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. Castagnoli ultimately secured the victory and moved into the quarterfinals, but Austin's performance reportedly generated some positive discussion within the company.

Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer suggested Austin may have improved his standing in AEW despite taking another singles defeat.

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.”

While that reaction may not immediately translate into a major winning streak for the former TNA star, Meltzer believes it could result in AEW finding more opportunities to feature Austin on television.

Meltzer continued:

“I don’t know that it’s gonna get him a bunch of wins, but I do think it will get him some television time and, you know, being thought of as, ‘Hey, we got a TV match for Mike Bailey or whatever, and we need a win, and hey, we know Ace Austin, he can do that job great.'”

Castagnoli's victory means he now progresses to the quarterfinal stage of the Continental Challenge Cup. His next opponent has yet to be established, with the quarterfinal matchups set to be decided through a blind draw.

Austin's singles record during his first year with AEW has been heavily weighted toward defeats. He currently holds a 1-9 record in one-on-one competition.

His sole singles victory came against Bryan Keith on the October 25, 2025 edition of AEW Collision.

Austin has enjoyed better results when competing as part of the Bang Bang Gang, recording four victories and three defeats in tag team competition.

Despite the numbers, the reported internal reaction to his match with Castagnoli suggests AEW officials have taken notice of what Austin can deliver when given television time.