AEW Battle of the Belts
AEW Battle of the Belts is a series of professional wrestling television specials produced by American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The one-hour specials are broadcast on TNT in the United States and air quarterly throughout the year. The series currently airs on select Friday nights at 11 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) immediately after AEW's regular Friday program, Rampage; the series originally aired on select Saturday nights at 8 p.m. ET, but was moved to Fridays beginning with the fourth episode. Battle of the Belts premiered with a live episode on January 8, 2022. The sixth and most recent special aired live on April 7, 2023.
| AEW Battle of the Belts | |
|---|---|
 AEW Battle of the Belts logo | |
| Genre | Professional wrestling |
| Created by | Tony Khan |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Tony Khan |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | All Elite Wrestling |
| Release | |
| Original network | TNT |
| Original release | January 8, 2022 – present |
| Related | |
| AEW Dynamite AEW Rampage AEW Dark AEW Dark: Elevation | |
The theme of the show is that all matches are contested for professional wrestling championships. Thus far, six of AEW's championships have been defended on the specials, as well as two championships from AEW's sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH). These include the AEW Women's World Championship, the AEW TNT Championship, the AEW TBS Championship, the AEW All-Atlantic/International Championship, the AEW World Tag Team Championship, the FTW Championship, the ROH World Championship, and the ROH World Tag Team Championship.
History
In May 2021, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) renegotiated its broadcasting deal with WarnerMedia which saw AEW's flagship television program, Wednesday Night Dynamite, move from TNT to TBS in January 2022, while its other core program, Friday Night Rampage, remained on TNT.[1][2] Also as part of the deal, AEW agreed to produce four quarterly television specials on TNT that would take place on Saturdays.[1][3] Former AEW executive and wrestler Cody Rhodes said that these specials would be similar to Jim Crockett Promotions/World Championship Wrestling's Clash of the Champions and WWE's Saturday Night's Main Event shows, calling them super events.[4] Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer reported that the quarterly specials would be one-hour shows, but said they were originally planned to be longer, and also that they would feature pay-per-view caliber cards.[5]
On November 24, 2021, the television special series was announced to be titled Battle of the Belts with the inaugural event scheduled to be held live at 8 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on January 8, 2022, at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The tagline was confirmed as "Saturday Fight Night".[6][7] The name "Battle of the Belts" comes from a National Wrestling Alliance event held from 1985 to 1987 by the promotion's Florida territory that was operated by Eddie Graham.[6]
AEW President Tony Khan confirmed that due to the show's one-hour length, not all of AEW's championships would be defended on the specials, but their goal was to put on great championship matches.[8] On the day of the inaugural event, Khan revealed that matches for the January 11 episode of their YouTube show, Dark, were scheduled to be taped before the Battle of the Belts I live broadcast, with all other AEW champions participating in these Dark matches.[9]
On February 15, 2022, AEW announced that Battle of the Belts II would be taped on April 15 at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas.[10] It aired on tape delay the next day on April 16.[11] A month after Tony Khan's purchase of Ring of Honor (ROH), the ROH World Championship was scheduled to be defended at Battle of the Belts II.[12] On June 1, 2022, Battle of the Belts III was announced to be taped on August 5 at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan,[13] and it aired the following day on August 6.[14]
On August 4, 2022, Battle of the Belts IV was announced to be held on Friday, October 7 at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, D.C. As Battle of the Belts was established as a Saturday night television special, it was expected that Battle of the Belts IV would air on tape delay the next day on October 8.[15] However, due to WWE's Extreme Rules pay-per-view airing that night, Battle of the Belts IV was instead scheduled to air live on October 7 at 11 p.m. ET right after the live broadcast of Rampage to avoid counter programming against WWE. Due to its Friday scheduling, its tagline was changed to "Friday Fight Night". This was also the first Battle of the Belts episode to not include matches for either the AEW Women's World Championship or AEW TNT Championship, but it did include an ROH World Tag Team Championship match.[16]
On November 2, 2022, it was announced that the Battle of the Belts series would continue with Battle of the Belts V scheduled to air live on Friday, January 6, 2023, at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon.[17] Battle of the Belts VI was also revealed to be held on April 7, 2023, at the Ryan Center in Kingston, Rhode Island.[18]
Events
Results
Battle of the Belts I
| Battle of the Belts I | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Promotion | All Elite Wrestling | ||
| Date | January 8, 2022 | ||
| City | Charlotte, North Carolina | ||
| Venue | Bojangles Coliseum | ||
| Tagline(s) | Saturday Fight Night | ||
| Battle of the Belts chronology | |||
| |||
Battle of the Belts I took place on January 8, 2022, at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event aired live at 8 p.m. ET. In the main event, Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. defeated Riho to retain the AEW Women's World Championship. On the undercard, Ricky Starks defeated Matt Sydal to retain the FTW Championship and in the opening bout, Sammy Guevara defeated Dustin Rhodes to become the interim AEW TNT Champion; Guevara was originally scheduled to face lineal champion Cody Rhodes for the title, however, Cody was pulled due to COVID-19-related issues.[19]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[19] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sammy Guevara defeated Dustin Rhodes (with Arn Anderson) by pinfall | Singles match for the interim AEW TNT Championship[21] | 16:15 |
| 2 | Ricky Starks (c) (with Powerhouse Hobbs) defeated Matt Sydal by pinfall | Singles match for the FTW Championship[22] | 9:00 |
| 3 | Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (c) (with Rebel and Jamie Hayter) defeated Riho by submission | Singles match for the AEW Women's World Championship[23] | 12:47 |
| |||
Battle of the Belts II
| Battle of the Belts II | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Promotion | All Elite Wrestling | ||
| Date | April 15, 2022 (aired April 16, 2022) | ||
| City | Garland, Texas | ||
| Venue | Curtis Culwell Center | ||
| Tagline(s) | Saturday Fight Night | ||
| Battle of the Belts chronology | |||
| |||
Battle of the Belts II was taped on April 15, 2022, at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas.[10] It aired on tape delay the next day on April 16 at 8 p.m. ET.[11] In the main event, Thunder Rosa retained the AEW Women's World Championship against Nyla Rose. On the undercard, Jonathan Gresham defeated Dalton Castle to retain the ROH World Championship and in the opening bout, Sammy Guevara defeated Scorpio Sky to win the AEW TNT Championship for a record-tying third time.[24]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[24] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sammy Guevara (with Tay Conti) defeated Scorpio Sky (c) (with Dan Lambert and Ethan Page) by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW TNT Championship[25] | 12:45 |
| 2 | Jonathan Gresham (c) defeated Dalton Castle by submission | Singles match for the ROH World Championship[25] | 10:35 |
| 3 | Thunder Rosa (c) defeated Nyla Rose by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW Women's World Championship[25] | 14:10 |
| |||
Battle of the Belts III
| Battle of the Belts III | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Promotion | All Elite Wrestling | ||
| Date | August 5, 2022 (aired August 6, 2022) | ||
| City | Grand Rapids, Michigan | ||
| Venue | Van Andel Arena | ||
| Tagline(s) | Saturday Fight Night | ||
| Battle of the Belts chronology | |||
| |||
Battle of the Belts III was taped on August 5, 2022, at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan.[13] It aired on tape delay the next day on August 6 at 8 p.m. ET.[26] In the main event, Claudio Castagnoli retained the ROH World Championship against Konosuke Takeshita. On the undercard, Thunder Rosa defeated Jamie Hayter to retain the AEW Women's World Championship and in the opening bout, Wardlow defeated Jay Lethal to retain the AEW TNT Championship.[27]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[27] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wardlow (c) defeated Jay Lethal (with Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh) by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW TNT Championship[28] | 7:21 |
| 2 | Thunder Rosa (c) (with Toni Storm) defeated Jamie Hayter (with Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. and Rebel) by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW Women's World Championship[28] | 11:31 |
| 3 | Claudio Castagnoli (c) (with William Regal) defeated Konosuke Takeshita by pinfall | Singles match for the ROH World Championship[28] | 19:59 |
| |||
Battle of the Belts IV
| Battle of the Belts IV | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Promotion | All Elite Wrestling | ||
| Date | October 7, 2022 | ||
| City | Washington, D.C. | ||
| Venue | Entertainment and Sports Arena | ||
| Tagline(s) | Friday Fight Night | ||
| Battle of the Belts chronology | |||
| |||
Battle of the Belts IV took place on October 7, 2022, at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, D.C. As Battle of the Belts was established as a Saturday night television special, it was expected that Battle of the Belts IV would air on tape delay the next day on October 8; however, to avoid counter programming against WWE's Extreme Rules pay-per-view that night, Battle of the Belts IV was scheduled to air live on Friday, October 7 at 11 p.m. ET immediately after the live broadcast of AEW's regular Friday program, Rampage.[15][29][30] In the main event, FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) defeated Gates of Agony (Toa Liona and Kaun) to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship. On the undercard, Jade Cargill defeated Willow Nightingale to retain the AEW TBS Championship, and in the opening bout, Pac defeated Trent Beretta to retain the AEW All-Atlantic Championship.[20]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[20] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pac (c) defeated Trent Beretta by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship[30] | 14:25 |
| 2 | Jade Cargill (c) defeated Willow Nightingale by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW TBS Championship[30] | 7:30 |
| 3 | FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) (c) defeated Gates of Agony (Toa Liona and Kaun) by pinfall | Tag team match for the ROH World Tag Team Championship[30] | 13:26 |
| |||
Battle of the Belts V
| Battle of the Belts V | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Promotion | All Elite Wrestling | ||
| Date | January 6, 2023 | ||
| City | Portland, Oregon | ||
| Venue | Veterans Memorial Coliseum | ||
| Tagline(s) | Friday Fight Night | ||
| Battle of the Belts chronology | |||
| |||
Battle of the Belts V took place on January 6, 2023, at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. The show aired live at 11 p.m. ET immediately following the live broadcast of AEW's regular Friday program, Rampage.[31] In the main event, Orange Cassidy defeated Kip Sabian to retain the AEW All-Atlantic Championship. On the undercard, Jade Cargill defeated Skye Blue to retain the AEW TBS Championship and in the opening bout, The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) defeated Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal in a No Holds Barred Tag team match to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship.[32]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[32] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) (c) defeated Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal by pinfall | No Holds Barred Tag team match for the AEW World Tag Team Championship[33] | 10:52 |
| 2 | Jade Cargill (c) defeated Skye Blue by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW TBS Championship[33] | 9:13 |
| 3 | Orange Cassidy (c) defeated Kip Sabian by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship[33] | 16:44 |
| |||
Battle of the Belts VI
| Battle of the Belts VI | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Promotion | All Elite Wrestling | ||
| Date | April 7, 2023 | ||
| City | Kingston, Rhode Island | ||
| Venue | Ryan Center | ||
| Battle of the Belts chronology | |||
| |||
Battle of the Belts VI took place on April 7, 2023, at the Ryan Center in Kingston, Rhode Island. The show aired live at 11 p.m. ET immediately following the live broadcast of AEW's regular Friday program, Rampage.[18] In the main event, The Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fénix) defeated Q. T. Marshall and Powerhouse Hobbs to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship. On the undercard, Jade Cargill defeated Billie Starkz to retain the AEW TBS Championship, and in the opening bout, Orange Cassidy defeated Dralístico to retain the AEW International Championship (formerly All-Atlantic Championship).[34]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[34] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orange Cassidy (c) (with Best Friends (Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta)) defeated Dralístico (with La Facción Ingobernable (José the Assistant, Preston Vance, and Rush)) by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW International Championship | 10:47 |
| 2 | Jade Cargill (c) defeated Billie Starkz by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW TBS Championship[33] | 8:34 |
| 3 | The Lucha Brothers (Penta El Zero Miedo and Rey Fenix) (c) (with Alex Abrahantes) defeated Q. T. Marshall and Powerhouse Hobbs (with Aaron Solo and Harley Cameron) by pinfall | Tag team match for the ROH World Tag Team Championship | 14:41 |
| |||
References
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- McGuire, Colin (January 8, 2022). "1/8 AEW Battle of the Belts results: McGuire's review of Britt Baker vs. Riho for the AEW Women's Championship, Dustin Rhodes vs. Sammy Guevara for the Interim TNT Championship, Ricky Starks vs. Matt Sydal for the FTW Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
- McGuire, Colin (October 7, 2022). "10/7 AEW Battle of the Belts IV results: McGuire's review of Pac vs. Trent Beretta for the AEW All-Atlantic Title, Jade Cargill vs. Willow Nightingale for the TBS Title, FTR vs. Gates of Agony for the ROH Tag Team Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
- All Elite Wrestling [@AEWonTV] (January 7, 2022). "BREAKING: @DustinRhodes will now face @SammyGuevara for the INTERIM TNT Title tomorrow night at #BattleOfTheBelts! #AEWRampage" (Tweet). Retrieved January 7, 2022 – via Twitter.
- All Elite Wrestling [@AEW] (January 7, 2022). "Another incredible match has been added to #AEW's #BattleOfTheBelts! It's #RickyStarks vs. @MattSydal for the FTW Title TOMORROW LIVE at 8/7c on @TNTDrama!" (Tweet). Retrieved January 7, 2022 – via Twitter.
- All Elite Wrestling [@AEW] (December 17, 2021). "It's official: @RealBrittBaker will defend her #AEW Women's World Title against top contender and former champion @riho_gtmv at AEW #BattleOfTheBelts on Saturday, Jan. 8 LIVE at 8/7c on TNT from Charlotte, NC!" (Tweet). Retrieved December 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
- Powell, Jason (April 16, 2022). "4/16 AEW Battle of the Belts 2 results: Powell's review of Thunder Rosa vs. Nyla Rose for the AEW Women's Championship, Scorpio Sky vs. Sammy Guevara for the TNT Title, Jonathan Gresham vs. Dalton Castle for the ROH World Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
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- "Schedule". TNTdrama.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
- McGuire, Colin (August 6, 2022). "8/6 AEW Battle of the Belts results: McGuire's review of Claudio Castagnoli vs. Konosuke Takeshita for the ROH Championship, Thunder Rosa vs. Jamie Hayter for the AEW Women's Championship, and Wardlow vs. Jay Lethal for the TNT Championship". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
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- Thomas, Jeremy (January 4, 2023). "Updated Lineup For AEW Battle of the Belts V". 411mania. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
- McGuire, Colin (January 6, 2023). "1/6 AEW Battle of the Belts V results: McGuire's review of Orange Cassidy vs. Kip Sabian for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship, The Acclaimed vs. Jeff Jarrett and Jay Lethal in a No Holds Barred match for the AEW Tag Team Titles, Jade Cargill vs. Skye Blue for the TBS Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
- Russell, Skylar (January 4, 2023). "Acclaimed vs. Jarrett/Lethal No Holds Barred Match, TBS Title Bout Added To AEW Battle Of The Belts V". Fightful. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- McGuire, Colin (April 7, 2023). "4/7 AEW Battle of the Belts VI results: McGuire's review of Orange Cassidy vs. Dralistico for the AEW International Title, Jade Cargill vs. Billie Starkz for the TBS Title, Rey Fenix and Penta El Zero Miedo vs. Powerhouse Hobbs and QT Marshall for the ROH Tag Team Titles". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved April 8, 2023.