Ace Austin may have been knocked out in the first round of the AEW Continental Challenge Cup, but his showing against Claudio Castagnoli appears to have significantly raised his stock within the company.
Austin and Castagnoli opened the most recent AEW Collision from Colorado Springs, Colorado, in their first-ever singles match. Despite the loss, the Bang Bang Gang member drew strong crowd support, with fans chanting his name during the bout. Castagnoli picked up the win with a Pop-Up Uppercut and advanced to the quarterfinals.
On a recent edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer reported that Austin’s performance generated significant backstage buzz in AEW and could earn him more television time going forward.
“As far as Ace Austin’s standing, I think he did himself a world of favours with this performance because people are talking about him, including in the company. Being very impressed by him. I don’t know that it’s going to get him a bunch of wins, but I do think it will get him some television time.”
That backstage buzz is particularly notable because Austin has yet to establish himself as a regular winner in singles competition since arriving in AEW. His current singles record sits at just 1-10, with his lone victory coming against Bryan Keith on the October 25, 2025 edition of Collision.
Austin officially signed with AEW in August 2025, just months after wrapping up a nearly seven-year run in TNA. During that stretch, he captured the X-Division Championship three times and was a three-time tag team champion alongside Chris Bey.
Castagnoli, meanwhile, remains alive in the Continental Challenge Cup. The quarterfinal matchups will again be determined by random draw, with the semifinals set for the August 26 Dynamite in Glasgow and the final booked for All In: London at Wembley Stadium on August 30. The winner will also claim the AEW Continental Championship.