wrestling / TV Reports
Sambus’ AEW Winter is Coming: Collision Review 12.13.25
Image Credit: AEW
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Hello, good afternoon, and welcome to this special early edition of Collision, conveniently leaving you free to watch John Cena’s last ever match this evening!
We are in the Utilita Arena in Wales today, the same arena I saw Avenged Sevenfold in almost 10 years ago. Good times! I’ll be attending the big Dynamite/Collision taping in Manchester this coming week which I am STOKED for – live AEW just hits different, right?
Now then, if you’ll permit me a BRIEF MOAN, it is insane that European fans aren’t able to watch a show filmed in the UK on TrillerTV at the same time as US fans. I’d get it if it were shown in the usual timeslot, as WBD have worldwide exclusivity, but what’s the excuse tonight? Fans in the UK won’t be able to watch this episode of Collision until 1am, which is…an oversight it seems. Anyway, without Triller I’ve had to resort to alternative means, so apologies in advance if timings are sporadic.
Show-wise, it’s looking STRONG with multiple potential main events. In Continental Classic action, we have Castgnoli vs Takeshita as well as Kevin Knight vs Mike Bailey…BANGER CENTRAL. If Bailey can somehow pull off two MOTYCs in the space of 4 days, good Lord he is putting a stake in the ground to leave 2025 on top. We’ve also got Swerve Strickland vs Josh Alexander, which doubles up as Swerve’s first singles match since returning to action and is therefore a Pretty Big Deal. Lastly, we’ll also see Mark Briscoe defend the TNT title against Daniel Garcia, and they’ve matched up well in the past so their chemistry could carry that one to some great heights.
Quick rundown of the current standings for the C2:
Gold League:
Kyle Fletcher (2-0-0 = 6 points)
Kazuchika Okada (2-1-0 = 6 points)
PAC (1-1-0 = 3 points)
Kevin Knight (1-1-0 = 3 points)
Speedball Mike Bailey (1-1-0 = 3 points)
Jack Perry (0-2-0 = 0 points)
Blue League:
Konosuke Takeshita (2-0-0 = 6 points)
Claudio Castagnoli (2-1-0 = 6 points)
Jon Moxley (1-2-0 = 3 points)
Orange Cassidy (1-1-0 = 3 points)
Mascara Dorada (1-1-0 = 3 points)
Roderick Strong (0-2-0 = 0 points)
And with that, let’s head to ringside!
Location: Cardiff, Wales
Venue: Utilita Arena
Commentators: Nigel McGuinness & Tony Schiavone
*We are (not quite) LIVE from Cardiff, as Winter is Coming: Collision gets underway. We get highlights of Joe vs Kingston from Wednesday, as well as Swerve & Hangman beating Hobbs & Shibata. Hangman says the Men’s World title is next for him and he’s coming for the champion at World’s End. That brings us back to ringside as Swerve Strickland makes his way out.
Swerve Strickland vs Josh Alexander
Alexander and Swerve lockup, with the crowd making some NOISE for Swerve. Josh shoves Swerve, they trade shoulder tackles and evade some of their trademark offense. Alexander gets dropped face first into the buckles and receives a pump kick to knock him down. Backbreaker from Swerve connects. Knee drop keeps Josh grounded, rolling neckbreakers, and Swerve gets Alexander tied up in the ropes for a rope-assisted neckbreaker. Alexander catches a kick attempt on the apron, deadlifts Swerve into a suplex and drops him forward on the announce table! Haha “Walking wanker” chants start up as we head to PIP.
*Seeing as I’m not watching on Triller, HELLO AD BREAKS! Amazon commercial where the boyfriend buys his gfs dad a vibrator? Wtf?
*Who’s this Babs lady for Wayfair?
*Pullups, and there’s a character called TURD? Oh my God.
*What on earth is Haha You Clowns? Never heard of it.
We’re back as Swerve and Alexander trade kicks and big boots. Swerve tries his rolling cutter but his leg gives out. Alexander hits a leg breaker and drops him on his back. Powerbomb countered into a sweet powerslam by Strickland! Swerve to the middle rope, hits the diving uppercut and the Griddy. Swerve gets caught on the top rope, so Alexander capitalizes with a body slam on the apron. He goes up top, Swerve meets him up there…Olympic Slam from the top! Cover, 1, 2, no.Half Nelson is blocked, Alexander looks for the ankle lock, rollup from Swerve gets 2. Alexander picks the ankle, misses a sliding lariat as Swerve gets another cover for 2. Alexander with a dragon screw, transitions into a single leg boston crab.
Strickland escapes, but again Alexander gets a stomp on the back of the leg, before climbing the buckles. Misses a knee drop! Swerve hits the rolling flatliner! HOUSE CALL! 1, 2, NO! Swerve carries on and hits Big Pressure for the 1, 2, 3.
Winner: Swerve Strickland
Time: 13:23
Rating: ***1/4 – Great work from Alexander targeting the leg, which is smart when we know Swerve is freshly back from knee surgery. Good stuff here.
*Swerve takes the mic post-match. He says that the last time he stepped in this country, he was AEW World champion. And he needs to get back to that point. He didn’t come here to face off against the Don Callis Family. He came back for the AEW World championship. Samoa Joe’s days are numbered. Swerve is the most dangerous man in AEW and he’s declaring himself the top contender for Joe’s title.
*We get a video package for the Trios match this coming week on Dynamite, pitting The Elite against the Don Callis Family.
*Toni Storm backstage says you can’t have a toast without the Timeless Love Bombs. Mina Shirakawa says chin up, tits out… and watch for the Love Bombs!
Sisters of Sin (w/ Thekla) vs Jamie Hayter & Kris Statlander
The Sisters attack Jamie and Kris from behind (with Thekla distracting on the ramp), gaining the early advantage. Jamie and Blue are left as the legal women in the ring, body slam, and a tag to Statlander. Kris body slams Jamie on top of Blue. Statlander catapults Blue into her own corner, tagging in Julia. Stat takes it to Hart, Hart knocks Jamie off the apron and hits the rope walk into a hurracanrana. Hayter tags in, big boot to Hart. Exploder connects! Back elbow, snap suplex, and Jamie covers for a 2 count. Clubbing blows to the chest, but Hart sweeps the legs. Leg trip STO followed by a standing moonsault gives Hart a 2 count as we go to PIP.
*Big bowl of Philadelphia cheese, sure, I’ll go for that I guess.
*Marco’s pizzas, any good? Looking decent.
*Golden Corral give the best holiday meal ever, apparently. SUS!
We’re back, with Statlander taking on Blue with uppercuts and running knees in the corner. Blue Thunder connects! 1, 2, NOOO. She goes for Staturday Night Fever but Blue rolls through. Rolling DDT gets 2 for Blue. Double team gourdbuster and a thrust kick from the Sisters of Sin, another 2 count. Julia clubs away at Statlander, looks for a hurracanrana but Statlander powerbombs her down, blind tag has been made though and Blue comes in for a Code Blue! Jamie breaks up the pin, lungblower from Hart takes Jamie down and now all four women are out.
All four trade blows on their knees, getting to their feet. Jawbreakers in stereo, Kris hits a sit-out powerbomb on Blue for 1, 2, no. Blue holds on to the leg of Kris, pushes her away, allowing the tag to be made to Hayter. Hart in, rope walk and she wrenches the arm over the ropes but Blue accidentally hits Julia. Release German by Hayrer, backbreaker to follow, and the Hayterade! 1, 2, 3!
Winners: Kris Statlander & Jamie Hayter
Time: 10:12
Rating: *** – Yeah no complaints here, good pacing from all four, and all looking like equals. Sisters of Sin continue to show synergy, with Jamie and Kris forming quite the formidable team too.
*We see Thekla watching from a box as she has eyes on the Women’s championship.
*Lexy Nair speaks to Jamie Hayter and Kris Statlander, and Jamie wants to speak to Kris. Kris knows that Jamie wants to do it, and they’re going to do it at World’s End. Jamie says she wants it so she’s going to TAKE it. Statlander says she’ll be ready. Jamie was fired up there!
*Oh boy HERE WE GO. Takeshita vs Claudio, MY BODY IS READY.
[Continental Classic – Blue League] Claudio Castagnoli [6] vs Konosuke Takeshita [6]
First time ever the CMLL World champion faces the IWGP champion, which is pretty cool. Tasty mat wrestling to start, Claudio backs Takeshita into the ropes and gives him a clean break, then locks in a side headlock. Backed into the ropes again, this time Takeshita chops the chest. Big boot connects, flying forearm from Takeshita knocks Claudio down. Mounted punches in the corner from Takeshita and they come face to face in the middle of the ring now. Big boot connects and Takeshita clotheslines Claudio to the floor. Takeshita dives off the apron, and Castagnoli catches him with a HUGE uppercut!
Running double stomp from Claudio connects! He brings Takeshita over to the ramp, tries a suplex but Takeshita reverses with a DDT. Takeshita takes a run up but gets caught with a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker! And we head to commercial, nooo I don’t want to miss a second!
*USAA membership wedding vows, how romantic.
*Sublocade to treat your opiod addiction. Wow, fair play, wouldn’t get adverts like that in the UK! Oh, ‘may cause coma’…
*Kraft Mac and Cheese is the best thing ever. IS IT?
*We still haven’t had The Pitt shown here, it sounds awesome.
We’re back as Takeshita works out of a tight sleeper, big boot connects, and a diving hurracanrana from the ropes! Takeshita nails a tope con hilo to the outside as we hit the 10 minute mark. Back in the ring, Takeshita hits the Blue Thunder Bomb for 2. Powerdrive knee is caught and Claudio grabs him straight into the Giant Swing. Sharpshooter locked in! Takeshita tries to get out, Castagnoli rolls into a crossface instead. European uppercut gets a 2 count. Claudio toys with Takeshita now, gently kicking his head and paintbrushing him. Takeshita to his feet as they trade blows. Claudio looks for the Neutralizer, Takeshita rolls through…lifts him right into the BASTARD DRIVER! Wheelbarrow deadlift German, my God. Hidden Blade to Claudio! 1, 2, NOOO.
Takeshita thinks about the Powerdrive knee again but runs into a pop-up uppercut! 1, 2, no. 5 minutes remain. SPRINGBOARD UPPERCUT from Castagnoli!! Neutralizer again countered, both men go down with clotheslines as this has royally kicked off! They rise to their feet, slugging it out slowly, exhausted. Takeshita gets the upper hand and they head to the apron now. Forearm shivers from Takeshita, Claudio battles back. Big boot from Takeshita, one from Castagnoli, and they hit big boots at the same time, knocking each other off the apron. More big boots traded on the floor! A series of boots from Takeshita, huge one from Claudio rebounding off the safety rail! One minute remaining as Takeshita rolls back in the ring with Claudio still down on the floor, makes it back in at 9. Runs into a big boot! 1, 2, NOOOO! Takeshita is livid. 30 seconds! Raging Fire, can’t get it…NEUTRALIZER! 1, 2, NOOO, Takeshita kicks out!! The bell rings! 20 minute draw!!
Winner: Time Limit Draw
Time: 20:00
Rating: ****1/4 – What a slugfest! Talk about Meat Madness. These two need a pay-per-view main event because that was epic and yet it still felt like they didn’t even go that deep into their arsenal. That final 5 minutes went nuts while still letting everything land, feeling impactful. Big, big fan of that.
*Claudio and Takeshita carry on fighting after the bell! YES! I’m loving this. They’re trading blows as the referees try to restrain them, but it’s not enough as they keep coming to blows,
*Lexy Nair is with Speedball Mike Bailey and Kevin Knight backstage, asking how they’re feeling. They knew this might be a possibility. Knight says Speedball brings out the best of him. Bailey says he’s coming off a big win and he needs 6 points. He warns Knight not to pull any punches, don’t hold anything back. It’s all out of respect. Yeah that’s cool, and that should be a banger match shortly.
*Tony Schiavone brings out the Babes of Wrath for their tag title celebration. Harley leads the crowd in a Babes of Wrath chant.
Willow says it means a lot. Last time she was in this building, she wrestled Harley Cameron. And however much she hit her, Cameron kept getting back up, and that’s why there’s no one she’d rather partner with. Cameron starts to talk about future opponents…but is interrupted by the Timeless Love Bombs,
Toni and Mina enter the ring to be serenaded by the fans. Sickos of Cardiff, lend her your ears. Toni and Mina may not have got the result they wanted but they gave them a fight to remember. Ohh but here comes the CEO Mercedes Mone!
Mone says there can’t be a championship celebration without the greatest champion in the company. Mina tells her to SHUT UP. Mone says all she sees in that ring is a bunch of losers. Have they forgot that Mone lead a team of winners at Blood & Guts. Toni wants to do this tonight.
Haha Mone says Wales isn’t even a real country. Harley says Mone isn’t good at geography or maths, because there’s 4 of them and only 1 of her.
Mone says she doesn’t need friends, but she will bring a team of killers this Wednesday in Manchester. Toni Storm says they will raise a glass and wax her arse! Challenge accepted!
*Ricochet is backstage with his National championship. 2026 is going to be even better to him than 2025. He’s entering the Dynamite Diamond Ring Battle Royale, and then he’ll go on to become Ricky Two Belts, which has a nice ring to it apparently.
*Mark Davis, Brody King, Anthony Bowens, Max Caster, and Shelton Benjamin all declare for the Battle Royale too.
[Continental Classic – Gold League] Kevin Knight [3] vs Speedball Mike Bailey [3]
JetSpeed collide! Handshake to get us underway as this will be purely competition. They both go for early pinfalls, Speedball tries to sweep the legs, Knight misses a clothesline and they come to a standoff. Nicely done. Arm drag from Knight, lovely flying version to follow up, and he goes to run the ropes but Bailey trips him up. They both evade crossbodies to the floor, with Bailey eventually hitting the triangle moonsault as we go to PIP commercial break.
*Cheez-Its make you come on to your gf’s dad I guess?
*Ferrero Rocher is now in a SQUARE bar. Breaking news.
*Oh man, the action is looking great, Bailey just hit a double knee drop to the gut.
We’re BACK! Knight hits a springboard lariat to the outside and springs back to his feet. The hang time on that! Back in the ring, he tries a DDT but Bailey shrugs him off. Flamingo Driver attempt is blocked, Bailey climbs the ropes and hits a hurracanrana. Tornado kick misses and Knight catches Bailey with a leaping hurracanrana off the middle rope. Leaping DDT gets 2. Bailey is in the center of the ring as Knight climbs the ropes, but Bailey is up and kicks Knight to the apron. Leg sweep, and now Bailey steps out to the apron…MOONSAULT DOUBLE KNEES connects! Bailey is back up top, pulling Knight up with him. Speedball knocks Knight back, but Knight leap to the top rope and hits a superplex, trapping the legs for a 2 count.
Spanish Fly! 1, 2, reversal, 1, 2, no. Dropkick to the FACE from Knight as both men go down. Springboard from Knight is interrupted by a spin kick from Bailey as we hit the 10 minute mark. Bailey and Knight lock eyes on opposite sides of the ring, and springboard in to collide with duelling crossbodies! Bailey is still down in the corner as knight comes in with a coast-to-coast! He’s back up top for the UFO splash but meets knees. Tornado kick! 1, 2, NO.
Thrust kick from Speedball, another tornado kick, and the Ultima Weapon misses! Cradle, 1, 2, no. Bailey tries the cross-arm trap pin but can’t get it this time. FLAMINGO DRIVER! 1, 2, 3!
Winner: Speedball Mike Bailey
Time: 12:56
Rating: ***3/4 – Rocking action from both men, as you’d surely expect. It was spottier than Bailey’s instant classic with Fletcher, but these guys went balls-to-the-walls in another engaging affair as this C2 doesn’t miss!
*Kyle Fletcher says he doesn’t care what people think of his match against Bailey. In Manchester, he faces the Bastard Pac (yes!!). He doesn’t care if Pac has the entire arena behind him, he will get his momentum back. Pac says he knows Fletcher very well, and his rise has been nothing short of remarkable. Pac is in awe of everything he’s achieved. But he doesn’t care how brilliant his matches are, he’s about to dip his toe into a very different pool. Pac will grind him down.
*It’s main event time here at Winter is Coming as Daniel Garcia makes his way to the ring for our TNT championship match.
[AEW TNT Championship] Mark Briscoe (c) vs Daniel Garcia (w/ Marina Shafir)
Nice scrappy start with Garcia slapping the head of Briscoe to rile him up. Briscoe backs him into the corner, and uppercuts him to the floor. Running dropkick through the ropes connects before Briscoe gets him back in the ring, but Garcia slaps on a quick sleeper on the apron and delivers a knee to the back, sending Briscoe off into the barricade. Redneck Kung-Fu, and Briscoe hits a tope con hilo. To the apron, Briscoe thinks about the Cactus Elbow but Marina Shafir provides the distraction, allowing Garcia to jump him from behind. Twist & Shout on the floor! We head to commercial with Briscoe down and out on the floor.
We’re back with the crowd loudly chanting and singing, presumably at Garcia’s expense. Flying forearm from Briscoe connects. Jabs from the TNT champion, throat thrust and an exploder connects, 1, 2, NO. Briscoe is thinking about the Jay Driller but Garcia puts the brakes on and delivers a back drop driver. Briscoe right back up, Death Valley Driver! Basement clothesline connects, Briscoe up top but Marina crotches him while the ref isn’t looking. But Bryce thinks something might be up! He’s eyeing her up. Meanwhile, Garcia climbs the buckles to rake the back of Briscoe. Superplex, and Garcia holds on, twisting the hips for the Super Three Amigos! But Briscoe rolls to his feet and hits a Fisherman’s Buster straight out of it!
Both men slowly get to their feet as we hear the three-way for the World title has been officially signed for World’s End, with Joe defending against both Swerve Strickland and Hangman Adam Page, with a contract signing due for this Wednesday. Briscoe and Garcia trade blows toe-to-toe. Open chops from Garcia, lariat from Briscoe takes him down! Marina gets caught on an attempt and gets ejected but here’s Wheeler Yuta for a low blow! Piledriver by Garcia, 1, 2, NOOO Briscoe kicks out! Garcia with hammer and anvil elbows, before trying a sharpshooter but Briscoe reverses. JAY DRILLER CONNECTS! 1, 2, 3.
Winner and STILL AEW TNT Champion: Mark Briscoe
Time: 14:18
Rating: ***1/4 – Not their very best encounter but a fun main event, even if it were a little reliant on the outside interference from Shafir and some added Yuta. Nonetheless, Briscoe overcame the odds as is his mantra, and gets to add another notch on his belt.
*The Conglomeration celebrate together in the ring as we go off the air.
Tonight’s show leaves us with the C2 standings as follows:
Gold League:
Kyle Fletcher (2-0-0 = 6 points)
Kazuchika Okada (2-1-0 = 6 points)
Speedball Mike Bailey (2-1-0 = 6 points)
PAC (1-1-0 = 3 points)
Kevin Knight (1-2-0 = 3 points)
Jack Perry (0-2-0 = 0 points)
Blue League:
Konosuke Takeshita (2-0-1 = 7 points)
Claudio Castagnoli (2-1-1 = 7 points)
Jon Moxley (1-2-0 = 3 points)
Orange Cassidy (1-1-0 = 3 points)
Mascara Dorada (1-1-0 = 3 points)
Roderick Strong (0-2-0 = 0 points)
