Jon Moxley’s reign as AEW Continental Champion has survived through the first-ever Challenge Cup.
Moxley won AEW’s first-ever Continental Challenge Cup tournament on Sunday night, beating Nigel McGuinness in the finals as part of All In: London from Wembley Stadium. Beating England’s own McGuinness, Moxley extends a title reign which is about to cross the 250-day mark.
Targeting a weakened left ankle, which McGuinness had hurt prior to Sunday, Moxley was able to secure a submission victory at the 17-minute mark. After briefly letting go of an Ankle Lock to secure a Curbstomp, Moxley re-applied the submission in the center of the ring.
Writhing in pain, McGuinness tried to crawl toward the ropes and break the hold. Just inches away from finding said break, the suffering became too much for McGuinness, who tapped out.
McGuinness had numerous near-win moments in the match, catching Moxley with crafty submissions and pin attempts.
50-year-old McGuinness was gunning for his first championship reign since 2009. His past work as a champion dates back to his previous ROH run, when he notably carried the company’s top title for over 500 days.
Moxley continued what has been a commanding run as AEW Continental Champion, a belt he first earned by winning the 2025 Continental Classic. He has defended the title seven times earlier this year, beating names like Bandido, Will Ospreay, and Konosuke Takeshita.
Ahead of All In, AEW launched its first-ever Continental Challenge Cup. Inspired by England’s FA Cup, where hundreds of pro football clubs face off in a single-elimination bracket, AEW established a 16-man tournament. The competitors fought through a tournament where the winner would become the new (or, in the case of Moxley, the retaining) Continental Champion.
Earlier rounds saw Moxley take down Jack Perry, Jay White, and fellow Death Rider Claudio Castagnoli. McGuinness, who has wrestled an infrequent schedule since making his unexpected in-ring return two years ago, beat Kyle O’Reilly, Hechicero, and Katsuyori Shibata.
McGuinness was billed as entering the finals hurt, suffering an ankle injury on his way through the bracket.
