AEW Collision 5/8/2025

AEW Collision 5/8/2025

Last week's show is here: https://prowresblog.blogspot.com/2025/05/aew-collision-532024.html

This show was on a Thursday likely due to WWE having a PPV on Saturday when Collision would usually be on.

We are in Detroit, MI.

Toni Storm comes out and talks in one of the boxes. She makes dirty innuedos and says the first bang is nothing like fighting for the women's title. She says she's not waiting for the next Hayter or CEO and says let's get timeless.

The Paragon are interviewed. Strong says they are disappointed about the 2/3 Falls match with FTR. He says he thought it would be like riding a bike since him and Kyle got back together but it's been tougher than they expected. Kyle says they are one of the toughest teams in the world. Cole says last week was a tough loss but they are one of the top teams. The Grizzled Young Veterans walk in for some reason. Gibson says they got soft and said they forgot what it's like to fight for their spot. Kyle says how about GYV are the first team they stomp on their way to the top. 

Thoughts: That was random. I can't tell you the last time we saw The Vet's on this show.

Ricochet vs Angelico

Here's another random one. They say it's been a long time since we have seen Ange and that's the truth.

Ric snapmares Ange, tries to pin him then gets in his face. Ange armdrags him then armlocks him. Ange rubs his head then armlocks him. Ric pulls Ange out then tornillos him outside. Ric chases Serpentico with a chair.

We go to PiP break and return. Ric misses a corner splash. He spin kicks Ange then Ange pumping knees him. Ric pumping knees him. Ange hits a lifting and spinning flatliner. Ange hits flying lariats. Ange ties up Ric's arms and slaps his head. Ange tequila sunrises him. 

Ric pulls Ange's throat down over the top rope. Ric springboard lariats him. Ric running ssp's him. Ric hits a spirit gun and wins.

Thoughts: It was a reverse squash with Ange getting most of the offense in and clowning Ric before losing. This didn't do much for Ric and went longer than I expected.

Ric gets on the mic after. He tells the crowd to boo him and says their boos mean nothing. He says if you cheer for the Detroit Lions, you are dumb as hell. He says the fans should be cheering for him. He says he beat Brody, Briscoe, Swerve, Will and Omega.

Zack Gowen is in the front row and Ric points him out. Ric says he was a big fan of him. He said he rememberes when Brock beat his @ss up and down the arena's. Ric tells Zack's kids that he used to wrestle but is now a fan. Ric asks if he doesn't have a leg in the fight anymore. He shoves him and asks where his passion is. Security comes up and Ric hits them. He throws one guard into the rail and another into the steps. Ric then cuts one of the guard's hair.

Zack Gowen comes in and grabs Ric's scissors. Ric kicks Zack in his good leg then hits a spirit gun. Ric then rips off the fake leg then walks out with it. Ric then tries to use the fake leg.

Thoughts: Did Tony pull up some random wrestler generator or something to book this show? Where did this come from and why?

Bandido, AR Fox and The Outrunners (Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd) vs The Don Callis Family (Kyle Fletcher, Lance Archer, Trent Baretta and Rocky Romero)

Band chops Kyle then Kyle shoulders him over. Band spinning headscissors Kyle and dropkicks him. Trent comes in and pounds on Band. AR hits a top rope swanton on Rocky and Trent. AR kips down out of a Lance lariat, kips up and enzugiri's him. Rocky is sent into Turbo's boot. Rocky is held for a euro from Truth. Trent takes a double hiptoss.

Turbo hits a lariat + bulldog combo. Lance hits a double chokeslam on The Runners. We go to PiP break and return. Truth hits punches on Kyle then cradles him for 2. Band tornillos off the top onto Kyle on the inside. Trent and Rocky take atomic drops and go over the top. The Runners throw Lance over the top. AR gets on his partners shoulders and swantons outside. Band then jumps off The Runners backs and flip dives outside. The Runners double elbow drop Kyle. AR hits a top rope swanton on Kyle and Band hits a top rope splash on him.

Kyle blocks Band's 21plex. Band flips out of a suplex and Kyle spinning fire thunders Band. AR cannonballs Kyle in the corner then fisherman busters Trent. AR ddt's Lance over the 2nd rope. AR kins the cat and dropkicks Rocky on the way in then cutters Kyle and him.

Lance crossbodies The Runners outside. AR hits a double cutter on Rocky and Trent. AR is thrown off the top by Lance. AR takes a jackal driver from Rocky and Trent is pinned.

Thoughts: It was what you would expect but they didn't overdo it and it was fine. We got some nice dives out of this and Trent and Rocky's new finisher is cool.

Mox does a promo outside. He says Joe took out his #1 man last night. He says everyone thinks Joe is gonna beat his @ss. He says there's no question about that but asks how long Joe can do it as he has all night. He says Joe is the embodiment of a champ but he is not champ. Mox says he doesn't need to be feared or respected, he just needs Joe to show up. He says there's nowhere else he'd rather be than in a cage with Joe. He says when the storm comes through, the only thing that matters is who is the last man standing.

Anthony Bowens vs Lee Johnson

Bowens wristlocks him. Lee reverses it. Bowens snapmares him then rolls him into a pin attempt. Lee side headlocks him. Bowens chops him and boots him in the corner. Bowens chases Lee around outside. Lee backs up into Billy Gunn. Bowens then punches Lee and sends him into the rails.

Bowens hits kicks and an over the back famesser inside. Bowens then does a reverse buckingham drop for 1. Lee throws Bowens out then tope con hilos him. Lee hits superkicks. Bowens then superkicks him back. Blake Christian distracts Bowens and Lee gets a 2 count. Bowens forearms Lee and wins.

Thoughts: It wasn't anything too special. There was a lot of interference and no great logic or anything to it.

Blake tries to hit Billy after and is thrown out. Bowens talks on the mic and puts himself over. He then scissors with him.

The Gates of Agony come out to talk. They ask if Big Bill and Bryan Keith can walk through these gates and redeem themselves. Toa says they won't do it in a parking lot tonight but right here in the ring. They call them out.

Bill and Keith come out and they brawl. Toa takes a facekick from Bill out. Keith and Kaun go over the top with a lariat. Bill is sent into the rails and has his head banged off the steps. Toa runs into the and over the rails when Bill moves. Keith takes an air crash through 2 tables off the stage (somewhat).

Security comes out and Bill fights with Toa. Bill facekicks Toa then is speared off the stage through 2 tables. Everyone is down and gets checked on.

Willow Nightingale vs Kris Statlander

I'm pretty sure Willow is on Ozempic as she lost a ton of weight fast. They shove each other. Kris side headlocks her. Willow waistlock takedowns her. Kris slaps her then trips her. Kris hits a low crossbody. Willow slaps her. They chop each other. Willow bangs Kris' head off the buckles. Kris sunset flips her then buzzsaw kicks her for 2.  

They try pin attempts. Kris 2nd rope back elbows her. Kris pounces her. Willow cannonballs her off the apron. Kris suplexes her on the floor. We go to PiP break and return. Willow germans Kris then Kris germans her. Willow back splashes her.

Kris euros her and running knees her in the corner. Willow facekicks Kris. Kris no sells it and pele kicks her. Willow spinebusters her for 2. Willow hits a corner lariat flurry. Kris superkicks her and scissors kicks her for 2. Willow death valley drivers her for 2.

Willow hits corner punches. Kris superplexes her. Willow hits a big lariat then powerbombs her. The Death riders come back. Shafir chokes and hits Willow with a chain. Kris hits a single leg package tombstone and wins.

Thoughts: They got a lot of time here and really got to go all out. I don't know if this was quite the match they should have had as there was an easy story to tell with this one. They didn't play up the former friends thing much at all. They did stiff each other though and had a hard hitting bout. There was also a fair bit of no selling. I liked it overall.

We get a video on Skye Blue who is returning in Chicago next week. She's back and says she's violent. She has a new look.

The Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita and Josh Alexander) vs  The Dark Order (Evil Uno and Alex Reynolds)

The Family nails The Order at the bell. KT whips Uno with his jacket outside. Josh running boots Alex. Alex goes up and over. Alex is pulled down off a springboard attempt. Alex then takes a crossbody to the back while on the apron from Josh.

KT forearms Uno over. Uno hits a flying headscissors on KT. KT lariats Uno and blue thunders Alex. Uno is thrown into a jumping knee from KT off the buckles. Alex takes a double forearm then a straightjacket piledriver. Josh then wins.

Thoughts: The random AEW name generator strikes again here. We haven't seen The Dark Order in a long time. It was all squash as expected with the heels dominating. 

Mike Bailey vs Dralistico

They lock up. Dral chops and forearms him in the corner. Mike kicks him in the gut. They go outside and Dral forearms him there. Mike asai moonsaults Dral outside.

Dral eye rakes him and flying headscissors him into the steps. Dral then superkicks him against the steps. We go to PiP break and return. Dral chokes Mike on the ropes with his leg. They trade chops then Mike hits chest kicks. They trade kicks. Mike kick combos him. Dral high kicks him. Mike superkicks him.

Mike axe kicks and chest kicks him. Mike running ssp's him for 2. Mike hits a falcon arrow. Mike is dropkicked in the knee and Dral la magistral's him for 2. Dral crucifix bombs him. Mike then canadian destroyers him. Dral corkscrew kicks him.

Mike standing moonsault double knees Dral on the apron. Mike spinning back high kicks him and wins.

Thoughts: It wasn't as wild as their last encounter which I appreciated but they did crucifix bombs and canadian destroyers which meant nothing. It was a lot more strike oriented than you would think.

Rush comes out and points at Mike.  

Daniel Garcia vs Dax Harwood

DG backs up Dax in the corner and slaps his head. Dax forearms DG and chops him in the corner. We get more chops from both. Dax shoulders him over. DG hits mounted shots. Dax neckbreakers him.

Dax hits kneedrops. DG catapults Dax into the post. Dax is busted open and DG pounds on him. DG dropkicks him into the rails several times. Cash stops DG then Dax drops DG.

Dax grabs a ring bell and fights the ref for it. DG sharpshooters him then Cash breaks it up and bridging cutters DG on the floor. Matt Menard then comes out and beats up Cash. We go to PiP break and return.

Dax piefaces and slaps him. DG hits chops. DG hits lariats. Dax forearms him then DG lariats him. DG hits corner punches. Dax pulls the top turnbuckle off and is backdropped for 2. DG is sent into the exposed buckle and Dax slingshot powerbombs him.

DG superplexes him then holds on for 2 more superplexes. They go out then go into the crowd to fight. DG's head is banged off a rail. Dax choses Nigel's head from behind. Dax tries to get Nigel to hit him. Nigel makes a remark about Dax being bald and Dax shoves him. Stoke distracts DG and the ref. Dax low blows DG. Nigel gets in the ring and hits Dax in the gut. Nigel euros him then throws Cash down. DG lariats Dax over the top and Menard lariats Cash over the top.

Thoughts: It went long and was kind of random with Nigel and Matt Menard getting involved. The triple superplex spot was a new one. The work was fine but we knew what this was going to be and it wasn't super interesting. I'm really surprised we didn't get a true finish to this.

Overall thoughts: Random is the word for this show. The Grizzled Young Veterans, Zack Gowen and The Dark Order appeared and then Nigel McGuiness got involved in the main. Ric/Angelico was a reverse squash. The 8-man was fun. Bowens/Johnson was just a match. Willow/Kris was mostly good. The Don Callis Family came out for another squash. Mike Bailey and Dralistico was more strike oriented than I expected and they showed a little more restraint than last time. The main was okay but had tons of shenanigans we didn't really get a finish out of it. As always, the stars were not on this show and it wasn't AEW's best work. I'd give it a 5 out of 10 as the show had some issues but nothing great or awful.