Tournament information | |
---|---|
Sport | Professional wrestling |
Location | United States Canada |
Dates | November 22, 2023–December 30, 2023 |
Tournament format(s) | Two-block round-robin tournament |
Host(s) | All Elite Wrestling |
Venue(s) | Various (see venues) |
Participants | 12 |
Final positions | |
Champion | Eddie Kingston |
Runner-up | Jon Moxley |
The Continental Classic, colloquially abbreviated as the C2 and also known in its latter stages as the Tournament for Tots in support of charity,[1] is an annual professional wrestling round-robin tournament hosted by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The inaugural tournament began on the November 22, 2023, episode of Dynamite and concluded at the Worlds End pay-per-view event on December 30. Eddie Kingston won the inaugural tournament and was crowned the inaugural AEW Continental Champion, additionally retaining the ROH World Championship of sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH) and the Strong Openweight Championship of partner promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). With the three championships, Kingston was subsequently recognized as winning the American Triple Crown (also referred to as the Continental Crown).
On November 11, 2023, the American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) announced a tournament called the Continental Classic. AEW president Tony Khan and AEW wrestler Bryan Danielson announced that the tournament would begin on the November 22, 2023, episode of Dynamite, lasting six weeks and concluding at the Worlds End pay-per-view (PPV) event on December 30.[2]
The Continental Classic was revealed to be a round-robin tournament consisting of two groups of six wrestlers. The first four confirmed participants were Bryan Danielson, Andrade El Idolo, Mark Briscoe, and Eddie Kingston.[3] It was also announced that the winner of the tournament would become the inaugural holder of the AEW Continental Championship. Kingston also announced that his ROH World Championship of sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH) and his Strong Openweight Championship of partner promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) would be on the line, with the winner of the tournament holding all three championships and declared the first Triple Crown Champion (collectively promoted as the Continental Crown), representing AEW, ROH, and NJPW. It was also revealed that the champion at the time of the next Continental Classic would automatically be entered into the tournament.[4][5]
Tournament matches were scheduled to be held across episodes of Dynamite, Rampage, and Collision, with the semi-finals (promoted as the "League Finals") held on December 27 at Dynamite: New Year's Smash and the tournament final (promoted as the "Championship Final") held at the Worlds End PPV.[6] All 12 participants and their groupings in the inaugural Continental Classic were revealed during the "Selection Special" that aired midday on November 22 across AEW's social media. The two blocks, or leagues, were named Gold League and Blue League, with the Gold League matches beginning that night on Dynamite.[7]
During the tournament's final week, it was given the secondary name of "Tournament For Tots" as AEW and their action figure manufacturer partner Jazwares, donated $1 million dollars worth of toys for the Toys for Tots charity for underprivileged children.[8]
Round Robin format:
Gold League match | |
Blue League match | |
Tournament final match |
Qualified to league final |
Blue League | Gold League | ||
---|---|---|---|
Bryan Danielson | 10 | Jon Moxley | 12 |
Eddie Kingston[a] | 9 | Swerve Strickland | 12 |
Andrade El Idolo | 9 | Jay White | 12 |
Claudio Castagnoli | 7 | Rush | 6 |
Brody King | 6 | Mark Briscoe | 3 |
Daniel Garcia | 3 | Jay Lethal | 0 |
Blue League | Andrade | Castagnoli | Danielson | Garcia | King | Kingston |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andrade | — | Castagnoli (15:33) |
Andrade (18:33) |
Andrade (11:02) |
Andrade (14:45) |
Kingston (15:39) |
Castagnoli | Castagnoli (15:33) |
— | Draw (20:00) |
Castagnoli (10:27) |
King (12:34) |
Kingston (18:04) |
Danielson | Andrade (18:33) |
Draw (20:00) |
— | Danielson (15:35) |
Danielson (15:11) |
Danielson (16:50) |
Garcia | Andrade (11:02) |
Castagnoli (10:27) |
Danielson (15:35) |
— | Garcia (10:21) |
Kingston (12:12) |
King | Andrade (14:45) |
King (12:34) |
Danielson (15:11) |
Garcia (10:21) |
— | King (16:41) |
Kingston | Kingston (15:39) |
Kingston (18:04) |
Danielson (16:50) |
Kingston (12:12) |
King (16:41) |
— |
Gold League | Briscoe | Lethal | Moxley | Rush | Strickland | White |
Briscoe | — | Briscoe (13:53) |
Moxley (11:29) |
Rush (11:25) |
Strickland (15:44) |
White (11:19) |
Lethal | Briscoe (13:53) |
— | Moxley (11:19) |
Rush (4:30) |
Strickland (13:51) |
White (11:24) |
Moxley | Moxley (11:29) |
Moxley (11:19) |
— | Moxley (14:32) |
Moxley (16:23) |
White (15:09) |
Rush | Rush (11:25) |
Rush (4:30) |
Moxley (14:32) |
— | Strickland (14:53) |
White (13:53) |
Strickland | Strickland (15:44) |
Strickland (13:51) |
Moxley (16:23) |
Strickland (14:53) |
— | Strickland (15:27) |
White | White (11:19) |
White (11:24) |
White (15:09) |
White (13:53) |
Strickland (15:27) |
— |
League Finals Dynamite: New Year's Smash (December 27) | Championship Final Worlds End (December 30) | ||||||||
Bryan Danielson | 22:37 | ||||||||
Eddie Kingston | Pin | ||||||||
Blue | Eddie Kingston | Pin | |||||||
Gold | Jon Moxley | 17:16 | |||||||
Jon Moxley | Pin | ||||||||
Swerve Strickland Jay White | — 23:14 |