{"id":193681,"date":"2025-02-25T13:17:57","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T19:17:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=193681"},"modified":"2025-02-26T12:37:24","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T18:37:24","slug":"aew-collision-hits-misses-2-22-mariah-may-toni-storm-gabe-kidd-vs-butcher-jericho-vs-bandido-max-caster-open-challenge-harley-cameron-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2025\/02\/25\/aew-collision-hits-misses-2-22-mariah-may-toni-storm-gabe-kidd-vs-butcher-jericho-vs-bandido-max-caster-open-challenge-harley-cameron-more\/","title":{"rendered":"AEW COLLISION HITS &#038; MISSES (2\/22): Mariah May-Toni Storm, Gabe Kidd vs. Butcher, Jericho vs. Bandido, Max Caster Open Challenge, Harley Cameron, more"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-2357917824\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><h3>AEW COLLISION &#8211; HITS &amp; MISSES<br \/>\nFEBRUARY 22, 2025<br \/>\nPHOENIX, ARIZ.<br \/>\nAIRED ON TNT<br \/>\nBY DAVID BRYANT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR<\/h3>\n<p><em>Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Jim Ross (Hell yeah!)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Hey! Welcome back to another edition of my AEW Collision Hits &amp; Misses column \u2014 the best place to find the worst takes!<\/p>\n<p>After last week\u2019s near-homerun of an event (Grand Slam Australia \u2014 not Dynamite), this week\u2019s episode of Collision has big shoes to fill and throw at Mariah May.<\/p>\n<p><strong>THE VENUE \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>AEW\u2019s continued use of unique venues has made their shows look desirable again. Would I prefer it if they were able to sell out 20,000-seat arenas night after night? Sure, but they can\u2019t, so until they can, this is genuinely the next best option.<\/p>\n<p>Side Note: However, AEW needs to do more to showcase the unique settings they are utilizing. The Arizona Financial Theater is a marquee concert theater operated by Live Nation (the largest live event promotion company in the world), and its iconic rafters and impressive double-balcony would have looked amazing on camera. In fact, it did look amazing the few times we got a glimpse of it, but we shouldn\u2019t have to hunt for glimpses; AEW should be shoving them in our faces.<\/p>\n<p>AEW should have cameras mounted on the stage that are ready for the director to cut to any time the crowd is reacting in an overtly positive manner. (I can think of plenty of ways to hide those cameras within the sets, and it has been years since I was in film school. I would imagine newer filmmakers would have even better ideas than mine.) Either way, this is an impressive venue that holds 5,000 people (by comparison, Broadway\u2019s legendary Palace Theater in New York only holds 1,648 people under its current setup,), and AEW should flaunt the fact that they are in it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>COLD OPEN \u2014 MEGA-HIT<\/strong><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1686225810\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>To anyone who has read my columns, it is no secret that I have always been a big fan of AEW\u2019s cold opens (although, as you guys may have noticed from his column a couple of weeks back, my fianc\u00e9 is not), but tonight\u2019s cold open might just be the best non-C.M. Punk cold open they have ever done.<\/p>\n<p>First, the cold open included Harley Cameron, and you cannot go wrong with this rising star (but watch them find a way.) Second, I got to see more of Chris Jericho on my TV screen, and as the last living person on planet Earth who still enjoys seeing Chris Jericho on his TV screen, I feel obligated to mention it. (Thank you AEW for not giving into the opinions of the vast majority of your fans and listening to only me.) Thirdly, this cold open continued one of the hottest stories in professional wrestling today \u2014 Toni Storm vs. Mariah May.<\/p>\n<p>Here is what happened: Toni Storm (dressed like the sexiest CIA agent to ever be shot out of a cannon by two teenagers who were left in charge of DOGE) was walking down what I assume was AEW\u2019s backstage runway when Mariah May (dressed in a pastiche of Ivory\u2019s entire wardrobe from Right To Censor) blindsided her with a malicious and unfair attack.<\/p>\n<p>These are the real words that I said to my fianc\u00e9 while we were watching this: \u201cI am so angry right now; I\u2019m having to constantly remind myself that this isn\u2019t real.\u201d What I neglected to say after that sentence (but definitely should have said) was, \u201cAnd that is both a good and rare thing in professional wrestling in 2024.\u201d And then, had I said that sentence exactly as written, I should have followed it up by saying, \u201c2025! I meant 2025. Crap. I\u2019m still writing 2024 on checks, but don\u2019t worry! I\u2019m not cashing them because nobody takes checks anymore; it\u2019s fun to pretend you\u2019re timeless.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, Mariah May, looking so much unlike her traditional self that the choice had to be intentional*, introduced Toni Storm&#8217;s beautiful face to a road case with the letters 1,4, 7, 3, 9, and 0 written on it (and as a true Swiftie, I have spent the last 48 hours trying to decipher it\u2019s hidden meaning). After this, May grabbed Storm\u2019s angelic hair and dragged our favorite (and by \u201cour,\u201d I mean me) performing arts genius from backstage onto the main stage, and delivered a Storm Zero piledriver onto Storm on what the announcers assured us was a concrete stage.** And you know what? I believe them. Toni Storm sold that finisher the way a pile driver-based finisher should be sold.<\/p>\n<p>God, she is good.<\/p>\n<p>May then grabbed a mic and demanded the production truck turn on Toni Storm\u2019s signature \u201cspotlight.\u201d May then pulled Storm\u2019s rag-dolled body into that iconic circle of light and posed with Storm\u2019s head in her arms. This is where we finally got to see Mariah May deliver a performance that was clearly outside of her comfort zone.*** That said, despite a rough start with the first line, May executed this task far better than I ever thought she would or could. May wailed, \u201cLook what you made me do!\u201d (As a true Swiftie, I have spent the last 24 hours trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind the mention of this song.)<\/p>\n<p>Then, a crazed May cradled an unconscious Storm as she smeared Storm\u2019s lipstick and told Storm, \u201cYou never did know how to write an ending did you? So, I guess, I\u2019m going to (have to) write one for you, and I am going to write it in your own blood. This is our spotlight! This is our moment! Let\u2019s be stars together! At Revolution, let&#8217;s have a Hollywood ending!\u201d May then performed a modified version of Storm\u2019s \u201cAll right, Mr. DeMille, I\u2019m ready for my close-up\u201d hand gesture that managed to include both women at once.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3341749542\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>*Normally, May dresses like a sex kitten, and while I don\u2019t think there is any way to make May look ugly (short of calling in legendary makeup artist Rick Baker), there is an easy way to make May look less sexy, and that is by dressing her in conservative outfits so as to irritate the men who can\u2019t stop cheering for her boobs. Hopefully, May will continue this look for the remainder of her feud with Toni Storm \u2014 kind of like how Jungle Boy went heel by ditching his tight, revealing trunks for thick, modest pants. (I assume we all agree that is the reason he is now booed.)<\/p>\n<p>**Concrete would not be my material of choice for an interior stage, but given that the Arizona Financial Theater is mostly a concert venue, I can see it would be their choice. Musicians and their equipment are absurdly abusive to stage floors. Running a show after a concert is like running a figure skating competition after a hockey practice.)<\/p>\n<p>***I want to be clear that I believe, overall, that Mariah May did a good job of acting out this segment, but the director in me wants to point out that May\u2019s attempt to cry at the beginning was working out about as well as lemon mascara, except that one of those two things would bring tears to your eyes. (To her credit, May quickly realized her attempt at crying was going over like a pink flamingo on a palace lawn and immediately abandoned that portion of her performance \u2014 a mark of a good actor.)<\/p>\n<p>If May wants to master \u201cdistraught weeping,\u201d one of the best ways to learn is to watch, and I would point her toward Mikey Madison\u2019s BAFTA-winning performance in this year\u2019s film \u201cAnora.\u201d (I have never seen tears more chilling than Madison\u2019s, and I have seen more films than any singular Blockbuster Video has ever contained.) However, I really want to emphasize the meat of May\u2019s performance because this is the part that matters the most, and May\u2019s delivery of everything that came after her first two lines was perfect, and I am so glad to see her character evolve this dramatically.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FOLLOW UP ON TONIGHT\u2019S COLD OPEN \u2014 MISS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>AEW opened their show with a major twist in one of their hottest storylines since C.M. Punk vs. MJF, and they quickly threw all of their resources behind following up on none of it.<\/p>\n<p>Is Toni Storm still alive?<\/p>\n<p>Is Mariah May going to be arrested?<\/p>\n<p>Is the concrete stage okay?<\/p>\n<p>Does Lexi Nair want to interview May, or does she strive to be the Maria Bartiromo of professional wrestling?<\/p>\n<p>Are we going to cut to the trainer&#8217;s room at any point during the show?<\/p>\n<p>Will this shocking moment be addressed in a dedicated second-hour segment?<\/p>\n<p>Will Tony Khan release a statement to be read on air about what just transpired?<\/p>\n<p>The answers to all of these questions are either \u201cno\u201d or \u201cMaria Bartiromo.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>DAVID SPENDING WAY TOO MUCH TIME ON TONI STORM \u2014 MEGA-HIT (WITH ME. YOUR MILAGE MAY VARY)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sadly, given I just wrote an approximately 2,000-word essay on Toni Storm and Mariah May, I am going to have to be quick with the rest of this show because I have a life and so do you\u2026 unless you\u2019re in a coma. If you are in a coma, I am so sorry to hear that, and you should inform your doctors that you are able to read; it seems like that would help your situation.<\/p>\n<p><em>ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>Check out the latest episode of the &#8220;All Elite Conversation Club&#8221; with Joel Dehnel and Gregg Kanner, part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreaker.com\/episode\/all-elite-conversation-club-dehnel-kanner-highlight-grand-slam-australia-a-superb-mjf-hangman-promo-battle-shane-mcmahon-tk-meeting--64505356\">CLICK HERE<\/a> to stream (or search \u201cpwtorch\u201d on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?episode_id=64505356&amp;theme=light&amp;playlist=false&amp;playlist-continuous=false&amp;chapters-image=true&amp;episode_image_position=right&amp;hide-logo=false&amp;hide-likes=false&amp;hide-comments=false&amp;hide-sharing=false&amp;hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"200px\" frameborder=\"0\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>HOLOGRAM vs. \u201cTHE BEAST\u201d MORTOS \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Dollar Tree Naomi and Spirit Halloween put on a good match, tonight, and I\u2019m going to label this match a \u201cHit\u201d because I\u2019m rating the in-ring action and not everything else. I am very impressed with the in-ring ability of these two wrestlers, but I struggle to relate to them because they feel like action figures that were manufactured for a movie franchise that does not yet exist because its source material has not yet been written.<\/p>\n<p>These two characters feel so far removed from reality that it is hard to imagine them ever being relatable to me. So, I have a challenge for Tony Khan: Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to write and execute a story about these two characters that is as compelling as the story you have written about Toni Storm and Mariah May. If you can meet this challenge, I am an honorable man, and I will gladly admit that I was wrong.<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u201cSPEEDBALL\u201d IS COMING! \u2014 MINOR-HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I enjoyed this video package, and I\u2019ve heard a lot of hype surrounding both Mike Bailey and the benefits of combining heroin and cocaine. I\u2019m excited.<\/p>\n<p><strong>LEXI NAIR INTERVIEWS HARLEY CAMERON \u2014 MEGA-HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In the winter of 2021, I attended a special Holiday episode of AEW Dynamite that was being taped at The Greensboro Coliseum, and one thing I will never forget about that night was Hook. Outside of the Attitude Era, I have never attended a wrestling event where one individual felt bigger than the company they were in. This event took place at the peak of \u201cHook-a-mania,\u201d when everyone was buying his very first t-shirt and clamoring to witness his next \u201cbig moment.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That \u201cbig moment\u201d never came.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m sure people in the back had plenty of reasons why they thought Tony Khan should allow this lightning-in-a-bottle opportunity to escape him. I\u2019m sure they said things like: \u201cHe\u2019s too green.\u201d (Jade Cargill). \u201cHe has a limited arsenal\u201d (Goldberg). \u201cHe needs more experience on the mic\u201d (Half of AEW\u2019s roster). And last, but not least, I\u2019m sure someone said something along the lines of, \u201cIf you cool him off now, you can always heat him up again later.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Later never came.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t get me wrong, some efforts were made, and eventually, Hook got pushes, but AEW was never able to \u201cheat him up\u201d to the level he was at in December of 2021, and of course, they weren\u2019t. People are not microwaveable, and warmed-up leftovers are never as good as they were on Thanksgiving day.<\/p>\n<p>I could write an entire column on this topic, and maybe someday I will. But for now, let me leave you with this thought: \u201cWhen the iron is hot, strike it; when you feel a breeze, sail it, and when you catch lightning in a bottle, cork it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Harley Cameron is lightning in a bottle.<\/p>\n<p><strong>GABE KIDD vs. THE BUTCHER \u2014 IN-THE-MIDDLE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This happened and much like that Madonna song, it took place in under 4 minutes. Also, much like that Madonna song, it left wanting for reasons to care.<\/p>\n<p><strong>LEXI NAIR INTERVIEWS DON CALLIS AND KYLE FLETCHER \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>In a segment that I can only imagine gave my fianc\u00e9 an orgasm, Kyle Fletcher and the unholy offspring of Lex Luther and Harry Potter delivered a fantastic promo that was in no way hindered by the distraction of the 4D immersive experience that has become Don Callis\u2019s scar of many colors.<\/p>\n<p><strong>JULIA HART vs. QUEEN AMINATA \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I really wish they hadn\u2019t \u201clightened up\u201d Julia Hart\u2019s gimmick. I still think the House of Hart, complete with red mist and the linguistic musings of Brody King, would have been a hit; however, AEW felt otherwise. I hope everyone involved with this new presentation knows what they are doing because Julia Hart is one of AEW\u2019s best \u201cfully original\u201d success stories in the women\u2019s division. Hart is so far removed from her hard-to-watch matches on Dark Elevation, that it is mind-bending to believe this is even the same person.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Julia Hart has truly shown us that she shines brightest in the darkness, and I hope AEW does not intend to take that darkness away from her. Let Hart emerge as the true leader of \u201cHounds of Hell\u201d (which sounds like the name of a song from a heavy metal band)*, and not as a lackey hanging out in the background of a trio or as a solo act with only a cursory connection to Brody King and Buddy Matthews. Hart was far too good at the role she played in The House of Black to abandon it completely, IMHO.<\/p>\n<p>*I checked, and it is indeed the name of a song from a heavy metal band. Here is a <a href=\"https:\/\/genius.com\/Venom-hounds-of-hell-lyrics\">link to the lyrics<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MURDER MACHINES vs. WAIT. WHAT? \u2014 IN-THE-MIDDLE<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The Murder Machines opened their match by helping their opponents find their way to the ring. (There are two entrances; it is confusing.) And the match closed with both of their opponents passing out from the Ambien I assume they took beforehand.<\/p>\n<p><strong>MVP\u2019S PROMO \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Note To Kris Statlander: Do you see how Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin are standing beside MVP and doing nothing? Do you notice how they\u2019re not miming, performing interpretive dance, or lip-syncing for their lives? That is how it should be done. Please, because I believe in you and want you to succeed, reunite with Stokely, stand next to him, and look impressive. That\u2019s all you have to do because you were blessed with all of the other prerequisites to be a star.<\/p>\n<p><strong>DADDY MAGIC &amp; COOL HANDS &amp; DANNY VON DICK-DANCE vs. THE DEATH RIDERS \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Okay, sound off: Who all ended up involved in this trio&#8217;s match? Now, and not to be pedantic about it, but remember, the word \u201ctrio\u201d implies three.<\/p>\n<p>(Cue the \u201cYakko\u2019s World\u201d song.)<\/p>\n<p>This trios match contained: Danny Garcia, Daddy Magic, Angelo Parker, Pac, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, Kyle O\u2019Reilly, and Cliff!<\/p>\n<p>That was 10 names.<\/p>\n<p>10 is more than 6.<\/p>\n<p>You can\u2019t even divide 10 by 3. When you try, it makes your calculator have a seizure.<\/p>\n<p>Anyway\u2026 at least AEW\u2019s storyline came back around to Cliff keeping his promise of hunting down the members of the Death Riders one by one so that Jon Moxley will be alone come Revolution. However, this does make me wonder, \u201cWhat is Cliff\u2019s plan for Marina Shafir?\u201d Considering how hitting a woman seems to be the most terrifying thing AEW\u2019s otherwise murderous, felonious, and pyromaniacal roster has ever contemplated doing, I imagine Cliff will have to accidentally knock her off the apron at least a dozen times.<\/p>\n<p>With all that said, I liked the match. It was fun, and in my opinion, it was a \u201chit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>TWO CONCHAIRTOS TO PAC (NOT TUPAC) \u2014 NO<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I swear on the life of every person I\u2019ve ever hated, if I see Pac walking upright and fine come Dynamite there will be issues. Unless Pac is leaving the company, severely injured, or incredibly pregnant \u2014 no. Just no. The agent in charge of this angle should have said, \u201cNo.\u201d Because if Pac shows up next week all fine and dandy, how will I ever buy into the storyline the next time AEW sets someone on fire with a flame thrower?<\/p>\n<p><strong>MAX \u201cTHE CHALAMET MUSTACHED*\u201d CASTER vs. BRODY KING \u2014 MINOR-HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Max \u201cCheap Picture Frames*\u201d Caster has once again astounded us with the absolute breadth of his bouncing skills. There is hardly a surface in the building this man can\u2019t bounce off of and still have the strength and stamina to raise that Staples-printed patent above his head. At this point, I am actually wondering if they are going to have Max \u201cThe Bounce Bucket*\u201d Caster do his trampoline act for a no-name, no-gimmick, no-entrance wrestler in the first ever buried alive match to not feature a grave.<\/p>\n<p>I do assume, or at least I hope, they are guiding this storyline into the vicinity of Max \u201cThe Trampled Lean*\u201d Caster realizing that without Anthony Bowens, his place on the roster is in jeopardy. If that is the case, I\u2019d really like to see the other side of this story.<\/p>\n<p>Where is Bowens, anyway? Is he alive? Wouldn\u2019t this plan work better if he were on our TV screens busying himself with being the antithesis to Max \u201cThe Shakespearean Tragedy*\u201d Caster by going on an astounding winning streak? I mean, that is the plan, right?<\/p>\n<p>They do have a plan?<\/p>\n<p>What am I saying! Of course, they have a plan. I should be more trusting considering all of the goodwill they\u2019ve built up over the years.<\/p>\n<p>*Patent Pending<\/p>\n<p><strong>CHRIS JERICHO vs. BANDIDO \u2014 HIT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Was this match well-choreographed? Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Did Chris Jericho manage to deliver one of the best Lionsaults we\u2019ve seen in months? Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Did we get a well-executed Hey-icane Ranna that should have happened earlier in the match when the announcers weren\u2019t trying to sell how tired both athletes were? Yes.<\/p>\n<p>I barely have anything bad to say about this match except for the time and place. While I know a world title match deserves to be seen by more than five people, this should have aired on ROH\u2019s Honor Club because the last time I checked, YouTube TV had this program listed as \u201cAEW Collision,\u201d not \u201cROH Collision.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Side Note: Also, AEW should keep Chris Jericho\u2019s matches \u201cspecial.\u201d Jericho\u2019s years as a full-time wrestler are winding down, and as an unapologetic fan of Jericho (his art; not his politics) AEW would be wise to remind fans that they are witnessing the closing act of the tale of a living legend and that because wrestling at any age is dangerous, every match Jericho performs could potentially be his last.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FINAL THOUGHTS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>First, I want to thank August Strachan (David\u2019s hot, flexible fianc\u00e9) for helping me write and flesh out the final four segments of this column. I also want to thank those of you who were in the YouTube chatroom for being so welcoming to August when he appeared as a call-in guest on Wade Keller\u2019s Pro Wrestling Post-show for this past week\u2019s Dynamite. August means the world to me, and so does your kindness. It is nice to be a part of a wholesome wrestling community \u2014 those kinds of communities are becoming harder and harder to find online these days.<\/p>\n<p>As for the show, I really enjoyed this week\u2019s episode of AEW Dynamite. It wasn\u2019t as good as last week\u2019s PPV-adjacent event, but it would be unreasonable to hold a regular program to the PPV-like standards set by Grand Slam Australia.<\/p>\n<p>Tonight\u2019s episode of AEW Collision felt like it embraced the idea of furthering storylines on Saturday nights, and I really enjoyed this episode\u2019s in-ring work, even if it wasn\u2019t flawless. Therefore, I will give this week\u2019s storyline progression an \u201cA,\u201d and I will give this week\u2019s in-ring action a \u201cB+.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>So, if on a 7-point grading scale, a solid \u201cA\u201d is the equivalent of a 97 and a \u201cB+\u201d is the equivalent of a 91, that averages out to an overall show grade of 94, which is the equivalent of an \u201cA-\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Overall Match Grade: B+<br \/>\nOverall Storylines Grade: A<\/p>\n<p>SHOW GRADE: A-<\/p>\n<p>DAVID\u2019S DODGY MATCH RECOMMENDATIONS:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Match of the Night: Hologram vs. \u201cThe Beast\u201d Mortos<\/li>\n<li>Second Best Match: Chris Jericho vs. Bandido<\/li>\n<li>Third Best Match: Daddy Magic &amp; Cool Hands &amp; Daniel Garcia vs. The Death Riders<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Thank you all for reading. I truly appreciate it. And as always, I\u2019m still working on my sign-off, but until next week, remember, idioms are just one letter away from idiots, and that is why I prefer paronomasias.<\/p>\n<p><em>(David Bryant\u2019s bathroom-selfies can be found on his \u201cArtist Formerly Known as Twitter\u201d account @IamDavidBryant; a video of David Bryant being knocked unconscious by an exploding television set can be found on his Instagram account @IamDavidBryant, and David Bryant\u2019s Threads account is threadbare and also located @IamDavidBryant because David Bryant sucks at usernames. David is a published author, circus artist, drag promoter, male pageant winner, unrenowned musician, sloppy figure skater, and the inventor of the world\u2019s first spray tan that doesn\u2019t turn MJF\u2019s hands brown. Less impressively, David studied screenwriting at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>August Strachan (David\u2019s hot, flexible fianc\u00e9) contributed to this column.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wade Keller Post-show - AEW Dynamite w\/Wade Keller &amp; Chris Lansdell\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/3FgZA2R29xc?start=75&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-797149977\"><div id=\"pwtor-1111387680\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>AEW COLLISION &#8211; HITS &amp; MISSES FEBRUARY 22, 2025 PHOENIX, ARIZ. AIRED ON TNT BY DAVID BRYANT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Jim Ross (Hell yeah!) &#8211; Hey! Welcome back to another edition of <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2025\/02\/25\/aew-collision-hits-misses-2-22-mariah-may-toni-storm-gabe-kidd-vs-butcher-jericho-vs-bandido-max-caster-open-challenge-harley-cameron-more\/\" title=\"AEW COLLISION HITS &#038; MISSES (2\/22): Mariah May-Toni Storm, Gabe Kidd vs. Butcher, Jericho vs. Bandido, Max Caster Open Challenge, Harley Cameron, more\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":193682,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[46,52,28,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-193681","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-spotlightarticles","category-opnionandanalysis","category-specialists_hitsandmisses","category-specialists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2025\/02\/Screenshot-2025-02-25-at-1.01.22\u202fPM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193681","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=193681"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193681\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":193683,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/193681\/revisions\/193683"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/193682"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=193681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=193681"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=193681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}