Continental Classic begins on AEW Dynamite on TSN2
Published
Chris Jericho defends his ROH World Championship against Tomohiro Ishii and the opening round of the second annual Continental Classic begins, Watch LIVE tonight at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT on TSN2 the TSN App, and TSN.ca.
ROH World Champion Chris Jericho defends against Tomohiro Ishii
Jericho and Ishii made their title match official last week with a contract signing that nearly broke down. The ROH World Champion attempted to stab his challenger with a pen before Ishii’s fellow Conglomeration members, Mark Briscoe and Rocky Romero, stepped in to make the save.
This is the second time Ishii will challenge Jericho for the ROH World Title, having battled “The Learning Tree” in a title match on the Nov. 23, 2022 edition of Dynamite almost two years ago to the date of tonight’s title match.
Jericho prevailed in their first title match and looks to successfully complete the first defence of the ROH Title he won from Briscoe in a Ladder War last month.
Continental Classic Round Robin Begins
The second annual Continental Classic begins tonight on Dynamite with three round-robin matches to kick off the annual holiday tradition.
The format of the tournament is as follows:
“The Continental Classic is a round-robin style tournament consisting of two leagues, Blue and Gold, with six competitors each. Each entrant will compete in 5 individual matches vying to become the top points earner in their league. Competitors earn three points for a win and one point for a draw. The tournament winner will be crowned at AEW Worlds End taking place December 28th.”
Continental Classic Gold League: Ricochet vs. Claudio Castagnoli
Gold League action on the Continental Classic kicks off with Ricochet taking on AEW World Trios Champion Claudio Castagnoli.
Fresh off an unsuccessful challenge of Konosuke Takeshita for the AEW International Championship at Full Gear, Ricochet will attempt to quickly bounce back as he takes on The Death Riders’ Castagnoli.
Castagnoli is the only member of The Death Riders participating in the tournament and will attempt to add more gold to the stable after helping Jon Moxley successfully defend his AEW World Championship against Full Gear this past weekend. After finishing fourth in the Blue League last year with round-robin losses to Brody King and Eddie Kingston, Castagnoli will try to put on a better performance in 2024.
Continental Classic Gold League: Darby Allin vs. Brody King
Darby Allin makes his first appearance in the Continental Classic with a Gold League matchup against House of Black’s Brody King.
In a rematch of their singles match at WrestleDream, Allin will once again look to overcome the imposing King to win his opening match of the tournament.
King, who participated in the tournament in 2023, will try to improve on a fifth-place finish in the group stage as he opens the tourney against his long-time rival.
Continental Classic Blue League: Mark Briscoe vs. Shelton Benjamin
Former ROH World Champion Briscoe returns to make his second appearance in the Continental Classic and will attempt to improve on a fifth-place finish in last year’s Gold League after he ended with just three points.
Benjamin will make his first Continental Classic appearance after signing with All Elite Wrestling earlier this year. The veteran is undefeated since joining the promotion and will attempt to carry his momentum into the gruelling tournament. With MVP and the Hurt Syndicate by his side, Benjamin should be a force to be reckoned with as the tournament progresses.
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