The Big Picture
AEW Collision on Saturday night delivered the final hard sell for Forbidden Door from the Rio Rancho Events Center in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. As the PWInsider report detailed, the promotion prioritized chaotic post-match brawls and booking missteps over clean athletic finishes, leaving fans with a mixed bag of build. Here is how the key moments rank from the final go-home show before the pay-per-view.
The Top 10 Moments
10. The Haircut Summit
The Demand and The Lethal Twist crossed paths backstage in a segment that felt completely out of place for a go-home show. Ricochet, Toa Liona, and Bishop Kaun ran into Jay Lethal, Blake Christian, and Lee Johnson, only to trade compliments about their haircuts. While Ricochet and Lethal agreeing to talk business off-camera adds a shred of intrigue, wasting valuable television time on styling banter before a major pay-per-view is a questionable booking decision. This segment ranks at the bottom because it did nothing to build anticipation for Forbidden Door. It was a bizarre filler that slowed the show's momentum.
9. Doyle's Squash of Priest
Jake Doyle of the Don Callis Family picked up a quick victory over Adam Priest in a singles match that existed purely to keep Doyle on television. Doyle dominated the action, showcasing his power before securing the pinfall in a brief encounter. While it keeps the Don Callis Family looking strong, squash matches on a pay-per-view go-home show often feel like lazy filler. This match failed to capture the audience's interest and ranks low because it lacked stakes. It was a predictable outcome that did not move any major storylines forward.
8. Bailey and Místico Ascend
Místico and "Speedball" Mike Bailey teamed up to defeat the Premier Athletes, Tony Nese and Ariya Daivari, in a fast-paced tag team encounter. The babyface duo wowed the Rio Rancho crowd with spectacular aerial maneuvers before Místico forced Nese to submit in the eighth minute. While Bailey's offense was crisp, the match felt like a exhibition showcase rather than a meaningful storyline beat. The Premier Athletes continue to exist solely to lose to higher-profile stars, rendering the victory somewhat hollow. Classic Collision filler. It sits at eighth because it was a fun athletic display but lacked long-term stakes.
7. Jericho's Broadcast Intimidation
Chris Jericho submitted JD Drake with the Walls of Jericho in a hard-hitting singles contest. The actual match was a standard television squash, but the post-match angle provided the real entertainment. Jericho forced Tony Schiavone into the ring, intimidating the veteran broadcaster into announcing that Jericho is superior to Tommaso Ciampa. This segment highlighted Jericho's obnoxious heel persona perfectly, though the bully-broadcaster trope is getting a bit tired. It ranks seventh because it advanced the Ciampa feud effectively while giving Jericho some easy heat.
6. Knight Retains the TNT Championship
Kevin Knight successfully defended his TNT Championship against Dezmond Xavier in the night's most athletic contest. Xavier nearly took the title after a spectacular dive to the outside and a high-risk sky twister press attempt. Knight capitalized on Xavier's missed press, hitting his signature Crash Landing slam to retain the gold at the 12-minute mark. This was a stellar workrate showcase, but it suffered from a lack of pre-match build. It ranks sixth because the in-ring action was superb, even if the stakes felt rushed.
5. Ospreay's Pre-Taped Warning
Will Ospreay delivered a sharp promo targeting Swerve Strickland ahead of their inevitable collision. Ospreay vowed to remove Strickland from his path and secure his own road to Wembley. The promo was short, focused, and delivered with the intensity that has made Ospreay a top draw. However, having Ospreay cut a pre-taped promo instead of appearing live in front of the New Mexico crowd felt like a missed opportunity. It ranks fifth because it kept the main event feud hot but lacked the energy of a live segment.
4. Moxley and the Death Riders Circle
Jon Moxley sent a chilling warning to Swerve Strickland, promising that the Death Riders are hunting the world champion. Moxley's gritty promo stood out on a show dominated by typical wrestling tropes, injecting a much-needed sense of danger. He made it clear that Strickland's reign is on borrowed time and that the Death Riders will take everything. This segment was excellent at building the main event's stakes and felt more urgent than Ospreay's promo. It earns the fourth spot because Moxley's intensity made the upcoming war feel real.
3. Persephone Retains Amidst CMLL Chaos
Persephone retained the CMLL Women's World Championship by defeating Billie Starkz in a highly competitive bout. The wrestling was top-tier, but the real story unfolded after the bell. Hikaru Shida blindsided Persephone, prompting Kris Statlander to rush the ring for the save. The segment quickly degenerated into a wild brawl as Queen Aminata and Harley Cameron joined the fray. This chaotic segment ranks third because it built multiple women's division storylines at once, although the post-match run-in is becoming an overused AEW cliche.
2. Maya World Strikes Mercedes Moné
Mercedes Moné and Athena defeated Maya World and Hyan in a star-studded tag team match. The finish saw Athena pin Hyan with a running O Face while Moné locked Maya World in the Statement Maker. The real highlight came after the match when Maya World blindsided Moné, laying out the TBS Champion to close the segment. This attack gave Maya World critical momentum heading into their Owen Hart Foundation tournament final. It ranks second because it was a perfect build for one of Forbidden Door's biggest matches.
1. The Opps Collide
The Conglomeration retained the AEW World Trios Championship against The Opps in a chaotic main event. As detailed in the Collision report, the turning point occurred when Anthony Bowens accidentally superkicked his own partner, Katsuyori Shibata, after Orange Cassidy ducked the move. Hook was visibly furious with Bowens, allowing Cassidy to hit the Orange Punch and secure the pin. This match was the best segment of the night because it delivered both great action and long-term storytelling. The cracks in The Opps are now wide open, making this the most impactful moment of the show.
Honorable Mentions
While the show was packed with action, some segments did not make the top ten cut. Ricochet and Jay Lethal's brief backstage interaction teased a future alliance but lacked immediate relevance. Additionally, Adam Priest's quick defeat to Jake Doyle was too short to register as a significant moment on the card. These segments served their purpose as filler but failed to elevate the overall show.
- The Lethal Twist standing by during the backstage segment.
- Adam Priest's brief showcase before the squash.
- The Demand's Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun backing up Ricochet.
