5 Ups & 4 Downs For AEW Collision (May 25 - Results & Review)

3. What It Needed To Be For KOR

It may have only been a short squash match victory, but it was still a win for Kyle O'Reilly at a time when the hugely talented Canadian needed it.

Since returning to action earlier this year, O'Reilly has come up short each and every time there's been a match with any sort of stakes. Against Roderick Strong for the International Title at Dynasty? Kyle lost. Against Adam Copeland for the TNT Title on Dynamite earlier this month? Kyle lost. A Casino Gauntlet to earn another shot at the International Title? Kyle lost. Against Malakai Black on last week's Dynamite? Kyle lost.

Given the trajectory of AEW storytelling, that's not to say O'Reilly should've won any of those four matches, but if you put someone in a position where they lose several notable matches in a row, the perception of them is that of a loser. Kyle tapping out KM in barely a minute clearly isn't any sort of game-changer, but it is at least a TV win that's not hidden away on the barely-watched AEW Rampage.

Kyle O'Reilly is a little in limbo right now, loosely tied to the ongoing Adam Copeland vs. House of Black rivalry, and the more wins the better for the former reDRagon man if he's to hopefully be featured in a meaningful way for AEW in the future - even if the win here was a non-event squash that merely served to keep Kyle in fans' minds.