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AEW COLLISION TV REPORT
JANUARY 11, 2025
ATHENS, GA. AT AKINS FORD ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON TNT/MAX
REPORT BY BRIAN ZILEM, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuinness
Ring Announcers: Arkady Aura
[HOUR ONE]
Harley Cameron, Mariah May, The Learning Tree, FTR, and Cope promoted their matches in traditional Collision fashion.
-The Elton John “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” intro theme played.
(1) COPE vs. BIG BILL
Chris Jericho joined the commentary desk for the match. The match started with a collar elbow tie-up. Bil won the exchange and threw Cope against the turnbuckle. Bill chased Cope on the outside, and Cope tripped Bill and beat him from pillar to post. Bill recovered and dropped Cope on the commentary desk. The crowd chanted to Bill, “You still Suck”. Bill chopped Cope on the ring barricade and apron, and Bill picked up Cope and dropped his limb body on the barricade for good measure. [C]
After the break, Bill tries to pop Cope’s head like a pimple. Cope railed hit knees and a clothesline to the back of Bill’s head for a near fall. Cope ducked a clothesline and hit a Boss Man slam for a close near fall. Jericho distracted the official, and Bill removed a turnbuckle pad. Both men climbed to the top rope. Cope slammed Bill’s head on the exposed turnbuckle and went under Bill’s leg for a massive powerbomb for an awesome near fall. Cope went for a spear, but Bill leapfrogged him to dodge the move and hit Cope with a big boot for a near fall. Bill went for a choke slam, but Cope avoided it and hit an impaler DDT. Cope lined up for another spear hit, and Bill kicked out at two. In the match’s closing moments, Bill went for a choke slam. Cope tugged the arm of the official for leverage. When the official was turned around, Cope hit a low blow and another spear. Cope landed hammer and elbows, a kind to Jon Moxley. Cope locked in a rear naked choke to secure the victory via submission.
WINNER: Cope viva submission in 13:34
(Brian’s Thoughts: Excellent work from both men. I thought I was watching Bret Hart vs. Razor Ramon match from 1993. There was great storytelling throughout the match, and the finish was an excellent way to set up Cope’s pending match with Jon Moxley.)
-Post-match Rated FTR and the Learning Tree brawled afterward, and Schiavone confirmed all team members would be banned from ringside for the main event of Chris Jericho vs. Dax Harwood.
-A recap video of Kenny Omega’s return was shown this past Wednesday on AEW Dynamite.
-“Hangman” Page spoke about himself and his recent career happenings. “I work so hard in my wrestling career to protect my family from the kind of prying eyes to the kinds of intrusions that even a small amount of fame can bring,” he said. “And in one night, all that work was undone, and it nearly tore my family apart, and it didn’t tear my family apart; it broke me because for a long time. I was ashamed to come here every week, I was ashamed to stand in front of the world, and I was ashamed to look my wife and my son in the eyes after what I had allowed to happen to them. And I knew that after a while that, I had to make a decision.” He said he had to do something about it. He said he made sure Swerve Strickland didn’t hold the AEW World Title. He said he “spilled his brains in front of the world” last September.
He then shifted to Christopher Daniels. He said he understood what he was trying to say to him. “I humored you,” he said. “Maybe for too long because of who you were. When I met you 14 years ago, I was just a kid, and you were the first wrestler that I had met who had ever done anything, who told me that I could do it too. And last Saturday, you crossed a line when you laid hands on me. And for that, you will pay the price soon. Saturday on Collision in Cincinnati, at ‘Maximum Carnage,’ Christopher Daniels, I will see you in a Texas Death match. I came to understand this going into Cincinnati. I have decided who I would be, and I would wake up every morning, and I will make that same decision over and over again because I would rather injure and maim. I would rather tear every life on this Earth apart than be the man that I was last year. CD, you have made your bed. I will lay you down in it next Saturday.”
(Brian’s Thoughts: Hangman Page is the best character in AEW and isn’t even debatable. The depth and level of thought Hangman puts into his on-screen character is incredible. He always stays true to who he is and how he got to this extract point at a character.)
(2) PAC vs. KOMANDER (w/Alex Abrahantes)
Komander went for a monkey flip, but Pac landed on his feet. Komander landed the spacewalk on the top ropes and followed up with a crossbody for a near fall. Pac threw Komander outside onto the barricade. Pac nailed Komander in the ring’s corner with a great-looking pump kick for a near fall. Pac went after Abrahantes, and while his back was turned, Komander drilled him with a moonsault. Komander hit a mid-air cutter and spiked Pac with DDT for a near fall. Pac charged Komander, who countered with two super kicks and poisonrana. In the closing moments of the match, Komander went for 450 splash. Pac got his knees to Komander’s gut, which allowed Pac to lock in the Brutalaesier to secure the submission victory.
WINNER: Pac viva submission in 8:00
(Brian’s Thoughts: Pac’s ability to sell a DDT is something Jake the Snake would be proud of.)
Post-match, Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta joined Pac to jump Komander afterward, but The Outrunners came down for the save, and the match started immediately after.
(3) DEATH RIDERS (Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta) vs. THE OUTRUNNERS (Truth Magnum & Turbo Floyd)
WINNERS: Claudio Castagnoli & Wheeler Yuta in 11:42
-A hype video was shown for AEW Dynamite Maximum Carnage.
-Will Hobbs cut a promo. He said he took the initiative and stood up to Moxley. “I’ve been stabbed, I’ve been shot, there’s nothing you can do to me, and this Wednesday, I’m going to make you my bitch.”
(Brian’s Thoughts: A great week for Will Hobbs. AEW would never consider it, but why not give Hobbs a short run with the title?)
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[HOUR TWO]
(4) MARIAH MAY (c) vs. HARLEY CAMERON – Non Title Match
Cameron went for the quick roll-up and cradle. May gave Cameron a headbutt for her troubles. The crowd chanted, “Let’s go, Harley.” Cameron hit a Russian leg sweep and went for a cover but only got a one-count. May hit a shotgun dropkick for a near fall [C]
After the break, May throws Cameron down from the top rope and went for a cover, only for Cameron to kick it out at two. May went for the Storm Zero. Cameron countered and hit a sling blade. Cameron hit a neckbreaker and suplex for a near fall. May went for Storm Zero again, but Cameron countered with another roll-up for a near fall. In the match’s closing moments, May hit a knee and followed up with Storm Zero to secure the pinfall victory.
WINNER: Mariah May in 9:20
(Brian’s Thoughts: Another good showing from Cameron. I hope AEW will showcase her at AEW Grand Slam next month.)
-Christopher Daniels responded to Hangman. ”What you don’t seem to understand is I was never approaching you as an AEW official, even when I was still an EVP,” he said. “I was trying to be your friend. I’ve known you 15 years, and I saw you go through the worst year and a half of your life. I saw all of your friends desert you. I saw the fandom turn their back on you. And I wanted to be your friend. But every time I reached out, you responded with violence. And I don’t even care about getting punched. I’ve been knocked on my ass more than a thousand times in my life. You stood face to face and called me an old man. You asked me what I’ve done in professional wrestling. Yeah, that hurt. Apparently, it’s time for a history lesson. Adam, I’ll tell you what I’ve done. I’ve won championships. I’ve made it to 24 years. I’ve wrestled all around the world. And if a professional wrestling company mattered in the last 32 years, I wrestled there. I helped grow two professional wrestling companies from the ground up. I’m just a man who’s sick and tired of being disrespected. Maximum Carnage. Collision. Adam Page, you want Texas death? I’ve already shown you that I’m willing to shed my blood. I’ll show you this as well. Maybe I’ll add beating your ass.”
(Brian’s Thoughts: Good follow-up promo to Hangman’s promo from earlier night.)
(5) BRODY KING (W/Julia Hart) vs.TREVOR BLACKWELL
WINNER: Brody King in 1:28
(Brian’s Thoughts: If you’re going to do a squash match, Brody King is the guy you fed jobbers to.)
-Lexy Nair was backstage with Brody King. Cope interrupted the interview. Cope said,” I respect you and Buddy. You have the world at your feet.”
(Brian’s Thoughts: If that interaction isn’t a nod of confidence for King in 2025, I don’t know what is. )
(6) DANIEL GARCIA vs. KATSUYORI SHIBATA – TNT Title match
The commentary team said that Garcia got to the arena just in time. It sounds like this match was added at the last minute due to the weather conditions Georgia had throughout the weekend. Daddy Magic joined the commentary team for the match. Garcia and Shibata had a chop-off. Shibata fired rapid-fire chops and a dropkick in the corner. Shibata followed up with a butterfly suplex and got a near fall. [c]
After the break, Garcia landed ten punched from the top rope and followed up with a twist and shout neck breaker for a near fall. Both men exchanged suplexes, and Shibata hit a judo takedown. Both men stood up forehead to forehead and went into another chop battle. Garcia went for a roll-up for a near fall. Garcia went for the Dragon Tammer, and Shibata reversed the move into a figure-four. In the match’s closing moments, Shibata drilled Garcia with a chop to the face, and he slapped the taste out of his mouth. Out of nowhere, Garcia got the jackknife cover for the win and retained the TNT Title.
WINNER: Daniel Garcia in 11:25 to retain the TNT Title.
(7) CHRIS JERICHO (c) vs. DAX HARWOOD – Non-Title Match
WINNER: Chris Jericho in 15:24
(Brian’s Thoughts: The entire match was a disaster. Everything was overthought, and this was another situation where the AEW official was made to look like a complete doofus.)
-After the match, Rated FTR, Learning Tree, and the Outrunners brawled. Moxley took out Cope, and Hobbs made the save.
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