Wrestling legend and Busted Open host Tommy Dreamer offered high praise for the current iteration of the AEW Continental Classic tournament, stating that the match quality and presentation have surpassed previous years. Speaking on Busted Open After Dark, Dreamer highlighted how quickly the tournament has established itself as a meaningful part of the AEW calendar.
“In the short amount of years that this tournament has been established… it’s gotten over,” Dreamer said. “I believe it’s the third year that we have it, and so far this year, match wise, have been the best. In a short time, they have gotten over something very, very quickly in the wrestling universe, in the AEW universe, and it’s working”.
Dreamer attributed his enjoyment to the “interesting matches” and the point system, which adds a sports-like feel to the presentation. He noted a marked improvement in the field of competitors compared to the previous year, where he felt some entrants were clearly not going to advance far.
“This year so far, minus injuries… from last week to this week, in a company where your slogan is where the best wrestle, we saw some really good wrestling matches last week. We’ve seen some really, really good wrestling matches this week,” Dreamer observed.
Heel vs. Heel Dynamics
Dreamer specifically pointed out the intrigue of the heel-versus-heel matchups within the tournament, a dynamic that is often avoided in traditional wrestling booking. He praised the match between Kazuchika Okada and Kyle Fletcher, as well as Okada vs. PAC, for their storytelling within stablemates.
“I enjoyed Fletcher and Okada a little bit more, but Okada and PAC was solid as can be, two heels, two different members from factions,” Dreamer said. “I enjoyed both heels trying to out heel each other, because they’re also from the same stable, and they kind of have some respect from each other.”
He explained that these intra-faction battles add “more umph” to the situation and legitimize the tournament’s prestige. “It gives it more legitimacy that even though we work together, we’re on the same team, we’re on the same goal, we still want to win this title,” Dreamer analyzed.
The NBA Comparison
To illustrate the success of the Continental Classic, Dreamer compared it to the NBA’s recent implementation of the In-Season Tournament. He noted how the NBA created a meaningful competition in the middle of a long season by adding brackets, changing court designs, and incentivizing players with bonuses.
“The NBA, within the last two years has instituted… this tournament… And it really has umped and gave, given legitimacy to this tournament in basketball,” Dreamer explained. “Kind of the same situation that we have with AEW and this continental classic.”
He argued that just as NBA players play harder for the tournament bonuses, AEW wrestlers are showing a different level of intensity for the Continental Classic, validating the concept to the audience.
Commentary and Presentation
Dreamer also credited the commentary team and the influence of Bryan Danielson for adding realism to the tournament. He noted that the announcers are doing a good job of weaving in history and statistics, such as Okada’s rare losses, to build the narrative.
“The use of commentators in to legitimize, legitimize their the storytelling… Everything that Brian Danielson is doing has just really, really added to this tournament. It has a real feel to it,” Dreamer stated.
He concluded that the tournament serves a practical purpose for the television product as well, filling “a lot of boxes” by providing quality matches that take up segments and commercial breaks effectively.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Busted Open After Dark with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can listen to the podcast on SiriusXM or major podcast platforms.
