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AEW COLLISION REPORT
APRIL 12, 2025
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. AT THE MASSMUTUAL CENTER
AIRED LIVE ON TBS & MAX
REPORT BUY JOSHUA WHITE, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuinness
Ring Announcer: Arkady Aura
Attendance: WrestleTix reported that 2,601 tickets had been distributed as of showtime; the venue was set up for around 3,056 seats.
[HOUR ONE]
-Contrary to Dynamite, Collision started with theme music. Elton John gave introductions to Saturday Night before Tony Schiavone came in to hype the Owen Hart Tournament matches taking place this evening. Nigel joined in the rundown of matches we have in store tonight. They note that we’ll also hear from Toni Storm and Mercedes Mone.
-Schiavone brought up Pac’s injury from Dynamite and let us know that Moxley will be subbing in for Pac when they defend the titles against The Opps on Wednesday.
-FTR’s entrance music played as Nigel and Tony discussed the turn on Copeland that occurred at Dynasty. Dax and Cash made their way to the ring as they clips aired of Copeland getting stretchered out.
Dax and Cash were dressed in black (obviously going full heel). Tony Schiavone continued to be hyperbolic in his assessment of their actions.
Cash spoke first and said that the attack on Copeland was not an easy decision and was not premeditated. Cash accused Copeland of holding FTR down to advance his own career. The crowd booed as Cash said Copeland didn’t respect him.
The booing intensified when Dax took the microphone. Dax said the crowd should be thanking them for giving Copeland everything he wanted, at the expense of FTR. Dax bemoaned the four months they lost waiting around trying to help Copeland.
Dax invited Tony Schiavone into the ring “just to talk.” Schiavone headed to the ring against Nigel’s advice. Schiavone reiterated his complaints from Dynamite, this time to FTR’s face. Dax took exception when Schiavone mentioned his daughter.
FTR attacked Schiavone and set him up for a spike piledriver. Nigel threw off his headset and hopped into the ring to break it up. Daniel Garcia slid into the ring and from behind surprised FTR. Dax inadvertently knocked him down, apologized, and then they shared a three-way hug with Cash. Danny looked confused as everyone awaited an attack that enver came.
Garcia checked on Schiavone. Schiavone shakily went back to running down the Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament.
(White’s Take: Nice of the newly-turned heels not to throw all the blame on the fickle fans. They clearly explained their issues with Copeland with the necessary heel slant.)
-Toni Storm was backstage with Luther. “This tramp is still the champ.” Toni called out Megan Bayne before running down the entire field of competitors in the tournament one-by-one in rapid succession. There were some great one-liners in there that would warrant a rewatch.
- Megan Bayne: “Has so much thigh meat I thought I was being mugged on Thanksgiving.”
- Billie Starkz: “Milk-breathed, knobby-kneed little brat.”
- Harley Camera: “Call me Jim Henson, c’ause I’ll wear you on my wrst and make you sing ‘Rainbow Connection.’”
- Mercedes Money: “What an unfortunate nickname. I’ll drain your 401k and put you so deep in a recession you’ll have to drink my bathwater.”
- Kris Statlander: “My God! What a woman.”
- Jamie Hayter: “Take my advice: no money has ever been made by dressing like you’re in a different era.”
(White’s Take: This was great, classic Toni stuff. I replayed it to catch those lines. You’re welcome).
(1) JAMIE HAYTER vs. BILLIE STARKZ – Owen Hart Tournament Round One
-Jamie Hayter’s music played introducing Hayter. Schiavone reminded us that Hayer is a former champion.
-Billie Starkz came out second to her Blink 182 rip-off song. Schiavone highlighted Billie’s talent at such a young age before the bell rang at about 19 minutes into the hour.
Billie turned a handshake into an Irish whip and dropped Hayter with a. shoulder tackle. Billie knocked Hayter out of the ring and hit to opposite ropes. Billie went for the dive, but Hayter caught her in the ropes mid-dive.
Hayter ran Billie around the ring before throwing her into the timekeeper’s area. Hayter broke the count, allowing Billie to come back by smashing Hayter’s face into the barricade. Billie followed it up with a swanton off the barricade onto Hayter’s back.
Back in the ring, Billie went to the top rope but Hayter dodged her double stomp attempt. Hayter threw Billie into the corner and hit a spinebuster on the rebound. Hyter choked Billie in the corner with a boot and brought her out of the corner with a snap suplex
Billie tried to come back with some weak strikes, but Hayter hit back harder, knocking Billie to ringside and they went to commercial break about 23 minutes into the show. [c]
Back from break, Hayetr had Billie in a single leg crab. Billie escaped but continued to sell the leg. Billie came back with an enziguri followed by a bridging German suplex into the pin that got a two count.
The crowd came to life as Billie set Hayter up for a vertical suplex. Hayter blocked it with a knee, and went for a clothesline, but Billie countered it into a dragon suplex. Billie rolled through into an arm and head submission.
Hayer powered her way out of it and dropped Billie with a running knee. Hayter went for the pin but only got a two count. Hayer followed up with an ushigoroshi into a running grounded clothesline on Billie. Hayter went for another pin, but Billie kicked out at two.
The crowd was split as Hayter hammered Billie with forearms before setting up for the springboard Hayterade. Billie countered it into a backslide right into a neckbreaker across her knee. Billie went for the pin and got a two count.
Billie went to the top rope and delivered a picture-perfect swanton bomb. Billie hooked the leg but Hayter still kicked out at two. Billie seemed frustrated as the crowd was split.
Billie brought Hayer to the apron and set up for a piledriver. Hayter countered it with a headbutt to the jaw. Hayter then hoisted Billie up and suplexed her from the apron onto the floor. They both landed hard. We got a replay as both women were down and the ref started the 10 count.
A “this is awesome” chant started up as both women struggled to their feet on the outside. Hayter and Billie both slid into the ring just in time. They traded forearm shots in the center of the ring. Hayter got the better of the exchange with a thrust kick, followed by an anziguri, and then a backbreaker. Hayter lifted Billie straight out of the backbreaker and leveled her with the Hayterade clothesline.
Hayter pinned Billie for the win.
WINNER: Jamie Hayter in 19:00.
(White’s Take: A great opening match. Hard hitting throughout and expanding upon their previous encounter. Billie Starkz continues to impress at her young age, while Jamie Hayter advances in the tournament towards her rightful place towards the top of the card).
-The Death Riders appeared in a video where Claudio accepted Samoa Joe’s challenge, acknowledging the loss of Pac. Jon Moxley stepped in and cut a typical Moxley promo that was intense but most likely meaningless. The video ended with Wheeler Yuta making an annoying face as we went to commercial.[c]
(2) GATES OF AGONY (Toa Liona & Bishop Kahn) vs. UNNAMED LOCAL TALENT
We returned from break with Gates of Agony mid-entrance and a pair of unknown local talents awaiting their destruction in the ring.
Bishop Kahn started off with a big suplex before tagging in Toa, who repeatedly clotheslined the poor guy in the corner. Toa threw the other participant into the ring and ran through him with a giant pounce.
Toa tagged in Kahn and they immediately hit a double crucifix powerbomb on the first jobber right onto the other guy. Kahn pinned him and the squash ended.
WINNERS: Gates of Agony in about 2:00.
(White’s Take: Quick squash match to remind us Gates of Agony exist.)
-Lexy Nair tried to get a word with FTR as they were leaving the building. Coolhand Ange and Daddy Magic accosted FTR and told them to leave Daniel Garcia out of it. They yelled and cussed until FTR suggested a match with Garcia ringside.
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
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(3) BLAKE CHRISTIAN (w/Lee Johnson) vs. ANTHONY BOWENS (w/Billy Gunn)
-Blake Christian was on his way out as we returned to ringside in a black robe that says “Vanilla Baby.”
-Bowens entered to a decent crowd reaction and new music. Schiavone hyped him as the “Five Tool Player” and “Pride of Professional wrestling.” Billy Gunn lumbered uselessly behind him.
-They showed a quick replay of Bowens returning against Max Caster on the Dynasty preshow.
The bell rang at 8:45 and they started off with a short chain wrestling exchange. Bowens screamed that he’s the five tool player, earning a slap from Blake. Blake followed it up with a springboard dropkick to the back of the head.
Blake used his speed to stay ahead of Bowens briefly. Bowens came back, leaping over Blake and dropping him face first into the mat. Bowens went for the pin but Blake kicked out at two and we went to a double-box break [c].
Blake was in control back from the break. We got a replay of Lee Johnson distracting Bowens during the break. Bowens came back with a kick and a Famouser. He then lifted Blake up into a kind of reverse Olympic slam that Schiavone called The Grand Slam. Bowens went for the pin and Blake kicked out at two.
Blake came back with an eye rake before throwing Bowens to ringside. Blake dove from the apron through the ropes to hit a dive on Bowens on the adjacent side of the ring. Bowens came back with the spinning DDT off the rope and went for the pin. Lee Johnson snuck Blake’s foot onto the rope to break the count.
Bowens jawed with Lee briefly and Blake came back with a Spanish fly that got him a two count. Blake followed that up with the handspring corkscrew kick a la Ospreay. Blake went to the top rope and landed a 450 double foot stomp on Bowens. Blake went for the pin, but Bowens kicked out at two.
Blake nailed Bowens with a stunner and then went for a handspring move off the ropes that Bowens interrupted with a thrust kick out of the midair. On the outside, Billy Gunn dropped Lee Johnson. Bowens set up in the corner and delivered his new finisher: a running elbow called, I believe, the “Mollywop.”
WINNER: Anthony Bowens in 10:00.
(White’s Take: Good match to re-establish Bowens with some of his new moves. That said, Blake Christian was probably the more impressive competitor in the ring).
-Bowens grabbed the mic after the match to affirm that he’s the five tool player and pride of professional wrestling. He asked who’d be next to get Mollywopped by the five tool player.
Schiavone and Nigel ran down more upcoming matches before going to break. [c]
(4) MEGAN BAYNE (w/Penelope Ford) vs. LFK & KELLY MADDEN
Megan Bayne entered in full regalia accompanied by Penelope. Two random local competitors were waiting in the ring; at least these ones have names.
The bell rang and the match started right at the end of the hour.
[HOUR TWO]
Bayne bull rushed and beat Madden into the corner before dropping her with a one-leg dropkick. LFK came off the top rope, but Bayne easily caught her out of mid air and tossed her into the corner.
Bayne stacked both women in the corner and splashed them both. Bayne hit a powerslam on both before grabbing Madden and delivering Fate’s Descent (which Tony correctly called an F5). Bayne made the cover for the win.
WINNER: Megan Bayne in 2:00
After the match, Bayne held up her opponents and yelled, “bow down.”
-We got a brief hype video for the men’s side of the Owen Hart Tournament.
(5) KEVIN KNIGHT vs. A.R. FOX
Knight got a decent reaction upon his entrance for his fifth match in AEW. The bell rang five minutes after the hour with Fox and Knight trading rollups to start the match with a couple two counts.
Knight hit the standing twisting frog splash that Nigel identified as the UFO on Fox for a two count. Fox kept grunting loudly before dropping Knight on the apron. He followed it up with a double stomp onto the apron and a moonsault from the apron off the ring post to the floor as we went to a double box break [c].
Back from break, Knight delivered some strong European uppercuts and a high standing dropkick. Knight kicked Fox in the corner and then nailed him with a Sky High right into the pin, but Fox kicked out at two.
Knight attempted a rolling thunder into a DDT, but Fox blocked it. Knight went to the middle rope and Fox caught him with a Spanish fly off the middle rope and immediately returned to the top rope and hit a 450 splash. Fox went for the pin, but knight kicked out at two.
The fans chanted “this is awesome” and Knight delivered another great dropkick followed by a leaping hurricanrana from the mat to Fox on the turnbuckle. Knight then connected with the rolling DDT he tried earlier. Knight went to the apron as Fox struggled to his feet. Knight connected with the high flying springboard lariat and went for the pin and got the three count.
WINNER: Kevin Knight in 10:00
(White’s Take: Kevin Knight looked good yet again. Fox looked good as usual, even as he almost always gets in more offense than one would expect given his place on the card).
-We cut to the back as Gates of Agony clapped for the match before calling out the Hurt Syndicate for Wednesday. They “bite people?”
(5) FTR (Dax “The Ax” Harwood & Cash Wheeler) vs. “DADDY MAGIC” MATT MENARD & “COOLHAND” ANGELO PARKER (w/Daniel Garcia)
FTR came out to their normal entrance bathed in purple as Schiavone ran down their accolades. This may be the first time I’d ever heard Menard and Parker’s entrance music. Daniel Garcia entered last and stood near the announce table as the bell rang to start the match 17 minutes after the hour.
Cash immediately knocked Parker off the apron and beat him down at ringside before posing on the barricade. In the ring, Dax beat down Menard, who was immediately busted open and gushing blood from his forehead.
Dax continued to pummel the open wound on Menard’s head as Cash continued to beatdown Parker outside the ring. Eventually, Cash returned his corner.
Menard fired back with a flurry of punches in the corner, forcing Cash to come in and break it up. Parker came in and walked right into a Shatter Machine. FTR set Menard up for the spike piledriver and nailed him with it.
They didn’t go for the pin, instead opting to set up for and deliver a second spike piledriver. FTR set Menard up for a third one, but Garcia hopped on the apron and argued with them. Cash told Garcia he was right and mercifully pinned the bloody corpse of Menard.
WINNERS: FTR in 3:00
(White’s Take: Luckily FTR don’t need to change up their ring style much for their heel presentation. They’re just a little more vicious.)
Garcia argued with Dax and Cash after the match while tending to Menard. FTR baiedl out of the ring, only to come running back in to attack Garcia from behind. The beat Garcia down and then stick him with a spike piledriver. They immediately set Garcia up and nail him with a second one.
Schiavone called for help as FTR set Garcia up for a third one. Security finally hit the ring where Dax hit referee Mike Posey again. FTR ignored the security guards and went for the spike piledrive on Garcia again.
Adam Cole’s music blasted through the arena as Cole, Strong, and O’Reilly hit the ring, running off FTR. Cash mocked Garcia’s dance before we went to a commercial [c].
(7) ATHENA vs. HARLEY CAMERON – Owen Hart Tournament match
Back from break, Athena made her entrance for her match with Harley Cameron. Harley was out second. She stopped to admire the Owen Hart trophy before rolling into the ring the start that match roughly half-way through the second hour.
Athena used her strength to push Harley into the corner. Harley came back with a drop toe hold. Athena and Harley traded roll-ups for two counts and the crowd cheered at the stalemate.
Harley dodged an attack from Athena in the corner and then hit a kick to the head. He choked Athena on the apron with her leg and tried for a Gemran suplex on the apron. Athena dodged that move and dropped Cameron with a back suplex onto the apron. Athena followed it up with a German uplex off of the apron to the floor as we went to a double-box break [c].
Back from break, Athena has Harley locked into a bow and arrow hold. Harley slid out of it and into a pin for a two count. Harley then hit a Russian leg sweep btu then ran into a kick to the midsection from Athena. Athena followed it up with a kick to the face and went of the pin. Harley kicked out at two.
Athena lifted Harley up and hung her into the tree of woe while delivering kicks to the head. Athena charged in but Harley pulled herself up to dodge the kick and landed a kick of her own. Harley picked up momentum with a running lariat followed by an enziguri. She tied Athena up in the ropes an delivered a series of clubbing blows and finished with an axe kick ,knocking Athena to the mat.
Harley slowly climbed to the middle rope and went for a crossbody. Athena rolled through and deadlifted Harley up in an impressive show of strength. Athena worked her into position for a powerbomb, but Harley countered it into a hurricanrana.
Athena immediately caught her with a thrust kick and went for a springboard but Harley hit her with an anti-air forearm. Harley followed it up with a pumphandle back suplex and went for the pin, but Athena kicked out at two.
Harley set up for her Finishing Move but Athena cartwheeled out of it. Harley got a two count on a tilt-a-whirl rollup. Harley followed it up with the Sole Food. Harley then charged in but Athena caught her with a powerbomb. She held on and deadlifted Harley up for a second powerbomb.
Athena landed another kick before heading to the top rope. Athena came off of the top rope and connected with the O-Face. She covered Harley for the three count.
WINNER: Athena in 9:00
(Whites Take: An okay match that kind of showed why Harley wasn’t a good fit for this tournament, even as she continues to improve. Athena carried her to a decent match, but the winner was never in doubt).
-Schiavone ran down the men’s and women’s bracket of the Owen Tournament, hyping Brody King and Takeshita’s upcoming bout as we went to commercial break[c].
-Mercedes delivered a backstage promo addressing Athena. Mercedes said the best woman will win. And she’s the best woman. Short, sweet promo.
(8) KONOSUKE TAKESHITA vs. BRODY KING (w/Julia Hart) – Owen Hart Tournament match
They showed a clip of Takeshita beating Tanahashi in his last match in North America. Brody King entered with Julia Hart as they showed a clip of King beating Lance Archer.
The match started with 13 minutes left in the hour. Takeshita used his speed to dodge some offense, but King eventually caught him with a big chop. King followed it up with a back suplex.
King delivered a series of loud chops on Takehista in the corner before whipping him across the ring into the opposite corner. Takeshita managed to knock King onto the apron but then charged face first into a big boot. They fought out onto the apron, where King lifted Takeshita up and dropped him onto the apron with a big Death Valley Driver.
The crowd barked for Brody while Julia clapped. We even got a brief “Hounds of Hell” chant. On the outside of the ring, Brody sets up for a signature crossbody against the barricade, but Takeshita caught him charging in with a big knee to the face. Takeshita slid into the ring, hit the ropes and flipped out of the ring onto King at ringside as we go to break ten minutes before the hour. [c].
Both men were down back from break. We got a replay showing King hitting a huge superplex, leaving both men down as the crowd chanted “this is awesome.” Brody got to his feet first and hit Takeshita in the corner with the big cannonball.
Brody set Takeshita up for the Gonzo bomb, but he couldn’t quite get Takeshita up. They traded forearms in the middle of the ring and King got the better of Takeshita with some big chops. Takeshita suddenly got to his feet and connected with a big forearm that dropped Brody. Takeshita fell into the pin, but King kicked out at two.
Takeshita struggled to get King up but just managed to land a blue thunder bomb. King got back to his feet and ate a series of lariats before countering one and delivering a big lariat of his own. King went for the pin and got a two count.
King wasted no time in lifting Takeshita up into position for an inverted piledriver that Schiavone called “Dante’s Inferno.” King went straight for the pin, but Takeshita just barely kicked out at two.
Takeshita somehow got King up again and drove him down into the mat. He transferred directly into a huge German suplex. Julia looked concerned as Takeshita hit a big lariat that took King down to the mat.
King struggled to his knees. Takeshita lined him up and delivered a running knee. Brody was stunned so Takeshita hit a second one. Brody collapsed to the mat and Takeshita went for the pin, but Brody kicked out at two.
Takeshita lined King up again, this time lowering his knee pad, and delivered a third running knee to the face. He immediately set up and delivered a fourth running knee before falling into the pin and the win.
WINNER: Konosuke Takeshita in 13:00.
(White’s Take: A good, hard-hitting main event. Even though we all suspected Brody King was only in the tournament to lose, Takeshita looked great by managing to topple the big man.)
-Takeshita admired the Owen Hart trophy as Schiavone signed off, hyping the tournament matches coming up on Dynamite, Spring Break Thru edition.
FINAL THOUGHTS: This was a good episode of Collision featuring an assortment of good matches. That’s usually the case with Collision, but this week felt more consequential, thanks in part to the Owen Hart Tournament matches. Since these matches have actual stakes, it really adds to the investment in match outcomes. On top of that, we got some competent follow-up on the big FTR angle from Dynasty. And then we got like thirty seconds of Toni Storm, which is worth the whole two hours.
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