Kazuchika Okada's AEW Continental Title Opponents For All Out Determined On Collision
The three opponents Kazuchika Okada will be facing when he defends his AEW Continental Championship at All Out were determined Friday night during three separate matches on "AEW Collision." Ring of Honor World Champion Mark Briscoe, The Conglomeration's Orange Cassidy, and Konosuke Takeshita all advanced for their shot at the title on Saturday in Chicago, Illinois.
Briscoe defeated Lance Archer in the first of the Continental Contenders matches in what turned out to be a bloody match, where both men spent a lot of time fighting on the outside. Briscoe made his entrance first, but was jumped by Archer before the bell even rang. Archer brutalized Briscoe, slamming him into the railing of the ring barricade until he drew blood from a cut above the champion's eye. Briscoe would battle back throughout the match. Archer hit Briscoe with a ripcord and put him on the top rope, but Briscoe pushed Archer off to gain some momentum. After hitting a Froggy Bow for a near-fall, Briscoe hit a sliding lariat and a second Froggy Bow for the victory.
In the second Continental Contenders bout, Cassidy defeated the Learning Tree's "Bad Apple" Bryan Keith. Cassidy went for his pockets to start off the match, but Keith didn't allow for it. Cassidy went for a big dive on Keith to the outside, sending him into the railing, then followed up to hit it twice more. Keith battled back during a break, but Cassidy started beating him down with dropkicks, then a few of his lazy kicks, before those turned into real stomps with Keith in the corner. Cassidy hit a Stundog Millionaire followed by a Beach Break, but Keith kicked out. After a battle of reversals and near falls, Cassidy hit the Orange Punch, followed by a DDT, then a tornado DDT from the top rope to win.
FINAL COMPETITOR REVEALED
Finally, Takeshita defeated The Beast Mortos in a hard-hitting match to cement his spot in the Continental Championship match at All In. Mortos started off the match hot, but Takeshita took advantage and got him out of the ring, then hit him with a dive over the top rope. Fighting on the outside, Takeshita rammed his opponent into a chair at ringside and off the ring barricade. Mortos rocked Takeshita with a big slap, then hit a tornado-esque dive through the ropes.
Both men went to the ropes numerous times throughout the match, but at one point, Mortos attempted to hit a move and seemed to slip, causing Takeshita to land on his shoulder. Mortos covered him, but Takeshita quickly kicked out. Mortos hit a spear, but Takeshita kicked out even quicker at one. The men caught each other with headbutts, stunning one another and themselves, before Takeshita was able to capitalize and hit the Raging Fire, a move he debuted in the G1 Climax, to win the match and advance to All Out to take on Cassidy, Briscoe, and Okada.