{"id":149751,"date":"2026-01-01T11:27:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T16:27:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=149751"},"modified":"2026-01-01T11:27:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T16:27:11","slug":"5-conditions-needed-for-aew-to-run-an-equitable-womens-continental-classic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2026\/01\/01\/5-conditions-needed-for-aew-to-run-an-equitable-womens-continental-classic\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Conditions Needed For AEW To Run An Equitable Women\u2019s Continental Classic"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When the 2025 Continental Classic ended with <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/29\/how-aew-and-the-2025-continental-classic-saved-jon-moxley\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">AEW saving Jon Moxley from himself<\/a>, fans were quick to discuss and even share a screenshot of a potential Women\u2019s Continental Classic. The <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ushigoroshi89\/status\/2005418447510098359\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">image<\/a><\/span> features a Diamond and Purple League with ten of AEW\u2019s best female wrestlers, including <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DDXeNDRvx-s\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Serena Deeb<\/a><\/span>, who has been vocal about it on social media.<\/p>\n<p>Many AEW fans want the women\u2019s locker room to have its own version of the round robin tournament. The AEW roster has enough women. The division has never been stronger. There\u2019s a variety of characters, personalities, and experiences in the locker room. After earning their first Blood and Guts match in 2025 after years of grind, there\u2019s no reason 2026 could not see a Women\u2019s Continental Classic introduced.<\/p>\n<p>Yet, honestly, it would not be equitable to the men. What makes the Continental Classic special is the interconnectedness and stakes. The unpredictability throughout the tournament. The time matches are given, the \u201cFeeling\u201d that allows you to spend time fantasising about the outcomes, only for AEW to go with an unexpected option.<\/p>\n<p>Five conditions need to be met to replicate the experience. The AEW\u2019s Women\u2019s Tag Team Championship Tournament provided excitement and unpredictability. The Women\u2019s Blood and Guts match slayed, although both concepts had their setbacks. For a Women\u2019s Continental Classic to aspire and obtain the same reverence as the Men\u2019s, five conditions must be met.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH HIGHLIGHTS from the Women&#039;s Blood &amp; Guts! | AEW Dynamite, 11\/13\/25\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/5EKGd-zOpts?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong><u>1) More Allocated Time <\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The amount of time Continental Classic group stage matches receive adds to their drama and exhilaration. Matches often go long. Draws are possible and feel significant. They can feel earned or crushing. They can make you want more.<\/p>\n<p>Watching Claudio Castagnoli vs. Konosuke Takeshita in person at Cardiff, I expected a draw. Both men held NJPW and CMLL&#8217;s top titles. Both had larger story arcs. A draw made sense. Yet those last five minutes, where each man was tearing chunks out of one another, in and outside of the ring, I was on my feet. The seconds counted down. I thought one of them would break through! Times up!<\/p>\n<p>I worked. We want to be worked. That magic exists because key matches are allowed to go past the time limit.<\/p>\n<p>Being optimistic, the bigger women\u2019s matches on Dynamite might get just over ten minutes. AEW\u2019s women are not allocated the same time and quantity of matches that the men receive on a weekly Dynamite. Even if AEW gave the women, like in other sports, less time, brought the time limit down to 15 or even 10 minutes, allowing for more distinct, fast-paced, punchier contests that wouldn\u2019t expose some of the women\u2019s lack of long-match experience, the women need more weekly matches to break the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/02\/14\/the-spotlight-issue-timeless-toni-storm-vs-mariah-may\/\" target=\"_self\">a spotlight issue <\/a>that has larger ramifications on the division.<\/p>\n<p>Without that time, the tournament drags on for months. If it were featured more on Collision than Dynamite, that would also send a clear message.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Claudio Castagnoli vs Konosuke Takeshita: Continental Classic HIGHLIGHTS | AEW Collision, 12\/13\/25\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oBmCyHL0V2A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong><u>2) What Are They Fighting For?<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>There must be a prize for the winner, an incentive\/reasoning to justify fighting. The underlying issue of the women\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/10\/25\/how-two-aew-blood-and-guts-matches-could-highlight-storyline-inequality\/\" target=\"_self\">Blood and Guts match was that their reasons for fighting were paper-thin<\/a>. A tournament needs stakes for the character and the fans to buy in. It can\u2019t just be for being the best. That\u2019s what the world title is supposed to represent.<\/p>\n<p>Like the men\u2019s, the winner could receive an AEW Women\u2019s Continental Championship. However, this would re-ignite the recurring debate about <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/11\/15\/too-many-championships-wrestlings-inherent-problems-with-title-belts\/\" target=\"_self\">too many championship belts<\/a>, with valid points. Already, the women\u2019s roster doesn\u2019t necessarily have the depth, nor defined divisions or peaking orders for each title. Excluding Athena as the ROH Women\u2019s World Champion and <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/08\/01\/mercedes-mone-belt-collector-politics-and-hate-in-aew\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Mercedes Mon\u00e9\u2019s belt collection<\/a>, there is already a women\u2019s midcard belt in the TBS Championship. Plus, the newly introduced AEW Women\u2019s Tag Team Championships.<\/p>\n<p>If AEW replicated the G1 Climax format, a trophy and a title shot, this could introduce a calendar and a booking\/timing issue. The tournament is either booked earlier or later in the year than the Owen Hart Memorial Cup Tournament, which has a similar prize. Also, tactically, AEW would need to think carefully about the timing of another women\u2019s Casino Gauntlet match for the same reasons. For each has a similar prize, one concept cannibalises another.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Harley Cameron &amp; Willow Nightingale are the first AEW Women&#039;s World Tag Team Champs! |  AEW Dynamite\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CLHWhbSEWxo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong><u>3) The Division Needs More Women and Tiers<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The make-shift graphic for a Women\u2019s Continental Classic was eye-catching but flawed. It featured four current champions: Kris Statlander, Willow Nightingale, Athena, and Mercedes Mone. When the newly crowned TNT Champion, Daniel Garcia, took part in the 2024 tournament, it undermined his title victory and reign. It creates issues with title parity and credibility. For example, booking tag champions instead of diverting their focus onto a singles prize was part of the catalyst for Mercedes Mon\u00e9\u2019s WWE walkout.<\/p>\n<p>For equity, like the men\u2019s, the entire women\u2019s division cannot be involved in the tournament, but the tournament could still advance championship stories and set up future contenders without undermining the champions or their belts. Even if the AEW Women\u2019s World Champion, TBS, and Tag Team champions had wheel-spinning filler feuds during the tournament, it would be a short-term measure.<\/p>\n<p>AEW needs more competitors, perhaps both new signings and outside guest wrestlers, for two more reasons. First, the tournament may need alternates to be more than place fillers. Jack Perry or Kommander had key moments and\/or character growth that elevated them. Think when Queen Aminata was injured before Blood and Guts; it allowed Mina Shirakawa to step up and facilitated a strong, meaningful, character-driven match finish.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, having more tiers allows for dynamism, unpredictability, and card elevation. Younger rookies eating defeat to more established women can long-term help add depth to the roster. Sooner rather than later, Skye Blue and Julia Hart need like Statlander and Nightingale to move on the division. A Women\u2019s Continental Classic is the perfect vehicle for shaking up the status quo and advancing the future.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Kris Statlander &amp; Jamie Hayter vs Sisters of Sin: Match HIGHLIGHTS  | AEW Collision, 12\/13\/25\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/brFd86GjYzc?list=PLILTWWX_AIJRtxe21zq6RgYhXC-IXYash\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong><u>4) Range of Stories <\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Continental Classic distils the best aspects of AEW\u2019s creative process. As a vehicle for enhancing and developing character development, personal stories and rivalries, it\u2019s one of AEW\u2019s best weapons. To give credit, AEW weaved several interesting stories throughout the Blood and Guts match and the AEW Women\u2019s World Tag Team Championship tournament.<\/p>\n<p>Nevertheless, there is a disparity between the care of the ongoing \u201cTimeless\u201d Toni Storm\/Mina Shirakawa\/Marina Shafir feud and Jamie Hayter and Thekla, which hasn\u2019t conclusively ended, despite a banger of a match at AEW All Out. The Triangle of Madness was utilised as a pest to progress Hayter, challenging Statlander at Worlds End, while Thekla just waited.<\/p>\n<p>Before, during, and after the tournament, most competitors need some larger motivation, arc, or story spurring them to win. Also, it allows us as fans to invest in their tournament progression. The tournament structure allows plenty of wrestling-oriented options.<\/p>\n<p>For some, that\u2019s about breaking out. Take Kevin Knight and Speedball Mike Bailey, ending 2025 with big signature wins after a year of close yet so far losses. Even pin-eaters like Roderick Strong or Jay Lethal changed as characters due to their losses. Others need long-term stories or rivalries that are drawing towards the pay-off. Some needs to be individual and personal, such as revenge or closure against an old partner, like Statlander vs. Nightingale.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Mina Shirakawa vs Marina Shafir: MATCH HIGHLIGHTS | AEW Dynamite, 12\/24\/25\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uq9PQ-UfoEM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong><u>5) Fan Investment &#8211; Be Heard<\/u><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Statlander and Hayter worked an excellent match at Worlds End, but it was noticeable how the crowd was not too enthusiastic. Some fans online blamed AEW\u2019s positioning of the bout and creative choices. Card placement, face vs. face match, etc. Others blamed the fans in attendance for not caring. Personally, both have truth.<\/p>\n<p>Historically, AEW has yet to move past its <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2024\/03\/20\/the-aew-womens-division-a-history-of-revolutions\/\" target=\"_self\">self-created, self-fulfilling prophecy of singular stars and ratings, justifying limited time.<\/a> \u00a0This has conditioned and tempered some AEW fan expectations. Simultaneously, some AEW fans don\u2019t seem as bothered about parity for the female wrestlers.<\/p>\n<p>Undoubtedly, the division is still growing and improving, and the difference in consistency between the heights achieved by the men\u2019s and women\u2019s matches is a large factor. The problem is that improvements will continue to be piecemeal if the system limits the women\u2019s time and creative effort. Some fans aren\u2019t too worried about the pace of progress, if there is.<\/p>\n<p>The most defensive comments and backlash I experienced in 2024 came from writing about the women\u2019s division. Particularly overt and underlying misogyny. From arguing with folks who ignored why <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/04\/18\/aew-and-mjfs-misogyny-is-easily-fixable\/\" target=\"_self\">MJF could move away from misogynistic heat would not change the character and might make some female fans want to support the new AEW World Champion<\/a>, to problems with the women\u2019s blood and guts match. Some see people as other fans and their expectations. I include this because I think it&#8217;s important to recognise the divisions within the fanbase. AEW has the bulk of responsibility for the creative and presentation of the division, but as fans, we can impact the priorities.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, if fans want and ask for a Women\u2019s Continental Classic, be specific in what exactly we want. There\u2019s no problem with just wanting a tournament because the men have one. It\u2019s still progress. If some fans want more from the division and booking, true parity, be vocal about it. Tony Khan says he\u2019s listening.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_149768\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-149768\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-149768\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/G9jWa6DWUAAaC9R.jpg\" alt=\"Willow Nightingale winning the TBS Championship on the December 31 edition of AEW Dynamite\" width=\"1200\" height=\"684\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/G9jWa6DWUAAaC9R.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/G9jWa6DWUAAaC9R-300x171.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/G9jWa6DWUAAaC9R-1024x584.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2026\/01\/G9jWa6DWUAAaC9R-768x438.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-149768\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Courtesy of AEW\/Lee South<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/h3>\n<p><i>Header photo \u2013 AEW \u2013 Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_self\"><i>Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/i><\/a><i>\u00a0for more on\u00a0<\/i><em>MJF<\/em>\u00a0<i>and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS. AEW Collision airs Saturday at 8 pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content is available on their <\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@AEW\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><i>YouTube channel.<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When the 2025 Continental Classic ended with AEW saving Jon Moxley from himself, fans were quick to discuss and even share a screenshot of a potential Women\u2019s Continental Classic. The image features a Diamond and Purple League with ten of AEW\u2019s best female wrestlers, including Serena Deeb, who has been vocal about it on social [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4960,"featured_media":149765,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4677,6,2192,317],"tags":[8598,5730,9052,598],"class_list":["post-149751","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aew","category-north-america","category-wrestling","category-women","tag-aew-collision","tag-aew-dynamite","tag-continental-classic","tag-toni-storm"],"modified_by":"Steph Franchomme","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149751","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4960"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149751"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":149769,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149751\/revisions\/149769"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149765"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=149751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=149751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}