...wasn't particularly engaging as a match, but the ban on outside interference ripped away the opportunity for this to be the traditional Planet Jarrett fare, and Swerve Strickland didn't have to briefly get foiled by the fantastic circus before putting his opponent away.
Like every tournament match on the show, it wasn't really suitable for raising the curtain on the inaugural event. It would have been helped exponentially by being the third or fourth match for both men - the proverbial six-pointer ahead of more gripping closing fixtures - but to the winner went the spoils, and Swerve needs all of them right now.
Strickland and Hangman Page probably should have taken this episode off to sell the damage done at Full Gear, but the former at least got the opportunity to continue the hot streak he's on by racking up the first three points of the first ever Continental Classic and beat a man known as much for his mental acumen as his wrestling skill.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation over 7 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 30 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz", Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 50,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
