Jay White Returns to the Ring as AEW Collision Runs a Special Thursday Edition in San Diego

After more than 15 months away from in-ring competition, Jay White is finally back — and he’s wasting no time getting his hands dirty. A special 2.5-hour edition of AEW Collision airs Thursday, July 2, on TNT and HBO Max from Viejas Arena in San Diego, California, beginning at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT, and White’s return to action headlines a stacked card loaded with Forbidden Door fallout.

White made a dramatic re-emergence at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, costing David Finlay and The Dogs in the AEW World Tag Team Championship match and helping Adam Copeland and Christian Cage retain the titles. Now reunited with The Gunns to reform Bang Bang Gang, White teams with AEW World Tag Team Champion Copeland, Austin Gunn, and Colten Gunn in an eight-man tag match against the challenge issued by Shane Taylor Promotions — Shane Taylor, ROH Pure Champion Lee Moriarty, Carlie Bravo, and Shawn Dean.

Also carrying major momentum out of Forbidden Door weekend is Andrade El Ídolo, who dramatically cut ties with the Don Callis Family on Sunday. The split didn’t come without consequences: Brian Cage led a brutal Family beatdown on Andrade during Wednesday’s Dynamite, capping it with a Drill Claw. Those two collide one-on-one on Thursday night.

With Dynamite Beach Break set for next Wednesday, two Casino Gauntlet qualifier matches take place to determine the first two entrants in the match that will crown a number-one contender for the AEW Women’s World Championship at Redemption. ROH Women’s World Champion Athena faces STARDOM’s Rina — marking Rina’s AEW debut — for the coveted first entry. Then Maya World, who reached the Owen Cup Women’s Final against Mercedes Moné at Forbidden Door weekend, squares off with Triangle of Madness member Julia Hart for the second entry spot.

Also on the card, Kyle Fletcher takes on ELP in a warm-up ahead of his AEW International Championship challenge against Konosuke Takeshita at Beach Break next Wednesday. PAC and Claudio Castagnoli of the Death Riders respond to Drilla Moloney’s Forbidden Door Buy-In victory by facing Moloney and Shingo Takagi. A high-flying trios match pits ROH World Champion Bandido, ROH World Tag Team Champion Místico, and “Speedball” Mike Bailey against The Rascalz. The Demand — Ricochet, Bishop Kaun, and Toa Liona — also see trios action as they set their sights on the AEW World Trios Championship, and Thunder Rosa teams with Mina Shirakawa in tag action.

It’s a loaded night of pro wrestling with significant ramifications heading into Beach Break, and Jay White’s long-awaited comeback alone makes Thursday’s Collision must-see television.