Tony Khan has confirmed he is open to creating a women’s version of the Continental Classic tournament, but its launch is entirely conditional on the health and depth of the AEW women’s roster. Speaking with Q93 in New Orleans, the AEW President laid out the specific circumstances required to add a third prize to the division, which is currently centered around the Women’s World and TBS championships.
Building on the success of the men’s round-robin tournament, which has quickly become one of AEW’s tentpole events, a women’s version is an intriguing prospect. “We’ve got the Women’s World title and the TBS title. I think the Continental would certainly be something very, very interesting,” Khan stated.
The primary obstacle, however, is the grueling nature of the tournament format and the risk of injuries derailing it. Khan pointed to specific setbacks as a reason for caution, noting, “We had some injuries happen in the women’s division earlier this year, at the All In pay-per-view in Texas.”
He elaborated on the high stakes of running such a demanding competition. “I think it would be a great thing if we get the division healthy where we’ve got all of our top fighters ready to go. That could be a really great thing. You know, that’s a very intense tournament with matches every week. It’s hard-hitting. Last year we actually had an injury on the men’s side. One injury when you have a tournament like that can change everything. So I am very open to it, especially if we can get all the top wrestlers healthy to compete.”
This echoes Khan’s previous stance on expanding the division, where he has similarly linked the potential creation of Women’s Tag Team titles to roster stability. Despite the hurdles, he expressed confidence in the division’s current state, adding, “This is the best year ever for the AEW women’s division.”