Both the men’s and women’s Owen Hart Foundation tournaments will continue on tonight’s live AEW Collision from Springfield, Massachussetts.
In the men’s tournament, former AEW International Champion Konosuke Takeshita will battle Brody King with the winner moving on to face Will Ospreay in the semfinals.
On the women’s side, reigning ROH Women’s World Champion Athena faces Harley Cameron with the winner facing Mercedes Mone this Wednesday on Dynamite.
In another tournament bout, former AEW Women’s World Champion Jamie Hayter will face Billie Starkz with the winner facing Kris Statlander.
After turning on Adam Copeland at Dynasty, FTR will be in attendance to explain their actions.
Following his return at Dynasty to take out Max Caster, Anthony Bowens will begin his singles run as he challenges former ROH World Champion Blake Christian.
After unsuccessfully dethroning AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm at Dynasty, Megan Bayne will look to climb the ladder again in singles action.
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Sir Elton John played us in for this edition of Collision from Springfield, Massachusetts. I heard a rumor that the Simpsons were in the cheap seats. Tony Schiavone & Nigel McGuinness were on the call, and after running down tonight’s card, Schiavone announced that PAC’s injury suffered on this past week’s Dynamite will not allow him to defend his Trios Title in the near future. This Wednesday on the Spring Break Thru episode of Dynamite, AEW World Champion Jon Moxley will take PAC’s place alongside the Death Riders as they defend the World Trios Championships against The Opps.
(Hopefully PAC’s injury won’t put him out for too long. Meanwhile, can Mox fit two titles in that briefcase?)
FTR Town Hall
FTR walked to the ring to boos as Tony Schiavone continued to chide their actions. Cash Wheeler said that what happened between them and Adam Copeland wasn’t premeditated, and that his relationship with Copeland predated his partnership with Dax Harwood. Wheeler said that all of Copeland’s actions showed that he didn’t care about FTR, Copeland only cared about himself. Copeland didn’t respect Wheeler as a man, and he had to pay for disrespecting FTR.
Harwood took the mic and said that he saw a sign in the crowd that said Why FTR, Why? Instead of asking why, the fans should be thanking FTR for giving Copeland the relevance he was begging for. He didn’t sell out because he didn’t make any money off of it, and he didn’t have to justify his actions to anybody because they were right. Harwood gave an explanation anyway, as FTR’s only direction for four months was to be Copeland’s new Edge-heads while he chased his dream of being a World Champion one more time.
Harwood said that, like every wrestler in Copeland’s position, he was too damn selfish. He understood that there were a lot of people that weren’t happy with them and turned their attention to Tony Schiavone at the desk. They brought Schiavone into the ring and asked him to repeat his comments from Dynamite, which Schiavone did. Harwood asked Schiavone to repeat his comments regarding his daughter, and Schiavone once again asked how Harwood’s daughter would feel about his actions.
Harwood grabbed Schiavone, and FTR set up a spike piledriver. This forced Nigel McGuinness to rise from his seat to cheers and get in the ring to save Schiavone. Harwood told McGuinness that he signed his death warrant. Daniel Garcia came to the ring to settle things down, but Harwood shoved him down without looking. In a shot mirroring their deception of Copeland, FTR offered hands to Daniel Garcia before helping him up and giving him a hug. FTR left, and Garcia checked on Schiavone at the commentary desk before McGuinness warned Schiavone never to put him in that position again.
(My god, what an opening segment. This felt straight out of the territories, as the bully wrestlers crossed a line and forced McGuinness to make the save. The Daniel Garcia angle is a great short-term point of intrigue as they have an established team as well. I cannot put this segment over enough, just fantastic work from everyone involved.)
AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm was backstage and talked about all of the remaining women in the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament before saying that she would be at Double or Nothing to watch the finals.
Owen Hart Foundation 2025 Women’s Tournament Quarter Final Match – Jamie Hayter defeated Billie Starkz
(A stellar showing from both women here as they kicked the in-ring portion of this show off with a bang. Starkz needs some polish, but she’s got an impressive moveset and went blow-for-blow with Hayter here in this hard-hitting matchup. Hayter vs. Statlander in the next round, batten down the hatches.)
The winner of this match will wrestle Kris Statlander in the semifinal.
After watching out for a lariat, Starkz pulled Hayter in on a handshake and drilled her with a spin kick. Hayter knocked Starkz out on a dive attempt and pinballed her around ringside before dumping her in the timekeeper position. Starkz booted Hayter before hitting a Swanton Bomb off the barricade to Hayter’s back. After some back-and-forth in the ring, Hayter scored a nearfall with a main event spinebuster.
After a commercial break, Hayter had Starkz in a single-leg crab. Starkz rolled Hayter into the buckles and caught Hayter with a rebound kick. Starkz hit a high-angle German suplex for a nearfall. Starkz ducked a Hayterade attempt and hit a half-and-half suplex before locking Hayter in A HOLD. Hayter hit the Ushigoroshi and a sliding lariat for a nearfall.
Starkz ducked the rebound Hayterade that beat her in their last match and hit a brainbuster over the knee for a nearfall. Starkz hit a Swanton Bomb for a nearfall, then brought Hayter to the apron. Hayter hit a headbutt before suplexing Starkz from the apron to the floor to a big reaction. Both women beat the countout and traded strikes before Hayter caught Starkz with a backbreaker and a Hayterade for the win.
Match Result: Jamie Hayter def. Billie Starkz
During this match, it was announced that next week’s Spring Break Thru Collision will be live on Thursday. I’ll have to check my schedule for that.
The Death Riders Weren’t Mourning
The Death Riders were backstage. Claudio Castagnoli said that they expected casualties in this war but never mourned them as duty only ends in death. They wouldn’t hide, and they would accept the challenge of The Opps as they did not concede territory. Castagnoli handed PAC’s Trios Title to Marina Shafir as Jon Moxley entered the frame.
Moxley called this a learning experience for a generation of punk play wrestlers who don’t show up to work. There’s glory on the front lines, and you have to put yourself on the front lines to get it. Samoa Joe and Katsuyori Shibata knew that, but what were they teaching Hook? It’s the biggest match of Hook’s life, but he didn’t have to worry, as chicks dug scars.
The Gates of Agony (Toa Liona & Bishop Kaun) defeated two locals
The Gates have been on a winning streak in ROH, and they handled their business quickly here, dumping one guy on the other for the double pin.
Match Result: The Gates of Agony def. two local competitors
Backstage, Lexy Nair tried to talk to FTR as they were leaving before Matt Menard & Angelo Parker cut her off. 2.0 weren’t going to allow FTR to trick Daniel Garcia the same way they tricked Adam Copeland. They challenged FTR to a match tonight, which FTR accepted. Wheeler told 2.0 to give them a taste.
Anthony Bowens (w/Billy Gunn) defeated Blake Christian (w/ Lee Johnson)
(An effective re-introduction of Bowens to the TV audience. He’s a confident talker, and he’s got a nice complement of moves. He should do well as a singles.)
This was a Bowens showcase that went through a commercial break. A Lee Johnson distraction at ringside allowed Christian to get the advantage during the commercial, but Bowens came right back with a jumping Fameasser and a spinout facebuster he calls the Grand Slam for a nearfall. Christian clawed at Bowens’ eyes before hitting a dive through the turnbuckle.
Bowens caught Christian with a twisting DDT in the ropes, but Johnson put Christian’s foot on the ropes to boos. Christian caught Bowens with a Spanish Fly and a handspring kick before scoring a nearfall with a 450 Stomp. Christian caught Bowens with a Stunner off of the ropes but spent time jawing at Billy Gunn before getting caught with a superkick. Billy Gunn took out Johnson before Bowens hit the Mollywop rolling forearm for the win.
Bowens took the mic after the match and said that it was time for him to level up. He called himself AEW’s five-tool player, with the five tools being power, athleticism, intelligence, the look, and the It Factor. He called himself the Pride of Professional Wrestling, and he didn’t need a trademark to prove himself. He asked who would be the next one to step up to the plate.
Match Result: Anthony Bowens def. Blake Christian
Handicap Match – Megan Bayne (w/Penelope Ford) defeated LMK & Kelly Madan
Bayne trucked these poor girls, hitting the Fate’s Descent on Madan on top of LMK and pinning them together. She must’ve watched that Gates of Agony match and gotten an idea. She picked both of them up by the hair and told them to bow down before slamming them down on the mat.
Match Result: Megan Bayne def. LMK & Kelly Madan
Kevin Knight defeated AR Fox
(Another showcase win for Knight on AEW TV. He’ll be off to compete in New Japan’s Best of the Super Juniors in a few weeks, as will Nick Wayne. You can feel Knight getting more confident on-screen with every appearance, and his dual AEW/New Japan contract will continue to get him the reps a budding talent like him needs.)
These two went to a ten-minute time limit draw on Ring of Honor TV in recent weeks and started off quickly here to avoid another draw. After a quick opening exchange left Knight on the apron, Fox rolled over the ropes to stomp Knight in the guts before hitting a post-assisted moonsault to Knight on the floor.
After the commercial, Knight caught Fox with a big dropkick before scoring a nearfall with the Sky High. Fox caught Knight on the ropes with a Lo Mein Pain before hitting a quick 450 Splash for a nearfall. Knight hit another big dropkick and a rolling DDT before hitting the big springboard lariat for the win.
Match Result: Kevin Knight def. AR Fox
The Gates of Agony were backstage, noting that they didn’t mind getting hurt. They called out The Hurt Syndicate and said that they broke people.
FTR defeated Matt Menard & Cool Hang Ang
(What a grand slam home run FTR have hit tonight. In about an hour, a tired act has become an act with energy and vigor. Tying together the threads with Daniel Garcia, Harwood’s issue with the referees, and the Undisputed Kingdom over the past few weeks is excellent television booking, and I applaud whoever put it all together over these past few months. If I had to have one negative about the scenario, it’s Daniel Garcia getting geeked out after a lackluster TNT Title run.)
Daniel Garcia came out to ringside as FTR got the jumpstart. Menard got bloody in the ring as Harwood pinballed him around the ring. Menard fired up with punches before Harwood dropped him with a lariat. Cool Hand Ang took a Shatter Machine, and Menard took the spike piledriver. They hit a second spike piledriver and set up for a third before Garcia talked them down. Harwood pinned Menard for the win.
FTR feigned leaving before stomping out Garcia as he was helping Menard up. They hit Garcia with a pair of spike piledrivers before security and referee Mike Posey came out to stop them. Harwood dropped another referee with a punch before setting up Garcia for a third spike piledriver. The Undisputed Kingdom came out to run off FTR and finally make sure they stayed away.
Match Result: FTR def. Matt Menard & Cool Hand Ang
Owen Hart Foundation 2025 Women’s Tournament Quarter Final Match – Athena defeated Harley Cameron
(Athena gets the win here to give us the big Mercedes Mone match on Dynamite. Athena never felt in trouble in this match, but I would have made her look even more dominant here ahead of the Mone match. Harley Cameron is perfectly fine where she is and wouldn’t have lost a thing putting over Athena strong. I would’ve had Athena knock Cameron out with one of her big knockout forearms to set that up as a big nearfall. As far as the Mone match is concerned, I think it’s smart to have the match on Dynamite. I don’t think Athena is as over as the most hardcore of AEW fans think she is, so doing the match on Dynamite and having a great showing against Mone in Boston would be huge for her.)
The winner of this match will face Mercedes Mone in the semifinals on the Spring Break Thru Dynamite in Boston.
Cameron tied Athena up in the ropes, but Athena pulled Cameron into the turnbuckle. Athena dropped Cameron with a backbreaker on the apron, then hit a wheelbarrow German suplex on the floor to take control into the commercial break.
After the break, Cameron rolled out of a bow-and-arrow for a nearfall. Athena hit a series of kicks for a nearfall. Cameron avoided a kick while in the Tree of Woe and fired up on Athena. She hit a crossbody, but Athena rolled through with her before Cameron rolled her way through with a headscissors. Cameron caught Athena with a punch before hitting a side suplex for a nearfall. Cameron went for Her Finishing Move, but Athena cartwheeled out of it. Athena caught Cameron with a pair of powerbombs and a spin-out knee strike before hitting the O-Face for the win.
Match Result: Athena def. Harley Cameron
Mercedes Mone was in a pre-tape, as she apologized for skipping the “pathetic” Springfield. She had a dream when she came into AEW to hold all the gold, and the Mone Train was only two stops away from making it happen. Athena was only a speed bump, and the best woman would win on Dynamite.
Owen Hart Foundation 2025 Men’s Tournament Quarter Final Match – Konosuke Takeshita defeated Brody King (w/Julia Hart)
(What a freaking war, and what a freaking Collision this was. These two battered each other, with Takeshita eventually chopping down King and putting him away. Brody King can perform at a main event level, and I hope he gets more chances to as time goes on. Meanwhile, AEW is loading up Spring Break Thru, with Athena/Mone and an Ospreay/Takeshita rematch from the 2024 Revolution show. An excellent main event to a show I implore you to check out for yourself.)
The winner of this match will face Will Ospreay in the semifinals on the Spring Break Thru Dynamite this Wednesday.
We got footage of Takeshita beating Hiroshi Tanahashi at the New Japan Windy City Riot event last night in Tanahashi’s final match in the United States, and King beating Lance Archer on Dynamite a couple weeks ago.
Takeshita avoided chops as long as he could, but King brought him down with one early to barks from the crowd. The two men traded strikes before they ended up on the apron, where King dropped Takeshita with a Death Valley Driver. King lined up for the crossbody to the barricade, but Takeshita drilled him with a jumping knee and hit a big dive as we went to a commercial break.
Both men were down as we came back from the break, as we saw footage of a big superplex from King. King scored with a cannonball in the corner for a nearfall. Takeshita tried fighting back with chops, but a big forearm dropped him to a knee. Takeshita came back with a forearm of his own, but King drilled Takeshita with more chops. Takeshita landed a big forearm and collapsed onto King for a nearfall.
Takeshita herked King up for a big Blue Thunder Bomb for a nearfall, but King wouldn’t fall after repeated lariats and dropped Takeshita with a lariat of his own. King hit Dante’s Inferno for another nearfall. Takeshita got King up for the Bastard Driver, then pulled him up and over for a wheelbarrow German suplex. Takeshita hit a monster lariat for a nearfall. Takeshita hit a pair of Powerdrive knees for a nearfall, then lowered the knee pad to hit another pair of Powerdrive knees for the win.
Match Result: Konosuke Takeshita def. Brody King
During this match, it was announced that Hangman Page vs. The Wildcard was set for Wednesday’s Dynamite as well. That show is loaded to the brim.
