Claudio Castagnoli: "The Continental Classic has become THE tournament in professional wrestling"

True to its tradition, All Elite Wrestling will close the year with a new edition of the AEW Continental Classic, a points-based tournament (Robin Round) where 12 of the company's top talents will compete over the next few weeks with the Continental Championship (currently unified with the International title) on the line.

The tournament, similar to the traditional G1 CLIMAX from NJPW, is divided into two blocks with six participants in each. One of the favorites to win is Claudio Castagnoli, who in a recent interview with Wrestling Republic, praised the AEW tournament, stating that it is currently the most important in the business.

"Well, I think the Continental Classic has become THE professional wrestling tournament in just three years. If you had asked me every year, I probably would have said the same thing every year, saying that the competitors participating are incredible and the best. But I feel that the competitors this year... I mean, just look at the Blue League. You just see it and it's a 'who beats who', and it will be really hard to predict the outcome, and the same goes for the Gold League. That's what a tournament should be. I think it's very unpredictable, which obviously is great for everyone involved, and it's a great challenge, which is what I'm looking forward to. That's why I like being in the Continental Classic. Because it's clear, simple, it's about determination, it's one on one, seeing who's the best," he said.

Castagnoli defeated Orange Cassidy in his first match in the tournament to earn his first three points. His next opponent will be none other than his Death Riders partner, Jon Moxley. The match will take place this same week on the weekly AEW Dynamite show. The Blue League is completed by Konosuke Takeshita, Roderick Strong, and Máscara Dorada.