Tony Khan Clarifies AEW Continental Crown Rules, Reveals When Continental Classic Will Return

All Elite Wrestling has dipped into one of professional wrestling's most notable tournament structures. Last fall, AEW launched the AEW Continental Classic, a round robin tournament akin to New Japan Pro Wrestling's G1 Climax. The AEW Continental Classic took 12 competitors and separated them into two groups, Blue League and Gold League, having each participant wrestle every other competitor in his respective block. Bryan Danielson and Eddie Kingston emerged at the top of the Blue League while Jon Moxley, Jay White and Swerve Strickland locked themselves in a Gold League three-way tie. Kingston and Moxley would win their league finals, and the Mad King would ultimately emerge as the C2's lone victor and the inaugural AEW Continental Crown Champion.

Since then, Kingston has defended the AEW Continental Crown in singles matches, treating it like a singles title rather than a trophy. After five successful defenses and one double count out, Kingston would lose the AEW Continental Crown to Kazuchika Okada on the March 20th edition of AEW Dynamite.

Speaking to ComicBook.com, AEW President Tony Khan clarified that the AEW Continental Crown will continue to be defended in singles action until the AEW Continental Classic return this fall, where it will be up for grabs again in the round robin tournament.

"Whoever is the champion going into the Continental Classic, they will put the title up in the tournament, and they will have the opportunity to retain it by winning the tournament," Khan explained. "The Continental title will be defended under the Continental Rules for the rest of the year. No outside interference. Nobody allowed it ringside."

Okada has about eight months of defenses ahead of him if he is to defend the title within the C2 itself.

"Whoever is the champion coming out of AEW Full Gear, they will defend the title in the Continental Classic," Khan continued. "And then at AEW Worlds End, we will determine who will be the Continental Champion at the end of 2024.

"I'm very excited about going into the tournament this year with [an established] champion, somebody having the opportunity to defend the title throughout the year and at so many great events. Everybody wants to be in the Continental Classic. We had a great lineup of wrestlers in it last year, but it's also going to be a lot of pressure. Here we are in March. Realistically, we're about eight months from the start of the next Continental Classic. It's going to be a long haul."

AEW Dynamite returns this Wednesday, March 27th at 8 PM ET on TBS.