Here is what you need to know about Tony Khan’s take on the Women’s Continental Classic tournament in AEW.
Last year in 2023, ahead of Worlds Collide, AEW introduced the brand new concept of a Continental Classic tournament. While Eddie Kingston won the first tournament, it again returned this year. In a few hours at Worlds Collide 2024, Kazuchika Okada will take on Ricochet, and Will Ospreay will face Kyle Fletcher, to determine the finalists.
Speaking to Samantha Shipman of Daily DDT at the Worlds Collide media call, Khan was asked about a women’s exclusive tournament in the future. Answering, Khan implied that there is a huge potential for the women’s Continental Classic.
I think the [women’s] division is very strong and really, we’ve had some of our best matches in the history of AEW women’s wrestling this year. So absolutely, I think the potential is there to have a great Round Robin tournament. The scheduling is very intense, and I’ll be honest, we’ve had a lot of injuries in the women’s division in recent years. This tournament takes a toll. We saw this year that Juice Robinson was injured in the first week, and I thought we were very fortunate not to have many other severe injuries with the hard-hitting nature of the tournament.
I think a women’s Continental Classic potentially could be a very, very exciting tournament. We’ve had some of our top wrestlers in the women’s division returning from injuries recently. If we get everybody healthy, I do think it’s something I’m very interested in. It is a very grueling and challenging tournament for many reasons. I think that right now, the quality of women’s wrestling in AEW is the highest it’s ever been, and we’re continuing to build and have more great matches, more great rivalries.
We have a great, great group right now, and I think it’s the strongest it’s ever been. So I’m hoping to continue building on that, and if we keep everybody healthy and keep building and moving in that direction, I definitely think a great tournament like that would be a great development in continuing the great work that the women’s wrestlers in AEW have been doing.”
H/t Fightful
For the initial two years, the tournament was restricted to male competitors. Khan’s comments have left fans wondering about the timing of the Women’s Continental Classic tournament.
Tony Khan Explains Latest Change To The Continental Classic Tournament
Speaking with Alex Hunt on the AEW Worlds End media call, Tony Khan opened up on the recent change made to the Continental Classic tournament this year. Last year, winners from each league advanced to the Worlds End PPV in the final. However, this year’s tournament will have the winner of each league face the runner-up from their opposing league in the semi-finals.
The winners of those matches will face each other later that night in the final to crown the overall winner of the tournament.
There’s several things that this came down to. I’m very proud of the work that everybody has done to make this Continental Classic so tremendous. As we go into the semi-finals we’ve 4 great contenders and 2 semi-final matches with Kyle Fletcher against Will Ospreay and Ricochet vs. Kazuchika Okada. Then we will have a great finals match on AEW Worlds End.
I felt that it would add to the pay-per-view to have the semi-finals and the finals. It’s gruelling competition and it adds another aspect to the tournament, what it takes, the tenacity and the adversity involved for somebody to come out on top in this tournament.
I think it really adds to the format and it’s why I made this change since the inaugural competition to have the Blue League winner wrestle the Gold League runner-up and have the Gold League winner wrestle the Blue League runner-up to create fresh matches that have not happened in the competition. With 33 matches in the tournament, there’s so many great moments and things that have happened throughout this tournament.
I think this format change makes Worlds End even more exciting and adds more intrigue to the tournament. With the timing of Worlds End coming off AEW Full Gear and the scheduling of the tournament, I thought this would be a very interesting change and I think it has been a very positive change to the tournament in 2024.”
In other news: A top NJPW wants to “batter” MJF in the Tokyo Dome.