SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
AEW COLLISION REPORT
DECEMBER 20, 2025 (recorded 12/17)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND AT CO-OP LIVE
AIRED ON TNT & HBO MAX
REPORT BY JOSHUA WHITE, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Excalibur & Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuinness
Ring Announcer: Arkady Aura
Attendance: WrestleTix reported that 10,652 tickets had been distributed; arena is set up for 11,449. The arena has a capacity of 23,500 spectators when configured for concerts.
–Finally, we get to the second hour of Collision as Elton John played throughout the arena and Tony Schiavone welcomed everybody to the Holiday Bash edition of Collision, not to be confused with next week’s “Christmas Collision.”
(1) “JUNGLE” JACK PERRY vs. “SPEEDBALL” MIKE BAILEY – Continental Classic tournament match (Gold League)
Green lights, waving hands, and a classic eighties tune brought “Jungle” Jack Perry out, high-fiving fans on his way to the ring. “Speedball” Mike Bailey entered to a positive reaction before the crowd went back to singing Perry’s catchier entrance song. The bell rang to start the match three minutes into the show.
Perry and Bailey shook hands in the center of the ring in a show of respect. They traded leg sweeps followed by one counts before they both went for a dropkick at the same time. Perry seemed to have hurt his ankle as a dueling “Let’s go Speedball. Let’s go Jack” chant started.
Bailey forced Perry into a corner, resulting in a clean break from the ref. Perry turned it around and delivered a pair of chops and a snap suplex. Bailey countered an Irish whip into a handspring into the ropes. Bailey took advantage of Perry’s confusion to deliver his trademark flurry of rapid-fire kicks to the midsection punctuated with a kick to the head.
Perry rolled out of the ring and Bailey set up for a dive, but Perry swept out his legs and dragged Bailey to the outside. Perry went for a dive of his own, but bailey hopped onto the apron, dodged Perry as he slid outside and then Bailey caught Perry with a springboard Asai moonsault. Perry came back with a back elbow and then slammed Bailey onto the steel stairs as they cut to commercial. [c]
They returned from commercial as Bailey connected with a missile dropkick from the second rope. Bailey delivered a series of kicks that dropped Perry to the mat and followed up with a running shooting star press. Bailey held on for the pin, but Perry kicked out at two. Bailey climbed to the top rope as the crowd chanted “Speedball.” Bailey went for the shooting star double knees but landed on his feet as Perry rolled out of the way. Perry went for a kick, but bailey caught his foot and swept out his legs. Bailey went for a standing moonsault double knee, but Perry rolled out of the way again, and, again, Bailey landed on his feet.
Bailey tossed Perry to the apron, where Perry fought back with a series of forearm shots. Bailey swept Perry’s legs out, dropping him to the apron. Bailey stepped out and went for the moonsault double knees again, but Perry used the ropes to slid himself out of the way, leaving Bailey to crash into the apron knees-first. Perry took advantage and planted Bailey with a Canadian destroyer on the apron.
Both men tumbled to the outside of the ring, while Perry continued to sell his ankle. Perry got to his feet first and rolled Bailey into the ring. Perry climbed onto the top rope as Speedball met him there. Perry nailed Bailey with a few forearms, knocking him back to the mat. Perry went for a jumping double foot stomp, but Bailey rolled out of the way.
Perry landed hard on his already injured ankle. Perry stumbled into the corner as Bailey set up for a spinning roundhouse kick. Bailey spun into his kick, but Perry caught him with an overhead throw that launched Bailey into the turnbuckle. Perry followed up with a German suplex, bridged into a pin. Perry could only support the bridge with one foot, allowing Bailey to kick out at two.
Perry set up for a running knee strike but charged directly into a roundhouse kick. Bailey lifted Perry up onto the turnbuckle and set him up for the Flamingo Driver (the move he beat Knight with, that they called the Rubik’s Cube last week). Bailey lifted Perry off of the turnbuckle, but Perry countered it into a rollup for a two count.
Bailey attempted to roll Perry up, but Perry rolled through, grabbed Bailey’s leg and locked him into the snare trap. Bailey struggled in the submission and crawled towards the ropes. Bailey nearly reached the ropes, but Perry dragged him back to the center of the ring and reapplied the hold. Bailey rolled Perry into a pinning position for a two count that forced Perry to break the hold.
Bailey went for a spinning kick, which Perry ducked, but Bailey continued his momentum and spun around into a discus elbow that rocked Perry. Perry sat up enough to receive a running kick to the chest. Bailey went for the moonsault double knees again, and Perry lifted up his knees to block it. They connected shin-to-shin, hurting both competitors.
They got to their feet and Bailey landed a thrust kick that knocked Perry back into the corner. Bailey connected with a spinning kick in the corner. Perry tried to get his hand up, but it connected enough and he dropped to his hands and knees as Bailey climbed to the middle rope. Bailey went for the Ultima Weapon double knees again, but Perry dodged. Bailey landed on his feet, but stumbled.
Bailey went for a thrust kick, but Perry leaned just back far enough to avoid it. Perry grabbed Bailey’s foot and bit as his exposed toes. Perry followed up with a sidewinder back suplex and made the cover. Perry got the three count and the surprise win.
WINNER: Jack Perry in 11:00
(White’s Take: Good, enjoyable opener. Surprised to see Speedball’s hot streak end here, particularly to a kind of weak, or otherwise unestablished finishing move, after not having any trouble with a Canadian destroyed on the apron. With Perry filling in for Darby, you have to wonder how they’ve adjusted the match results in the tournament.)
After the match, Luchasaurus came down the ramp in a santa hat holding a big sack. He pulled out a toy for Bailey, who accepted it and then gifted it to Perry as they went to commercial. [c]
(2) EDDIE KINGSTON vs. NATHAN CRUZ (w/Zack Gibson & Nathan Drake)
Eddie Kingston made his entrance as they returned from commercial. As he attempted to enter the ring, he was attacked by Zack Gibson and Nathan of Grizzle Young Vets “fame.” They beat him down, as the ref was distracted by Cruz. They rolled Eddie into the ring and the bell rang to the start the match 19 minutes into the show.
Eddie landed a chop, but Cruz shrugged it off and slammed Eddie down with a slingshot back suplex. Cruz choked Eddie against the middle of the rope and celebrated. Cruz went for a running attack against the ropes, but Eddie rolled out of the way and Cruz bounced off of the ropes.
Eddie took control with a clothesline and a running avalanche in the corner. Eddie delivered machine gun chops in the corner followed by one big chop. Eddie dropped Cruz with a hangman’s neckbreaker. Both members of GYV hopped onto the rope to distract Eddie, allowing Cruz to roll him up for a quick two count.
Eddie came back with a sudden exploder suplex. Eddie grabbed Cruz by the head, paused, and then planted him with a DDT. Eddie made the pin and picked up the victory.
WINNER; Eddie Kingston in 2:00
(White’s Take: A two minute promo would’ve been better use of Eddie Kingston’s time, but I guess it’s nice for him to pick up a win on TV. A bit of a disconnect that Eddie is winning matches with a straight DDT while his coworkers are routinely landing crazy, fancy DDTs that have the lasting effect of an armdrag. But that’s more of an industry-wide issue than with Eddie specifically.)
-They went to a video running down some highlights from the Continental Classic so far, including shots of action with commentary and snippets of promos from the participants.
(3) MERCEDES MONÉ vs. ALEX WINDSOR – RevPro Undisputed British Women’s Championship match
The fake chants of “CEO” played throughout the arena to bring out Mercedes, flanked by a series of super sexy shirtless men holding some of her various titles. She wore the TNT title and held up a pair of belts which apparently represent the RevPro Undisputed British Women’s title. She danced in the ring before her surprise local competitor was announced. Alex Windsor made her entrance to a solid hometown reaction, occasionally yelling “Windsah,” much like the beginning of her entrance theme.
The bell rang and the match started 25 minutes into the show as Windsor immediately nailed Mercedes with a shotgun dropkick. Windsor took Mercedes down with a flying clothesline and followed up with a Russian leg sweep. Windsor went for the pin and Mercedes kicked out at two.
Windsor set up a sharpshooter, but she was way too close the ropes. So close, in fact, that Mercedes didn’t just grab the rope to break the hold, she crawled under the ropes, to the apron, pulled herself up and hit Windsor with a knee to the face. Mercedes dragged Windsor out to the apron and went for a running meteora, which she seemd to land, but Windsor rolled through and turned it into a sharpshooter on the apron.
Mercedes crawled and grabbed the ringpost to pull her to the other side of the ring, forcing Windsor to release the hold. Windsor attempted to roll Mercedes back into the ring, but she countered it, spinning around and attempting a hurricanrana, but Windsor caught her and slammed her to the floor with an improvised blue thunder bomb. Windsor rolled Mercedes into the ring and went for the pin, but she kicked out at two.
Windsor hit a forearm and whipped Mercedes into the corner. Windsor charged in, but Mercedes leapt over her and hit a backstabber. Mercedes rammed Windsor’s shoulder into the ringpost, leaving her draped across the middle rope. Mercedes hopped onto the apron and connected with a running knee to the side of Windsor’s head as they went to commercial. [c]
Back from break, Mercedes landed the first of her three amigos, and then the second, but Windsor blocked the third and forced Mercedes into the corner. Mercedes caught Windsor’s head between her legs and rammed her face-first into the middle turnbuckle. Mercedes leapt from the middle rope, but Windsor her caught her in midair with a rising headbutt.
Windsor charged Mercedes in the corner, but Windsor caught her feet and swung her into the ropes before taking her down with a neckbreaker in the ropes. Windsor followed up with a DDT through the ropes. Windsor went for the sharpshooter, but Mercedes countered it with a rollup for a two count. As Windsor kicked out, Mercedes transitioned directly into the Statement Maker submission.
Windsor struggled int eh hold, unable to reach the ropes despite being close. Windsor managed to get to her feet while still in the hold, with Mercedes on her shoulders. Mercedes escaped with a crucifix bomb. Windsor lay against the bottom rope and Mercedes charged in with a running meteora. Mercedes made the cover, but Windsor kicked out at two.
Mercedes climbed to the middle rope, pulling Windsor with her, setting up for a tornado DDT. Mercedes mocked Windsor, yelling “Moné” before attempting the move. Windsor countered it, setting her on the top rope and sliding her back into the corner. Windsor hit a right hand climbed up with her. Mercedes tried to fight out, but Windsor performed an awkward blue thunder bomb from the top rope. Windsor dragged Mercedes away from the rope and made the cover, but Mercedes kicked out at two.
Windsor lifted Mercedes to her feet and Mercedes caught her with a backstabber out of nowhere. Mercedes transitioned into the Statement Maker crossface hold in the center of the ring. Windsor struggled and crawled to the rope. Mercedes attempted to push off the ropes to reposition the hold, but Windsor managed to grab her leg and roll to her feet, directly into position for a sharpshooter. Mercedes countered the sharpshooter attempt with a series or upkicks.
Mercedes attempt a rollup, but Windsor countered it, sitting into a pin of her own. Mercedes slipped out before the three counter, hooking Windsor’s arms and getting to her feet with Windsor in position for the Moné Maker. Windsor spun out of the move and landed on her feet in position for a Russian leg sweep. However, she hooked Mercedes’ arms and rolled forward into a leverage pin for the surprise three count.
WINNER: Alex Windsor in 11:00
(White’s Take: Another good match as one might expect from Mercedes at this point. Sudden and surprising win for Windsor who put on one of her best performances as a member of the AEW roster. A great moment for Windsor in her home-country even as she’s struggled to find her footing in AEW. Meanwhile, possibly epic fall of Mercedes inches closer to its tipping point.)
The crowd popped big as Windsor celebrated with the belts above her head and Mercedes sold shock while sitting in the corner. Mercedes clutched her remaining TBS title as Windsor’s son entered the ring to celebrate with his mom. [c]
-They returned from commercial with a video highlighting the contract signing for the world title from Dynamite, including soundbites from Samoa Joe, Swerve Strickland, Hangman Page, but focusing on MJF’s return.
(4) “THE JET” KEVIN KNIGHT vs. KAZUCHIKA OKADA – Continental Classic tournament match (Gold League)
Kevin Knight made his entrance as Don Callis joined the commentary team. Okada’s music played, yielding a strong pop from the crowd as he made his way to the ring. The bell rang and the match started 45 minutes into the show.
Okada ran Knight over with a shoulder block. Knight leapfrogged Okada and attempted a hiptoss, but Okada blocked it. Okada tried for his own hiptoss, but Knight flipped out of it and took Okada down with an armdrag takedown. Okada came back with own armdrag and they both attempted a dropkick at the same time.
Okada forced Knight into the ropes and broke it clean, giving him a “little brother” tap. Knight, with all the pageantry of Okada, flailed his arms and ended up giving Okada a middle finger. Okada charged him, and Knight dropped down, pulling the top rope down. Okada tumbled to the outside, and Knight went for a crossbody over the top rope, but Okada sidestepped him.
Knight landed on his feet and exchanged words with Okada before they went forward exchanging forearms for an extended period of time (in fact, they had to pause because the ref reached nine on his count). They both slid into the ring and went back gifting and regifting forearms to each other. I don’t think they reached triple digit shots before Knight collapsed to his knees.
Knight went for a forearm, but Okada ducked it, grabbed his wrist and went for the Rainmaker. Knight, instead of ducking it like everybody else, leapt over the lariat. Knight hit a kick to the gut and then attempted to whip Okada into the ropes. Okada countered it, setting up for a dropkick, but Knight grabbed the ropes before walking back to mid ring to return to the age-old tradition of taking turns hitting each other.
They started hitting simultaneous forearms until Knight convinced Okada to step out onto the apron for a dueling springboard (like Bailey and Knight did last week). However, as Knight sprung off of the ropes, Okada just laughed and Knight landed limply on his feet in the ring.
Knight hit Okada with a dropkick that knocked Okada off of the apron. Knight delivered a springboard flying clothesline to the outside the connected with Okada against the commentary table. Knight celebrated as they went to commercial. [c]
Back from break, Knight struggled out of a chinlock with elbows to the gut. Knight caught Okada with a crossbody from the middle rope followed by a series of uppercuts. Okada charged into a leaping clothesline. Knight hit a running clothesline in the corner followed by a scoop slam and a running, spinning splash. Knight made the cover, but Okada kicked out at two.
The crowd chanted “This is awesome” as Knight went for a jumping DDT. Okada caught him and deposited Knight on the apron. Knight attempted to springboard into the ring, but Okada nudged the referee into the ropes, causing Knight to miss the top rope and unceremoniously tumble into the ring. The ref admonished Okada as he mockingly begged for forgiveness.
Okada hit Knight with an air raid crash neckbreaker. Okada bodyslammed Knight and climbed to the top rope. Okada came down with his lazy, falling elbow drop. Okada posed and gave the crowd the finger.
Okada set up for the Rain Maker, but Knight caught him with a back elbow. Okada went for a backslide pin, but Knight rolled through and caught Okada with a “Sky High” sitout spinebuster. Knight held on for the pin, but Okada kicked out at two.
Knight climbed to the top rope and went for the UFO splash, but Okada got his knees up. Knight held his ribs as Okada lifted him to his feet. Okada went for a tombstone piledriver, but Knight blocked it. Okada spun Knight into a backslide and Knight rolled through, but Okada caught him by the wrist and pulled him into a short arm clothesline. Schiavone called it the Rain Maker, but it wasn’t the full version.
Okada maintained his hold on Knight’s wrist. Okada pulled Knight to his feet and went for the lariat, but Knight ducked it, hit the ropes, and ran right into a picture-perfect dropkick from Okada. Okada set up for the actual Rain Maker, but Knight ducked it and shoved Okada into the ropes and caught him with an equally beautiful dropkick.
Knight lifted Okada with the wristlock and spun him around, Rain Maker style, but instead of a clothesline, Knight planted Okada with a jumping DDT. Knight went for to the corner as Okada got to his feet. Knight connected with a springboard clothesline and made the cover, but Okada barely got his shoulder up at the last second.
Okada rolled into the corner as Knight climbed onto the adjacent turnbuckle, setting up for a coast-to-coast. As Knight jumped, Okada rolled to his feet and delivered a perfectly-timed dropkick the connected with Knight in midair. With a sense of urgency for the first time in the match, Okada set up for the Rain Maker again. Knight tried to counter it with a victory roll, but Okada powered Knight up and slammed him down in a German suplex.
Okada held onto the waistlock as he pulled Knight to his feet. Okada transitioned into a wristlock and went for the final Rain Maker, but Knight countered it again, this time rolling Okada up with an inside cradle for a sudden three count.
WINNER: Kevin Knight in 14:00
(White’s Take: If Knight beating Darby was shocking, then this is a full-on electrocution. This was a very good match, and even with upsets being established in the Continental Classic, the ending was still surprising. Okada mostly coasted as usual, finally slipping into second gear as they went into the final moments. Knight, meanwhile, accounted for the movement and excitement of the match, while never shrinking in the spotlight of the moment.)
-Okada was shocked as Speedball ran down to the ring to celebrate Knight’s newest entry for biggest win of his career. They showed the gold league standings, which showed everyone at six points, except Jack Perry, who was at three. Schiavone ran down some matches scheduled for Christmas Collision before signing off.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I think breaking Collision into two seemingly random one-hour shows isn’t a bad idea, but maybe that’s just because they make for a nice, breezy viewing experience. They delivered good (and very good) matches per Collision tradition, but with the added flavor of surprising winners in 75% of the matches, and kept the other 25% surprisingly short. Although there wasn’t much in the way of storyline development or promo segments, the aforementioned 75% of matches absolutely delivered, and that’s all you can really hope for from (half) an episode of Collision at this point.
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