{"id":202090,"date":"2025-08-01T14:33:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T19:33:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=202090"},"modified":"2025-08-01T14:33:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T19:33:09","slug":"aew-collision-hits-misses-7-31-brody-king-bandido-vs-gates-of-agony-in-wild-opener-forbidden-door-developments-fletcher-challenges-dustin-for-tnt-title-in-street-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2025\/08\/01\/aew-collision-hits-misses-7-31-brody-king-bandido-vs-gates-of-agony-in-wild-opener-forbidden-door-developments-fletcher-challenges-dustin-for-tnt-title-in-street-fight\/","title":{"rendered":"AEW COLLISION HITS &#038; MISSES (7\/31): Brody King &#038; Bandido vs. Gates of Agony in wild opener, Forbidden Door developments, Fletcher challenges Dustin for TNT Title in Street Fight"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-3733935859\" 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><p>To help you navigate, my &#8220;Hits&#8221; are ordered from best to worst. Each review includes a historical tidbit and a final grade. With that said, let\u2019s move into the high points of this week\u2019s episode.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>HITS<\/h3>\n<p><strong>CHICAGO STREET FIGHT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Kyle Fletcher didn\u2019t just win the TNT Championship; he made a definitive statement. This Chicago Street Fight against Dustin Rhodes delivered on every front: violence, drama, legacy meeting future, and a well-earned finish. At 56, Dustin Rhodes continued to elevate his opponents through hard-fought matches. With thumbtacks, tables, and a determined performance, Dustin challenged Fletcher to earn his victory. This was less a passing of the torch and more a test by fire, and Fletcher emerged as champion.<\/p>\n<p><strong>BRODIDO<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Brodido felt like more than a one-off. Their dynamic had personality. Bandido\u2019s lucha flair bouncing off Brody\u2019s menacing presence gave off real odd couple energy, but in the best way. You could see the crowd buying in. Bandido\u2019s explosive athleticism played perfectly off Brody King\u2019s brute force, while Gates of Agony matched that intensity with sheer power. No weak link, just four guys beating the brakes off each other.<\/p>\n<p><strong>ATHENA&#8217;S CASH IN<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Tony Khan previously stated during the All-In media scrum that the time and place for Casino Gauntlet cash-ins would be announced. Progressing away from daily cash-ins benefits the storyline. Athena vs. Toni Storm at Forbidden Door presents a compelling, high-profile matchup for AEW.<\/p>\n<p><em>ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW&#8230;<\/em><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-1879392441\" 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<hr \/>\n<h3>Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Dynamite: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreaker.com\/episode\/aew-dynamite-post-show-7-30-keller-maitland-talk-hangman-mox-rematch-bucks-without-power-mjf-hurt-syndicate-dissolving-mjf-briscoe--67197355\">CLICK HERE<\/a> (or search \u201cwade Keller\u201d on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)<\/h3>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"AEW DYNAMITE POST-SHOW (7\/30): Keller &amp; Maitland talk Hangman-Mox rematch, Bucks without power, MJF-Hurt Syndicate dissolving, MJF-Briscoe\" src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?episode_id=67197355&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>BLOOD &amp; GUTS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>It is important to provide women with a prominent platform. The women\u2019s roster has consistently delivered in singles matches. Placing them in a cage match will allow the division to demonstrate its potential. There should be less emphasis on slow story development without a payoff. For AEW to truly highlight the women, Blood &amp; Guts 2025 should serve as a defining event.<\/p>\n<p><strong>WOMEN&#8217;S ROSTER SHOWCASED<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Last week, I questioned why Willow Nightingale and Kris Statlander weren\u2019t given more TV time. This week, that changed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>FTR TO THE FINALS<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>FTR made a notable impression when the tournament brackets were confirmed. There is anticipation around a potential FTR loss to Brodido in the tournament finals.<\/p>\n<p><strong>BRIEF VIDEO PACKAGES<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Fans and media have requested that AEW include short recap videos for the previous episode. It\u2019s an easy way to catch viewers up and give casual fans a reason to return. There\u2019s a smart way to do it without constant, heavy commentary. Just a quick highlight reel, not a lecture.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-4151386628\" 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<hr \/>\n<h3>FINAL SCORE<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>HITS: 7<\/li>\n<li>MISSES: 0<br \/>\n<hr \/>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>FINAL THOUGHTS<\/h3>\n<p>AEW addressed the pacing and formatting issues from last week. This Collision episode felt more focused, story-driven, and deliberately constructed, with matches that advanced narratives and reduced filler. The outcome was a show that demonstrated renewed intentionality.<\/p>\n<p>Moving forward, AEW should continue to focus on advancing stories each week and maintaining the momentum created by this episode. The improved flow and focus on key talent gave the program a strong identity and direction, ensuring fans have a reason to stay invested.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><strong>WRESTLING HISTORY<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>On this day in 1988, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin&#8217;s County Stadium, WWF WrestleFest &#8217;88 was held in front of 25,866 fans. Hulk Hogan defeated Andre the Giant in a steel cage bout on the show.<\/p>\n<p><strong>PODCAST PLUG<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Be sure to check out the Collision Caf\u00e9 I host with PWTorch\u2019s Amin Ajani, available exclusively to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorchvipinfo.com\/\">PWTorch VIP members<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wade Keller Post-show (7\/30) - AEW Dynamite w\/cohost Chris Maitland\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/68-NQXsYdWc?start=1&#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-4139111762\"><div id=\"pwtor-277516190\"><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>To help you navigate, my &#8220;Hits&#8221; are ordered from best to worst. Each review includes a historical tidbit and a final grade. With that said, let\u2019s move into the high points of this week\u2019s episode. <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2025\/08\/01\/aew-collision-hits-misses-7-31-brody-king-bandido-vs-gates-of-agony-in-wild-opener-forbidden-door-developments-fletcher-challenges-dustin-for-tnt-title-in-street-fight\/\" title=\"AEW COLLISION HITS &#038; MISSES (7\/31): Brody King &#038; Bandido vs. Gates of Agony in wild opener, Forbidden Door developments, Fletcher challenges Dustin for TNT Title in Street Fight\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":202092,"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":[52,28,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-202090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opnionandanalysis","category-specialists_hitsandmisses","category-specialists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2025\/08\/Screenshot-2025-08-01-at-2.28.20-PM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202090","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=202090"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202090\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":202093,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/202090\/revisions\/202093"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/202092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=202090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=202090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=202090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}