The Thanksgiving episode of “AEW Collision” was significant not just for AEW wrestlers, particularly those participating in the 2025 Continental Classic, but also for Ring of Honor (ROH) athletes, as the year’s biggest event, Final Battle, is scheduled for next Friday, December 5th. The show revealed two major matches involving ROH Women’s Television World Champion Mercedes Mone and ROH World Champion Bandido.
On the November 19 episode of “Collision,” Mercedes Mone unified the interim ROH Women’s World Television Championship she held with Red Velvet’s linear ROH Women’s World Television Championship. Due to Red Velvet’s injury, an interim title was created and won by Mina Shirakawa, but Mone later stripped Shirakawa of the title at AEW Wrestle Dream 2025 and surpassed Velvet. Despite this, Red Velvet demanded a rematch, which was confirmed by AEW and ROH president Tony Khan for Final Battle.
Bandido recently had a busy stretch, losing the AEW World Tag Team Championship with partner Brody King at Full Gear 2025 to FTR. Despite that loss, Bandido remains the ROH World Champion and was slated to face Rush in the event’s main match. However, Rush suffered a knee injury, postponing his challenge until 2026. As a result, Bandido will defend his title in a six-man Survival of the Fittest match against five opponents instead of one.
Bandido’s challengers include Hexero from the Don Callis Family, Blake Christian, The Commander, Beast Moltos from La Fuxion Ingoblenable, and Sammy Guevara, who is also part of LFI and an ROH World Tag Team Champion alongside Rush.
Fan Take: This announcement injects enormous excitement into Final Battle for AEW fans, showcasing top-tier talent in high-stakes matches. It also highlights AEW’s commitment to blending dynamic storylines with competitive wrestling, promising a thrilling spectacle that could impact the landscape of pro wrestling.
