AEW Collision – January 11, 2025: The Death Riders Show. Again.

Collision
Date: January 11, 2025
Location: Akins Ford Arena, Athens, Georgia
Commentators Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone

We’re on the way to Grand Slam in Australia but first we need to get through next week’s Maximum Carnage. That show is going to feature Powerhouse Hobbs getting a World Title shot against Jon Moxley, albeit in Moxley’s hometown, but it’s going to need more than that. Odds are we’ll see some of it added this week so let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Harley Cameron, Mariah May, the Learning Tree and Rated FTR are ready to fight.

Opening sequence.

Cope vs. Big Bill

Chris Jericho is on commentary. Bill wins a power lockup to start and Cope is quickly sent outside. The brawling goes a bit better for Cope, who sends him into various things on the floor. A Jericho distraction lets Bill drop Cope onto the announcers’ table and then sends him into various things to take over. A drop onto the barricade has Cope in more trouble and we take a break, with most of the match having been on the floor.

Back with Cope managing a clothesline to the back of the head but charging into a swinging Boss Man Slam. Cope goes up top (above an exposed turnbuckle) and Bill is sent face first. A powerbomb out of the corner plants Bill for two as the fans are getting into this. Bill’s boot to the face gets two but Cope is back with an implant DDT for a rather near fall. Back up and Bill tries a chokeslam so Cope kicks him low, setting up the Jon Moxley hammer and anvil elbows. A rear naked choke finishes Bill at 13:33.

Rating: B. This started to click a lot better at the end and that is always nice to see. Cope and Bill aren’t the kind of people you would expect to have this kind of chemistry but they made it work well. That being said, I could go for Cope not feuding with two champions at once, though that certainly seems to be the direction they’re taking.

Post match the Learning Tree runs in for the beatdown but FTR makes the save.

Video on Kenny Omega’s return on Dynamite.

Hangman Page talks about the work that he has put in to protect his family and it was all undone in one night. He could either remain the husk of a man that he was or become something else. That’s why he kept Swerve Strickland from winning the World Title, which is why he gave him such a beating in September. Then he heard what Christopher Daniels said but then Daniels crossed a line with him. They’ll fight next week in a Texas Deathmatch. He knows who he will be against Daniels, who has made his own bed. Good promo, but it’s setting up a Texas Deathmatch between Page and Daniels.

Pac vs. Komander

Non-title. They pick up the pace to start with Komander sending him outside for a slow motion flip into a headscissors. The big rope walk flip dive connects and a high crossbody gives Komander two back inside. Pac isn’t having that and sends him outside, with Komander crashing into the barricade.

Back in and Pac goes simple by kicking him in the face for two but makes the mistake of going after Alex Abrahantes. Komander is right there with the dive and a DDT gets two. Some superkicks into a super Canadian Destroyer connects, only for Pac to pull him into the Brutalizer for the win at 8:01.

Rating: B-. Nice stuff here with Pac oddly being a bit more of the violent star rather than going to the air as he is capable of doing. At the same time, Komander was flying all over the place as…well not only he can but as he can do. Finally, such if life for a Ring Of Honor champion, and there is pretty much a zero percent chance that Pac will go after the belt, as Ring Of Honor continues to look useless.

Post match the Death Riders come out for the beatdown but the Outrunners run in and it’s match time.

Death Riders vs. Outrunners

It’s a brawl to start until Yuta gets taken into the wrong corner as things settle down a bit. That doesn’t last long as Castagnoli takes over on Magnum with the uppercuts against the ropes. Magnum fights up with a Thesz press of all things, allowing the Outrunners to clear the ring.

We take a break and come back with Magnum getting kicked in the head but managing a backdrop to send Castagnoli outside. Floyd comes in for a series of slams to take over and the Mega Powers elbow hits Yuta. Everything breaks down and Yuta dropkicks Floyd and a spinning suplex gives him two. Castagnoli superplexes Floyd down and the Fastball Special is enough for the pin at 11:42.

Rating: C+. Ah there it is, as the Death Riders get to take out another popular team. It makes sense on paper as the Death Riders are way above the Outrunners, but it might be nice to have the popular guys win something over these guys at some point. Or for the Death Riders to defend the Trios Titles, as it’s been over two months now.

Video on Maximum Carnage.

Powerhouse Hobbs has been listening to the Death Riders and wants the World Title.

Harley Cameron vs. Mariah May

Non-title. Cameron starts fast with some rollups for two each and May needs an early breather. May’s chops in the corner just annoy Cameron, who fires off some knees to the ribs and an enziguri for two. Back up and May hits a running dropkick for two and we take an early break. We come back with May putting her on top for a double chop but Cameron fights back again. A few knockdowns set up a belly to back suplex for two on May, who knees her in the face. Storm Zero finishes for May at 9:19.

Rating: C. This was fun stuff with the two of them getting to be a bit goofy, though Cameron was putting in the work as well. There was never going to be any drama about the result here as May is not likely to lose to a comedy star like Cameron, but it was nice to see the two of them having a fun match. It worked well, and I could go for the two of them doing some more stuff later on.

Christopher Daniels is ready for Hangman Page next week.

Brody King vs. Trevor Blackwell

Julia Hart is here with King, who hits a running clothesline, a Cannonball, and the Ganso Bomb for the win at 1:31.

Post break Brody King talks about how this is a strange time for the House Of Black but Cope comes in. Cope says it’s time for King to take the reigns, which has King thinking.

TNT Title: Daniel Garcia vs. Katsuyori Shibata

Garcia is defending. Feeling out process to start with Shibata taking him up against the ropes for an early clean break. They trade chops with Shibata getting the better of things in the corner and grabbing a suplex for two. Shibata ties up the legs and we take an early break. Back with Garcia hammering away in the corner and rolling a neckbreaker for two.

They trade running boots to the face and belly to back suplexes until a double takedown gives us a double breather. Then they both sit up and trade chops and ankle locks, which are both broken up. Shibata stays on the leg and puts on the Figure Four, sending Garcia over to the ropes. Then Garcia grabs a quick jackknife rollup for he pin at 11:27.

Rating: C+. Garcia has done that quick rollup pin thing a few times now and it’s only working so well. At the same time, this was quite the “I do this and you do the same thing and then you do something and I’ll do it after”, making it feel as scripted as possible. I get the idea of Garcia being able to hang with Shibata but….yeah it still looks weird to have them doing the same moves over and over.

Video on the Women’s Casino Gauntlet match.

Chris Jericho vs. Dax Harwood

Non-title and everyone is barred from ringside, which is just something that can be enforced at any given time. They fight over a lockup to start and go to the floor before trading chops back inside. Harwood wraps the leg around the post but gets pulled face first into said post but Harwood wins a brawl in the crowd. Back in and Jericho snaps off a super hurricanrana and we take a break.

We come back with Harwood rolling through a high crossbody for two but Jericho counters a German suplex. The Walls of Jericho are broken up as well so Jericho settles for the Lionsault for two more. Jericho takes too long going up and gets top rope superplexed back down for the crash. They forearm it out from their knees and it’s a double knockdown, with Jericho rolling outside.

Jericho kicks him into the steps and almost wins by countout, only for Harwood to come back in for a Sharpshooter. A belt shot misses for Jericho but he punches the referee in the eye and….I think he’s supposed to put the belt up to cut off a dive but instead just kind of hits a diving Harwood. Then a belt shot gives Jericho two, followed by the Judas Effect for the pin at 15:23.

Rating: C. Not only was it long, as in rather long, but the last thirty seconds felt like it ha about four finishing sequences put together. I have no idea why the belt shot couldn’t have just wrapped it up but I guess they had more time to fill. Harwood can wrestle a fine enough match with anyone, though this was far longer than it needed to be and it hurt things a lot.

Post match the Death Riders run in for the beatdown, with Cope, Cash Wheeler and the Outrunners running in for the save. Naturally Jon Moxley gets to drop Cope with the Paradigm Shift but Powerhouse Hobbs makes the real save and no sells Moxley’s chair shot. Moxley runs off and Yuta is put through the announcers’ table to end the show.

Overall Rating: C+. This show didn’t feel like it had as much filler as last week, but dang did it have a lot of the Death Riders. I don’t know what we’re waiting on, but there is a good chance that Cope is going to be the next challenger for Moxley, and that doesn’t feel like the big ending to the story. Overall, not a bad show at all, but Dynamite next week is feeling like the big show where things actually happen.

Results
Cope b. Big Bill – Rear naked choke
Pac b. Komander – Brutalizer
Death Riders b. Outrunners – Fastball Special to Floyd
Mariah May b. Harley Cameron – Storm Zero
Brody King b. Trevor Blackwell – Ganso Bomb
Daniel Garcia b. Katsuyori Shibata – Jackknife rollup
Chris Jericho b. Dax Harwood – Judas Effect

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6