Whats happening wrestling fans?
Another month behind us, eh? Hard to believe we're 5 months into 2025 already. Where has the time gone? I certainly don't have the answer! I've been trying to figure that out myself!
Things haven't been the best lately here at Wrestling
Vault HQ, this wrestling reviewer has got a lot going on upstairs right now. Wrestling is my biggest escape and one
true love, aside from the people closest to me, but even then, it's hard
to sit down and focus on something when you don't want to focus on
anything at all. It's a constant struggle, but I'm making the right moves to come out of this better than I was before.
That said, I need to keep something
consistent in my life and I refused to let a week go by without posting
something. So, here it is, another one match review this week. But fear
not! It's a blisteringly good 15 minute war.
Wait, why I am I spoiling the match here?! Red on and find out more, ya greedy bastards!
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| AEW |
Weekly Roundup
Here's what I watched for the week;
• • • • •
Brody King vs. Josh Alexander - AEW Collision - 05/03/2025
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| Let's start a war. AEW |
I've made it no secret on here that I love Brody King. And no, it's not just because I got to meet the House of Black a couple years ago and they were cool dudes, I just think Brody is awesome! Moves with grace for a man his size, hits like a bear, knows what he's doing between the ropes and he's got a pretty sweet band to boot! If you haven't given God's Hate a listen yet, do yourself a favour and listen. Right now. Josh Alexander has gotten less time to shine on here but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy his work either. He had some fantastic matches during the tail end of his TNA run when I was dipping my toes in and out of the product last year, not to mention that he's from the great white north too! Whats not to love?!
I saw this match getting a lot of love on line since it aired and, with me no longer watching WWE anymore, I figured "why the hell not, let's see what AEW is getting up to on their weekly shows." I got caught up on a couple episodes of Dynamite and Collision recently so I just kept chugging along, with this episode of Collision next in line.
King and Alexander start this match with an immediate display of power from King. They tie up in the middle with Brody pushing Alexander against the ropes. The break and Alexander tries to pick the left leg of King early to soften it up for the ankle lock, but Brody barely budges. He looks down at Alexander like you'd look at your kid if they tried to do something like that to you, with Brody grabbing Alexander and hucking him across the ring like a bag of trash. Gonna take a lot more than that to get the big man to budge.
Alexander tried to put his wrestling skills to use again, tieing King up with a standing hammerlock as the big man fires off with a back elbow, grazing Alexander's head as he staggers back, rising up and ducking out of the way just in time as Brody fires off a massive mitt, trying to chop Alexander out of his boots. Alexander gets King in a wristlock after his waistlock is reversed, with Brody seizing on the opening Alexander inadvertently created to crack him with a chop, sending Alexander staggering back into the corner.
He fights out with european uppercuts and a chop of his own, trying to send King off into the corner but he stands firm, reversing and sending Alexander into the corner instead. Following close behind, Brody crushes Alexander with a volley of forearms and chops, dropping him to a seated position in the corner. He pulls Alexander out of the corner and drapes him across the top turnbuckle, spitting into his palm for good measure before cracking him with a chop to the chest that nearly caves in his ribcage before sending him tumbling to the apron.
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| Nasty business. AEW |
Brody joins Alexander on the apron and gets him up on his shoulders for a firemans carry, but Alexander slips out and back into the ring. A kick to Brody's leg drops him to his ass on the apron, with Alexander rebounding off the ropes to land a crossbody through the ropes to the back of Kin- wait! Brody catches Alexander on his shoulders and drills him with a Death Valley Driver on the floor! Gnarly. With Alexander barely on his feet, King stalks him around the ring and continues the assault with chops and forearms to the back to wear him out further and further.
Whipping Alexander into the barricade sends him into the crowd briefly, but King is able to collect his prey again and bring him back ringside. Taking advantage of one of the chairs set up ringside, King sits Alexander down and marches back around the ring, giving him a chance to rest! How sweet of Brody!
Oh wait, nevermind.
Barking like the hound of hell he is, King turns and charges at Alexander for a running crossbody, but Alexander falls out of the chair and lands in a heap at ringside, narrowly avoiding being crushed. King walks up to Alexander, trying to drag him up the steps and back into the ring only to find out he fell right into Alexander's trap. Snatching the left leg of King, he picks his foot up and places it against the steps, firing off a dropkick to his ankle before King has a chance to react.
Trying to capitalize, Alexander climbs to the apron and runs at Brody, taking flight only to get sniped out of the air with a forearm shot to the jaw. King is able to toss Alexander in the ring and starts to climb in behind him, his right foot stable on the apron with his targeted left inside the ring first. Alexander, like a shark sensing blood in the water, charges for the leg and ducks a boot from Brody, slipping ringside as he ties the leg up in the ropes. Back on the apron, not wasting a second, he pulls King down into a neckbreaker with his foot tied up in the ropes, adding further insult to injury.
Already favouring his leg, King now hardly wants to put any weight on it, climbing in the ring only to try and escape the ringside assault from Alexander. He's a step slower and Alexander knows this, not moving with any urgency at all as he hones in on the left ankle of King with stomps on the floor and slams against the apron. Trapped in the corner, Alexander drives his foot into the throat of King as referee Bryce Remsburg gives him to the count of 5. He pushes and pushes, nearly sending King into the apron over the bottom turnbuckle until he's forced to break the hold before the 5 count.
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| Oh yeah, that's gotta suck. AEW |
Backed into a corner and refusing to give in, King drives a boot out at Alexander as he stalks his prey, taking the boot and coming back in for more. He meets King on his feet in the corner and makes a big mistake, trying to go strike for strike with Brody. A forearm from Alexander is met with one from King, the latter of the two shots doing far more damage than the former. King is able to fight his way out of the corner, countering Alexander's charge off the ropes with a bodyslam a huge senton.
The impact from that move knocks all the wind out of the lungs of Alexander, but King's ankle is too sore for him to try for a pinfall as he rolls to the side while clutching his ankle. Despite that, King gets to his feet first and forces Alexander back into the corner, muscling him up onto the top and climbing to meet him. He nearly gets Alexander up, but he's able to fight out and slip between the legs of King, leaving the big man standing on the middle rope. A bad place to be for someone that size. Taking advantage of his position, Alexander pulls Brody down onto his shoulders as if to drop him with a Burning Hammer, but King is able to squirm and get out of the hold, landing behind Alexander, cracking him across the chest when he turns around.
Whether foolishly or bravely, Alexander eats the chop and comes back with one of his own, the sound echoing off the walls of the Adrian Phillips Theater. Never one to be out done, Brody comes back with a heavy handed chop of his own, with both men going back and forth, chop for chop. Alexander is the first man to falter, winding back to take another swing but the pain in his chest causing him to double over before he can complete the swing. Seizing on this weakness, King grabs the wrist of Alexander's left hand and traps him in place, chopping him over and over and over, the final shot once again punctuated with a loogie as Alexander falls to a knee.
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| Unlimited violence. AEW |
Standing over his kneeling victim, Brody once again barks to the crowd, looking to drive the death nail into Alexander. One small problem, however, Alexander breaks the grip King maintained and rises to his feet, meeting King eye to eye and taking down the straps. Things are serious now. Shoving King in the face, Alexander comes down with an overhand chop to the chest of King, as heavy a hand as there ever was. Not one to be out done, Brody winds back- with both hands, and drives two catchers-mitt sized hands through the chest of Alexander, who falls to the canvas like a body out of a tree.
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| His life had to be flashing before his eyes here. AEW |
Done playing around, Alexander shoots off a quick kick from the ground into the wounded ankle of King, dropping him to a knee this time as Alexander finds his second wind. A boot to the side of the head stuns Brody enough for Alexander to muscle him up onto his shoulders, once again in Burning Hammer-position, spinning him around into a huge Michinoku driver and pin, but King escapes at two. Pounding the canvas with his forearm, a sick smile lights up the face of Alexander as he pulls the wounded bear in position for the biggest weapon in his arsenal, the C4 Spike.
He tries to pick Brody up off his feet but there's still life in the monster, who effortlessly back body drops Alexander up and over. He staggers to the corner to get a running start on Alexander, who's backed himself into a corner after getting back to his feet. Stopping the charging bull by getting his feet up at the last second, Alexander ducks a lariat and takes off for the ropes, rebounding only to get caught in a huge side slam. Brody lays his immense weight over Alexander for a quick pin attempt but its not quite enough.
Back on their feet, Brody gets Alexander up for a powerbomb but Alexander slips free, taking the back of King who shoots his elbow back to break the grip before he gets taken for the ride. With more than a few steps separating them now, King charges for a lariat but Alexander side steps, letting Brody hit the ropes chest first and using the momentum to take the big man up and over with a german suplex! King isn't down for very long however, rising to his feet and firing off another lariat with his right arm, one that Alexander ducks. The left, however, comes from out of nowhere, folding Alexander inside out on impact.
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| Attacks coming from all sides! AEW |
Alexander pulls himself to the corner and has a seat, with Brody rising to his feet on the opposite side of the ring, lining Alexander up in his sights before taking off with a huge cannonball senton, crushing Alexander against the bottom turnbuckle. He pulls him down for a cover but Alexander gets free, going straight for the bottom rope to try and find a lifeline in these hostile waters. Brody is back on his feet and gives Alexander no time to breathe, pulling him around on the apron and up onto the corner with him, now standing on the middle. Rising to the top rope at the last second, King succeeds where he failed earlier in the match, taking Alexander up and over with a massive superplex.
Back on their feet, Alexander and King trade shots back and forth when an announcement comes over the speakers;
14 minutes have gone by, 1 minute remaining.
Remember at the start of this post when I said this was "a blisteringly good 15 minute war?" I neglected to mention that this match had a 15 minute time limit.
With King in the corner now, Alexander charges in and catches the boot of King as he tries to stop Alexander at the pass. With the left leg caught, he drapes the foot over the middle rope and springs off the bottom rope, stomping it out and dealing even more damage to the already wounded ankle. Snatching hold, Alexander has King in an ankle lock that exploits every bit of damage he's done in the match so far. Knowing time is running out, Alexander drops down and grapevines the leg, really trying to lock the hold in.
Shockingly, King uses this as an opportunity to push himself up and get his good leg under him, standing with Alexander still latched onto his ankle. With a disgusting sound, King chops Alexander in the back to break his grip on the leg, taking him up and over with a german suplex for good measure. Alexander is on his feet quickly and charges for King again, no doubt trying to hone back in on the wounded ankle, but a lariat takes his head off again.
Pulling Alexander in as Arkady Aura, Collision's ringside announcer, starts counting down from 10, Brody is able to get Alexander up in the powerbomb position. Bringing him back down and drilling him on his head with the Gonzo Bomb, Alexander lands to the side and is too close to the ropes! He rolls under the bottom rope and falls to the floor as King grabs hold of his ankle and rolls in pain, unable to do anything about Alexander even if he wanted to.
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| The toils of war. AEW |
With both men incapacitated and the bell ringing, the match is ruled a time limit draw.
This match was fantastic! It wasn't until I got about halfway through this review that I realized this was the second time limit draw that I've reviewed in a row. Oops. I kinda wish they handled this draw a bit better, maybe announcing the time limit after 10 minutes had gone by would have made the back half of this match more exciting. The way they did it here, the 15 minutes literally snuck up on you and they suddenly had 60 seconds left. If we knew that we were, say, 5 minutes away from the end of the match, you could have drawn a lot more energy out of the crowd here. That aside, this was hard hitting and really exciting. Two world class wrestlers getting time to shine and give each other everything they've got almost always is a recipe for success. King has been on an amazing run the past 6 months and Alexander has been a fantastic signing since his debut and will only be more valuable an asset the longer he's with AEW.
• • • • •
Well, there you have it folks! Another week down. Sure, maybe not the same level of reviewing you've come to expect from me, but cut me some slack, I'm human too. Some weeks I'm on, others I'm not. This week was definitively a "not on" kind of week. Hoping next is better. Hopefully I'll be better soon.
As always, cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com is the place to send whatever comes to mind you think I need to hear about. Matches, shows, promotions, recipes, Nigerian Prince inheritances, anything like that I should check out. Send it! Please! Anything at all!
But, until then my friends. Stay safe, have fun, look after yourselves.
Cliff Morgan
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