AEW Collision Review - January 4, 2025

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

AEW TNT Champion Daniel Garcia def. Mark Briscoe

Briscoe beat Garcia during the Continental Classic, so it made sense for Briscoe to receive a shot at the AEW TNT Championship. Does that mean Kyle Fletcher will also get a title shot soon since he also beat Garcia recently? I hope so, and I wouldn't mind Garcia taking the title, either. Nevertheless, this was the good match you'd expect from these two with Briscoe having a strong showing before eating defeat.

Jeff Jarrett def. Aaron Solo

Jarrett announced his intentions on Wednesday's Dynamite to win the AEW World Championship this year, so this was the start of him working his way up the ladder. Solo was a perfectly fine enhancement talent for him to beat. It was a fairly standard squash with Jarrett going over decisively as he should have. Is Jarrett really going to be a featured player on AEW TV this year when so many others struggle to sniff television time?

AEW World Tag Team Champions Private Party def. Action Andretti and Lio Rush

Private Party were riding a wave of momentum when they won the belts from The Young Bucks back in October, but AEW has done very little with them since, so they've cooled off considerably. As a result, this had no heat. It was a nice match with a logical finish with Top Flight ensuring Rush and Andretti didn't cheat to win, but the execution didn't look great because the referee was right there when it happened.

Toni Storm def. Deonna Purrazzo

These two are obviously very familiar with each other and faced off just last year at Revolution for the AEW Women's World Championship, but with Storm acting as if she's new to AEW, she also acted as if this was their first time facing off. This was the well-wrestled match they're capable of and Storm's biggest challenge since returning. Storm won in the same fashion she's been winning most of her matches as of late.

Brian Cage def. Dante Martin, The Beast Mortos and ROH World Television Champion Komander in a $100,000 High Speed Collision 4-Way Match (Non-Title)

These random multi-man matches never serve any purpose unless there's something at stake, and while there technically was something at stake here, I can't imagine most viewers care about any of these guys winning fake money unless it leads to something (which it won't). It was a fun four-way from an in-ring standpoint and Lio Rush interfered to cost Martin the win and further that feud, but that's about it.

Rated FTR def. ROH World Champion "The Learning Tree" Chris Jericho, Big Bill and Bryan Keith

Cope coming back to face people like Jericho wasn't exactly what I wanted to see from him during this latest run. I enjoyed their feud 15 years ago, but that's the problem: It was 15 years ago. Cope pinning Jericho makes me worried that we'll get a singles match between them one of these days with Cope challenging Jericho for the ROH World Championship despite Cope seemingly having his sights set on Jon Moxley's AEW World Championship. It was an entertaining main event, but the post-match angle with The Death Riders abducting and kidnapping The Rock 'N' Roll Express was more goofy crap from Death Riders.

Overall Show

The first Collision of the new year (which was also being simulcast on Max) was a mixed bag. I appreciated all of the star power, but the main event won't be for everyone due to the focus being on Cope and Jericho, not to mention the stuff with Death Riders continues to be lame. The two title matches were somewhat notable despite the predictable outcomes, so it was a solid show on the whole.

SEE MORE: Collision Reviews