Backstage Details On FTR AEW Tag Team Title Loss

AEW

More details have emerged on the shock AEW Tag Team Title change which took place on the October 7 edition of Collision.

During the show, Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood defended their gold against Big Bill and Ricky Starks.

The the surprise of many, not only did Big Bill and Ricky Starks defeat FTR for the championship, they did so in less than five minutes.

Per Dave Meltzer in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, this squash match was pitched by Dax Harwood as a way to put over Bill and Starks.

This report also noted that FTR vs the Young Bucks was previously planned either for the November 18 Full Gear pay-per-view, or the AEW TV taping the week prior.

Providing clarification on Cash Wheeler’s injury, noting that this isn’t why the title change happened, Meltzer wrote:

There is a lot behind this one. This was an angle pitched by Dax Harwood. There were those in the company told Cash Wheeler was injured with broken ribs and that was the reason for it.

We’re told he is banged up, enough to where he was X-rayed but we were told the X-rays showed no broken ribs and he doesn’t need time off and could have done a full match.

The angle was something pitched for a shock on the show and to build a rematch and get and not to cover for a lengthy absence. The idea of the pitch is to do a match where Wheeler was injured and Harwood had to face both men and got blown out without getting much offense in.

The idea of dropping the titles and doing it in such a one-sided way to put over Bill & Starks strong and to do something significant to try and help the Collision show.

The match went just 4:47 and was one-sided, as Bill took out Wheeler right away with a chokeslam through the announcers table and Harwood fought alone and basically was destroyed by Bill doing a chokeslam and Starks pinning him with a spear.

In the post-match promo, Starks & Bill said that FTR will not get a title match. FTR vs. Young Bucks was definitely the direction the tag title was planned on going preciously, with the match planned for either Full Gear or the tapings in Ontario, CA, and it still may end up there.

Bill & Starks vs. FTR will likely be on 10/28, or maybe 11/4, with the winners facing the Young Bucks

The Young Bucks won a AEW Tag Team Championship #1 contender’s match at the October 1 WrestleDream pay-per-view.

Harwood has addressed rumors about FTR leaving AEW, which you can read about right here.

Want to know more about what goes on outside the ring? WrestleTalk proudly presents Wrestling Unmasked, a new book that explores the untold stories, the politics, and the endless drama that unfolds behind the scenes. It’s time to experience wrestling like never before! Buy your copy here!

• Title Loss
• cash wheeler
• champion
• dax harwood
• ftr

Share this article with friends