Write Forever: A televised wrestling show happened on AEW Collision for January 11
I gotta tell ya, the preview for this episode of Collision did not grab me or excite me. Not that anything on the show sounds bad, just that there's nothing that really thrills me.
That said, those types of shows for AEW often end up being some of the most enjoyable so let's hope that this is the case for tonight's episode as well.
We've got Mariah May vs Harley Cameron, Cope vs Big Bill, Chris Jericho vs Dax Harwood, and The Outrunners vs Death Riders which should all be fine. Then we've got Daniel Garcia vs Katsuyori Shibata and PAC vs Komander which should both be exceedingly delightful.
It's been snowy and cold and wet all day here in the northeast so let's hope Collision and some leftover Chinese food can heat things up!
"Too much man" – T. Schiavone
Big Bill continues to shine in AEW and he was someone whose signing I truly did not understand. It felt like such an odd choice and I don't think he started out too hot, but once he was able to show some character he really turned a corner for me.
He's consistently fun to watch, by which I mean just showcasing his personality in matches. He does a lot of extra work and little things that are endearing, so even if he's not having Kenny Omega classics he's carving out his own niche.
The crowd went ballistic when he kicked out of Cope's spear which was sort of a big thing to give Bill – a way to make him look like a bit of a monster, forcing Cope to cheat and then hit a second spear to get the win. I still yearn for the days of the brief Big Bill & Brian Cage tag team, but maybe there's a future down the road where Bill, Cage, and Lance Archer can be a trio of differently sized monsters.
It's time for Death Riders to lose something
I've been very blah on the whole Death Riders thing. It was interesting and exciting at first. It was great seeing the use of the plastic bag to take Bryan Danielson out. I love that gruesome, old school shit.
But it's simply been more of the same week after week for far too long. Mox cuts a promo that's vaguely about something but really isn't. Most of their matches end with some sort of cheating or interference. Every segment they're in has to end with Death Riders standing tall even when it doesn't serve to help the segment.
It's boring.
Tonight, The Outrunners had a match against Claudio & Yuta and it was a match that could have easily gone to The Outrunners especially if you want to pin the loss on Yuta to further the disdain (which also goes nowhere) that Death Riders have for him.
Instead, we got a dirty finish (not cheating, though, so it's fine since it was a tag match) leading to yet another Death Riders win.
They've had barely any comeuppance since this whole thing began. Claudio lost to Komander in the C2 thanks to Darby Allin, but this was after Claudio beat Allin twice in a row when he should have lost at least one of those matches.
I can't imagine this thing keeps running with any type of steam if the plan is to put the title on Darby Allin at All In in July. It is just not interesting to be the toughest, smartest, strongest, most untouchable guys in the room every single week. Characters need to have some kind of weakness and humanity. That's missing with Death Riders and it's sucking the enjoyment out of almost everything they touch.
Wrapping Up
Komander looked good as hell against PAC tonight. Komander has been on a steady rise since first showing up in AEW, his matches getting better and better week over week. Tonight, he got the majority of the offense in against PAC and looked like a real contender until one slip-up opened him up to PAC's Brutalizer.
Let's just put all of our coins in the Komander bucket – find him some tag team partners and put the damn Trios Titles on them. It's time for Death Riders to take a loss that actually means something.
Brody King won a nothing back against Trevor Blackwell, and there are rumors (again) that Malakai Black is on his way out of AEW. I'll believe it when I see it, because this rumor has hit the mill more than a couple of times in the last year.
In a post-match promo, Brody was about to lament on the uncertainty of the House of Black when Cope appeared to give him a pep talk similar to the one Will Ospreay gave to Buddy Murphy Matthews on Dynamite. Cope told Brody that it was his time to take the reigns and run.
My dream scenario is that Tony Khan signs Violence Is Forever (Kevin Ku and Dominic Garrini) to place into a new group with Brody King and Julia Hart at the top of the food chain. Let Brody King become the king of violence in AEW in 2025 and put a singles title on that wonderful son of a bitch.
All in all, this did not end up being one of those episodes of Collision that felt underwhelming at first but ended up whelming me by the end. Chris Jericho vs Dax Harwood in the main event felt like a slog with two guys moving through mud and the ending felt so drawn out and possibly a little fucked up.
Just when the show looked like it was ending with another post-match brawl with Jon Moxley and Death Riders standing tall, Powerhouse Hobbs saved the day. He beat down Death Riders and then no-sold a chair shot from Mox, forcing Mox to scramble and run off in fear. Finally, something a little different!
So, a decent night of television wrestling but far from the best. Almost every match found itself in the bottom chunk of the Best AEW Matches of 2025 list with the exception of Garcia/Shibata and PAC/Komander.
Best AEW Matches of 2025
Don't see a match on the list? It's not because I didn't see the match, but because I didn't do a write-up for that show for whatever reason (timing, schedules, etc.). This list is as comprehensive as it can be.
I've also decided to omit squashes from the list since they're just going to crowd space at the bottom.
- Toni Storm vs Mariah May: Women's World Title (Revolution: March 9, 2025)
- Swerve Strickland vs Ricochet (Revolution: March 9, 2025)
- "Hangman" Adam Page vs Orange Cassidy (Dynamite: January 1, 2025)
- Swerve Strickland vs Ricochet (Dynamite: February 5, 2025)
- Daniel Garcia vs Mark Briscoe: TNT Title (Collision: January 4, 2025)
- Konosuke Takeshita vs Orange Cassidy: International Title (Dynamite: February 26, 2025)
- Mercedes Moné vs Momo Watanabe: TBS Title (Revolution: March 9, 2025)
- Will Ospreay vs Kyle Fletcher (Revolution: March 9, 2025)
- Toni Storm vs Megan Bayne: World Title (Dynasty: April 6, 2025)
- Mark Briscoe vs Kyle Fletcher (Dynasty: April 6, 2025)
- Will Ospreay vs Konosuke Takeshita (Dynamite: April 16, 2025)
- Kenny Omega vs Ricochet vs Mike Bailey: International Title (Dynasty: April 6, 2025)
- MJF vs "Hangman" Adam Page (Revolution: March 9, 2025)
- Mercedes Moné vs Athena (Dynamite: April 16, 2025)
- Death Riders vs Rated FTR: Trios Titles (Dynasty: April 6, 2025)
- Will Ospreay vs Kevin Knight (Dynasty: April 6, 2025)
- Mike Bailey & Kevin Knight vs The Young Bucks (Dynamite: April 23, 2025)
- Konosuke Takeshita vs Kenny Omega: International Title (Revolution: March 9, 2025)
- "Hangman" Adam Page vs Josh Alexander (Dynamite: April 16, 2025)
- Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, & Wheeler Yuta vs Samoa Joe, Katsuyori Shibata, & Powerhouse Hobbs: Trios Titles (Dynamite: April 16, 2025)
- Will Ospreay & Brody King vs Konosuke Takeshita & Josh Alexander (Dynamite: April 23, 2025)
- FTR vs Kyle O'Reilly & Roderick Strong (Collision: March 1, 2025)
- Rated FTR vs Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, & Wheeler Yuta (Dynamite: January 1, 2025)
- Roderick Strong vs Jay White vs Swerve Strickland (Dynamite: January 1, 2025)
- Toni Storm vs Kris Statlander vs Willow Nightingale (Dynamite: January 8, 2025)
- "Hangman" Adam Page vs Christopher Daniels: Texas Death Match (Collision: January 18, 2025)
- Toni Storm vs Queen Aminata (Dynamite: February 5, 2025)
- Jon Moxley vs Swerve Strickland: World Title (Dynasty: April 6, 2025)
- Kazuchika Okada vs Brody King: Continental Championship (Revolution: March 9, 2025)
- Mark Briscoe vs Ricochet (Dynamite: April 23, 2025)
- Orange Cassidy, Powerhouse Hobbs, Mark Briscoe, & Will Ospreay vs Bryan Keith, Mark Davis, Lance Archer, & Brian Cage (Dynamite: March 5, 2025)
- Private Party vs The Hurt Syndicate: Tag Team Titles (Dynamite: January 22, 2025)
- PAC vs Komander (Collision: January 11, 2025)
- Will Ospreay vs Buddy Matthews (Dynamite: January 8, 2025)
- Komander vs Nick Wayne: ROH TV Title (Collision: April 17, 2025)
- Toni Storm vs Deonna Purrazzo (Collision: January 4, 2025)
- Women's Casino Gauntlet (Dynamite: January 15, 2025)
- Hounds of Hell vs Konosuke Takeshita & Kyle Fletcher (Dynamite: February 5, 2025)
- Bryan Keith vs Will Ospreay (Dynamite: February 26, 2025)
- CRU & Nick Wayne vs Top Flight & AR Fox (Dynasty: April 6, 2025)
- Jon Moxley vs Powerhouse Hobbs: World Title (Dynamite: January 15, 2025)
- Swerve Strickland vs AR Fox (Dynamite: January 22, 2025)
- Daniel Garcia vs Adam Cole: TNT Title (Collision: March 1, 2025)
- Jamie Hayter vs Kris Statlander (Dynamite: April 23, 2025)
- Will Ospreay, Kevin Knight, Mike Bailey, & Mark Briscoe vs CRU, The Beast Mortos, & Ricochet (Dynamite: April 9, 2025)
- FTR vs Jon Moxley & Wheeler Yuta: Mid-South Street Fight (Collision: February 1, 2025)
- Jamie Hayter vs Julia Hart (Dynamite: January 22, 2025)
- Cope vs PAC (Dynamite: January 22, 2025)
- Jamie Hayter vs Julia Hart (Dynamite: January 1, 2025)
- Will Ospreay vs Mark Davis (Dynamite: February 5, 2025)
- Konosuke Takeshita & Josh Alexander vs Rocky Romero & Tomohiro Ishii (Collision: April 17, 2025)
- The Hurt Syndicate vs The Gates of Agony: Tag Team Titles (Dynamite: April 16, 2025)
- The Beast Mortos vs Mike Bailey (Dynamite: March 12, 2025)
- Toni Storm & Thunder Rosa vs Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford (Dynamite: March 26, 2025)
- Kazuchika Okada & Ricochet vs Brody King & Swerve Strickland (Dynamite: March 5, 2025)
- Brody King vs Kyle Fletcher (Dynamite: March 26, 2025)
- Lance Archer vs Kevin Knight (Collision: April 17, 2025)
- Rated FTR vs The Learning Tree (Collision: January 4, 2025)
- Private Party vs Lio Rush & Action Andretti: Tag Team Titles (Collision: January 4, 2025)
- Mercedes Moné & Harley Cameron vs Julia Hart & Kris Statlander (Collision: April 17, 2025)
- Daniel Garcia & FTR vs Undisputed Kingdom (Dynamite: February 26, 2025)
- Daniel Garcia vs Katsuyori Shibata: TNT Title (Collision: January 11, 2025)
- Daniel Garcia vs Kyle O'Reilly vs Lee Moriarty: TNT Title (Collision: February 1, 2025)
- Bandido & Powerhouse Hobbs vs Big Bill & Bryan Keith (Collision: March 1, 2025)
- Men's Casino Gauntlet Match (Dynamite: January 8, 2025)
- Cope vs Big Bill (Collision: January 11, 2025)
- Mariah May vs Harley Cameron (Collision: January 11, 2025)
- Will Ospreay & Kevin Knight vs Blake Christian & Lee Johnson (Dynamite: April 2, 2025)
- Samoa Joe & Hook vs Kip Sabian & Nick Wayne (Collision: February 1, 2025)
- Swerve Strickland vs Clark Connors (Collision: March 1, 2025)
- Kenny Omega vs Brian Cage (Dynamite: January 15, 2025)
- Hook vs Christian Cage (Dynamite: January 15, 2025)
- Julia Hart vs Queen Aminata (Collision: March 1, 2025)
- Daniel Garcia vs Lee Moriarty: TNT Title (Collision: March 8, 2025)
- Swerve Strickland & Willow Nightingale vs Jon Moxley & Marina Shafir (Dynamite: April 2, 2025)
- Brody King vs Lance Archer (Dynamite: April 2, 2025)
- Will Hobbs vs Mark Davis (Dynamite: March 26, 2025)
- The Outrunners vs Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta (Collision: January 11, 2025)
- Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly, & Roderick Strong vs Lee Moriarty & The Infantry (Collision: January 18, 2025)
- Julia Hart vs Harley Cameron (Collision: January 18, 2025)
- Rated FTR, The Outrunners, & Powerhouse Hobbs vs Death Riders & The Learning Tree (Collision: January 18, 2025)
- Cope vs Wheeler Yuta (Dynamite: March 5, 2025)
- Mark Davis vs Mark Briscoe (Collision: March 15, 2025)
- Chris Jericho vs Bandido: Mask vs ROH World Title (Dynasty: April 6, 2025)
- Hologram vs Dralistico (Collision: March 8, 2025)
- Mark Briscoe vs Konosuke Takeshita (Dynamite: March 26, 2025)
- Cash Wheeler vs PAC (Collision: April 5, 2025)
- Kris Statlander vs Thunder Rosa (Dynamite: April 9, 2025)
- Kenny Omega vs Blake Christian (Dynamite: March 26, 2025)
- The Hurt Syndicate vs The Outrunners: Tag Team Titles (Revolution: March 9, 2025)
- Max Caster vs RUSH (Collision: February 1, 2025)
- Bobby Lashley vs Mark Briscoe (Dynamite: January 8, 2025)
- Private Party & Mark Briscoe vs Shelton Benjamin, Bobby Lashley, & MVP (Dynamite: January 15, 2025)
- Serena Deeb vs Momo Watanabe (Collision: March 8, 2025)
- Orange Cassidy vs Hechicero (Dynamite: March 12, 2025)
- Mercedes Moné vs Julia Hart (Dynasty: April 6, 2025)
- Powerhouse Hobbs & Tomohiro Ishii vs Kyle Fletcher & Konosuke Takeshita (Collision: April 5, 2025)
- Adam Cole vs Claudio Castagnoli: TNT Title (Collision: April 17, 2025)
- Thunder Rosa & Kris Statlander vs Megan Bayne & Penelope Ford (Dynamite: March 5, 2025)
- Kazuchika Okada vs Tomohiro Ishii: Continental Championship (Collision: January 18, 2025)
- FTR vs Undisputed Kingdom (Collision: March 15, 2025)
- The Outrunners vs Premier Athletes (Collision: March 8, 2025)
- Adam Copeland vs Claudio Castagnoli (Dynamite: April 2, 2025)
- Ricochet vs Katsuyori Shibata (Collision: March 15, 2025)
- Top Flight vs CRU (Collision: April 5, 2025)
- Toni Storm vs Penelope Ford (Dynamite: April 2, 2025)
- Mike Bailey vs Dralistico (Collision: April 5, 2025)
- Samoa Joe & Hook vs Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta (Dynamite: April 9, 2025)
- Jon Moxley vs Adam Copeland: World Title (Revolution: March 9, 2025)
- Mercedes Moné & Harley Cameron vs Athena & Julia Hart (Collision: April 5, 2025)
- Jon Moxley vs Katsuyori Shibata (Dynamite: April 9, 2025)
- The Hurt Syndicate vs The Learning Tree: Tag Team Titles (Dynasty: April 6, 2025)
- Chris Jericho vs Dax Harwood (Collision: January 11, 2025)
- Thunder Rosa vs Megan Bayne (Collision: March 15, 2025)
- Wheeler Yuta vs Willie Mack (Collision: March 1, 2025)
- Top Flight & Hologram vs The Infantry & Lee Moriarty (Collision: March 15, 2025)
- Willow Nightingale vs Penelope Ford (Dynamite: March 12, 2025)
- The Acclaimed vs The Hurt Syndicate (Dynamite: January 1, 2025)
- Kyle O'Reilly & Roderick Strong vs The Infantry (Collision: March 8, 2025)
- Komander vs Dante Martin vs Brian Cage vs The Beast Mortos (Collision: January 4, 2025)
- Daniel Garcia vs Adam Cole: TNT Title (Dynasty: April 6, 2025)
- Murder Machines vs The Outrunners (Dynamite: February 26, 2025)
- The Outrunners vs Chris Jericho & Bryan Keith (Collision: February 1, 2025)
- Hologram & Powerhouse Hobbs vs Brian Cage & Dralistico (Dynamite: March 12, 2025)
- Taya Valkyrie vs Harley Cameron (Collision: February 1, 2025)
- Deonna Purrazzo vs Harley Cameron (Dynamite: February 26, 2025)
- Max Caster vs Konosuke Takeshita (Dynamite: March 12, 2025)
- Murder Machines vs Top Flight (Collision: January 18, 2025)
- Jeff Jarrett vs Aaron Solo (Collision: January 4, 2025)