Tony Khan put on his mad scientist hat to create the AEW Continental Challenge Cup, and it kicks off Saturday night on Collision (Aug. 8, 2026). The concept is simple. The 16-man tournament will have blind draws for the matchups, which means no official bracket. No outside interference is permitted, and there will be no time limits. The final takes place at the All In PPV in London, and the winner takes home the Continental Cup as well as the Continental Championship.
Here is the list of first-round matchups:
- Orange Cassidy vs. Matt Sydal (Collision on Aug. 8)
- Claudio Castagnoli vs. Ace Austin (Collision on Aug. 8)
- Jake Doyle vs. Eddie Kingston (Collision on Aug. 8)
- Jay White vs. David Finlay (Dynamite on Aug. 12)
- Jack Perry vs. Jon Moxley (c) (Dynamite on Aug. 12)
- Roderick Strong vs. Kyle O’Reilly (Collision on Aug. 15)
- Brian Cage vs. Hechicero (Collision on Aug. 15)
- Katsuyori Shibata vs. Nigel McGuinness (Collision on Aug. 15)
That is a very fresh slate of bouts that embraces the blind draw aspect. There are contests between teammates, babyfaces, and heels. Seven are first time matchups in AEW, and only two have real history carrying over from other promotions. Jay White and David Finlay had their battles in NJPW. Roderick Strong and Kyle O’Reilly have a partnership carrying through ROH, NXT, and beyond. Strong successfully retained the AEW International Championship over O’Reilly at Dynasty 2024.
In terms of favorites for the opening round, I’d say six matchups have strong favorites to win. I’d put a toss-up on Strong versus O’Reilly and Cage versus Hechicero. I could see upsets from Ace Austin over Claudio Castagnoli, Finlay finding a way to shillelagh Switchblade, and Eddie Kingston as the tournament’s Cinderella over Jake Doyle.
Looking down the line to the final at All In, Jon Moxley seems like a lock to advance as the current champion. He’s put in too much work with that title to drop it beforehand. Plus, he’s the biggest star of the bunch, and he needs to be on the PPV. Based on Moxley’s angles, I can envision Orange Cassidy and Kyle O’Reilly opposite him at Wembley Stadium. White is a strong candidate as well with the Bang Bang Gang beefing with the Death Riders. The home appeal of Nigel McGuinness may trump those potential storylines.
Tony Schiavone and Tony Khan revealed the Continental Challenge Cup matches in the selection special.
Share your thoughts on the AEW Continental Challenge Cup. What are your predictions for the first round? Who do you think advances to the final at All In? Which matchups would you love to see in the next rounds?
