Wow. The blind draw for the AEW Continental Challenge Cup delivered a surprise for the quarterfinals. All four matchups should be great wrestling. However, one contest in particular is unexpected, because many thought that could be the tournament final for All In.
The first round is complete with Claudio Castagnoli, Orange Cassidy, Eddie Kingston, “Switchblade” Jay White, Jon Moxley, Hechicero, Nigel McGuinness, and Kyle O’Reilly advancing in victory. As is stated for the tournament rules, every round is a blind
draw. That means there is no bracket to prognosticate the path to the final.
Before we get to the quarterfinal matchups, there is an injury to address. McGuinness suffered damage to his ankle at the hands of Katsuyori Shibata. Nigel offered an update on the Selection Special as he wore a walking boot. X-rays show no breaks or fractures. Nigel realizes that his career is coming to an end, and this is likely his last chance to compete in the Continental Cup. The appeal of wrestling in Wembley Stadium at All In is too great to pass. Even though Nigel will not be 100% healthy, he refuses to bow out of the tournament. Fear won’t stop him from continuing. It will have to be his opponent that stops him in the ring.
On a related note, Nigel is scheduled to challenge Lee Moriarty for the ROH Pure Championship at the Death Before Dishonor PPV on Friday, August 21. There was no update on his status for that match.
Drum roll, please. The quarterfinal matches for the AEW Continental Cup include:
- Nigel McGuinness vs. Hechicero (Dynamite, Aug. 19)
- “Switchblade” Jay White vs. Jon Moxley (Dynamite, Aug. 19)
- Claudio Castagnoli vs. Eddie Kingston (Collision, Aug. 22)
- Orange Cassidy vs. Kyle O’Reilly (Collision, Aug. 22)
The luck of the draw put Nigel against a specialist of technical wrestling in Hechiero. AEW would have presented Nigel as the underdog regardless. Now, the deck is really stacked against him with the ankle injury against a wizard of submissions.
The match that shivered me timbers the most was the surprise of Jay White versus Jon Moxley. That is a matchup which many fans penciled in as the tournament final. Despite the accolades in White’s career, it is hard to believe that Moxley would be an early exit as the reigning Continental champion. However, Switchblade is the man for the job to shake things up by beating Moxley. Remember, there will be no outside interference, so the Dogs nor the Death Riders can ruin White’s chances.
A rivalry is renewed when Eddie Kingston clashes with Claudio Castagnoli. Their beef from the indie circuit reignited over the ROH World Championship when Kingston dethroned Claudio in 2023. These veterans have chemistry to steal the show of the quarterfinals.
Teammates collide again when Conglomeration pals Orange Cassidy and Kyle O’Reilly duke it out. O’Reilly already went through fighting a friend when he defeated Roderick Strong in the first round. Both men have history with Moxley that make sense for the All In final, so I’d say this matchup is 50/50 on picking the winner.
Watch the AEW Continental Challenge Cup Selection Special with a handful of promos from the participants.
Share your thoughts and predictions for the quarterfinal matchups. Who do you think advances to the final at All In?
