Thoughts on 2025 AEW Continental Classic
It’s time once again for the AEW Continental Classic! At first, I have to admit, I wasn’t really a fan of the concept, but over time, it’s grown on me quite a bit. The event has a vibe that’s reminiscent of TNA’s old Bound for Glory series, which was hugely popular and well-loved by fans.
Shockingly, despite their widespread popularity and fan enthusiasm, those series were eventually discontinued, which continues to baffle and remain a bit of a mystery to many wrestling followers.
Personally, I believe AEW currently features too many tournaments, whereas TNA has very few to offer, and WWE could definitely benefit from increasing the number of tournaments they hold. So, when it comes to tournament variety and frequency, AEW gets the win!
That’s IWC canon now, deal with it.
The Continental Classic starts tomorrow night, November 26th, with a special Thanksgiving Eve show on Dynamite and Collision. It will finish off at the Worlds End pay-per-view on December 27, 2025. Check out the rules, before we get to this year’s competitors.
Tournament Structure and Rules
The tournament features 12 participants divided into two leagues, Gold and Blue, competing under "Continental Rules," which are:
Matches have a 20-minute time limit.
3 points are awarded for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 for a loss.
Everyone (including managers and stablemates) is banned from ringside.
The wrestler with the most points in each league will face the runner-up from the other league in a semi-final. The winners of these matches will then compete in the final. The winner of the final becomes the AEW Unified Champion.
Gold League:
Darby Allen
Pac
"Speedball" Mike Bailey
Kevin Knight
Kyle Fletcher
(I’m going with the odds-on favorite Fletcher here)
Blue League:
Jon Moxley
Claudio Castagnoli
Roderick Strong
Orange Cassidy
Máscara Dorada
(My heart says Claudio, brain says Roderick)
Who wins it all? I’m going with Roderick, not because I want him to win, or believe he should. I just think that’s what AEW will do.
