Gear as well as the Tailgate Brawl pre-show…
A video package was shown of “Hangman” Adam Page and Samoa Joe’s ongoing feud…
Schiavone announced that Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair will be in attendance at Blood and Guts…
6. Jon Moxley (w/ Marina Shafir) vs. Roderick Strong in a Blood and Guts Advantage Battle. Strong sent Moxley into the steel steps and then the barricade. Moxley countered by sending Strong into the steps before the PIP break. [C]
Strong went to the ropes and then Shafir grabbed his feet, sending him to the ground. Kyle O’Reilly came to ringside to confront Shafir, but he was attacked by Wheeler Yuta. Moxley threw Strong to the outside. When Yuta tried to hit Strong with a chai,r the ref sent Yuta and Shafir to the back. While the ref was dealing with Yuta and Shafir, Pac came out of the crowd and attacked Strong, who was able to return to the ring to avoid being counted out.
Moxley attempted an armbar, but Strong had his foot on the rope. While the ref and Moxley argued, Pac set a table up on the outside of the ring. O’Reilly took out Pac. Daniel Garcia came out of the crowd and went after Strong on the apron, but Strong put him through the table. Moxley took the fight to the outside and attempted to hit the Paradigm Shift on the steel steps, but Strong countered by slamming Moxley onto the steps. Strong returned to the ring. When the referee’s count got to eight, Moxley tried to get back in, but a hand came out from under the ring and grabbed him, preventing him from getting back in, which led to him being counted out.
Roderick Strong defeated Jon Moxley via count-out in 18:13 to give his team the Blood & Guts advantage.
The Death Riders acted shocked at ringside. Pac tried to pull the mystery person out from under the ring, but he was tased by Darby Allin, who revealed that he had been under the ring…
Chris’s Take: Moxley’s loss sends a message that the Death Riders are vulnerable. Perhaps Moxley might need that favor from the Callis Family after all. Will Pruett’s weekly audio reviews of Collision are available exclusively for Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons).
Lord AEE sure likes making their referees look totally incompetent.