With Week 2 of the AEW Continental Classic now in the books, this year’s edition of the round-robin tournament has proven to be the most exciting and most unpredictable of the tournament so far in its three-year existence. This CC hasn’t disappointed, as two of the past week’s matches (Claudio vs Moxley and Takeshita vs Moxley) have been legitimate contenders for television match of the year.
So much has happened in the 2025 Continental Classic that it might be hard to keep up with what all of the results can mean for the tournament. Here is what happened in week 2, and what to expect for how that affects week 3 of the AEW Continental Classic.
News
Perry Replaces Allin
The biggest news coming out of the tournament in week 2 is that Darby Allin is out of the tournament due to injury. The daredevil will now be replaced by “Jungle” Jack Perry, who will be competing in his first-ever AEW Continental Classic. Like last year, a competitor has to be replaced mid-tournament to accommodate an injured superstar. In 2024, Juice Robinson was replaced by Komander after breaking his foot.
Does the storytelling of this round of matches completely change? Not necessarily. The winners will still be members of the Don Callis Family; however, Perry will prove himself to be one of AEW’s best wrestlers. Who can Perry possibly beat in this tournament? There is a strong possibility that Perry can pull off the upset against Fletcher. Last year, Fletcher lost to Mark Briscoe, and this year, he could slip up against Perry. Speedball Mike Bailey could also be another win for Perry.
Results
Dynamite
Gold: Kazuchika Okada (3) defeats Pac (3)
Gold: Kyle Fletcher (6) defeats Kevin Knight (3)
Blue: Claudio Castagnoli (6) defeats Jon Moxley (3)
Collision
Blue: Orange Cassidy (3) defeats Roderick Strong (0)
Blue: Mascara Dorada (3) beats Claudio Castagnoli (6)
Blue: Konosuke Takeshita (6) defeats Jon Moxley (3)
What Does it Mean for Week 3 of the AEW Continental Classic?
Gold League
In the Gold League, everyone, except for Speedball Bailey and –now– Jack Perry, has fought in two matches. Week 2 was a heavy Blue League week, so expect Week 3 to be Gold League heavy. Fletcher continues his dominance over the field, beating Kevin Knight in a spectacular match on Dynamite. While Fletcher has somewhat separated himself from the rest of the group, second place is wide open. Pac, Knight, and Okada all have three points with three matches left. That is where the story will be.
If Fletcher is the presumed winner of the group–with the tie-breaker over Okada– keep your eye on those three men to see who comes out to the semi-finals. While Okada is the favorite to come out on top, given AEW’s unpredictability over the last month, don’t be surprised if PAC wins.
Something to watch out for in this league is the placement and match between Knight and Speedball. Not only will their fight be supernatural, but that could signal the end of one of the better tag teams of 2025. This could also serve as the jumping-off point for Knight if he wins.
Blue League
In the Blue league, everyone has fought in two tournament matches, with Claudio and Moxley having fought in three. Mascara Dorada has pulled off the upset of the tournament so far, defeating a red-hot Claudio Castagnoli to earn his first three points. It makes sense that Castagnoli lost. There still needs to be some drama built up between him, Moxley, and Takeshita. This also gives Mascara Dorada a good win against the CMLL Heavyweight champion. It keeps everyone relatively close without Castagnoli jumping out into a commanding lead.
Moxley has now lost two consecutive matches in the tournament and has fallen behind the pack. The walls are closing in on Moxley, and with how well Castagnoli is doing, Moxley HAS to win his last two matches to even be in consideration for the semi-finals. This also means that his grip on the Death Riders is loosening.
Takeshita’s road to the semifinals has now opened up. He has two very winnable matches against Cassidy and Dorada. Takeshita’s final hurdle to the semifinals will be Claudio. The winner of that match will be the top finisher in the league.
If the AEW Continental Classic Ended Today, Who Would Fight at World’s End?
Gold League No. 1 Kyle Fletcher vs Blue League No. 2 Claudio Castagnoli
Blue League No. 1 Konozuke Takeshita vs Gold League No. 2 Kazuchika Okada
So far, this plays perfectly with the overarching story AEW is trying to tell with the CC. Okada and Takeshita have to face off against each other to possibly take on Fletcher, all while Castagnoli is looking to take the reins of the Death Riders. Don’t be surprised if Jack Perry messes up the tournament for any of these guys and makes some noise.
Predictions for Week 3
This will be Jack Perry’s official debut in the Continental Classic tournament, and it starts at the very top. Okada will be looking for revenge, as Perry bit the Rainmaker’s middle finger last week, which I’m sure Okada did not like. This will be a great match, but regardless of who it is between, Okada is known as the best tournament wrestler of all time for a reason. There is a slight chance Perry will win, but the odds are low. Okada having two losses in pool play is highly unlikely.
Fletcher beating Speedball is also the odds-on favorite outcome. While Fletcher is always good for a letdown, that to me is more likely to happen at the hands of Perry and not Bailey. Expect Fletcher to hit his patented Brain Buster and get the win over a winless Speedball Bailey.
Both wins continue the Callis Family’s trajectory toward the final.
Who Wins Now?
Nothing has changed from my original predictions; I still think the four men currently in the semi-finals will hold on to their positions and go to World’s End. My only caveat to that is, depending on what happens in Pac’s next match, he might be the unexpected semifinalist. An all-Don Callis/Death Riders semifinals would finally merge these two-year-long storylines.
Winner of the tournament: Konosuke Takeshita
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