Quick Thoughts - AEW World’s End 2025

We are days away from 2025 ending and 2026 beginning which is always a time of reflection. For wrestling it’s been a case people realising what I’ve said all along, AEW is good, WWE is bad and Triple H is a fraud of a booker. John Cena retired to anger and while I agree with the finish and it a what I thought when you’ve trained and audience on moments and entrances I’m sure the moment they wanted was one last triumph. I’m sure the PR spin on how Triple H isn’t mad he really isn’t mad is in full force by now but we aren’t here to talk about that. It’s an interesting card mainly dominated by the December tradition of the Continental Classic. I don't mind this but it is an odd one that the card doesn't feel like a fully formed card at the moment. We are 10 days away from the show I am writing this super yearly just in terms of free time in the festive period so we might even see some major additions to the card I think as of time of writing the Women's Title match will add Thekla and the Men's Title match will add MJF but I could be wrong we will see.

Continental Classic
This year I think has been the best Continental Classic so far. The more these go on the more you get a back catalogue and history of great matches a moments. Kevin Knight has been a particular stand out this year as well as Kyle Fletcher and his phenomenal match with Mike Bailey. I am unsure of peoples confusion on the Unified title and being split I thought it was clear they were still seperate titles considering both belts still appeared on screen with the Unified title and also are still on the website I dunno maybe context clues need to be more blantant for people who need thier hand held through everything. I am unsure on the full Semi-Finals as of time of writing I do think we will get an Okada vs. Takeshita final and I do think a Takeshita vs. Fletcher semi-final but I can't get a lock for Okada maybe it'll be Claudio those two had a draw for the Continental Belt back in 2024 they never got run back so could see that happen. I dunno we have a good amount of matches to go in the next week and a bit so let's see. Turns out I was wrong it's Takeshita vs. Okada semi-final which is a surprised I think this will determine the winner of the whole thing. With Takeshita wins here I can see a Fletcher win in the final but an Okada win here it's an Okada tournaement win.

I guess no preshow on TNT because of the Christmas schedule? So I escape doing the preshow matches for one more PPV. No doubt that's getting me back in 2026 but let's see. Just looking at the card Bandido, Jet Speed and The Demand to name a few all on the preshow shows the insane roster depth AEW has.  

Continental Classic Semifinal: Kazuchika Okada vs. Konosuke Takeshita
Here we are the match we have been building to and just the start of the in ring bits of this feud. Okada doesn't like Takeshita and vice versa but as a wise man once said the more beef the better. I think we will see these guys fight at Revolution again but I'm looking forward to this one the last big match for both in AEW this year ready for January 4th. I cannot tell you who I think will win I really can't decide here. I really enjoyed that match super good and the finish allows for more matches in the future. I'm glad it turns out these two have great chemistry more in the future please.  

Continental Classic Semifinal: Kyle Fletcher vs. Jon Moxley
Man what a year Jon Moxley has had. I started this year much like everyone hating the Death Riders to ending December thinking he's one of the most compelling wrestlers on the roster and loving his work. Maybe the issue was Adam Copeland hmmm. Mox has been hanging on and knows he has to keep winning to keep the vulutures in the Death Riders at bay. However, I do think his run ends here the more this week has gone on the more I've been thinking Kyle might win the whole thing so expect a Mox win here. Really enjoyed this as well Mox is so close to the face turn and Okada screwed Fletcher which adds to that story. Interesting stuff. 

Chicago Street Fight: FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler) (c) (with Stokely) vs. Bang Bang Gang (Juice Robinson and Austin Gunn) (with Ace Austin)
The old traditional building of a match where the normal match is marred in controversy so the rematch is set up with a stipulation. I don’t mind this as they needed to find a way of getting FTR on the card but still a real holding pattern until the Cage & Copeland title match. Good stuff for The Bang Bang Gang getting this I miss Jay White and the remaining members outside of Ace Austin aren’t really my thing but they’re over so makes sense to keep this going if you’re not getting a Brodido rematch. I imagine Austin & Juice will be motivated to give it a good go but very much expecting an FTR title retention. This was fine was a match that happened I didn't expect much and it was just fine.  

AEW Women's World Tag Team Championship Match: Babes of Wrath (Harley Cameron and Willow Nightingale) (c) vs. Athena and Mercedes Moné
Good for Harley & Willow. Toni doesn't need every record and moment and they are great, Harley especially should be seen as one of the most improved wrestlers of 2025. It seems we've begun the fall of Mercedes sooner then I thought I did have her losing the Undisputed British Title at Wembley in August to Kanji but no Collision in Manchester to Alex Windsor (I still think Kanji wins it there but belt will be going to Safire Reed I'd assume at February's High Stakes). I think movement now turns to when Mercedes and who Mercedes loses the TBS title to. Speaking of forever champions nice to see Athena back on PPV. I do wonder if the Billie Starkz title win will ever come (just saying Tony the Copper Box is free the Friday before All In if you want to announce an ROH show or something I dunno). I dunno what we're going but Babes of Wrath got the London & Kendrick special of being beaten in non-title matches to then win the title match. Makes sense the tournament just finished you need a reason for a title match and it's important to get the belts on PPV as soon as possible show that they matter. Good match I enjoyed it right call to have the champs retains interested to see where Mone and Athena go from here.

Darby Allin vs. Gabe Kidd
Darby is back after months of the Death Riders trying to kill him all it took was a match with Kevin Knight to take him out. An interesting addition to the card it's something that I thought would be booked for a while. Gabe Kidd doesn't have a major match at Wrestle Kingdom and is part of the 5 man team of Bullet Club and now not L.I.J vs. United Empire so he can do some mad stuff here (as he is a mad man don't you know). Considering these two were the guys who did the big off the cage table bump at Forbidden Door (I wouldn't know I had to leave so I didn't miss last train because my God that show went so long) so I would expect something. I'm reading this from the spoilers so I dunno if that is just a normal match or not but I'd expect a good physical match here. Good fun match, physical shit these two beat the fuck out of each other. Great blade jobs and roll up win for Darby may allow an extra match down the line. Godd stuff. 

Mixed Nuts Mayhem: Death Riders (Claudio Castagnoli, Daniel Garcia, Wheeler Yuta, and Marina Shafir) vs. The Conglomeration (Mark Briscoe, Orange Cassidy, and Roderick Strong) and "Timeless" Toni Storm
I'm gonna be honest I've not watched the Chrismtas week shows (I've been busy leave me alone) so I am unsure of the full formation of this match. Feels like a get most people on the card and personally type of match I think you have Mark Briscoe get pinned to set up a new years TNT title defence. I imagine this is a Christmas theme street fight so let's see. This wasn't a street fight but still a fun time. Could've been shorter 

AEW Women's World Championship Match: Kris Statlander (c) vs. Jamie Hayter
Interesting match this one should be. I like both and it should be a fun one and I'm surprised Thekla wasn't added but I guess she's up next. Both women are good so I'm expecting a good match. It'd be nice for Jamie to win at this point I just want her to be healthy at March for the Pro Wrestling EVE show I just want to see her vs. Miyu Yamashita. Really enjoyed this match super physical contest and both women brought it. I'm guessing it's Thekla up next but still super good match this Statlander reign has been fun nice change of pace away from Toni as champion and it continues to go from strength to strength.

Continental Classic Final: Kazuchika Okada vs. Jon Moxley
I'm surprised they never had a 1 on 1 match before this. Still big final for the tournament probably the biggest match name wise you can do for the tournament final. If you would've said to me Jon Moxley was winning I would've said no way. Great stuff weird ass shit the people who were basically terrorists are now the babyface stable I dunno maybe the big betrayal was the friends we made along the way. Okada vs. Takeshita can still be for a title and Mox gets the one belt that means no outside interference. Good stuff maybe not the best match but fun ending very surprising. 

AEW World Championship Match: Samoa Joe (c) vs. Swerve Strickland vs. "Hangman" Adam Page vs. MJF
This is a triple threat match as of time of writing. I love all the guys in this and honestly more Swerve and Hangman is always good as a triple threat it's set up in a way that Swerve and Hangman cost each other and they continue to their neverending issues. I really enjoyed their Revolution match and wonder how this one will play out with a slightly different dynamic. When you add MJF to the mix your chances of winning drastically go down. I think I want MJF to win man I am so sick of the Hangman fans with parasocial relationships with him feeling the need to write essays about how MJF is evil or he's bad or whatever. Do his promos go for low hanging fruit sometimes? Yes I agree to that some stuff isn't necessary but nobody has his delivery a cadence so let's stop pretending he's bad because you don't like him. We keep going through the oh he's not a good wrestler then he has a great match (like his match vs. Mistico this year which is a MOTY contender and probably should be a winner). I dunno I think people allow themselves into bubbles where all they interact with is people in their echo chamber and then think that's fact over opinion. I am 100% sure a lot of this comes down to MJF insulting people on social media as well instead of pretending to be nice, liking tweets or saying a name in a twitch stream so you think you're friends. As a reminer wrestlings fans are nothing more than consumers the performers are nice to you at a base level to get as much out of you as possible so maybe stop obsessing over them and for the love of God not every single fan needs a fucking podcast I've read some of the opinions that fly about from people that hate MJF and my God the people you like a dogshit so maybe think before speaking. I wrote a lot before this match started lol. I really enjoyed this and the right man won take that Hangman fans cry. 

Good show I will admit half the show I wasn't a big fan of the mixed nuts match and the men's tag championship were eh but Continental Classic matches were good and I'm happy with the world title change. Another good PPV not one of AEW's best but still I had fun. Now we move on to 2026.