What's new, worshippers of worked whiplash?!
I mean, aside from it being a new year and all, I guess that was a pretty silly question to ask, eh?
Regardless! Welcome to 2026! What a year 2025 was! I have high hopes for 2026 and, if the tail end of '25 is any indication, I think '26 is gonna be a good year for the graps.
Let's go over AEW's Continental Classic semifinals and finals to cap off the year that was, yeah?
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| AEW |
Weekly Roundup
Here's what I watched for the end of 2025;
And here's what I watched for the start of 2026;
AEW Worlds End 2025
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| AEW |
FTR vs. Bang Bang Gang - Street Fight - 🟡
A match that focused far too much on a trashcan in the opening minutes than you'd expect, FTR and the Bang Bang's failed to deliver a bang bang of a match, if we can be really honest here. Changing this do a garbage match did little to accentuate anyone's strengths and, in some ways, only allowed for weaknesses to become more and moire glaring. I adore FTR and thing the Bang Bang's are pretty good, but I don't really think either team came out of this match looking better than they did going into it. I never really felt like this match was doing anything really impactful or meaningful, honestly, and felt pretty disinterested throughout.
Babes Of Wrath vs. Athena & Mercedes Mone - 🟢
In stark contrast to the previous tag match, I feel this match did wonders in making the Babes feel like legitimate champions and contenders as well, Harley especially. It's one thing to have a tag match against two of the most dominant women's champions in the company, it's another to stand toe-to-toe and actually feel like you are deserving of being in that position. Willow was more than able to hold her own and Harley looked great during her bits of offence, showing just how much she'd improved in the last 12 months. Further sowing the seeds of doubt in Mercedes' multitude of reigns, Willow was able to pin her for three to retain the tag titles. Great stuff from all involved.
Gabe Kidd vs. Darby Allin - 🟢
A last minute addition to the card, Kidd and Allin proved to be every bit as violent and brutal as it sounds on paper. The Mercenary of the Death Riders, Kidd has shone in every chance he's had to be on TV in AEW, having a fantastic year from having a legitimate MOTY contender with the returning Kenny Omega in January. Similar to that match, Gabe wasted no time trying to kill Darby Allin, busting the daredevil wide open and flinging him around the ring with reckless abandon. I had very little hype and mild interest in this match going into it, but it blew all expectations away and ended up being one of my favourite matches on the show. Fantastically brutal. Great stuff.
The Conglomeration, Roderick Strong & Toni Storm vs. Death Riders - Mixed Eight Man Tag Team Mixed Nuts Mayhem Match - 🟢
Man, this match was a lot of fun, eh? We had some moments of inter-gender wrestling (something I fully support, BTW), with Claudio nearly killing Toni with his running corner European and a big swing on the Timeless one. Roddy and Marina had a brief domestic in the ring, which was a fun moment, and Toni and Cassidy decided to take a moment to embrace and dance in the centre as an offensive flurry. This match was all over the place, a clusterfuck, and loads of fun. Hard to find anything to complain about with this one really. If it doesn't put a smile on your face, then we can't be friends.
Kris Statlander vs. Jamie Hayter - 🟢
Another match in the long line of "proving the women's championship is also a world championship," Kris and Jamie almost seemed like they had a chip on their shoulder with this one. For being on the shelf the better part of this year, Hayter has had some real trouble getting a lot of meaningful momentum under her feet, with Kris putting on fantastic defence after defence since winning her championship a few short months ago. Beating seven bells out of one another, these ladies held nothing back and went hell for leather, with Hayter pushing Stat about as far as you'd hope the former champion would be able to. There were a few gnarly spots in the match, with a scary looking driver off the top rope that looked to hurt Hayter more than intended, but both women fought through to the end, putting in a fantastic shift.
Samoa Joe vs. Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland vs. MJF - 🟡
A decent-to-great main event that felt kinda off, if I can be honest with you guys. First off, Samoa Joe felt like a complete afterthought in the buildup to this match. He was largely absent in promos, with Swerve and Hanger spending the majority of time on screen together going after the recently returning MJF. The match itself felt pretty paint by numbers and never really got into a crazy second or even third gear. I felt like MJF didn't really factor in in a meaningful way and the only compelling parts were when Swerve and Hangman had interactions, either alongside or against each other. Now that I've spent some time talking about the lacklustre match, can I talk about the booking decision here, for just a minute? MJF winning? Oh boy... can't say I'm happy with that decision, honestly. I mean, where do I begin. Hangman's reign is cut off, what I think many would argue, prematurely, Joe getting a one month, one retention reign off the back of that win is completely insane, and MJF winning the title after having, unarguably, one of the rougher years in his career, showing a complete inability to change anything about his presentation (aside from his hairplugs) and playing by the same grade school-level heel playbook that he got far too comfortable with does very little to instill a sense of confidence in this win and upcoming reign. I really, really want some fresh talent winning the Men's World Championship. Sure, I'm a hypocrite by celebrating Hangman as champion, but we haven't had a new person win the gold since Danielson, and that was August of 2024. You've got a stacked upper card and a bunch of top level midcarders that could slot into the main event tomorrow and fit in beautifully. Please let 2026 be the year we get some, hell, maybe two, fresh reigns with the Men's World Championship. Ospreay, Fletcher, Bandido, Daraby, Briscoe, Claudio, to name but a few off the top off my head. I was already not looking forward to this match, which is a fucking shame, but this win did little to excite me for the year that is to come.
Here’s what we’re reviewing for the Watchlist;
And no, those question marks are not a clerical error. I felt it would be fun to leave the winner of both matches a surprise for you too, dear reader. I can't just spoil the whole C2 on you now, can I?
• • • • •
Kazuchika Okada vs. Konosuke Takeshita - The Rainmaker and The Alpha Finally Collide
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| Don's biggest boys are set to collide. AEW |
Bell to Bell
The first of 3 C2 matches pits two members of the Don Callis Family against one another, Okada and Takeshita. For weeks now, tensions have been building between the two, with everyone wondering when these two would get a chance to share a ring. Not side by side, but one-on-one. As luck would have it, point totals brought these two men head to head in the Semi-Finals of the C2.
Surprisingly, Okada starts the match by offering a handshake, but Takeshita knows better and slaps the hand away, not willing to accept this simple, albeit feigned, showing of respect.
Trading holds at the start, the pair jockey for position in the centre of the ring, with Takeshita pushing Okada to the ropes early on as he gains a slight advantage. The referee gets between them to force a break, with Takeshita slow to release, holding a hand up and ready to chop at a moments notice if Okada were to lash out. Back to the middle they return, with Okada starting to tie Takeshita's legs up in the middle. They're vertical once again, with Okada pushing Takeshita to the ropes this time. Abiding by the rules, Okada backs off Takeshita and gives him room to breathe, holding his hands up to say "look! Not touching him!" Taking a step forward, however, Okada lightly pats the chest of Takeshita once, a simple "big brother" gesture, but it speaks volumes. "I could have really hit you there. I saw the opportunity and took it. Why didn't you?"
The pair exchance shoulder tackles in the middle, with Takeshita absorbing the blow from Okada and standing firm, with Okada taking the shot but stumbling back a few small steps. Without skipping a beat, they both go for some of their heaviest hitting moves right out the gate, Okada grabs the wrist and tries for the Rainmaker and Takeshita charges in for the Power Drive knee, but both are ducked or avoided. It's not until Okada sends Takeshita into the ropes that he's able to land anything significant, taking Okada out with a Takeshita-line.
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| Trying to end things early. AEW |
A side Russian leg sweep takes Okada down and opens him up for a submission stretch, with Takeshita pulling back on the Rainmaker arm (also known as his right arm) to try and weaken his most powerful weapon. Okada gets a foot on the rope and slips to the floor to escape, with Takeshita following close behind. Okada tries to shoot him into the barricade, but Takeshita reverses and sends him into the steel wall instead. Thinking on his feet, Okada lies in wait and repositions a chair, knowing Takeshita is winding up for a big running attack. Moving out of the way at the last possible second, Okada trips up Takeshita and sends him face first into the chair. A DDT on the floor spikes Takeshita hard, with Okada rolling in and out of the ring to break the count to keep the fight on the floor.
Something I've really started to notice more and more after watching Okada this year and in the C2, is he loves working a slow pace at the start of his matches. I mean, there's times it could be considered glacial. Okada ain't moving quick for God or anybody until a match hits the 12 minute mark at a minimum. Sure, I know the gif I just added directly contradicts what I just said, but man, he spends a lot of his matches moving very, very slowly.
A neckbreaker and aa boot on the chest is all Okada does to try and pin Takeshita, who gets out in seconds, barely letting the referee get a count of one. Back on his feet, Takeshita lays in heavy, heavy forearm shots, but Okada eats them and plants him with another DDT, sitting pretty in the centre of the ring before floating over for another pin attempt, but it only scores two. Backed in the corner now, Okada lays into Takeshita with back elbow shots, a running back elbow draws Takeshita to centre off the impact, with Okada looking for another DDT, only for Takeshita to muscle Okada off the mat and into a big vertical suplex!
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| Insane strength. AEW |
Okada is able to duck a Takeshita-line, but a sneaky headscissors catches him and takes him down in a hurry. Rolling to the floor again, Okada tries to get some air but Takeshita takes to the air and crushes him with a big 'ol tope, landing inches from the table. Taking a moment to look at the Continental Championship set up at the announce table, Takeshita rolls Okada back inside and follows suit, lining him up in the corner before charging in with a huge boot. An exploder suplex pulls him out of the corner and into a cover, but Okada is free at two.
Wasting no motion, Takeshita pulls Okada into a head and arm choke and rips him back down to the canvas, trying to sap the life from the Continental Champion. Desperate and not afraid to stoop as low as necessary, Okada digs into the eyes of Takeshita with his free hand, breaking the hold and sending Takeshita stumbling to the corner. Takeshita charges at Okada in the opposite corner, but Okada fights him off and catches him on his shoulders when Okada tries to float over Okada, landing a neckbreaker across the knee in the centre of the ring.
Shifting into a comfortable gear, Okada bodyslams Takeshita and goes to the corner for his elbow drop. Landing square in the chest of Takeshita, he hits his signature middle finger salute in the centre of the ring, calling for the end. Takeshita, defiant to his dying breath, meets Okada's single-finger salute with his forehead, pressing into it as he rises to his full height. Trading forearms in the centre, both men are rocked with each shot, back and forth, Okada stumbling to a knee after Takeshita lands rapid fire elbows to the jaw.
⚡Move of the Match⚡
A triplet of European uppercut's drops Takeshita to a knee this time, with Okada attempting a tombstone, only for Takeshita to reverse and land a driver of his own! Adjusting his grip, Takeshita rips Okada off the canvas and into a huge wheelbarrow suplex!
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| Deadlifting the dead. AEW |
With Okada down, Takeshita lines him up out of the corner for the Power Drive knee, but Okada counters and twists Takeshita around into an... Emerald Flowsion?! Pulling Takeshita up and in for the Rainmaker, he fires off the shot but gets scooped up and driven with a huge spinning Blue Thunder Bomb from Takeshita, avoiding the killing blow from Okada. Both men are down and out after the exchange, with Takeshita getting to his feet first, lining up Okada for the Power Drive, only to get caught in the centre.
Standing to meet Takeshita eye-to-eye, Okada twists him around until he's able to land a modified Rainmaker, but Takeshita eats the shot and stands firm, barely flinching. Maintaining wrist control, he crushes Okada with a triplet of forearms, but Okada eats them and fires back with another lariat, flattening Takeshita instantly. The pair trade backslides in the middle, with Takeshita going for another Power Drive to the corner, with Okada slipping out of the way before taking the waist of Takeshita, driving him into the canvas with a big 'ol German suplex. Keeping the grip, he tries for another Rainmaker, but Takeshita fights hard, able to flip around and tie up Okada for a tight, flash pin attempt, but Okada breaks free just before three.
First, a shotgun dropkick sends Takeshita rolling back, only for him to fire up to his feet and charge at Okada in the centre. Then, a picture-perfect standing dropkick from Okada drops Takeshita. Another Rainmaker is attempted, but Takeshita blocks and manages to land a poison rana on Okada, stacking him high on his head and shoulders. In the corner again, Takeshita lines Okada up and fires, finally able to connect with the Power Drive knee before falling into a pin attempt, but Okada gets free at two.
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| The power! It's driving! AEW |
Pulling Okada up, Takeshita tries for Raging Fire, but Okada fights free, stumbling to the corner chest first. Takeshita charges in, but Okada fights him back with a back elbow strike. Fighing around in the turnbuckle covering, Okada finds a screwdriver and holds it close, grinning an evil grin. From out of nowhere, Takeshita charges in with a huge knee to the back of Okada, with Takeshita trying to land a Rainmaker on the Rainmaker. Okada reverses into a Rainmaker attempt of his own (might consider an umbrella for this portion of the match), but misses and nearly runs into the referee, who cowers in the corner long enough for Okada to brain Takeshita with the screwdriver, dropping him like a shot.
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| Screw you, Okada. AEW |
Hiding them in his trunks, Okada covers and the count rings three, the Rainmaker screwing fellow Don Callis Family member with a screwdriver, of all things. After the bell, Okada is quick to toss the screwdriver under the ring, disposing of his evidence before joining Don on the ramp to celebrate.
Okada has advanced to the finals.
Overview & Final Rating
🟢 - Don Callis would recommend this match highly.
A slower start to this match, which seems to be the Okada special, but once it gets kicked into second gear, it's pretty comfortably there for the rest of the match, shifting into third to get us to the finish. The screwy, pardon the pun, finish helped to further sow the seeds between Okada and Takeshita, with their eventual blowoff match getting built more and more with each passing episode. While I wish there was a different result, I'm not completely disappointed in how it went down, with the weapon finish kinda making it feel better than if Okada just straight won, clean as a whistle. Now Takeshita has another reason to want to take Okada out, aside from jealousy among the family. Fun match and a great way to start the night of matches.
• • • • •
Jon Moxley vs. Kyle Fletcher - The Death Rider clashes with The Protostar
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Bell to Bell
The second semi-final match pits Mox and Fletch against each other, who are tied in points. To the surprise of many, Mox came to the ring to a fairly positive reaction tonight, in stark contrast to the usual resounding boo's he receives. It is because he's stood across from someone the people like even less in Fletcher? Or has his work in the C2 endeared him to the fans through sheer hard work and determination? Hard to say, but time will tell how this reaction plays out.
A double knuckle lock starts this match off, with Fletcher backing Mox into the corner for early pressure. It does little more than annoy Mox, who takes a waistlock out of a tie up in the centre of the ring. Fletcher fights out and hyperextends the elbow of Mox, but he fights out and chops the chest of Fletcher, sending him rolling out to the floor. Fletcher is slow to get back in the ring, taking his time to saunter around ringside while Moxley stews and grows more frustrated in the ring. When Fletcher does cross the threshold and return to the ring, albeit very slowly, he sidesteps and rolls right back out to the floor, maintaining eye contact with Mox as he does, as if to say "oh? Does this bother you?"
Tired of waiting, Mox rolls to the floor and takes the fight to Fletcher on the floor, chopping him and ramming him into the barricade and announce table. Rolling him back inside, Mox takes a moment to psych himself up on the floor, which only served to grant Fletcher the small window he needed, drilling Mox with a bodyslam the moment he re-entered the ring. I need to echo the sentiment of the announcers here, Fletcher really does have one of the best and nastiest bodyslams in wrestling right now. It's such a basic move but the way he delivers it is so impactful, it's stunning.
Laying boots into the throat of Mox in the corner and chops across the ropes and in the corner once he's vertical, Fletcher finds himself stalking Moxley around the ring as he marches out of strikes to try and find some sort of safety inside the ring. Fighting out of a corner chop, Mox lariat's Fletcher after sending him into the opposite corner, tossing the stunned Fletch to the floor as he rolls under the bottom rope to follow him out. A whip to the barricade drops Fletch, and a well positioned chair allows Mox to seat his opponent before running through him with a boot to the jaw.
Fighting out of the slump he fell into, Fletcher ramps Mox into the barricade and drops him with a solid forearm shot under the jaw, raining a small advantage. Catching his breath by leaning against the steps at ringside, Fletcher begins to reposition them as Mox springs to life, attempting to pull the torso of Fletcher up the stairs for a stomp, but Fletcher pulls the stairs out from under him, with Mox falling back to the floor and getting his left leg sandwiched between the stairs and the apron. A dropkick sends the stairs into the leg of Mox, crushing it further.
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| Say goodbye to your leg. AEW |
In a moment that would prove to do more damage than previously thought, when Fletcher pulls the stairs away to free Mox, he stumbles and falls forward, going face, more specifically mouth first, into the top of the steps. Falling to the floor and holding his mouth, this was the moment where Mox chipped his front tooth, an injury we wouldn't notice until later on in the match. It's such a simple moment and, with someone like Mox, you'd almost expect the injury to come from a stiff kick or wild forearm. But no, he just fell and broke his tooth, super simple. Kinda funny.
With the already bad leg weakened further, Fletcher begins to tie up the lower half of Mox to apply even more pressure, falling back to the canvas to snap the leg back at a wicked angle. With Mox in the corner now, he ties the leg up in the ropes and bends the ankle at a nasty angle, making sure to remind referee Brysce Remsburg, "I have 'till 5!" A single leg crab in the middle puts Mox in some real danger, but he fights out and boots Fletcher off, catching him with a cutter when he charges across the ring to keep the pressure on.
When Fletch rolls to the floor for air, instead of rolling out to follow him, Mox instead rebounds off the ropes and... goes for a dive?! What in the world?! Moxley, in 2025, takes flight?! I never thought I'd see the day. Colliding with Fletcher on the outside, he lands and immediately grabs his ankle, stumbling around as he tries to put weight on the bad wheel. Back inside the ring, Fletcher is able to snatch Mox for a quick driver in the middle, holding him down for a pin, but Mox escapes at two.
Backing Mox into the corner, Fletcher lines him up for his signature corner kick, but Mox staggers out and lariats Fletcher at centre ring, only staggering the Protostar as a result. Begging for more, Mox readies himself and fires off another wicked lariat, but it still only staggers Fletch, who rebounds off the ropes and crashes into Mox with a lariat of his own. When Mox tries for another, Fletcher ducks, rebounding off the ropes and trying to land a running lariat, he misses, but Mox doesn't, crushing Fletcher with a wicked shot.
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| Off with your head! AEW |
Back on their feet, they trade heavy handed forearm shots back and forth, with Fletcher able to nearly knock Mox off balance, sending him reeling to the corner. Fighting out, Mox charges and lands a big double leg dropkick on Fletcher, sending him back into the corner. Mounting with corner punches, Mox gets shoved to the apron before falling to the floor. Following him out to the apron, Fletcher goes for a punt to the chest of Mox but gets caught, his leg shoved violently back, resulting in Fletcher falling face first on the apron. With both men on the apron now, Mox tries a stop but he whiffs, holding the ropes after eating a superkick from Fletch.
Going for broke, Fletcher pulls Moxley in and drills him heavy with a brainbuster on the apron. Able to win the match on a countout, Fletcher rolls back inside and awaits the count to reach 10, more than content to win by any means necessary. Somehow, some way, Mox survives, rolling back inside the ring only for Fletcher to snatch him the second he's inside and drill him, and I mean drill him with a sit-out powerbomb. He covers, but Mox survives at two. My lord.
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| Consider your brain, buster. AEW |
Back to the submission attempts, a single leg crab is applied but Mox's face is as determined as ever, he's going to hold out as long as physically possible. Fletcher gets cocky trying to apply more pressure, leaning back extra on the hold and allowing for Mox to reach back and snatch him under the chin, pulling him around for the bulldog choke! Fighting for anything, Fletcher is able to find the bad wheel of Mox and grab on tight, breaking his choke hold as he applies an ankle lock, complete with a leg grapevine! Bending and twisting at the limb, Mox fights to get to the ropes and finally makes it, breaking the hold before his leg breaks.
Picking up Mox and placing him on the top rope, Fletcher wants the top rope brainbuster but Mox fights out, climbing down and changing position to get behind Fletcher on top. Snatching him in a choke hold, he begins the squeeze as Remsburg begins the count, making sure he adheres to the five second rule of a hold in the corner.
⚡Move of the Match⚡
Grabbing Fletcher under the arms, Mox pops his hips and suplex's Fletcher out of the corner, fucking stuffing him head a neck first into the ring with a nasty, vicious suplex.
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| Holy mother of god. AEW |
Taking time to collect their souls after that landing, Mox is the first to rise, with Fletcher rolling to his hands and knees, leaving an opening for Mox to stuff him face first into the canvas with a stomp. Both men ended up suffering from the move, with Mox clutching at his leg after the impact as he struggles to crawl for the cover. Maybe if he didn't have a wounded leg, it would have been more successful, but Fletcher had enough time to recover and lie in wait, pulling Mox over for a quick backslide attempt, only scoring two, however.
Both men are showing far more life at this point in the match than they rightfully should, with Fletcher delivering a nasty knee strike and a half-and-half suplex to Mox before laying across for a cov- what?! Mox is out at one?! Full of piss and vinegar, Mox fires up to his knees, boiling over with rage and fury, refusing to give in. Pulling himself up in the corner, he turns around at the exact wrong time, his face meeting the charging boot of Fletcher, who grabs Mox out and pulls him in for his signature sheer drop brainbuster. Sitting across his torso, he covers for thre- no! Mox barely, and I mean barely survives at two!
Back vertical, Mox defiantly flips Fletcher off, the universal sign of "give me your best, bitch." Fletcher is more than happy to oblige, cleaving Mox's head from his shoulders with a heinous lariat that drops him heavy. With Bryce distracted with Mox, Fletcher goes to the corner and searches under the turnbuckle pad for something, but can't find it. Frantic, he rips the padding off of the top, middle, and bottom turnbuckle, checking the corner pads as well but coming up dry. We're led to believe that it was Fletcher who planted the screwdriver in the corner for his match against Moxley, but Okada caught wind of it and decided to use it in his match to give himself the victory. That sneaky bitch.
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| Cheers, Okada! AEW |
Not wasting any more time, Fletcher checks another corner for the weapon but obviously comes up dry. Seeing Mox stir in the middle, he returns to his foe, knowing he'll need to win this match all on his own now. A choke from Mox nearly costs him the match as Fletcher is able to roll through the grip and turn it into a pin, but he escapes at two. A Paradigm Shift drills Fletcher face first into the ring and Moxley covers for the win, but Fletch escapes, somehow. Pounding the mat in frustration, Mox goes for the killing blow. Pulling Fletcher to his feet, he double underhooks him again and picks him up high, landing his modified Paradigm Shift, the Death Rider. Sitting out on his chest, he covers for thre- what?! Fletcher survives!
Using no wasted motion, Mox ties Fletcher up in a rear naked choke, holding tight as he tries to sap the life out of the Protostar. Fletcher fights to his feet, but slumps forward to his knees, fading more and more as the seconds tick by, feeling like hours. Eventually, mercifully, Remsburg calls for the bell, with Fletcher passing out in the grip of Moxley.
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| Say goodnight, Protostar. AEW |
Mox has advanced to the finals.
Overview & Final Rating
🟢⭐ - One of the best matches of this year's C2. Highly recommended.
Man, what an awesome match this was. Fletcher and Moxley went hell for leather in this match and pulled out all the stops. Spending next to no time in first gear, these two went at it from the opening bell and tried everything short of actually killing each other near the final stretch of this violent war. Dropping each other on their heads, wicked strikes and throws, near falls that had everyone biting, this match has it all. Not only that, but it's a brilliant babyface performance from AEW's top heel as well! What a brilliant turn this was. I may not be fully on board with it, but this match proved that Mox still has it in him when he wants to get the people behind him. Great stuff from both men.
• • • • •
Kazuchika Okada vs. Jon Moxley - A One Legged Man in an Ass Kicking Contest
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| The time to fight for the gold has arrived. AEW |
Bell to Bell
The second to last match on the card pits Mox and Okada one-on-one for the Continental Championship. Both men have had some time to recover from their earlier matches, with Okada getting about 30 extra minutes on Moxley, who really could have benefited more from the extra time, but c'est la vie.
Again, Okada offers a handshake in the middle of the ring. Mox is hesitant, looking at the gesture before cussing Okada out to his face, punctuating his feelings with a middle finger mere inches from the nose of Okada. A tie up in the middle starts things off, with Okada pushing Mox to the ropes first. Similar to his match with Takeshita, Okada is slow to break, appearing as if he's going to try and "big brother" Mox with a pat to the chest, but he thinks better of that, instead opting to give Mox a single finger salute right back.
Taking the wrist of Okada, Mox worms him down to the canvas, but Okada is quick to react by snatching the left ankle of Moxley. Immediately, Mox breaks his grip and begins crawling backwards for the corner, desperate to save his bad wheel as quickly as possible. He rolls to the floor but lands bad on his foot, hobbling around at ringside for a moment, trying to roll and stretch his bad leg to get some feeling back. Back inside the ring again, Okada takes a waistlock out of a tie up and again, drops down for the leg, with Mox shifting for the ropes to break the hold. Okada is well aware that Mox has a glaring weakness in this match, and Mox knows he's going to need to put in a considerable shift to try and keep his bad wheel protected.
Mox has a waistlock this time, looking to be in control, but Okada reaches down and snatches the bad leg of Mox, dropping a knee into his knee joint and bending the leg at a vicious angle. Acting on instinct, Mox gouges the eyes of Okada to break the grip. When both men are vertical, they lock horns in the middle, forehead-to-forehead, both defiant and determined to wear the other man down to dust. Pie-facing each other in the middle, Okada uses the distance created by the shove to dart in for the leg of Mox, using his shoulder to hyper extend the knee and drop Mox flat out to his back, dropping an elbow on the leg before twisting at the ankle. Again, Mox is quick to counter, drilling Okada's forehead with quick, rabbit punches, enough to back the Rainmaker off to the other side of the ring.
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| Tough break, Mox. AEW |
Seating Mox on the top, Okada snipes him with a dropkick that sends him tumbling off the top. Wether luck or creative planning, when Mox falls to the floor, his left leg gets hooked for a mere moment on the top rope, putting extra pressure on the bad limb. Joining Mox on the floor, Okada isolates the bad limb and drives it into the steel steps, no subtlety in his offence whatsoever. Back inside the ring, Mox is struggling to stay on his feet, using the ropes for support. He muscles his way vertical, bruising Okada with heavy forearm shots, trading with Okada for a brief moment until the Rainmaker gets tired of getting hit in the face, delivering a low kick to the leg of Mox, dropping him like a shot.
Tying Mox's legs up in the middle, Okada tries a submission, but Mox fights out with solid headbutts, only for Okada to score a DDT and a quick pin, scoring only two. Shooting Mox into the ropes, Okada sends him crashing to the canvas with a back elbow, using his proximity to the ropes to land a slingshot senton from the apron to the ring. Pulling him up by the legs, Okada shifts an upside-down Mox on his back to crack his neck with his signature neckbreaker before trying for another cover, only scoring two again.
Setting a comfortable pace, Okada lands an elbow out of the corner and flips off the camera, trailing his finger down to the prone Mox below him, only for Mox to snatch the outstretched finger, using it to pull himself to his feet and halt Okada's momentum. With whatever energy and strength he has left on his bad leg, Mox rebounds off the ropes and flattens Okada with a wicked lariat.
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| If you shake my hand, better count your fingers. AEW |
Finding it in him to stay vertical, Mox fends off Okada with forearms and chops, backing him to the ropes. Reversing the whip, Okada stands in the centre of the ring, taking off to catch Mox with a dropkick on the rebound but Mox is too quick, catching the ropes to hold him in place, letting Okada land tough in the centre. Despite his own leg being injured, Mox ties up Okada in the centre of the ring with a figure four leglock. with Okada able to stretch and grab the ropes to break the hold. Okada appeared to be on a bad wheel himself, but all he did was bait in Mox for a dragon screw on the bad leg, bending and twisting the limb on the canvas to maximize damage.
Twisting Mox around into a cloverleaf, Okada sits out to try and force a submission, but Mox defiantly grabs the ropes to save himself. Shooting Okada from one corner to another, Mox charges in but gets popped up over Okada, who is able to catch him on his shoulders and carry him to the centre. Able to adjust and shift his weight, Mox drops down and holds Okada in position, drilling him with a Gotch style piledriver!
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| Stuffed 'em. AEW |
Wasting no motion, Mox floats over and grabs Okada in a bulldog choke, wanting to sap whatever life is left in his opponent here and now. Okada fights to his feet but starts to go limp, with Mox letting the grip go immediately to try for the Paradigm Shift, but Okada grabs a waistlock, proving he's not quite as out of it as Mox thought. Nearly running into the ref in the corner, Okada twists Mox out for the rainmaker, causing toe referee to cower in the corner as Mox nearly runs into him. Turning back around, Mox walks right into a low blow from Okada, dropping him to his knees.
The Rainmaker lands and Okada goes for a cover, but Mox escapes at two, with Okada rolling to the floor and retrieving his Continental Championship from the announce table. The referee is quick to take the title from him and return it to a ringside attendant, with Mox getting his revenge, driving a forearm into Okada's jewels. As both men rise to their feet, there's a wordless conversation happening in the middle. Mox draws a line in the ring with his foot, flipping Okada off as he does so. "Try me, bitch. Cross the line. Come get me." Okada is happy to oblige, landing the first in a series of back-and-forth forearm shots in the centre. Feeling good after staggering Okada, Mox rebounds off the ropes for a big shot but eats a dropkick from Okada, dropping him heavy. Refusing to stay down, Mox fires up to his feet, bellowing and turning 180 to face Okada, his hand in the shape of a gun, pointing directly at his opponent.
Fighting the wrist control Okada was able to grab, Mox spikes Okada with the Paradigm Shift in the centre of the ring, going for a cover, but Okada escapes at two. Again, the bulldog choke is locked in, and Okada fights his way to his feet. Slipping behind Mox, he tries a Rainmaker but misses, with Mox landing one of his own! Another Paradigm Shift and a cove- no! Okada is out at one!
⚡Move of the Match⚡
A stomp drills Okada into the canvas face first, with Mox stomping around the ring, fired up and ready to kill. Picking Okada up, he spikes him heavy with the Death Rider, scoring the final three count.
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| Riding along death itself. AEW |
Jon Moxley is the new AEW Continental Champion
Overview & Final Rating
🟢 - A highly recommended final
An exciting end to this year's C2, the prevailing story is the brilliant babyface performance we got from Jon Moxley tonight. Honestly, what a fantastic job he did at getting the people behind him. Sometimes it really is the little things that make all the difference, and Mox knows exactly how to lean into every little thing that matters. Okada was a great heel foil here, wanting to dismantle Mox at every opportunity he had, with Mox fighting from beneath more often than not to try and regain some sort of advantage. As with many Okada matches, the opening was slow, but it picked up and turned into something exciting by the end. A great shift from both men, especially when you consider that they both pulled double duty for this match.
• • • • •
AEW Continental Classic 2025 - Final thoughts
AEW's 2025 Continental Classic lived up to expectations in many ways and proved to be a fantastic way to close out the year. Reflecting back now, it's funny to see how I predicted the C2 would unfold vs. how it actually did, with there being a lot more back-and-forth and close scores, especially in the Gold League, as we rounded the final bases to Worlds End. Selfishly, I'm happy that 3 of my 4 picks for the finalists were correct, with Mox proving to be more successful than the man I swore would be positioned to usurp him in Claudio. But aside from Roddy scoring 3 points overall, the rest of my predictions weren't really close to home, were they?
That being said, the overall booking of the C2, from the first match up to Worlds End, was absolutely fantastic. Jack Perry was a great sub for Darby, letting us get to see that freaky little bastard bite people week on week was a lot of fun. Bailey got to further showcase why he's a sleeping giant when the bell rings, Knight got some really nice moments to shine, and both Dorada and Cassidy held up their end of the bargain, the former benefiting more than the already established latter. But as for the booking at Worlds End, it leaves a bit to be desired, if I can be honest.
I don't really like to play backseat booker because, what do I know, I'm just a chronically tapped in wrestling fan that watches far too much wrestling, but I can't help but feel like different results would have benefited this show, and tournament, a lot more.
First off, I'd switch up the winners for both matches completely, have Takeshita beat Okada and Fletcher beat Mox, simple switch. I feel like Okada losing his title via tournament elimination would really get under his skin big time and could be even more fuel for their eventual blowoff match (as long as this wasn't it. Please, god, don't let that be it). Guaranteeing a new Continental Champion would be such a fun way to build tension throughout the show.
Not only would I have Fletcher beat Mox, I'd also have Fletcher win the entire C2 (shocker, I know, me picking Kyle Fletcher). As much as I love Mox and will continue to defend him, I can't help but feel this babyface turn, along with the lack of a turn from the rest of the Death Riders, is very, very strange. I mean, this time last year he was talking about burning AEW to the ground, he hid the Men's World Championship in a briefcase and promised to never show it again, and now he's talking about a secondary championship being "for everyone," babyfacing himself in the process? I'd have had less of an issue if Claudio and the gang slaughtered him in the ring like they did to Bryan, but they seemed more than okay with this sudden turn. Furthermore, using the C2 to give Mox a big win when he's already more than established as a top dog kinda feels like a waste. He's far and away the Ace of the company, he doesn't need this win. I remember being miffed last year when Ospreay didn't win, and I feel the same this year, if not more so given how much they've put behind Fletcher this year.
Overall, I loved the C2 this year. I think it started strong and was consistently great throughout, but stumbled a bit at the landing and, some could argue, struggled to dismount gracefully when the spotlight shone the brightest. I am still looking forward to the 2026 C2, as well as seeing how they will handle the Continental Championship this year (as well as the goddamn Unified Championship, don't even get me started on that nightmare). I have high hopes, but I do want it to be known that, despite my love for AEW, they are not safe from criticism. You could have finished a whole hell of a lot stronger, TK. This just wasn't it, I'm afraid.
• • • • •
Another review down and, as timing would have it, the first Weekly Watchlist of the new year! Happy 2026 friends! I hope 2025 treated everyone well and the new year is equally as kind, or even moreso.
Until next time. Be well, stay safe, and love one another.
cliffmorganwstl@gmail.com
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