AEW’s annual Winter is Coming special returns tonight, emanating from the Gateway Center Arena at College Park in the Atlanta area, live at 8 p.m. ET on TBS and streaming on Max. The show is built around Samoa Joe’s first defense of the AEW World Championship against Eddie Kingston, the historic finals of the inaugural AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship Tournament, a chaotic tornado tag grudge match pitting Swerve Strickland and “Hangman” Adam Page against The Opps, and two pivotal Continental Classic Gold League bouts featuring Kazuchika Okada, Jungle Jack Perry, Kyle Fletcher, and “Speedball” Mike Bailey.
Tonight isn’t just another themed Dynamite; it’s a tipping point for AEW’s world title picture, the women’s division, and the Continental Classic, with storylines that have been simmering since Full Gear and through the past several weeks of Dynamite and Collision.
Here is everything advertised for tonight’s show
According to AEW, Bodyslam.net, TPWW and other reputable outlets, the confirmed Winter is Coming lineup is as follows:
- AEW World Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Eddie Kingston
- AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship Tournament Final: Babes of Wrath (Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron) vs. Timeless Love Bombs (“Timeless” Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa)
- Tornado Tag Match: Swerve Strickland & “Hangman” Adam Page vs. The Opps (Powerhouse Hobbs & Katsuyori Shibata)
- Continental Classic 2025 – Gold League: Kazuchika Okada vs. Jungle Jack Perry
- Continental Classic 2025 – Gold League: Kyle Fletcher vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey
With two championships at stake and Continental Classic points on the line, every match tonight has direct consequences heading into Worlds End later this month.
AEW World Championship: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Eddie Kingston
Samoa Joe walks into Winter is Coming as the newly crowned AEW World Champion after ripping the title away from “Hangman” Adam Page inside a brutal steel cage at Full Gear, a match that featured interference from The Opps and a shocking heel turn by HOOK that sealed Joe’s second reign.
Since then, Joe has embraced his role as the cold, calculating centerpiece of The Opps, mocking both Page and Eddie Kingston on television while promising a more ruthless era atop the company.
Kingston punched his ticket to this title shot by defeating Katsuyori Shibata—Joe’s fellow World Trios Champion—in a hard-hitting bout on Thanksgiving Collision, then calling Joe out in an emotional post-match challenge. AEW officially sanctioned the match days later, locking in Kingston vs. Joe for Winter is Coming in Atlanta.
For Kingston, this isn’t just about hardware. He’s framed this as a battle for AEW’s soul, contrasting his blue-collar, “fight for the locker room” ethos with Joe’s cold opportunism and The Opps’ manipulation of rules and allies.
What to watch for tonight
- Joe’s first defense under scrutiny: Many analysts feel it’s “too early” to pull the belt off Joe after such a major PPV victory, making the drama less about whether Kingston can win and more about how far Joe is willing to go to keep the title without exposing weakness.
- The Opps and HOOK’s shadow: With Hobbs and Shibata already booked in the tornado tag, the faction’s ability to influence the finish is complicated. HOOK’s allegiance and unresolved issues with Kingston remain an X-factor that could tilt the outcome either way.
- Kingston’s crossroads: A win would finally place him at the top of AEW’s mountain; a loss could either deepen his obsession with the world title or redirect him back toward The Opps and HOOK in a more personal grudge.
Expect a violent, emotionally charged main event built on history in ROH, betrayal, and Kingston’s desperate need to prove that heart can still conquer cold calculation on a national stage.
AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship Tournament Final
Babes of Wrath (Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron) vs. Timeless Love Bombs (“Timeless” Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa)
Tonight crowns the first-ever AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions, capping an eight-team tournament that began on the Fright Night Dynamite special and has been one of the most consistently talked-about stories on AEW programming this fall.
The titles themselves were only officially introduced on the September 24 edition of Dynamite, with Tony Khan announcing the new championship and revealing the single-elimination tournament bracket a month later.
Babes of Wrath: Feel-good spoilers turned real contenders
From the moment the bracket dropped, Babes of Wrath—the unlikely duo of beloved babyface Willow Nightingale and charismatic chaos agent Harley Cameron—were framed as fun dark horses rather than outright favorites. That perception changed quickly when they stunned the wrestling world by upsetting a dream-team pairing of Mercedes Moné and Athena in the quarterfinals, a match many analysts had circled as a probable championship preview.
Outside interference and Champion-vs-Champion tensions helped open the door, but Willow’s Doctor Bomb and Harley’s follow-up offense sealed the three-count, sending the Babes forward and eliminating two of the most decorated women in modern wrestling in one shot.
They then defeated Sisters of Sin (Julia Hart & Skye Blue) in the semifinals, surviving the Triangle of Madness’ chaotic double-team offense and capitalizing on a miscue to punch their ticket to Winter is Coming.
Tonight, Willow brings her infectious babyface fire and big-match experience, while Harley gets perhaps the biggest spotlight of her AEW career, attempting to prove she’s more than just a wildcard character act.
Timeless Love Bombs: The polished favorite with championship gravity
On the opposite side of the bracket, “Timeless” Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa—the Timeless Love Bombs—have felt like the most “inevitable” team in the field. They began their run by defeating Riho & Alex Windsor in an energetic quarterfinal, combining Mina’s striking and charisma with Storm’s veteran ring IQ and signature Storm Zero to advance.
After a four-way at Full Gear allowed them to choose the stipulation for their semi, the Love Bombs opted for maximum chaos: a Hardcore Holiday Death Match against MegaProblems (Megan Bayne & Marina Shafir). With Luther dressed as a deranged Santa, champagne bottles, tables, and Storm’s infamous loaded shoe all in play, Storm and Mina emerged from the wreckage victorious and secured their place in tonight’s final.
AEW’s promotional push, media coverage, and fan chatter have consistently framed the Timeless Love Bombs as the most likely team to inaugurate the belts, thanks to Storm’s status as a former AEW Women’s World Champion and Mina’s international résumé.
Why this final matters
- Historic weight: Whoever wins becomes the first AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions, instantly etching their names into company history and setting the template for what these belts represent.
- Character contrast: The polished, theatrical “Timeless” act and idol-like Mina face the vibrant, punk-rock babyface energy of Willow and Harley. It’s a classic “star power vs. underdog heart” dynamic.
- Division-wide implications: With the belts finally active, AEW’s women’s division gains a central tag story that can elevate acts like Sisters of Sin, TayJay, MegaProblems, and future teams who now have real hardware to chase.
Emotionally, this match feels like the culmination of a promise that dates back to AEW’s launch in 2019—finally delivering the women’s tag belts that were teased from the start.
Tornado Tag Grudge Match
Swerve Strickland & “Hangman” Adam Page vs. The Opps (Powerhouse Hobbs & Katsuyori Shibata)
If the world-title main event is about who leads AEW, this tornado tag is about the cost of that leadership.
After Full Gear, Hangman’s war with The Opps escalated from personal to apocalyptic. Joe, Hobbs, Shibata and HOOK not only cost him the championship, they weaponized his trust to do it. Swerve Strickland’s surprise return and temporary alignment with Hangman—after years of bitter rivalry—underscored how dangerous The Opps have become.
Joe may be busy with Kingston, but Hobbs and Shibata remain the muscle of the faction, and tonight’s tornado rules stipulation removes tags, count-outs and most of the safety nets. Expect constant brawling, weapons, and the kind of creative violence that has defined Swerve and Hobbs in particular.
Key story beats to watch:
- Hangman & Swerve’s uneasy alliance: These two have literally tried to end each other’s careers. Whether they can coexist long enough to punish The Opps will define whether this is a one-night truce or the foundation of a terrifying new pairing.
- Hobbs’ redemption arc: After losing to Hangman in the Blood & Guts Last Man Standing match, Hobbs is looking to reassert himself as Joe’s most trusted lieutenant.
- Shibata’s strange bedfellows: The stoic technician as a henchman for a chaos-driven heel faction remains one of AEW’s most intriguing character choices—and tonight is another test of how far he’ll go for the group.
In a lot of ways, this tornado tag will set the emotional tone of the show before Joe and Kingston ever lock up.
Continental Classic 2025 – Gold League Spotlight
Kazuchika Okada vs. Jungle Jack Perry
Kazuchika Okada, now the AEW Unified Champion and a central figure in Don Callis’ orbit, has been a major presence in the Gold League, delivering marquee matches and controversial post-match attacks during the Continental Classic.
Tonight he faces Jungle Jack Perry, who was drafted into the tournament after Darby Allin was pulled due to injury and has since embraced a darker edge, clashing repeatedly with Callis’ crew.
The match was officially added to the Winter is Coming lineup this morning, with Tony Khan citing Perry’s recent altercation with Okada—where Perry literally bit the Rainmaker’s middle finger—as the catalyst.
With Gold League points in play and Okada already having dropped one upset to Kyle Fletcher, this bout could reshape the standings and the path to the Continental Classic finals.
Kyle Fletcher vs. “Speedball” Mike Bailey
The second Gold League bout sees Kyle Fletcher, currently among the league’s top scorers after wins over names like Kazuchika Okada and Kevin Knight, taking on “Speedball” Mike Bailey, who is looking for a signature Continental Classic performance to stay alive in the block.
Tony Khan announced this match alongside Okada vs. Perry, framing it as a natural continuation of Fletcher’s ongoing rivalry with the JetSpeed tandem of Knight and Bailey—Knight fell to Fletcher last week, and now Bailey gets his shot at revenge for his partner.
Expect a stylistic contrast: Fletcher’s crisp, hybrid heavyweight offense versus Bailey’s hyper-paced kickboxing and aerial assault. In a packed show, this has sleeper “match of the night” potential.
How the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship Tournament Unfolded
To fully appreciate tonight’s final, it’s worth walking back through the entire tournament that brought Babes of Wrath and Timeless Love Bombs to Winter is Coming.
Quarterfinals
The eight-team bracket kicked off across Fright Night Dynamite and subsequent episodes:
- Sisters of Sin (Julia Hart & Skye Blue) def. Jamie Hayter & Queen Aminata
Fright Night Dynamite, Oct. 29 – A chaotic match marred by Triangle of Madness interference, with Thekla helping Sisters of Sin steal the win and knock out what many saw as one of the bracket’s toughest teams. - Babes of Wrath (Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron) def. Mercedes Moné & Athena
Nov. 5 Dynamite – In the tournament’s biggest upset, Willow and Harley eliminated the tandem of the TBS Champion (Moné) and ROH Women’s World Champion (Athena) after outside interference from Billie Starkz backfired, allowing Willow’s Doctor Bomb and Harley’s finisher to close the door. - Timeless Love Bombs (Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa) def. Riho & Alex Windsor
Nov. 19 special Dynamite/Collision – The Love Bombs advanced after a hard-fought bout highlighted by a Double Hip Attack and Storm Zero for the pin, solidifying them as a top favorite. - MegaProblems (Megan Bayne & Marina Shafir) def. TayJay (Tay Melo & Anna Jay)
Nov. 19 – Bayne and Shafir muscled their way into the semifinals, using their size and grappling advantage to overwhelm TayJay and officially debuting the MegaProblems team name.
Semifinals
- Babes of Wrath def. Sisters of Sin
Nov. 26 Thanksgiving Eve Dynamite – In a revenge-tinged rematch, Willow and Harley weathered Julia Hart and Skye Blue’s control stretches before Nightingale’s powerbomb sealed the Babes’ spot in the final. - Timeless Love Bombs def. MegaProblems – Hardcore Holiday Death Match
Dec. 3 Dynamite – Armed with Christmas-themed plunder and Luther in a Santa suit, Storm and Mina survived the MegaProblems’ power assault. A bottle shot, table bump and the infamous loaded shoe helped the Love Bombs move on to face the Babes of Wrath at Winter is Coming.
Finals
All roads now lead to tonight’s Babes of Wrath vs. Timeless Love Bombs showdown in Atlanta to crown the inaugural AEW Women’s World Tag Team Champions.
Who were the logical favorites when the bracket was revealed?
When AEW first unveiled the tournament, several teams jumped out as presumptive favorites based on star power, championship résumés and storytelling momentum:
- Mercedes Moné & Athena – On paper, this was the super-team. Moné entered as TBS Champion, Athena as the seemingly unbeatable ROH Women’s World Champion. Many analysts and fans saw them as front-runners to become the first tag champs—until the Babes of Wrath shockingly eliminated them in round one.
- Timeless Love Bombs (Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa) – Even before the tournament began, AEW heavily spotlighted Storm’s “Timeless” persona and her alliance with Mina. Their chemistry, combined with Storm’s history as AEW Women’s World Champion, made them a logical pick to go all the way, especially once they advanced convincingly in both the quarterfinals and the wildly promoted Holiday Death Match semifinal.
- Jamie Hayter & Queen Aminata – Hayter’s return from injury and Aminata’s growing reputation as a hard-hitting standout made this team feel like a potential workhorse favorite. Their early exit—thanks to Triangle of Madness interference—was one of the bracket’s first major shocks.
As the tournament progressed and the field narrowed, Timeless Love Bombs and Babes of Wrath emerged as the two most complete teams: one built on star power and presentation, the other on heart, upset wins and increasingly sharp chemistry.
The logical choice between the final two teams
Looking strictly at how AEW has framed the story and how inaugural championships are usually handled, the most logical pick to win tonight is the Timeless Love Bombs (Toni Storm & Mina Shirakawa).
Why Timeless Love Bombs make the most sense as first champions
- Visibility and aura: Toni Storm is already one of the most visible acts in the company, and Mina is being introduced to a wider North American audience. Putting the brand-new belts on them instantly signals that the titles are a top-tier prize, not a midcard experiment.
- Presentation fit: The “Timeless” act is drenched in old-Hollywood pageantry and props—which translates perfectly into promotional photos, video packages and media appearances with shiny new title belts. AEW tends to anchor new championships around acts that can carry that visual load.
- Heel champions, babyface chase: Crowning Storm and Mina sets up an organic, long-term chase for fan-favorite teams like Babes of Wrath, TayJay, or even a retooled Hayter & Aminata, allowing the division to be built around babyfaces trying to finally knock off the theatrical, shortcut-laden champions.
That said, Babes of Wrath winning would be the emotional upset story—the team that nobody picked when the bracket dropped, yet who toppled giants and rode the groundswell of fan support all the way to history. From a strictly narrative standpoint, either outcome works; the logical, pattern-matching choice is Storm & Shirakawa, while the heart-first choice is Willow & Harley.
Whatever happens tonight at Winter is Coming—whether Eddie Kingston finally reaches the mountaintop, Samoa Joe tightens his grip on the world title, the Love Bombs make history, or the Babes of Wrath shock the world again—AEW is poised to leave Atlanta having reshaped its main-event scene, its women’s division, and its Continental Classic picture in one frost-bitten, high-stakes night.
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