We’re back on pay per view and that means it’s time to get ready for a bunch of matches, some of which have been built up rather well. What matters the most here is that we have some big matches on top and I’m interested in where a lot of this card is going. AEW has been doing well as of late and if they can stick the landing with the important show, things could be looking way up. Let’s get to it.

Kickoff Show: Big Boom AJ/Orange Cassidy/Mark Briscoe vs. Johnny TV/MxM Collection

I’m still not big on the Costco Guys but they’re celebrities (work with me here) and AJ is at least a former wrestler so it’s not some big mess. This isn’t something I’m overly looking forward to and I could really go for something better for both Briscoe and Cassidy. That being said, this is going to get quite a bit of attention and that’s the reason it is on the show in the first place.

Naturally the good guys win here, as there is pretty much no reason to bring the Costco Guys onto the show if they’re going to lose. It’s smart to have some other people out there to the bulk of the match but we’ll see stuff from AJ’s son and the Rizzler and that’s all AEW wants out of this. If they keep this relatively short, it has the potential to be perfectly harmless fun which could benefit AEW quite well.

Kickoff Show: Daniel Garcia/Undisputed Kingdom vs. Shane Taylor Promotions

Apparently it’s time to act like the Promotions count again, as for some reason they’re being dragged out more and more frequently in recent weeks. I’m not sure why anyone would expect THIS TIME to be the one instance where it works out but AEW has done some stranger things. This is also going to be more about Adam Cole getting a TNT Title shot against Garcia down the line, but we can worry about that later.

As worried as I am about the idea of Shane Taylor pinning Garcia here to get himself a title shot, I’ll play it safe and say that Cole pins one of the Infantry so the good guys win. There is at least something of a point to this match, but it feels like something that should be taking place around 9:10 on any given edition of Collision. That’s kind of the point of the Kickoff Show, but having this added at the last minute was more “well of course they added in something else” rather than making me want to see it.

Kickoff Show: Ring Of Honor World Title: Chris Jericho(c) vs. Gravity

It’s still not a good sign when your biggest claim to fame is that you are the brother of the star (just ask Ryan Nemeth). Gravity is back and for some reason this feud is continuing after Jericho already beat Bandido in their title match. I still have no idea what the endgame is for Jericho but I’m starting to believe that they’re just killing time until Eddie Kingston is back.

Naturally Jericho wins here, as Gravity doesn’t exactly have the pull to make this work. No matter how you look at it, Gravity is a talented guy but he is known for being Bandido’s brother more than anything he has done in the ring so far. That isn’t enough for him to win the title and this is a match that really did not need to be added to the show. Jericho being around is good, but in what should be a no issue title defense on the pre-show? That’s the best spot you have for him?

Tag Team Titles: Hurt Syndicate(c) vs. Outrunners

This one actually intrigues me a bit as I have no idea why the Outrunners are being given this shot. They’re the fun team and on paper, this is a total squash. I’m not sure why in the world you would have the popular team lose in a match like this, which has me wondering if AEW is thinking about trying something crazy here. The more I think about it, the more crazy I realize that sounds so we’ll move on.

I’ll go with the sane pick and say the Syndicate retains the titles here because…well why wouldn’t they? The Syndicate has been presented as a major team and outside of some major shenanigans, there is no reason to act like the Outrunners are on their level. This should be a squash and I’m really not sure why it’s taking place on pay per view. Maybe they have something wacky planned, but the Syndicate should absolutely be retaining here.

TBS Title: Mercedes Mone(c) vs. Momo Watanabe

Here we have one of AEW’s favorites: bringing someone in mainly on the strength of what they have done in another promotion, having them win a match or two and then putting them right in the title picture. That isn’t the best way to go as it presents the obvious issue: talent aside (and she has it), there is no reason to care about Watanabe. She’s just there for the sake of Mone having an international opponent and that’s not exactly thrilling.

Of course I’ll take Mone to retain, as she has been the champion for what feels like the better part of ever and hopefully AEW is building up for a big moment when she finally loses the title. Watanabe isn’t the right person to do that and even though the match is likely to be quite good from a technical standpoint, it’s hard to get interested in something which feels this thrown together.

Continental Title: Kazuchika Okada(c) vs. Brody King

So the House Of Black broke up thanks to Black leaving the company and now Brody King and Buddy Matthews are getting to lose over and over. I don’t know if this is supposed to be some kind of weird punishment to Black’s former partners or what, but it’s one of the weirdest booking choices that I’ve seen in AEW in a long time. That should explain where this is going.

There is no reason to believe that Okada is going to lose here as King is just being thrown out there for the sake of putting the title match on the show. That’s not the best idea, just like King losing again isn’t but here we are for some reason. Okada will retain here as it seems like he is coming up on a big title showdown with Kenny Omega at All In, meaning he isn’t losing a mostly cold match to King here.

Will Ospreay vs. Kyle Fletcher

This is inside of a steel cage and PLEASE let it be the end of Ospreay vs. the Don Callis Family. I know I’ve been saying that for the better part of a year now, but that’s because THE FEUD IS STILL GOING. Thankfully they have at least been teasing that Ospreay wants to get into the World Title picture and my goodness would it be overdue. There is no reason for these sides to be feuding with each other any longer and this very well may be the big blowoff.

As strong of a possibility as it seems, I see no reason for Fletcher to win here, as if it is the big ending, it should be Ospreay getting the win to blow the thing off. Ospreay being the superhero who gets to finish his former friend by possibly going all violent for once should work out well. That’s what we should be getting here, but it would not stun me for Fletcher to win and somehow keep it going.

Swerve Strickland vs. Ricochet

For the #1 contendership and that opens up some interesting questions. On one hand, I can’t imagine Ricochet getting a title shot against Jon Moxley, but I’m also not sure I can see Cope getting the title. That doesn’t leave many options, but it could give us quite the nice moment. It sets up a good possibility and I think that might just be where it goes, as it should (maybe).

I’ll take Strickland winning here, just because I can’t imagine Ricochet getting a title shot against Moxley, nor can I picture Cope winning. Strickland would be a good choice to get back into the main event picture, but dang they have been teasing the idea of Prince Nana turning on Strickland hard lately. It’s a pick I don’t expect to work, but I’ll go with Strickland winning here.

Women’s Title: Toni Storm(c) vs. Mariah May

This is literally being described as the (Hollywood) Ending and that means we should be done with this feud once and for all. That seemed to be what we were seeing last month but instead here we are again for a rubber match. Storm got her big win back on her home turf at Grand Slam and she kind of has it again here, which makes things more interesting. The violence could help as well here and we are all but promised to see it taking place.

I’m not sure I can see a reason for Storm to lose here so I’ll go with her retaining the title in a brutal match. May is going to be needing to do something else after a loss here, but there is little reason to put the title on her again. The story needs to wrap up here and move on, possibly with Storm finding a fresh challenger. The May feud has been going on way too long now and it’s time for something new after she wins here.

International Title: Konosuke Takeshita (c) vs. Kenny Omega

Here we have part of a pretty long running feud with Takeshita having gotten the better of Omega for a long time. That opens up some options, but they may have spoiled the whole thing with Omega’s staredown with Okada. Maybe it’s just false hope, but egads I could go for the two of them facing off in a title unification match. That needs something to happen first though and that might be what we are going to see here.

I’ll take Omega winning here, as Takeshita has long since proven that he is one of the best things going in AEW today, but Omega needs to establish that he still has it. Winning a big match over someone who has beaten him multiple times before would certainly accomplish that and if we just have to get a really good match out of it, oh well. Takeshita is going to be fine, but Omega doesn’t likely have much time left in the ring so seeing him win the title here would be the right way to go.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman vs. Hangman Page

This is the ultra personal match on the show, even if they might have gone a bit nuts with MJF trying to burn Page alive on Dynamite. It’s the kind of match that should make for a good showdown as they both have the resumes and skill to make it feel big. I’m hoping they haven’t built things up too hard with what they have been doing because that could bring them down in a hurry.

Geez I’m not sure on this one but I’ll go with Page winning, as he seems to be on more of an upward trajectory and needs the win to keep that going. It wouldn’t stun me to see him move towards the Death Riders and possibly a World Title feud (perhaps with Swerve Strickland at his side). Beating MJF would be a great step in that direction, though I’m not sure where that leaves MJF. Page wins here, and then we’ll see where things go.

AEW World Title: Jon Moxley(c) vs. Cope

I guess we have to do this one too due to reasons. This isn’t a match that has me overly interested and a lot of that is due to the Death Riders still being one of the least interesting storylines I’ve seen in a long time. Cope has been taking them out one by one, which means they’re either going to come back and save Moxley here or Moxley is going to win anyway, possibly with the help of Wheeler Yuta, the last Rider standing. Or they go with what feels like the more obvious result.

After so many months of Moxley dominating the World Title scene, it feels like it’s time for that to keep going, possibly, or even likely, with Jay White turning on Cope to cost him the title. That feels like something that been set up for a little while now and while it feels predictable, that doesn’t mean it isn’t where things are going. Cope winning the title doesn’t feel right, meaning Moxley gets to keep the forever reign going.

Overall Thoughts

Normally I try to get through the weaker main card matches first, but the more I looked at this card, the more stacked the whole thing feels. There are only a few weak spots in the whole thing and if AEW does this the right way, we could be in for a heck of a show. What matters the most here is the possibility of some feel good moments, which have been sorely lacking from AEW PPVs in recent months. Just let the fans have a good time for once and we can see where things go from there. Revolution looks solid on paper though and that’s a nice thing to see.

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

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Collision
Date: March 8, 2025
Location: Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone

It’s the last show before Revolution and that means we very well may get some more matches added at the last minute. Other than that, it is time to firm up what we already have on the card, which should come in the form of some good stuff. AEW has been going well as of late and if they can keep that going throughout the weekend, things will be looking up. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

Opps vs. Jack Banning/Starboy Charlie/Titus Alexander

Hook suplexes Charlie to start and then does the same to Alexander. Shibata and Joe chop away at Alexander and then Joe gets to hammer away at the jaw. Shibata’s running corner dropkick sets up the PK for the pin at 2:18.

Cope is ready to win the title from Jon Moxley, who is a spin doctor rather than a messiah. He wants the Moxley who will come after him so he has to make this count. There is no tomorrow because this might be his final shot at a world title. You know, other than tomorrow, when he gets his title shot.

Momo Watanabe vs. Serena Deeb

Mercedes Mone is on commentary. Deeb works on the arm to start and spins out of Watanabe’s wristlock for a bonus. They trade headlock takeovers and headscissors escapes before we stop to look at Mone again. Deeb pulls her into a surfboard but lets it go, allowing Watanabe to hit a dropkick. Watanabe starts firing off kicks to the chest but gets caught in a dragon screw legwhip as we take a break.

Back with Watanabe snapping off some suplexes and hitting a PK for two. Deeb’s Octopus hold doesn’t last long as Watanabe is out with a snap suplex. Back up and a hammerlock lariat gives Deeb two as Mone is getting frustrated. A half crab has Watanabe in more trouble but she fights up and hits a kick to the head. Watanabe grabs a bridging half nelson suplex for the pin at 11:09.

Rating: B-. And that’s the extent of build that Watanabe is getting for her title match against Mone tomorrow night. Watanabe won a four way in Japan, threw something on Mone, and took a good while to beat Deeb. There isn’t much of a reason to believe that she’s going to win the title tomorrow, but here we are anyway as Mone gets to face someone who means very little to the AEW audience. It isn’t about Watanabe’s talent, but rather about her not meaning much of anything around here. That’s a bad thing and AEW likes to do it far too often.

Post match Mone gets in Watanabe’s face and gets taken out just as fast.

We look back at Will Ospreay getting taken out by the Don Callis Family on Dynamite.

At Dynamite, Ospreay was banged up but he is ready for the cage match at Revolution. He talks about his history with his old friends in Japan and how they took over. Then last year, Kyle Fletcher turned on him and it’s time to face off. He loves Fletcher but now he has to fight like an animal and prove that he is on another level.

Harley Cameron vs. Tatevik Hunanyan

Hunanyan jumps her from behind to start and chokes away on the mat, followed by a Russian legsweep. Cameron gets some boots up out of the corner and nails a Shining Wizard. Her Finishing Move (the official name) finishes for Cameron at 2:15.

Kyle Fletcher doesn’t like Will Ospreay treating their cage match like a stepping stone to the World Title. The reality is that Ospreay is the thing standing in Fletcher’s way. Ospreay is going to be locked in a cage with a lion and the mat will be painted red with his bed.

The Infantry vs. Undisputed Kingdom

Dean gets taken into the corner and chopped a bunch to start, setting up O’Reilly’s suplex for two. It’s off to Bravo, who gets kneed in the ribs, but is able to take O’Reilly into the corner to take over. O’Reilly backdrops his way out of trouble though and the tag brings in Strong to clean house.

We take a break and come back with Dean hitting a jumping clothesline on Strong, setting up a splash for two. Strong fights up without much trouble and hands it back to O’Reilly for strikes and suplexes. Dean breaks up a guillotine choke but the High/Low finishes Bravo off at 8:39.

Rating: C+. The Infantry being presented as a thing might have been a bigger hit if I hadn’t seen them lose on Ring Of Honor two days ago. That’s the way things keep going around here, as someone might start getting some momentum but they lose a random match and things get derailed. It isn’t like the Infantry has much going for them, but if AEW wants the Kingdom to get something out of this, maybe don’t have them lose so recently?

Don Callis dubs Konosuke Takeshita as the new god of professional wrestling and promises to end Kenny Omega.

We recap the Learning Tree trying to prove themselves to Chris Jericho. Gravity wants a Ring Of Honor World Title shot.

Jon Moxley talks about how he and Cope are the last of a dying breed. Cope is always feeling that dream of being champion one more time. That’s why this is about respect, which Moxley wants to do for Cope. When he gets his hands around Cope’s neck, should he show him mercy? Would Cope do that? Moxley promises to hurt Cope and then he’ll know what respect feels like.

Hologram vs. Dralistico

They take turns flipping over each other to start and that’s good for a standoff. Dralistico puts him up against the ropes, waits about ten seconds, and then hits a loud chop. Hologram avoids a charge to the floor and hits a big dive as the pace picks up. Back in and Dralistico grabs a top rope hurricanrana out to the floor, setting up a dive of his own. Hologram is sent mask first into a few things and Dralistico hits a basement superkick as we take a break.

Back with the referee yelling at Dralistico, leaving Hologram to hit a Spanish Fly on the floor. They chop it out on the apron until Dralistico hurricanranas him outside again. The slugout ensues on the floor until they both dive back in at nine to beat the count. Dralistico grabs a springboard Codebreaker for two but Hologram’s sitout powerbomb gets the same.

A Spanish Fly rocks Dralistico, but he’s right back with a crucifix driver to leave both of them down. The springboard Canadian Destroyer gives Dralistico two (as the referee catches his feet on the ropes) so Hologram grabs a very spinning torture rack powerbomb for the pin at 13:32 (ignore Dralistico raising his arm up, almost in a salute, during the pin).

Rating: B. Take two talented guys, put them in the ring and let them go nuts for a bit. It’s an idea that has worked well for the better part of ever and that was the case again here. I’m not sure what Hologram is going to do as far as moving up the card, but for now he seems to be back in the “just let him do cool stuff” mode for the moment.

Post match the Beast Mortos runs in for the beatdown and goes for Hologram’s mask but Komander makes the save. That doesn’t work either and the beatdown ensues…until the villains just stop.

FTR kind of apologizes for not showing respect to the Undisputed Kingdom last week. They’ll run it back next week. Adam Cole wants a rematch with Daniel Garcia, but he’s off to defend his title.

The Hurt Syndicate sees the Outrunners as underdogs, which the Syndicate has never been. Tomorrow, those dogs are being put down. Good, serious promo here from the champs. Er, well MVP as the champs didn’t actually talk.

Outrunners vs. Premiere Athletes

Mark Sterling is here with the Athletes. Nese forearms Magnum to start but Magnum is right back with the big wind up punch. A suplex drops Nese again and it’s off to Floyd, who gets hammered down in the corner. Floyd fights up but goes after Sterling, earning himself another beating.

Everything breaks down and the Athletes are knocked outside as we take a break. Back with Magnum fighting out of a chinlock but getting his throat snapped over the top rope. Nese clotheslines Daivari by mistake though and the hot tag brings in Floyd to clean house. The Mega Powers Elbow hits Nese but Total Recall is broken up. Cue the Hurt Syndicate to watch as Total Recall finishes Daivari at 8:28.

Rating: C. The Outrunners are as weird of a set of pay per view challengers for the titles as you’re going to find in AEW as they don’t have a reputation for winning major matches but yet here they are. That’s going to lead to some interesting possibilities at Revolution, but this was little more than a way to build the Outrunners up a bit at the last minute. That’s not a bad idea at all, though I’m not sure how much impact it had.

We go to the premiere of Queen Of The Ring, where Mariah May jumped Toni Storm.

Revolution rundown.

We get a music video for MJF vs. Hangman Page. It’s a look at how both of them rose up the ranks and got here, with MJF getting more serious for this fight. Page on the other hand is insane most of the time so it fits him well.

The Conglomeration is ready to team with Big Boom AJ against Johnny TV and the MxM Collection at Revolution.

TNT Title: Lee Moriarty vs. Daniel Garcia

Only Garcia is defending. They go to the mat to start and wrestle to a stalemate before fighting over a crossarm choke. An exchange of armdrags lets Garcia get two so Moriarty goes to the ropes. Garcia isn’t having that and hits a running boot before hammering away in the corner. That earns him a drop onto the turnbuckle and they go outside, where Garcia hits a running boot against the barricade.

We take a break and come back with Garcia caught in an abdominal stretch, followed by some running knees to the ribs. Garcia wins a battle over a suplex and hammers away in the corner again. A neckbreaker gives Garcia two and a top rope superplex hits Moriarty. Garcia’s ribs give out on a piledriver attempt though and Moriarty plants him for two.

Back up and a discus lariat gives Garcia two and they trade rollups for two each. A double clothesline leaves both of them down and the fans approve. They strike it out until Moriarty pulls him into the Border City Stretch. That’s reversed into the Dragontamer, which is reversed back into the Border City Stretch. This time Garcia escapes and hits the piledriver to retain at 14:56.

Rating: B-. Another solid match here, though I’m not sure how much drama there was as far as a title change goes. Moriarty doesn’t mean much of anything in AEW and he gets to lose here again. I’m still not sure what the point is in having a reigning Ring Of Honor champion losing here, when Shane Taylor was right there to take the loss without devaluing a title. I know Ring Of Honor doesn’t mean anything, but could you quit reminding us that it doesn’t mean anything?

Post match Shane Taylor Promotions come in for the beatdown but the Undisputed Kingdom runs in for the save to.

Kenny Omega is ready for Konosuke Takeshita at Revolution. What happens after he takes the title? What does Don Callis want Takeshita for then? Takeshita needs to show what he can do tomorrow night.

Overall Rating: C+. This wasn’t a bad show, but it was a lot of talking about the big matches at the pay per view with a few things here to fill in the time. What matters the most is getting things ready for Revolution and this show did it well enough. The good thing is that I’m excited for Revolution and this show was enough of a boost on some of the matches. Just get the pay per view right and things should go well.

Results
Opps b. Jack Banning/Starboy Charlie/Titus Alexander – PK to Alexander
Momo Watanabe b. Serena Deeb – Bridging half nelson suplex
Harley Cameron b. Tatevik Hunanyan – Her Finishing Move
Undisputed Kingdom b. The Infantry – High/Low to Bravo
Hologram b. Dralistico – Torture rack bomb
Outrunners b. Premiere Athletes – Total Recap to Daivari
Daniel Garcia b. Lee Moriarty – Piledriver

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

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Dynamite
Date: March 5, 2025
Location: Sacramento Memorial Auditorium, Sacramento, California
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Excalibur, Taz

It’s the last Dynamite before Revolution and that means it is time to finalize a bit more of the show. That includes a contract signing between Ricochet and Swerve Strickland, plus probably another match or two being announced. Hopefully things hold up well on the way to Sunday so let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

We open with MJF in the back, talking about how he has poked and prodded Hangman Page, like when he attacked Christopher Daniels. Now Page has MJF wanting to get in a bigger fight so if Page wants to talk about buckshots, he has a bullet with Page’s name on it.

Here are Swerve Strickland and Ricochet (in a Philadelphia Eagles hat) for their contract signing for Revolution. Ricochet doesn’t have the Embassy robe but it’ll be there at Revolution, complete with some upgrades. Ricochet brings up how these contract signings haven’t gone well for Swerve in the past and mocks his house being burned down. Swerve tells him to sign the contract with Ricochet saying it was Swerve who started this in the first place.

Ricochet says this is another step towards his goal of being World Champion and mocks Prince Nana, which sends Swerve into a rant about how annoying Ricochet can be. At Revolution, he’ll become the #1 contender, while Ricochet will be remembered for Swerve reviving his career and his ring announcer wife. They both sign, with Ricochet looking a lot more serious. The scissors are pulled out but Swerve has his own and stabs Ricochet in the head (as you do). It’s a blood feud, but stabbing someone in the head is a bit much anywhere.

AEW pay per views are coming to Prime. Ok then.

Will Ospreay/Mark Briscoe/Orange Cassidy/Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Don Callis Family/Bryan Keith

Don Callis is on commentary as Ospreay and Cage start things off. Cage throws him down without much effort as the fans shout obscenities involving Callis. Briscoe comes in to kick away at Cage as commentary talks about Revolution being on Prime. An enziguri knocks Cage into the corner where thirty one right hands to Cage’s head…just make Cage hit a clothesline on Cassidy. Cage muscles Cassidy up for a Jackhammer and hands it off to Archer for a swinging Boss Man Slam.

We take a break and come back with Callis getting in a cheap shot on Cassidy, allowing Cage and Archer to pass Cassidy around in a suplex. Fletcher gets to do the same before finally putting Cassidy down. Cassidy suplexes Keith though and the tag brings in Hobbs to clean house. Hobbs fires off clotheslines and makes Cage and Archer clothesline each other. Ospreay dives onto Archer on the floor and Briscoe takes out Cage, setting up Cassidy’s lazy elbow off Hobbs for two, with Keith making the save.

Davis manages to take out Hobbs but Ospreay is back in to take over, with the Cheeky Nandos Kick getting two on Keith. Briscoe comes back in to run Keith other, including a high collar suplex. Archer grabs a chair, which Briscoe knocks into his face, setting up the step up dive to take out Archer and Cage. The Hidden Blade finishes Keith at 15:04.

Rating: B. This was the AEW party match and it worked well, even with the signature “eh, screw the rules, let’s have fun” style. They went nuts with a bunch of stuff in the second half and it was entertaining, though it didn’t exactly make more more interested in anything at Revolution. This could have been a lot worse, though being more focused on the pay per view would have helped.

Post match Davis chokes Ospreay out and the villains beat up the winners. Hobbs gets planted onto the steps and here is Kyle Fletcher to slap Ospreay in the face a few times. Davis doesn’t seem to like it so Fletcher yells at him. Eventually Davis chairs Ospreay down. That’s not enough (of course) and Fletcher brainbusters Ospreay through an open chair.

Video on Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita. If Omega is back to full strength, or even close to it, that could steal the show.

Cope vs. Wheeler Yuta

Yuta walks in from outside. Cope powers him into the corner to start and then sweeps the leg to get on Yuta’s nerves a bit. Yuta takes things down into an ankle lock before chopping away in the corner. Some armdrags into a dropkick have Cope in the corner but he sends Yuta to the apron.

We take a break and come back with Cope fighting out of a chinlock but getting caught with the Angle Slam for two. Yuta knocks him off the top and hits a top rope splash, meaning it’s time for the Cattle Mutilation. That’s reversed into the Grindhouse, which is broken up as well so Cope goes with the Impaler instead. The spear is cut off with a running knee though and Cope falls out to the floor. Cattle Mutilation is broken up again and Cope hits a spear for the win at 11:31.

Rating: C+. Well, yeah. The point of the story has been Cope taking out the Death Riders one by one and since he already took out the bigger names, beating Yuta isn’t the biggest shock. The match was good enough, but as usual, Yuta’s lack of doing much of anything interesting was holding it back.

Post match Cope shakes Yuta’s hand and says this is what respect feels like (oh this feels very, very stupid). Cope leaves so here is Jon Moxley to yell at Yuta, who shoves Moxley a bit and walks away. Moxley goes after Yuta and tells him to keep walking. Moxley says he isn’t worried about being all alone and is ready to beat up Cope, which will make him feel good. This whole thing was a good bit longer than it needed to be.

Video on the Outrunners, who are training for their title shot against the Hurt Syndicate at Revolution.

MJF is still in the parking lot and promises to show that Hangman Page is the real main character of AEW. Page arrives in his truck and sends MJF (and Renee Paquette) running. Page chases MJF into the arena but it’s someone pretending to be MJF, allowing the real one to jump Page from behind. MJF hits the Heatseeker and reveals an “MJF DID NOTHING WRONG” shirt. The Dynamite Diamond Ring knocks Page silly…and let’s get some lighter fluid. Referees and security won’t let him use the lighter though. That was uh, rather intense and a good bit over the top.

Queen Of The Ring director Ash Avildsen is here and is happy to have Toni Storm in the film. Storm is annoyed that her nude scene was cut but watch the movie anyway.

Megan Bayne/Penelope Ford vs. Kris Statlander/Thunder Rosa

Statlander headscissors Ford to start and hands it off to Rosa, who takes her into the corner. Ford gets chopped a lot so it’s off to Bayne, who throws Rosa over the top and onto Statlander. Then Bayne throws Ford onto the other two and poses as we take a break. Back with the villains in control and Ford knocking Statlander off the top. Rosa comes back in to lick Ford’s face, earning her a drive back into the corner. Bayne hits the release F5 (Fate’s Descent) for the pin at 9:54.

Rating: C. Bayne is starting to get on track as a monster, which is what she needs to be. That being said, giving her a big match, perhaps even on the Revolution Kickoff Show, would be a good idea. Other than that, it’s a bit weird to see Rosa take a loss so easily, but at least it was to someone AEW seems to be pushing hard.

Mercedes Mone is ready for Momo Watanabe at Revolution and is ready for Watanabe to face Serena Deeb, I’m guessing at Collision.

Here is Max Caster for another open challenge (and a “cut my music, cut my music” lifted from MJF). Caster tries to get a rhythmic chant from the fans and gets nowhere, only to be cut off by someone answering his challenge.

Max Caster vs. Jay White

Blade Runner finishes White at 40 seconds.

Post match, White is ready to see his friend Cope take the title from Jon Moxley. He’ll be there to see Cope win. That sounds ominous.

We get a sitdown interview with a distraught Mariah May and Toni Storm but May gets up to spit on Storm. She blames Storm for making this happen but Renee Paquette says it’s the other way around. May says the Women’s Title is nothing without her because they will both go down together. May promises to destroy Storm but says they could have a Hollywood ending.

Storm says May deserves death but sentences her to a lifetime of mediocrity. May will be good but never great, liked but never loved, and then people will forget about her. They go face to face and Renee says she prays neither of them get hut. Storm and May at the same time: “Pray for her.” I’m not sure I buy May having much of a chance of winning, but Storm’s line sounded like it cut to May’s bones here.

Brody King/Swerve Strickland vs. Ricochet/Kazuchika Okada

Swerve and Okada start things off and a Ricochet distraction breaks things up. The villains double team Swerve but he knocks Okada outside for a beating from King. Okada kicks Ricochet by mistake, setting up King’s running double crossbody against the barricade (ow). Swerve jumps off the apron for a stomp to both of them and we head back inside. The rolling Downward Spiral is countered with Ricochet’s Codebreaker though and we take a break.

Back with Okada missing an elbow in the corner and Swerve hits a dropkick, allowing the tag back to King. The Death Valley Driver gets two on Okada with Ricochet making the save, setting up a slingshot splash to King for two more. King and Okada knock each other down and it’s back to Ricochet…who skedaddles from Swerve. Ricochet gets caught and strikes it out with Swerve until Ricochet gets two off a DDT.

Vertigo is countered and now Swerve hits the rolling Downward Spiral. The Swerve Stomp connects but Okada makes the save with the top rope elbow. Okada and King strike it out with King sending him into the corner, only to miss the Cannonball. Everything breaks down and Ricochet gets in a belt shot to Swerve for the pin at 14:55.

Rating: B-. This was the classic formula of “take two feuds and combine them into one match” which is something that worked well here too. It made for an entertaining main event and Ricochet gets to teal a pin on Swerve to make him even angrier going into Sunday. It’s no masterpiece but it did exactly what it needed to do.

Overall Rating: C+. I liked the show well enough but it didn’t exactly make me that interested in seeing what happens on Sunday. Revolution is already looking good on its own but this show didn’t boost it up that much. The good thing is this show isn’t going to mean much after Sunday so it being just pretty good is acceptable enough.

Results
Will Ospreay/Mark Briscoe/Orange Cassidy/Powerhouse Hobbs b. Don Callis Family/Bryan Keith – Hidden Blade to Keith
Cope b. Wheeler Yuta – Spear
Megan Bayne/Penelope Ford b. Thunder Rosa/Kris Statlander – Fate’s Descent to Rosa
Jay White b. Max Caster – Blade Runner
Ricochet/Kazuchika Okada b. Brody King/Swerve Strickland – Belt shot to Strickland

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

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Dynamite
Date: February 26, 2025
Location: Frontwave Arena, Oceanside, California
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re about a week and a half away from Revolution and the card is starting to come together. The big story is Cope taking the Death Riders out one by one, including dropping Pac last week. There is a good chance that he will try to do that again this week, which could mean some violence. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

An ambulance arrives in the back of the arena and Cope is in the back, saying it’s time to take out another Death Rider.

The announcers run down the card.

Earlier today, MJF talks about how the fans have chanted “COWBOY S***” at a fake like Hangman Page. MJF is getting the AEW tattoo removed from his leg because it is time to bet on himself.

Page arrives in his truck and comes to the ring in his street clothes.

Hangman Page vs. Aaron Solo

Page kicks him in the face, hits a clothesline, and finishes with the Buckshot Lariat at 48 seconds.

Post match Page grabs a chair and says the three things he hates in this world are running out of biscuits, English ivy and a spray tanned b**** spitting in his face. Therefore, he is going to sit in this ring until MJF is sent out here for the beating he deserves. Cue MJF, with a bloody towel, calling Page an animal.

He’s not going to have this fight right now because he’ll wait for Revolution in Los Angeles. For now though, we’ll find out who MJF has attacked. We see a rather bloody Christopher Daniels in the back as MJF leaves. Page grabs the chair and heads to the back, where he finds Daniels down. The medics check on Daniels as Page goes hunting.

Don Callis and Kyle Fletcher are in a sky box.

Earlier tonight, Chris Jericho talked to Don Callis, who seems interested in having Bryan Keith take out Will Ospreay.

Will Ospreay vs. Bryan Keith

They go with the grappling to start and it’s an early standoff. Ospreay knocks him into the corner and chops Keith down, setting up a standing corkscrew moonsault for two. A springboard misses though and Ospreay is sent outside, where he comes up holding his knee off the landing.

We take a break and come back with Keith working on the back. Ospreay kicks his way to freedom and hits a Phenomenal Forearm for two of his own. An enziguri staggers Ospreay again but he’s back with a Stundog Millionaire for another near fall. Keith hits a tiger driver for two as the fans think this is awesome. Ospreay slips out of another tiger driver and hits a Styles Clash, setting up the Hidden Blade for the pin at 10:52.

Rating: B-. Good showing from Keith here as he got a good deal in on a bigger star with Ospreay. This is the kind of match that gives Ospreay a sweat before he gets the win on the way to the big showdown with Fletcher. Just please don’t move this on to an Ospreay vs. Jericho feud because….oh just no.

Post match Ospreay goes into the crowd for the brawl with Fletcher.

We look at Mariah May attacking Toni Storm on Collision. This week on Collision: an update on Storm.

Video on Momo Watanabe, who will be challenging Mercedes Mone for the TBS Title at Revolution.

Mone isn’t worried about Watanabe and yells at ROH’s Billie Starkz for getting in her way. Watanabe shows up with a baseball bat to scare Mone off. One thing here: Watanabe last wrestled in AEW on the 2024 Forbidden Door Zero Hour show. Starkz last wrestled on AEW TV on the 2023 WrestleDream Zero Hour show. If you watch Stardom and Ring Of Honor, you know who these two are, but otherwise, these two are relatively strangers, one of whom is going to get a title shot because she won a match at Wrestle Dynasty, which was barely talked about on AEW TV. You might want to work on that.

Outrunners vs. Murder Machines

For a future Tag Team Title shot. The Machines jump Floyd to start but Magnum fights up, with the Machines being knocked outside. The Outrunners are pulled outside and we take an early break. Back with Archer hitting some running charges to Magnum in the corner and it’s off to Cage.

Magnum jawbreaks his way to freedom and Floyd comes in to clean house with a rollup getting two on Cage. Everything breaks down and a splash gives Cage two on Floyd. The powerbomb/chokeslam combination is broken up so Archer chokeslams Floyd for two. The Blackout is loaded up but cue the Hurt Syndicate for a distraction, allowing Floyd to roll Archer up for the pin at 8:22.

Rating: C+. Points to AEW for this one as I was expecting the Machines to beat the popular team and that is absolutely not what they did. It’s quite the relief as the Outrunners are still a hot enough act and it would have been annoying to see them lose to the Murder Machines to set up the title shot. It’s nice to see a bit of a curve here and I’m glad I was wrong on what I thought was going to happen.

Video on Cope vs. Jon Moxley, including Cope taking out Pac on Collision. Claudio Castagnoli is wanting to get his hands on Cope to even the score.

Video on Ricochet taking Prince Nana’s robe.

Here is Swerve Strickland, with Nana, for a chat. Strickland talks about how he has done some good things around here and you could see him headlining All In last year. He is still the man around here and he wants some gold around his waist, but first he has to deal with Ricochet.

Cue Ricochet, wearing the robe, to say that he is going to get some gold but he doesn’t want to deal Swerve anymore. Nana has an announcement though: the two of them can face off at Revolution in a #1 contenders match. Works for Ricochet, who leaves, but Nana has to talk to Swerve. Nana wants Swerve to go back to being the mod dangerous man in AEW. Nana has survived a bunch of bullets for Swerve and now he needs Swerve to get the robe back and leaves Swerve alone in the ring.

Hangman Page is leaving and threatens to run MJF down.

Undisputed Kingdom vs. Daniel Garcia/FTR

O’Reilly and Wheeler start things off with the latter working on the arm. That’s reversed into a heel hook and Wheeler bails straight over to the ropes. Cole comes in and trades missed kicks with Garcia, who takes him into the corner. Everything breaks down and a series of strikes on the floor leaves everyone down as we take a break.

Back with Strong and Harwood slugging it out until the Kingdom clears the ring. Harwood pulls O’Reilly into the Sharpshooter until a rope is grabbed. Everyone gets back in and the Kingdom get stereo small packages for two and a triple clothesline leaves everyone down again. This time it’s Strong getting caught in the Sharpshooter, leaving Cole to roll Garcia up for the pin at 11:00.

Rating: B-. Good back and forth match here but this is one of those stories that feels like it’s just kind of there. It’s not bad, but it’s not exactly lighting things on fire. In theory this will get Cole a TNT Title shot and it’s only so interesting. It was a nice six man though, with entertaining back and forth action throughout.

Post match they almost fight again and the TNT Title match is on for Collision.

Cope jumps Claudio Castagnoli in the back but Wheeler Yuta jumps him from behind. The villains load up a Conchairto but Jay White makes the save. Marina Shafir runs in to choke Cope but gets kneed by Yuta by mistake, which White finds hilarious. Castagnoli gets Conchairtoed as Jon Moxley is panicking in the crowd. Another one is loaded up for Shafir so here is Willow Nightingale to actually crack her head with the chair. So that leaves Yuta as the lone Death Rider to defend Moxley and…that feels a bit of a weak finale.

Harley Cameron vs. Deonna Purrazzo

Cameron goes for the leg to start and is quickly shoved away. Back up and a running headscissors takes Purrazzo down for two but she catches Cameron on top. We take a break and come back with Purrazzo shrugging off a jawbreaker. A Russian legsweep gives Purrazzo two and she ties Cameron in the Tree of Woe. Cameron slips out of that and hits an enziguri, setting up a Shining Wizard for two. Purrazzo kicks her in the face but the cross armbreaker is countered into a rollup to give Cameron two more. Back up and Cameron grabs a rolling cutter for the pin at 8:02.

Rating: C+. This is how the match should have gone as Cameron is starting to turn her confidence into some wins. It would have been too much for her to beat Mone in Australia, but a win like this is a perfectly fine way to go. Purrazzo can make anyone look better in the ring and it was a nice match here, with Cameron getting back on her feet after the big loss.

Video on Orange Cassidy vs. Konosuke Takeshita for the International Title.

Marina Shafir and Claudio Castagnoli are taken away in an ambulance, with Cope, Willow Nightingale and Jay White waving.

International Title: Konosuke Takeshita vs. Orange Cassidy

Takeshita, with Don Callis (on commentary) and Mark Davis, is defending. Takeshita breaks the sunglasses to start so Cassidy whips out another pair. Those are taken away and given to Callis but Cassidy misses the Orange Punch. The lazy forearms just annoy Takeshita, who kicks Cassidy down. Back up and Cassidy stomps away in the corner, setting up a slingshot DDT to drop Takeshita. That doesn’t last long as Takeshita is back up with a heck of a shot of his own and we take a break.

Back with Cassidy fighting out of a Blue Thunder Bomb attempt but the Stundog Millionaire is countered into a Blue Thunder Bomb for two (That was GREAT!). The Beach Break is countered so Cassidy hurricanranas him to the floor instead. Cassidy sits on the announcers’ table and tells him to bring it, eventually hitting the Beach Break onto the table.

They both dive in to beat the count, where Cassidy hits the Orange Punch to send Takeshita back outside. Cassidy hits the diving DDT and takes his sunglasses back but Takeshita knocks him out of the air (Schiavone: “He knocked his a** right out!). The Stundog Millionaire staggers Takeshita but he’s right back with a kneeling piledriver. The Raging Fire retains the title at 12:30.

Rating: A-. I wasn’t overly interested coming into this one but DANG they were on a roll near the end. Like any other promotion, AEW hypes its wrestlers up to an insane level but they might somehow be underselling Takeshita. The guy is just that good and some of the things that he does in the ring leave my eyes bugging out on a regular basis. The fans were into this and the match pulled me in as well. Great stuff here and an excellent main event.

Overall Rating: B. The main event is by far the best thing on the show, but nothing on here is really anywhere near bad. They advanced some stories and it goes to show you how much it helps to have the Death Riders facing some adversity. I’m not sure I can see Cope winning the title at Revolution, but egads it’s nice to see something other than the group dominating so often. Good show here, with Takeshita going off in the main event.

Results
Hangman Page b. Aaron Solo – Buckshot Lariat
Will Ospreay b. Bryan Keith – Hidden Blade
Outrunners b. Murder Machines – Rollup to Archer
Undisputed Kingdom b. Daniel Garcia/FTR – Jackknife rollup to Garcia
Harley Cameron b. Deonna Purrazzo – Rolling cutter
Konosuke Takeshita b. Orange Cassidy – Raging Fire

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

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Grand Slam
Date: February 15, 2025
Location: Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness

We’re down under for the first time in AEW’s history and that should make for quite the big show. In this case we are going to be seeing a bunch of Australians getting title shots in a rather tacked card. Other than that, we are just a few weeks away from Revolution and the show could use some build. Let’s get to it.

Don Callis Family vs. Kenny Omega/Will Ospreay

Don Callis and Mark Davis are here with Konosuke Takeshita/Kyle Fletcher. Ospreay gets shouldered down to start as the ring looks a bit smaller than usual. Back up and Ospreay hits a flipping kick to drop Fletcher, allowing the tag to Omega. Fletcher escapes You Can’t Escape so Omega settles for the Kotaro Crusher. Omega dives onto Fletcher on the floor but Takeshita cuts him off.

A top rope backsplash gives Takeshita two and a knee to the ribs gets two. The Snapdragon gets Omega out of trouble and everything breaks down with Ospreay giving Takeshita the Cheeky Nandos Kick. Everyone is own and we take a break, coming back with Ospreay chopping away at Fletcher. A powerbomb attempt is countered into a powerbomb (that was impressive) and Fletcher is down again.

Callis breaks up the Hidden Blade though and Takeshita sends Omega flying with a release German suplex. Ospreay is back up with a heck of a dive onto Fletcher on the floor, leaving Omega to V Trigger Takeshita for two. The Blue Thunder Bomb gives Takeshita two of his own and we need another breather. A not exactly smooth poisonrana takes Takeshita down so Omega tries a super One Winged Angel.

That’s broken up so Ospreay Hidden Blades Fletcher, only for the villains to come back with stereo Tombstones for two each. Back up and they slug it out until Takeshita knees Omega down for two. A Stundog Millionaire drops Fletcher but Takeshita breaks up the Hidden Blade. Omega sends Fletcher outside so Ospreay can hit a big flip dive over the post. Back in and a Hidden Blade/One Winged Angel combination finishes Takeshita (I would hope so) at 21:10.

Rating: A-. Yeah this was awesome and it was the kind of match that AEW has been needing. It was four guys going out there and just going nuts for over twenty minutes to pop the heck out of the crowd. Normally I would say that this should be it for the feud with the Callis Family, but the fact that it won’t be would only bring me down. This was a blast and a great opener.

TBS Title: Harley Cameron vs. Mercedes Mone

Mone is defending and poses on the top rope to start. A slam puts Cameron down again and Mone tells her to get out of her ring. Then why did you put her in the middle? It’s way too early for the Mone Maker and Cameron rubs her chest in Mone’s face. Naturally Cameron grabs her Mone puppet and hammers away in the corner, only for Mone to stomp on the puppet. The running knees in the corner give Mone two and another Meteora gets the same as we take a break.

Back with Cameron hitting a springboard bulldog and making the clothesline comeback. Mone grabs Three Amigos for the Eddie Dance but the frog splash hits knees. A baseball slide sends Cameron to the floor but she comes back with the puppet (as you do) and the fans start a FEEL THE WRATH chant. Back in and Cameron hits a Canadian Destroyer for two but Mone is back with a powerbomb. The top rope Meteora gives Mone two more so Cameron rolls her up for some near falls. A Swanton misses though and the Mone Maker retains the title at 12:52.

Rating: B. Cameron was working hard here but it probably would have been a step too far for her to win the title here. She hasn’t done much in the way of winning and while she has been on fire, having her beat Mone, even in Australia, would have stretched the realism a bit too far. That being said, Mone needs to move on already as it feels like she has been champion for about fourteen years.

Post match Mone mocks Momo Watanabe, who could get a title shot after her win at Wrestle Dynasty.

Kenny Omega and Will Ospreay are happy with their win. Omega wants Konosuke Takeshita for the International Title at Revolution. Ospreay wants Kyle Fletcher in a cage that night too. As the eternal feuds continue.

We recap Cope/Jay White vs. the Death Riders. Cope and White are sick of the Death Riders (making them the voice of the people) so it’s time for a Brisbane Brawl.

Cope/Jay White vs. Death Riders

Anything goes. Cope comes out first and the fans sing his song to him which is a rather cool moment. It’s a brawl (as it’s supposed to be) before the bell, during the bell and then after the bell with the Riders getting beaten down early on. Cope and Castagnoli go into the crowd, leaving White to send Moxley into the barricade.

A dive off a balcony takes Castagnoli down but Moxley puts White onto a table. Cope is back to break up the elbow through said table though, only for Castagnoli to take White out. Moxley puts Cope through the table and we take a break. Back with Cope hammering away but getting cut down with the Paradigm Shift.

White swings away with a kendo stick for a needed breather but gets sent into a chair into the corner to cut him right back down. A quick Blade Runner hits Castagnoli so here is Wheeler Yuta to whip White with a belt. That earns him a Blade Runner of his own and Cope spears Castagnoli through a table in the corner. Cope whips out a barbed wire chair to cut Moxley’s back open but Marina Shafir is in with a briefcase shot. Moxley chokes Cope 14:41.

Rating: B. It was another wild brawl and of course the Death Riders get the win because they’re all violent and hardcore. I’m not sure why Moxley choking Cope out a few weeks before their title match is supposed to make me want to see them fight again, but did I mention how violent Moxley is? And the villains have the briefcase back, making that whole thing quite the nothing story point.

Post match Moxley keeps up the choke until he just lets go.

International Title: Buddy Matthews vs. Kazuchika Okada

Okada is defending and naturally flips Matthews off rather than shaking his hand. Matthews takes him up against the ropes for a slap on the chest, with Okada flinching a bit. The dropkick misses for Okada but the stomp misses for Matthews and they go to a kneeling standoff. This time Matthews flips him off so Okada tries to walk off, earning him the designation of a w*****.

Okada comes back in so Matthews knees away, sending him right back to the floor for a needed breather. Back in and the dropkick sends Matthews off the top and to the floor as we take a break. We come back with Matthews hitting a top rope Meteora for two but Okada neckbreakers him down. The top rope elbow (more of a falling one than anything resembling a jump) lets Okada flip him off again, only for Matthews to grab the finger.

That’s broken up and Okada hits a quick Rainmaker for two, leaving him stunned, despite it rarely working the first time. The stomp and Matthews’ Law give Matthews two and the fans are NOT pleased. Back up and a superplex into the Jackhammer gives Matthews two more so he grabs the Prism Trap. Nigel: “Something of a tribute!” With the directionless tribute over (yes I know what he meant), Okada kicks him low and hits the Rainmaker to retain at 13:24.

Rating: B-. This had its moments but Okada doing the middle finger thing so often has lost its appeal over time. Other than that, it was Matthews doing his usually awesome stuff and looking good, though Okada has to hold the title for the better part of ever. Another Australian loses their title shot and I’m sure it should set up a big title change in the main event, but it’s also a bit disheartening.

Since just having Kenny Omega vs. Konosuke Takeshita for the title at Revolution is to easy, we’re getting an International Championship Series, with Roderick Strong vs. Orange Cassidy taking place next week on Dynamite, with the winner of that getting a title shot against Takeshita the next week. The winner of that gets Omega at Revolution, meaning that somehow the person who issued a challenge is in the title match (with his one singles win in over a year), but the champion has to earn his way in. Because AEW.

We recap Toni Storm challenging Mariah May for the Women’s Title. May beat her for the title, but Storm came back and faked amnesia to get the title back, despite already having the title match.

Women’s Title: Mariah May vs. Toni Storm

Storm is challenging and is introduced by Luther. They stare at each other to start with Storm taking her into the corner to take over fast. Storm has to be dragged off so May is back up with a Sling Blade into a dropkick into the corner. May Day is countered into a German suplex and Storm snaps off five more of them to really prove her point. They go outside with May sending her into the barricade and we take a break.

Back with Storm hitting some clotheslines before grabbing an STF. The rope gets May out of trouble and she grabs May Day on the floor to leave them both down. Back in and May dropkicks her into the corner but Storm is back up with the running hip attack. May grabs a pair of May Days for two so she yells at the referee, who shoves her back down. A Stratusphere is broken up and Storm hits a powerbomb into Storm Zero, with May rolling outside. Back in and May gets in a Storm Zero of her own, only for Storm to small package her to get the title back at 15:45.

Rating: B-. That was a really weird ending as Storm hit her finish but May was right back up, leaving Storm to win on almost a fluke ending. I’m not sure why you wouldn’t want Storm to win dominantly in front of her home country crowd but at least we’re…back to where we were for months on end with Storm as champion. It’s the big feel good moment for the live fans, but Timeless Toni as champion has been done for a good while.

Overall Rating: A-. For a special show that aired on free TV, they nailed this with nothing close to a bad match and the big moment at the end. As usual, AEW is at its best when they ignore almost anything involving storylines and have a wrestling heavy show, and that’s pretty much everything they were doing here. Pretty awesome show, with the opener being great and the rest being more than good enough.

Results
Kenny Omega/Will Ospreay b. Don Callis Family – Hidden Blade/One Winged Angel combination to Takeshita
Mercedes Mone b. Harley Cameron – Mone Maker
Death Riders b. Cope/Jay White via referee stoppage
Kazuchika Okada b. Buddy Matthews – Rainmaker
Toni Storm b. Mariah May – Small package

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

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Dynamite
Date: February 5, 2025
Location: Gateway Arena Center At College Park, College Park, Georgia
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Excalibur, Taz

We are just over a week away from Grand Slam and that means it is time to finish hammering home the card. Most of it is either set or almost set, which leaves a few spots to be filled in. There is a chance that we get something new added this week, though it could go in a few different ways. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Renee Paquette talks to Jay White, who says he has to rely on Rated FTR to take out the Death Riders. Cue the Death Riders and cue Rated FTR to even things up, with the brawl coming into the arena. Yuta gets taken out and Cope adds a spear to send the villains running. With the Riders out in t he crowd, Cope again issues the challenge for a World Title shot at Revolution. That’s a no from Moxley, so White issues a challenge for a tag match at Grand Slam.

We run down tonight’s card.

Buddy Matthews challenges Kazuchika Okada for the Continental Title again, with Okada saying no again.

Will Ospreay vs. ???

It’s the newest member of the Don Callis family….Mark Davis. Ospreay isn’t happy and gets chopped down as Callis is on commentary, talking about how he signed Aussie Open so he owns Davis. Back up and Davis knocks him into the corner before hitting a suplex. Ospreay is back up with a Phenomenal Forearm though and we take a break.

We come back with Ospreay hitting a DDT to send Davis outside, with the big dive taking him down again. Back in and Ospreay strikes away, only to get piledriven for two. Davis yells at the referee and thanks to the distraction, gets taken down by the Hidden Blade for the pin at 10:58.

Rating: B-. Having Davis as the newest member of the team is something that makes sense, but egads it doesn’t do much for the interest. It wasn’t a bad match, but I could go a very long time without seeing Ospreay dealing with anything related to Callis again. Just get to the tag match and let that be enough already.

Post match Ospreay grabs the mic and says that he and his new friend will take out the Don Callis Family in Australia. Cue Kenny Omega to say he’s back and ready to fight. He hits his catchphrase and a lot of pyro goes off, with Omega saying it surprised him.

Video on Swerve Strickland vs. Ricochet, complete with clips from their issues before they got to AEW.

Here is the Hurt Syndicate to celebrate their title win. Private Party was a good team, but the Syndicate is going to take out anyone who comes after them. They are open or business, so here are the Gunns to interrupt. The Gunns want their titles back and say that hurting someone is the point of being in wrestling. MVP agrees to the title match, even if they are a couple of “A** Boys.” Austin says something in response but it’s censored, even with the fans cheering rather loudly. Simple and to the point here.

Harley Cameron, with her Mercedes Mone puppet, are ready for Cameron’s concert on Collision. Mone comes in to mock Cameron for only getting her first win. Now stay away from her locker room.

Hangman Page isn’t going to accept the idea of feeling sorry for Swerve Strickland. He took out Christopher Daniels but here is Max Caster to say it’s his time for an interview. A match seems made for later.

Don Callis Family vs. Hounds Of Hell

Fletcher works on Matthews’ arm to start but it’s quickly off to Takeshita, who gets to slug away at King. Everything breaks down and they all fight to the floor, where King puts both villains in the same chair for a running crossbody. We take a break and come back with King fighting out of the corner, including a hard clothesline to Takeshita.

A German suplex doesn’t do much to King so they clothesline each other down. Matthews’ running flip dive to the floor takes both of them out again…and here is Kazuchika Okada for the interruption. Takeshita hits a dropkick/top rope backsplash combination, setting up a hanging DDT for two on King. An assisted brainbuster finishes King at 14:14.

Rating: B. Good match here, but I’m not sure about the logic behind having the Hounds lose so soon into their new run. It seems rather early for them to lose and that isn’t the most logical way to go. Hopefully they get a nice win sooner than later, because otherwise I’m not sure I get the thinking.

Hook and Samoa Joe go to find Christian Cage but have to settle for beating up his minions. With Hook and Joe gone, Cage and Mother Wayne come in to survey the damage.

Here is MJF for a chat. MJF blames Jeff Jarrett for his issues and reminds Jarrett that the E in AEW isn’t for “elderly”. No one is on his level so here is Max Caster to interrupt. Cue Hangman Page to go after Caster but he gets in MJF’s face instead. With Page gone, Dustin Rhodes (erg) cuts off the catchphrase and believe it or not, he’s in a bad mood. Rhodes gets on MJF for insulting Owen Hart’s memory because that was Rhodes’ friend.

Stop talking about people who have substance abuse issues because Rhodes is sixteen years sober. Rhodes talks about how he’s been here for a long time and is still just as good as ever. MJF mocks Rhodes for thinking he’s better before saying it took 37 years for Rhodes to get out of his father’s shadow. Now he’s in his little brother’s shadow and the brawl is on, with security breaking it up. Nice promo from Rhodes, but not enough to overcome the fact that it’s Dustin Rhodes.

Toni Storm vs. Queen Aminata

Mariah May is on commentary…and Storm is dressed as May. Storm has the mannerisms and look down, with the real May looking furious. They fight over a headlock to start with Storm taking her down as May vents about how she did this months ago. And where did she get that outfit? Aminata sends her into the ropes but gets hip attacked out to the floor. Back up and Aminata hits a suicide dive, taking off some of Storm’s hair extensions with her.

We take a break and come back with May complaining that Storm doesn’t have the chest to make the impression work. Storm Zero is countered into a rollup to give Aminata two and they trade the big forearms. Aminata knocks her into the corner for the running shot to the face but Storm hits a DDT. The running knee sets up May Day for the pin on Aminata at 9:05.

Rating: C. This was two things at once, as Storm absolutely nailed everything about May and was doing a pretty awesome impression. The problem, which tends to be a recurring issue in AEW, was having Aminata hang in there with the #1 contender for almost ten minutes. This should have been Storm massacring someone while having fun but instead we get this, which felt like it was more about building Aminata than anything else. They missed badly with this one, which is a shame as Storm was great.

Post match Renee Paquette gets in and Storm insists that she is Mariah May. The real May gets on the apron but walks off instead.

Dustin Rhodes wants to fight MJF.

Video on Big Bill vs. Powerhouse Hobbs, with Bandido returning last weekend.

The Learning Tree gives us a live New York Minute and doesn’t like Bandido being back. Jericho issues a $200,000 bounty for Bandido so Bryan Keith can collect it. Cue Powerhouse Hobbs to go after Bill, with the Outrunners coming in to even things up. Bill and Hobbs brawl around ringside and we take a break.

Post break the brawl is still having to be broken up.

Swerve Strickland vs. Ricochet

Ricochet chairs Strickland from behind before the bell, setting up Vertigo for two at the bell. A backbreaker keeps Strickland in trouble and a running dropkick sends him to the floor. They go to the barricade where Strickland powerbombs his way out of a hurricanrana (that looked great). Ricochet gets sent into the corner and we take a break.

Back with Ricochet hitting a Codebreaker out of the corner, followed by a backbreaker. Both of them escape powerbombs until Strickland grabs a World’s Strongest Slam for two. The House Call into he Swerve Stomp gets two on Ricochet, who is right back up with a springboard 450. The shooting star press gives Ricochet two more but the Spirit Gun is countered with a House Call. Strickland tries the Stomp but Ricochet gets his fists up for a low blow. The Spirit Gun finishes Strickland at 13:24.

Rating: B. The build to this match was a bit odd with the gold scissors coming out of nowhere, but what mattered here was having a fight for the match itself. That’s what we got here and it worked well, making this feel like a main event which had been set up. Good, hard hitting fight, but dang enough with Strickland losing.

Post match Ricochet steals Prince Nana’s robe to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. Oddly enough, the show with the least Death Riders involvement is one of the better shows AEW has had in a bit. They had some good matches here and while there was a bit to much Don Callis Family for my liking, this was a show that kept me interested throughout. What mattered here was setting up more for Grand Slam, which should be going well. Nice stuff here, and again, how nice it was to not deal with the Death Riders.

Results
Will Ospreay b. Mark Davis – Hidden Blade
Don Callis Family b. Hounds Of Hell – Assisted brainbuster to King
Toni Storm b. Queen Aminata – May Day
Ricochet b. Swerve Strickland – Spirit Gun

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Dynamite
Date: January 29, 2025
Location: Propst Arena At Von Braun Center, Huntsville, Alabama
Commentators: Excalibur, Taz, Tony Schiavone

We are closing in on Grand Slam and that means it is time to start hammering down the card. One of the biggest matches is already set as the once again Timeless Toni Storm will be challenging Mariah May for the Women’s Title. We also have a big tag match already set but there is a lot left to cover. Let’s get to it.

Here is Collision if you need a recap.

Will Ospreay vs. Brian Cage

Lance Archer is here with Cage and Don Callis is on commentary. Hold on though as Callis points us to the screen, showing Kenny Omega having been attacked backstage. Ospreay snaps off a middle rope hurricanrana to start fast and they head outside, where Cage gets posted. Ospreay tries a Blockbuster off the barricade but Cage pulls him out of the air, walks him around the ring, and then hits a suplex on the floor. Archer gets in a cheap shot and Cage adds a leg lariat for two back inside.

Back to back backbreakers give Cage two and we hit the bearhug. Ospreay fights out and hits a handspring elbow before sending Cage outside. The Sasuke Special connects, only for Cage to hit his apron superplex to bring him back inside. Ospreay kicks him in the face a few times but gets powerbombed for his efforts. A middle rope F5 (that looked good) gets two and Archer gets caught shoving the foot off the ropes. Ospreay sends them into each other and hits the Styles Clash for the pin at 12:46.

Rating: B-. Nice back and forth match here, with Ospreay not exactly feeling in jeopardy but rather having to find a way to get around all those muscles. That’s a fine way to go and lets Ospreay look good in the process. The big match is coming in a few weeks, but my goodness it will be nice to get away from this feud for good.

Post match Archer comes in for the save but Kenny Omega makes the save with a chair. The rest of the Don Callis Family comes in and beats the heroes down. Stereo piledrivers leave them laying. This went on for awhile, much like anything involving the Family.

Hangman Page can’t find Swerve Strickland but he runs into MJF. With Page gone, MJF says no one is ruining his mood tonight because Jeff Jarrett is going to lose to Claudio Castagnoli.

Powerhouse Hobbs isn’t cleared to travel this week but he’s coming for Big Bill.

Claudio Castagnoli vs. Jeff Jarrett

If Jarrett wins, he gets a World Title shot. Jarrett starts fast with an armdrag and hiptoss before hammering away in the corner. The threat of a Figure Four sends Castagnoli bailing and we take an early break. Back with Wheeler Yuta at ringside and Jarrett fighting out of a chinlock. Jarrett grabs a Russian legsweep and hammers away but can’t get the Figure Four.

An enziguri misses though and Castagnoli gives him the Swing, setting up the Sharpshooter. Jarrett reverses into one of his own so Yuta sends in a chair for a distraction. Somehow the referee doesn’t notice Jon Moxley running in with the Paradigm Shift, setting up the Neutralizer to give Castagnoli the pin at 10:08.

Rating: C+. So the monster heel needed help to beat the old, past his prime star? This felt like just another reason to have the Death Riders out there getting in another beatdown. It’s also another way to crush something the fans are getting behind, which falls in line with the “we don’t like fun around here” style.

Post match MJF comes out to deck Jarrett with the ring. He respects his elders and that’s why he isn’t going to say he told Jarrett so.

Ricochet is going to deal with AR Fox and then move on to Swerve Strickland.

Ricochet vs. AR Fox

They start fast with Fox hitting something like a Stunner, setting up a swinging suplex. The fight heads outside with Fox chopping away, only to get hiptossed onto the apron. We take a break and come back with Ricochet hitting a People’s Moonsault for two. Fox fights up and slugs away, setting up stereo crossbodies for a double down. Ricochet slips out of a package piledriver to start but Fox puts him down for a 450. A fireman’s carry is loaded up so Ricochet grabs the referee to escape. The Recoil into the Spirit Gun into Vertigo finishes Fox at 11:01.

Rating: B-. I have no idea what else you were expecting here as this was exactly what you would have thought it would be. They did their flips, Ricochet won, it was entertaining. This was all it needed to be as Ricochet gets a win, though he wasn’t exactly being a big time villain here after his major turn.

Post match Swerve Strickland runs in with a chain but Ricochet busts out the scissors and uses Fox as a hostage/human shield to escape.

Jon Moxley won’t show the World Title because he is the World Title. He is forged in combat and wants 1000 of himself.

Chris Jericho says Roll Toad but isn’t happy with Big Bill for not being up Powerhouse Hobbs.

Jay White vs. Wheeler Yuta

Schiavone: “Well, here come the Death Riders again.” Yuta tries to jump him before the bell but has to bail from the threat of a Blade Runner. They trade headlocks to start until White crotches him on top in the corner and chops away on the floor. Yuta starts going after the knee to take over and a fisherman’s suplex gets two back inside. Excalibur sends us to a break but we stick around for another minute or so with Yuta staying on the leg.

We finally do take the break and come back with White breaking up a superplex and hitting one of his own. They trade rollups for two each until Yuta takes him down for the elbows to the face. Yuta tries the running knee but gets reversed into the Blade Runner for the pin at 13:34.

Rating: C+. This was good enough with White likely on the way to the title shot at Grand Slam. That is the kind of thing that is going to build up a title match like that and it should go well until Moxley gets to retain again. White is someone who feels like he can be raised up quickly and this was a good step forward for him.

Post match the Death Riders run in for the beatdown but Rated FTR makes the save. Harwood doesn’t like what happened to Ricky Morton and wants the Death Riders in a Mid-South street fight. The match is going to be in Huntsville but I guess Continental street fight doesn’t have the same ring.

We recap Toni Storm revealing that she is still Timeless in a bit of a confusing result.

Here is Mariah May to insist that Toni Storm is not real. May brings up beating Storm, who can’t win anything lately. May doesn’t need to cosplay because she is the best of the world.

The Gunns are coming back.

Here’s what’s coming on Collision.

We look at the Hurt Syndicate winning the Tag Team Titles.

Video on Konosuke Takeshita.

We look back at various things from earlier tonight.

The Vendetta yell about Harley Cameron and are ready for revenge on Collision.

TBS Title: Mercedes Mone vs. Yuka Sakazaki

Mone is defending and gets wristlocked to start. Back up and Mone runs her over, meaning we get a bit of a dance. Sakazaki’s basement clothesline is cut off and they fight outside with Mone taking over. A Meteora off the apron connects to put Sakazaki down and we take a break.

Back with Sakazaki hitting a brainbuster for two but Mone grabs Three Amigos for the knockdown. A superplex hits for Sakazaki and she grabs a spinning faceplant for two. The Statement Maker is broken up so Sakazaki kicks her in the head and gets two off a rollup. Mone hits a powerbomb into the Mone Maker to retain at 13:33.

Rating: B-. As usual, Sakazaki is fine enough to good in the ring because she is talented. The problem is she’s just dropped into the title picture after not being around for months. She has never been established as a big deal around here so it’s hard to care about seeing her getting a title shot and then losing. The match was good enough, even if there was still no reason to believe Mone was losing.

Overall Rating: C+. And here we have the latest night of heel dominance, which is par for the course around here. It’s just what we see and that gets tiring in a hurry. Other than White winning and getting to stand tall (with help), it was mostly the villains getting in everything they did and having little comeuppance (even Ospreay got beaten down after being Cage). It was another skippable show and that is happening fairly often in AEW these days.

Results
Will Ospreay b. Brian Cage – Styles Clash
Claudio Castagnoli b. Jeff Jarrett – Neutralizer
Ricochet b. AR Fox – Vertigo
Jay White b. Wheeler Yuta – Blade Runner
Mercedes Mone b. Yuka Sakazaki – Mone Maker

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

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Collision
Date: January 18, 2025
Location: Andrew J. Brady Music Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness, Tony Schiavone, Matt Menard

We’re about a month away from grand Slam and in this case we have another special in the form of Maximum Carnage. The big deal this week is a Texas Deathmatch between Hangman Page and Christopher Daniels, which should be rather violent. Other than that, we’ll need to see what is next for a lot of people. Let’s get to it.

Here is Dynamite if you need a recap.

The Outrunners, Powerhouse Hobbs, Rated FTR, Kazuchika Okada, Christopher Daniels and Hangman Page are ready to fight.

Christopher Daniels vs. Hangman Page

Texas Deathmatch, which in AEW terms means you can only win by knockout or submission. Page cuts off the early jawing and hammers away in the corner before clotheslining Daniels to the floor. There’s a dive to take him out again and Daniels is sent into the barricade as this is total dominance. A chair to the face drops Daniels again and we’ve already got some blood.

Barbed wire to the cut has Daniels in more trouble and Page rips at the jaw. The wire is wrapped around Page’s arm for a discus forearm as we take a break. Back with Daniels hitting a desperation clothesline but getting sent face first into a chair in the corner. Daniels is laid on a table for a stomp from the apron, with the table collapsing but not breaking for a unique look.

It’s time for a barbed wire table (because of course) but Page takes too long up top and gets super Rock Bottomed through the table. A Buckshot Lariat and Angel’s Wings on the apron are both blocked but Daniels is back with a Koji Clutch. That’s broken up as well so Daniels grabs Angel’s Wings for a breather. The BME connects, followed by another onto a table onto Page. That doesn’t really matter as Page is back up for a Tombstone onto the chair. Daniels is on his feet in less than thirty seconds so it’s a Deadeye onto a chair, followed by the Buckshot Lariat to the back of the head to end Daniels at 16:44.

Rating: B. Word on the street is that this is the end for Daniels and if that is the case, he went out with a hard hitting, violent match which made Page look great. Daniels has been a dependable hand in AEW for a long time now and it was nice to see him getting out there one more time. Heck of a match here, and Page should be on his way to bigger things soon.

Post match Page comes back and hits an Angel’s Wings.

Here is Toni Storm for a chat. She can’t believe that she is going to her hometown for a title shot in the building where she saw her first wrestling show. Mariah May is the best in the world and they need to meet face to face next week. Tony Schiavone isn’t convinced but goes along with it anyway.

We look at the Hurt Syndicate wrecking Mark Briscoe and Private Party on Dynamite.

The Hurt Syndicate wants the Tag Team Titles.

Undisputed Kingdom vs. Shane Taylor Promotions

Shane Taylor is here with his own Promotions. Strong and Moriarty start things off so it’s quickly off to Dean, who gets kicked in the chest. Some cheating from the floor takes the good guys down though and the Infantry gets to pose on the apron as we take a break. Back with Cole missing the Panama Sunrise but scoring with the superkick. Strong comes in to clean house as everything breaks down. The High/Low finishes Bravo at 6:54.

Rating: C+. I have no idea why a six minute match needed a break in the middle, but at least they kept the match short. This wasn’t a match that was going to need a lot of time and it made the Kingdom look that much better. At the same time, this isn’t going to make hearing Taylor talk about how dominant the team is in ROH, but it’s not like that show matters anyway, even to the people running it.

Post match Taylor comes in and wrecks the Kingdom but Daniel Garcia comes in to take him down.

We look at Kenny Omega returning to the ring on Dynamite but getting beaten down by the Don Callis Family, with Will Ospreay not being able to make the save.

Ospreay isn’t happy and wants to meet Omega face to face next week on Dynamite.

Murder Machines vs. Top Flight

The Machines jump them to start and a backbreaker/running kick to the head combination hits Darius. A kick to the head gets Darius out of trouble though and it’s Dante coming in to pick up the pace. Archer misses a charge into the corner and everything breaks down, with the Machines easily taking them down. A powerbomb/chokeslam combination finishes Dante at 3:47.

Rating: C. This wasn’t quite a squash but what matters the most is that the Machines looked good. They could be the resident monster team around here without much trouble and to do that, they have to win matches like this one. At the same time, I could go for seeing Top Flight as something other than jobbers, as they are more than good enough to be in a better place than that.

Post match the Machines leave so here are Action Andretti and Lio Rush to jump Top Flight. Sweet goodness do the Martins owe AEW money or something?

The Learning Tree insists they will be on the same page as the Death Riders tonight. Chris Jericho talks about his history with Jon Moxley and if Moxley is as smart as Jericho thinks he is, they’ll be fine here.

The Undisputed Kingdom thanks Daniel Garcia and challenge he and Matt Menard to find a partner for a six man on Dynamite. Deal. For some reason, the audio here was terrible and I could barely hear what they were saying.

Here is Max Caster, with a bag, for a chat. He wants to clear the air with Anthony Bowens, who comes to the ring as well. Caster talks about how they’re a great team, but the issue is that Bowens will not admit that Caster is the best wrestler in the world. That sends Bowens off, as he talks about how he has protected Caster from people finding out his expectations. Bowens has worked to represent this company for a long time now and is AEW’s five tool player. Caster whips out a trademark dubbing him the best wrestler in the world, which is kind of awesome.

Cue Billy Gunn to ask what is going on with the two of them because they did some amazing things together. Caster calls Gunn selfish for making it about himself when it should have been about Caster all along. Gunn ruins every team, including his own kids. Bowens is told to pick a side and he picks Gunn, which has Caster walking off, going on a huge rant about how much the other two suck. Bowens scissors with Gunn as Caster storms off.

Swerve Strickland was in a celebrity golf tournament.

Strickland, with Prince Nana, is ready to end Ricochet in Atlanta on February 5. He can’t wait to choke Ricochet, which is a rather specific wish.

Continental Title: Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii

Okada is defending and Schiavone explains their history together. A chop rocks Okada and he bails out to the floor, where another clothesline takes him down. We take a break and come back with Ishii getting two off a superplex, only to get dropped onto Okada’s knee. The top rope elbow connects but Ishii wrenches the extended middle finger. Ishii hits a clothesline but runs into the dropkick. The Rainmaker is blocked and Ishii knocks him down for two. Okada hits another dropkick and grabs the bell, which is quickly taken away. That means it’s a low blow into the Rainmaker to retain the title at 8:14.

Rating: B-. It was a hard hitting fight and I’m well aware of the history between the two of them. That being said, we just finished a month long tournament to get a shot at this title, with wrestlers having to win multiple matches and survive. On the other hand, Ishii has never actually won a singles match in AEW and lost multiple recent title shots both here and elsewhere. I could go for a better reason for a title match than “they teamed together in Japan and had a really good match there years ago”.

The Gates Of Agony want a match next week.

Dustin Rhodes vs. Adam Priest

Priest isn’t interested in respect to start and gets his arm cranked as a result. The snap powerslam doesn’t quite go smoothly and the referee breaks up Shattered Dreams. Rhodes isn’t bothered and hits Cross Rhodes into the Final Reckoning for the pin at 2;12.

We look at Cope suggesting the House Of Black go its separate ways.

Julia Hart vs. Harley Cameron

Cameron is wrestling in sunglasses in her smart way to avoid the mist. And then she takes them off at the bell. A takedown lets Cameron hammer away to start and an enziguri gets two. Hart is back up and chokes away on the ropes as we take a break. Back with Hart fighting out of a fireman’s carry and grabbing an Octopus. With that broken up, Hart hits some running shots in the corner for two but it’s too early for Hartless. Cameron gets in Eat Defeat but misses a charge into the corner. A clothesline to the back of the head sets up Hartless to make Cameron quit at 7:24.

Rating: C+. This wasn’t meant to be some masterpiece but Cameron has gotten far better at what she does every week. Hart is still getting back in the swing of things after so much time away due to injuries and that is going to take some time in the ring. For now though, nice stuff and I’m sure Cameron will be fine when she has some more offbeat shenanigans.

We look at the return of Samoa Joe on Dynamite. Next week, he gets Nick Wayne.

The Learning Tree has attacked Powerhouse Hobbs.

Rated FTR/Outrunners/Powerhouse Hobbs vs. The Learning Tree/Death Riders

Minus Hobbs. Jericho and Harwood start things off, which doesn’t seem like the best idea after last week. They slap it out with Harwood getting the better of things so it’s off to Keith to hammer away. Wheeler and Wheeler come in with Wheeler chopping away at Wheeler in the corner. Magnum comes in and gets chopped as well before it’s off to Floyd for a running knee. A brainbuster gets two on Yuta and everything breaks down with the villains being cleared out as we take a break.

Back with Bill choking away at Harwood but it’s off to Jericho, who whips Harwood into Moxley. It’s off to Moxley (the fans approve) for a piledriver before Yuta comes in (the fans don’t approve). A suplex sets up the chinlock before Yuta sends him shoulder first into the post. Bill misses a charge into the corner though and the tag brings in Cope to clean house. Jericho counters the spear with a Codebreaker so it’s Floyd coming in to pick up the pace.

Jericho and Keith get caught with the Mega Powers Elbow before we hit the parade of knockdowns. The Shatter Machine hits Bill and Cope gives Moxley the Impaler on the ramp. Cue Pac to jump Cope and the Death Riders put a bag over his head. Cash makes the save and a bunch of people brawl into the crowd. Cue the limping Hobbs to get the tag and clean house until we get the showdown with Bill. Total Recall hits Jericho and Hobbs spinebusters Keith for the win at 18:04.

Rating: B-. Well that was certainly was a mess, but not in a bad way. It says a lot when the match was supposed to start with twelve, maxed out at eleven, and then wound up as a six man. It felt like something out of ECW with the insanity and it would not surprise me if that was the plan. Hobbs gets a bit back after Dynamite, though he’s not exactly breaking through to the next level after this match.

Overall Rating: B-. This was the standard for Collision, in that it felt like an hour long show stretched out to twice that long. That’s not the best thing to see, but they did well enough with some nice action. As usual, this doesn’t feel like the most storyline heavy show and that’s ok, as it is establishing something of an identity of its own. Not a must see show as usual, but a fine way to spend a Saturday night.

Results
Hangman Page b. Christopher Daniels – Buckshot Lariat to the back of the head
Undisputed Kingdom b. Shane Taylor Promotions – High/Low to Bravo
Murder Machines b. Top Flight – Powerbomb/chokeslam combination to Dante
Kazuchika Okada b. Tomohiro Ishii – Rainmaker
Dustin Rhodes b. Adam Priest – Final Reckoning
Julia Hart b. Harley Cameron – Hartless
Rated FTR/Outrunners/Powerhouse Hobbs b. Death Riders/Learning Tree – Spinebuster to Keith

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

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Dynamite
Date: January 15, 2025
Location: Andrew J. Brady Music Center, Cincinnati, Ohio
Commentators: Excalibur, Tony Schiavone, Taz

We’re getting closer to Grand Slam and the card needs to start getting built up. Before we can get there though, we have Maximum Carnage, which should have quite the card. That includes the in-ring return of Kenny Omega, plus Powerhouse Hobbs getting a World Title shot at Jon Moxley. Let’s get to it.

We open with a big preview of the show.

Brian Cage vs. Kenny Omega

Don Callis is on commentary. Omega strikes away to limited avail as Cage grabs him for the curls into the toss. A clothesline drops Omega but Omega counters a powerbomb into a hurricanrana. Lance Archer offers a distraction though and Omega, whose head is cut open, is sent outside and sent into the announcers’ table. Callis gets in a few shots of his own and we take a break.

Back with Omega still in trouble but firing off a running knee. The F5 gives Cage two so he goes up top, only to get caught with a super sunset bomb. Omega’s running knee gets two and the V Trigger rocks Cage. The One Winged Angel (it took a second but he got cage up) finishes for Omega at 11:38.

Rating: B-. This was never going to be a match where the result was in doubt but what matters the most is that Omega got back in the ring and looked good enough. That wasn’t exactly guaranteed just a few months ago so it’s nice to see him in the ring again. He’s instantly one of the biggest names in AEW and having him beat a big enough name like Cage is a nice start on his road back.

Post match the beatdown is on but Will Ospreay runs in for the save. The Family beats them down though.

MVP is ready to get back in the ring.

The Learning Tree is ready for their match on Collision in Cincinnati, in the heart of the Bluegrass State. They can get along with the Death Riders.

Here is Ricochet, to quite the negative reception, for a chat. Before anything can be said, as the fans are not pleased, Swerve Strickland’s music hits and it’s Prince Nana with a chair shot to Ricochet’s back. Swerve chases Ricochet off and outside, complete with the snow.

We look at a Day In The Life Of Mercedes Mone. She shops, trains and is apparently all around swell. Keeping anything involving her talking short is appreciated.

Hurt Syndicate vs. Mark Briscoe/Private Party

The Syndicate jumps them to start and MVP kicks Briscoe in the face as we get going. Briscoe is sent outside and Benjamin drops him onto the apron as we take a break. Back with Briscoe still in trouble until he clotheslines his way out of trouble. Kassidy comes in to clean house and it’s off to Quen for some dropkicks. Everything breaks down and a jumping Downward Spiral hits Benjamin. Poetry In Motion does it again but Lashley is in with a spear. Benjamin’s release German suplex into a superkick finishes Quen at 9:26.

Rating: C+. This is what it needed to be and now we need to get to the next step of the Hurt Business winning the Tag Team Titles. There isn’t anything to keeping them on Private Party at this point as the champs have hardly done anything special with the belts. The Hurt Business is looking awesome at the moment and that was on full display again here.

We look at Cope brawling with Pac on Collision, setting up their match this weekend.

Video on Rated FTR.

Here is Jeff Jarrett for a chat but MJF cuts him off before he can get very far. MJF didn’t think much of Jarrett saying the last few weeks have been humbling but Jarrett calls him lazy for not wanting to enter the Casino Gauntlet. MJF snaps and says Jarrett has convinced a lot of people he’s a lot better than he is. MJF calls Jarrett the last thing any wrestling company sees before it dies.

We get some jokes about Jarrett’s alcohol issues before MJF offers to have some fun with Karen Jarrett before sending her back to Tennessee. That way Jarrett can know the taste of a generational talent and an Olympic gold medalist. Jarrett laughs everything off because he’s heard it before. The reality though is Jarrett did all of this before but he did it better. Jarrett says it must be really tough being raised by a call girl mother and an ambulance chasing father.

When MJF was in the ring going sixty minutes, his girlfriend was doing it too….just in the parking lot with other wrestlers. The reality is MJF needs Jarrett because he’s a scared little boy. MJF goes on a rant about how far he carried this company but then he got screwed out of a bunch of things. He needs to win the World Title so he can shove it down a whole lot of throats. But then he needs to wait for JEFF JARRETT?

The reality is no one has ever cared about Jarrett, who thinks his friendship with Owen Hart entitles him to a grand finale. That’s enough for Jarrett and the fight is on and security, plus Karen Jarrett, break it up. MJF grabs Karen for a second but lets her go before leaving. Jarrett is on to something with MJF being a one trick pony, as he has incredible delivery but almost every big time promo exchange like this breaks down to “here’s a list of insults about things in your past and I’m better than you.” It’s still good, but it feels like MJF might as well just be inserting names into a formula.

Video on Kazuchika Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii.

Hook vs. Christian Cage

Hook jumps him on the ramp to start and the fight is on with Hook hammering away on the floor. The beating goes up the ramp and then back into the ring. Cage gives him a hug but gets suplexed for his efforts. Cage is sent into the buckle and we take a break. Back with Taz getting annoyed at Cage as he drops a splash for two. The spear gives Cage two more but the Killswitch is countered into a fisherman’s suplex for two more. Hook hammers away until Cage sends him into the post for a crash out to the floor. The Patriarchy is fought off and it’s the Redrum back inside, only for the Patriarchy to run in for the DQ at 11:38.

Rating: C. Of course it’s going to keep going. This is a feud that has been going on for a few months now and as long as Cage has that contract, almost anything he does feels like he’s just killing time. That isn’t doing Hook any favors and having him possibly dealing with Cage’s goons isn’t going to help either. The match was another brawl with interference, which is rather common around this place.

Post match the beatdown is on but Taz stands up….and Samoa Joe is back to clean house. Katsuyori Shibata runs in for the assist and the good guys stand tall.

The Undisputed Kingdom wants gold.

Dustin Rhodes interrupts Jeff Jarrett, saying MJF has no idea how this business works. Rhodes wants Jarrett to fulfill his dream.

Women’s Casino Gauntlet

For a shot at Mariah May, on commentary, at Grand Slam. Kris Statlander is in at #1 and Jamie Hayter is in at #2 as we have unknown entrants and uneven intervals. May immediately asks Taz if he wants to roll around on that new knee but he’s happily married. And retired. Hayter takes her down to start but gets planted as Megan Bayne (she’s rather tall and rather strong, leaving May looking worried) is in at #3.

Bayne elbows Statlander into the corner (May: “What does she eat for breakfast? Babies?”) and Hayter small packages her way out of a suplex as May is still worried. Julia Hart is in at #4 and is immediately suplexed on the ramp by Hayter. We take a break and come back with Willow Nightingale coming in at #5 but getting dropped by Bayne.

A double suplex drops Bayne and it’s Toni Storm in at #6. House is quickly cleaned as May is nervously laughing. Hart fights up and helps clear the ring before slugging it out with Hayter. Harley Cameron is in at #7 and grabs some rollups but Hayter plants Hart. Back up and Hart mists Cameron, only to get small packaged by Storm for the pin at 13:18.

Rating: B-. Bayne looked like a star and that was good to see, but this was pretty much a big countdown until Storm won. Who else was going to win the match and the title shot for a show coming up in Australia? I’m sure we’ll get the next big step in the evolution of Storm going forward, but for now she was the only realistic option here and that’s not a bad thing.

AEW World Title: Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Jon Moxley

Moxley, the hometown boy, is defending and has the Death Riders with him. Hobbs hammers away to start and a running shoulder puts Moxley on the floor. They fight into the crowd with Moxley getting the better of things and hammering away back inside. Hobbs bites the ear for a breather though and we take a break.

Back with Moxley, bleeding from the ear, getting knocked down but telling Hobbs to bring it. The Paradigm Shift is blocked and Hobbs runs him over again. A spinning slam gives Hobbs two but Moxley pulls him into a cross armbreaker. That’s broken up so here is Wheeler Yuta for a cheap shot. Hobbs is back with a spinebuster but Marina Shafir gets in a briefcase shot so the Paradigm Shift can get two. The bulldog choke retains the title at 13:05.

Rating: B-. And the Death Riders interfere to keep the title on Moxley. Again. Like so many other heel stables have done over the years. That’s the problem with the Death Riders in general: it feels like something we’ve seen so many times now and that’s not overly interesting. The team’s mission is only so defined in the first place and we’re just sitting around waiting until someone steps up for the big moment. That makes for some tedious stuff, and that was the case again here.

Post match the beatdown is on, including a Pillmanizing of the leg. Rated FTR clear the ring to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I’m not sure how big this show felt, but it was far from a bad week. Mega being back is a nice thing to see and they set up what very well may be the main event of Grand Slam with Storm vs. May. Other than that, it was a slightly above the normal show, albeit one that felt like it was designed to set up something else down the line. Good enough show, but not exactly an all time classic.

Results
Kenny Omega b. Brian Cage – One Winged Angel
Hurt Syndicate b. Private Party/Mark Briscoe – Superkick to Quen
Hook b. Christian Cage via DQ when the Patriarchy interfered
Toni Storm won the Women’s Casino Gauntlet – Small package to Hart
Jon Moxley b. Powerhouse Hobbs – Paradigm Shift

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

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Dynamite
Date: January 8, 2025
Location: F&M Bank Arena, Clarksville, Tennessee
Commentators: Ian Riccaboni, Matt Menard, Excalibur

We’re slightly back to normal this week with the first regular show in a few weeks. The big story this week is the Casino Gauntlet, which will be used to set up Jon Moxley’s new challenger for next week. Other than that, we’re still building towards Revolution, Grand Slam and possibly even All In: Texas. Let’s get to it.

Buddy Murphy vs. Will Ospreay

Fallout from Ospreay beating Brody King in the Continental Classic. Feeling out process to start with Matthews powering him into the corner and hitting some chops in the corner. That’s broken up and Ospreay knocks him to the floor for the dive. Back in and Matthews knocks him back down for a knee and a near fall, meaning frustration starts to set in. Ospreay fights up with a kick to the head into the Phenomenal Forearm before sending him outside again.

They kick it out on the apron, where the Oscutter is broken up. Ospreay gets thrown face first onto the announcers’ table for a nasty crash but Matthews charges into a superkick. Back in and a springboard missile dropkick sets up the Oscutter for two. Matthews knees him in the head again and a stomp give him two of his own. Ospreay is back with the Styles Clash into the Hidden Blade for the pin at 12:12.

Rating: B. These guys beat the heck out of each other and it was the kind of a match that made me wonder where it was going. Ospreay wasn’t likely to lose here but dang they were having a good, hard hitting fight. Nice opener here and pretty much exactly what you would have expected.

Post match Ospreay asks for some love for Buddy “Murphy” before saying Matthews and Brody King don’t need a leader. Ospreay can see some success in their future and if Matthews ever needs a good man in his corner, let him know. That’s interesting.

Video on Wrestle Kingdom and Wrestle Dynasty.

Here is Private Party for a celebration but the Hurt Syndicate interrupts and walks past the velvet ropes. MVP proposes a toast: to the Syndicate winning the Tag Team Titles. My goodness Private Party could not feel less important.

Bobby Lashley vs. Mark Briscoe

MVP is on commentary. Lashley powers him into the corner to start bu Briscoe fights out with the Redneck Kung Fu. Briscoe goes up but dives into a suplex to send him outside. There’s a running shoulder to drop Briscoe again, setting up an overhead suplex. We take a break and come back with Briscoe striking away as the fight heads outside. A chair shot from underneath the ring hits Lashley (and sends MVP into hysterics), setting up a pair of flip dives. The Froggy Bow only gets one, and it’s a spear into a spinebuster into the Hurt Lock for the win at 10:09.

Rating: B-. This was a good way to make Lashley look like a monster while also keeping Briscoe looking strong enough. Lashley dominated but Briscoe kept fighting throughout, which made for a nice match. What matters here though is Lashley is getting the chance to look like a monster and he very well could be on his way to doing something big.

Post match the beatdown stays on until Private Party makes the save.

Casino Gauntlet Match

Unknown entrants, intervals that vary between entrants and the first fall gets a World Title shot next week. Jay White is in at #1 and Hangman Page is in at #2. They chop it out until Page runs him over with a shoulder for an early one. White sends him to the apron, where a Buckshot Lariat attempt is countered into a blocked Blade Runner attempt. A superplex brings Page down and it’s Wheeler Yuta in at #3.

Yuta immediately gets taken down with a Blade Runner for two but Page goes after White for two again. With the ring cleared, it’s….Ricochet in at #4, though he comes out to Swerve Strickland’s music to scare the heck out of Page. Ricochet cleans house and hits a dive to the floor as we take a break. Back with a tag match breaking out until Adam Cole is in at #5. Ricochet knocks him back but gets superkicked out of the air. A Panama Sunrise connects for two and it’s Daniel Garcia in at #6.

Garcia hammers away at a bunch of people in the corner at the same time before getting in a staredown with Yuta. Powerhouse Hobbs is in at #7 to send people flying (Menard: “Come on, we gotta be smarter than this guys!” and we take another break. Back again with Hobbs hitting Ricochet with a heck of a clothesline, followed by an easy slam to White. Hobbs’ knee is dropkicked out though and it’s Roderick Strong in at #8.

The Bladerunner connects for White but Yuta hits him low to break up the cover. Lance Archer is in at #9 to clean house before he and Hobbs throw Ricochet back and forth. They trade power moves until Kyle O’Reilly is in at #10. The big brawl is on and most of the people are down as Jeff Jarrett is in at #11….but Yuta jumps him from behind. They fight off to the back and it’s Hobbs planting O’Reilly with a spinebuster for the win at 25:51.

Rating: B-. This was a rather star heavy match for the most part and having Yuta in there to get beaten up was a nice touch. Hobbs winning is certainly a surprise and I’m curious to see where it’s going. It isn’t likely to lead to a title change, but at least it’s something rather new. The match wasn’t as good as some of the previous versions, but I do like having someone new getting a one off title match after a big win.

Post match Hobbs says we’re going to shoot and promises to make Jon Moxley his b**** next week (Renee Paquette is not pleased).

Jeff Jarrett comes to the ring (he never actually got in) and doesn’t seem sure if he’s still got it…and here is MJF to interrupt. MJF introduces himself and explains why he wants the title back, but there are a bunch of people in the way. It’s a regular Dr. Seuss book of challengers but there is one person who can still go after the title. MJF lists off Jarrett’s resume, which he had to look up because it’s way too old for him. The reality is that Jarrett has signed a one year deal, which is all wrestling thinks he has left to give.

MJF thinks he can help Jarrett get the World Title and all he asks is the first title shot. The offer is made and Jarrett takes the mic. Jarrett says that people like MJF are called one hit wonders around here. The fans chant ONE HIT WONDER and Jarrett thinks that might be a nice t-shirt. Jarrett has a year left and knows that he is going to have to work, but he’ll be doing it alone. This went a good bit longer than it needed to, though I’ve heard worse ideas than Jarrett having one last run, possibly with a nice groundswell underneath him.

We look at Darby Allin being taken out (again) by the Death Riders (again).

Here is Cope for a chat. He talks about how Jon Moxley has attacked Darby Allin and how Moxley doesn’t think much of Cope himself. Cope talks about the injuries he has suffered in the ring, including winning a match with a broken (non-freakin) neck. So what can Moxley do to him that hasn’t been done before? Cue the Death Riders but FTR jump them from behind to even things up. Cue Marina Shafir with the briefcase though, allowing Pac to drop Cope. Moxley chokes Cope out and loads up the plastic bag, but Powerhouse Hobbs makes the save. The Death Riders looking strong you say?

Mariah May wants the women to fight to become the #1 contender. Harley Cameron storms in and asks for a match on Collision. They can even make it non title “hot girl graps”. Eventually the match is made, with Cameron threatening to make her feel the wrath. Hilarious again.

Toni Storm vs. Willow Nightingale vs. Kris Statlander

For the #1 spot in the Casino Gauntlet Match. Nightingale starts fast by knocking Statlander outside and giving Storm a spinebuster. Statlander is back in but Storm crossbodies them down. Nightingale catapults Storm head first into a low blow on Statlander and we take a break.

Back with Statlander and Nightingale having a slightly reluctant standoff. Storm breaks it up though and all three are down. Back up and a series of knockdowns sets up Nightingale German suplexing both of them at once. Nightingale is knocked outside though and Statlander hits Staturday Night Fever for the pin on Storm at 9:56.

Rating: C+. Storm taking a pin here wasn’t something I would have expected but what mattered the most was giving Statlander a win. At the same time, this doesn’t mean Storm won’t be in the match next week so this could just be a setback. The match wasn’t anything great, but I could go for any of these three being given a bigger push.

Post break, Toni Storm isn’t surprised she didn’t win because she’s not ready. It can’t be Toni Time all the time.

Here is Kenny Omega for his big return. After some applause, Omega talks about how he was diagnosed with diverticulitis a little over a year ago. They took two feet of his intestines out and if he hadn’t, he would be dead. Omega as immediately asking about when he would be able to get back in the ring. The doctor, who apparently called him Kenny Omega, wasn’t sure if he could ever even get back to a normal way of life.

That didn’t work for Omega, who came back to be this version of himself. Not worried about money or power but just being the best in the world. Cue Don Callis to interrupt but Omega isn’t having this and charges outside to beat Callis down. The Don Callis Family comes in to beat Omega down, including a shot to the abdomen. Will Ospreay makes the save and we get a very tense staredown to end the show. Omega and Ospreay as AEW’s version of the Mega Powers is good, but dealing with the Don Callis Family doesn’t help.

Overall Rating: B-. This wasn’t a bad show by any means and it did set up a few things going forward. The problem is that some of those things aren’t overly interesting. The Death Riders vs. Rated FTR isn’t doing much for me and anything involving the Don Callis Family has me wondering when it’s going to be over. I like Powerhouse Hobbs getting a title shot as his push is long overdue and Buddy Matthews might be on his way to a push of his own. For now, good enough show and I’m curious about where some of these things are going.

Results
Will Ospreay b. Buddy Matthews – Hidden Blade
Bobby Lashley b. Mark Briscoe – Hurt Lock
Powerhouse Hobbs won the Casino Gauntlet Match – Spinebuster to O’Reilly
Kris Statlander b. Toni Storm and Willow Nightingale – Staturday Night Fever to Storm

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

AND

Remember to check out Wrestlingrumors.net for all of your wrestling headline needs.