The 2025 Continental Classic has concluded with Jon Moxley winning his first Continental Classic tournament and capturing the AEW Continental Championship at AEW Worlds End in Chicago. In a dramatic finish on December 27, Moxley wrestled twice in one night—defeating Kyle Fletcher in the semifinals and then Kazuchika Okada in the finals to end The Rainmaker's historic 647-day reign as Continental Champion.

Konosuke Takeshita made history by becoming the first wrestler to finish the tournament's round-robin phase undefeated with a perfect 4-0-1 record and 13 points, while the Gold League came down to the final matches with all six competitors tied at 6 points entering the decisive night.

AEW Continental Classic 2025: Week 3 Update w/ Ian Riccaboni! | AEW Continental Classic

AEW Worlds End Finals Results

Continental Classic Semifinals:

• Kazuchika Okada def. Konosuke Takeshita – Don Callis Family stablemates faced off in a hard-fought battle, with Okada advancing to the finals
• Jon Moxley def. Kyle Fletcher – In a Match of the Year contender, Moxley overcame Fletcher's systematic attack on his leg and advanced to face Okada

Continental Classic Championship Final:

• Jon Moxley def. Kazuchika Okada to win the 2025 Continental Classic and become the new AEW Continental Champion

The victory marked Moxley's first Continental Classic championship after falling to Eddie Kingston in the 2023 finals. Moxley's triumph ended Okada's historic run with the title and gave the Death Riders leader one of the most memorable nights of his career, wrestling twice and delivering two instant classics back-to-back.

Following the match, Moxley addressed the crowd and said the title doesn't belong to him—it belongs to everybody in the Continental Classic who gave everything they had, to the fans who support professional wrestling, and to everyone in AEW who shows up every day. Claudio Castagnoli and the Death Riders celebrated with Moxley in the ring as he was crowned the 2025 Continental Classic Champion.

Final Standings

Blue League

Gold League

**Jack Perry replaced Darby Allin, who was forced to withdraw due to injuries suffered in his Week 1 match against Kevin Knight.

Week 5 Results

AEW Dynamite on 34th Street (December 24, 2025) – Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City:

• Konosuke Takeshita def. Orange Cassidy (Blue League) – Takeshita clinches first semifinal spot
• Mascara Dorada def. Roderick Strong (Blue League)
• Jack Perry def. PAC (Gold League) – Creates six-way tie in Gold League at 6 points

AEW Christmas Collision (December 25, 2025) – Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City:

• Kyle Fletcher def. Jack Perry (Gold League) – Fletcher advances to semifinals with 9 points
• Konosuke Takeshita def. Mascara Dorada (Blue League) – Takeshita finishes 4-0-1, first undefeated league finish in tournament history
• Roderick Strong def. Claudio Castagnoli (Blue League) – Strong plays spoiler, eliminates Castagnoli from semifinal contention
• PAC vs. Kevin Knight ended in a Draw (Gold League) – 20-minute time limit expired, both finish with 7 points
• Jon Moxley def. Orange Cassidy (Blue League) – Moxley clinches second Blue League semifinal spot with 9 points
• Kazuchika Okada def. Mike Bailey (Gold League) – Okada advances to semifinals with 9 points

Week 4 Results

AEW Holiday Bash (December 17, 2025) – Manchester, England:

• Jon Moxley def. Roderick Strong (Blue League)
• PAC def. Kyle Fletcher (Gold League)
• Orange Cassidy def. Mascara Dorada (Blue League)

Week 3 Results

• Kazuchika Okada def. Jack Perry (Gold League)

AEW Collision: Winter Is Coming (December 13, 2025):

• Konosuke Takeshita vs. Claudio Castagnoli ended in a Draw (Blue League) – 20-minute time limit expired
• Mike Bailey def. Kevin Knight (Gold League)

Week 2 Results

AEW Dynamite (December 3, 2025):

• Kazuchika Okada def. PAC (Gold League)
• Kyle Fletcher def. Kevin Knight (Gold League)
• Claudio Castagnoli def. Jon Moxley (Blue League)

AEW Collision (December 6, 2025):

• Orange Cassidy def. Roderick Strong (Blue League)
• Mascara Dorada def. Claudio Castagnoli (Blue League)
• Konosuke Takeshita def. Jon Moxley (Blue League)

Week 1 Results

AEW Dynamite (November 26, 2025):

• Kyle Fletcher def. Kazuchika Okada (Gold League)
• Jon Moxley def. Mascara Dorada (Blue League)
• Kevin Knight def. Darby Allin (Gold League)
• Claudio Castagnoli def. Orange Cassidy (Blue League)

• PAC def. Mike Bailey (Gold League)
• Konosuke Takeshita def. Roderick Strong (Blue League)

The Stakes: What Was On The Line

The winner of the 2025 Continental Classic was crowned AEW Continental Champion at Worlds End. Kazuchika Okada entered as the defending champion, holding the Continental Championship as part of the AEW Unified Championship (which combines the Continental and International titles). His historic reign of 647 days came to an end when Jon Moxley defeated him in the finals.

This marked the third annual Continental Classic. Eddie Kingston won the inaugural tournament in 2023, Okada captured the 2024 edition by defeating Will Ospreay in the finals, and Jon Moxley won the 2025 tournament.

Tournament Format and Continental Rules

The Continental Classic uses a round-robin format modeled after NJPW's legendary G1 Climax tournament. Twelve wrestlers are divided into two leagues of six, with each competitor facing every other wrestler in their league once.

Scoring:

• Win: 3 points
• Draw: 1 point
• Loss: 0 points

Ties are broken by head-to-head record. After the round-robin phase, the top two finishers in each league advance to the semifinals at Worlds End.

Semifinal Format:

• Blue League Winner vs. Gold League Runner-Up
• Gold League Winner vs. Blue League Runner-Up

The two semifinal winners then meet in the Championship Final later that same night.

All matches are held under Continental Rules: a strict 20-minute time limit, no one allowed at ringside, and outside interference is strictly prohibited under threat of being banned from AEW.

Key Storylines and Tournament Highlights

Moxley's Redemption and Historic Night

Jon Moxley delivered one of the most memorable performances in Continental Classic history, wrestling twice in one night and delivering two instant classics. After starting the tournament 2-2, Moxley finished with three straight victories to secure his semifinal spot with 9 points. In the semifinals, he battled Kyle Fletcher in what many called a Match of the Year contender, overcoming a systematic attack on his leg to advance to the finals. Just hours later, Moxley faced Kazuchika Okada and captured his first Continental Classic championship, ending The Rainmaker's 647-day reign. This marked redemption for Moxley, who lost to Eddie Kingston in the 2023 finals.

Takeshita Makes History

IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita became the first wrestler in Continental Classic history to finish league play undefeated, compiling a remarkable 4-0-1 record with 13 points. The Alpha clinched his semifinal spot on Dynamite on 34th Street with a hard-fought victory over Orange Cassidy, then closed out his league schedule on Christmas Collision by defeating Mascara Dorada. Takeshita's dominant run included wins over Roderick Strong, Jon Moxley, Orange Cassidy, and Mascara Dorada, with his only blemish being a time-limit draw against Claudio Castagnoli. Despite his historic round-robin performance, Takeshita fell to his Don Callis Family stablemate Kazuchika Okada in the semifinals.

Six-Way Tie Chaos in Gold League

The Gold League entered its final night of competition in unprecedented territory—all six wrestlers tied at 6 points. Jack Perry's victory over PAC on Dynamite on 34th Street created the remarkable six-way logjam, setting up a dramatic final night where every match mattered. In the end, Kyle Fletcher and Kazuchika Okada emerged as the two semifinalists, both finishing with 9 points. Fletcher ruthlessly targeted Jack Perry's injured ankle to secure his advancement, while Okada outlasted Mike Bailey in the main event. PAC and Kevin Knight fought to a time-limit draw and finished tied for third with 7 points each, while Bailey and Perry were eliminated at 6 points.

Moxley vs. Fletcher: Match of the Year Contender

The semifinal between Jon Moxley and Kyle Fletcher was widely praised as one of the best matches of 2025. Fletcher systematically targeted Moxley's leg throughout the contest, at one point removing his boot to expose the injury. The veteran Moxley used his experience and ring awareness to overcome Fletcher's brutal gameplan, even as Fletcher desperately sought out a screwdriver (which Okada had removed earlier) in an attempt to secure victory. The match perfectly blended technical wrestling with storytelling, showcasing why both men are considered among the best in the world.

Castagnoli's Stunning Elimination

Claudio Castagnoli's hopes of advancing to the semifinals came crashing down on Christmas Collision when winless Roderick Strong pulled off a shocking upset. The CMLL World Heavyweight Champion needed only a draw to potentially advance on tiebreakers, but Strong—already eliminated from contention—played spoiler with his first tournament victory. The loss left Castagnoli in third place in the Blue League with 7 points, just two points shy of Jon Moxley's semifinal-clinching total. Following the match, the Death Riders attacked Strong until TNT Champion Mark Briscoe and Toni Storm made the save, setting up a Mixed Nuts Mayhem match at Worlds End.

Don Callis Family's Dominant Showing

The Don Callis Family successfully positioned three of its members in the semifinals, with Konosuke Takeshita winning the Blue League, Kazuchika Okada finishing second in the Gold League, and Kyle Fletcher winning the Gold League. Takeshita and Okada faced off in one semifinal, with Okada advancing. Fletcher faced Moxley in the other semifinal but came up short. Despite having three representatives in the final four, the Family walked away empty-handed as Moxley captured the championship.

Fletcher's Brutal Path

Kyle Fletcher secured his Gold League victory with a vicious performance against Jack Perry on Christmas Collision. Fletcher systematically targeted Perry's ankle throughout the match, at one point removing Perry's boot and sock to stomp his exposed foot against the steel steps. Perry showed heart by fighting back—even biting Fletcher's nipple to escape a suplex attempt—but Fletcher's ruthless gameplan proved successful as he scored the decisive victory with less than a minute remaining. The win gave Fletcher 9 points and the head-to-head tiebreaker over Kazuchika Okada, who also finished with 9 points.

Darby Allin's Forced Withdrawal

Darby Allin's tournament came to an abrupt end after suffering injuries in his Week 1 loss to Kevin Knight. AEW announced that Jack Perry would replace Allin in the Gold League, inheriting his remaining matches. Perry finished with a 2-3 record and 6 points, falling just short of the semifinals despite his Week 5 victory over PAC that created the six-way tie. Meanwhile, Allin's feud with Gabe Kidd intensified during the tournament, culminating in Kidd throwing Allin down a flight of stairs on Dynamite on 34th Street. Despite the attack, Allin accepted Kidd's challenge for a match at Worlds End, where he defeated Kidd.

Tournament History

The Continental Classic is AEW's premier singles tournament, held annually to determine the AEW Continental Champion. The tournament format honors professional wrestling's rich tournament history while creating new stars and memorable moments each year.

Previous Winners:

• 2023: Eddie Kingston (defeated Jon Moxley in the finals)
• 2024: Kazuchika Okada (defeated Will Ospreay in the finals)
• 2025: Jon Moxley (defeated Kazuchika Okada in the finals)

The 2025 Continental Classic concluded on December 27, 2025, with Jon Moxley winning the tournament and capturing the AEW Continental Championship.