Ace Austin may not have advanced in the Continental Challenge Cup, but his latest showing appears to have caught the attention of people behind the scenes in AEW. Austin went one-on-one with Claudio Castagnoli during Saturday’s episode of AEW Collision, with the pair meeting in the opening round of the Continental Challenge Cup. Meltzer said:“I think Ace Austin, as far as Ace Austin’s standing, I think he did himself a world of favors with this performance because people are talking about him, including in the company, being very impressed by him.” Castagnoli's victory means he now progresses to the quarterfinal stage of the Continental Challenge Cup. His sole singles victory came against Bryan Keith on the October 25, 2025 edition of AEW Collision.