AEW Collision ‘Holiday Bash’ on TNT and HBO MAX today at 2:30 PM Eastern. This is part two of Collision as it was taped while AEW was in England on Wednesday.
Maxwell Jacob Friedman is officially back, and his return has instantly changed the landscape of the AEW World Championship scene.
During this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite, MJF re-emerged to cash in his Casino Gauntlet contract, inserting himself into the already high-stakes World Title match scheduled for Worlds End. The bout was originally set to feature reigning champion Samoa Joe defending against both Swerve Strickland and “Hangman” Adam Page, but MJF has now made it a four-way showdown.
Samoa Joe captured the AEW World Championship at Full Gear in November by defeating Page, aided by Hook’s involvement and Joe’s renewed alliance with The Opps. Strickland later returned to the picture, joining forces with Page as the two former rivals united against Joe and his allies. Their partnership was on full display at Dynamite: Winter Is Coming, where Page and Strickland fended off Joe’s Trios Championship partners, Katsuyori Shibata and Powerhouse Hobbs, before officially declaring their shared pursuit of the world title.
On Dynamite, Joe, Page, and Strickland met in the ring to sign the contract for their upcoming clash. While tensions were high, Page and Strickland stood shoulder to shoulder, warning Joe that he had underestimated them. Moments later, the arena went dark — and MJF’s music hit.
The former champion made his first AEW appearance in three months, having last been seen losing to Mark Briscoe in a brutal Tables n’ Tacks match at All Out in Toronto. MJF wasted no time reminding everyone why he was there, signing the Casino Gauntlet contract he earned by winning the match at All In back in July, officially adding his name to the Worlds End title bout.
MJF then addressed each of his future opponents, taking shots at Strickland with a controversial comparison and referencing his WWE past, while also making it clear that his goal was to humiliate Page and the two men he considers his biggest rivals.
There’s plenty of history between all four competitors. Page defeated MJF to retain the AEW World Championship at Forbidden Door in August, while Joe ended MJF’s first title reign at Worlds End 2023. Joe would later lose the championship to Strickland at Dynasty 2024, setting the stage for a deeply intertwined and volatile main event heading into this year’s Worlds End.
AEW will present its 3-hour ‘Holiday Bash’ special episode of AEW Dynamite & Collision tonight on TBS and HBO Max from the Co-Op Live in Manchester, England.
AEW/ROH talent Leila Grey has confirmed that her recent match on AEW Collision came with a serious setback behind the scenes.
Grey revealed on X that she suffered a torn ACL during her TBS Championship match against Mercedes Moné on the December 6 episode of the show. The injury reportedly happened when Grey delivered a knee strike in the corner. Immediately after the move, she could be seen grabbing her knee, and moments later Moné locked in the Statement Maker to secure the title retention.
While the finish now makes more sense in hindsight, what’s impressive is what Grey managed to accomplish after the injury. Despite dealing with the torn ACL, she went on to compete in the WBFF Pro Fitness event, where she finished first place — all while wearing a knee brace.
Grey also shared that surgery will be required, and she expects to be sidelined for a significant amount of time as she recovers. It’s an unfortunate development for the rising AEW star, especially after getting a high-profile championship opportunity, but her toughness and determination have clearly not gone unnoticed.
There’s no timetable yet for Grey’s return, but AEW fans will undoubtedly be wishing her a smooth surgery and a strong comeback when she’s cleared to get back in the ring.
AEW Collision ‘Winter is Coming’ today from the Utilita Arena in Cardiff, Whales airing coast-to-coast at 4:30pm ET on TNT and HBO Max.
AEW Collision live tonight on TNT and HBO Max from the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.
A bit more clarity has emerged regarding the odd finish to Shelton Benjamin’s match with “Speedball” Mike Bailey during Wednesday night’s special three-hour AEW Dynamite/Collision broadcast from Boston’s Agganis Arena.
The closing stretch left plenty of fans scratching their heads. Benjamin nailed Bailey with a sharp superkick and covered him, only for the referee to abruptly halt the count despite Bailey’s shoulders being flat on the mat. The match rolled on for a few more moments before Benjamin ultimately sealed the win with a German suplex, a knee strike, and another superkick.
Naturally, viewers wondered if Bailey might have been legitimately rocked on the first kick. However, Bryan Alvarez reported that the situation came down to nothing more than an in-ring miscommunication — and no one was hurt.
Per Alvarez, the planned finish was indeed a superkick, and Bailey sold it with a huge flip bump that looked picture-perfect. Benjamin, recognizing how strong the moment came off, called an audible on the fly to end the match right there. The issue? The referee never caught the cue and stopped the count because it didn’t match the layout they’d been given.
Alvarez emphasized that Bailey did nothing wrong and wasn’t injured in the exchange. The blame, if any, falls on the miscommunication between Benjamin and the referee. Once the count was halted, the wrestlers simply reverted to the original closing sequence.
In the end, everyone walked away fine — just another case of live TV wrestling unpredictability creating a bit of confusion in real time.
AEW Dynamite and Collision will air live tonight on TBS and HBO Max, beginning at 8:00 pm ET.
Tonight’s live 3-hour special, which is the go-home show for this Saturday’s Full Gear PPV, will take place from the Agganis Arena on the campus of Boston University in Boston, MA.
AEW Collision live tonight on TNT and HBO Max from the Erie Insurance Arena Erie, Pennsylvania.
It looks like things got a little tense behind the scenes at AEW Collision recently. Former WWE Superstar Tegan Nox, now competing under her pre-WWE name Nixon Newell, made her AEW debut on the October 25 episode of Collision alongside her real-life partner Miranda Alize. The duo confronted Anna Jay and Tay Melo (collectively known as TayJay), setting the stage for what looked to be a fun new women’s rivalry.
After teaming up the following week to face Megan Bayne and Marina Shafir, Newell and Alize were scheduled to meet TayJay in tag action on the November 8 edition of Collision. But when the show went live, fans instead saw TayJay take on Maya World and Hyan—a sudden change that immediately sparked speculation online.
According to a report from Mike Johnson of PWInsider, Newell and Alize actually walked out of the Collision taping less than an hour before showtime. The two were reportedly unhappy with the planned outcome of their match, which would’ve seen them lose to TayJay. Both women later took to social media to offer cryptic comments—Newell reminded fans that “not everything you read is true,” while Alize hinted they’d have more to say soon, sharing fan reactions on X (formerly Twitter).
A follow-up report from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select painted a fuller picture. Sources told Fightful that the walkout wasn’t just about losing—it was about how little time the match was given. The segment was reportedly only going to last around three minutes, which didn’t sit well with either woman. Alize was said to be the more outspoken of the two, but Newell also expressed frustration over the situation.
Backstage reaction within AEW was described as “shocked,” with many in the locker room surprised by how things unfolded. Several talents reportedly sympathized with Newell’s struggles since her WWE release, even advocating for her to get opportunities in AEW. Neither she nor Alize had signed contracts with the company, but both had supporters pushing for them to be featured more prominently.
Meanwhile, Maya World and Hyan earned high marks backstage for stepping in at the last minute and delivering under pressure. AEW sources reportedly praised both women for their professionalism and composure in what was clearly a chaotic situation.
At this point, it’s unclear if AEW has future plans for Nixon Newell or Miranda Alize following the walkout—but it’s safe to say their Collision debut didn’t go quite as planned.
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