What was the point of the Continental Crown?

[The Summer of Muskrat XVII]

Not the tournament itself, that was f***ing awesome and it better become an annual thing. I mean, why did they make a big deal about the American Triple Crown and have 3 belts on the line in the tournament just to split them up 3 months later? It would've made alot more sense to just have Eddie win the tournament and end up triple champ then hyping up the creation of the American Triple Crown. I really dug the idea of the Triple Crown, and they gave up on it so quickly.

[schizo]

The whole concept of the Continental crown title was ridiculous to begin with. They couldn’t give a clear cut explanation on how the belt(s?) was defended.

[Chiral]

I wish they didn't do another belt, the timing probably wouldn't work with the G1 happening about the same time but I'd rather they did the next CC before All In for a world title shot.

[daaave]

The point of that belt now, is for Okada to hold it all year, undefeated, having bangers and then for him to enter C2 as title holder and suffer his first AEW defeat in the final to *insert name of your choice*

[SneakMan]

I think the American Triple Crown thing was mainly to benefit the tournament more than anything else. Saying "the winner of this tournament doesn't just get one belt, they get three" raises the stakes, adds additional intrigue, and guarantees the winner will look cool as hell by letting them carry around 3 belts at once for a while.

[Kalmia]

It gave Eddie Kingston three title belts. That was enough of a point for me.

[eJm]

Apr 11, 2024 13:43:10 GMT -5 SneakMan said:

I think the American Triple Crown thing was mainly to benefit the tournament more than anything else. Saying "the winner of this tournament doesn't just get one belt, they get three" raises the stakes, adds additional intrigue, and guarantees the winner will look cool as hell by letting them carry around 3 belts at once for a while.

Also, from the special they showed announcing the participants, Kingston was the one willing to put the two other belts on the line to make it a part of the prize of winning the Continental Crown so if someone else won it, they took all the belts.

EDIT: It was also clarified they could be defended separately if a challenger so wished so someone in NJPW could challenge for either the Strong belt or the full Crown.

Like, I also wish it lasted longer but if the intention was to just have Kingston hold a triple crown, I’m down with it.

[Dr. Bolty, Disaster Enby]

Gave Eddie Kingston a unique accomplishment that felt appropriate to his character [/his real life hyperfixation]. I agree that it was a little confusing in execution, and I would have been fine with the belts being absorbed into one championship, but it was not to be.

I do really like reviving the AJPW tag belt concept where the belt is vacated for the tournament every year as a way to separate it out from the other titles.

[Facetious]

Apr 11, 2024 13:42:00 GMT -5 daaave said:

The point of that belt now, is for Okada to hold it all year, undefeated, having bangers and then for him to enter C2 as title holder and suffer his first AEW defeat in the final to *insert name of your choice*

Daddy Ass going to have an insane run as Continental Champion

[The Legendary Ring Troll {BLM}]

Apr 11, 2024 13:49:20 GMT -5 eJm said:

Apr 11, 2024 13:43:10 GMT -5 SneakMan said:

EDIT: It was also clarified they could be defended separately if a challenger so wished so someone in NJPW could challenge for either the Strong belt or the full Crown.

“I challenge you for you title!”

“Okay, Triple Crown on the line!”

“Wait… no, no, no. I don’t want the ROH title or the AEW title, I just want that NJPW Strong title. Thanks though.”

[eJm]

Apr 11, 2024 14:16:37 GMT -5 The Legendary Ring Troll {BLM} said:

”I challenge you for you title!”

“Okay, Triple Crown on the line!”

“Wait… no, no, no. I don’t want the ROH title or the AEW title, I just want that NJPW Strong title. Thanks though.”

I didn’t say anyone would, just that it was an option.

And I could have easily seen a Gabriel Kidd, with his present gimmick, basically wanting the NJPW Strong title to “get the AEW stink off of it” or something like that.

[clifford]

Dunno why they just didn't put Orange Cassidy in it too and have the third belt in the Triple Crown be the International Championship, which has plummeted in prestige since the introduction of the Continental Championship. And are essentially the same concept of title.

[HMARK Center]

Yeah, for the three belt thing it was for Kingston; he lives out a lifelong dream to emulate his heroes, but I think in storyline they're playing up that losing the belts one by one is going to have an effect on him - his promo leading into Supercard of Honor made clear that he was furious with himself for losing to Okada, and while he loves Mark Briscoe he also couldn't deal with losing to him.

They'll be teaming up at Dynasty, but my guess is that Kingston sinks down in disappointment in himself over not being able to maintain the level of excellence he associates with triple crown winners, then at some point as this year goes on he'll get a redemption arc.

[GOTHIC CHARISMA 🧊 🥶❄️FURY]

the image of eddie with three belts was neat but i really really really wish they didn't make it another title. it should've been a trophy or something like winning the Owen, maybe a belt for a few weeks but isn't acknowledged as this new AEW title.

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

The American Triple Crown thing was for Eddie

The Continental Belt is for Okada and is defended with the caveat of zero interference like the C2

The Belt is then defended in the C2 itself as well

Not really that complicated imo

["Evil Brood" Jackson Vanik]

I think the original Triple Crown element was used to elevate the first tournament since it had no history and now that folks see the C2 as this great thing, it won't need the Triple Crown element moving forward and the title can have guys like Okada carrying it into the next tournament.

[The Summer of Muskrat XVII]

Apr 11, 2024 15:24:55 GMT -5 Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] said:

The American Triple Crown thing was for Eddie

The Continental Belt is for Okada and is defended with the caveat of zero interference like the C2

The Belt is then defended in the C2 itself as well

Not really that complicated imo

But why brand it? Why make the Triple Crown seem like it was a permanent thing? Could this not have all been accomplished by just having Eddie carry 3 belts for awhile?

I understand the point of the Continental Belt, although it does raise the question of why TK doesn’t ban interference in all standard matches, I just don’t get hyping up the Triple Crown to immediately break it up. It didn’t even change hands once! TK even went as far as to say the title would be defended across AEW, ROH and NJPW

[Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-]]

Apr 11, 2024 16:11:16 GMT -5 The Summer of Muskrat XVII said:

Apr 11, 2024 15:24:55 GMT -5 Xxcjb01xX [PIECE OF: SH-] said:

The American Triple Crown thing was for Eddie

The Continental Belt is for Okada and is defended with the caveat of zero interference like the C2

The Belt is then defended in the C2 itself as well

Not really that complicated imo

But why brand it? Why make the Triple Crown seem like it was a permanent thing? Could this not have all been accomplished by just having Eddie carry 3 belts for awhile?

I understand the point of the Continental Belt, although it does raise the question of why TK doesn’t ban interference in all standard matches, I just don’t get hyping up the Triple Crown to immediately break it up. It didn’t even change hands once! TK even went as far as to say the title would be defended across AEW, ROH and NJPW

The Triple Crown is never a permanent thing in wrestling, it never even is in Japan. So I don't think they ever planned on it as a thing where all three belts would or could be defended at all times.

[Cry Me a Wiggle]

My issue is that, stripped of the Triple Crown, I'm not sure how to equate the Continental Championship to the International Championship. Yeah, I understand the different philosophies to the titles (International can be defended in any promotion, Continental has people at ringside and interference barred and will be the prize of the CC every year), but those are fairly thin divisional differences when compared to past industry concepts like Cruiserweight, Hardcore, or even the Pure Championship. Maybe I'd feel different about it if the International Championship hadn't just settled into a position of being the defacto number two men's belt with the TNT Championship now more of a traditional third-tier TV Championship. Having a fourth men's singles belt in the mix (to speak nothing of the RoH titles floating around) feels like it needs a bit more of a gimmick to keep it from getting watered down.

[HMARK Center]

Apr 11, 2024 16:27:47 GMT -5 Cry Me a Wiggle said:

My issue is that, stripped of the Triple Crown, I'm not sure how to equate the Continental Championship to the International Championship. Yeah, I understand the different philosophies to the titles (International can be defended in any promotion, Continental has people at ringside and interference barred and will be the prize of the CC every year), but those are fairly thin divisional differences when compared to past industry concepts like Cruiserweight, Hardcore, or even the Pure Championship. Maybe I'd feel different about it if the International Championship hadn't just settled into a position of being the defacto number two men's belt with the TNT Championship now more of a traditional third-tier TV Championship. Having a fourth men's singles belt in the mix (to speak nothing of the RoH titles floating around) feels like it needs a bit more of a gimmick to keep it from getting watered down.

Yeah, on the one hand "too many singles titles" doesn't usually phase me thanks to years of NJPW viewing, but there's a delicate balance to having belts with different purposes that suit and fit different parts of the roster when you're a weekly TV product; for all the talk over the years in various companies that it's good when main eventers pursue midcard titles, you also risk devaluing the World title if you do that too often, so having some of these clearer lines of delineation (which can be stepped over from time to time, of course) is important.