AEW Continental Championship | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Details | |||||||||||||||||
Promotion | All Elite Wrestling | ||||||||||||||||
Date established | November 18, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||
Current champion(s) | Kazuchika Okada | ||||||||||||||||
Date won | March 20, 2024 | ||||||||||||||||
|
The AEW Continental Championship is a men's professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Established on November 18, 2023, the title has a special attribute in that it is defended under Continental Rules in which no one is allowed at ringside and outside interference is strictly prohibited. The reigning champion is Kazuchika Okada, who is in his first reign. He won the title by defeating Eddie Kingston on the March 20, 2024, episode of Dynamite .
The title is also the prize of the AEW Continental Classic (C2), an annual round-robin tournament that begins at the end of November and culminates at the AEW Worlds End pay-per-view event in late December. The champion at the time of the tournament is automatically entered and defends the title in the C2. Eddie Kingston became the first ever Continental Champion after winning the inaugural tournament in December 2023. Kingston was subsequently also recognized by AEW as the American Triple Crown Champion, also referred to as the Continental Crown, as he simultaneously held the ROH World Championship of sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH) and the Strong Openweight Championship of partner promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). After Kazuchika Okada won the Continental Championship in March 2024, it was separated from the Triple Crown.
On November 11, 2023, the American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) announced a tournament called the Continental Classic (C2). 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 held across episodes of Dynamite, Rampage , and Collision , and then concluding at the Worlds End pay-per-view (PPV) event on December 30. [1] [2] It was also announced that the winner of the tournament would become the inaugural holder of the AEW Continental Championship. [3]
Eddie Kingston became the inaugural Continental Champion by defeating Jon Moxley in the final of the C2 at Worlds End. [4] Kingston was also declared the American Triple Crown Champion (also referred to as the Continental Crown) upon winning the Continental Championship, as he simultaneously held the ROH World Championship of sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH) and the Strong Openweight Championship of partner promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). By being part of the Triple Crown Championship, the Continental Championship was recognized by AEW, ROH, and NJPW, allowing it to be defended in all three promotions. [3] [5]
On the March 20, 2024, episode of Dynamite, the championship was defended for the first time by itself, where Kazuchika Okada defeated Kingston to win the title. This in turn separated the Continental Championship from the Triple Crown. Tony Khan then clarified the rules of the championship. Title matches are held under Continental Rules, which are the same rules that were used during the C2 in which no one is allowed at ringside and outside interference is strictly prohibited. He also re-clarified that whoever is champion coming out of November's Full Gear PPV, they would automatically be entered into the C2 and would defend the title in the tournament. [6]
As of December4, 2024, there have been two reigns. Eddie Kingston was the inaugural champion, which was the shortest reign at 81 days, while Kazuchika Okada's ongoing reign is the longest at 259+ days. Kingston is also the oldest champion at 42 years old, while Okada is the youngest at 36.
Kazuchika Okada is the current champion in his first reign. He defeated Eddie Kingston on the March 20, 2024, episode of Dynamite in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
No. | Overall reign number |
---|---|
Reign | Reign number for the specific champion |
Days | Number of days held |
+ | Current reign is changing daily |
No. | Champion | Championship change | Reign statistics | Notes | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Location | Reign | Days | ||||
1 | Eddie Kingston | December 30, 2023 | Worlds End | Uniondale, NY | 1 | 81 | Defeated Jon Moxley in the finals of the 12-man Continental Classic tournament; Kingston's ROH World Championship and NJPW Strong Openweight Championship were also on the line, and he was dubbed the inaugural American Triple Crown Champion (also referred to as the Continental Crown) for holding all three titles. [7] | [8] |
2 | Kazuchika Okada | March 20, 2024 | Dynamite | Toronto, ON, Canada | 1 | 259+ | This match was only for the Continental Championship. | [9] |
The ROH World Championship is a professional wrestling world championship created and promoted by Ring of Honor (ROH). It is considered the most prestigious title in the promotion. The current champion is Chris Jericho, who is in his second reign. In addition to being in ROH, the championship is also defended on All Elite Wrestling's (AEW) programs, as AEW and ROH are both owned by Tony Khan.
Edward Moore, better known by the ring name Eddie Kingston, is an American professional wrestler. As of July 2020, he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is out of in-ring action because of a leg injury, but continues to make on-air appearances. He was the inaugural AEW Continental Champion. Moore also performs for AEW's sister promotion, Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is a former ROH World Champion. Additionally, he makes appearances for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former Strong Openweight Champion. All three of these championships were defended jointly under the Continental Crown Championship banner until he lost the Continental Championship.
Jeffrey Cobb is an American professional wrestler and former amateur wrestler signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a member of the United Empire stable.
Stephen Blake Woltz, better known by his ring name "Hangman" Adam Page, is an American professional wrestler. As of January 2019, he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a former AEW World Champion and AEW World Tag Team Champion. He is also a former member of The Elite
Roppongi Vice was a professional wrestling tag team consisting of Trent Beretta and Rocky Romero who are best known for their time together in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Ring of Honor (ROH), and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where they are former four-time IWGP Junior Heavyweight Tag Team Champions.
William Peter Charles Ospreay is an English professional wrestler. As of November 2023, he is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a former two-time AEW International Champion. He is also known for his eight year tenure with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he held various championships, including the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship.
The Elite is a villainous professional wrestling stable currently appearing in the American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The group currently consists of co-leaders The Young Bucks, Kazuchika Okada, and Jack Perry.
Jamie White, better known by the ring name Jay White, is a New Zealand professional wrestler. As of April 2023, he is signed to All Elite Wrestling, where he is the leader of the Bang Bang Gang. White is a former Unified World Trios Champion. Prior to signing with AEW, White had a decorated career in New Japan Pro-Wrestling as the first ever NJPW Grand Slam Champion.
United Empire, originally The Empire, is a professional wrestling faction performing in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), All Elite Wrestling (AEW), and Ring of Honor (ROH). The faction is led by Will Ospreay and TJP.
The Strong Openweight Championship is a professional wrestling championship owned and promoted by the New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) promotion. The title was officially announced on April 2, 2021, and the inaugural champion was Tom Lawlor. The current champion is Gabe Kidd, who is in his first reign. He won the title on May 11, 2024 by defeating Eddie Kingston at Resurgence in Ontario, California, USA.
Kyle Fletcher is an Australian professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is a member of the Don Callis Family stable. He also performs in its sister company Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is a former one-time ROH World Tag Team Champion and ROH World Television Champion. Fletcher was previously signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he was a former IWGP Tag Team Champion and inaugural and record-setting two-time Strong Openweight Tag Team Champion. He also made appearances for British promotion Revolution Pro Wrestling (RevPro), where he was a two-time Undisputed British Tag Team Champion.
The Death Riders is a villainous professional wrestling stable that performs in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), and Ring of Honor (ROH). The stable consists of original member and current leader Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta, Pac and Marina Shafir. Moxley is the current AEW World Champion in his record-setting fourth reign, while Castagnoli, Yuta and Pac are the current holders of the AEW World Trios Championship in their first reign.
The 2022 Forbidden Door was the inaugural Forbidden Door professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event and supershow co-produced by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and the Japan-based New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). It took place on June 26, 2022, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois, and was the first AEW/NJPW co-promoted event. It was the first professional wrestling pay-per-view held at this venue since Spring Stampede in 2000, which was produced by World Championship Wrestling (WCW).
The AEW International Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It is a secondary championship for male wrestlers, and unlike AEW's other titles, which are almost exclusively defended on AEW programming, the International Championship can also be defended in other promotions globally. The reigning champion is Konosuke Takeshita, who is in his first reign. He won the title by defeating the previous champion Will Ospreay and Ricochet in a three-way match at WrestleDream on October 12, 2024 when he pinned Ospreay.
Davis Passfield, better known by his in-ring name Mark Davis, is an Australian professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He also appears in its sister company Ring of Honor (ROH), where he is a former one-time ROH World Tag Team Champion. He also appears for New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is a former IWGP Tag Team Champion, and record-setting and inaugural two-time Strong Openweight Tag Team Champion and Revolution Pro Wrestling, where he is a former two-time Undisputed British Tag Team Champion.
Aussie Open were an Australian professional wrestling tag team, consisting of Mark Davis and Kyle Fletcher. They are currently signed, as individuals, to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), and also wrestle for AEW’s sister company Ring of Honor (ROH), where they are former ROH World Tag Team Champions.
The 2023 Continental Classic, colloquially abbreviated as the C2, was a professional wrestling round-robin tournament hosted by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The inaugural edition of the AEW Continental Classic began on the November 22, 2023 episode of AEW Dynamite and culminated at the Worlds End pay-per-view (PPV) on December 30, 2023. Tournament matches were held under "Continental Rules", which feature a twenty-minute time limit and strictly prohibit outside interference. Eddie Kingston – who also put his ROH World Championship and NJPW Strong Openweight Championship on the line in the tournament – won the tournament by defeating Jon Moxley in the final, and was crowned the first-ever AEW Continental Champion.
The American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has maintained several secondary championships since its inception in 2019. The company's first secondary championship was the AEW TNT Championship, which was established in 2020 for the men's division.
The Continental Classic, colloquially abbreviated as the C2, is an annual professional wrestling round-robin tournament hosted by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The tournament is usually held at the end of the calendar year and culminates at AEW's Worlds End pay-per-view (PPV) event in December. Tournament matches are held under "Continental Rules", in which outside interference is strictly prohibited. The prize of the tournament is the AEW Continental Championship; the incumbent champion at the beginning of each tournament is automatically entered, and defends the title throughout the tournament.