{"id":209153,"date":"2025-12-23T12:34:31","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T18:34:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=209153"},"modified":"2025-12-23T12:34:31","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T18:34:31","slug":"aew-collision-hits-misses-12-20-a-compelling-twist-in-mercedes-belt-collection-a-potentially-star-making-trajectory-for-knight-continues-kingstons-redemption-arc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2025\/12\/23\/aew-collision-hits-misses-12-20-a-compelling-twist-in-mercedes-belt-collection-a-potentially-star-making-trajectory-for-knight-continues-kingstons-redemption-arc\/","title":{"rendered":"AEW COLLISION HITS &#038; MISSES (12\/20): A compelling twist in Mercedes&#8217; belt collection, a potentially star-making trajectory for Knight continues, Kingston&#8217;s redemption arc"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-404515762\" 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 add context, my \u201cHits\u201d 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, starting with the most significant moments.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>HITS<\/h3>\n<p><strong>KEVIN KNIGHT VALIDATING MOMENTUM<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This was easily the story of the show. Kevin Knight pinning Kazuchika Okada wasn\u2019t just an upset, it was the kind of result that reframes a wrestler\u2019s ceiling overnight. What made this land even harder is that it didn\u2019t come out of nowhere.<br \/>\nBack on the Nov. 27 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.spreaker.com\/podcast\/wade-keller-pro-wrestling-post-shows--3275545\">Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show after Dynamite<\/a>, Wade Keller and I singled out Knight as someone AEW should continue to push \u2014 mentioning his athletic upside, natural explosiveness, and overall cool factor Knight adds to the roster. Those comments felt like a smart observation at the time. After this episode, it feels prophetic.<\/p>\n<p>Knight wrestled with confidence and sharpness. His bursts of offense actually forced Okada to adjust, and once the crowd realized the upset was possible, the match snapped into a different gear. The finish didn\u2019t feel like a fluke \u2014 it felt earned.<br \/>\nFor a company that needs fresh, young, organic babyfaces to rise, this was exactly the right call. Now the real test is whether AEW follows through. A win over Okada can\u2019t be treated like a statistical oddity in the block standings. Knight showed he belongs in the mix, and AEW should treat him like it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>TOURNAMENT PARITY<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>One of the quiet strengths of this year\u2019s Continental Classic has been the overall competitive balance, and Collision\u2019s results pushed the Gold League into its most compelling state yet \u2014 a full six-way tie that actually feels earned, not manufactured.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of one or two wrestlers running away with the block, the standings now look like an actual athletic tournament where momentum swings weekly and no one is safe from taking a loss. Kevin Knight\u2019s upset over Okada didn\u2019t just give Knight a defining moment, it completely reshaped the math of the league. Suddenly, every match matters, every point matters, and the final stretch has real tension built in.<\/p>\n<p>For all the criticism AEW gets about long-term storytelling, this is where the C2 format works: wins have consequences, losses change trajectories, and anyone in the field can beat anyone. That parity makes the tournament feel less predictable and far more rewarding to follow week to week.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2541810988\" 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><strong>EDDIE KINGSTON\u2019S REDEMPTION ARC<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Eddie Kingston\u2019s squash win might look like a simple palate-cleanser on the surface, but it\u2019s actually a smart next step in his redemption arc following the loss to Samoa Joe. Eddie\u2019s whole appeal is built around emotional gravity \u2014 when he loses, it means something, and when he climbs back, it feels earned.<\/p>\n<p>After dropping the match to Joe, Eddie didn\u2019t disappear, sulk, or get slotted into a cold tag team pairing. Instead, AEW let him come back with a sense of urgency. His win here wasn\u2019t about dominance for the sake of dominance; it was about Kingston steadying himself, re-calibrating, and reminding everyone that he\u2019s still a threat heading into the final stretch of the C2.<\/p>\n<p><em>ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW&#8230;<\/em><\/p>\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-12-17-keller-buhagiar-discuss-the-return-of-mjf-the-continental-classic-kenny-omega-more--69112343\">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 (12\/17): Keller &amp; Buhagiar discuss the return of MJF, the Continental Classic, Kenny Omega, more\" src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?episode_id=69112343&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>MERCEDES MON\u00c9 CRASH-OUT<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Mercedes Mon\u00e9 crashing out with another loss \u2014 this time dropping the RevPro British Women\u2019s Title to Alex Windsor \u2014 might look like a setback on paper, but it\u2019s actually one of the more interesting creative choices AEW has made with her run so far.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of booking her as an untouchable global star collecting belts, AEW is letting Mercedes struggle, and that struggle is giving her character layers we haven\u2019t seen since early in her WWE run. The losing streak isn\u2019t burying her, it\u2019s grounding her. It\u2019s creating tension. And it\u2019s setting the table for a rebound storyline that can actually mean something when she finally gets hot again.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>MISSES<\/h3>\n<p>None this week.<\/p><div id=\"pwtor-749160361\" 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: 4<\/li>\n<li>MISSES: 0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3>FINAL THOUGHTS<\/h3>\n<p>Collision was a tighter, more compressed episode this week due to the one-hour format, and that naturally limits how many angles, promos, or character beats AEW can realistically fit in. Because of that, there weren\u2019t many glaring issues &#8211; just the expected challenges that come with trying to deliver a full Collision experience in half the time.<\/p>\n<p>Even with the condensed runtime, the show still produced a couple of meaningful developments: Kevin Knight scoring a career-shifting win, Mercedes Mon\u00e9\u2019s story taking another interesting turn, and the Continental Classic standings tightening into a chaotic six-way tie. The wrestling was efficient, the pacing never dragged, and the episode accomplished more than its structure should\u2019ve allowed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>WRESTLING HISTORY:<\/strong> On this day in 2009 TNA held Final Resolution at the Impact Zone in Orlando, headlined by AJ Styles defeating Christopher Daniels to retain the TNA World Heavyweight Championship \u2014 another strong chapter in one of the promotion\u2019s most reliable in-ring rivalries. The show also featured the annual Feast or Fired match, in which Samoa Joe secured a briefcase that earned him a future World Championship opportunity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>PODCAST PLUG:<\/strong> Be sure to check out the Collision Caf\u00e9 I host with PWTorch\u2019s Amin Ajani, available <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorchvipinfo.com\/\">exclusively with a PWTorch VIP membership<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><em>(Did you know you can read an ad-free, silky-smooth-loading version of this website with a PWTorch VIP Membership? Also, unlock 35+ years of archives including nearly 2,000 PWTorch Weekly Newsletters dating back to the late 1980s, hundreds of retro radio shows from the 1990s, and two decades of podcasts including Post-PPV Roundtable Podcasts dating back to the mid-2000s. Plus, new VIP-exclusive articles and podcasts throughout the week, fully compatible with the native Apple Podcasts app. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorchvipinfo.com\/\">SIGN-UP INFO HERE<\/a>)<\/em><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Wade Keller Post-show (12\/17) - AEW Dynamite w\/Keller &amp; Buhagiar\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8Jv4RSRNTEA?start=13&#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-460001174\"><div id=\"pwtor-1813280893\"><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 add context, my \u201cHits\u201d 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 <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2025\/12\/23\/aew-collision-hits-misses-12-20-a-compelling-twist-in-mercedes-belt-collection-a-potentially-star-making-trajectory-for-knight-continues-kingstons-redemption-arc\/\" title=\"AEW COLLISION HITS &#038; MISSES (12\/20): A compelling twist in Mercedes&#8217; belt collection, a potentially star-making trajectory for Knight continues, Kingston&#8217;s redemption arc\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":209155,"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-209153","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\/12\/Screenshot-2025-12-23-at-12.22.18-PM.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209153","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=209153"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":209158,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/209153\/revisions\/209158"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/209155"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=209153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=209153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=209153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}