Background in
Hoffman Estates, Illinois.
Worlds End is an annual
professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced in late December by
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) since
2023. The event notably hosts the finals of the annual
Continental Classic (C2) for the
AEW Continental Championship. On July 31, 2025, AEW announced that the third annual Worlds End would take place on December 27 at the
Now Arena in
Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a suburb of
Chicago. This was AEW's fifth PPV event at the venue, following the
2019,
2021,
2022, and
2024 editions of
All Out, and the seventh overall in the
Chicago metropolitan area after the
2022 edition of
Forbidden Door and the
2023 All Out (both held at the
United Center). The venue also hosted the
first edition of
All In. Tickets for Worlds End went on sale September 22. The event was presented by
Bell's Two Hearted IPA.
Broadcast outlets Worlds End aired via PPV through traditional cable and satellite providers. In the United States, AEW PPV events are also available on
HBO Max at an exclusive discounted rate for subscribers. The event was also available in the United States and internationally on
Prime Video,
Triller TV,
PPV.com, and
YouTube. Additionally in the United States, the show was broadcast at
Dave & Buster's and Tom's Watch Bar locations.
Storylines Worlds End featured 13
professional wrestling matches, including four on the
Zero Hour pre-show, that involved different wrestlers from pre-existing feuds and
storylines. Storylines were produced on AEW's weekly television programs,
Dynamite and
Collision. As the incumbent Continental Champion,
Kazuchika Okada was automatically entered into the C2. Months prior in July at
All In: Texas, Okada had also won the
AEW International Championship, subsequently holding and defending both titles under the
AEW Unified Championship. Amid confusion over the Unified title in regards to the C2, it was confirmed that only the Continental Championship would be the prize of the
2025 tournament, with Okada only carrying the International Championship belt throughout the league matches. It was also revealed that should Okada lose the Continental Championship in the C2, he would also lose the Unified Championship. At
Full Gear,
Samoa Joe defeated
"Hangman" Adam Page to win the
AEW World Championship after
Hook turned on Page. After the bout,
Swerve Strickland returned and feigned attacking Page, attacking The Opps dojo instead. On the following episode of
Dynamite, Page challenged Joe to a rematch at Worlds End. During
Collision: Winter is Coming, Strickland declared himself the rightful contender following Page's initial challenge to Joe. At
Dynamite: Holiday Bash on December 17, during the contract signing for the match at Worlds End,
MJF made his return since his last appearance at
All Out and invoked his
Casino Gauntlet match cash-in contract to put him into the match with Joe, Page, and Strickland, making it a four-way match for the title. ==Results==