SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
AEW TAILGATE BRAWL REPORT
OCTOBER 18, 2025
ST. LOUIS, MO. AT CHAIFETZ ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON TNT & MAX
REPORT BY JOSHUA WHITE, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuiness & Matt Menard
Ring Announcer: Arkady Aura
Attendance: WrestleTix reported that 6,114 tickets had been distributed for WrestleDream; the arena was set up for 6,361.
-The crowd cheered as Tony Schiavone welcomed everyone to the Tailgate Brawl. Schiavone highlighted the “I Quit” match between Jon Moxley and Darby Allin before throwing to a video.
-The video for the “I Quit” match played, highlighting some of the brutality of their previous encounters with the words from their face-to-face from Dynamite played over top.
(1) DEATH RIDERS (Daniel Garcia & Pac & Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta w/Marina Shafir) vs. THE CONGLOMERATION (Orange Cassidy & Tomohiro Ishii & Kyle O’Reilly) & RODERICK STRONG
The Death Riders’ music played before the camera went backstage to find Wheeler Yuta walking by himself. Claudio, Marina, Pac, and Daniel Garcia joined and they made their way to the ring through the crowd. The crowd called out Yuta specifically with some choice words not fit for print.
The Orange Cassidy, Ishii, and O’Reilly entered as a trio to what I assume is The Conglomeration’s music. Strong made a point to enter separately, albeit with no change of music. The match started seven minutes into the show with Garcia and Strong.
Strong and Garcia locked up and Garcia pushed Garcia back before Garcia tripped Strong. Garcia landed a chop and Strong returned in kind, knocking Garcia down. Strong tagged Kyle in and they double teamed Garcia with a series of strikes. Yuta tried to break it up but got a big chop for his trouble.
Yuta tagged in and immediately got caught in a wristlock. Cassidy tagged in and took Yuta down with a low kick. Cassidy attempted a suplex, but Yuta blocked it. Yuta attempted a suplex, but Cassidy escaped.Cassidy attempted a back elbow, but Yuta ducked it and scoop slammed Cassidy, eliciting a chorus of boos from the crowd . Pac tagged in and landed a leg drop from the middle rope. Cassidy pulled himself up in the corner as they went to break. [c]
Back from break, Claudio towered of Ishii and shrugged off a few forearm strikes. Claudio came back with a chop, but neither one’s strikes seemed to bother the other. Ishii hit a few running shoulder blocks, but none of them budged Claudio. Ishii hit the rope again, but ran into a shoulder block from Claudio that dropped Ishii.
Claudio tried to get Ishii up for a suplex, but Ishii blocked it and landed a vertical suplex of his own on Claudio. Ishii turned around and knocked Yuta off of the apron. Claudio took advantage with a clothesline. Everyone got into the ring and The Death Riders cleared the ring.
Yuta tagged in and hit Ishii in the corner before tagging Gargia. Garcia landed a few punches and tagged Yuta back in. They proceeded to double stomp Ishii into the corner. Garcia nd Yuta whipped Ishii into the ropes, and he came back and dropped them both with a double clothesline.
Ishii made the tag to Cassidy and he took Garcia and Yuta down with a. double hurricanrana. Yuta tried to suplex Cassidy, but he got caught with a Stundog Millionaire. Cassidy hit Garcia with a flying crossbody off of the top rope before hitting Pac with a swinging DDT.
Claudio tagged in and Cassidy rolled him up for a two count. Cassidy set up for the Orange Punch, but Claudio caught him in midair and transitioned into the giant swing. Cassidy managed to swing up into a DDT attempt, but Claudio was too strong. Cassidy managed to slide onto Claudio’s back and lock in a sleeper.
Everyone charged in and fought their way back out of the ring. Claudio powered Cassidy out of the sleeper into a suplex attempt, which Cassidy tried to counter, but Claudio powered him back onto his shoulders into an airplane spin. Claudio spun Cassidy around and slammed him down on the mat. Claudio made the cover, but Strong and Kyle both broke up the pin as they went to break. [c]
They returned from commercial. As Cassidy hit Claudio with a boot. Cassidy went for a jumping DDT, but Claudio blocked it. Cassidy hit a hurricanrana instead and tagged in Strong. Strong hit a kick followed by two backbreakers on Garcia. Yuta entered and ate a kick.
Kyle tagged and caught Garcia with a before teaming with Strong on a double team backbreaker. Strong slammed Yuta onto Garcia before Claudio caught him with a European uppercut. Kyle and Strong tried to hit Claudio with double team strikes, but Claudio dropped them both with a double clothesline.
Ishii hit a German suplex on Yuta, and then Garcia, and then tried Claudio, who elbowed his way out. Ishii pushed Claudio into the ropes and finally landed the German suplex. Pac entered and hit a kick and a big German suplex on Ishii.
Outside of the ring, Yuta hit a running knee on Kyle. Cassidy knocked Claudio off of the apron with an Orange Punch as Ishii hit Pac with a clothesline. Ishii tried a brainbuster on Pac, but Yuta slipped into the ring and chop blocked him. Pac followed it up with a running knee to Ishii. Pac made the cover and got the win.
WINNERS: Death Riders in 15:00
(White’s Take: Fine match, would’ve been right at home on a regular Collision.)
-The threw to a video on the Hangman Page and Samoa Joe match, including highlights from their face-to-face two weeks ago. [c]
(2) EDDIE KINGSTON & HOOK vs. THE FRAT HOUSE (Griff Garrison & Cole Karter w/Jacked Jameson)
Excalibur welcomed us back to the show as Hook made his entrance, complete with strange Sinatra-styled music. Eddie Kingston’s music hit to a much better crowd reaction to bring him out as the crowd chanted “Eddie.”
The threw to an inset video of LFI , with Sammy addressing Eddie as he and Hook beat down some members of The Frat House. Rush said something about getting horns as Hook and Eddie beat down Griff Garrison in the center of the ring.
Griff hit Eddie over the head with a double axe handle. Karter tagged in and hit a nice dropkick on Eddie. Hook tagged in and took Karter down with a lariat followed by an exploder suplex. He set Karter up for a second, but Griff broke it up.
However, Eddie entered, and he and Hook hit stereo suplexes on Karter and Griff. Jacked Jameson got onto the apron, and Eddie dragged him into the ring where he hit the machine gun chops on him.
Eddie hit Karter with the spinning backfist and he fell into Hook, who locked in the Redrum submission. Karter tapped out almost immediately.
WINNERS: Eddie Kingston & Hook in 3:00
-After the match, LFI was looking on from backstage.
-They went to a tailgate party with Big Boom AJ and Big Justice. They pumped up some matches on the card before putting over their match at Full Gear. Rocky and Trent showed up to interrupt AJ’s catchphrase. Rocky called out AJ’s wife, leading to a brawl, where Trent hit AJ over the head with a tray.
(White’s Take: This was an embarrassing segment. Anyone who was convinced to watch the PPV based on the segment is someone the wrestling industry is probably better off without.)
(3) MEGAN BAYNE & PENELOPE FORD vs. HARLEY CAMERON & WILLOW NIGHTINGALE
Penelope and Megan Bayne entered as a pair as Excalibur hyped up the upcoming women’s tag titles. Harley Cameron entered, followed by Willow in matching gear, receiving the best reaction of the women.
The match started 37 minutes into the hour with Harley and Ford. Penelope threw Harley to the mat, ducked a lock up and slammed her back onto the mat again. Harley swept Ford’s legs and pummeled her before making a pin attempt, but Ford kicked out at one.
Willow tagged in and dropped Ford with a shoulder block. Willow hit nine clotheslines in the corner then a short-arm clothesline in the center of the ring. Willow made the cover, but Ford kicked out at two.
Harley tagged back in and Willow whipped her into Ford in the corner. Willow hit a snapmare and Harley connected with a low dropkick. Harley made the cover, but Ford kicked out at two. Ford dove and tagged in Bayne. Harley, in turn, tagged in Willow.
Willow ducked a punch, but hit the ropes where Ford caught her with a knee. Bayne tried to hit Willwo from behind, but she ducked and rolled Bayne up for a one count, and then again for a two count before Ford broke it up. Bayne and Ford whipped Willow into the ropes, but she came off and dropped both women with a double clothesline. Harley entered and they hit simultaneous enziguris on Ford and Bayne.
Willow slammed Harley down onto Ford. Willow and Harley set Bayne up for a tag team suplex, but Bayne powered them over into a double suplex on both women. Willow and Harley rolled to ringside as Ford climbed to the top rope. Ford landed a moonsault from the top rope to the outside onto Willow and Harley as they went to commercial. [c]
Back from break, Harley caught Bayne with a spinning DDT. Harley made the tag to Willow and Ford tagged in. Willow hit Ford with a three clothesline and pumped up the crowd. Willow hie a running attack int eh corner on Ford, but Bayne caught her from behind.
Willow cartwheeled out of a whip attempt and then caught Bayne with a big pounce. Ford charged her, but Willow planted her with a spinebuster. Willow went for the pin, but Ford kicked out at two. The crowd chanted for Willow as she set Ford up for the Doctor Bomb, but Ford raked Willow’s eyes and took her down with a hurricanrana.
Ford and Bayne hit a combination stunner slam and went for the pin, but Harley broke up the pin. Harley hit Ford with a backstabber before Bayne took her down with a flying clothesline. Willow stuck Bayne with a nasty Death Valley Drive before Ford caught Willow with a cutter, leaving everyone down as the crowd chanted “this is awesome.”
Willow and Bayne traded forearms in the center of the ring, with Willow getting the better of it until Bayne hit a pump kick that knocked Willow back into the ropes. However, she came off the ropes and hit a lariat on Bayne.
Willow whipped Harley into the corner at Bayne, but Bayne caught her with a boot. Bayne hopped onto the middle rope and hit Harley and Willow with a flying double clothesline. Bayne got Harley onto her shoulder as Ford climbed to the top rope, setting up for the doomsday device.
However, Harley caught Bayne with a victory roll. Bayne kicked out and charged Harley, but she dodged and Bayne his the ringpost and rolled to ringside, where Willow hit her with a flipping canon ball from the apron. In the ring, Ford hit Harley with a fireman’s carry into a gutbuster and made the cover, but Harley kicked out at two.
Harley came back with a pumphandle suplex on Ford and tagged in Willow. Willow grabbed Ford and nailed her with the Doctor Bomb. Willow held on for the pin and got the three count.
WINNERS: Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron in 13:00
Willow and Harley celebrated as they went to commercial. [c]
(White’s Take: Penelope and Harley are both unsteady in the ring, but Bayne and Willow are good enough to hold the it all together, delivering a pretty good match, and a possible peak into the future of the women’s tag division.)
(4) FTR (Dax Harwood & Cash Wheeler w/Stokely) vs. JetSpeed (“The Jet” Kevin Knight & “Speedball” Mike Bailey)
FTR entered as Tony Schiavone noted that there’s not much time before the PPV starts, and this match might still be going when it does. JetSpeed entered as a pair, both very excited to be there.
The match started 56 minutes into the hour as FTR attacked Bailey and Knight. They attacked Knight for a minute until Bailey entered with a double dropkick on both men. Bailey and Knight hit simultaneous dropkicks and then hit Dax and Cash with a planchas to the outside.
They brawled to the outside, where Cash catapulted Bailey into the steel stairs and Dax tossed Knight over the barricade. Knight hit Dax with a leaping clothesline off of the barricade. Knight followed up by jumping onto the apron, running and hitting Dax and Cash with a double stomp/dropkick to the outside.
Dax and Knight brawled into the ring where Dax dropped Knight with a right hand. Bailey entered and Dax tried to suplex him, and both men tumbled over the top rope to ringside. Meanwhile, Cash and Knight tumbled to the opposite side of the ring. Excalibur threw to commercial, implying this match would continue at the beginning of WrestleDream.
(White’s Take: That’s a really interesting way to end the pre-show, leading directly into the start of the Pay-Per-View, teasing the possibility of a countout. I don’t know if it was good enough that anyone suddenly decide to buy, but it should make an interesting intro to the show nonetheless.)
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