By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@DonThePredictor)
AEW Collision (Episode 82)
Taped February 19, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona at Arizona Financial Theatre
Simulcast February 22, 2025 on TNT and Max
[Hour One] No Elton John opening this week, as they cut to separate shots of Harley Cameron, Bandido, and Chris Jericho backstage…
Toni Storm was shown backstage and she had been was attacked. Mariah May dragged Storm through the backstage area onto the entrance ramp. She held the AEW Women’s Title in one hand and Storm in the other before delivering a piledriver to Storm on the stage.
May called for Toni Storm’s spotlight effect and said, “Look what you made me do.” She added that Storm never knew how to write an ending so she would write one for her. May said that they can be stars together and it would be a Hollywood ending that they would write together at Revolution.
Don’s Take: A good angle setting up the predicted rubber match at the pay-per-view.
A video recapped Kazuchika Okada’s victory over Buddy Matthews at last week’s Grand Slam Australia. We then went to Okada who said he did what he said he was going to do. He put the dog down because that’s what you do to a bitch. He added that if any other bitch wants to step up, he’ll put them down too.
1. The Beast Mortos vs. Hologram. The Collision announce team was Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, and Jim Ross. Highlights of the early part of this match included some speed and high spots from both competitors, including a nice huracanrana by Hologram from the top rope to the floor. Mortos gained the advantage heading into the first picture-in-picture break of the evening by corkscrew diving onto Hologram on the floor. [C]
After the break, there was a continued showcase of spots including Mortos gorilla press slamming Hologram off the top rope, Hologram hitting a leg scissors take down off the second rope, Mortos hitting a crucifix bomb on the stage and Hologram countering with a sunset flip bomb, also on the stage. The finish saw Mortos attempt another gorilla press slam off the top rope with Hologram countering into a leg scissors takedown followed by a clunky over the top sunset flip for the win.
Hologram defeated The Beast Mortos in about 13:47.
After the match, Mortos attacked Hologram and attempted to remove his mask. Komander, with Alex Abrahantes, made the save as both he and Hologram took turns hitting moves on Mortos before he rolled out of the ring.
Don’s Take: The announce team reminded us that Mortos was out for revenge as he lost a two-out-of-three falls match to Hologram at Wrestle Dream back in October. This was good because with all the wrestling I watch, I completely forgot. This was fun for what it was and the live crowd was into it, which is encouraging since they just sat through two hours of Dynamite. I suspect we’ll get some sort of a tag team match with Los Faccion Ingobernable vs. Hologram and Komander at Revolution.
A video previewed “Speedball” Mike Bailey and noted that he is coming soon…
Don’s Take: I’m a big fan of Bailey from his time from TNA and I am interested to see how he fares in AEW.
Lexy Nair was in the ring and introduced Harley Cameron. Nair said that while Grand Slam Australia wasn’t the result Cameron wanted, the fans were behind her. Cameron told a story about a little blonde girl from Australia who watched wrestling every week with her grandmother and had a dream to come to America to become a wrestler. She said that little girl was her next-door neighbor, Suzette Dickinson and while she doesn’t know what happened to her, she said that she took her dream and ran with it. She added that Grand Slam was only the beginning and that everyone would feel the wrath. [C]
Don’s Take: The live crowd was into this and they definitely have something with Cameron. They need to put her in a meaningful program of some kind while the iron is hot.
2. Gabe Kidd vs. The Butcher. Kidd attacked at the bell and pretty much held the advantage for most of the match with a series of strikes, chops, suplexes and lariats. Don Callis was shown watching the match from backstage. The finish saw Kidd hit a lariat followed by a piledriver for the win.
Gabe Kidd defeated The Butcher in about 3:40.
Don’s Take: Other than his match with Kenny Omega in January, I’m not too familiar with Kidd. He has quite a presence and could be the next top star in NJPW. This match definitely prompted me to want to see more.
Lexy Nair was backstage with Don Callis and Kyle Fletcher. Fletcher thought she wanted to talk about his loss at Grand Slam Australia, but she wanted to know if Fletcher accepted Will Ospreay’s challenge for a steel cage match at Revolution. Callis said that Nair was gaslighting them and noted that while Ospreay was gifted physically, he was mentally deficient and that they would use his face as a vegomatic in the cage. Fletcher added that all Ospreay does is take, but in answer to the challenge, he accepts…
3. Queen Aminata vs. Julia Hart. Chain wrestling to start with Aminata gaining the early advantage. Hart regained control heading into the break, bouncing Aminata’s head off the mat. [C]
Down the stretch, Aminata hit a series of snap suplexes and German suplexes. Aminata went for a German suplex but Hart blocked it, ran off the ropes and trapped Aminata in her Flying Octopus for the submission win. [C]
Julia Hart defeated Queen Aminata in about 9:45.
Don’s Take: Aside from her entrance music staying the same, there wasn’t a ton of emphasis on Hart’s affiliation with Buddy Matthews and Brody King so if the plan is to branch her out on her, I’m interested to see what opportunities are in store because I think she’s ready for a decent push.
4. Brian Cage and Lance Archer vs. two local wrestlers. Archer and Cage carried their opponents to the ring and completely dominated them. They finished off one of the local with their combination powerbomb/chokeslam finisher.
Brian Cage and Lance Archer defeated two local wrestlers in about 1:15.
After the match, Cage called out the Hurt Syndicate while Archer said that this was only the beginning because everybody dies. He added that the match will be on their time. MVP, Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin came. MVP said that beating two inexperienced wrestlers wasn’t impressive and that the Hurt Syndicate are the ones that control the time and the place. MVP added that if Archer and Cage can beat a real tag team next week, they can discuss a title match.
Don’s Take: This is most likely leading to a tag team title match at Revolution. It could be good but despite their recent re-emergence, Cage and Archer have been so defined down, they need a lot more work before they can be considered real threats.
A video hyped Lio Rush and Action Andretti. They noted they can be called crazy, unhinged and ruthless. But they should also be called by their new team name, Crew.
[Hour Two] A video recapped Dynamite and the finish to Kris Statlander and Megan Bayne from Dyanmite. In a Dynamite exclusive, Statlander was backstage with Thunder Rosa. Statlander thanked Rosa for helping her and said the next time the bitches laugh in their face, they swing on them. Rosa muttered something and walked off.
5. Pac, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta vs. Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard, and Angelo Parker for the AEW Trios Titles. The early part of this match saw the heels work over Parker until he made the hot tag to Menard. As the show went to break, all six men were battling in the ring. [C]
Coming out of the break, the champions worked over Menard. Menard eventually power bombed Pac and made the hot tag to Garcia who cleaned house. Eventually all six men ended up in the ring again and Garcia tagged out to Parker. Parker held his own but got caught by an uppercut from Castagnoli into the Brutalizer by Pac for the submission.
Pac, Claudio Castagnoli, and Wheeler Yuta defeated Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard, and Angelo Parker in about 16:53 to retain the AEW Trios Titles.
After the match, the heels stayed on the attack until Adam Cole, Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly made the save. They worked with Garcia, Parker and Menard to run off the Death Riders but took out Pac in the ring with a super kick followed by a leg sweep double team. Jon Moxley came to ringside which brought out Cope who hit a conchairto on Pac in the ring who was already laid out. [C]
Don’s Take: This match went on about 7-10 minutes too long. I’m really hoping this doesn’t lead to a three way trios title match at the pay-per-view. Given that Pac ate a Conchairto, I’m guessing they’ll go with a Cole/Garcia match for the TNT title and save the three way for TV. I’m continued to be underwhelmed by this entire program.
Lexy Nair was backstage with Taya Valkyrie and Deonna Purrazzo. They took issue with Nair saying the fans were behind Harley Cameron and said that while she can sing and dance, she can’t cut it in the ring. Purrazzo said that the win over Valkyrie was a fluke and that Cameron hasn’t met the entire Vendetta yet. Valkyrie said that Cameron lost at Grand Slam because losers lose. Purrazzo added that Cameron needs to move to the back of the line or be moved. They then told Nair to leave which she did…
Max Caster came out for his open challenge. He said that “Hang Person” Adam Page beat him because he wasn’t ready. He said whoever accepts the challenge tonight needs to shake his hand and look into his eyes. This brought out Brody King…
6. Brody King vs. Max Caster. This was mostly a Brody King squash match who finished Caster off with a cannonball in the corner
Brody King defeated Max Caster in about 1:30.
Don’s Take: I continue to get a kick out of this as now we all want to see when Caster is going to win his first match.
Lexy Nair was backstage with the Outrunners. She talked about their win in Australia as part of ROH Global Wars over the Learning Tree. She asked what was next and as they were answering, the Hurt Syndicate walked by. The Outrunners asked them if they could meet Lance Archer and Brian Cage next week to potentially earn a title shot. MVP said that he had good news and bad news. Both the good news and bad news is that if the Outrunners beat Archer and Cage, they get a title shot against the Hurt Syndicate. [C]
7. Chris Jericho vs. Bandido for the ROH Championship. Both competitors took turns on offense. Heading into the final break of the evening, both were battling on the ring apron and Bandido hooked a flying leg-scissors and took Jericho to the floor. [C]
Down the stretch, both hit some big moves with several near falls. Of note, Jericho tried the Liontamer submission, as well as the Lion Tamer. Bandido hit an impressive one-armed press slam into the frog splash for a near fall. The finish saw, Jericho leaning against the ropes and Bandido going for the 21 Plex. Jericho blocked it and rolled up Bandido the clean pin.
Chris Jericho defeated Bandido in about 17:21 to retain the ROH Championship.
Jericho celebrated as Collision came to a close..
Don’s Take: As flat as Jericho is, he needed a clean win here to gain some level of credibility, even though it’s weird to close AEW television with an ROH Championship match. This match built to a nice ending series and it was one of Jericho’s better matches in a long while.
This was another “fine if you saw it, fine if you didn’t.” This is solidly the B-show and I don’t see things changing anytime soon. That’s all for now. Dot Net Members (including our Patreon patrons) can check out the great Will Pruett’s fantastic audio reviews of Collision, and I’m sure I’ll be back over the next several weeks for another episode. Until then!
A bit jaded and cynical conclusion. There were actually many storyline beats, character development, and a couple of great matches. This was NOT skippable.