Background New Year's Smash is a two-part
professional wrestling television special held around
New Year's by
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) since January 2021. The fourth New Year's Smash was scheduled to be held on December 27, 2023, at the
Addition Financial Arena in
Orlando, Florida. The first part aired
live as a
special episode of
Wednesday Night Dynamite on
TBS, while the second part was taped the same night and aired on
tape delay on December 29 as a
special episode of
Friday Night Rampage on
TNT.
Storylines New Year's Smash featured
professional wrestling matches that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing scripted feuds and
storylines, written by AEW's writers. Storylines were produced on AEW's weekly television programs,
Dynamite,
Rampage, and
Collision. On the November 11 episode of
Collision, AEW president
Tony Khan announced the
Continental Classic, 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. The semi-finals, promoted as the League Finals, were scheduled for
Dynamite: New Year's Smash. As a result of
Jay White's win over
Jon Moxley on
Dynamite: Holiday Bash, that tied him in points with Moxley and
Swerve Strickland, with the three facing off in a
three-way match in the Gold League Final. Additionally, due to
Bryan Danielson and
Claudio Castagnoli's time limit draw on
Collision: Holiday Bash, that kept Danielson ahead in points to face
Eddie Kingston in the Blue League Final. ==Results==