AEW Collision live results: Jon Moxley vs. Konosuke Takeshita
For the first time in some time, tonight’s AEW Collision from Columbus, Ohio, has a true air of importance with several key figures on the show.
In an important Continental Classic Blue league bout, former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley goes one-on-one with IWGP World Champion Konosuke Takeshita with each looking to add to their three point totals.
Blue league leader Claudio Castagnoli (six points) will also be in action against Mascara Dorada who is looking for his first points while Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong (zero points each) will compete in another Blue league match.
A night after losing the ROH Women’s TV title, Mercedes Mone will defend the TBS title against Leila Grey.
In his first live promo since returning from injury, former AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland will make an appearance.
The first televised AEW National title defense will take place as Ricochet defends in an open challenge.
Our live coverage begins at 8 PM Eastern.
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Orange Cassidy (0) vs. Roderick Strong (0)
Collision started with a match I was really looking forward to with Orange Cassidy and Roderick Strong. Strong and Cassidy started with some basic wrestling until Strong hit a backbreaker and then several chops that sent Cassidy to ringside. Cassidy was then back suplexed on the guardrail, and got hit with more hard chops. Strong hit another hard backbreaker that left Cassidy in pain on mat, rolling to the apron. Strong chopped Cassidy again and then hit a slingshot into the bottom turnbuckle from the apron.
Strong hit another backbreaker, followed by a few more. As Strong did these backbreakers he held on for a submission attempt and then would pick Cassidy up and hit another backbreaker. At the last one of these, Cassidy countered into a DDT on Strong. Cassidy stood up, but his hands in his pockets, and hit a monkey flip on Strong before hitting a tope suicida.
Cassidy drove Strong into the turnbuckle and went for a flying crossbody, but Strong caught him and hit a powerslam for a 2-count. Strong attempted to hit a backbreaker on the top rope, but Cassidy shoved Strong from the ropes, causing him to get his knee wrapped in the ropes and allowing Cassidy to hit a tornado DDT for a 2-count. Cassidy missed an Orange Punch and ate another backbreaker and then End of Heartache for a 2-count that Strong immediately went into a Stronghold, but Cassidy countered into a pinfall attempt and then hit Stundog Millionaire. Cassidy blocked another End of Heartache before grabbing the legs of Strong and pinning him.
Result: Orange Cassidy (3) defeated Roderick Strong (0) via pinfall
–Tony Schiavone announced that Darby Allin was removed from the C2 tournament after an injury in his match with Kevin Knight. Jack Perry would be stepping in to take his place in the tournament.
–Darby Allin did an interview saying he wasn’t sure what was next for him, but if Jack Perry was going to be in the tournament, he hoped Perry was going to win the whole thing.
–FTR & Stokely Hathaway came down to the ring to address what happened with Bullet Club Gold on Dynamite. The fans chanted something very rude at Hathaway, wishing him to cease talking. Hathaway called out Juice Robinson and Austin Gunn and they did not disappoint coming down to the ring. Cash Wheeler acknowledged that Robinson and Gunn were the last people to beat them, they would never do so again. Harwood dared Robinson and Gunn touch their belt again,
Gunn said that FTR was right – he was a son of a Gunn. Robinson was the son of a carpenter. Wheeler was the son of his cousin, and Harwood was a son of a… well, you get the idea. Gunn demanded they give them a tag title shot, reminding them yet again that they were the last team to beat FTR, and Robinson said that the next time they touch the tag titles, it will be when The Bang Bang Gang won the tag titles in the United Kingdom.
Juice Robinson and Austin Gunn were awesome here again, stealing the segment with an excellent promo.
–Marina Shafir, Wheeler Yuta, and Daniel Garcia were backstage cutting a promo on Mark Briscoe, saying that Garcia was going to bring the TNT Championship back to the Death Riders when he faces Briscoe.
Claudio Castagnoli (3) vs. Mascara Dorada (0)
At this point in the show technical issues started with the Triller feed of AEW Collision – The recap will be updated as soon as the show resumes.
I only had audio at this point of Claudio & Mascara Dorada. I finally got picture back at the end of the match. The match came back just as Dorada was hitting a shooting star press on Castagnoli for the win.
Result: Mascara Dorada (3) defeated Claudio Castagnoli (3)
–Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa, and Harley Cameron & Willow Nightingale were interviewed by Tony Schiavone about their upcoming world tag team title match AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming. Storm pointed out that Nightingale and Cameron have been unable to beat Storm, but Cameron followed up by pointing out that her and Nightingale were better than they have been in the past, and Shirakawa interjected, saying that they were all there for the tag titles, and they needed to keep that in focus. Tony Schiavone then drank champagne with them.
–Swerve Strickland came down to the ring, talking about his return at AEW Full Gear. Swerve said that he worked hard at recovering from his knee injury the last 3 months so he could come back more dangerous than ever, and he came back because he wants the AEW World Championship again. Swerve makes his intentions very clear, saying that the last time he and Joe faced off, Swerve was the one that took the title off him last time.
Swerve mentioned cutting through all of Joe’s fodder he put in front of him like enemies in Dynasty Warriors. I appreciate a good gaming reference. Swerve assured Joe that he was going to fall to him again. Swerve talked about Hangman Page next, and said that while they may never see eye to eye, there was no better rivalry than those two, and if he needed another person to ride with him into battle, Swerve would back him up, but after that, they will have a very long conversation.
Josh Alexander came down to the ring. Alexander said that it was not Swerve’s House, but Alexander’s and the Don Callis Family. Alexnader said that he was the one that deserved a title shot ahead of Swerve, and that maybe they should do something about it and fight. Swerve challenged him to a match and it was made for Cardiff, but as he making that challenge, Katsuyori Shibata attacked Swerve from behind, kicking him in the knee that was injured and slowly walking away.
–Lexy Nair was with Mercedes Mone, and Nair wanted to address Mone losing the ROH Television title on the ROH PPV, and Nair was wondering if the two big losses she felt lately would cause her issues when she faced Leyla Grey tonight. Mone said that she was going to make Grey pay, and Mone would get back on track soon.
TBS Championship: Mercedes Mone vs. Leyla Grey (w/ Christopher Daniels)
Mone attacked Grey right at the start of the match and hit Daniels with meteora on the floor. Mone countered a bulldog and hit a meteora on Grey for a 2-count. Ian Riccaboni made a “6-7” reference here, and I wanted to turn off my TV. Sorry, Ian. Mone grabbed Grey by the hair and pulled her to the mat before slamming Grey’s face into the turnbuckle. Nigel Guinness was talking about understanding Mone’s frustration in losing a title. He said it was something Tony wouldn’t understand since he never held a title. He then asked what the greatest victory in his life was, and Schiavone responded “Overcoming you.” Nigel legitimately laughed. Grey hit a running knee on Mone and a bulldog, but Mone countered the pinfall attempt into a statement maker for the submission.
Result: Mercedes Mone defeated Leyla Grey
–Eddie Kingston had an absolutely incredible pretape promo. Kingston put over Joe as the best wrestler in the world because he has the world title, but Kingston is disgusted with him, because he is doing the very thing that Joe hated for years – cheating, lying, and backstabbing people. Kingston said that he was going to take the title from Joe to show the young people in the back how to do it the right way. This was awesome.
–The Triangle of Madness beat up some women backstage and said they were coming to Cardiff for Jamie Hayter & Statlander.
AEW National Championship: Ricochet (w/ the Gates of Agony) vs. Ace Austin
Austin is one of the few people out there that can keep up with Ricochet in the ring, so the opening part of this match was very fast paced as Austin repeatedly sent Ricochet to the floor, and he yelled with rage at the announce desk. Ricochet grabbed the bell hammer and as the referee was taking it from him, Bishop Kaun tripped Austin, allowing Ricochet to get the advantage.
Ricochet ripped a sign away from a fan and then tried to give Austin a papercut with it. Ricochet hit a dropkick in the middle of the ring after reversing an Irish whip. Ricochet missed a running kick in the corner and ended up landing on the back of his head, which looked brutal. Austin hit a Russian Leg Sweep and a series of lariats in the corner. Austin fought off an attempt by Toa Liona to trip him up, hit a springboard clothesline, and a doctor bomb for a 2-count.
Austin hit a forearm in the corner, but Ricochet rolled him up, hit a dropkick, and a standing shooting star press for a 2-count. Ricohcet missed a spirit gun and fought with Austin over a suplex, but Austin cradled Ricochet for a 2-count. Austin hit a superplex on Ricochet. Austin hit a bellringer on Ricochet, stomping his head into the mat. Austin went for the Fold, but Ricochet pulled the referee in the way, went for a low blow that Austin blocked, but Ricochet flipped backwards, hit the spirit gun, and vertigo for the win.
Result: Ricochet defeated Ace Austin
–FTR ran down to attack Ace Austin, beating on him to send a message to Bullet Club Gold. Juice Robinson & Austin Gunn ran down to make the save and drove FTR from the ring. The Bang Bang Gang threw the tag titles back at FTR, sending them packing.
Jon Moxley (3) vs. Konosuke Takeshita (3)
The fans were very positive towards Moxley when he came out in this match, so it seems to me that this slow burn babyface turn for him is working. The fans, of course, also loved Takeshita. The fans saw this as two huge stars meeting for the first time, which is a testament to how Takeshita has gotten himself over, especially since winning the G1 and the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. Both guys exchanged a lot of technical wrestling at the start, and it started to turn back for Moxley once Takeshita started hitting dragon screws to the knee of Moxley.
Moxley sold the knee very well, looking like Takeshita was making it difficult for him to walk. Great stuff here. Takeshita tried to hit 10-punchces in the corner, but Moxley gouged the mouth and nose of Takeshita and hit 10 punches of his own, but Takeshita sent Moxley into the opposite corner and he crashed to the mat again selling his knee. Takeshita hit a DDT on the leg of Moxley, who looked at Takeshita in pain but nodded and stood up, limping and started exchanging chops with Takeshita until he dropped Moxley with a forearm.
Takeshita faked Moxley out with a forearm and instead kicked Moxley right in the shin. Takeshita charged Moxley, but Moxley hit a forearm and tried to suplex Takeshita off the apron. Takeshita blocked it, but Moxley dropkicked him in the ankle and hit a curb stomp on Takeshita on the apron while selling the knee. Moxley hit a back suplex on Takeshita, and Takeshita popped up, hit a German suplex, and then both men went down after double lariats.
Moxley and Takeshita kept exchanging forearms until neither of them could continue, and both men hit the ropes and Moxley took Takeshita’s head off with a King Kong Lariat. Takeshita went for a Blue Thunder Bomb, but Moxley shifted his weight and took Takeshita over into an armbar before transitioning to an ankle lock on Takeshita. Takeshita continued to sell the ankle that Moxley dropkicked earlier. Moxley tried to piledrive Moxley on the apron, but Takeshita hit a back body drop. Takeshita went for a dive, but couldn’t run due to his ankle. Moxley got back in the ring, and Takeshita hit a hard forearm and managed to hit the ropes and hit a tope con giro.
Takeshita went to take apart the announce table, and it partly collapsed due to it, but Takeshita hit a blue thunder bomb onto one of the walls of the table, which still looked brutal. It was probably worse than the usual table bump. Moxley barely made it back into the ring, and as he rolled in Takeshita flew through the air and hit a frog splash for a 2-count. This match rules. Takeshita went for the power drive knee, but Moxley collapsed. As Takeshita tried to pick him up Moxley baited him in and cradled him for a 2-count. Moxley hit a cutter and went for a piledriver, but Takeshtia picked the leg and stepped over and dropped a knee on Moxley’s knee.
Takeshita charged Moxley and Moxley hit a hard forearm and a Paradigm Shift, but Takeshita got his feet on the ropes. Moxley hit two hard lariats which Takeshita no sold, and then a big boot, but Takeshita got up immediately. Moxley hit some hard strikes and went to the ropes again, but collapsed due to his knee, and Takeshita hit the power drive knee for a 2-count. Takeshita hit a second power drive knee and a Raging Fire for the pinfall. This match was absolutely incredible.
Result: Konosuke Takeshita (6) defeated Jon Moxley (3)
This match was fantastic. One of the best matches of the year for Collision, and maybe one of the best matches of the year for all of AEW. It won’t top Will Ospreay vs. Adam Page, and a few others, but it was easily one of the best Collision main events all year. Jon Moxley and Konosuke Takeshita are fantastic pro wrestlers, and it is a pleasure to watch them work.
–After the match the Death Riders started to make their way down to the ring, looking very disappointed in Moxley. The Horsemen beatdown is coming for Moxley. It is only a matter of when, and not if.
Final Thoughts
The C2 always produces excellent television for AEW, and this was no exception. Simple storytelling, great matches. It’s my favourite time of the year as a fan of the wrestling in AEW. The C2 and the G1 both are my favourite ways to watch wrestling, as the tournament format makes it so easy to build stories with every win, loss, or draw, and Moxley losing twice is a very big deal. Add in that he has lost now to Hangman Page, Kyle O’Reilly twice, Claudio Castagnoli, and now Konosuke Takeshita? Bad, bad things are about to happen to him with the Death Riders, and his babyface run afterwards is going to be so great. Jon Moxley is awesome.
C2 Standings Update
Only the Blue League was active tonight, so nothing to update on the Gold League.
AEW Dynamite: Winter is Coming (December 10, 2025)
- AEW World Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Eddie Kingston
- AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship: Timeless Love Bombs vs. Babes of Wrath
- Hangman Adam Page & Swerve Strickland vs. Powerhouse Hobbs & Katsuyori Shibata
Josiah has been writing for WON/F4W for several years now, from initially covering Lucha Underground, to TNA Impact, and now filling in where ever needed.