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AEW COLLISION – HITS & MISSES
JANUARY 18, 2025
CINCINNATI, OHIO
AIRED ON TNT
BY DAVID BRYANT, PWTORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Nigel McGuiness
– Hey! Welcome back to another edition of my AEW Collision Hits & Misses column — the best place to find the worst takes!
COLD OPEN — HIT
The show opened with Rated FTR, Powerhouse Hobbs, and the ghost of a bad idea from the 80s. Everyone, including Cope (a word that is only slightly more clever than DOGE), did a respectable job with the time they were given. Even the “80s guys” did as good of a job as one could have expected them to do given their gimmick looks like it was designed by the founder of the Village People.
This week’s cold open segment also featured a brief promo from Okada, and it was one of Okada’s better promos in AEW, which isn’t saying a lot, but it isn’t saying the least either.
“HANGMAN” ADAM PAGE VS. CHRISTOPHER DANIELS — MEGA-HIT
First, let me preface this review by saying that I am not a fan of senseless gimmick matches being thrust onto feuds that have not been primed for that specific gimmick. A couple of backstage promos leading all the way to a Texas Death Match in a state that is not Texas* is like turning on the car radio to discover the last person to drive your car had turned the volume all the way up to “holy sh—.”
Now, with that out of the way, I’m going to review this match in a vacuum, and in a vacuum, this was an excellent display of violence mixed with in-ring storytelling. In fact, this match was so good that AEW Collision is not worthy of broadcasting it because imho, it belonged on a Pay-Per=View. Also, if this really is Christopher Daniels’ final match, it should have been advertised as such. Daniels is a wrestling legend, especially among AEW’s most faithful fans.
(*While this state is indeed “not Texas,” it is a wonderful state, and Cincinnati, in particular, is a wonderful city that bustles by day and glows by night. If you ever happen to find yourself in Cincinnati and like drag shows, check out the intimate atmosphere at Bloom OTR. While you’re in that area of town, you might also want to check out Bar 901 at the Brittany. It is about a 10-minute walk from Bloom OTR, and you get to pass Washington Park on your way there. While this information may seem random, I’m including it because it is relevant to a wide swath of approximately 0.01% of my readers.)
TONI TALKS TO TONY — MEGA-HIT
Emerging talent, Toni Storm, joined one of her fellow Tonys in the ring to talk about Toni-time. Tony Schiavone, of the aforementioned Tonys (Tonies? Tony-es? I’m sticking with Tonys.), tried to remind Toni #1 that she has a long history in the company, but Tony #2 was unable to finish his thought because, as we all know, people stop talking when they are interrupted and never speak again.
Side Note: Kudos to Toni Storm for her commitment to this character and all of her character work. I enjoyed hearing her touch on her backstory, and I’m going to enjoy seeing this angle’s “twist” coming from a mile away.
Second Side Note: BTW, knowing a “twist” is coming is not a sign of bad storytelling, and it is certainly not a reason to remove that twist for the sake of replacing it with a random surprise. Randomness rarely makes for a good narrative, and surprises aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. (If someone told me they were taking me to Disney World, but took me to a snakepit instead, I would be surprised, but I would also be pissed and terrified.). Whatever AEW’s plans are for Storm’s new gimmick, I hope they see them through and are not deterred by fans making guesses on message boards.
THE HARM CONSORTIUM™ CUTS A PROMO — MINOR-HIT
Could we not do this?
Private Party just got the tag team titles, and they have so much potential. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the Pain Corporation™ winning the tag team titles, but as Kate McKinnon once said during the cold open of the March 7 2015 episode of Saturday Night Live, “It is not your time!”
LEE MORIARTY & SHAWN DEAN & CARLIE BRAVO VS. ADAM COLE & RODRICK STRONG & KYLE O’REILLY — IN-THE-MIDDLE
This happened, or at least I think it did. It’s hard to remember honestly, but I’m sure it was memorable.
SHANE TAYLOR RETURNS — HIT
Now THIS was exciting and memorable. I hope AEW uses Shane Taylor better this time around because he is one of my favorite promos and more than capable in the ring. (Still, part of me fears he’ll end up becoming the newest member of Injuries LLC™ in three months, but one can dream.)
ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…
Check out the latest episode of the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Post-show covering the latest episode of Dynamite: CLICK HERE (or search “wade Keller” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)
OSPREAY IS INTERVIEWED BY ALICIA ATOUT — HIT
Alicia Atout (who graciously took time away from filing a defamation lawsuit against Jeff Jarret) interviewed Will Ospreay (who graciously took time away from landing headfirst on dangerous things) about Kenny Omega.
My advice to Tony Khan, not that he reads this or cares, would be to present this feud in a way that casual fans can understand it. Omega and Ospreay have a long history together (both on and off Twitter), and it reads like a soap opera. So, don’t just tell us about their history in promos and videos — show us their history with in-ring segments and compelling promos aided by striking images and outside testimonials.
Showing is always more impactful than telling, and given this match is one of the biggest rematches professional wrestling has to offer, AEW cannot afford to miss this boat. Honestly, they cannot afford to miss any boat. Buying a ticket on the Titanic would leave them better off than where they are now, which is approximately at the bottom of the ocean.
BRIAN CAGE & LANCE ARCHER VS. TOP FLIGHT — MISS
I’m higher on Brian Cage than many people, but I’m also high on Top Flight, and I don’t want to see them get beaten up by an unmasked version of Bane.
TOP FLIGHT SUFFERS A POST-MATCH BEATDOWN — MEGA-MISS
I don’t want to see them get beat up by two Super Mario Bros. villains either!
THE LEARNING FOREST IS INTERVIEWED BY LEXI NAIR — MINOR-HIT
I enjoy the living daylights out of Chris Jericho and his bottomless carpet bag of gimmicks (I know I’m in the vast minority, and I don’t care), but I STILL have no idea why this match is taking place.
Why is Jon Moxley teaming up with a comedy act?
Why is Chris Jericho teaming up with a psychopath?
Didn’t Jericho murder Mitch the Plant who was Moxley’s best friend, closest advisor, and a potted plant? (That is a real thing that actually happened: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKX7H8Feu6o)
DANIEL GARCIA & DADDY MAGIC CUT A PROMO, AND THE UNDISPUTED KINGDOM CUT AN INTERRUPTION — HIT
I will never tire of Daddy Magic’s promo skills. THIS is how you pay tribute to a bygone era. The Outrunners should take notes, and then remove everything they are wearing, burn their clothes in a ditch, smudge-stick their homes, and exorcise whatever demon forced them to take on that gimmick.
THE ACCLAIMED BREAKUP — HIT
I said I wanted more storytelling on AEW Collision, and this delivered.
NGL, I am disappointed to learn that Max “The Most Traitorous Wrestler Alive” Caster would turn his back on Anthony Bowens, who is a saint of a man who spent years of his life protecting Max “The Most Ungrateful Wrestler Alive” Caster by screaming the words “…have arrived!!!” so loudly that strangers in airports were too afraid to approach either one of them.
The Acclaimed is one of my favorite teams in AEW, and I wish this weren’t the end, even though I know that all good things have to come to an end. Still, I can’t help but feel like there is still a lot that can be done with Max “The Frat-iest Wrestler Alive” Caster and Anthony Bowens as a team, but if they must break up, I hope AEW portrays this storyline as a big deal. (I also hope Billy Gunn finally reveals the mathematical equation that has allowed him to remain 45 for 16 years.)
SWERVE STRICKLAND IS INTERVIEWED BY LEXI NAIR — HIT
The main thing I got out of this segment is that Swerve Strickland likes taking pictures with 50 Cent (the Britney Spears of rap) and hates taking pictures with Richocet (the Britney Spears of high-flyers).
OKADA VS TOMOHIRO ISHII — IN-THE-MIDDLE
This wasn’t bad, but that shouldn’t be the standard for an Okada match. Also, “f—ing moron” shouldn’t be the standard for an AEW referee, but here we are.
DUSTIN RHODES VS. ADAM PRIEST — MISS
This squash was as meaningless as a Wyatt Sicks promo.
I like Dustin Rhodes, but if you’re going to have him put on a match, have him put on a MATCH. He can still go, and his fans still want to see him go.
JULIA HART VS. HARLEY CAMERON — HIT
This was another good match for Harley Cameron, but it’s a shame no one backstage told her that her mascara missed her eyeballs. All kidding aside (no promises), Cameron is starting to catch on with AEW’s fanbase, and I hope they don’t squelch her chances by making her a lackey to Julia Hart. Don’t get me wrong, I would love for Cameron’s feud with Hart to continue, but I don’t want her to become the next Skye Blue.
I miss Skye Blue.
Side note: Speaking of missing people — I hope AEW can work out their differences with Britt Baker. As difficult as she may or may not be behind the scenes, she is so entertaining, and she has a group of Twitter fans who are fiercely loyal to her.
However, despite trying to remain hopeful, l realize that might not be a feasible possibility. On the Jan 17 2025 edition of the Wade Keller Hotline, Keller said, “People are wondering where is Britt Baker? She might be done with AEW. The feeling I’m getting from talking to people in AEW is Tony Khan might have her in the same category as some other wrestlers where they just don’t get phone calls and don’t get called in to show up.”
Keller continued to go into further detail about what he had heard regarding this delicate situation. His takes were nuanced, sincere, and genuinely insightful. PWTorch subscribers can listen to that particular hotline in its entirety here: https://vip.pwtorch.com/2025/01/17/vip-podcast-1-17-wkh-news-update-more-on-corey-graves-situation-brit-bakers-status-wwe-tna-formalize-partnership-raw-and-dynamite-viewership-nick-khan-interview-notes-corbin-weekend-previ/
BACKSTAGE OFFICIAL ASKS IF HORRIFICALLY INJURED WRESTLER IS OKAY — MINOR-HIT
The Learning Forest smashed Powerhouse Hobb’s knee with a baseball bat, and a person working backstage hurried over to ask if he was okay. Had he said, “Yes,” I would have been even more concerned than I already am.
TWELVE-MAN CLUSTERMATCH CROSSOVER FROM MY WORST MEMORIES OF DARK ELEVATION — MISS
About the match itself:
You know that feeling you get when you go to a three-ring circus and there is a different act in every ring? It is the feeling of trying to catch everything that is happening, but no matter where you look, you know you are missing out on something cool. That is what watching these clustermatches feel like. These huge multi-man matches are not special; they are not memorable, and they are rarely entertaining. Watching them is like watching a stage magician try to pass off his distractions as the climax of his act. It is like going to a local parade, and realizing that while it sounded good on paper, it is actually quite boring. It is like thinking it is a good idea to have five kids because you like the one you already have.
About Wheeler Yuta:
This match included the continued humiliation of Wheeler Yuta, and unless Yuta has a fetish we don’t know about, this needs to stop. We are fast approaching a point of no return in which, even if Yuta were to turn on his tormentors, Yuta will not and cannot be taken seriously because has not reacted to serious situations like a serious person.
About the “tension” between Jon Moxley and Chris Jericho:
Why did Jericho and Moxley get along as well as they did? I know there were a couple of misgivings, but I expected something humungous to happen. Jericho literally committed planticide against Moxley’s closest confidant which, again, and not to belabor the point, was a potted plant.
About Powerhouse Hobbs:
Powerhouse Hobbs’ return was bada—!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Looking back over this episode of AEW Collision, I wanted to mention one more “Hit” that didn’t quite fit anywhere else in my column. (Although, when has that ever stopped me before?) I wanted to talk about the “Hit” that was tonight’s venue.
Tonight’s venue was an unqualified success, IMO. If you can’t get 6,000 people to fill an arena for your show, then packing smaller, unique, high-quality venues like The Andrew J. Brady Music Center and The Hammerstein Ballroom are the next best option. I’d love to see AEW consider running other unique venues in the future. For example, they could run some of the famous, historic movie palaces like the 3,500-seat Auditorium Theater in Chicago, Ill., or they could run one-of-a-kind outdoor venues like the 2,500-seat Junior Seau Pier Amphitheater in Oceanside, Calif. with a stage that literally sits on the shoreline of the Pacific Ocean. The options are endless as long as they don’t include Mall of America.
As for the content of tonight’s show, I appreciated AEW adding more “storytelling” to this week’s Collision, but the non-death-match matches on this week’s episode were weaker than what I am used to seeing on AEW Collision. It is my sincere hope that AEW will eventually achieve homeostasis (not a homosexual subspecies) and find a perfect balance between storytelling and match-telling.
Death Match Grade: A-
Overall Match Grade: C+
Overall Storylines Grade: B+
SHOW GRADE: B
DAVID’S DODGY MATCH RECOMMENDATIONS:
- Match of the Night: “Hangman” Adam Page vs. Christopher Daniels
- Second Best Match: Julia Hart vs. Harley Cameron
- Third Best Match: Okada vs. Tomohiro Ishii
Thank you all for reading. I truly appreciate it. And as always, I’m still working on my sign-off, but until next week, remember, never give up. Never give up because life is too short to give up on the things you love, the people you love, and the places you love. Never give up because nothing worth having is easy to obtain, and never give up because everything is temporary if you give it enough time.
(David Bryant’s bathroom-selfies can be found on his Instagram account @IamDavidBryant, and David Bryant’s Threads account is threadbare and also located @IamDavidBryant because David Bryant sucks at usernames. David is a published author, circus artist, drag promoter, male pageant winner, unrenowned musician, sloppy figure skater, and the inventor of the world’s first vibrating tampon. Less impressively, David studied screenwriting at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.)
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