Tonight’s Thanksgiving-Eve Dynamite doubles as a holiday appetizer and a major directional pivot for AEW: the third annual Continental Classic gets underway, Full Gear’s shock endings still simmer, and the company spends the evening setting stakes for a frantic six-week sprint into the Worlds End PPV on December 27. Expect tightly timed round-robin tournament matches, personal grudges boiling over inside new tournament storylines, and face-to-face moments that will determine how AEW frames its winter special events. The card balances sport-style competitive wrestling with the soap-opera fallout of Samoa Joe’s rise to the top and the evolving title pictures coming out of Full Gear.

Here is everything advertised for tonight’s show

• Continental Classic — Gold League: Kyle Fletcher vs. Kazuchika Okada (tournament opening match).
• Continental Classic — Gold League: Darby Allin vs. Kevin Knight.
• Continental Classic — Blue League: Jon Moxley vs. Mascara Dorada.
• AEW Women’s World Tag Team Title Tournament — Semifinal:
  Babes of Wrath (Willow Nightingale & Harley Cameron) vs. Sisters of Sin (Julia Hart & Skye Blue).
• The Opps Celebration Segment: Samoa Joe and his faction celebrate his new AEW World Championship.

What the Continental Classic is — rules, format and what to watch for

The Continental Classic (C²) is AEW’s two-block, round-robin tournament designed to blend sports-based competition with episodic storytelling. It is positioned as one of AEW’s signature year-end traditions.

Tournament Structure

• Two leagues (Gold & Blue) of six competitors each; every entrant wrestles five league matches, one against each opponent in their block.
• Points system:
  
  • 3 points for a win
  • 1 point for a draw
  • 0 points for a loss
• Time limits: Most matches carry a 20-minute time limit, creating natural drama and strategic pacing.
• “Continental Rules”: No ringside seconds or interference allowed, reinforcing a clean sporting environment.
• Advancement: Top point earners move to the semifinals and finals at Worlds End.

Annual rule for the defending Continental Champion

AEW has maintained the same championship principle every single year:

The reigning Continental Champion must defend the title by competing in the tournament — and must win the entire Classic to retain the championship.

This means:

• The champion does not defend the title in each individual match.
• Instead, the tournament winner becomes the Continental Champion.
• If the reigning champion fails to win their league or loses in the finals, the title automatically transfers to the tournament winner.

This transforms the Continental Championship into a seasonal trophy that can only be retained by conquering the entire field again, not by simply winning one match.

How this affects Okada in 2025

Kazuchika Okada, winner of the 2024 tournament, enters the 2025 Classic as the defending Continental Champion for the second consecutive year.

This creates high-stakes drama:

• Okada must win the Gold League and the tournament finals to retain.
• Any stumble — a draw, a loss, or falling short in the standings — puts him on the brink of losing the championship without being pinned or submitted.
• It positions every one of his matches as vital to the championship race.

His opening match tonight against Kyle Fletcher is especially dangerous: early points dropped by the champion historically create uphill climbs and crowd uncertainty.

Participants and how the two leagues shape the storylines

Gold League:

• Kazuchika Okada (Continental Champion)
• Darby Allin
• PAC
• Kevin Knight
• “Speedball” Mike Bailey
• Kyle Fletcher

Blue League:

• Jon Moxley
• Claudio Castagnoli
• Orange Cassidy
• Konosuke Takeshita
• Roderick Strong
• Mascara Dorada

Key story dynamics

• Don Callis Family friction: Okada, Fletcher, and Takeshita are all in the field, creating internal power struggles and potential betrayals.
• Death Riders intensity: Moxley and Claudio anchor the Blue League with a gritty, violent style that contrasts the high-speed Gold League.
• PAC’s return to tournament form: A potential dark horse who can turn any league upside down.

Past winners

• 2023: Eddie Kingston (Triple Crown format)
• 2024: Kazuchika Okada
• 2025: To be determined — with Okada entering as champion trying to repeat the feat.

Full Gear title changes — what happened and why it matters

Full Gear reshaped AEW’s landscape dramatically:

Samoa Joe wins the AEW World Championship

In a chaotic finish involving HOOK’s swerve against Hangman Page, Samoa Joe captured the AEW World Title.

Implications:

• The Opps become the new top-power stable.
• Joe’s reign starts with monstrous heel momentum.
• Tonight’s celebration segment will set his first major challenger and establish the world title program heading into December.

Other Full Gear shakeups

• FTR reclaimed the AEW World Tag Team Titles.
• Mark Briscoe won the TNT Championship.
• Ricochet captured the AEW National Championship in the Casino Gauntlet.
• Women’s and trios divisions reshuffled challengers, setting up fresh paths for December story arcs.

Why this matters now:

The Continental Classic provides AEW with an engine for creating new, credible contenders while the new champions bring freshness to every title picture. The entire roster has been reset, and tonight marks the true beginning of AEW’s post–Full Gear era.

Match-level preview — what to expect tonight

Okada vs. Kyle Fletcher (Gold League)

Expect strategic pacing: Okada must avoid dropping early points; Fletcher seeks redemption after losing gold at Full Gear. Internal Callis Family tension is likely to simmer.

Darby Allin vs. Kevin Knight

A contrast in styles — Darby’s high-risk explosiveness vs. Knight’s precision and athleticism.

Jon Moxley vs. Mascara Dorada (Blue League)

Moxley will bring the violence; Dorada brings the speed and lucha creativity. A showcase match for tournament variety.

Women’s Tag Team Tournament Semifinal

A pivotal match determining who advances toward becoming the inaugural champions.

Samoa Joe Celebration

Expect an arrogant, heated segment that sets the tone for Joe’s reign and possibly the first seeds of his Worlds End challenger.

Final thoughts — immediate stakes and the road to Worlds End

Tonight’s AEW Dynamite is about establishing momentum.

The Continental Classic drives the in-ring stakes, Okada’s title defense adds long-term drama, and Samoa Joe’s new reign transforms the company’s main-event direction.

The next six weeks will define AEW’s winter identity — and it all begins tonight.

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