The 2025 Continental Classic Tournament is set to kick off this Wednesday during the Thanksgiving Eve edition of “AEW Dynamite.” Although the official participant list has yet to be released, it seems Kyle O’Reilly might miss the event. At AEW Full Gear 2025, O’Reilly made Jon Moxley submit in a match against No Holds Barred but was assaulted by Moxley afterward. AEW President Tony Khan stated in the post-show media scrum that due to Moxley’s attack, O’Reilly would probably be sidelined for the tournament.
“Kyle O’Reilly will likely be out following Jon Moxley’s actions and a hard-fought match,” Khan said. “It’s unfortunate because Kyle was eager to compete at the Continental Classic. He’s shown great progress and recently achieved a major victory. I was excited to see him participate, but it’s doubtful he’ll be cleared.”
However, fans might hold onto some hope as wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer mentioned on Wrestling Observer Radio that O’Reilly’s injury might just be part of the storyline to highlight Moxley’s attack, and that O’Reilly could still take part in the tournament. Meltzer explained, “It felt very narrative-driven. Maybe the plan was for O’Reilly to beat Moxley and then feign injury to skip the tournament, or pretend he was competing… It was quite clear that the injury was part of the story.”
Currently, the only confirmed participants are Kyle Fletcher, IWGP World Heavyweight Champion Konosuke Takeshita, and last year’s winner and current AEW Unified Champion Kazuchika Okada. The lineup for the first league matches is expected to be announced publicly by Wednesday night.
Fan Take: This update on Kyle O’Reilly’s potential absence adds an intriguing layer of suspense for AEW fans, as his storyline with Jon Moxley could significantly impact the tournament’s dynamics. If O’Reilly competes despite the storyline injury, it could showcase AEW’s blend of compelling storytelling and athletic competition, keeping fans thoroughly engaged in the Continental Classic.
