Join 411’s Live AEW Collision Coverage

 

Hello and welcome! It’s Theo Sambus checking in for tonight’s live coverage of AEW Collision, and if you were up for Wrestle Kingdom this morning, it’s likely been a long day for you! Chug down a Pepsi/Coca Cola/Caffeinated Beverage of Choice, and settle in for another wrasslin’ fix.

It’s another strong Saturday night card, with Daniel Garcia and Mark Briscoe going one on one again, this time for the TNT Championship. Briscoe killed it in 2024 so hopefully he gets the chance to start out 2025 on a high. Tag gold is equally up for grabs as Private Party defend against Lio Rush & Action Andretti, who have settled quite nicely into their new heel shtick. Not only that, we have the Learning Tree in 6-man action against Rated FTR (and yes, I’m going to physically cringe every time I type ‘Cope’), plus the Rock N’ Roll Express will be at the show live. Neat. Let’s do this.

 

Location: Charlotte, NC

Venue: Bojangles Coliseum

Commentators: Nigel McGuinness & Tony Schiavone

 

COLD OPEN PROMOS! Mark Briscoe is cranking up the violence and coming for that TNT title. Garcia says they’re making history tonight. He likes Mark Briscoe but everyone came to see a fight tonight. The Learning Tree says they’re giving FTR a grade…Keith says they’re gonna flunk. Dax Harwood says Rated FTR make their debut on Collision against Jericho and the rest of the Learning Tree tonight. Cash says “Learning Tree? More like ugly tree.” Cope says it’s like they fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch.

ELTON JOHN IS BACK! We’re in business mode tonight!

 

[AEW TNT Championship] Daniel Garcia (c) vs Mark Briscoe

Daddy Magic has joined commentary for this one. Lockup, snapmare by Garcia, but he allows Briscoe back to his feet. Briscoe goes to basement slide out to Garcia, but Garcia dives back into the ring. Briscoe challenges him to meet him outside the ring, but Garcia holds his ground and welcomes Mark back in. They work to a quick stalemate, Garcia knocks Briscoe down and hooks Briscoe up for the surfboard knee stomp. Briscoe looks for the Jay Driller early, Danny counters but gets pushed into the ropes, and they create some space once again.

Garcia does the dance and Briscoe charges but gets sent to the floor. Briscoe again tells him to come fight him on the floor, but Garcia wants to do it in the ring, he doesn’t want to get into a brawl. Garcia holds the ropes open for him, but Briscoe says he ain’t his bitch, and he re-enters the ring on the other side, I like that. Chops by Briscoe, vertical suplex, just a 1 count. Twist & Shout by Garcia, and another, a third! Cover, 1, 2, no. Garcia sends Briscoe to the corner and goes for the mounted punches but gets slapped to the floor, and now Briscoe hits the basement dropkick. Briscoe follows up with the blockbuster off the apron as we head to PIP! Meanwhile, Briscoe stays in control, vertical suplex on the floor, and he goes back to the apron. CACTUS ELBOW! Garcia is sent back into the ring, sunset flip by Briscoe but Garcia rolls through and turns into a single leg Boston Crab.

They work back towards the apron, exchanging strikes, Briscoe goes for a suplex, neither man can get the advantage though…until they basically suplex each other, spilling to the outside and the floor below! They make it back in the ring, where Garcia tries for a piledriver but is cut off and met by Redneck Kung Fu. Backdrop driver by Garcia, Briscoe is right back up and nails a lariat, taking both men down.

Fisherman Buster connects, 1, 2, Garcia kicks out. Briscoe hooks the arms for the Jay Driller, can’t get it but a powerbomb does the job instead. 1, 2, no. Briscoe takes some right hands to the face but it has little effect. Back and forth strikes, chops, elbows, and Briscoe is backed into the corner. Shotgun dropkick by Garcia. 10 count mounted punches connect, followed by the piledriver. 1, 2, NO, Briscoe gets the arm up! Jay Driller attempt once more, again countered, this time into the Dragon Tamer. Garcia sits down on it but Briscoe is too close to the ropes. He takes Briscoe to the top rope, thinking superplex, but Mark punches out of it. 3 minutes remaining as Briscoe hits the Froggy Bow, 1, 2, no. JAY DRILLER CONNECTS! 1, 2, Garcia gets a foot on the ropes. Briscoe thinks about the Cut-throat driver as we get the 2 minute remaining call. Jackknife pinning hold from Garcia, 1, 2, 3.

Winner and STILL AEW TNT Champion: Daniel Garcia

Time: 18:14

Rating: ***1/2 – Very nice opener for the TNT-Max simulcast, and I liked them teasing the draw only for Garcia to lock it down with just under two minutes to go. They have chemistry in the ring, even if it didn’t quite tap into the emotion that some of Briscoe’s recent efforts have.

*Backstage, the Death Riders say Jay White is a marked man. Yuta starts getting angry but Moxley cuts him off. Moxley says his generation are representatives of this art form, as are FTR for the tag division. FTR crossed the line and created a whole new mess, bringing a friend along. Cope is an innovator, a legend, and all the gold to prove it. He defied the laws of nature to come back. In Mox’s world, survival comes at a cost. Moxley won’t stop them, but they will find nothing good down this road. Hell on Earth.

 

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Jeff Jarrett vs Aaron Solo

Solo attacks Jarrett from behind while Jarrett plays to the crowd during his entrance, and Solo even mocks the strut. Enziguri from Jarrett, leg whip against the ropes, and Jarrett shows him how the strut is really done. Back body drop connects, kitchen sink knee, and he hits the Stroke. One more time! 1, 2, 3.

Winner: Jeff Jarrett

Time: 1:31

Rating: N/R – A Jeff Jarrett squash match in 2025! “Bizarro World” etc etc.

*We see Action Andretti and Lio Rush WALKING backstage as they prepare for their World tag team title shot, coming up next.

 

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*Ricochet’s heinous attack on Swerve Strickland this past week on Dynamite is shown.

 

[AEW World Tag Team Championships] Private Party (c) vs Lio Rush & Action Andretti

Rush & Andretti have red spiky entrance gear tonight, making them look like Red Shells from Mario Kart. Lio and Zay start this out, but Zay targets Andretti on the apron first, and all four men brawl on the outside. Back in the ring, enziguri from Zay connects, followed by an assisted atomic drop and a double back body drop. We get a little Poetry in Motion attempt, but Andretti pulls Quen out of the ring before Zay can springboard off him. Suplex by Andretti and Rush into the ring apron on Quen. Another double suplex in the ring, Rush makes the cover but gets 2.

Andretti hits a running dropkick in the corner, cover for 2. Another double suplex connects as Rush tags in. Rollup by Zay after Rush and Andretti mess around with tags, 1, 2, no. Lio with a clothesline in the corner, quick tag to Andretti as they slow the pace down. Zay dives for the tag but Rush pulls Quen off the apron, and Andretti takes out Zay from behind. Zay tosses Andretti to the floor, hits a spinebuster on Rush, and Quen is back up on the apron. Zay makes the tag this time, and Quen hits a pump kick to Andretti. Enziguri to Rush in the corner, and he hits a DVD on top of Andretti, covers for 2. Zay goes for the Twist of Fate but Rush hits a cutter instead, and Andretti hits a Spanish Fly. Rush and Zay up top, and Rush/Andretti hit the Gin & Juice on the champions! 1, 2, no.

Top Flight appear in the crowd, throwing pieces of popcorn at Rush and Andretti. Lio and Action are on the top turnbuckle, but Private Party are up and goad them to come back down. Double clotheslines from everyone. Canonball of the apron by Zay, Andretti meets him with an Arabian Moonsault. Twist of Fate and the Shooting Star connect from Private Party, but Andretti breaks it up. Stunner to Rush, Andretti gets Zay on his shoulders, Zay to the apron and sunset flips in. Rush tries to hold Action for some leverage on a pin attempt, but the hands get kicked away. Zay gets the rollup for the 1, 2, 3.

Winners and STILL AEW World Tag Team Champions: Private Party

Time: 13:42

Rating: **1/2 – Pretty heatless in the early goings, and the crowd did not seem that into it. Some of the spots also just didn’t work, like Andretti and Rush being poised on the top rope and then being goaded to come back into the ring. Like, why? Couple that with a lacklustre closing stretch, and this didn’t meet expectations.

 

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*Lexy Nair is with COPE. Nair looks back at World End, asking why he targetted Moxley. Cope says they messed with his friends, and when that happens, they have a problem. Cope is an 11 time World champion, and it’s time to make it a dirty dozen. He will wear that title proudly around his waist. Chris Jericho rocks up and says let’s not forget the other World champion around here. Cope doesn’t know why he’s all fired up. They have a long history, and it’s been 15 years since they last faced each other. Jericho doesn’t remember any of that, he just remembers Cope getting hurt all the time. All Cope remembers is Jericho being an asshole. Jericho says as far as he is concerned, Cope is a Dope. Jericho’s proud of that one, saying ‘Sick burn’.

*The Casino Gauntlet match occurs this coming Wednesday, with the winner facing Jon Moxley for the title a week later at Maximum Carnage.

 

Toni Storm vs Deonna Purrazzo (w/ Taya Valkyrie)

They shake hands as Deonna appears to be going along with Storm’s amnesia deal. Monkey flip by Storm, both women bridge out of it and shake hands again, and Deonna slaps her this time. With the ref distracted, Taya grabs the hair to add insult to injury. Storm and Purrazzo fight on the outside now as Storm bounces the head of Deonna off the apron. She tries to return to the ring, Taya distracts her, allowing Purrazzo to come in out of nowhere with a basement dropkick, and a crossbody off the apron. Valkyrie continues to stomp on Storm while Deonna distracts the ref.

Back in the ring, a draping DDT from the middle rope connects, and Purrazzo covers for a 2 count. Back elbow by Purrazzo, playing to the crowd now before applying a chinlock. Storm gets back into it with a backbreaker and a Thesz press, followed by a Fisherman’s suplex with a bridge for 2. STF applied, Deonna is by the ropes though to break the hold. Purrazzo recuperates in the corner, Storm takes the chance to hit the hip attack. Storm is in position for the Storm Zero but Taya interrupts, allowing Purrazzo to hit a German and a pump kick. Fujiwara Armbar locked in, Storm reaches her foot back to touch the ropes. Headbutt and a pump kick, Storm hits a DDT for 2. Ripcord into a rollup, and Storm gets the 1, 2, 3.

Winner: Toni Storm

Time: 9:20

Rating: **3/4 – Crowd were still dead, but they worked hard to try and get them back into it. The trouble with Storm’ s character right now is that fans don’t necessarily know how to respond to her.

*Last Wednesday after Dynamite, Alex Marvez tries to speak to Hangman Page, but he’s already in conversation with Christopher Daniels. Daniels believes in him, thinks he could be World champion again, but Page doesn’t care about his belief. Page says what has Daniels given anyone in wrestling? Page sees an old man clinging on to a sport that left him behind a long time ago. If Daniels hadn’t already lost his mind, he would have hung it up years ago while he still had an ounce of dignity. Page walks off, but Daniels did not like that as he attacks Page from behind, delivering repeated headbutts! Daniels is busted open hardway. Daniels says he’s the fallen angel, dammit. Page says “Is that what you want? Oh you’ll get it.”

 

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*Backstage after Dynamite, Anthony Bowens doesn’t want to speak about what happened. Max Caster talks about being the best wrestler alive, and Bowens marches right up to him, mad at his reponse. Bowens says he got exactly what he deserved out there. Billy Gunn doesn’t even want to deal with this anymore, that’s why he’s not here. And Billy is the only reason Bowens hasn’t smacked him in the face. Caster thinks he’s the leader of the Acclaimed, but sure, keep listening to Billy.

*We get a brief promo from Don Callis and Konosuke Takeshita, celebrating the victory earlier today at Wrestle Kingdom, adding a new belt to their collection in the NEVER Openweight championship.

 

[$100,000 Reward – High Speed Collision 4-way] Brian Cage vs Komander vs Mortos vs Dante Martin

Everyone targets Mortos as the bell rings, before Martin and Komander go for Cage. Dante flips Komander into Cage, leaving us with Dante and Komander, and they both turn their attention to the outside, hitting stereo suicide dives to the other guys outside the ring. Quick pinfall attempts by Martin and Komander until Mortos breaks them up. Tilt-a-whirl headscissors from Komander sends Mortos to the floor once more, and Komander hits an impressive top rope springboard sky twister press. Swan dive by Martin follows up…and here comes Lio Rush from behind, sending Martin into the barricade! Rush and Andretti have seemingly taken him out. Brian Cage tells them to get the hell out of here, but the damage is done. Cage sends Martin into the barricade once more for good measure.

Pop-up Samoan drop to Komander! Cage with a pumphandle slam to Mortos, then drives shoulders into the midsection in the corner. Cage builds up steam with a series of strikes, then turns his attention back to Komander. Suplex on the apron, pump kick to Martin who has stirred. Slaps by Mortos, rising knee from Cage, and he gets Komander up in a military press, using one arm to press him down to the mat. Back suplex connects on Mortos, Martin is back in it to enziguri Cage. Mortos comes in with a headbutt to Cage and a neck crank. Komander avoids a snapmare and faceplants Mortos, SPRINGBOARD DESTROYER! He runs at Cage, who launches him in a free falling flapjack. Martin hits a release suplex on Komander. Mortos with the Destination Hellhole on Martin, and Cage gets his shit in with the middle rope suplex from the apron. Komander springboards into a tornado DDT on Cage and a poisonrana on Mortos. Komander goes for the destroyer again on Cage but Cage shrugs him off. F5 to Komander. Discus lariat on Martin by Cage, followed by the modified Gory Bomb for the 1, 2, 3.

Winner: Brian Cage

Time: 9:38

Rating: *** – This was always going to be a huge spotfest, and it delivered in spades. Komander looked smooth as butter tonight, those springboards were picture-perfect. Mindless action, but it was sure fun.

*FTR are backstage with the Rock N’ Roll Express. Dax says they’re so sorry they spike piledrivered Ricky on his head and almost paralyzed him, and they joke about it. The Outrunners show up! They’re here to collect the gas money from the 80s. Cash says they all need to bury the hatchet. Outrunners and Rock N Roll Express give the SUNAVABITCH HANDSHAKE! YESSS. Eleventy stars for that segment.

 

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The Learning Tree vs Rated FTR

Main event time, and our first two legal men are Jericho and Cope. Nope, he tags out to Keith. The Bad Apple is quickly taken down, and Cash flies in with a shoulder block for a 2 count. Bryan Keith tags in Big Bill, and Dax tags in too, aiming for the leg to chop Big Bill down to size. Dax grabs the leg and whips it around the ringpost before tagging in Cash Wheeler. Bill chokeslams Cash on top of Dax.

Jericho in for a series of clotheslines in the corner, before heading up top with Cash. He punches Cash 9 times (He is the NUEVE after all) and hits the hurracanrana. Bryan Keith back in, slapping on a chinlock, but gets sent into the ropes and powerslammed for his troubles. Tags to Cope and Jericho and now they come face to face. Jericho stretches out the hand and Cope shakes, and now they get into a chopping war. Flying forearm from Cope, flatliner and a reverse DDT. Cope is thinking Impaler DDT, Keith breaks it up though. Bill in, powerbomb to Dax! And he shoves Cash to the floor, with Cope sending him out afterwards. Cope with the Impaler on Jericho and he signals for the spear. CODEBREAKER TO COUNTER THE SPEAR. Alright, that was cool. Bill tags in, stomping Cope down in the corner. Jericho chokes him out while Bill distracts the ref, before Keith re-enters the fray and hotshots Cope throat-first into the bottom rope.

Cash in, taking on all comers. He tries to clobber Bill, but gets tossed to the apron. Back up top, crossbody connects and gets a 2 count. Tornado DDT from Cash on Bill for 2. Dax tags in and helps lift Bill to the top turnbuckle. Bill punches both men away, but they persevere. Powerplex connects, and Cope adds one final splash for good measure! They look for a Rated FTR Shatter Machine, Bill fights out of it and hits a Boss Man Slam on Dax. Jericho tags in but gets brainbustered, 1, 2, no. Dax gets a sharpshooter on Keith, and Jericho gets Cash in the Walls. Dax and Jericho get in each other’s face, and drop their respective holds to deliver slaps. Cope in to take Jericho out too. Spear to Bill on the apron, knocking him back. Cope to the top, crossbody to the floor! Wheeler with a suicide dive to Bill on the outside. We’re left with Jericho and Dax chopping away in the ring, lariat and a punch sends Jericho down. Dax up top, Keith clocks him with the ROH title though while the ref isn’t looking. Jericho covers, 1, 2, NO. Spear to Keith on the apron! Rollup, 1, 2, no. Lionsault misses, and he walks into the Shatter Machine. SPEAR. 1, 2, 3.

Winners: Rated FTR

Time: 16:51

Rating: ***1/2 – FTR excel at these kinds of matches, and that’s no slight on any of the other competitors, but you can see their fingerprints on how it’s all put together. Bill looked tremendous too, doing the bulk of the work for his team. Plus, the Jericho/Cope sections were kept mercifully short and sweet. Smart piece of business here, and the ‘fun house show vibes’ were in full effect.

*Cope on the mic…but he gets interrupted by Moxley on the monitor. Moxley has the Rock N Roll Express tied up backstage! The Outrunners try to help but get taken out by Yuta and Shafir, and the Death Riders make a hasty retreat before Rated FTR can reach them.

That’s it, Collision is over and out for the night. Catch you all next week! And enjoy Wrestle Dynasty if you’re staying up – have a good one, peeps!