SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)...
To help you add context, my “Hits” are ordered from best to worst. With that said, let’s move into the high points of this week’s episode, starting with the most significant moments.
HITS
TOMMASO CIAMPA’S TNT TITLE DEBUT
Collision delivered its strongest statement of the year with Tommaso Ciampa debuting and immediately capturing the TNT Championship. AEW didn’t slow-walk his arrival or frame it as a curiosity — this was a decisive, confident booking. Ciampa was presented as a player from the moment he stepped into the spotlight, and on a show still carving out its identity, moments like this matter. This wasn’t just a surprise pop; it was a declaration of intent.
THE RASCALZ ESTABLISH RHYTHM AND PURPOSE
Dezmond Xavier and Zachary Wentz brought urgency and cohesion to Collision’s tag division. Their performance didn’t feel like a nostalgia act or a soft reintroduction — it felt like a team stepping into a clearly defined role. Collision benefits when tag teams feel intentional rather than interchangeable, and The Rascalz accomplished that without overcomplicating things.
DARBY ALLIN–GABE KIDD FEUD CONTINUES
Darby Allin’s victory over Clark Connors was solid, but the segment truly clicked once Gabe Kidd entered the picture. The post-match involvement reframed the bout into something personal and volatile — familiar terrain for Darby, but effective when executed with purpose.
MIXED TAG HAIR VS. HAIR MATCH
Orange Cassidy & Toni Storm teaming against Gino Medina & Lady Bird Monroe initially came off as light and character-driven, but the real weight arrived after the bell. Marina Shafir and Wheeler Yuta’s involvement shifted the segment from filler to friction, directly setting up Storm’s challenge and locking in the Grand Slam Australia stipulation. The hair vs. hair element adds genuine drama — especially with someone like Yuta involved, whose presentation is tied to seriousness and control. With no obvious “safe” pin among the four, the outcome feels legitimately unpredictable.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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MISSES
WOMEN’S TAG MAIN EVENT
AEW deserves credit for trusting the Women’s Tag Team Division with the main event, and Babes of Wrath defending against the Sisters of Sin felt important on paper. Unfortunately, the match itself struggled to justify that placement. The action leaned heavily on spots and, at times, felt unorganized, with sequences that didn’t always flow or build to a satisfying conclusion. When a match closes the show, structure matters as much as representation. The intention was right — the execution didn’t fully support the statement.
INTERNATIONAL TITLE MATCH
Kazuchika Okada, defending the AEW International Title against Adam Priest, showcased clean execution, and Priest continues to prove he’s a very good worker. However, the match lacked purpose within the larger Collision framework. There was little urgency, minimal narrative framing, and no clear sense of consequence before or after the bell. Okada elevates any ring he steps into, but title matches should feel like chapters, not exhibitions. Without context or follow-through, this came across as wrestling for wrestling’s sake rather than a meaningful step forward for the championship.
FINAL SCORE
- HITS: 4
- MISSES: 2
FINAL THOUGHTS
Collision’s Jan. 31 episode succeeded where it mattered most — it created moments with consequences. Ciampa’s debut reshaped the TNT Title picture, Darby Allin gained a clear conflict, and the mixed tag team match smartly laid the groundwork for Grand Slam Australia with real stakes and uncertainty.
Where the show stumbled was less about philosophy and more about execution and intent. The women’s tag main event deserved its position but didn’t fully capitalize on it, while the International Title match highlighted the danger of strong wrestling without narrative weight.
WRESTLING HISTORY
On this day in 2015, at London’s SSE Wembley Arena, Kurt Angle forced Bobby Lashley to submit, capturing the TNA World Heavyweight Championship.
PODCAST PLUG
Be sure to check out the Collision Café I host with PWTorch’s Amin Ajani, available exclusively to PWTorch VIP members (sign up HERE).
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