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AEW COLLLISION REPORT – “SLAM DUNK SATURDAY” – EPISODE 85
MARCH 19, 2025
OMAHA, NEBRASKA AT LIBERTY FIRST CREDIT UNION ARENA
AIRED LIVE ON TNT AND MAX
REPORT BY BRIAN ZILEM PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Matt Menard, Nigel McGuinness
Ring Announcers: Arkady Aura
[HOUR ONE]
(1) DANIEL GARCIA vs. ADAM COLE – TNT Title Match
The match started right away, with both men already in the ring. Both men stared each other down, and Garcia did his dance pose. Cole dodged an attack from Garcia and did the Adam Cole Bay Bay pose. It was a stalemate early on, and neither man could gain the advantage. Garcia exploded with a shotgun dropkick and punched in the corner. Cole countered and pushed Garcia to the floor. Cole threw Garcia against the steel steps, where Garcia landed awkwardly on his right knee. Cole focused on working over Garcia’s injured knee. Cole lowered the Boom to the face of Garcia for a close near fall. While Garcia was against the turnbuckle ropes, Cole drilled him with a dropkick on Garcia’s bad knee. Cole went for a cover and got another near fall. [c]
After the break, Cole threw Garcia’s bad knee against the ringpost. Garcia attempted to fight back, but his bad knee prevented him from firing punches. Garcia found the energy to hit back to the back twist and shout neckbreakers. Garcia lined Cole against the ropes to hit a drapping twist and shout neckbreaker. Garcia went for a cover but got a close near fall. Cole picked up Garcia to hit a neckbreaker and got a near fall. Both men brawled on the outside. While Cole was positioned on a steel chair, Garcia grabbed a fan’s hand to fire up and hit a shotgun dropkick.
The announcer confirmed five minutes were remaining in the match. Cole hit Panama Sunrise and went for a cover, but Garcia grabbed the bottom rope before the official could count to three. Cole lined up for another Panama Sunrise, but Garcia rolled to the outside. Garcia hit his bad knee to get enough power to get Cole up for a sitting power driver for a close near fall. Cole recovered to hit another Panama Sunrise, went for a cover, and another got a near fall.
Garcia quickly recovered to put on Dragon Tamer, but Cole grabbed the ropes to break up the submission. The commentary team confirmed there was only one minute remaining. Both men brawled on the apron, and Cole won the battle by hitting another Panama Sunrise. Adam Cole dropped the knee pad to lower the boom, but Garcia held Cole’s knee to buy some time. Cole ran to lower the Boom, but in mid-step, the bell rang as the 20-minute time expired.
WINNER: Time limit draw in 20:00
(Brian’s Thoughts: This felt like a proper struggle in the best way. A match that wrestled with precision and purpose. The result had an excellent finish that set up a finale, most likely at the AEW Dynasty PPV. )
(2) HOOK vs. MAX CASTER
WINNER: Hook at 0:44
-Lexy Nair was backstage with Queen Aminata. Serena Deeb interpreted the interview to offer her help to Aminata, but she turned Deeb down.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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(3) JULIA HART vs. QUEEN AMINATA III
Both women made quick pinfall exchanges. The crowd had dueling chants for both women. Aminata suplexed Hart on the bottom turnbuckle and followed up with uranage on the apron. [c]
After the break, after tripping Aminata Hart, hit a standing moonsualt went for cover but only got a near fall. Hart charged Aminata, but Aminata reversed it into an Air Raid Crash. Aminata went for the pin attempt and got another close near fall. Both women brawled on the top rope. Hart won the exchange and went for the moonsault missed. Aminata quickly followed up with a headbutt and went for a cover again, but Hart kicked out at two. Aminata went for an Off with Her Head dropkick, but she missed, and Hart rolled Aminata up to secure the pinfall victory.
WINNER: Julia Hart at 7:14
(Brian’s Thoughts: Both women worked hard, but this felt like it was cut short of time due to the opener.)
-Lexy Nair was backstage with Harley Cameron, and she would be on commentary for Hologram vs. Komander match that takes place on Slam Dunk Sunday.
(4) THE DON CALLIS FAMILY (Brian Cage & Konosuke Takeshita & Lance Archer w/Don Callis) vs. POWERHOUSE HOBBS & THE CONGLOMERATION (Mark Briscoe & Rocky Romero)
Don Callis joined commentary for the match. Takeshita and Briscoe started the match. Hobbs got in the blind tag, and the match broke down as everyone brawled on the outside. Romero went for a dive to the outside but was caught up by Cage, who then, with the help of Takeshita, drilled Romero with an apron bomb. [c]
After the break, Takeshita and Romero exchanged forearms. Romero hit a tornado DDT and made the hot tag to Briscoe, who ran wild. The Murder Machines double-teamed Briscoe, and Takeshita followed up with a forearm. Takeshita went for a cover and got a near fall. Briscoe made the hot tag into Hobbs and ran wild. Hobbs and Cage squared off and the crowd chanted, “Meat! Meat!” The match broke down again. The Murder Machines hit a powerbomb on Romero, and Takeshita hit Ragging Fire to secure the pinfall victory for his team.
WINNERS: The Don Callis Family in 11:22
FINAL THOUGHT: With AEW getting a big lead-in due to the NCAA tournament, you would have liked them to load up the show with more big names; however, due to the weather complications AEW had to deal with this week in Omaha, we should allow them with a little grace. How well the first quarter hour does for this episode will be interesting.
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