SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
AEW COLLISION REPORT
MAY 3, 2025
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. AT BOARDWALK HALL
AIRED ON LIVE TBS & MAX
REPORT BY JOSHUA WHITE, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuinness
Ring Announcer: Arkady Aura
Attendance: WrestleTix reported that 2,079 tickets had been distributed as of showtime; the venue was set up for around 2,320 seats, but can hold up to 3,200 for concerts.
[HOUR ONE]
-No Elton John this week. They went right into Adam Cole’s entrance music as Tony Schiavone welcomed viewers to the show. Cole made his full entrance as Nigel recounted Cole’s victory of Daniel Garcia at Dynasty. After posing on the apron, Adam Cole made his way to the announce desk, which was a bit removed from actual ringside area.
-Toni Storm’s music played as Cole took his spot. “Timeless” Toni Storm made her entrance in black and white with Luther in tow.
(1) TONI STORM vs. LADY FROST
Lady Frost made her entrance and they threw to a short video package showing Lady Frost in CMLL. The bell rang and the match started four minutes past the hour.
Storm and Frost locked up and chain wrestled briefly before Storm knocked Frost down with a running shoulder block. Frost rolled into a headscissor take down on Storm. Storm rolled to ringside, but Frost flipped off of the apron and took her out.
Storm got to her feet as Frost climbed onto the ring barricade. Frost flipped off the barricade and dropped Storm again. They returned to the ring, where Storm caught Frost with a Thesz press off the ropes as the crowd chanted “Toni!”
Storm remained on offense and hit a fisherman’s suplex that earned her a two count. Luther pumped the crowd up at ringside. Storm attempted her two-handed chokebomb, but Frost countered it with a rollup. Toni kicked out at two and then Frost took Storm back down with a flying lariat.
Storm rolled into the corner and Frost followed her in with a rolling attack. Frost went to the tope rope and performed a twisting crossbody from the top. She went right into the pin, but Storm kicked out at two. Frost returned to the rope rope, but this time Storm caught her with two hands to the neck. Storm spun her off into the chokebomb and went for the pin, but Frost kicked out at two.
Storm set up for the hip attack, but Frost came of the corner and met her with a thrust kick. She set up and delivered a spinning air raid crash that Schiavone referred to as the Chiller Driller. She went for the pin, but Storm kicked out at two.
Storm came back with a German suplex that landed Frost in the corner. Storm hit the running hip attack and then locked Frost up into a chicken wing hold that Nigel called the TCM Chicken Wing. Frost struggled briefly but submitted.
WINNER: Toni Storm in 6:00.
-Toni took the microphone after match. “This whore you all adore. This slut you can’t rebut. This tramp is still the champ.” Toni Storm said everyone’s coming for her; but they’re wrong, because Toni Storm comes for everybody.” She then said she’s not hard to find. She ran to various points in the arena saying she could be anywhere, before wrapping up on the boardwalk overlooking the ocean.
(White’s Take: Toni Storm continues to put on entertaining matches and then cut even more entertaining promos. I think Lady Frost has a good look and acquitted herself well throughout the bout; but the star is, and always was, Timeless Toni Storm.)
-Jon Moxley was backstage with Marina. He addressed Joe, saying he’s beyond reproach. Mox noted that Bryan Danielson was also beyond reproach. “Something to think about.” Mox clarified that he’s not afraid to step into the cage with Joe. Mox said his affairs are in order and Joe better make sure he’s thought things through.
(2) RUSH vs. SAMMY GUEVARA (w/Dustin Rhodes) vs. A.R. FOX vs. KEVIN KNIGHT – $100,000 match
Rush made his entrance in golden bull armor. Sammy made his entrance second to a decent pop. A.R. Fox was out third and Kevin Knight entered last. Apparently they were fighting for $100,000 for whatever reason.
The bell rang 17 minutes into the show. Knight and Rush knocked Fox and Guevara to ringside and then traded forearms with each other, followed by heavy chops with Rush getting the better of the exchange.
The crowd chanted “Rush” as he stomped on Knight. Knight came back with a bodyslam and went for his twisting frog splash, but Rush dodged it and hit an armdrag. Rush and Knight both went for a dropkick at the same time. They had a brief standoff before Fox and Sammy returned to the ring and knocked Rush and Knight to ringside.
Sammy leapfrogged and backflipped over Fox before hitting a dropkick. Fox came back with a fisherman buster. Rush charged into the ring and hit a forearm on Fox, then Sammy hit a knee on Fox, and Knight then took out Sammy before Rush caught Knight with an overhead belly to belly that sent Knight flying into the turnbuckle as we went to break. [c]
Back from break, Knight reversed a whip at ringside and sent Rush crashing into the ring stairs. Knight backdropped Fox to the apron and then knocked him down with a dropkick. They cut to Hologram watching the match before Fox hit a DDT on the apron to Knight.
Knight got to his feet at ringside and Fox climbed the ropes and hit an inverted plancha. Both men got to their feet as Sammy climbed to the top rope. Sammy soared through the sky with a shooting star press to the floor that took out Fox and Knight.
Rush slipped in and slammed all three men against the barricade. Rush set Knight up for a suplex onto the stairs, but Knight escaped (clunkily). Knight came back with a dropkick off the stairs that knocked Rush up the ramp. Knight charged Rush on the ramp, but Rush caught him with the overhead throw that sent Knight flying through the air and crashing onto the ramp.
Knight and Rush continued to fight to the backstage area as the crowd chanted “this is awesome.” In the ring, Sammy went for the GTH, but Fox slipped out and nailed him with an enziguri. Fox went to the top rope and performed a 450 splash onto Sammy. Fox made the cover but only got a two count.
Fox went back to the top rope and went for a flipping senton dive, but Sammy got his knees up. Sammy went for the GTH again, but Fox countered with a rollup for a two count. Fox performed a Matrix dodge of a clothesline, but Sammy caught him flush with a high knee. Sammy went for the GTH again, this time nailing Fox. Sammy went for the cover and got the three-count.
WINNER: Sammy Guevara in 14:00
Sammy climbed to the top rope and pointed towards Adam Cole, presumably asking for a TNT Title shot. Dustin Rhodes and Sammy celebrate and headed up the ramp with Sammy continuing to point at Cole.
(White’s Take: Good to Sammy back in an AEW ring. He looked good in a typically exciting, fast-paced, but totally random and ultimately meaningless match. Well, I guess $100,00 counts as stakes, but it was an otherwise pointless match.)
-Samoa Joe was backstage to address Mox. Joe told Moxley that he’s going to get Claudio net week like they got Hook and Shibata. Joe sad he understands that Mox has the ability, will, and ruthlessness to come after him. Joe said that Jon Moxley doesn’t have the heart or balls to get into a firefight with a man like Joe. Joe signed off by proclaiming that he’ll be the next world champion as we went to break. [c]
(White’s Take: Another reasonably short, but intense and welcome promo from Samoa Joe. Bonus points for his Twisted Metal t-shirt in a nod to his acting gig).
(3) MEGAN BAYNE (w/Penelope Ford) vs. HARLEY CAMERON
Back from break, Megan Bayne was making his entrance with Penelope Ford by her side. They threw to a replay of Megan Bayne attacking Anna Jay. Harley Camera entered next to a strong crowd reaction. They did not sure Harley’s promo leading up to this, but it’s worth finding online for entertainment purposes.
The match started 36 minutes into the hour. Harley attacked as the bell rang, but before Bayne was ready. Harley rammed Bayne into the corner with kicks.
Bayne tried to come back, but Harley continued her assault from the apron. Back in the ring, Harley hit an enziguri and charged in for another move, but there’s no telling what is was going to be because Bayne caught her in midair. Bayne tossed Harley across the ring with ease.
Bayne chopped and kicked Harley in the corner. When the ref was distracted, Penelope grabbed Harley by the hair. Bayne flowed up with a vertical suplex. Bayne threw Harley into the corner and charged in with a big splash followed by a double underhook suplex.
Harley came back with a jawbreaker and a foot to the face, but Bayne landed a flying clothesline that put Harley back down as we went to break. [c]
We came back from break as Bayne dragged Harley into the corner by the hair. Bayne charged into the corner but ran into a kick from Harley. Harley hopped onto the ropes, but Bayne recovered and met her in the corner. Bayne attempted a superplex, but Harley fought her off. Harley knocked Penelope off of the apron and then connected with a tilt-a-whirl DDT on Bayne. Harley went for the pin but only got a two count.
Harley attempted a vertical suplex but couldn’t quite get Bayne up. Bayne countered it into a falcon arrow right into the pin, but Harley kicked out at two. Bayne set Harley up for the Fate’s Descent, but Harley fought her way out. Harley came back with a flurry of forearms, hit the ropes and tried a clothesline, but she bounced right off of Bayne.
Bayne picked Harley up and hit a big sitout powerbomb into the pin, but Harley barely kicked out at two. Bayne set up for Fate’s Descent again, but Harley escaped again with a rollup for a two count. Harley followed it up with a running knee.
Harley went to the top rope and went for a crossbody, but Bayne caught her out of the midair. She tossed Harley onto her shoulders and finally connected with Fate’s Descent. Bayne went for the cover and got the win.
WINNER: Megan Bayne in 8:00.
(White’s Take: Much love for Harley, but she probably got a bit too much offense in on Bayne, who is supposed to be a monster heel. Still, they held the match together well considering Harley is basically still a rookie and Bayne is new on the roster.)
-After the match, Penelope picked Harley up and handed her to Bayne, who hit another Fate’s Descent. Bayne prepared for yet another one, but Anna Jay ran into the ring with two-by-four. Anna Jay hit Megan Bayne across the back with the two-by-four, but it had no effect. Bayne slowly turned around as the crowd chanted “you effed up.”
Anna tried to hit her again, but Bayne grabbed the foreign object and tossed it aside. Bayne charged Anna, but she ducked and low-bridged Bayne out of the ring. Bayne wanted to attack again, but Penelope dragged her off as we went to break. [c]
-We returned from commercial as Marina Shafir and Moxley were coming through the crowd. Marina tossed a random security guy over the barricade and then kicked another one to the ground. Marina accosted Arkady Aura in the ring and stole her microphone, which she promptly handed to Moxley.
-Mox called out Samoa Joe again, this time in response to Joe’s promo. The crowd chanted “Joe” as Mox asked what it is he doesn’t understand. Mox asked the crowd if the thought Samoa Joe was going to kick his ass, to which they obviously replied, “Yes!” Mox closed by telling Joe they’ve been in a firefight this whole time.
-We cut to the announcers hyping the title match at Beach Break and Joe facing Claudio on Dynamite. Nigel threw to a video from last week of Trent and Rocky beating up The Outrunners.
-The screen transferred backstage to the eighties as Lexy asked The Outrunners if they had anything to say to Trent and Rocky. The Outrunners challenged Rocky and Trent to a match. Truth said when you’re in the ring with the Outrunners, “some are scared to death, and some are scared to live.” They locked their muscular arms as we went back to the ring.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Dynamite: CLICK HERE (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
[HOUR TWO]
(4) JOSH ALEXANDER vs. BRODY KING
Josh Alexander made his entrance as they replayed the video from last week of Alexander pinning Brody King. The ring went dark and Brody King made his way to the ring. Schiavone hyped Brody’s 21 and six win-loss record.
The locked up to start, with Alexander grabbing a wristlock. Brody elbowed his way out of it and went for a chop, but Alexander ducked out of the way. Alexander grabbed another wristlock and this time Brody broke out and hit a chop.
Alexander fought back with a chop of his own. Alexander attempted to whip Brody, but Brody used his power to throw Alexander into the corner. Brody hit a chop in the corner and then laid Alexander across the top rope where he hit a loud overhead chop.
Alexander came back with a hotshot across the top rope followed by a kick that knocked Brody to ringside. Alexander tried a dropkick through the ropes, but Brody caught him on his shoulders and drilled Alexander with Death Valley Driver on the floor.
Brody was in control and continued his assault on Alexander at ringside with chops, then whipped him over the barricade into the crowd. Brody suplexed Alexander over the barricade back onto the floor at ringside. Brody broke the count and went back to work outside of the ring.
Brody set up a chair for Alexander and chopped him down into it. Brody barked and the crowd joined as he got a running start, but Alexander collapsed out of the chair onto the ground. Brody leaned down to pick him up, but Alexander picked the ankle and crushed Brody’s leg against the stairs with a kick.
Alexander hopped on the apron and leaped off right into a forearm from Brody. Brody struggled to get back in the ring with the now injured leg. Alexander slid between his legs and dropped Brody with a modified neckbreaker on the apron as we went to break. [c]
We returned from commercial with Brody hitting a loud chop. Brody placed Alexander on the top turnbuckle and hit another chop. Brody set up a superplex, but Alexander slipped between his legs and got the big man onto his shoulders in torture rack position. Brody escaped and hit yet another chop. Alexander tried a chop and then they traded chops, with Brody getting the advantage.
Brody grabbed Alexander by the wrist and hit another series of chops. Alexander was upset; he lowered the straps and chopped Brody again. Brody came back with a two-handed slap to the chest that dropped Alexander to the mat.
Alexander kicked Brody in the hurt ankle and followed up with back-to-back running kicks to the head. Alexander impressively lifted Brody back up onto his shoulders and slammed him down in the center of the ring. Alexander hooked the leg, but Brody kicked out at two.
Alexander looked for the C4 Spike, but Brody backdropped him out of it. Brody came back with a big sidewalk slam and went for the pin, but Alexnader kicked out at two. Brody lifted Alexander up for the Gonzo bomb, but Alexander slipped out. Alexander sidestepped a charging Brody and used his momentum to deliver a big German suplex.
Brody popped right up and dropped Alexander with a lariat. Alexander rolled to the corner as the crowd chanted “this is awesome.” Brody hit the canon ball in the corner and then went for the pin, but Alexander kicked out at two.
Alexander rolled to the relative safety of the apron but Brody grabbed Alexander and pulled him onto the turnbuckle right into a gigantic superplex, leaving both men down in the ring. They struggled to the feet where Alexander hit some forearms as we were told that there was only one minute left in the match
Alexander charged Brody in the corner, but Brody got his leg up. However, Alexander caught hos foot, draped it across the middle rope and crushed it with a knee. Alexander locked in an ankle lock on the injured ankle, but Brody bludgeoned his way out of it. Brody connected with a German suplex. Alexander popped up but ran into a clothesline from Brody. Brody set Alexander up and drilled him with Gonzo Bomb. However, he couldn’t get the pin as Alexander rolled under the ropes to ringside as the time limit expired.
WINNER: Time limit draw in 15:00.
After the match, Lance Archer helped Josh Alexander to his feet. Brody dove through the ring ropes and knocked both men down. Brody then set Lance up in the chair against the barricade. Brody stacked up an unlucky security guard and crushed both men with a running crossbody.
Josh Alexander then took out Brody’s ankle from behind. Lance and Alexander retreated up the ramp.
(White’s Take: Maybe I missed where this match was announced as having a 15 minute time limit. The match featured good, hard-hitting action, but the time limit draw seems like a cop out, given that Brody King loses too much and Alexander only recently debuted and shouldn’t be losing either. So they went broadway. Is it still broadway if they only went 15? Seems more like off-broadway or off-off-broadway.)
-We got a Cru vignette where they celebrated their win over Top Flight.
-Max Caster was in the ring for his open challenge. Max suggested that no one in the company can even last five minutes with him. They put five minutes on the clock as Max tried to get “drunk, degenerate tourists” to correctly do his chant. In a running gag, they actually kind of get it right even though it’s a horrible chant.
(5) MAX CASTER vs. DANIEL GARCIA
Daniel Garcia made his somewhat surprising entrance, as he hadn’t been seen since losing the TNT Title to Adam Cole at Dynasty. The bell rang and Garcia easily pummeled Caster into the corner. Caster came back with a throat chop, but Gracia dropped him with a swinging neckbreaker.
Garcia did his dance before shotgun dropkicking Caster into the corner. Garcia followed it up with a piledriver, went for the pin and got the win.
WINNER Daniel Garcia in 1:00.
Garcia grabbed the microphone and told FTR that he’d talk to them after their match.
-Lexy was backstage with Anthony Bowens and Billy Gunn. Lexy noted he’s the “pride of pro wrestling,” to which he responded that he’s also “the five tool player.” Bowens listed off all those tools in annoying fashion before being interrupted by Blake Christian and Lee Johnson. Lee Johnson said he’s 150 percent better than Bowens. Bowens told Lee to step up and mollwhopped by “THE FIVE TOOL PLAYER.”
(White’s Take: They’re really stretching my patience with Bowen’s repeatedly referring to himself as both the “the pride of professional wrestling” and the “five tool player.” Billy Gunn posing behind him as he lists of whatever those five attributes are doesn’t help his case).
(6) GATES OF AGONY (Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun) vs. RAY JAZZ & GOLDIE
Gates of Agony made their entrance with the unknown wrestlers waiting in the ring. There was a brief inset promo where the Gates of Agony called out Big Bill and Bryan Keith. The Bell rang and Liona and Kaun immediately beat down Ray Jazz.
Goldie ran into the ring, but Liona ejected him with a running pounce that sent him comically flying through the air, over the top rope, and rolling up the ramp. Nigel called for a replay, because it was crazy. But we didn’t get it because Liona and Kaun were setting up a double crucifix powerbomb on Jazz. They slammed him into the mat and got the pin.
WINNERS: Gates of Agony in 2:00.
-After the match, Big Bill and Bryan Keith told Gates of Agony they’re waiting in the parking lot and they aren’t coming to them.
-We cut to a replay of The Young Bucks attack Swerve from last week. Schiavone and Nigel hyped upcoming matches and events and the main event coming up next as we went to break. [c]
-We came back from break to Bryan Keith pacing in front of Big Bill in the parking lot. Gates of Agony approached, talking trash. The two teams charged into each other and immediately started brawling.
Kaun threw Keith into a random chain link fence. Bill then dropped Kaun with a big boot before Liona hit him from behind with a trash can lid. Bill threw some random dude at Liona and they had a staredown before Bryan Keith jumped onto Liona’s back. Liona crushed him into the grill of a semi truck and then they continued to brawl as we went back to the ring.
(7) FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler w/ Stoke Hathaway) vs. THE PARAGON (Roderick Strong & Kyle O’Reilly) – 2 out of 3 falls match
FTR entered with Stokely as Adam Cole noted that he’s lost respect for them. The Paragon entered second as Cole said that these are the two best tag teams.
Kyle and Cash started the match as the bell rang with 20 minutes left in the hour. Kyle went for an early armbar that Cash escaped with a pin attempt. Cash dodged a round kick and retreated to his corner.
Dax and Strong both tagged in and traded a pair of hard chops. Dax back Strong into the corner and hit a couple of chops of his own. Strong came back with some strikes and then hit Dax with a nice dropkick.
Strong tagged in Kyle who hit a pair of kicks before Dax tagged in Cash. Cash hit a European uppercut, a chop and another uppercut before tagging Dax back in. They screwed up a corner up-and-over spot and then Kyle dropped both guys with a kitchen sink knee before delivering back and forth round kicks to Dax and Cash.
Kyle swept out Dax’s legs and went for a pin, getting a two count. Cash distracted Kyle on the apron allowing FTR to set up for the Shatter Machine, but Strong ran into the ring to break it up. Strong hit a backbreaker and Kyle followed with a penalty kick. Kyle hit a brainbuster on Cash as he came into the ring, sending him back to ringside. Strong got a running start and hit a dropkick through the ropes on Cash.
Back in the ring, Kyle caught Dax in an ankle lock. Dax tried to crawl and Cash tried to pull him to the ropes from the outside. But Strong came in with a double stomp to Cash’s hands. Kyle pulled Dax into the center of the ring and kept the ankle lock on.
Stokely yelled at Dax to tap, and he apparently agreed. Dax tapped out for the first fall. The teams regrouped as we went to commercial. [c]
Back from break, FTR dropped Kyle with a double clothesline. Cash stomped Kyle and then performed a snapmare into a rear chinlock. Kyle fought out of it, but Cash regained control with another chinlock.
Kyle dodged Cash in the corner and crawled to his corner. Strong and Dax both got the tag at the same time. Strong hit a dropkick, clothesline, and backbreaker on Dax. He caught Cash with a flying knee and then hoisted Dax up and dropped him down on top of Cash. Strong hit a series of running forearms and then planted Dax face first into the mat.
Strong went for the pin, but Dax kicked out at two. They all fought the floor where Strong stacked Dax and Cash up on a chair at ringside. Kyle came flying off of the apron and dropkicked both men causing the chair to break underneath them.
Strong and Dax fought out into the crowd as the ref followed along helplessly. Meanwhile, Cash rammed Kyle into the barricade. Back in the ring, Dax made the tag. Strong took Dax down with a clothesline but Cash caught him with a chopblock, giving FTR control heading into the final break. [c]
Back from commercial, Kyle got the hot tag, taking out cash with a running knee off of the apron. Kyle struck Dax down at ringside and tossed Cash back into the ring. Kyle went for a suplex into an armbar, but Cash locked his arms. Kyle transitioned into an ankle lock, but Dax got into the ring and broke it up.
Kyle fought off both men and caught Cash with a combination of strikes and went for the pin, getting a two count. Kyle went for another ankle lock, but Cash made the tag. Kyle tagged in Strong, who was limping. Dax knocked Kyle out of the ring and FTR hit a Shatter Machine seemingly out of nowhere. Dax made the cover and got the three count to tie it up.
FTR set up for a spike piledriver, but Kyle knocked Cash off of the top rope. Kyle came in with a flying knee allowing Strong to roll Dax up for a two count. The Paragon hit a double team high knee and sweep on Dax. Strong flew over the top rope to take down Cash as Kyle went for the pin, getting another two count.
FTR tried for the Shatter machine again, but Strong and Kyle countered it this time, knocking Cash to ringside. They hit the high and low on Dax. Kyle went for the pin and got the three count, even as Cash put Dax’s foot on the rope. The bell rang, but the ref maybe called it off? It was unclear as Kyle and Strong were confused.
They restarted the match, allowing Dax and Cash to attack from behind, knocking Strong to ringside. Kyle put Cash into the ankle lock, but he wasn’t the legal man. Dax gouged Kyle’s eyes and FTR then caught Kyle with the Shatter Machine and went for the pin, securing the second fall and the win.
WINNER: FTR in 23:00
(White’s Take: This was a perfectly competent main event for Collision. It featured a feud that’s been building for a while, with several call backs to their previous encounters. The two out of three falls stipulation seemed unnecessary, but they used that gimmick fairly well. All in all, it was twenty minutes of a fine match with a wonky, unsatisfying finish. The ref clearly counted to three and the bell rang. But they restarted the match because he saw the foot on the rope afterwards? Since when do they do that? It’s not like Dax’s wife and daughter were in the crowd to call attention to it to restart the match. And Roddy and Kyle had no idea what was going on.)
-After the match, Adam Cole left the commentary desk to assist Roddy and Kyle. FTR celebrated with Stokely in the center of the ring until Daniel Garcia’s music hit. Danny walked straight down to the ring with a crowbar and a microphone.
Garcia said he wanted to beat them all with a crowbar, but he can’t because he loved FTR. Danny said he’s left looking for answers and told them to meet him in the ring next week and he’ll beat the answers out of them. Garcia’s music played and we signed off with Schiavone hyping the upcoming episode of Dynamite.
FINAL THOUGHTS: A typical, easy, breezy episode of Collision. Only minor storyline movement and plenty of in-ring action. While it remains eminently skippable, there were a number of bright spots. Toni Storm is the brightest spot of all, but Joe cut a good promo, and even Moxley’s promo was grounded and good. The main event should’ve been great on paper, but was merely decent in reality. However, it was presumably the conclusion to a long running storyline that predated FTR’s heel turn.
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