Eddie Kingston Beats Jon Moxley in AEW Continental Classic Final at Worlds End 2023
Mike Chiari@@mikechiari
Featured Columnist IVDecember 31, 2023
Eddie Kingston defeated Jon Moxley in the Continental Classic at Worlds End on Saturday to become AEW's first Triple Crown champion.
Kingston won after nailing Moxley with a Backfist to the Future.
All Elite Wrestling @AEWHE DID IT! Eddie Kingston is the FIRST EVER <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWContinentalClassic?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWContinentalClassic</a> winner and the FIRST <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEW?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEW</a> Continental Champion!<br><br>Order <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWWorldsEnd?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWWorldsEnd</a> LIVE on PPV!<br>🇺🇸: <a href="https://t.co/TiDZIQm5Hp">https://t.co/TiDZIQm5Hp</a><br>🌐: <a href="https://t.co/2USw7IAedK">https://t.co/2USw7IAedK</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EddieKingston?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EddieKingston</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/JonMoxley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JonMoxley</a> <a href="https://t.co/in0fF7esan">pic.twitter.com/in0fF7esan</a>
All Elite Wrestling @AEWYour <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWContinental?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWContinental</a> Classic Winner and modern day Triple Crown holder, EDDIE KINGSTON!<br><br>Order <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AEWWorldsEnd?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AEWWorldsEnd</a> LIVE on PPV!<br>🇺🇸: <a href="https://t.co/TiDZIQm5Hp">https://t.co/TiDZIQm5Hp</a><br>🌐: <a href="https://t.co/2USw7IAedK">https://t.co/2USw7IAedK</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EddieKingston?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EddieKingston</a> <a href="https://t.co/7wIqUDNg0F">pic.twitter.com/7wIqUDNg0F</a>
The Continental Classic is essentially AEW's version of New Japan Pro-Wrestling's G1 Climax tournament, featuring two blocks of six wrestlers each with the winner of each block facing off in the final.
While the G1 winner earns an IWGP World Heavyweight Championship match at Wrestle Kingdom, the prize was a bit different for the Continental Classic.
At the start of the tournament, Kingston decided to add some stakes by putting his ROH World Championship and NJPW Strong Openweight Championship on the line. Then, AEW created the Continental Championship and it was stated that the winner would take all three titles and become the Triple Crown champion.
Kingston was part of the Blue League, and although he finished second to Bryan Danielson's 10 points, his nine points were enough to reach the Blue League final.
Danielson was favored to beat Kingston in the Blue League final on the New Year's Smash episode of Dynamite, but Kingston persevered and pulled off the upset to reach the Continental Classic final and keep his ROH world title and NJPW Strong openweight title reigns alive.
In the Gold League, Moxley, Swerve Strickland and Jay White all finished at the top with 12 points, so the decision was made to determine the Gold League winner with a three-way match.
Mox outlasted two of the best AEW has to offer in a match went well beyond 20 minutes, punching his ticket to the Continental Classic final at Worlds End.
During their time in AEW, Kingston and Moxley have competed in some of the most memorable matches in company history, both as opponents and as tag team partners.
At Worlds End, they stood in each other's path to greatness, but it was Kingston who survived an all-out war to retain the ROH World and NJPW Strong Openweight Championships, and win the AEW Continental Championship.
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