The 2023 Worlds End was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It was the inaugural Worlds End and took place on December 30, 2023, at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York on Long Island, marking AEW's first PPV to be held in the state of New York. The event featured the final of the inaugural Continental Classic to crown the inaugural AEW Continental Champion, and subsequently, AEW's first "American Triple Crown Champion".
Thirteen matches were contested at the event, including three on the "Zero Hour" pre-show. In the main event, Samoa Joe defeated MJF by technical submission to win the AEW World Championship. In another prominent match, Eddie Kingston defeated Jon Moxley in the Continental Classic final to become Triple Crown Champion, retaining the ROH World Championship and NJPW Strong Openweight Championship and winning the inaugural AEW Continental Championship. The event also saw the final match in AEW for both Andrade El Ídolo and Miro as Andrade's contract expired following the event, which would eventually return to WWE at the start of 2024, and Miro's contract expired in February 2025; however, Andrade would later leave WWE in September 2025 and return to AEW that same October; while Worlds End also saw the final AEW appearance of Danhausen, as he would be sidelined for two years and then subsequently signed with the WWE at the end of February 2026.
Production
Background
On October 25, 2023, it was reported that the American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) had filed to trademark the name "Worlds End". Later that same night on Dynamite, AEW announced that it would hold a pay-per-view (PPV) event titled Worlds End on December 30, 2023, at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York on Long Island, marking the company's first PPV to be held in the state of New York. Tickets went on sale on November 3, 2023.
Storylines Worlds End featured professional wrestling matches that are the result of pre-existing feuds and storylines, with results being predetermined by AEW's writers. Storylines were produced on AEW's weekly television programs, Dynamite, Collision, and Rampage, and the YouTube series, Being The Dark Order.
On the November 11 episode of Collision, AEW president Tony Khan announced the Continental Classic (C2), a 12-man round-robin tournament similar to New Japan Pro-Wrestling's (NJPW) G1 Climax, to be held across episodes of Dynamite, Rampage, and Collision, starting from the November 22 episode of Dynamite, with the semi-finals (promoted as the League Finals) held on December 27 at Dynamite: New Year's Smash and the Championship Final held at Worlds End. Bryan Danielson announced his participation in the C2, despite his orbital bone injury. Eddie Kingston also announced his participation and that his ROH World Championship of sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH) and his NJPW Strong Openweight Championship would also be on the line in the tournament final. In addition to those two titles, it was also revealed that the winner of the tournament would become the inaugural AEW Continental Champion, with the three titles then being collectively held and defended under the American Triple Crown Championship banner. In the League Finals at Dynamite: New Year's Smash, Kingston and Jon Moxley won the respective Blue League and Gold League Finals, thus setting up the Championship Final at Worlds End.
At Dynamite: Grand Slam on September 20, MJF defeated Samoa Joe to retain the AEW World Championship. Also during that match, MJF's tag team partner Adam Cole injured his foot after he jumped off the entrance ramp when he came out to support MJF. Cole subsequently was unable to defend the ROH World Tag Team Championship with MJF, who was scheduled to defend it during the Full Gear Zero Hour pre-show on November 18. Joe offered to be MJF's partner for the title defense on the condition that MJF would give him another opportunity at the AEW World Championship. MJF initially declined, but he eventually agreed after Joe saved him from a beatdown, and they retained the title, although MJF suffered a minor injury. On the subsequent episode of Dynamite, after Cole convinced him to keep his promise, MJF said he would defend the AEW World Championship against Joe that night, but Joe declined as he instead wanted to face a healed up MJF in the main event at Worlds End in MJF's hometown of Long Island, and MJF accepted.
At WrestleDream, after Christian Cage retained the AEW TNT Championship against Darby Allin, Cage, Luchasaurus, and Nick Wayne continued their attack on Allin until Sting attempted to make the save, but he was also attacked. As Luchasaurus and Wayne were about to perform a con-chair-to on Sting, Adam Copeland made his AEW debut and saved Sting and Allin. On the following episode of Dynamite, Copeland told Cage that he came to AEW to reform their tag team so they could have one more run together before retiring, but Cage rejected the offer. This would lead to a match at Full Gear where Copeland, Sting, and Allin defeated The Patriarchy (Cage, Luchasaurus, and Wayne). Copeland then faced Cage for the TNT Championship on the December 6 episode of Dynamite, but lost after Wayne's mother Shayna interfered and hit Copeland with the title belt. after the match, Shayna Wayne revealed she had signed with AEW, now working under the ring name, Mother Wayne. On December 16 at Collision: Winter Is Coming, Copeland challenged Cage to a No Disqualification match for the TNT Championship at Worlds End, and Cage accepted.
At Full Gear, The Golden Jets (Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega) defeated The Young Bucks (Matt Jackson and Nick Jackson) to earn the latter's AEW World Tag Team Championship opportunity. During Dynamite: Winter Is Coming on December 13, The Golden Jets called out champions Ricky Starks and Big Bill to invoke their title match for Worlds End, which was accepted. However, two days later on December 15, Omega revealed he had been legitimately diagnosed with diverticulitis, thus taking him out of action indefinitely and canceling the match at Worlds End. On December 23 during Collision: Holiday Bash, Jericho announced he would find a new partner for the championship match at an unknown date. The following week during Dynamite: New Year's Smash, Jericho saved a returning Sammy Guevara from a beatdown by The Don Callis Family (Konosuke Takeshita, Powerhouse Hobbs, and Kyle Fletcher), with Starks and Bill subsequently coming out to attack Jericho and Guevara. Sting and Darby Allin then came out to help Jericho and Guevara clear the ring. Later, an eight-man tag team match was scheduled for Worlds End, pitting the team of the reunited Le Sex Gods (Jericho and Guevara) along with Sting and Allin against the team of Starks, Bill, and The Don Callis Family (Takeshita and Hobbs).
Event + Other on-screen personnelRoleNameCommentatorsExcalibur Nigel McGuinness Taz Tony Schiavone Stokely Hathaway Matt Menard Bryan Danielson Ring announcersJustin RobertsDasha GonzalezRefereesAubrey EdwardsBryce RemsburgPaul TurnerRick KnoxStephon SmithBrandon MartinezInterviewerLexy NairPre-show hostsRenee PaquetteRJ City
Pre-show There were three matches that took place on the pre-show. In the opener, Kris Statlander faced Willow Nightingale. In the closing stages, Willow performed a crossbody and a spinebuster on Statlander for a two-count. Willow then landed a cannonball and a Death Valley Driver for a nearfall. Statlander then delivered a scissors kick to Willow and attempted the Sunday Night Fever, but Willow reversed it into a roll-up pin for a two-count. Statlander then attempted a 450° splash, but Willow moved out of the way and hit the Doctor Bomb and then pinned Statlander to win the match.
The next match was a 20-man battle royal for a future AEW TNT Championship match. In the closing stages, Killswitch delivered chokeslams to both Darius Martin and Action Andretti. Lance Archer and Killswitch then threw Darius and Andretti out of the ring. The final four men were Killswitch, Archer, Trent Beretta and Danhausen. Beretta and Danhausen threw Archer over the top rope. Beretta and Danhausen then hugged each other, but Beretta then tossed Danhausen over the top rope. Beretta then performed three running knee strikes. Beretta attempted another one, but Killswitch impeded him with a chokeslam. Killswitch then attempted to throw Beretta over the top rope, but Beretta still hung on. Killswitch then performed an uppercut on Beretta and Beretta was eliminated, thus Killswitch won the battle royal.
In the pre-show main event, Hook defended the FTW Championship against Wheeler Yuta under FTW Rules. In the closing stages, Yuta hit Hook with a stop sign and delivered a senton to him for a two-count. Hook then landed a northern lights suplex on Yuta for a two-count. As Hook attempted to lock in Red Rum, Yuta escaped and delivered a German suplex and a fisherman suplex to Hook. Yuta then hit Hook with the lid of a trash can and landed a DDT for a nearfall. Hook then hit Yuta with a hockey stick and used the remnants of the hockey stick to lock in a hockey stick-assisted Red Rum, forcing Yuta to tap out.
Preliminary matches In the opening contest, Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli), Mark Briscoe and Daniel Garcia faced Jay Lethal, Brody King, Jay White and Rush. In the opening stages, Danielson delivered Yes! Kicks in the corner to White and a diving hurricarana. King then delivered a Bossman Slam to Garcia. Mark then delivered an apron brain buster to White and a cactus elbow to Rush. Claudio then performed a stalling suplex to King for a two-count after Rush broke up the pin. Rush and King then performed a punt kick/senton combination to Danielson. Claudio and Danielson then performed a Gianr Swing/dropkick to King for a two-count. Lethal locked in the Figure Four Leglock on Garcia, but Mark used the Froggy Bow splash to break up the submission attempt. Danielson then landed a Busaiku Knee to Lethal, White hit Danielson with the Bladerunner, Claudio delivered a pop-up uppercut and a discus lariat to White, Garcia delivered a Saito suplex to Rush. Lethal then attempted the Lethal Injection, but Garcia impeded him with a jacknife pin to win the match.
Next, Miro faced Andrade El Ídolo (accompanied by CJ Perry). In the closing stages, Andrade attempted a suicide dive, but Miro impeded him with a uranage. Andrade then delivered a feint moonsault to Miro for a two-count. Miro then delivered the Machka Kick and attempted to lock in Game Over, but Andrade went to the ropes. Andrade then performed a back elbow to Miro for a two-count. Andrade then locked in the Figure Four Leglock on Miro and attempted to transition into the Figure Eight, but CJ betrayed Andrade and swiped his hands. As Andrade was distracted by CJ, Miro hit the Machka Kick and then locked in Game Over, forcing Andrade to tap out. At the time, this was the final match for both men in AEW, as Andrade would leave the company immediately after the event (although he would eventually return in October 2025), and Miro would not be used on AEW programming again after the event before his contract expired in February 2025.
Next, "Timeless" Toni Storm (accompanied by Luther the Butler and Mariah May) defended the AEW Women's World Championship against Riho. In the closing stages, Riho performed a corner running knee, a bulldog and a roundhouse kick to Storm. Storm then landed a sitout spine buster to Riho for a two-count. Storm locked in the Texas Cloverleaf and as Riho attempted to get to the ropes, Luther pulled her. The referee then ejected Luther from ringside. Riho then performed the 619 and a dragon suplex to Storm for a two-count. Storm then delivered a pildriver and the Storm Zero to Riho for a two-count. Storm then delivered a DDT to Riho and pinned her to retain her title.