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AEW COLLISION REPORT
JULY 31, 2025
CHICAGO, ILL. AT BYLINE BANK ARAGON BALLROOM
AIRED LIVE ON TBS & HBO MAX
REPORT BY JOSHUA WHITE, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness & Tony Schiavone
Ring Announcer: Arkady Aura
Attendance: WrestleTix reported that 1,137 tickets had been distributed a few hours before the start of the show; the arena was set up for 1,144.
[HOUR ONE]
-Tony Schiavone welcomed everyone to the show and ran down some of the upcoming matches before Nigel joined to discuss the title match from Dynamite the night before. Suddenly a security guard flew across the screen. Wheeler Yuta appeared, with Marina Shafir and Jon Moxley. Yuta continued to beat up the security guard as Moxley rolled into the ring with a microphone.
Moxley addressed Darby Allin for coming back after being thrown down a set of stairs and surviving Mount Everest. Moxley called Darby out who appeared standing on the upper balcony. Moxley told him to come to the ring for a conversation. Darby walked into the crowd and Moxley & company left through the crowd to search for Darby.
-They threw to a highlight package of Moxley and Hangman in the title match on Dynamite. They focused on Darby’s appearance and leap from the balcony, allowing Hangman to get the otherwise clean victory.
(1) BRODIDO (Bandido & Brody King) vs. GATES OF AGONY (Toa Liona & Bishop Kahn) – Tag Team Tournament Quarter Finals
Bandido entered first on his own, followed by Brody King. Nigel quipped that the team name of “Brodido” sounded like a vocal warmup. Gates of Agony entered next, with Schiavone and Nigel referring to them as GOA, like Ricochet.
The bell rang to start the match eight minutes into the hour with Bandido and Kaun in the ring. Bandido pumped up the crowd to a “Bandido” chant. Kaun hit Bandido with a shoulder block but he popped right back. Bandido dodged Kaun with a handspring, but shoulder connected with a back elbow. Bandido came back with an armdrag and Kaun tagged out to Liona.
Liona called for Brody to enter, but Bandido flexed. Bandido escaped a few moves, but Liona pushed him into the corner. Brody tagged in and he and Liona ran into each other with big shoulder blocks, but neither main went down. They traded chops until Brody clotheslined Liona over the top rope.
Kaun ran into the ring and Brody caught him with a back body drop. Bandido entered and Brody hurled him into a crossbody onto Kaun. Liona rolled back into the ring and caught a kick from Bandido followed by a rolling forearm from Brody. Brody lifted Liona onto his shoulders and slammed him down onto Liona. Brody went for the pin, but Liona kicked out at one.
Liona rolled to ringside and Bandido hopped onto the top rope, but Kaun knocked him off, causing him to land tangled in the ropes. Liona dragged Brody to the outside and backdropped him onto the ramp. Kaun knocked Bandido out of the ropes to ringside as they went to commercial. [c]
Back from break, Liona clubbed Bandido down as Kaun knocked Brody off the apron. Kaun and Liona landed a combination backstabber on Bandido. Kaun went for the pin, but Bandido kicked out at two. Bandido caught Kaun with a back elbow and then went for a twisting crossbody onto Liona, but got caught in midair. Liona spun Bandido around into a sidewalk slam, but Bandido countered it into a DDT.
Bandido made the tag to Brody, who entered and crushed both members of GOA in the corner. Brody followed it up with a cannonball on that connected with Liona in the corner. The crowd chanted for Brody as he tagged in Bandido. Brody and Bandido hit stereo suicide dives to the outside that whiped out Kaun and Liona, respectively.
All four men brawled around ringside. Brody set Liona up in a chair at ringside and crushed him into the barricade with a running crossbody. At the same time, Bandido hit Kaun with a crossbody the sent both men over the barricade into the crowd.
Bandido returned to the ring and climbed to the top rope as the crowd chanted his name. Bandido connected with a frog splash and went for the pin, but Kaun broke it up at two. Liona lifted Bandido up into Kaun’s arms as he sat on the top rope. Liona hit Brody with a diving shoulder block off of the apron to the floor as Kaun came off the top rope with a powerbomb on Bandido. Kaun hooked the leg but only got a two count.
Kaun and Liona nailed Bandido with a double team pendulum facecrusher. Kaun went for the pin again, but Brody made the save. Brody dragged Bandido to the corner and tagged himself in. Brody pulled Liona to the apron, got him onto his shoulders, and drilled him with a Death Valley Driver on the apron.
Back in the ring, Brody set Kaun up onto the top rope and climbed up with him. Brody executed a superplex as Bandido tagged himself in. Brody stayed on his back, and as Bandido charged over him he pushed Bandido into the air with his legs into a 450 splash that connected with Kaun. Bandido went for the pin and got the win.
WINNERS: Brodido in 13:00
(White’s Take: For a random tag team, Bandido and Brody looked great. The finish in particular was creative and looked impactful. I assume they’re bound to lose to the Bucks next week, but that should be a good tag team match nonetheless.)
-Lexy was backstage with Don Callis who was standing with Lance Archer. Lexy asked about Kyle Fletcher’s preparation for his match against Dustin Rhodes. Don said they have the numbers and will have the title and the money that comes with it. Shane Taylor interrupted to remind Callis that he owed him money. Archer and Shane argued briefly, before Callis convinced Taylor to “deal with” SkyFlight.
-Nigel and Schiavone ran down the MJF and Mark Briscoe interaction from Dynamite before throwing to a video package that also ran down the story so far. [c]
-Back from commercial, Lexy was backstage with The Paragon. Lexy questioned whether or not Kyle was with The Conglomeration. Roderick Strong interrupted to say he came to AEW to help his best friend, then he lost his best friend, then got him back, and then lost him again. Kyle attempted to assuage Strong by characterizing The Conglomeration as a loose group that lift each other up. Willow showed up with Hologram and Ishii in tow. Kyle thanked them for paying for Strong’s birthday party last week. Willow said she’d love to spend the prize money on a partying with Kyle, but she’s got to get prepared for Thekla.
(White’s Take: My guess is that Kyle O’Reilly’s friends find him to be a funny, goofy guy. But in this segment, like others, he came across as zany dork. Which is on brand for The Conglomeration, but still eyeroll inducing television.)
-They cut backstage to Moxley, Yuta, and Shafir searching the building for Darby Allin. Yuta and Shafir went through a door and Darby popped out of the dark and held a rag over Moxley’s face. He struggled and stumbled back into the darkness with Darby.
(2) KRIS STATLANDER vs. LENA CROSS
Kris Statlander made her entrance as Schiavone put her over as having the most wins in the AEW Women’s Division. That is, of course, mostly because she’s been on the roster longer than most of the rest of the division, but no one mentioned that. Lena Cross was already waiting in the ring.
The bell rang to start the match 32 minutes into the hour. Statlander offered a handshake to Lena, who was actually a bit taller than Statlander. Lena took her hand and pulled Statlander into a headlock. Statlander reversed it and knocked Lena down with a running shoulder block. Statlander lifted Lena up for a delayed vertical suplex.
Lena dodged Statlander in the corner then connected with a back elbow, running pump kick and a German suplex. She celebrated briefly then charged into a lariat from Statlander. Statlander hit a running knee in the corner and then lifted Lena onto her shoulders. Statlander slammed her down face fist and then transitioned into a headscissor and armlock submission hold. Lena tapped out before anyone could say what the hold was called.
WINNER: Kris Statlander in 2:00
-Statlander celebrated her squash win rather aggressively but was interrupted by Willow’s music as she walked up the ramp.
(3) WILLOW NIGHTINGALE vs. THEKLA (w/Julia Hart & Skye Blue)
Willow and Statlander shared a stare before Willow went to the ring, happy-go-luck as always. Thekla’s music played as Julia Hart and Skye Blue held hands, waiting at the entrance. Thekla made her way to the ring assertively and posed with Hart and Blue on the apron.
The bell rang and the match start 36 minutes into the first hour. The crowd was behind Willow as she threw Thekla into the corner. Hart and Blue climbed onto the apron and distracted Willow, allowing Thekla to land a kick to the gut.
Willow cartwheeled out of a whip attempt and rolled Thekla up for a quick one count. Thekla dodged a lariat Matrix style and swept Willow’s legs out from under her. Willow rolled onto her stomach and posed innocently as Thekla stared her down.
Willow whipped Thekla towards the ropes, but she jumped through, landed on the apron and then hit Willow with an elbow. Thekla climbed the top rope, but Willow charged her. Thekla jumped over Willow but turned around into a shoulder block. Willow went for the pin, but Thekla kicked out at two.
Willow hit an overhand chop and went for a scoop slam, but Thekla slipped over her shoulder and landed a forearm to the back. Thekla hit to ropes and went for a headcsissor, but Willow countered it with power, lifted her up and brought Thekla down into a backbreaker. Willow followed up with a running crossbody into a pin, but Thekla kicked out at two.
Thekla came back with a spinning sole kick. Thekla hit the ropes, but Willow blindsided her with a pounce that sent Thekla rolling out of the ring. Willow followed her to ringside where Thekla reversed an Irish whip and threw Willow into the still steps as they went to commercial. [c]
They returned from commercial as Thekla caught Willow in the ropes with headscissors over the top rope. Thekla let go of the hold before the five count, but remained hanging. Willow came back with a pair of clotheslines followed by a shotgun dropkick from the middle rope. Willow went for the pin, but Thekla kicked out at two.
Thekla landed a slap, ducked a punch, and landed a second slap. Willow came back with a back elbow, but then ran into a hard forearm that knocked her into the ropes. Thekla tried to capitalize with a running kick from the apron, but Willow countered it with a clothesline that dropped Thekla onto the apron.
Willow lifted Thekla up and delivered a Death Valley Driver. Willow went for the pin, but Thekla managed to kick out at two yet again. Willow lifted Thekla back onto her shoulders and climbed onto the ropes, presumably for an avalanche Death Valley Driver. However, Thekla elbowed her way out of it and then Willow with an uppercut. Thekla executed a release superplex with her legs hooked onto the ropes. Thekla hung upside down for a moment before lifting herself up by her legs as Willow rolled out of the ring.
Julia and Skye approached Willow on the outside, distracting her enough to allow Thekla to climb onto the top rope and connect with a flying crossbody to the floor. Thekla threw Willow into the ring. Thekla hit Willow with a right hand that knocked her back into the ropes, but Willow rebounded off the ropes and took Thekla down with a clothesline. Willow started barking like she’s Brody King. She then hit Thekla with a running cannon ball like she’s Brody King.
Willow set up for the Doctor Bomb on Thekla but was distracted by Skye Blue on the apron. Willow knocked Blue down only for Julia to get on the apron on the opposite side of the ring. Willow knocked Julia off as well but turned around into a spear from Thekla. Thekla followed with The Stomp, driving Willows head into the mat. Thekla went for the pin and got the three count.
WINNER: Thekla in 12:00
After the match, Julia and Skye entered the ring and stomped on Willow with Thekla. They all took turns pummeling Willow on the ground until Megan Bayne’s music played. Bayne slowly walked down the ring as Penelope ran to the ring and started to attack Willow as well. Bayne eventually made it to the ring and set Willow up for her running powerbomb until Queen Aminata’s music hit. Aminata marched down the ramp with chair in hand along with the also-armed Tay Melo and Anna Jay. The heel team bailed as The Conglomeration came out to check on Willow.
(White’s Take: Thekla continued to impress with her presentation and aura. It appears they may be building towards a women’s Blood & Guts, which would be great if it saves us from another one featuring the Death Riders.)
-Lexy was backstage with Billy Gunn. She asked him about throwing Bowens across the ring. Bowens interrupted Billy and yelled at him for not being there to help him. Billy said he doesn’t know who he is anymore, but he’ll be at home when he figures it out. Bowens told him to walk away as they went to commercial. [c]
-Back from commercial, Swerve and Prince Nana appeared in an alley behind the building, reveling in the Young Bucks having lost their EVP powers. Swerve was upset with them taking their frustration out on The Outrunners. He also mentioned that he’ll be around for Okada as well, implying that there may be a match for the Unified Title at Forbidden Door.
-Okada was backstage with Don Callis. Callis said that Okada is the best bell-to-bell wrestler in the world. Callis said that Okada has an answer for Swerve. Okada said, “Let’s just fight, bitch.”
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) FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler w/Stokely) vs. BANG BANG GANG (Austin Gunn & Juice Robinson) – AEW Tag Team Tournament Semi Final
FTR made their entrance with Stokely as Daniel Garcia joined Nigel and Tony on commentary. The lights went black to usher in The Bang Bang Gang’s entrance, which marked the return of Cardblade Jay White, and the debut of cardboard cutout Colten Gunn.
Cash and Juice started the match as the bell rang one minute into the second hour. Dax tagged in and Juice caught him with inside cradle for a two count. Austin tagged as the crowd chanted “guns up.” Dax dropped Austin with a shoulder block and then landed a hip toss on Austin.
Juice tagged back in and Dax pushed him back into the corner and connected with a chop. Juice came back with a series fo chops knocking Dax back into the corner. Juice slammed him face first into each turnbuckle and tagged Austin back in. Dax caught Austin with a back elbow and tagged Cash in.
Cash hit a European uppercut and a series of chops. Austin chopped back and made the tag to Juice. Everyone entered the ring and Austin and Juice landed simultaneous backdrops on FTR. Juice and Austin clotheslined Cash and Dax over the top rope to ringside as they went to commercial [c]
Back from break, Austin dodged Cash in the corner and went for the tag, but Dax tagged in and cut him off. Dax locked in an abdominal stretch. Cash illegally helped with the hold, but the ref caught him. Austin hiptossed his way out of the stretch and went for the tag again. Dax tried to block the tag, but Austin got to Juice. However the ref was distracted by Cash and didn’t see the tag.
FTR took advantage and executed an awkward Hart Attack on Austin (Dax hit the ropes to the side instead of across from Cash , so he had to weirdly pivot to complete the move). Dax went for the cover, but Austin kicked out at two. Dax threw Austin out of the ring. Cash jumped from the apron at Austin, but he dodged, and Cash crashed into the ringside barricade.
Austin crawled across the ring for the tag but Dax cut him off again. Dax grabbed Austin’s wrist and pulled him away from his corner. Austin tried to punch his way out of it and eventually knocked Dax’s hands away, freeing him to tag Juice in.
Juice entered and hit Dax with a combination of right jabs, but Dax dodged the left hand and hit the ropes, only to run into a spinebuster from Juice. Cash ran in and Juice took him out with a kick. Juice nailed Dax with a running clotheline. Juice went for a sunset flip from the apron into the ring, but Dax grabbed the ropes to stop it. Dax sat into the pin and Stokely tried to use the crutch to assist in the pin like he did the week before. However, the ref saw it and kicked the crutch, allowing Juice to finish the sunset flip into the pin, but Dax kicked out at two.
Juice set Dax up for a superplex, but Dax bit at Juice’s forehead and pushed him off the turnbuckle. Cash slipped in and they set up for a spike piledriver on Juice. But Juice swept out Cash’s legs and slingshotted him up over the top rope, landing hard at ringside. Austin slid in and climbed the ropes with Dax. Austin landed the superplex as Juice came off the top rope with a frog splash onto Dax.
Juice went for the pin, but he sensed Cash trying to break it up with a splash from the top rope. Juice rolled out of the way and Cash landed directly on Dax. Austin tackled Cash out of the ring as Juice hooked the leg, but Dax kicked out at two.
They cut to Big Bill and Bryan Keith watching the match from the back. Juice set Dax up for The Bladerunner, but Dax escaped with an eye gouge. Dax looked like he was going to go for the Bladerunner, but Juice shoved him off and Dax collided with Cash on the apron. Juice rolled Dax up for a close two count.
Juice set up the Bladerunner again and connected this time. Juice went for the pin but Dax kicked out at two. Austin tagged in an went for the Famous, but Dax dodged it and rolled him up, but only got a one count. Austin kicked Dax in the gut and hit the ropes looking for another Famouser, but Cash came in behind him and Dax lifted Austin up for the Shatter Machine. However, Juice came out of the nowhere and landed a solid left hand on Cash to break it up.
Juice landed another left hand on Dax and Austin followed it up with the Famouser. Austin made the cover, but Dax made the save at the last moment. Juice went after Stokely on the outside, which allowed Cash to slam him into the steel rings steps.
In the ring, Austin rolled Dax up, but the ref was distracted by Stokely. Cash hit Austin with a clothesline allowing Dax to roll Austin into pinning position. The ref finally turned around and made the three count.
WINNERS: FTR in 16:00
(White’s Take: This was a very good, classic tag team match. One could guess that FTR would pull out the victory, but Juice and Austin had a number of nearfalls that added doubt. FTR move on in the tag team tournament, which raises concerns about a possible FTR and Young Bucks match. Those have historically been great, but a heel vs. heel variation isn’t particularly tantalizing.)
-They threw to another episode of “Technique by Taz.” Taz highlighted the flipping, diving, and poorly-named “O Face” from Athena.
-Athena was backstage to explain why she didn’t execute her contract. Athena said she realized that she doesn’t respect Toni Storm and doesn’t need the a surprise contract match to beat her. Athena went on to say that she’s going to beat Toni at Forbidden Door in London, where she hasn’t had the best of luck. Athena walked off, leaving the ROH title and contract sitting on a chair as Schiavone confirmed that the match is official for Forbidden Door.
-Max Caster was in the center of the ring and addressed the crowd to moderate crowd support. He still leaned heel, referring to Chicago as “Chiraq.” However, the crowd still managed his chant before he told them to be quiet. Caster went hard after Bowens before putting five minutes on the clock.
(5) MAX CASTER vs. RUSH
Rush’s music played to bring him out with his bull mask on. Dralistico and The Beast Mortos joined him on stage, but didn‘t accompany him to ringside for the match. The bell rang 24 minutes into the hour.
Caster immediately retreated to ringside. Rush went to ringside and Caster ran back into the ring. When Rush got back into the ring, Caster exited again. Caster jogged around the ring and played to the crowd. However, he didn’t notice Rush slip out of the ring and ran right into a forearm.
Rush followed it up by ramming Caster into the guard rails on each side of the ring. Rush rolled Caster into the ring as the crowd chanted “Let’s go Max, you’re the best wrestler alive.” Rush took exception and argued with a guy in the front row. Rush turned around as Caster dove through the ropes and nailed him with a suicide dive.
Caster threw Rush into the ring and went for a splash in the corner, but Rush sidestepped him and landed hard chops before stomping him down into the corner. Rush got a running start for the Bulls Horns but pulled up short at Caster covered his face. Rush flipped him off and then kicked him in the head.
Rush posed int eh center of the ring as the timer got down to one minute. Rush hit Caster with a powerslam into a pin, but immediately pulled Caster up. Rush beat Caster back down into the corner. Rush set up for the Bulls Horns again as the crowd counted down from ten. They hit zero and the bell rang signifying the end of the match.
WINNER: Draw in 5:00 (or maybe Caster gets the win for finally making it to five minutes?)
Rush didn’t seem concerned with the match ending and nailed Caster with the Bulls Horns anyway. Mortos and Dralistico ran down to the ring and the three of them stomped Caster down., Security came to try to break it up, but the members of LFI beat up security as well. Jetspeed and A.R. Fox ran down to the ring to even the numbers. Everyone brawled up the ramp and backstage, leaving Caster barely conscious in the center of the ring. He held up a fist as his music played and they went to commercial. [c]
-They returned from commercial showing clips of Mercedes defending one of her many titles overseas before advertising her return on next week’s Dynamite.
(6) SHANE TAYLOR PROMOTIONS (Shane Taylor & Carlie Bravo & Shawn Dean w/Trish Adora & Anothony Ogogo) vs. SKYFLIGHT (Scorpio Sky & Dante Martin & Darius Martin w/ Leila Gray & Christopher Daniels)
The entirety of Shane Taylor Promotions entered as a group. The entirety of SkyFlight also entered as a group. There were a lot of people in and around the ring. Scorpio and Shane started the match as the bell rang 36 minutes into the second hour.
Shane rocked Scorpio with a right hand and threw him into the corner where Bravo and Dean wailed on him. Darius hit a swinging DDT off of his brother on Bravo. Darius went for the pin but Bravo kicked out at two. Dean dragged Darius into this ropes and slammed his face into the apron. Bravo followed up with a knee onto the back of Darius’ head as he hung off the apron. Shane landed a huge leg drop onto him as well as they went to commercial. [c]
Back from break, Dante got the hot tag and took down Bravon and Dean with a double hurricanrana. Dante athletically dodged attacks from Dean before landing a gamengiri followed by a springboard crossbody. Dante went for the pin, but Dean kicked out at two.
Dean made the tag to Shane. Shane ate some shots from Dante before dropping him with a stiff jab. Bravo tagged in and set up a double team move with Dean, but Dante escape and hit Bravo with a high knee. Dante flipped over Dean to make the tag to Scorpio.
Scorpio leapt into the ring and hit Shane on the apron with a single leg dropkick. Darius held Shane on the outside so Dante could hit him with a dive. Bravo rolled Scorpio up by Scorpio kicked out at two. Back to their feet, Scorpio ducked a right from Bravo, lifted him onto his shoulders and connected with the TKO. Scorpio went for the pin and got the three count.
WINNERS: SkyFlight in 8:00
(White’s Take: I guess they felt weird having Collision without a random Callis Family multiman tag match, so they had Shane Taylor Promotions working at Callis’ behest. Nothing amazing here, just establishing the new Scorpio Sky faction.)
-Backstage the cameras caught up to Darby Allin dragging Moxley out to the elevated train tracks that presumably run near the venue. It looked like Darby was going to throw him over the edge onto the tracks, but security broke it up, saving Moxley. They dragged Darby off screaming as they went to commercial. [c]
(7) DUSTIN RHODES vs. KYLE FLETCHER (w/Don Callis) – TNT Championship Chicago Street Fight
Fletcher entered first to what I think was new, more chill music. Less metal, no “Protostar” scream to start it off (or “Aussie Aussie Aussie” to go back a bit earlier this year). Dustin entered to decidedly not new music to the old school country twang of “The Natural” from his time in WCW. The bell rang to start the match 51 minutes into the second hour.
Dustin and Fletcher argued at the center of the ring. Kyle shoved Dustin and he came back with right hands. Fletcher rolled to ringside where he grabbed a kendo stick from under the ring. Dustin got to Fletcher because he could use it, delivered a kick, and then snatched the kendo stick for himself.
Dustin beat Fletcher around the ring with stick shots before tossing it to the ground. Fletcher rammed Dustin into the steel stairs. Fletcher pulled the stairs out from the ring, set Dustin up, and delivered a DDT on top of the steel stairs. They showed replays of the DDT as Fletcher pulled a table out from under the ring (while Dustin likely bladed offscreen).
Fletcher laned the table against the guard rail and hit Dustin with a flurry of punches. Schiavone cleared up that, in addition to the red paint, there was also blood on Dustin’s head. Fletcher laid Dustin against the table and rolled into the ring. He got a running start of dove through the ropes, but Dustin moved out of the way and Fletcher crashed through the table on the floor.
Dustin pulled out his own table and set it up. He also pulled a cowbell and chain out from under the ring. Fletcher grabbed Dustin’s head from inside the ring, but Dustin hit him with the cowbell. Dustin rolled into the ring as Fletcher got back to his feet. Dustin wound up and hit Fletcher across the head with the cowbell again. Dustin went for the pin, but Fletcher kicked out at two.
Fletcher was busted open as well as Dustin dragged him out onto the apron. Dustin set up for a running bulldog off the apron, but Fletcher countered it and launched Dustin off of the apron and through the table he’d set up a moment before. Dustin clutched his leg as they went to commercial. [c]
Back from break, Fletcher was beating Dustin with the cowbell in the middle of the ring. Fletcher charged Dustin in the corner, but he got his knee up into Fletcher’s midsection. Dustin followed up with a Code Red into a pin but Fletcher kicked out at two. Dustin and Fletcher traded punches until Dustin hit his signature drop-to-the-knees uppercut. Dustin then landed the lifting reverse DDT. Dustin went for4 the pin,. but Fletcher kicked out at two.
Dustin rolled to ringside and slid a chair into the ring. He grabbed another one and climbed in as Fletcher grabbed the original chair and got to his feet. The swung at each other and the chairs connected, causing Fletcher to drop his. Dustin followed up with a chair shot to the gut and another across Fletcher’s back. Fletcher collapsed to his knees where Dustin hit another chair shot.
Dustin got Fletcher back to his feet as the crowd chanted “one more time.” Dustin set up for another chair shot, but Fletcher connected with a kick to the chair that drove it back into Dustin’s face. Fletcher grabbed both chairs, set them up next to each other, and lifted Dustin up into a tombstone position. Fletcher leapt up onto the chairs to deliver the tombstone piledriver. Callis said “it’s been a nice career for Dustin” as Fletcher made the cover, but Dustin kicked out at two.
Fletcher slid a table into the ring and set it up near the corner. Fletcher hit a right hand and lifted Dustin up onto the top rope. Fletcher set up for a superplex, but Dustin fought him off with a headbutt that stunned Fletcher. Dustin got to his feet on the top turnbuckle, pulled Fletcher’s head up and executed a Canadian Destroyer from the top rope, planting Fletcher through the table into the mat.
Dustin struggled and slowly crawled into the cover, but Fletcher barely got a shoulder up before the three count. Dustin rolled out of the ring and retrieved a yellow glove from under the ring. They zoomed in to show the palm of the glove was covered in thumbtacks.
Dustin went for the Iron Claw with the thumbtack glove, but Fletcher blocked it with both hands. Fletcher fought to his feet, but Dustin overpowered him and locked in the Iron Claw, driving the thumbtacks into Fletcher’s head.
Fletcher struggled back to his feet landed a low blow on Dustin to break the claw. Blood poured from Fletcher’s head as he rolled to ringside and grabbed an ominous black bag from under the ring. Back in the ring, Fletcher poured out a pile of thumb tacks.
Fletcher set Dustin up for a suplex, but Dustin blocked it. They each tried for a suplex onto the tacks until Fletcher caught Dustin with a thrust kick that stunned him. Fletcher charged but Dustin delivered a snap powerslam that drove Fletcher right into the tacks. Dustin went for the pin, but Fletcher just barely kicked out at two.
Dustin set Fletcher up in the corner, hung both his legs over the ropes and set up for the running crotch punt. Dustin started in, but changed his mind. He grabbed the bag of thumb tacks, felt that some were left, and proceeded to dump them down the front of Fletcher’s trunks. Dustin charged in an delivered the low blow.
The crowd chanted “holy shit” as Callis rushed to the ring to check on Fletcher. Callis slipped a screwdriver to Fletcher as Dustin pulled him back up. Fletcher hit Dustin across the head with the screwdriver. Callis held Dustin in the ropes as Fletcher stabbed Dustin repeatedly in the previously injured knee. Eventually, Fletcher stuck the screwdriver ostensibly into Dustin’s flesh (thankfully, there was no blood on it when he pulled it out).
Fletcher nailed Dustin with a running kick in the corner and then set up for his signature brainbuster. However, Dustin countered into an inside cradle that got a close two count. Fletcher got right back up and rocked Dustin with a knee to the head. Fletcher got Dustin back up and this time drilled him with the brainbuster. Fletcher went for the pin and got the win.
WINNER: Kyle Fletcher in 17:00 to capture to TNT Title.
(White’s Take: There wasn’t really any storyline reason for this to be a Chicago Street Fight. With that in mind, there wasn’t really any personal animosity to warrant to high-level of violence throughout. We all know that it was really a crutch for match quality, and in that way, I suppose it was a success. It’s cool that Dustin can have these kinds of intense matches at his age. His veteran status allows him to really to build to spots and make them count…even as both men kicked out extraordinarily violent moves. However, even in a match with no rules and a smorgasbord of foreign objects, the screwdriver is still stupid. But, on the whole, a very enjoyable match at hopefully the first step into restoring some prestige to the TNT Title.)
-After the match, Fletcher dragged Dustin into the corner and slammed his knee into the ringpost repeatedly. Fletcher grabbed a chair an swung it wildly at Dustin’s injured knee against the ringpost. Security ran Fletcher off and he celebrated with his newly won TNT title with the rest of the Don Callis family at the top of the stage as they went off the air.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Well, the “Collision is just random inconsequential matches” crowd will have to find a new complaint for this week. Two good tag team matches in the tag tournament have left only three teams in contention. A violent brawl for the TNT Title in the main event marked the crowning of a new champion in Kyle Fletcher. Even the Statlander squash dovetailed into the ongoing storylines with her and Willow and the burgeoning faction warfare in the women’s division. Okay, there was the Caster segment, Conglomeration-related silliness, and the six-man tag match. I mean, it’s still Collision, but newsworthy.
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