AEW COLLISION – HITS & MISSES (5/17): AEW pays tribute to Steve “Mongo” McMichael, the growth of Kyle Fletcher, Jon Moxley restoring the feeling, predictable outcomes, technical issues

Welcome! While David Bryant is taking time away, I and other staffers will do our best to fill his shoes. If you’re wondering what I thought was a show’s best and worst part, know that my list of hits is in descending order. I will also provide a final score for each review. Let’s get started!

HITS

AEW STEVE “MONGO” MCMICHAEL TRIBUTE

In April, the wrestler who had been a Chicago Bear died from ALS. McMichael was honored by his family and longtime friend Ric Flair.

MENTOR NIGEL MCGUINNESS

It is fitting that Nigel McGuinness, of all people, is the mentor to Daniel Garcia, whom Bryan Danielson aspired to be.

JON MOXLEY RESTORING THE FEELING

I’m not sure if I found the effect of a bleeding Jon Moxley after the match to be more significant, but this was by far Moxley’s strongest promo throughout this Death Rider heel run. Word soup is the norm for Death Rider promos, but Moxley’s speech was composed and had a purpose. Gabe Kidd’s role as a hired gun for Moxley is fantastic.

THE GROWTH OF KYLE FLETCHER

Although many people may improve and modify their attacking techniques in the ring, Fletcher’s heel work stands out. It is incredible how he can stooge and make his opponent look fantastic and then appear to murder him a few seconds later.

GYV RETURNS

Grizzled Young Veterans returning to AEW TV is an excellent sign for the tag team division.

THE POWER OF MEGASUS

I’m still a huge fan of Megan Bayne’s potential in the Women’s dDivision. I am confident she will be the TBS Champion by the end of 2025.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

Check out the latest episode of “Acknowledging WWE” with Javier Machado, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)

MISSES

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES

Tony Khan took to social media to confirm that there were technical problems with our studio transmission. At the time, I was watching Viva Stream, and after an hour and 30 minutes of watching the show, I received a message that the stream had ended.

PREDICTABLE OUTCOMES

Everything announced from each match was a forgone conclusion on which wrestler would be victorious. As fans, it’s ok to say the predictable outcome can be good, but it’s also fair to ask for more variety regarding unpredictability while watching these shows.

FINAL SCORE

HITS: 6

MISSES: 2

FINAL THOUGHTS: The show was solid 6.5. It’s an easy watch with developments towards the Double or Nothing PPV.

Thank you all for reading. I genuinely appreciate it.

Wrestling History: On May 17, 1998, the WCW/NWO Slamboree 1998 PPV occurred at The Centrum in Worcester, Massachusetts. 11,592 fans, featuring Scott Hall and Kevin Nash vs. Sting & The Giant in the main event.

Be sure to listen to Amin Ajani and Brian Zilem on the “Collision Cafe” weekly podcast, which is available for all VIP members.