Tag: ftw title

Chris Jericho to defend FTW title against Hook at AEW All In

Posted on by Josh Nason

Image: AEW

Former FTW Champion Hook will try to both gain revenge and his ceremonial title back at this month’s AEW All In as he faces current titleholder Chris Jericho.

Hook conducted an in-ring promo Wednesday on Dynamite where he said he couldn’t see out of the left eye Jericho burned with a backstage fireball. However, he said he could see out of his right eye and wanted to fight Jericho for the title tonight.

Jericho, Big Bill and Bryan Keith then came out and after Jericho pretended he was going to oblige, he declined instead. He then said he would honor the request at All In from London’s Wembley Stadium but with two stipulations that Hook agreed to:

  • If Jericho wins, Hook can never challenge for the title while he’s champion and his business with The Learning Tree is done.
  • He must face Big Bill on Dynamite next Wednesday in Cardiff, Wales.

Jericho defeated Hook for the title at April’s Dynasty and has defended it three times since then, including one time against both Hook and Katsuyori Shibata at May’s Double or Nothing.

Here’s the current AEW All In card for Sunday, August 25 from London’s Wembley Stadium:

  • AEW World Champion Swerve Strickland defends against Bryan Danielson
  • AEW Women’s World Champion Toni Storm defends against Mariah May
  • AEW American Champion MJF defends against Will Ospreay
  • TNT Champion Jack Perry defends against Darby Allin in a coffin match
  • TBS Champion Mercedes Mone defends against Britt Baker
  • Casino gauntlet match for future AEW World title shot
  • FTW Champion Chris Jericho defends against Hook
  • Zero Hour: Willow Nightingale & Tomohiro Ishii vs. Kris Statlander & Stokely Hathaway

Chris Jericho vs. Minoru Suzuki FTW title match set for AEW Dynamite Blood & Guts

Posted on by Josh Nason

After promising to come for Chris Jericho and his FTW title several weeks ago, Minoru Suzuki intends to make good on that promise as part of next Wednesday’s Blood & Guts edition of AEW Dynamite.

Suzuki made a surprise appearance on this week’s show, interrupting a Learning Tree segment with Jericho, Bryan Keith and Big Bill. He then pulled out a contract and said, “Next week.” Keith then read the contract where it was revealed that both he and Bill are banned from ringside for the match.

Suzuki first made the challenge on the pre-Forbidden Door edition of Dynamite when Jericho thought he was going to join he and Bill at the pay-per-view in a trios match. Suzuki then surprised him by denying that offer and making his intent known: the FTW title.

The two have never gone one-on-one, but have been on the same trios team twice and on opposite ends of a trios match another time — all in AEW.

Jericho will be looking to defend the ceremonial title for the third time since winning it at April’s Dynasty.

Here’s the current lineup for Nashville:

  • Blood & Guts match: The Elite (Matt & Nick Jackson, Jack Perry, Kazuchika Okada and Hangman Page) vs. Team AEW (Swerve Strickland, Anthony Bowens, Max Caster, Darby Allin & Mark Briscoe)
  • FTW Champion Chris Jericho defends against Minoru Suzuki with The Learning Tree banned from ringside

Ricky Starks wins FTW title on AEW Dynamite

Posted on by Bryan Rose

A new FTW Champion was crowned on tonight’s Dynamite.

Ricky Starks defeated Brian Cage during tonight’s show to win the championship for the first time. The finish had Starks originally go to use the FTW title as a weapon, but Powerhouse Hobbs refused to let him do it. Hook, on the other side of the ring, then distracted the referee. Hobbs used this moment to strike Cage with the belt, allowing Starks to pin him to win the championship after a spear.

After the match, the rest of Team Taz celebrated Starks’ title win and walked to the back, leaving Cage behind.

Cage had held the title for over a year, with Taz awarding Cage the title on the episode of Dynamite that aired on July 8, 2020. In recent weeks, there had been dissension with Cage and the other members of Team Taz, which led Taz to make the match for the title in order to resolve the group’s differences.

The FTW Championship was a title Taz held in 1998 and 1999 due to being unable to challenge for the ECW World title at the time.