AEW Collision: Homecoming Review - January 25, 2025

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Samoa Joe def. Nick Wayne

Joe's presence on AEW TV was desperately missed. The outcome was never in doubt here, but it was a solid showcase for Joe and Wayne scored enough offense for it not to be a total squash. It feels like Hook has been feuding with The Patriarchy for a decade, but I assume the feud won't be over at least until we get the inevitable six-man tag team match putting him, Joe and Katsuyori Shibata against The Patriarchy. Maybe after that we can finally move on.

AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada def. ROH World Television Champion Komander (Non-Title)

I don't understand the logic of putting the ROH World Television Champion on AEW TV and having him lose almost every match he's in if the idea is to encourage viewers to check out ROH TV. Needless to say, it's not working as Komander is still a stepping stone but with a meaningless belt. This was more competitive than it needed to be, but it was fine. This isn't a secret, but Okada should feel more special than he currently does. He felt like a big deal again coming out of Worlds End, but unsurprisingly, AEW failed to capitalize on the buzz he had.

The Undisputed Kingdom (Adam Cole, Kyle O'Reilly and Roderick Strong) def. AEW TNT Champion Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard and Angelo Parker

I get that Garcia, Menard and Parker got their start in AEW together at Daily's Place, but I see it as a significant step backward for Garcia to be teaming with them when he's the reigning AEW TNT Champion and they're still an enhancement team for the most part. Undisputed Kingdom aren't in that much better of a spot, however, as they feel colder as an act than they've ever been. Despite all of that, this was a nice match. I'm not sure what purpose this was supposed to serve other than potentially planting the seeds for a future championship clash between Garcia and Cole.

"Timeless" Toni Storm Returned After Being Slapped by AEW Women's World Champion Mariah May

Although I was hoping Storm had evolved beyond the need to bring back her Timeless persona upon her return to television, it made sense for her to eventually reveal that her "amnesia" act was all a ruse and the execution of the reveal here was excellent as the crowd reacted accordingly. All signs point to Storm regaining the gold in her Grand Slam rematch with May.

The Hounds of Hell (Brody King and Buddy Matthews) def. The Gates of Agony

In case you missed their vignette that aired on Wednesday's Dynamite, King, Matthews and Julia Hart will now be known as The Hounds of Hell as opposed to The House of Black following Malakai Black's apparent departure from the company. I'd rather see each of them do their own thing individually, but they work well together, nonetheless. This was a good match for the time given.

Yuka Sakazaki def. Deonna Purrazzo, Serena Deeb and Queen Aminata in an AEW TBS Championship No. 1 Contender's Four-Way Match

I believe this marked Deeb's first appearance on AEW TV since she came out wearing that "Nobody Cares" shirt for a match in early December, which played off what Britt Baker said about her a while ago. That rivalry never resumed, so take that for what it's worth. At any rate, this was a well-wrestled four-way. I thought Purrazzo might win because it was reported this week that she's frustrated with her spot at the moment, but it looks like she'll be feuding with Harley Cameron (who seems to have turned face) in the meantime instead. Sakazaki will challenge Merecedes Mone for the TBS title on Wednesday's Dynamite, and I imagine Cameron will get the shot in her native Australia at Grand Slam next month.

Big Bill and Powerhouse Hobbs Brawled

Hobbs attacked Bill in the parking lot earlier in the episode, so Bill called out Hobbs here. It was a little long, but on the whole, this was a fun brawl. I was worried Hobbs would disappear from programming after failing to beat Jon Moxley for the AEW World Championship, so I'm glad he's being kept busy in a mini feud with Bill. Plus, their match could end up being great.

AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita def. Katsuyori Shibata

Shibata wasn't a serious threat to the title here, but they had the quality contest you'd expect from them. Did Takeshita need interference from Don Callis to win? Absolutely not. Was this worthy of the main event spot? Not really, but they made the most of their time and it was refreshing to see the International title spotlighted for a change, especially since we likely won't be getting Takeshita vs. Kenny Omega until Revolution at the earliest.

Overall Show

Not only was this one of the better editions of Collision in recent weeks, it was also better than most editions of Dynamite I've seen so far this year. Perhaps it was the vibe at Daily's Place and it being such an intimate atmosphere, but this was an enjoyable episode. The stuff with Storm and May was by far the biggest storyline development of the night, but even the "filler" felt more worthwhile than usual.

SEE MORE: Collision Reviews