By Don Murphy, ProWrestling.net Contributor (@DonThePredictor)
AEW Collision (Episode 108)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at 2300 Arena
Simulcast live August 30, 2025, on TNT and HBO Max
[Hour One] Tony Schiavone and Nigel McGuinness checked in on commentary. Ring announcer Arkady Aura introduced Daniel Garcia for the opening match…
1. Daniel Garcia (w/Matt Menard) vs. Blake Christian (w/Lee Johnson). Menard joined the commentary team. Christian was already in the ring and did not get a televised entrance. As the bell rang, Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir came to the ring with Moxley whispering a few words of advice to Garcia. The pair then left, and the match began. Menard expressed confusion over what had just happened.
The match was even to start. The action eventually spilled to the floor. Garcia hit Christian with a big boot, and Christian responded with a dive through the ropes onto Garcia. Back in the ring, Christian held the advantage for several minutes before the two exchanged blows. Garcia landed several chops, which sounded really loud in the arena. Christian made a brief comeback with a couple of near falls. The finish saw Christian leap off the top rope right into a guillotine choke. Before Christian could tap, Garcia released the hold and hit a piledriver for the win.
Daniel Garcia defeated Blake Christian in 6:03.
After the match, Tony Schiavone entered the ring and asked Garcia what Moxley said to him. Garcia said we weren’t going to talk about that and that he had chased Moxley for five years and that Moxley had everything he wanted. Garcia said he can’t get it without going through Moxley and challenged him to a match next week.
Shafir returned with Wheeler Yuta. Yuta said that Garcia should be careful what he wishes for because the Death Riders accept the challenge. Yuta added that they already slayed the real American Dragon, so they shouldn’t have any issues with him.
Don’s Take: I’m interested enough to see this play out, but as the Death Riders is an act that really needs to go away for a bit and be repackaged, I can’t say that adding Garcia to this act does anything for me.
They aired an interview from “earlier today” with Lexy Nair speaking with Roderick Strong, Kyle O’Reilly, Hologram, and Tomohiro Ishii. Strong took exception to O’Reilly teaming with Ishii against Josh Alexander and Kyle Fletcher. O’Reilly explained that Ishii has had their back and looks forward to taking care of the Don Callis Family. Strong walked away.
2. Josh Alexander and Kyle Fletcher (w/Don Callis) vs. Kyle O’Reilly and Tomohiro Ishii. Callis joined the commentary team. A graphic announced….wait for it…an “all-star” eight-man tag for next week’s Dynamite featuring Hangman Adam Page, Kenny Omega, Mike Bailey, and Kevin Knight facing Kyle Fletcher, Josh Alexander and the Young Bucks.
The match was even to start with a particularly good exchange between O’Reilly and Fletcher. At some point during the exchange, Fletcher ended up with a noticeable cut on the side of his left eye. Heading into the break, the heels gained the advantage when O’Reilly was on the apron and knocked Alexander to the floor. The distraction enabled Fletcher to hit a big boot on Reilly, which sent him to the floor. Alexander then landed his own boot to O’Reilly as Fletcher posed in the ring….[C]
After the break, the heels were still working over O’Reilly. Alexander missed a moonsault, allowing O’Reilly to make the hot tag to Ishii, who cleaned house, including a great exchange with Fletcher. O’Reilly eventually tagged back in and squared off with Alexander for several near falls. The finish saw Ishii as the legal man getting a near fall on Alexander after a high-low move with O’Reilly. Fletcher entered the ring and was met by Ishii. The referee worked to get Fletcher out of the ring, allowing Alexander to hit a low blow followed by the strait jacket piledriver (formerly known as the C4 spike) for the win.
Josh Alexander and Kyle Fletcher defeated Kyle O’Reilly and Tomohiro Ishii in 13:03.
After the match, the heels celebrated in the ring as O’Reilly checked on Ishii. Roderick Strong came out and attempted to pull O’Reilly away.
Don’s Take: A good match that was received favorably by the live crowd. Announcing Fletcher and Alexander as part of the eight-man on Dynamite foreshadowed the finish a bit, but O’Reilly and Ishii haven’t been positioned as major players, so this was fine for what it was.
Backstage, Jamie Hayter brawled with Thekla. Both were separated by security….[C]
Footage from “earlier today’ was shown with Kip Sabian blaming Killswitch for the team’s loss at Forbidden Door to Christian Cage and Adam Copeland. Mother Wayne stood between the two and told Sabian to take a walk….
3. Hologram vs. Jay Lethal. Even match to start. Lethal held the advantage going into the break after an inverted back drop that landed Hologram on his stomach…[C]
Down the stretch, there was a series of action and near falls. Of note, Lethal tried to hit his signature King’s Elbow (tribute to Randy Savage) but jumped right into a roll up for a near fall. He also tried a figure-four leglock (tribute to Ric Flair), but Hologram made it to the ropes. The finish saw Lethal go for the Lethal Injection, but ran into a backstabber from Hologram. Hologram followed up with an airplane spin into a power bomb for the win. It was noted that this was Hologram’s 31st straight win.
Hologram defeated Jay Lethal in 9:48.
After the match, some weird algorithm appeared on the screen, and at the end, it said “clone activated.” Hologram looked confused in the ring.
Don’s Take: The live crowd enjoyed this but this was filler. It looks like we’re getting a feud between good and evil Holograms. OK….
A video package aired on the current situation between The Hurt Syndicate, Ricochet, and the Gates of Agony. Both teams cut promos on each other….[C]
4. Alex Windsor vs. Ashley Vox. This was a quick squash for Windsor, who gained the quick submission with a sharpshooter.
Alex Windsor defeated Ashley Vox in 1:11.
After the match, Tony Schiavone interviewed Windsor. Schiavone recounted to Windsor what Mercedes Mone had said on Dynamite. Windsor said that Mone was pissed off because Windsor made her tap. Windsor added that Mone crossed the line by bringing up Will Ospreay when they don’t know what his future holds. Windsor told her to put her money where her mouth was and challenged Mone to a match in Philadelphia.
Don’s Take: Fine for what it was. Mone really has no other credible challengers, so it’s OK to keep this program going for now.
Lexy Nair was backstage with Don Callis and Mark Briscoe. Briscoe asked Callis for an answer to his challenge to Kyle Fletcher for the TNT Title. Callis said they were very busy, but said that he would give Briscoe his shot if Briscoe could beat a member of the Don Callis Family, to be chosen by Callis.
[Hour Two] Entrances for the next match took place…
5. “FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler vs. JD Drake and Adam Priest. This was even to start with the babyfaces gaining the early lead. FTR gained the advantage heading into the break when Wheeler distracted the referee as Drake went to the top rope, allowing Harwood to knock Drake off the top rope….[C]
Coming out of the break, Drake hit a moonsault on Wheeler for a near fall, which popped the crowd. FTR hit a Shatter Machine on Drake, sending him to the outside. Priest for his own for a bit, squaring off with Harwood. The finish saw Harwood ram Priest’s shoulder into the ring post between the bottom and middle ropes three times before locking in the Border City Stretch for the submission.
“FTR” Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler defeated JD Drake and Adam Priest in 9:51.
After the match, FTR cut a promo in the ring. Wheeler said it wasn’t about Copeland – it was about FTR’s legacy. Harwood said that this could have been a dream match but it’s now a charity match with two guys who made their legacy on three letters “TLC” and two guys who made their legacy on three words “FTR”. Harwood said they would end Copeland’s and Christian’s careers. He added, “Don’t make us end your lives.”
Don’s Take: The threat of murder aside, this was a good promo to build to the match on September 20th in Toronto. The live crowd was into the match, particularly down the stretch.
A video recapped Sammy Guevara aligning with El Faccion Ingobernables at ROH Death Before Dishonor….[C]
Lexy Nair interviewed Don Callis, Josh Alexander, and Kyle Fletcher, who cut a promo to hype Wednesday’s all-star eight-man tag….
6. Big Bill (w/Bryan Keith) vs. Juice Robinson (w/Austin Gunn). The match was fairly even until Bill landed a big boot heading into the break. The crowd seems to be quieter for this one…[C]
After the break, Bill was in control. Bill rammed Robinson into the giant post that’s in the aisleway of the arena. Robinson reversed a second attempt and sent Bill into the post. Bill continued the onslaught in the ring with a bear hug. Robinson bit his way out. Robinson made the hot comeback and appeared to botch a dropkick in the process. The finish saw Robinson knock Keith off the apron, which distracted him and allowed Bill to hit the Sidewalk Slam for the win.
Big Bill defeated Juice Robinson in 9:49.
Don’s Take: The crowd definitely came down a notch for this one as this program is ice cold. Time to move on for both teams.
Sky Flight was shown “earlier today,” laughing and happy about being 2-0. Darius Martin told them to stop laughing as they had beaten Shane Taylor Promotions, but the latter had the ROH Trios Titles. Martin told them to stop treating this like a joke and to get serious.
A Gabe Kidd video package aired. He talked about how his mother called the cops on him and how he tried to commit suicide. He said he’s not afraid of death and challenged Darby Allin to a match in Philadelphia…[C]
A Darby Allin video aired where Allin promoted his fundraiser to build a skate park in McDonough, Georgia, as part of Tony Hawk’s charity….
Don’s Take: Interesting placement of a fundraiser ad for Allin right after the Kidd promo where he asks Allin to try and kill him….
7. Toni Storm, Queen Aminata, and Mina Shirakawa vs. Julia Hart, Skye Blue, and Billie Starkz in an “All Star” Women’s Trios Tag Team Match. The opening part of the match was entirely dominated by the babyfaces. Going into the commercial, the babyfaces sent the heels to the floor. Aminata and Storm held Blue, Hart, and Starkz in place to allow Shirakawa to dive onto the pile…[C]
Hart worked on Aminata. Hart tagged in Blue while Aminata made the hot tag to Storm. After Storm cleaned house, all six women battled in the ring. Hart had a bloody nose as a result of the action. Blue tagged in Hart while Storm tagged in Shirakawa. Fast action down the stretch that resulted in Mina hitting her glamorous driver finisher on Starkz for the win.
Toni Storm, Queen Aminata, and Mina Shirakawa defeated Julia Hart, Skye Blue, and Billie Starkz in 12:23.
After the match, Thekla came out and helped Hart and Blue lay out the babyface team as Starkz went to the back. The heels stood tall to end the show…
In addition to the all-star eight-man tag on Dynamite, Tony Khan made official a TBS Title match with Mercedes Mone defending against Alex Windsor. For next week’s Collision, Jon Moxley will face Daniel Garcia.
Don’s Take: A fine TV main event as is the case any time Toni Storm is involved. I appreciate AEW trying to get the Triangle of Madness over. It’s just not happening for me, even though all three individuals are talented. I will say that based on what I saw tonight, a singles feud between Thekla and Jamie Hayter could be fun.
While this was a standard edition of Collision, I’ll give it a notch above the usual “fine if you saw it, fine if you didn’t” distinction. I think this is a good use of two hours, especially if you were a fan of ECW back in the day. The crowd and building presentation was enough nostalgia for me to make this enjoyable.
That’s all for me for tonight. My predictions for WWE Clash in Paris are now available on the main page, so check them out, and I’ll be popping in again with more predictions and another Collision in a couple of weeks. Until then!
Can’t believe they didn’t fix Don Callis taped promo.His promo from “earlier today” which obviously was since it was outside in the sun,and he says Kyle Fletcher just had a win tonight.
Good catch Dennis and yes you’d think they’d fix that stuff. Sometimes when I’m focused on catching what’s being said so I can capture for the report, these little things can get missed. Well done.