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AEW COLLISION BEACH BREAK REPORT
MAY 17, 2025 (Recorded 5/14)
HOFFMAN ESTATES, ILL. AT NOW ARENA
AIRED ON TBS & MAX
REPORT BY JOSHUA WHITE, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuinness
Ring Announcer: Arkady Aura
Attendance: WrestleTix reported just before showtime that 4,830 tickets had been distributed; arena is set up for 4,867. The arena has a capacity of 11,218 spectators when configured for concerts.
[HOUR ONE]
-Elton John and fireworks marked the beginning of the Beach Break edition of Collision. Tony welcome everyone to the show before Megan Bayne’s music played.
(1) MEGAN BAYNE (w/Penelope Ford) vs. ANNA JAY (w/Harley Cameron)
Penelope was out first before Bayne emerged onto the stage. As she entered, Tony and Nigel ran down the brief history of Anna Jay and Megan Bayne’s feud. Anna Jay entered next with Harley Cameron by her side. She tried to get the crowd clapping, and it briefly, almost worked. But then it didn’t.
The bell rang and Megan immediately powered Anna into the corner and hit some shoulder thrusts followed by a chop. Anna slipped out of a scoop slam and connected with some low kicks before taking Bayne down with a low dropkick.
Anna dodged Bayne in the corner and delivered a kick from the apron. Bayne distracted the referee, allowing Penelope to pull Anna off of the apron and then delivered a standing moonsault from the apron onto Anna on the floor.
Bayne followed her to ringside and whipped her into the barricade. Bayne hoisted Anna up and dropped her across the apron. Bayne posed before enter re-entering the ring.
Bayne lifted Anna up into a bearhug. Anna struggled and Harley tried to get the crowd going, but Bayne easily just tossed Anna over her head. Anna rolled to the apron and Bayne attempted a senton, but Anna rolled out of the way and Bayne crashed back first into the apron.
Bayne rolled into the ring where Anna caught her with a jawbreaker. Anna hit some forearms and then dodged a pump kick from Bayne. Anna landed a heel kick followed by a back stabber. Bayne pulled herself up int eh corner where Anna caught her with a spinning heel kick.
Anna came off the ropes and Bayne lifted her straight into position for the Fate’s Descent. Anna struggled and grabbed the top rope to escape. Anna hit a neckbreaker in the ropes, sending Bayne stumbling back. Bayne charged and Anna ducked and lowered the top rope, sending Bayne tumbling to ringside.
Anna got a running start and took out both Bayne and Penelope with a crossbody to the floor. Back in the ring, Anna climbed to the middle rope and connected with a blockbuster on Bayne.
Anna set up for a suplex, but Bayne used her power to counter it into a flacon arrow. Bayne went for the pin but only got a two count. Bayne slapped Anna across the face before setting up for Fate’s Descent again. Anna escaped, landing on her feet and then delivered an DDT. Anna covered but only got a two count.
Bayne got to her feet where Anna locked in her Queen Slayer sleeper hold. Bayne backed Anna into the corner to break the hold.
As the ref was distracted, Penelope removed the turnbuckle pad in the opposite corner. Harley pulled Penelope out of the ring where they began to brawl (including Penelope smacking Harley with the turnbuckle pad).
In the ring, Bayne whipped Anna towards the exposed turnbuckle, but she put on the brakes. Bayne charged in behind and Anna caught her with a drop toe hold that sent her face first into the turnbuckle. Anna followed it up with a rollup, but Bayne kicked out at two.
Anna locked in the Queen Slayer on the ground, but Bayne powered to her feet with Anna on her back. Bayne backed Anna into the exposed turnbuckle to break the hold. Bayne hoisted Anna onto her shoulders and transitioned into a clunky looking powerbomb.
Bayne deadlifted Anna from the mat onto her shoulders and finally hit a weak-looking Fate’s Descent (Anna basically landed on her feet before hitting the mat). Bayne went for the pin and got the win.
WINNER: Megan Bayne in 8:00
(White’s Take: Bayne continued to look dominant, but this match had a few clunky spots, particularly at the end. On the plus side, Bayne did well in a longer-form, non-squash match. Everyone constantly referencing Anna’s “Fat Ass” (her words) is wearing thin and leaning into cringe territory.)
-Tony ran down some of the upcoming matches of this show, including Wheeler Yuta in the main event.
-Nigel had something to say and he acknowledged things got out of hand with FTR. Nigel concluded that this would never end unless he gets in the ring. And just like that, the match is set for Double or Nothing.
(1) KYLE FLETCHER (w/Don Callis) vs. A.R. FOX
Kyle Fletcher made his entrance bathed in pink light with Don Callis. Callis made his way to the announce desk, because Don Callis always calls his guys’ matches. A.R. Fox entered to a decent crowd reception, prepared to get in too much (impressive) offense in a loss against a higher caliber star.
Fletcher charged in with a kick as the bell rang, catching Fox off guard. Fletcher kicked Fox in the corner and then landed some heavy, loud chops. Fox dodged Fletcher in the ropes and slipped to the apron. Fox rolled into the ring right into a suplex attempt that Fletcher countered, but Fox countered the counter and flipped out onto his feet.
Fox came back with a single leg dropkick that dropped Fletcher to the mat. Fox grabbed Fletcher by the wrist and bounced off the ropes, repeatedly, annoyingly until he finally landed a bulldog on Fletcher.
Fletcher escaped to ringside for a brief respite. Fox looked like he was going for a dive, but Fletcher slid into the ring and lifted Fox up into a swinging sidewalk slam. Fletcher delivered a stomp as they went to the first break of the night. [c]
Back from break, Fox fought off a superplex attempt from Fletcher. Fox got to his feet on the top rope, but Fletcher hit the ropes. Fox somehow maintained his balance, flipped off of the ropes and delivered a grounded cutter on Fletcher.
Across the ring, Fox ran into a boot from Fletcher, who theh perched himself onto the top rope. Fox caught Fletcher with a kick, grabbed both wrists and nailed him with a gorinoclasm from the top rope, held onto both wrists and followed it up with another cutter. Fox went for the pin and got a two count.
Fox set up a package piledriver, but Fletcher powered out of it and caught Fox with a snap half-and-half suplex. Fletcher charged and Fox backdropped him over the top rope. Fletcher landed on his feet on the apron, but Fox swept his legs out from under him. Fox then performed a flip over the top rope into a double stomp on the apron (Nigel called this a “Shadow Stomp”).
Fox knocked Fletcher to the floor with a sliding dropkick then hit to opposite ropes and nailed Fletcher with a flipping dive over the top rope. Back in the ring, Fox climbed to the top rope and went for a 450 splash, but Fletcher rolled out of the way. Fox landed on his feet, but Fletcher caught him with a Michinoku driver straight into a tight pin. Fox just barely kicked out.
Fletcher hit the running gamengiri in the corner and went for his brainbuster, but Fox countered it into a rollup for a two count. Fox ate a kick to the face but came back with an enziguri. Fox hit the ropes but Fletcher met him there with a huge running kick.
Fletcher followed it up with another running kick against the ropes. Fletcher screamed and set Fox up for the brainbuster again. Fletcher lifted Fox up, briefly paused, and then drilled him into the mat with the sheer drop brainbuster. Fletcher hooked the leg and got the three count.
WINNER: Kyle Fletcher in 10:00
(White’s Take: Once again, as predicted, Fox got in an awful lot of offense against a future top star. It was an entertaining affair, with a lot of innovative offense from Fox. But Kyle still looked like the bigger star, with much more grounded and physical offense.)
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)
(3) THE CALLIS FAMILY (Rocky Romero & Trent Beretta & Lance Archer w/Don Callis) vs. BRODY KING & TOMOHIRO ISHII & BANDIDO
RPG Vice entered first before Lance Archer’s music played. Callis joined the group as they walked to the ring. Callis returned to the commentary desk as Brody King’s music played. Brody waited on the stage as Ishii and Bandido both entered separately.
Trent and Rocky started attacking Ishii as soon the bell rang, before Archer ran in and knocked Ishii to the mat. Ishii tagged in Brody. The crowd chanted “meat” as Brody and Archer traded forearms. Brody landed a nice chop, but Archer came back with a throat chop.
Archer hit the ropes and ran into a big boot. Archer rolled to ringside and Brody hit the ropes and nailed Archer with a suicide dive to the outside. Brody knocked Archer into the corner and set him up on a chair against the barricade.
Brody tried to hit a running crossbody but Trent intercepted him with a running knee. All six men brawled to outside the ring as they went to commercial. [c]
Back from break, Ishii executed a German suplex on Rocky and went for the pin, but Trent broke it up. Rocky and Trent hit a double knee on Ishii as Archer charged in and knocked Brody off the apron.
The three men triple-teamed Ishii, culminating in a huge chokeslam from Archer. Archer went for the cover and got a two count. Trent set up for the Dudebuster on Ishii, but Bandido broke it up with a kick. Bandido took out Rocky with a pop up into a cutter.
Brody and Ishii both splashed onto Rocky in the corner and then threw their weight behind Bandido who delivered an accelerated dropkick that dropped Rocky in the corner. Brody got a running start and connected with the running canon ball. He dragged Rocky out fo the corner, went for the pin, and got the win.
WINNERS: Brody King, Ishii, & Bandido in 9:00
(White’s Take: Kind of surprised to see this random assortment of guys get a win over the Callis Family. Nice to see Brody King coming out on top though. It was a good, chaotic trios match. Fans of these types of matches loved the action, while they rest of us just threw our collective hands up as the rules of tag team wrestling went right out of the window from the get-go.)
-After the match, Archer and Trent attacked the winning team from behind. The continued the beatdown until The Outrunners sprinted down the ramp to their music. Truth Magnum and Turbo Floyd cleared the heels out of the ring.
-Lexy Nair was backstage with the Paragon. Adam Cole addressed how many people want a shot at the TNT Championship (who he’s speaking about, I have no idea). Grizzled Young Vets interrupted their promo again. They reemphasized that the group has gone soft. Roddy spoke up and addressed the “GRIZZLED! Young vets,” saying he likes their scarves but what he’d like more is to beat their ass. GYV took that as a challenge and accepted for a match next week.
(4) BLAKE CHRISTIAN (w/Lee Johnson) vs. “SPEEDBALL” MIKE BAILEY
“Vanilla Baby” Blake Christian was out first with his buddy, Lee Johnson. The crowd didn’t seem to care much. “Speedball” entered to a much better reaction to the crowd. The bell rang as the crowd chanted “Speedball.”
Blake hit the ropes fast and Bailey immediately caught him with a standing Spanish fly into a pin for a two count. Balke dodged a couple of kicks until Bailey caught him with the rapid fire kicks.
Bailey landed a running boot in the corner and hopped onto the top rope. He connected with the moonsault knees onto Blake. Bailey hooked the leg, but Blake kicked out at two. Blake dodged Bailey int eh corner and executed a springboard kick to the back of Bailey’s head.
Bailey rolled to ringside as Blake headed to the adjacent apron. Blake got a running start and blasted Bailey with a dive from the apron, diagonally through the bottom ropes. Blake rolled Bailey into the ring and climbed to the top rope. Blake executed a 450 into a stomp that crushed Bailey on the mat.
They showed a replay, it looked rough. Bailey clutched his abs and Blake continued his attack and the crowd chanted “Speedball.” Bailey tried to come back, but Blake dodged his kicks and connected with a high knee.
Blake attempted a springboard from the apron but flew right into a kick to the face. The two men traded chops in the ring, Bailey absorbed Blake’s chops, so he stomped Bailey’s bare foot. Bailey hopped on one foot while Blake hit the ropes, but Bailey delivered a Crane Kick that knocked Blake to the mat, sending him rolling to the apron.
Bailey got a running start knocked him off the apron with a pump kick. Bailey followed it up with a moonsault from the middle rope to the floor on Blake. Lee Johnson distracted Bailey just long enough for Blake to land a twisting dive through the middle ropes.
Balke threw Bailey into the ring and climbed to the top rope. Balke went for the 450 stomp again, but Bailey rolled out of the way. Blake went to the opposite corner, but Bailey met him with a high kick.
Bailey took Blake down with a hurricanrana. Blake got to his feet and Bailey rocked him with the twisting tornado spinning heel kick (Schiavone clarified that it’s just a “Tornado Kick”). Bailey went for the pin and easily got the three count.
WINNER: Bailey in 6:00
(White’s Take: This was a short match, but it packed in a lot of action. Blake continued down the AR Fox Junior route while Bailey continued to shine.)
-Lee Johnson helped Blake to the back as “Speedball” grabbed a mic and touted Chicago’s beautiful weather. Which led him to call out Okada and his title to “make it rain.”
Okada’s music played and he entered in a suit looking around the arena, not particularly impressed. Okada said “Bailey, I prove it. Bitch!” Bailey looked shocked that Okada would use such language.
Out of nowhere, Dralistico attacked Bailey from behind. Rush joined in the action and they beat Bailey down as Okada backed out through the tunnel.
-They showed a brief video running down the feud between Gates of Agony and Big Bill & Bryan Keith before they went to break. [c]
-Back from commercial they went to a video of Moxley after Dynamite, still covered in blood from the cage match. Mox says you can’t break someone who’s been broken so many times. Stronger than steel, iron, and gold, like the gold people wrap around their waists. Mox says Anarchy would be an improvement over everyone pretending to be something their not. Moxley said Gabe Kidd works for him.
(5) BIG BILL & BRYAN KEITH vs. GATES OF AGONY (Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun) – Chicago Street Fight
The Learning Tree music played to bring out Big Bill and Bryan Ketih, the latter carrying a stick and a piece of drywall. Bill immediately fetched a table and threw it into the middle of the ring before the match even started.
Kaun and Liona game out in street clothes with trash cans. The bell rang as Bill and Keith charge and met them on the ramp. Bill hit Liona with a big boot and then hit him with a trash can. Liona came back with a barbed wire baseball bat.
Bill came back and threw Liona heavily into the ring stairs. Meanwhile Kaun pummeled Keith. Bill slapped Kaun with a parking sign of some kind and then fetched a traffic cone, which he proceeded to beat Kaun with.
In the ring, Kaun ducked under an attack from Bill in the corner, charged and speared Keith through the table set up in the opposite corner. Liona rolled into the ring and brawled with Bill as the crowd chanted “meat.”
Liona grabbed a pull cue and then snapped it in half over his own head. He tossed half to the mat and told Bill to pick it up. Bill looked uneasy before both men traded shots with the remains of the pool cue. Each caught the other’s attack and then they went back to trading punches, and then running into each other with neither getting the better of the exchange.
Kaun grabbed Bill from behind, wrapping some electrical wire around his throat. He used the wire to drag Bill to ringside where he continued to choke him. Keith went for a crossbody off the apron onto Liona but got caught. Liona slammed Keith into the apron as they went to commercial. [c]
Back from break, Liona and Kaun spear and dropkicked a trashcan with legs in the corner. It was then revealed that Keith was in the trash can. Bill cleared Kaun and Liona from the ring. Keith finally got out fo the trash can as Bill went to ringside and rammed Kaun into the barricade.
Bill grabbed a backpack that he had brought with him. He dumped out a couple of bricks. Bill swung a brick at Kaun’s head, but missed and it shattered on the ring post. Kaun the whacked Bill on the head with a street sign. Bill stumbled towards the announce desk and Liona came running out of nowhere and drilled him with a running pounce that knocked Bill violently over the announce table.
Kieth hit Liona in the head with the trash can lid, but he was unphased. HE tried again, but Liona ripped it from his hands and smacked him with it. Liona set Keith up onto the barricade. Liona got a running start and charged, but Keith connected with another shot to the head with the trash can lid. Liona was stunned, but shrugged it off and charged again, this time tackling Keith over the barricade into the timekeeper’s area.
Back in the ring, Kaun walloped Bill with a trash can. Kaun tried to get Bill up for something, but Keith hit him from behind with the trash can. Liona grabbed Keith’s leg and dragged him to the outside. He set Keith up on the apron in front of a pair of tables that had been placed at ringside at some point.
Liona got Keith up on his shoulders, but Keith slipped off and caught Liona under the chin with a rising, thrusting headbutt. Liona was stunned on the apron and Bill caught him with a running big boot that sent Liona crashing through the pair of tables.
Kaun hit Bill from behind with the trash can again. Keith whacked Kaun across the back with the piece of drywall. He then shattered it across Kaun’s head. Kaun got to his knees and laughed as the crowd chanted for “drywall.”
Keith rocked Kaun with a knee and then Bill grabbed him by the throat. Bill hoisted Kaun way up into the air and drove him down with a big chokeslam onto the shards of drywall. Bill made the cover and got the win.
WINNERS: Big Bill & Bryan Keith in 14:00
(White’s Take: This. Was. A. Lot. These two teams have been brawling for a few weeks now, so at least they’ve been building to this encounter. It was chaotic and violent but never felt unsafe. Lots of foreign objects and typical street fight spots. Big Bill looked great throughout and maybe they’ve finally impressed Jericho now that his Fozzy tour is done for now.)
-They went to a video with Mina Shirakawa discussing her history with Toni Stom. Mina said Toni is everything a champion should be, but so is Mina. She said “Mina is now.”
-Tony Schaivone was on the stage with some football paraphernalia in front of a picture of Steve McMichael. Tony noted that the crowd has been chanting “Mongo” all night. I’m not sure they have been. Tony invited out Mongo’s widow, who said a few words before Tony welcomed Dean Malenko.
Tony discussed Steve’s achievements before welcoming out Ric Flair. The husk of Ric Flair emerged to his music in a flashy suit. Flair said Chicago is one of the best wrestling towns in the world. Ric delivered a short speech that actually got that “Mongo” chant started. Tony mentioned that AEW has partnered with the Les Turner ALS Foundation to raise money and awareness for ALS.
(White’s Take: This whole thing felt a little weird, but it was still nice. Ric Flair was surprisingly good in his short speech).
-Then they suddenly cut to commercial. And this is where things got weird. On Max, the “This Event Has Ended” screen popped up. On TNT, they returned from commercial to The Rock’s film, Black Adam. What I saw wasn’t good, and it kind of explains what happened to The Rock’s Hollywood career, but does nothing to explain what happened to Collision.
Tony Khan hopped on social media to say they were experiencing technical difficulties, and the complete show would be available on Max (at some point), and will air in its entirety on the west coast feed of TNT. This was all quite strange, particularly given that this episode was pre-taped. Based on that, it would seem like a Warner Brothers screw up. However, given AEW’s checkered past with broadcast follies, there’s no telling. Maybe the world just wasn’t ready for a Wheeler Yuta main event.
Back from commercial three hours later on the West coast feed… just kidding. Back to Black Adam. Nice ticker running across that bottom explaining Collision is not airing tonight (except the previous one and half hours, I suppose). It said to check allelitewrestling.com for updates. Let’s face it, no one has ever checked that website for updates on anything. The website just said they had continued transmission issues and it’ll be on Max as soon as possible. I’d argue “as soon as possible” came and went a while back. So…..
FINAL THOUGHTS: It’s hard to speculate whether the final two recorded matches of Dustin Rhodes & Sammy Guevara vs. Cru and the main event of Wheeler Yuta vs. Powerhouse Hobbs would’ve positively affected the show. I can safely say the transmission issues negatively affected my viewing experience. But, what we did get was a typical episode of Collision. Perfectly fine matches, well worked, with no major storyline advancements. The climax of a Collision-based feud between Gates of Agony and Big Bill & Bryan Keith will likely appeal to fans of chaotic hardcore matches. Meanwhile fans of meaningless, well-worked matches will find a lot to like in the Fletcher vs. Fox or the trios tag match.
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