The Continental Classic continued Wednesday night on AEW Dynamite, with former world champion Jon Moxley, red-hot Swerve Strickland and former top contender “Switchblade” Jay White all in action.
Could these three score big victories on Saturday, December 30th and continue their path to World’s End?
Find out with this recap of a show that also featured the latest from Christian Cage and a special appearance from Bryan Danielson.
Ahead of Wednesday’s show, the following were announced:
- Continental Classic Gold Group: “Switchblade” Jay White vs. Swerve Strickland
- Continental Classic Gold Group: Mark Briscoe vs. Rush
- Continental Classic Gold Group: Jon Moxley vs. Jay Lethal
- Bryan Danielson as guest commentator
- “The Patriarch” Christian Cage’s answer to Adam Copeland
Photo credit: All Elite Wrestling
Jon Moxley became the first competitor to score six points at this Continental Classic by defeating Jay Lethal in the show’s opening contest on Wednesday.
Lethal targeted Moxley’s left knee, which had been injured on Tope Suicida earlier in the match. The former AEW World Champion fought through the pain and fended off an opponent determined not to be shut out of the points.
Moxley got a tough win, Lethal remained winless in the tournament and everything was fine.
Or something similar.
Result
Moxley defeated Lethal via submission (received three points)
Degree
b
Top moments and takeaways
- Moxley jumped through the ropes, bent backwards onto his knee, and obviously nursed it in the moments immediately afterwards.
- Moxley rocked Lethal with a forearm that viewers at home could feel.
- This is a match that literally would have helped tremendously if everyone believed Lethal had a chance in hell of actually winning.
- A pre-recorded promo from Eddie Kingston highlighted the devastating loss to Brody King while showing a determined competitor. Bryan Danielson, on commentary that night, promised that he would not be humble in his pursuit of victory and a chance to become the first AEW Triple Crown Champion.
Photo credit: All Elite Wrestling
Rush earned his first points of the Continental Classic by defeating Mark Briscoe in a match that was better than the opener and extremely competitive.
It was a tough battle between two men who showed an appropriate amount of urgency given the deficit they found themselves in.
The Rush win was probably the right call, but this particular result brings with it another Ring of Honor original and puts him in a deadlock that saw him winless in a tournament to crown the first AEW Triple Crown Champion is.
Briscoe is the only competitor other than Lethal to compete twice and lose both games. You’ll get there eventually, but that doesn’t necessarily add much to the legacy of a ROH brand whose importance has already been devalued by the way it’s been portrayed over the last year.
Result
Rush defeats Briscoe (wins three points)
Degree
B+
Top moments and takeaways
- Sting and Ric Flair joined Tony Schiavone in announcing his retirement match will take place on March 3, 2024 at the Revolution at the historic Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina.
- Briscoe and Rush provided intensity and action early and often.
- This was the second game in a row where the leg was the focus. Communication between producers/trainers prevents back-to-back matches with essentially the same in-ring story.
Photo credit: All Elite Wrestling
MJF entered the ring and promoted his upcoming AEW World Championship defense against Samoa Joe at World’s End.
Instead of insulting the No. 1 contender, he instead portrayed Joe as a revolutionary who bucked the trend and became a star in professional wrestling despite not looking like the prototypical wrestler.
He praised Joe for proving that alternatives could exist, even going so far as to believe that AEW wouldn’t exist if his upcoming pay-per-view opponent didn’t pave the way.
He vowed to go to Long Island and defend his title regardless of his hip and shoulder injuries.
Unknown, masked attackers cut off the World Champion’s path and attacked him, resulting in Joe parrying the attack. A typed message appeared challenging MJF and Joe to a tag match next week, which The People’s Scumbag readily accepted.
MJF’s words about Joe came from the heart and did wonders in winning him over in a way that simply booking him for big matches couldn’t. They were words of respect that highlighted the competitor’s importance to wrestling history and properly prepared him to potentially dethrone him should Tony Khan go in that direction at World’s End on December 30.
Degree
B+
Top moments and takeaways
- When MJF pointed out that WWE didn’t view Joe as a world champion, it felt more like a slapshot than a point in the context of everything else he had said. The promo didn’t need it.
- It was a nice touch that Joe came to MJF’s aid, a moment where he gave his PPV opponent the same respect he gave him.
Photo credit: All Elite Wrestling
Wardlow defeated AR Fox on Wednesday night in a match that was more competitive than what we’ve seen since his return from The War Dog, but that came down to the same thing we’ve seen from him.
Nothing was developed further and Wardlow was not improved in any meaningful way.
Given what happened with MJF and the injuries he is currently suffering from, there is reason to be concerned that Wardlow could find himself in a holding pattern again.
Not great for a man who has experienced how impulses start and stop.
Result
Wardlow defeated Fox via a referee stoppage
Degree
C
Top moments and takeaways
- No mention of MJF during Wardlow’s dismantling of Fox. Interesting.
Photo credit: All Elite Wrestling
Hometown favorites Dante and Darius Martin, along with Action Andretti, defeated the Hardys and Brother Zay in trio action on Wednesday.
The win was a boost for the young trio, but also a momentous occasion for Dante, who was making his Dynamite in-ring comeback after a nasty leg injury sustained at Supercard of Honor last March.
The right team has left and Martin’s return is more than welcome. At one point, he was one of the most exciting young stars on the roster and a guy who seemed poised to emerge as one of the company’s big, high-profile underdogs.
It seems he is destined to work in tag teams for now. While this might stunt his personal growth, at least it keeps him on TV and allows him to relax back into the action with his brother Darius instead of putting pressure on himself to perform alone.
Result
Top Flight and Andretti defeated The Hardys and Zay
Degree
C+
Top moments and takeaways
- No one ever had to face Dante Martin’s devastating leg injury last spring again. “Dante is back from a serious injury” would have been more than enough.
- Dante looked great as he performed the babyface comeback, and the hometown crowd in Minneapolis ate it all up.
- Ah, so babyface’s hometown heroes can win the match, right?
- Penta El Zero Miedo, El Hijo Vikingo and Komander challenged the winners after a short break backstage.
Photo credit: All Elite Wrestling
TBS champion Julia Hart revived the house rules gimmick, where her opponent was allowed to determine the rules of the evening. Her challenger, Emi Sakura, decided that there could be no victory through submission.
It was an expert decision from the experienced Sakura, removing some of Hart’s most devastating maneuvers from her arsenal and forcing the champion to take to the air to claim victory.
She did just that, landing a moonstorm that didn’t quite hit Sakura, who appeared to be trying to roll out of the way. Hart covered and secured the win. The crowd greeted the result with a positive reaction and the champion continued to thrive.
A solid if unspectacular game that highlighted a young talent and reintroduced the house rules gimmick that adds a different element to Hart’s games.
Result
Hart defeated Sakura to retain
Degree
C+
Top moments and takeaways
- The chants of “Julia” reflect an audience wholly behind the young champion, whose performances have evolved over the last year, making her one of the most intriguing competitors in the company.
- Hart is another hometown hero, which may explain the loud reaction for her.
Photo credit: All Elite Wrestling
A week after Adam Copeland challenged Christian Cage to a shot at the TNT Championship in Montreal on December 6, the champion asked his former friend and tag team partner to come to ringside for his answer.
Cage tried to persuade Copeland, taking him on a journey through their long history together before trying to convince the Hall of Famer to reunite with him one last time for his late mother.
Copeland responded with a low blow and some outright profanity, capping another great segment that was just another example of Cage’s exceptional heel character.
For a moment it looked like he was going to play the dead dad card, but he changed his mind, only to end up paying for it anyway.
Copeland vs. Cage is a huge main event and should make for must-see television next Wednesday in Montreal.
Degree
A
Top moments and takeaways
- Cage made a mistake and called Killswitch by his old name, Luchasaurus. It’s hard to blame him, especially because the new name is pure garbage.
- Cage is such an insincere slob. He is the best heel in wrestling today.
- Copeland saw through Cage’s nonsense, kicked him down and told him to get the TNT title because he was coming home with the Rated R Superstar next week.
- Someone relaxes the censorship button and it’ll probably just cost Tony Khan a hefty fine.
Photo credit: All Elite Wrestling
Swerve Strickland joined Jon Moxley with six points in this Continental Classic, defeating “Switchblade” Jay White in an outstanding main event.
The two showed instant chemistry, creating a match in which both were able to shine through mental mat work, reversals and counters, culminating in Strickland overpowering White and earning the grueling victory.
The match was a great showcase for two of AEW’s up and coming faces and was won by Strickland, arguably the hottest guy in the company this side of MJF.
The look on White’s face after the referee rang the bell suggests he is about to become more dangerous than ever as desperation sets in at the start of this tournament. It remains to be seen what this prompts him to do and how it impacts his pursuit of the AEW Triple Crown.
Result
Strickland defeated White (wins three points)
Degree
A
Top moments and takeaways
- Prince Nana danced, leaning on a crutch, and in a funny business, sold Hangman Page’s Deadeye over a table at Full Gear.
- Danielson rightly called White a possum, which proved correct when Switchblade delivered a nasty chop block to Strickland. “The American Dragon” is a great asset to the commentary team when it comes to explaining their own strategy.
- White might be the most skilled wrestler in the business. His work is fluid. It’s far too early to compare him to Randy Orton, but he exhibits some of the same characteristics as The Viper in his work. There is a smoothness, even a lightness, that makes everything look so natural and easy.
- Ironically, in the same match in which Danielson touted White’s defensive wrestling, it was Strickland who won the match by countering his opponent’s offense.
This was another steady building block for AEW.
The Continental Classic action has been good overall, if not great in terms of the main event, but the lack of intertwining storylines has hurt it so far. Yes, the focus is on the games themselves, but there should always be something for fans to invest their time and energy into, beyond just ringside work.
Check out the Texas Deathmatch between Swerve Strickland and Hangman Page. A bloody, violent brawl, sure, but in the context of the plot it at least made sense.
In the absence of these stories, they’re really just games for the sake of games, no matter how good they may be.
The MJF promo was fantastic and he did in one night what TNA, WWE and even AEW had failed to do on this point: accurately portray how important Joe is to the history of wrestling and explain why the company is happy to still have him.
Not only does it recognize him for his match with MJF at World’s End, but it is also a mark of respect for a man who, like the much-discussed CM Punk, was instrumental in laying the foundation for the style of wrestling that we now know throughout the industry.
Julia Hart shined, Top Flight and Action Andretti took a big win, hopefully a sign of things to come in the Trios division, and Christian Cage continues to be a national treasure.
About Toronto, Ontario.
Another solid show from AEW that would get even more attention if there was a way to give the ongoing tournament matches more meaning through different story threads.