Sometimes momentum in sports and entertainment is overrated. In pro wrestling, it’s just the opposite: Momentum is almost everything. AEW is just a week removed from a card that had one of the most amazing three-match stretches in recent history, so it would behoove the company to capitalize on that.
On top of that, AEW is about to lose some momentum next week once the NCAA men’s basketball tournament arrives on TBS and TNT. Collision will still take place, but it’s going to be on super late after hoops. With another pay-per-view only three weeks down the road, that makes tonight’s show even more important.
Let’s dive in and see how it plays out.
Ricochet vs. Katsuyori Shibata – International Championship Eliminator Tournament Match
On a list of “matches there’s no way would be taking place in 2025 if AEW wasn’t a thing,” this has to be right up near the top. A lot of that has to do with Shibata’s crazy injury/brush with death in 2017, granted. It’s certainly something for which to be thankful, and a fun mix of styles as well.
The crowd lets Ricochet hear it a bit, but he simply responds that “they don’t matter” and mocks Shibata by sitting cross-legged in front of him. That proves to be a mistake, not only because his slaps don’t phase Shibata but also because The Wrestler just stays a step ahead of him.
There are a couple moments where the timing between these two seems just a hair off, but the fans enjoy it nonetheless. With Orange Cassidy and “Speedball” Mike Bailey already into the four-way match next week on Dynamite, we need a heel to help balance things out, so it’s only right that Ricochet takes it thanks to a dirty, rope-aided pin.
Winner: Ricochet by pinfall
After a quick look at the tournament bracket, we go backstage to see Lance Archer and Brian Cage psyching up Mark Davis the way that big strong bad guys do: by beating up hapless good guy jobbers in a random hallway. Tale as old as time.
“Timeless” Toni Storm is done seeing the usual sights in Las Vegas and would love to collide with Megan Bayne. She invites everyone in or out of AEW to place their bets because everything is coming up Timeless.
Powerhouse Hobbs vs. Griff Garrison
AEW putting up the records of the wrestlers is even more interesting for guys like Garrison than it is for the top stars. Would you have guessed Griff was 42-39 while in the company? I assure you I would not.
He’s quick to take another ‘L,’ however, as the assistance from the other members of The Frat House proves completely ineffective, and a big powerslam puts Garrison away.
Winner: Powerhouse Hobbs by pinfall
A quick attempt by The Frat House to take Hobbs down with the numbers game is foiled by The Outrunners, and the three faces do some posing for the enjoyment of the fans.
Wow, everyone is mad at Bayne, with Thunder Rosa also taking umbrage with her recent actions. Calling Bayne out may prove to be a tactical error for Rosa, though, as Bayne roars through her backstage interview and lays out the former world champion.
Mark Davis vs. Mark Briscoe – International Championship Eliminator Tournament Match
Logic would suggest that Davis win this so the four-way on Wednesday is balanced between faces and heels. He’s also still only recently returned from injury, and could use this dub over Briscoe to legitimize him as a singles competitor a little more, especially since former tag team partner Kyle Fletcher has received a big bump in his own profile while Davis was out.
Briscoe has other ideas of course, ruling much of the early going and hitting the coolest spot of the match with a running blockbuster off the apron. He follows with a running elbow off the barricade, which the crowd loves.
The momentum runs out when his Jay Drilla attempt is reversed into a piledriver, and a brief but effective distraction from the Murder Machines allows Davis to get the three count with his jumping piledriver finisher.
Winner: Mark Davis by pinfall
Murder Machines vs. Four Jobbers
Lance Archer and Brian Cage must be big fans of the wrestling shows of my youth, because this is an utter squash reminiscent of those bygone days.
Winners: Murder Machines by (super quick) pinfall
The match was just a setup for what happens next, as Briscoe and Hobbs return to the ring area to take exception to the Murder Machines’ behavior tonight. Briscoe and Cage battle out a door that leads to either the concourse or outside, it’s not immediately clear.
A quick video package takes us through the end of the AEW Revolution main event (sadly the worst part of that otherwise spectacular show) and why Cope is getting another shot at Jon Moxley.
Whose house? Swerve’s house. Swerve Strickland gives props to Ricochet for his toughness while leaving the door open for another confrontation. Swerve has moved on to more important things anyway, and by that he means the AEW World Championship. He mentions how he won that particular prize at AEW Dynasty last year and will have a chance to do it again in three weeks. Before that is Cope’s rematch, and Swerve notes that even though Cope was a big help to him in the past, he has no problem mowing him down if the legend wins the title before Dynasty. As for Mox, Strickland says he once thought they were cut from the same cloth but knows now that isn’t the case. Just as he’s vowing it will be Dynasty Era part two, Moxley arrives dressed head to tow in black, assaulting Swerve with a crowbar before exiting the arena to cut a short but angry promo on Cope.
To the back we go, where Rosa says something that needs to be bleeped out to reinforce the idea she’s still going to head to the ring to face Bayne tonight.
Top Flight and Hologram vs. Shane Taylor Promotions (The Infantry and Lee Moriarty)
Before the bell can ring, Action Andretti and Lio Rush set up chairs to take in the action from the stage. Another interested observer, Harleygram, watches on a monitor backstage. The Beast Mortos also stops by and gives Harleygram an inquisitive look, one that sends the Spanish commentary team into a bit of a tizzy.
Meanwhile, yes, there’s a match going on in the ring, one that sees Hologram launch into a wild tope suicida. He seems to care not where that barricade is. The Martins wrap things up a moment later, staring down Andretti and Rush with purpose after the three count.
Winners: Top Flight and Hologram by pinfall
Megan Bayne vs. Thunder Rosa
Having a wrestler take a backstage beating ahead of a match as a justification for a loss is a time-honored tradition, and that appears to be what’s in store here as Bayne’s push shouldn’t come to a halt. Rosa is going to do all she can to suggest she’s going to spoil it, and she gets in plenty of offense to look strong. The announcers say this is the hardest Bayne has been pushed since arriving in AEW, and that’s probably true.
But Bayne’s power is her edge, and she shows it off with a Fate’s Descent on the stage. Rosa barely makes it back into the ring before the 10-count hits, only to run right into Fate’s Descent. Nigel McGuinness reminds us that was a victory over a former world champ.
Winner: Megan Bayne by pinfall
Unsatisfied after the victory, Bayne puts Rosa in an Argentine backbreaker, which brings Storm to the ring for a confrontation. The fans chant for Toni, but the Timeless one also gets a dose of Fate’s Descent. Luther comes to carry Storm out while Kris Statlander does the same for Rosa. Tough night for some of the company’s most popular women’s division stars.
FTR vs. Undisputed Kingdom’s Kyle O’Reilly and Roderick Strong
Rivals Adam Cole and Daniel Garcia have both joined the commentary desk for the main event, though at least the other announcers are between them. They exchange some quick barbs about who’s the better tag team before the action gets going, then continue to banter back and forth as blows and holds are exchanged in the ring.
FTR gets in some crafty double teaming even when it appears the ref should be wise to it. The Undisputed Kingdom duo is equally savvy, getting both of their opponents into submission hold until Dax the Ax can get free and save his partner with a diving headbutt.
A top rope bulldog looks like a potential match ender but O’Reilly is able to kick out. Strong foils a Shatter Machine attempt and now Undisputed Kingdom is rolling. Dax is the one to kick out just in time to keep the match going.
An FTR rally ends with a Shatter Machine, but their opponents are able to break up one pin and get a foot to the ropes on another. A “this is wrestling” chant starts up as the five-minutes-left announcement arrives.
We’ll go to an overrun if necessary, but it turns out it isn’t as FTR catches Strong with another Shatter Machine to finally bring this excellent encounter to a close.
Winners: FTR by pinfall
Both Cole and Garcia head to the ring to have a staredown, then a tense handshake. FTR snubs Undisputed Kingdom’s similar handshake offer and heads for the ramp to pose with Garcia and his gold as we fade to black for tonight.
When is AEW Collision on next week?
We’ll close out with a public service announcement: As noted at the top, Collision’s usual time slot next weekend will be taken by college basketball.
So when will Collision air? On Saturday, March 22, Collision will air at approximately 11 p.m. ET on TNT, or whenever the basketball games on that channel end. It’s also coast to coast at that time, so roughly 8 p.m. PT.
But wait, there’s more! As a bonus, there will also be an episode of AEW Collision on Sunday, March 23 at the same approximate start time: 11 p.m. ET/8 p.m. PT. Set your DVRs now if that’s too late for you.
