AEW has announced that the fan-favorite Continental Classic tournament is returning on November 27th for the second consecutive year. Putting a spotlight on the brightest talent AEW has to offer, there are two separate leagues — Blue and Gold. Each league has six competitors. It is done Round Robin style so each person tries to accumulate points to avoid elimination. Each match in the AEW Continental Classic is 20 minutes long, with three points for a win and one point for a draw. There’s also no room for any interference.
AEW Continental Champion Kazuchika Okada will participate in the tournament, leaving 11 spots currently unfilled. Dust off those boards and let’s take a look at some of the options for this year’s field, shall we?
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It’s Time for Fresh faces
While this is AEW’s answer to NJPW’s G1 Climax, I would like to see some young wrestlers compete here. Firstly, The Patriarchy’s Nick Wayne. At just 19 years old he’s taken AEW by storm over the last 12 months. Now aligned with Christian Cage, he has a bright future in wrestling. He doesn’t even have to go over here. Ultimately, he can afford to be eliminated; it wouldn’t hurt him that much because of the “inexperience” factor.
HOOK is another young prospect who hasn’t had the opportunity to truly showcase what he can do. I’ve been beating the HOOK drum since his debut but his pro wrestling career has been very start and stop. He has the tools but his booking has been pretty lackluster; because of that, he hasn’t had that much room to grow his skillset. I’d like to see him go in guns blazing and reignite that flame.
The energy around Konosuke Takeshita has noticeably shifted since his Japan excursion over the summer. It’s no secret that he’s always been well-liked amongst fans. However, in order for the Don Callis Family to succeed, they need to make their members look like absolute beasts. Takeshita does feel like someone who could go far in the tournament and come out looking even better.
Cue That Brass Monkey
Fightful Select reports that “Speedball” Mike Bailey is on his way to AEW. He recently finished his commitments with TNA and has never appeared in front of an AEW crowd. If the rumors are true, his introduction here makes a lot of sense. He gets television time to show off what he’s got and, in exchange, a few wins along the way.
Some CLASSIC REPEATS
As much as I hope we’ll see some new talent this year given how much the roster has shifted in the last year, there’s bound to be a few repeats. It’s hard to imagine at least one member of the Death Riders won’t appear and my money is on Claudio Castagnoli. With Okada already confirmed, a rematch between these two guys seems inevitable. Their last go-around ended in a time-limit draw; it’s time to run it back.
How do you not include someone seasoned in this style of tournament like Jay White? He made it to the semifinals of the Continental Classic last year but he’s on an upward trajectory in AEW. He’s one of the few stars that I could see enter as a repeat. Plus, if Hangman were to join the fray following their Full Gear match, things could get really interesting.
aew sTARS WITH SOMETHING TO PROVE
The brewing storyline between Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta has to play a part in this tournament. Yuta has made it clear that he’s nobody’s pawn which Castagnoli has shut down. Yuta is a confusing one. He willingly joined the group but half the time he doesn’t seem on board with them at all. This could be a good opportunity to see where allegiances really lie.
The Hurt Syndicate arrived on the scene and this feels like a perfect opportunity for this stable to shine. Shelton Benjamin has been underestimated for much of his professional career and yet, at nearly 50 years old, he’s still able to perform at a high level. It feels like a missed opportunity not to include him here.
Kyle O’Reilly is one of the best stars AEW has on its current roster, point blank. Had he not been injured last year, I believe he would’ve competed in the Continental Classic. Now is his time to really stand out amongst the rest. He might be in The Conglomeration, but it definitely shouldn’t hold him back as a singles competitor.
Roderick Strong distancing himself from the rest of The Undisputed Kingdom has definitely been to his benefit more than a detriment. He’s been popping back up in recent weeks putting on great singles matches, and he’s the perfect person for a challenge like the Continental Classic.
