AEW Dynamite kicked off with the first of several Gold League matches for the Continental Classic, beginning with Jon Moxley vs Rush. To this point, Moxley had 6 points while Rush had 3 points, and after a tense encounter between the two stars, it looked as if Rush would be adding more points to his total. It would be Mox walking away with 3 more points, however, bringing him to 9 total. Then it was time for Swerve Strickland vs Mark Briscoe, and Briscoe was in a win-or-be-eliminated situation. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to get the win, and Strickland will be moving on, while Briscoe is eliminated from winning the tournament. The final match of the night was Jay White vs Jay Lethal, and the two have a long history with each other, which would come into play throughout the match. They consistently countered each other’s moves, but Jay’s strategy to focus on Lethal’s knee won out, as he pinned him and eliminated Lethal from winning the tournament.
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The two stared each other down to begin the match and then exchanged some chops. Moxley landed on his shoulder during a belly-to-belly and was seen favoring it quickly after, and Rush took advantage by throwing Moxley over the barricade and into the crowd. Back in the ring Rush took control for a bit and even taunted Mox, and Mox came right back with a taunt of his own.
The two traded more strikes but Rush slammed Mox down quickly and went for the pin, though Moxley kicked out. Rush taunted Moxley again but got hit with a cutter because of it. Moxley put Rush up top and then hit the superplex into a cover, but Rush kicked out. Mox gave him no time to breathe, but Rush countered, and the two traded punches. Mox knocked Rush outside but then ate the barricade after a counter suplex from Rush.
The two got back in the ring and Rush took back control, putting the pressure on Mox’s neck and back. Rush continued to focus on the back with a big kick, and then followed it up with kicks to the chest. Mox absorbed them all and then hit a DDT, buying him some time. Rush seemed to come down wrong on his leg, and Mox stayed on him but ended up getting hit with a pile driver.
Rush went for the cover but Moxley kicked out. Rush then hit Mox with a superplex and went for the cover again, but Mox kicked out. Mox threw Rush out of the ring and then dove through the ropes, knocking both to the floor. The count got close but both men made it back in the ring in time. They traded more punches, chops, and lariats, and then Rush got Mox in the corner and hit some stomps. Moxley came storming out of the corner to hit a lariat and then slammed Rush down into a cover, but he kicked out.
Moxley gave Rush no time to get to his feet, going for a sleeper immediately. That was enough to knock Rush out and get Mox the win, bringing him 3 more points for a total of 9.
Next up was Mark Briscoe, who was in a win-or-be-eliminated scenario. Briscoe needed to get some points on the board, but he would have to do it against Swerve Strickland. They locked up and Briscoe took command early, with Strickland sporting some tape over the shoulder that was worn down in the Texas Death Match at Full Gear. Briscoe knocked Strickland down again and went with the side headlock.
Briscoe kept going back to the headlock and then connected with a big boot to the face of Strickland. Chops and kicks followed from Biscoe, and then Strickland got hit with a high suplex into a cover, but Strickland kicked out quickly. Briscoe got Strickland back in the corner but he didn’t stay there, and Strickland finally got some offense going. Strickland hit a neckbreaker into a cover but Briscoe kicked out at 1. Briscoe got back in it and threw Strickland out of the ring, following it up with a dropkick through the ropes. The two exchanged strikes on the apron, but Briscoe got the last laugh, hitting more chops on the barricade.
Unfortunately, Briscoe got thrown over the barricade and then Swerve hit a suplex on Briscoe off that barricade. Back in the ring Swerve was firmly in control, but Briscoe wouldn’t give up. Strickland tried to go for a submission but Briscoe escaped and hit some of his trademark offense with a wave of massive chops. Briscoe was feeling it, and he hit a kick to the head and a slam into a cover, but Strickland still kicked out. Swerve rolled through a move and then went for the cover but Briscoe kicked out, stunning Strickland. Swerve went up top but Briscoe cut him off, and then Briscoe hit a big clothesline into a cover but Swerve kicked out yet again. They traded near falls but finally Swerve hit the Valley Driver from the top rope and got the pin, winning the match. Strickland now holds 9 points, while Briscoe is eliminated from winning the tournament.
The final match of the night was Jay White vs Jay Lethal, and the two have a long history in the ring. The two locked upand their vast history against each other was rather evident, as the two stars traded constant counters and reversals to each other’s moves. That continued to be the case throughout the first part of the match, though White was able to carve out some momentum by working on Lethal’s arm and back.
White stayed on Lethal, keeping him from building any momentum with slams to the mat, but Lethal eventually got to his feet and met White up top. Lethal turned things around and brought White down from the top after keeping White feeling for a bit, but White was able to kick out of the cover. That frustrated Lethal a bit but he stayed on Jay, hitting him with a number of big kicks. White countered and targeted the knee of Lethal before slamming it into the turnbuckle, and then White followed it up with a brain buster but still couldn’t keep Lethal down.
White hit the suplex and then went for the switchblade, but Lethal dodged it. Lethal went for his own finisher but White countered and then Lethal countered that into a pin attempt. White hit a chop block on the hurt knee and then went for the blade runner. Lethal stopped it but then White reversed the move and shifted all of Lethal’s weight, keeping him down for the pin and the win. White now has 6 points while Lethal is eliminated from winning the tournament.
What did you think of Dynamite’s Continental Classic matches? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!
