It’s Saturday Night and it’s all right for fighting, so you know what that means?

No, not to fumble the global economy with tariffs. We can’t blame that on Tony Khan…or can we?

It’s time for All Elite Wrestling and this is the go-home show before the AEW Dynasty PPV.  We’ll see Daniel Garcia and Adam Cole sit down to talk ahead of the TNT title match, and Mercedes Moné and Harley Cameron will team up in the main event against ROH Women’s champion Athena and Julia Hart as a preview of the upcoming action in the Owen Hart Tournament.

We come to you ( taped) from the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, IL. Much to his chagrin, Tony Schiavone has the call along with Don Callis, and your First Match of the Night is between…

Kyle Fletcher and Konosuke Takeshita (with Don Callis) vs. Powerhouse Hobbs and Tomohiro Ishii (with Rocky Romero)

Right away, Ishii wants Takeshita and he obliges and we get some Strong Style wrestling to start the night. 

Then we get tags to Hobbs and Fletcher, and the Protostar pushes back but he isn’t ready for all this Meat from the Powerhouse.  He and Ishii have some double-team fun with Fletcher until he slams the Stone Pitbull to the mat.  He and Takeshita spend the duration of Picture in Picture making sure Ishii is a Stone Pitbull in Peril, and they cut the ring in half and keep him in their corner.  Ishii gets a desperation back suplex and crawls to his corner but Fletcher punches Hobbs to distract him.  As the ref deals with calming the Powerhouse down, the beatings continue with The Callis Family.  Ishii manages to hit with a vertical suplex to create space, and he gets the hot tag to Hobbs who is a Powerhouse en Fuego, and like Arby’s he has the Meats.

(That came out wrong somehow…or did it?)

Spinebuster to Takeshita and Hobbs tags back Ishii.  He and Fletcher jockey for position and the Stone Pitbull connects with a German suplex.  They send Hobbs out and give Ishii a double boot in the corner.  Takeshita and Fletcher set for a super powerbomb on the top turnbuckle and Ishii counters with an impressive huracanrana.  Hobbs and Ishii try to put down the Protostar to no avail, and the same is true with Takeshita.  Fletcher finally delivers the knockout with what Callis dubs a Proto Driver (piledriver) on Ishii and a sheer drop brainbuster gets the victory.

Your Winners via Pinfall:  Kyle Fletcher and Konosuke Takeshita

After the match, Fletcher yells into the camera that he will be victorious in the Owen Hart Tournament, and this is the headwind he needs to follow through.

There is a recap of this past AEW Dynamite main event, when Mox hit Willow Nightingale with a DDT, and Swerve Strickland stalked him and the aftermath.

Of course, you can watch below if ya missed out.

Now we get Action Andretti and Lio Rush backstage talking smack about Top Flight when they see Nick Wayne.  They roll up to him and wonder if he’s seen AR Fox.  Wayne says he hasn’t and Rush and Andretti ask if he’s considered helping them. Wayne declines because he feels like he’s too valuable to waste his time with their issue.  As he walks away Rush makes a snide comment of how “Daddy Cage” has him on a leash.  That fires up Wayne and he says he is his own man.  He tells the CRU that if he sees Fox, he’ll deal with him.

Max Caster is in the ring for the “Max-a-maniacs” (which is a whopping none of the crowd) to lead a chant in his name. The fans aren’t behind him despite his best efforts. Now he wants to see who can survive the Best Wrestler Alive Open Challenge. 

Careful what ya wish for, Maxy, since the next match is…

Max Caster vs. Mark Briscoe

The best sign in the crowd sums up this match better than anything I could write:  “Who can survive the best jobber alive?”

Ha!

In any case, faster than I could type out a Haiku, Briscoe gives him a taste of his Red Neck Kung Fu and Caster is getting laid out as a Jay Driller ends it.

Your Winner via Pinfall:  Mark Briscoe

Silly Platinum Caster.  Open Challenges aren’t for you, kid!

We get a vignette of some of the challengers in the Owen Hart Tournament, such as Will Ospreay and Kevin Knight, and I will stand by what I said in the Countdown to AEW Dynasty that this match will be the sleeper hit in Philadelphia tomorrow.

Lexy Nair is backstage with Jay White, and he is out of the tourney with a broken hand, courtesy of The Death Riders.  White is understandably salty as he says once again Will Ospreay avoids him. He’ll deal with him once he heals up, but the fact is he lays his injury at The Death Riders.  He’s angry, but thanks them for giving him the gift of time to plan and prepare his revenge.  White also says he’ll remind himself like he has with others that he is The Switchblade and he is a cut above the rest.

Let’s head back to the ring for our next tag team match between…

Top Flight (Dante and Darius Martin, with Leila Grey) vs. CRU (Action Andretti and Lio Rush)

Grey comes out and while the CRU is focused on her, Top Flight jump them from behind and it becomes a Pier Four brawl once the action finally heads into the squared circle.

Things finally settle once the ref gets it under control, and Dante and Darius take the CRU to the woodshed.  Bodies are flying in and out of the ring and during Picture in Picture, Rush and Andretti take control as they ground Darius from taking flight and put him in Peril, which leads to…

Ads (as I type this, I have a migraine that is splitting my skull more than wondering what the purpose of having Picture in Picture when this happens.  Thankfully, some Guinness will rectify that.)

We come back and Darius and Andretti are battling it out as they lay each other out with double clotheslines.  Darius gathers his wits, crawls to his corner, and gets the hot tag to Dante.  His flight is cleared to go En Fuego on Andretti and Rush and he gets some momentum until Rush hooks his heel and Andretti lands a cutter.  The match is bouncing around like a pinball game until Andretti catches Darius with a falcon arrow but Dante comes from behind and gets a crucifix pin for the win.

Your Winners via Pinfall:  Top Flight

After the match, Rush and Andretti dispute the win as they beat down the brothers until AR Fox comes to make the save.  That brings out Nick Wayne to settle the score, and he realizes it’s a good idea to be with the CRU after all.

Nair now has Jamie Hayter and Billie Starkz to talk up their first-round matchup in the Owen Hart Tournament.  Hayter gives props, especially after their match last week on Collision, and gives Starkz advice that she needs to watch out for Athena. For her part, Starkz is no shrinking violet and tells Hayter she will prove that at the Owen Hart Tournament.  Hayter likes the moxie on the kid, and we’ll see if that’s the same heading into next week.

Renee Paquette mediates what appears to be a pre-taped sitdown conversation with TNT Champion Daniel Garcia and Adam Cole, alongside their corner people in “Daddy Magic” Matt Menard and Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong, respectively. Cole gives props to Garcia but says he’s confused and has never beaten him straight up, and he is not ready to be a leader in this company.  He, on the other hand, has been a leader and held titles in whatever promotion he’s been in and he is perfectly prepared to lead once he claims the title. Garcia says he didn’t have to give him a shot, but he wanted to show he’s capable and…

Folks, can I pause here for a quick…

(Author’s Observation:  I’m not sure if it’s the migraine or the way he’s talking, but I swear Garcia cutting a promo is like listening to Randy Orton cut a promo except…worse.  Either way, watch and judge for yourself, and then get some ibuprofen.)

Let’s head back to the ring as your next match is…

PAC vs Cash Wheeler

PAC tells the Peoria fans they’re number one in his book, but what do you expect from a Bastard?  He tries to get under Wheeler’s skin and out-wrestles the FTR member.

PAC rams his head on the top turnbuckles but Wheeler gets a backslide for a two count.  A dropkick sends PAC out of the ring and now he is getting frustrated.  After a minute to cool down and rethink his strategy, he goes back in the ring and Wheeler gives him a hip toss.  He goes up for a high-risk maneuver but gets cut off at the pass, and as PAC knocks him down to the floor during Picture in Picture he adds more suffering to the tag team specialist.  The ref starts to count him out, but Wheeler gets back in and PAC grinds him to the mat with a headlock.  Pac tries a suplex and Wheeler counters to a splash for another count of two.

The Bastard continues to stretch him out and gives a snap suplex followed by a running European uppercut.  Wheeler tries to fight back but gets whipped hard into the corner. PAC rushes and gets sent out and Wheeler follows with a dive.  He throws him back in the ring and Wheeler nails a crossbody for a two count and then jabs away at PAC.  He runs the ropes and as PAC attempts a leapfrog he gets caught by Wheeler to a slam and he still can’t put away the Death Rider member.  He goes up top again for another splash and belly flops, and PAC takes advantage and goes for the Black Arrow, but Wheeler pops up and drills him with a superplex for a near-fall.

Both men go back and forth until Claudio Castagnoli makes his presence known, as does Wheeler Yuta, but so do Cope and Dax Harwood to make the save.  Amid the chaos, Harwood gets his bell rung (no pun intended) by Yuta with a ring hammer, and Wheeler gives him a piledriver for good measure.  Unfortunately, PAC being the Bastard he is sneaks up from behind to get a crucifix pin and the win.

Your Winner via Pinfall:  PAC

As the Death Riders head into the crowd triumphant, the team of Rated FTR looks all out of sorts in the ring.  Harwood is still feeling the effects of the hammer when Cope and Wheeler reach out their hands to pick him up.  Harwood takes it and all is well…for now.

Shane Taylor cuts a promo with the Infantry and they claim people feel like they can walk safely in AEW.  They wanna prove they are dangerous and they have the new team of The Opps in their sights. Rumble, bad men, rumble.

There’s also a sneak peek into the three-way match that will take place between “Speedball” Mike Bailey and Ricochet as they will face Kenny Omega for the AEW International title.

Speaking of which, Ricochet is out at commentary and to observe the next match of the night between…

“Speedball” Mike Bailey vs. Dralistico (with The Beast Mortos)

Ricochet is really channeling the Power of Douchenozzlery™ running down Bailey during the match. 

As for the match itself?  Look, this is not a diss on Bailey but it screams “Squash.” 

Therefore, because of the opponent involved, I think this is a good place for my patented Lucid Luchador Limerick in Review™:

*ahem*

Flipping and flying in the ring,

This is how “Speedball” Mike Bailey does his thing.

Dralistico attempts to grind the Speedball down, 

With Mortos on the outside contributing some brute force (how lowdown!).

But Bailey’s spin kick knocks out the luchador, and that surely must sting.

Your Winner via Pinfall:  “Speedball” Mike Bailey

After the match, while Bailey celebrates his win Ricochet leaves commentary and kicks him right in the…err, little Speedballs.  

Again, Ricochet is ratcheting up the Power of Douchenozzlery and I for one am down for this.

Nair now has Kris Statlander and Thunder Rosa and they talk about facing each other in the first round of the Owen Hart tournament. Rosa says no disrespect to Statlander, but she is confident she will go all the way in the tournament.  Statlander counters that she’ll be victorious and not drop the ball like she did when she held the AEW Women’s title. Things get heated and Rosa connects with a slap. Statlander smirks and looks forward to their match next week.

Now THAT is how you create interest!

Meanwhile, Harley Cameron and Mercedes Moné stretch out in preparation for their upcoming tag match.

That leads to a vignette on the AEW Women’s title match between Megan Bayne and “Timeless” Toni Storm.

I’ll give AEW credit.  They’re trying to drum up interest in this match.  I probably woulda been more invested if they spent more time on Bayne racking up wins and getting on the mic challenging Storm…but, hey.  What do I know?

That leads to the Main Event and it is between…

Mercedes Moné and Harley Cameron vs. Athena and Julia Hart

Before we begin, I think we need to have an…

(Author’s Rant:  Honestly, had this match been at the top of the hour, I would been okay with it. It wasn’t much to write home about, but whoever of the Booker Monkeys™ decided this needed to end the show should be reassigned or fired.  I’ll talk more about it in my Final Thoughts but for now, you can watch the match here if you are so inclined):

Now that you saw it, here is my new favorite thing to do in my Pro Wrestling Poetry repertoire, the Squared Circle Clerihew™:

*ahem*

The tag team match…what can I say?

While there was entertainment with Cameron and Moné

Against Hart and Athena,

This main event hardly makes me wanna get the PPV and just say, “Bye, Felicia.”

Your Winners via Pinfall:  Julia Hart and Athena

Hart and Athena stare down Moné as the show fades to black.

AEW Collision - 04/05/2025
2.5

Final Thoughts:

Had the Main Event ended strong with PAC/Wheeler, that would have generated more interest in getting the PPV.  The first hour and a half was great.  The only things that let the air out were the taped sitdown with Cole and Garcia which felt way too scripted, and the aforementioned tag match with Cameron and Moné/Athena and Hart that ended the show.

I wish to stress that this is not the fault of the wrestlers in my opinion.  I place the blame on whoever the Booker Monkeys™ are for not planning this AEW Collision better.

Either way, come back here for your AEW Dynasty coverage and we’ll see ya next Saturday!