AEW Collision Review – 12.06.25

If for some reason you missed it, here’s SK’s rant for this week’s Dynamite.

Collision comes to the airwaves on TNT and HBO Max from GALAXYCON at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio. The announce team for tonight’s show will be Tony Schiavone, Ian Riccaboni and Nigel McGuinness on match calls and analysis, Arkady Aura on ring announcements, and Lexy Nair on breaking news and backstage interview segments. Let’s watch some wrestling!

I would say this is probably the biggest Winter is Coming moment in the history of those shows.

Continental Classic Blue League: Orange Cassidy (0) vs Roderick Strong (0)

Cassidy wants a high five but Strong refuses, and we’re off. Strong works a wristlock but Cassidy makes the ropes to break it up. Strong chops Cassidy in a corner and Cassidy fires up with a side headlock and Strong is frustrated when he’s unable to escape. Cassidy rolls Strong over in a crucifix for two, and then goes right back to the side headlock. Strong finally breaks out and waffles Cassidy with a chop. Cassidy bails and Strong chases after to deliver more chops. Strong hoists Cassidy and drops him back-first on the barricade. They go back in and Strong crushes Cassidy with a backbreaker. We go to commercials.

Cassidy snaps off a tilt-a-whirl DDT when the show returns, as Schiavone informs us that Strong has hit NINE backbreakers during the break. Strong stops that momentum with some chops and they go nose to nose. Cassidy sends Strong to the floor and then wallops him with a tope suicida. Strong ascends and Cassidy pulls him head-first onto a top turnbuckle. Cassidy ascends and Strong catches him and crushes Cassidy with a powerslam that gets two. Cassidy gets a quick crucifix for two. Cassidy hits a springboard DDT and ascends again. Strong ascends as well but Cassidy fights him off and hits a top rope tornado DDT. Cassidy covers for two. Cassidy charges and runs into two consecutive backbreakers as Strong then covers for two. Cassidy gets a quick roll up for two. Cassidy hits Stundog Millionaire and then ties up Strong’s legs in a cover that gets three.

It started slowly but got very tactical and interesting by the end. Cassidy is a hell of an underdog babyface and the crowd loves the guy, so this worked from start to finish, truthfully. Roddy is going to be the “eats a lot of pins” guy in the Blue League, clearly, and there’s probably some storyline stuff that will come out of that. Cassidy gets a much-needed three points to put himself back into contention. This was solid. 3.25*

Winner – Orange Cassidy (Stundog Millionaire) – 3 Points Earned

Post-match sees a livid Strong walk past Cassidy without looking back. Schiavone announces that Jack Perry will be taking Darby Allin’s place in the Gold League due to Allin’s injury status. Allin has some comments about the Death Riders doing pushups to show off how hard they are. Allin says his legs gave out during the Kevin Knight match and he had to be rushed to the hospital. Allin tells Perry to win the whole bleepin’ thing. Allin is unsure about himself moving forward, however.

Here’s AEW Men’s World Tag Team Champions FTR accompanied as always by Stokely. Stokely says tonight is the greatest night of his life because FTR have the titles. The crowd tells him to shut the bleep up, but sadly he does not comply with their wishes. Stokely calls out Juice Robinson and Austin Gunn and here they are, with some solid crowd support as they get into the ring. Cash Wheeler tells Robinson and Gunn that their achievements consist of being “Billy’s Son” and “Mr. Toni Storm”. Dax Harwood once again calls Robinson a “bag carrier” and someone who stands next to the great workers. Harwood pulls his belt off and double dares Robinson to touch his belt. Gunn admits that he is the son of a Hall of Famer, and then says Harwood is the son of his first cousin while Wheeler is just a son of a bitch. Gunn says what really turns him on is someone making the title match official. Robinson points out that they won 200K a few weeks ago that they could use on AEWShop.com to buy hundreds of belts, but they don’t need to do that. Robinson wants FTR’s titles and the next time they touch them will be when the ref hands them over to them in the UK. If you aren’t down with that he has two words for you….AND NEW. Everyone starts beefing as FTR exit the ring.

Here’s Daniel Garcia, Wheeler Yuta, and Marina Shafir lurking in a hallway. Shafir questions who actually has Mark Briscoe’s back while Yuta calls him a “toothless hillbilly idiot”. Garcia says that Briscoe is one of the stupidest people he’s ever met, but the stupidest thing he’s done is put the TNT title up against Garcia for next week’s Collision in Cardiff. We go to commercials.

Continental Classic Blue League: Claudio Castignoli (6) vs Mascara Dorada (0)

Castignoli is now the CMLL World Heavyweight Champion which I don’t think is as prestigious as AEW wants you to think it is. There’s some grappling to start and Dorada hits an armdrag before nipping up. Castignoli hits a kick and a chop before working a side headlock. Castignoli plants Dorada with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker that gets two. Castignoli puts the boots to Dorada before yanking him up for another chop. Castignoli covers for two. Dorada hits some back elbows, but Castignoli shrugs it off with an elbow of his own. Dorada hits some low kicks and a slap before hitting a rope-walk armdrag. Castignoli cuts off the flurry with an uppercut as Dorada was trying a tope suicida. Castignoli presses Dorada and drops him throat-first on the barricade twice as we go to commercials.

Castignoli is trying to take Dorada’s mask when the show returns. Dorada fires up with some kicks but Castignoli shakes it off and hits the Giant Swing. Castignoli hits a running Euro uppercut but wanders into a Dorada superkick. Dorada runs into a Castignoli big boot but he snaps off a rana in response. Dorada hits a tope armdrag on the floor, and then waffles Castignoli with a superkick. Castignoli misses a charge and Dorada hits another armdrag on the floor from the second rope. Dorada hits a spinning sunset flip for two. Castignoli catches Dorada with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker and covers for two. Castignoli snapmares Dorada over for two as we get the ten minutes gone announcement. Castignoli hits a thrust kick for two. Castignoli fires off some uppercuts and then hoists Dorada while ascending. Dorada elbows his way out of it and blasts Castignoli with a roundhouse kick. Dorada waffles Castignoli with a top rope rana but Castignoli cuts off his ascension with an uppercut. Dorada fights that off and hits the Shooting Star Press for three.

That’s a great result for Dorada and obviously sets something up for CMLL as well. Dorada looked good tonight, and Claudio did most of his greatest hits routine. Claudio was going to have to lose to some folks assuming the endgame of Okada-Takeshita is happening, so losing to Dorada to set up something else is absolutely fine booking. This was fun even if Claudio looked like a bull elephant compared to Dorada. 3.5*

Winner – Mascara Dorada (Shooting Star Press) – 3 Points Earned

Schiavone is mediating a sitdown between the Babes of Wrath and the Timeless Love Bombs. Toni Storm says she and Mina Shirakawa are a tag team in life as well as wrestling. Willow Nightingale quotes Pink Floyd while describing her relationship with Harley Cameron. Everyone is having some bubbly, and Storm mentions that she’s beaten both Cameron and Nightingale, but neither have ever beaten her. Cameron puts over her first three years as being better than both Storm and Shirakawa’s, and Shirakawa says they should have a fight that everyone will remember. Everyone toasts and we go to commercials.

The ever-present Schiavone is in the ring when the show returns, and he welcomes Swerve Strickland and Prince Nana to the ring. Swerve’s new song will be available Wednesday on Spotify! Schiavone exits and Swerve grabs a microphone. Nana gets the crowd going and Swerve mentions that he returned at Full Gear after being on the shelf for three months. Swerve talks about surgery, and the post-surgery training and grinding he went through to get back so he can win titles again. Swerve says he kept it simple when he was champion, but now the title sits on the shoulders of Samoa Joe. Swerve says Joe runs from him now because Swerve was the one who took Joe’s title the first time he won it. Swerve calls out the Opps for having a lot of people in the way making it tough to get to Joe. Swerve promises Joe will fall to the “franchise” of AEW. Swerve drops Hangman Page’s name and puts over their rivalry to a big hand from the crowd. Swerve says Hangman wants another desperado to ride with him and offers his services, but after that they have to have a long conversation.

Here’s Josh Alexander to interrupt and say all he’s heard is lies and half-truths, and he wouldn’t call Swerve the “franchise”. Alexander says it’s not Swerve’s house, it’s Don Callis’s house now as a “bleep Don Callis” chant breaks out. Alexander mentions that Callis wouldn’t be caught dead in Ohio to a big pop from the crowd. Alexander points out that Kazuchika Okada put him out, and that the Callis Family OWNS the house now. Alexander takes exception to Swerve walking in and just wanting a title shot. Alexander points out that he’s beaten Will Ospreay, broken Kota Ibushi’s femur, and gone toe-to-toe with Kenny Omega. Alexander bellows that he’s the one that should be getting the title shot against Joe, so he wants to fight Strickland to see who’s best to challenge for the belt. Alexander mocks a crowd member and Swerve says they should do it in Cardiff. Here’s Katsuyori Shibata to kick Swerve in his surgically repaired knee, before exiting while simultaneously eyeing up Alexander. Alexander says he’ll see Swerve next week. Wednesday night sees Swerve and Hangman Page taking on Powerhouse Hobbs and Shibata, and then Swerve will take on Alexander in Cardiff for Collision.

Lexy Nair is backstage with Mercedes Mone. Nair brings up Mone’s loss to Red Velvet at Final Battle, but Mone wants a better question. Nair asks if her recent losses are weighing on Mone, who responds by pointing out that she has twelve titles and was the number one wrestler in the PWI 500. Mone says she’ll show Leila Grey that there’s a price to pay.

AEW TBS Championship: Mercedes Mone (C) vs Leila Grey

I don’t like Grey’s chances here. Grey is accompanied by Christopher Daniels. Mone attacks prior to the bell and sends Grey to the floor. Mone hits a baseball slide and then waffles Daniels with a Meteora. Grey uses that distraction to whip Mone back in and choke her over the top rope. Grey hits a dropkick and covers Mone for two. Grey hits a rolling neckbreaker and covers for two. Mone hits an elbow and pulls Grey into a turnbuckle, but Grey shakes it off with a big knee lift. Mone cuts that off and hits another Meteora as we go to commercials.

Mone misses a charge and Grey wallops her with some lariats and a sling blade. Grey hits a knee lift but appears to have hurt herself pulling it off. Grey manages a bulldog, but Mone immediately turns it into the Statement Maker and Grey taps right away. Mone won’t release so Daniels climbs in to push Mone off. Mone responds with a nut shot and hoists her belt before snatching Schiavone’s headset off to proclaim herself the greatest TNT Champion of ALL TIME.

I think Grey might have actually sustained an injury on the knee lift because McGuinness made a real “ew, that’s not good” sound when she pulled off the bulldog just before the finish. Mercedes gave her a bit of shine, but you knew when this was booked how it was going to go and that’s exactly how it went. 2*

Winner AND STILL AEW TBS Champion – Mercedes Mone (Statement Maker)

Eddie Kingston is in a room and says he’s been in wrestling for 25 years and now he’s got a shot at the world title. Kingston says Joe can’t get in his head because Kingston is in his own head every day. Kingston says he hates to admit how much he cares about AEW and says that what Joe is doing with the younger people around him is sickening. Kingston says you should be rewarded for wins in the ring, and calls Joe disgusting for what he’s doing, but admits that Joe is the best wrestler in the world. Kingston wants things to change and the culture to be better. Kingston says he’s doing what he’s doing to show the younger guys how to do things the right way and not how Joe is conducting himself. We go to commercials.

When the show returns The Triangle of Madness is beating up some folks backstage. They promise to see the “bitches” in Cardiff, whatever that means.

AEW National Championship: Ricochet (C) vs Ace Austin

Ricochet is seconded by Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona. Ricochet defended the title successfully at Final Battle against Dalton Castle on Friday night. Austin was also successful at Final Battle against “Shotty” Lee Johnson. Austin works a side headlock but Ricochet escapes and we reset after some acrobatics. Austin gets a crucifix for two and Ricochet bails to the floor in frustration. Austin gains the advantage when Ricochet returns and gets a roll up for two. Ricochet again bails to the floor and grabs the bell hammer. As the ref is taking the hammer from Ricochet Austin gets tripped up by Kaun and Ricochet takes advantage with an elbow to the back of Austin’s head. Ricochet hits a tope suicida as we go to commercials.

Ricochet eats a couple of right hands and then misses a charge as Austin slips out of a corner. Austin hits a lariat and some kicks, before crushing Ricochet with a Side Russian Legsweep and a legdrop. Austin smashes Ricochet in a corner before walloping him with a springboard cross-body. Austin hits a Doctor Bomb and covers for two. Austin hits a running forearm but Ricochet gets a quick roll-up for two. Ricochet hits a standing dropkick and a standing Shooting Star Press for two. Ricochet misses a Spirit Gun attempt and Austin gets a quick roll-up for two. Austin mounts Ricochet and crushes him with a superplex. Austin hits a Bellringer and covers for two. Ricochet pulls the ref in front of him to prevent the Fold. Ricochet crushes Austin with a lariat before hitting him with a package powerbomb. Ricochet covers and gets three.

Austin is fine for an underdog opponent but he’s kind of directionless since joining AEW. Like, given the post-match shenanigans, why weren’t Robinson and Gunn out there with him DURING the match. Anyway, this was good for what it was in that Ricochet had to piece together how to beat the very game Austin. The crowd was into it, and that helped as well. A solid, albeit wildly predictable, contest. 3*

Winner AND STILL AEW National Champion – Ricochet (Package Powerbomb)

Post-match sees FTR fly in to attack the fallen Austin. Juice Robinson and Austin Gunn charge down but FTR get the advantage briefly. Robinson and Gunn fire up with punches and send FTR packing with the tag belts still in the ring. Robinson and Gunn hoist them before whipping them at FTR. We go to commercials as the main event is up next.

Continental Classic Blue League: Jon Moxley (3) vs Konosuke Takeshita (3)

Moxley gets a good face pop in Columbus, given his Ohio roots. There’s some grappling to start and Moxley works a side headlock. Takeshita puts on some head scissors before Moxley escapes and works some head scissors of his own. Takeshita reverses and they rise for a battle of who can truck who down. Takeshita hits a big boot and a running fist to the throat. Moxley appears to tweak his ankle but he fires off some chops as Takeshita advances. Takeshita smashes Moxley’s ankle with a kick and then wraps Moxley’s legs around a ring post. Takeshita starts throwing right hands and a big chop. Takeshita runs Moxley back in and then hits a Dragon Screw whip on the injured ankle as we go to commercials.

Moxley escapes a single crab but then misses a charge as Takeshita once again kicks Moxley in the ankle. Moxley fires off a forearm from the apron, and then pulls Takeshita out with him. Moxley kicks Takeshita in the ankle and then curb stomps Takeshita on the apron. Moxley snaps off a Saito, but Takeshita responds immediately with a German. They hit simultaneous lariats and both guys are down as the crowd applauds appropriately. They slug it out strong-style as the ten minutes announcement is made. Moxley crushes Takeshita with a clothesline but Moxley doesn’t cover. Moxley wants an armbar but Takeshita blocks it, so Moxley rolls into an ankle lock. Takeshita makes the ropes so Moxley stomps on his ankle in response. Takeshita backdrops Moxley on the apron but his ankle prevents him from doing anything. Moxley runs into a forearm and then Takeshita crushes Moxley with a tope con hilo. Takeshita clears the announce table which collapses entirely, but Takeshita doesn’t care about that as he drops Moxley through the wreckage. Moxley beats the count and gets back in at nine and three quarters. Takeshita hits Moxley with a frog splash and gets two. Takeshita gets pulled into a roll-up that gets two and then Moxley snaps off a cutter. Takeshita drops a knee on Moxley’s ankle but then walks into a big right from Moxley. Moxley hits a DDT and gets two as Takeshita gets his foot on the rope. Moxley hits some clotheslines and a big boot. Moxley’s ankle gives out and Takeshita wallops him with a big knee that gets two. Takeshita drops his knee pad and crushes Moxley with a knee to the jaw. Takeshita hits RAGING FIRE and covers Moxley for three.

Well, that might be the best match in Collision history right there. Just an excellent contest from start to finish as Moxley had to overcome an ongoing injury situation with his ankle. He did fight like an underdog babyface through a lot of it and so you can 100% see what’s going to be happening here at some point. Takeshita keeps on marching to what feels like the inevitable showdown with Okada over the Continental title. Just a terrific main event. 4.75*

Winner – Konosuke Takeshita (Raging Fire) – 3 Points Earned

Here’s the standings for the Blue League after tonight:
Konosuke Takeshita, Claudio Castignoli – 6 points
Orange Cassidy, Mascara Dorada, Jon Moxley – 3 points
Roderick Strong – 0 points

Post-match sees The Death Riders march down to the ring, but they’re desperately out of time so we don’t see anything more as the show goes off the air.

That was a hell of a show. The CC matches were all very good, and the two title defenses definitely served their purpose even with predictable outcomes. Collision has been on a bit of a roll lately and I’ll take it over the MxM Collection stuff and trying to make a statement about the former Tegan Nox. The booking was good, the matches were very good, and it flowed naturally with no major continuity nonsense. This ep is worth finding if you didn’t see it. Thumbs way up.

Thanks for reading and commenting. Enjoy your Sunday and go wish our friend Kat Bourne a happy birthday, as well as my pal Rockin’ Todd Parker.