AEW Battle of the Belts: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|Professional wrestling television special series}} |
{{short description|Professional wrestling television special series}} |
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{{Use American English|date=January 2025}} |
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{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} |
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{{Infobox television |
{{Infobox television |
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| image = AEW Battle of the Belts logo.png |
| image = AEW Battle of the Belts logo.png |
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* ''[[AEW Dynamite]]'' |
* ''[[AEW Dynamite]]'' |
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* ''[[AEW Collision]]'' |
* ''[[AEW Collision]]'' |
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* ''[[AEW Rampage]]'' |
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* ''[[Ring of Honor Wrestling]]''}} |
* ''[[Ring of Honor Wrestling]]''}} |
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}} |
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'''''AEW Battle of the Belts''''' is an American series of [[professional wrestling]] [[television special]]s produced by the American promotion [[All Elite Wrestling]] (AEW). The one-hour specials are broadcast on [[TNT (American TV network)|TNT]] in the United States and air quarterly throughout the year. The series currently airs on select Saturday nights at 10 p.m. [[Eastern Time]] (ET) immediately after AEW's regular Saturday program, ''[[AEW Collision|Collision]]''; the series originally aired on select Saturday nights at 8 p.m. ET, but was moved to Fridays at 11 p.m. ET beginning with the fourth episode before its move back to Saturdays with the seventh episode. ''Battle of the Belts'' premiered with a [[Live television|live]] episode on January 8, 2022. The 12th and most recent special was held on October 17, 2024 ([[Broadcast delay|aired]] October 19). |
'''''AEW Battle of the Belts''''' is an American series of [[professional wrestling]] [[television special]]s produced by the American promotion [[All Elite Wrestling]] (AEW). The one-hour specials are broadcast on [[TNT (American TV network)|TNT]] in the United States and air quarterly throughout the year. The series currently airs on select Saturday nights at 10 p.m. [[Eastern Time]] (ET) immediately after AEW's regular Saturday program, ''[[AEW Collision|Collision]]''; the series originally aired on select Saturday nights at 8 p.m. ET, but was moved to Fridays at 11 p.m. ET beginning with the fourth episode before its move back to Saturdays with the seventh episode. ''Battle of the Belts'' premiered with a [[Live television|live]] episode on January 8, 2022. The 12th and most recent special was held on October 17, 2024 ([[Broadcast delay|aired]] October 19). |
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The theme of the show was originally that all matches were contested for [[professional wrestling championship]]s; in 2024, this expanded to include matches for future opportunities at championships as well as standard non-title matches. Thus far, |
The theme of the show was originally that all matches were contested for [[professional wrestling championship]]s; in 2024, this expanded to include matches for future opportunities at championships as well as standard non-title matches. Thus far, seven of AEW's eight active championships have been defended on the specials. This includes five men's titles—the [[AEW TNT Championship|TNT Championship]], the [[AEW International Championship|International Championship]], the [[AEW Continental Championship|Continental Championship]], the [[AEW World Tag Team Championship|World Tag Team Championship]], and the [[AEW World Trios Championship|World Trios Championship]]—and both women's titles—the [[AEW Women's World Championship|Women's World Championship]] and [[AEW TBS Championship|TBS Championship]]. There have also been five championships from AEW's sister promotion [[Ring of Honor]] (ROH) contested. These include four men's titles—the [[ROH World Championship|World Championship]], the [[ROH World Television Championship|World Television Championship]], the [[ROH World Tag Team Championship|World Tag Team Championship]], and the [[ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship|World Six-Man Tag Team Championship]]—and one women's title—the [[ROH Women's World Championship|Women's World Championship]]. The former [[FTW Championship]], which was used by AEW from July 2020 until its retirement in September 2024, also had defenses on the program. |
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{{As of|2024|10|19|df=US}}, only three title changes have occurred during ''Battle of the Belts'' episodes, two of which involved [[Sammy Guevara]]. The first was on the inaugural episode, which saw him defeat [[Dustin Rhodes]] to determine the [[Interim championship|interim]] TNT Champion, and the other was on the second episode in which he defeated [[Scorpio Sky]] to win his record-tying third TNT Championship. The third title change occurred on the 11th episode which saw Dustin Rhodes and [[Marshall and Ross Von Erich|The Von Erichs]] ([[Marshall Von Erich]] and [[Ross Von Erich]]) defeat [[The Undisputed Kingdom]] ([[Roderick Strong]], [[Matt Taven]], and [[Mike Bennett (wrestler)|Mike Bennett]]) to win the vacant ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship. There have also been four [[Last Chance match|Championship Eliminator matches]], a stipulation in which if the challenger defeats the champion, they get a future title match, but if they lose, they can no longer challenge that champion for as long as they hold the title. One of these Championship Eliminators featured the [[CMLL Women's World Championship|Women's World Championship]] of AEW's partner promotion [[Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre]], which happened on the 11th episode. The first match to not have any championship implications occurred on the 12th episode, which was a standard [[tag team match]]. |
{{As of|2024|10|19|df=US}}, only three title changes have occurred during ''Battle of the Belts'' episodes, two of which involved [[Sammy Guevara]]. The first was on the inaugural episode, which saw him defeat [[Dustin Rhodes]] to determine the [[Interim championship|interim]] TNT Champion, and the other was on the second episode in which he defeated [[Scorpio Sky]] to win his record-tying third TNT Championship. The third title change occurred on the 11th episode which saw Dustin Rhodes and [[Marshall and Ross Von Erich|The Von Erichs]] ([[Marshall Von Erich]] and [[Ross Von Erich]]) defeat [[The Undisputed Kingdom]] ([[Roderick Strong]], [[Matt Taven]], and [[Mike Bennett (wrestler)|Mike Bennett]]) to win the vacant ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship. There have also been four [[Last Chance match|Championship Eliminator matches]], a stipulation in which if the challenger defeats the champion, they get a future title match, but if they lose, they can no longer challenge that champion for as long as they hold the title. One of these Championship Eliminators featured the [[CMLL Women's World Championship|Women's World Championship]] of AEW's partner promotion [[Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre]], which happened on the 11th episode. The first match to not have any championship implications occurred on the 12th episode, which was a standard [[tag team match]]. |
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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 television|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".<ref name="daterevealed">{{cite web|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/date-revealed-first-ever-aew-battle-belts|title=Date Revealed For First-Ever AEW Battle Of The Belts|date=November 24, 2021|last=Guzzo|first=Gisberto|work=Fightful|access-date=December 16, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allelitewrestling.com/aew-event/aew-battle-of-the-belts|title=AEW Battle of the Belts|work=[[All Elite Wrestling]]|access-date=December 16, 2021}}</ref> The name "Battle of the Belts" came from a [[National Wrestling Alliance]] event held from 1985 to 1987 by the promotion's [[Championship Wrestling from Florida|Florida territory]] that was operated by [[Eddie Graham]].<ref name="daterevealed"/> |
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 television|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".<ref name="daterevealed">{{cite web|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/date-revealed-first-ever-aew-battle-belts|title=Date Revealed For First-Ever AEW Battle Of The Belts|date=November 24, 2021|last=Guzzo|first=Gisberto|work=Fightful|access-date=December 16, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allelitewrestling.com/aew-event/aew-battle-of-the-belts|title=AEW Battle of the Belts|work=[[All Elite Wrestling]]|access-date=December 16, 2021}}</ref> The name "Battle of the Belts" came from a [[National Wrestling Alliance]] event held from 1985 to 1987 by the promotion's [[Championship Wrestling from Florida|Florida territory]] that was operated by [[Eddie Graham]].<ref name="daterevealed"/> |
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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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/tony-khan-confirms-aew-battle-belts-will-be-one-hour-special|title=Tony Khan Confirms AEW Battle Of The Belts Will Be A One Hour Special|date=December 20, 2021|last=Lambert|first=Jeremy|work=Fightful|access-date=January 3, 2022}}</ref> On the day of the inaugural event, Khan revealed that matches for the January 11 episode of their [[YouTube]] show, ''[[AEW Dark|Dark]]'', were scheduled to be [[Broadcast delay|taped]] before the [[Battle of the Belts I]] live broadcast, with all other AEW champions participating in these ''Dark'' matches.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/aew-to-tape-house-show-before-battle-of-the-belts-tonight-matches-will-air-on-dark/|title=AEW To Tape House Show Before Battle of the Belts Tonight, Matches Will Air On Dark|date=January 8, 2022|last=Lee|first=Joseph|work=411mania|access-date=January 8, 2022}}</ref> |
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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/tony-khan-confirms-aew-battle-belts-will-be-one-hour-special|title=Tony Khan Confirms AEW Battle Of The Belts Will Be A One Hour Special|date=December 20, 2021|last=Lambert|first=Jeremy|work=Fightful|access-date=January 3, 2022}}</ref> On the day of the inaugural event, Khan revealed that matches for the January 11 episode of their former [[YouTube]] show, ''[[AEW Dark|Dark]]'', were scheduled to be [[Broadcast delay|taped]] before the [[Battle of the Belts I]] live broadcast, with all other AEW champions participating in these ''Dark'' matches. The inaugural episode itself featured matches for the [[AEW Women's World Championship]], the [[Interim championship|interim]] [[AEW TNT Championship]], and the [[FTW Championship]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/aew-to-tape-house-show-before-battle-of-the-belts-tonight-matches-will-air-on-dark/|title=AEW To Tape House Show Before Battle of the Belts Tonight, Matches Will Air On Dark|date=January 8, 2022|last=Lee|first=Joseph|work=411mania|access-date=January 8, 2022}}</ref> |
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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]],<ref name="BattleBeltsII">{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=Mike |title=AEW ANNOUNCES BATTLE OF THE BELTS II |url=https://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=155849 |work=[[PWInsider]] |access-date=February 19, 2022 |date=February 15, 2022}}</ref> which aired on tape delay the next day on April 16.<ref name="BBIIairdate">{{cite web|url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/womens-world-title-match-set-for-aew-battle-of-the-belts-ii-this-month/|title=Women's World Title Match Set For AEW Battle of the Belts II This Month|date=April 6, 2022|last=Thomas|first=Jeremy|work=411mania|access-date=April 11, 2022}}</ref> After Tony Khan's purchase of [[Ring of Honor]] (ROH) in March 2022, the [[ROH World Championship]] was scheduled to be defended at Battle of the Belts II, the first non-AEW championship defended on the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://comicbook.com/wwe/news/aew-battle-of-the-belts-2-full-lineup-announced-ring-of-honor/|title=AEW Battle of the Belts 2's Full Lineup Includes a Ring of Honor World Championship Match|date=April 13, 2022|last=Casey|first=Connor|work=[[ComicBook.com]]|access-date=April 16, 2022}}</ref> |
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]],<ref name="BattleBeltsII">{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=Mike |title=AEW ANNOUNCES BATTLE OF THE BELTS II |url=https://www.pwinsider.com/ViewArticle.php?id=155849 |work=[[PWInsider]] |access-date=February 19, 2022 |date=February 15, 2022}}</ref> which aired on tape delay the next day on April 16.<ref name="BBIIairdate">{{cite web|url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/womens-world-title-match-set-for-aew-battle-of-the-belts-ii-this-month/|title=Women's World Title Match Set For AEW Battle of the Belts II This Month|date=April 6, 2022|last=Thomas|first=Jeremy|work=411mania|access-date=April 11, 2022}}</ref> After Tony Khan's purchase of [[Ring of Honor]] (ROH) in March 2022, the [[ROH World Championship]] was scheduled to be defended at Battle of the Belts II, the first non-AEW championship defended on the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://comicbook.com/wwe/news/aew-battle-of-the-belts-2-full-lineup-announced-ring-of-honor/|title=AEW Battle of the Belts 2's Full Lineup Includes a Ring of Honor World Championship Match|date=April 13, 2022|last=Casey|first=Connor|work=[[ComicBook.com]]|access-date=April 16, 2022}}</ref> |
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On August 4, 2022, [[Battle of the Belts IV]] was announced to be held on Friday, October 7. 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.<ref name="BattleBeltsIV">{{cite web|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/aew-returning-washington-d-c-dynamite-rampage-battle-of-the-belts-iv|title=AEW returning to Washington, D.C. for Dynamite, Rampage, Battle of the Belts IV|date=August 4, 2022|last=Currier|first=Joseph|work=[[Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online]]|access-date=August 4, 2022}}</ref> However, due to WWE's [[Extreme Rules (2022)|Extreme Rules]] pay-per-view and [[livestreaming]] event 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 |
On August 4, 2022, [[Battle of the Belts IV]] was announced to be held on Friday, October 7. 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.<ref name="BattleBeltsIV">{{cite web|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/aew-returning-washington-d-c-dynamite-rampage-battle-of-the-belts-iv|title=AEW returning to Washington, D.C. for Dynamite, Rampage, Battle of the Belts IV|date=August 4, 2022|last=Currier|first=Joseph|work=[[Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online]]|access-date=August 4, 2022}}</ref> However, due to WWE's [[Extreme Rules (2022)|Extreme Rules]] pay-per-view and [[livestreaming]] event 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 TNT Championship, but it did feature the first defenses of the [[AEW TBS Championship]], [[AEW All-Atlantic Championship]] (renamed International in March 2023), and [[ROH World Tag Team Championship]] on the program.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ewrestlingnews.com/news/aew-battle-of-the-belts-4-moves-date-no-longer-competing-with-wwe-extreme-rules/ | title=AEW Battle of the Belts 4 Moves Date - No Longer Competing with WWE Extreme Rules | date=September 27, 2022 | last=Lowson | first=Thomas | work=eWrestlingNews | access-date=October 6, 2022 }}</ref> |
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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.<ref name="BattleBeltsV">{{cite web|last=Tessier|first=Colin|title=Date And Venue Announced For AEW Battle Of The Belts V|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/date-and-venue-announced-aew-battle-belts-v|work=Fightful News|date=November 2, 2022|access-date=November 5, 2022}}</ref> Despite the addition of ''[[AEW Collision|Saturday Night Collision]]'' to AEW's weekly lineup, which premiered on June 17, 2023, Khan confirmed that ''Battle of the Belts'' would continue, although its future on TNT was uncertain.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/tony-khan-says-aew-battle-of-the-belts-will-continue|title=Tony Khan says AEW Battle of the Belts will continue|date=June 14, 2023|last=Nason|first=Josh|work=[[Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online]]|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref> On July 4, 2023, ''[[PWInsider]]'' reported that the show would remain on TNT with [[#Battle of the Belts VII|Battle of the Belts VII]] scheduled to be held on July 15 at the [[Scotiabank Saddledome]] in [[Calgary, Alberta, Canada]] at 10 p.m ET after the live broadcast of ''Collision'' on TNT. This in turn returned the special to Saturday nights and also marked the first ''Battle of the Belts'' to be held outside of the United States.<ref name="BattleBeltsVII">{{cite web|url=https://pwinsider.com/article/172867/aew-battle-of-the-belts-vii-will-take-place.html?p=1|title=AEW BATTLE OF THE BELTS VII WILL TAKE PLACE....|date=July 4, 2023|last=Johnson|first=Mike|work=[[PWInsider]]|access-date=July 4, 2023}}</ref> |
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, which featured the first defense of the [[AEW World Tag Team Championship]] on the program.<ref name="BattleBeltsV">{{cite web|last=Tessier|first=Colin|title=Date And Venue Announced For AEW Battle Of The Belts V|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/date-and-venue-announced-aew-battle-belts-v|work=Fightful News|date=November 2, 2022|access-date=November 5, 2022}}</ref> Despite the addition of ''[[AEW Collision|Saturday Night Collision]]'' to AEW's weekly lineup, which premiered on June 17, 2023, Khan confirmed that ''Battle of the Belts'' would continue, although its future on TNT was uncertain.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/tony-khan-says-aew-battle-of-the-belts-will-continue|title=Tony Khan says AEW Battle of the Belts will continue|date=June 14, 2023|last=Nason|first=Josh|work=[[Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online]]|access-date=June 15, 2023}}</ref> On July 4, 2023, ''[[PWInsider]]'' reported that the show would remain on TNT with [[#Battle of the Belts VII|Battle of the Belts VII]] scheduled to be held on July 15 at the [[Scotiabank Saddledome]] in [[Calgary, Alberta, Canada]] at 10 p.m ET after the live broadcast of ''Collision'' on TNT. This in turn returned the special to Saturday nights and also marked the first ''Battle of the Belts'' to be held outside of the United States.<ref name="BattleBeltsVII">{{cite web|url=https://pwinsider.com/article/172867/aew-battle-of-the-belts-vii-will-take-place.html?p=1|title=AEW BATTLE OF THE BELTS VII WILL TAKE PLACE....|date=July 4, 2023|last=Johnson|first=Mike|work=[[PWInsider]]|access-date=July 4, 2023}}</ref> |
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[[Battle of the Belts VIII]], which took place on October 21, 2023, was the first ''Battle of the Belts'' to have four matches on the card; all previous episodes only had three. It would also be the first episode to include defenses of the [[AEW World Trios Championship]] and the [[ROH World Television Championship]].<ref name="BattleBelts8results"/> |
[[Battle of the Belts VIII]], which took place on October 21, 2023, was the first ''Battle of the Belts'' to have four matches on the card; all previous episodes only had three. It would also be the first episode to include defenses of the [[AEW World Trios Championship]] and the [[ROH World Television Championship]].<ref name="BattleBelts8results"/> |
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While the theme of ''Battle of the Belts'' was originally that all matches would be championship matches, in 2024, the show began to feature Championship Eliminator matches. A Championship Eliminator is a variation of a [[Last Chance match]] where if the challenger defeats the champion, then they will earn a future match for that championship, but if they lose, then they can no longer challenge for that title for as long as the champion holds that title. This first occurred at [[Battle of the Belts X]] on April 13, 2024, in which reigning |
While the theme of ''Battle of the Belts'' was originally that all matches would be championship matches, in 2024, the show began to feature Championship Eliminator matches. A Championship Eliminator is a variation of a [[Last Chance match]] where if the challenger defeats the champion, then they will earn a future match for that championship, but if they lose, then they can no longer challenge for that title for as long as the champion holds that title. This first occurred at [[Battle of the Belts X]] on April 13, 2024, in which reigning AEW International Champion [[Roderick Strong]] defeated [[Rocky Romero]]. This particular episode also saw no defense of an AEW branded championship, as in addition to the Championship Eliminator, the other two matches were for the FTW Championship and the [[ROH Women's World Championship]], which was the first time for the latter to be defended on the program.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cagesideseats.com/aew/2024/4/14/24129690/battle-of-the-belts-x-no-aew-titles-defended-zero-changes-again-filler-matches-roh-ftw-eliminator|title=No AEW belts were actually defended at AEW Battle of the Belts X|date=April 14, 2024|last=Knight|first=Cain A.|work=Cageside Seats|access-date=July 26, 2024}}</ref> |
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The Mexican promotion [[Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre]] (CMLL), a partner promotion of AEW, would have one of its championships featured on a ''Battle of the Belts'' episode. At [[Battle of the Belts XI]] on July 27, 2024, reigning [[CMLL Women's World Championship|CMLL Women's World Champion]] [[Willow Nightingale]] defeated [[Deonna Purrazzo]] in a Championship Eliminator match. This episode was also the first time that the [[ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship]] was contested on the show.<ref name="BattleBeltsXI07272024">{{cite web|last=Powell|first=Jason|title=AEW Battle of the Belts XI results (6/27): Powell's review of The Kingdom vs. Dustin Rhodes and The Von Erichs for the vacant ROH Six-Man Tag Titles, Toni Storm vs. Taya Valkyrie, and Willow Nightingale vs. Deonna Purrazzo in eliminator matches|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2024/07/27/aew-battle-of-the-belts-xi-results-6-27-powells-review-of-the-kingdom-vs-dustin-rhodes-and-the-von-erichs-for-the-vacant-roh-six-man-tag-titles-toni-storm-vs-taya-valkyrie-and-willow-nighting/|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|date=July 27, 2024|access-date=July 27, 2024}}</ref> |
The Mexican promotion [[Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre]] (CMLL), a partner promotion of AEW, would have one of its championships featured on a ''Battle of the Belts'' episode. At [[Battle of the Belts XI]] on July 27, 2024, reigning [[CMLL Women's World Championship|CMLL Women's World Champion]] [[Willow Nightingale]] defeated [[Deonna Purrazzo]] in a Championship Eliminator match. This episode was also the first time that the [[ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship]] was contested on the show.<ref name="BattleBeltsXI07272024">{{cite web|last=Powell|first=Jason|title=AEW Battle of the Belts XI results (6/27): Powell's review of The Kingdom vs. Dustin Rhodes and The Von Erichs for the vacant ROH Six-Man Tag Titles, Toni Storm vs. Taya Valkyrie, and Willow Nightingale vs. Deonna Purrazzo in eliminator matches|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2024/07/27/aew-battle-of-the-belts-xi-results-6-27-powells-review-of-the-kingdom-vs-dustin-rhodes-and-the-von-erichs-for-the-vacant-roh-six-man-tag-titles-toni-storm-vs-taya-valkyrie-and-willow-nighting/|work=Pro Wrestling Dot Net|date=July 27, 2024|access-date=July 27, 2024}}</ref> |
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The first match to not have any championship implications occurred at [[Battle of the Belts XII]], which was taped on October 17, 2024 (aired October 19). This was a standard tag team match in which [[The Don Callis Family]] ([[Brian Cage]] and [[Lance Archer]]) defeated [[Jon Cruz]] and [[Jack Cartwheel]]. This episode also saw the first defense of the [[AEW Continental Championship]] at ''Battle of the Belts''.<ref name="12spoilers"/> |
The first match to not have any championship implications occurred at [[Battle of the Belts XII]], which was taped on October 17, 2024 (aired October 19). This was a standard tag team match in which [[The Don Callis Family]] ([[Brian Cage]] and [[Lance Archer]]) defeated [[Jon Cruz]] and [[Jack Cartwheel]]. This episode also saw the first defense of the [[AEW Continental Championship]] at ''Battle of the Belts''.<ref name="12spoilers"/> |
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In October 2024, AEW announced a new media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery; however, ''Battle of the Belts'' was not included in the new deal. While there has been no confirmation on the future of the series, the ''[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'' reported that AEW could potentially shop it to other networks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/aew-wbd-tv-rights-update-rampage-end-date-battle-of-the-belts/|title=AEW/WBD TV rights update: Rampage end date, Battle of the Belts|date=October 13, 2024|last=Carey|first=Ian|work=[[Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online]]|access-date=October 19, 2024}}</ref> |
In October 2024, AEW announced a new media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, taking effect on January 1, 2025; however, ''Battle of the Belts'' was not included in the new deal. While there has been no confirmation on the future of the series, the ''[[Wrestling Observer Newsletter]]'' reported that AEW could potentially shop it to other networks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/aew-wbd-tv-rights-update-rampage-end-date-battle-of-the-belts/|title=AEW/WBD TV rights update: Rampage end date, Battle of the Belts|date=October 13, 2024|last=Carey|first=Ian|work=[[Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online]]|access-date=October 19, 2024}}</ref> |
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== Events == |
== Events == |
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|nextevent2 = [[Battle of the Belts II|II]] |
|nextevent2 = [[Battle of the Belts II|II]] |
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'''Battle of the Belts I''' took place on Saturday, January 8, 2022, at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event aired live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT. 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 |
'''Battle of the Belts I''' took place on Saturday, January 8, 2022, at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event aired live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT. 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.<ref name="BattleBeltsI"/> |
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'''Battle of the Belts IV''' took place on Friday, 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 and livestreaming event that night, Battle of the Belts IV was scheduled to air live on October 7 at 11 p.m. ET on TNT immediately after the live broadcast of AEW's regular Friday program, ''Rampage''.<ref name="BattleBeltsIV"/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cagesideseats.com/platform/amp/aew/2022/9/27/23374904/aew-battle-of-the-belts-iv-moved-friday-wwe-extreme-rules | title=Next week's AEW Battle of the Belts won't air on Saturday | date=September 27, 2022 | last=Rueter | first=Sean | work=Cageside Seats | access-date=October 6, 2022}}</ref><ref name="BattleBelts4card">{{cite web|url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/updated-card-for-aew-battle-of-the-belts-iv/|title=Updated Card For AEW Battle of the Belts IV|date=October 5, 2022|last=Thomas|first=Jeremy|work=[[411Mania]]|access-date=October 6, 2022}}</ref> In the main event, [[FTR (professional wrestling)|FTR]] ([[Cash Wheeler]] and [[Dax Harwood]]) defeated [[Gates of Agony]] ([[Toa Liona]] and [[Jasper Kaun|Kaun]]) to retain the ROH World Tag Team Championship. On the undercard, [[Jade Cargill]] defeated Willow Nightingale to retain the |
'''Battle of the Belts IV''' took place on Friday, 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 and livestreaming event that night, Battle of the Belts IV was scheduled to air live on October 7 at 11 p.m. ET on TNT immediately after the live broadcast of AEW's regular Friday program, ''Rampage''.<ref name="BattleBeltsIV"/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cagesideseats.com/platform/amp/aew/2022/9/27/23374904/aew-battle-of-the-belts-iv-moved-friday-wwe-extreme-rules | title=Next week's AEW Battle of the Belts won't air on Saturday | date=September 27, 2022 | last=Rueter | first=Sean | work=Cageside Seats | access-date=October 6, 2022}}</ref><ref name="BattleBelts4card">{{cite web|url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/updated-card-for-aew-battle-of-the-belts-iv/|title=Updated Card For AEW Battle of the Belts IV|date=October 5, 2022|last=Thomas|first=Jeremy|work=[[411Mania]]|access-date=October 6, 2022}}</ref> In the main event, [[FTR (professional wrestling)|FTR]] ([[Cash Wheeler]] and [[Dax Harwood]]) defeated [[Gates of Agony]] ([[Toa Liona]] and [[Jasper Kaun|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 (wrestler)|Pac]] defeated [[Trent Beretta]] to retain the AEW All-Atlantic Championship. This was the first time that these championships were defended on a ''Battle of the Belts'' special.<ref name="AEWBOTBIV"/> |
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'''Battle of the Belts V''' took place on Friday, January 6, 2023, at the [[Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland, Oregon)|Veterans Memorial Coliseum]] in [[Portland, Oregon]]. The show aired live at 11 p.m. ET on TNT immediately following the live broadcast of AEW's regular Friday program, ''Rampage''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/updated-lineup-for-aew-battle-of-the-belts-v/|title=Updated Lineup For AEW Battle of the Belts V|date=January 4, 2023|last=Thomas|first=Jeremy|work=[[411Mania]]|access-date=January 5, 2023}}</ref> 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 match|No Holds Barred]] [[tag team match]] to retain the |
'''Battle of the Belts V''' took place on Friday, January 6, 2023, at the [[Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Portland, Oregon)|Veterans Memorial Coliseum]] in [[Portland, Oregon]]. The show aired live at 11 p.m. ET on TNT immediately following the live broadcast of AEW's regular Friday program, ''Rampage''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://411mania.com/wrestling/updated-lineup-for-aew-battle-of-the-belts-v/|title=Updated Lineup For AEW Battle of the Belts V|date=January 4, 2023|last=Thomas|first=Jeremy|work=[[411Mania]]|access-date=January 5, 2023}}</ref> 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 match|No Holds Barred]] [[tag team match]] to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship, which was the first time for the title to be defended at ''Battle of the Belts''.<ref name="AEWBOTBV"/> |
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'''Battle of the Belts VIII''' took place on Saturday, October 21, 2023, at the [[FedExForum]] in [[Memphis, Tennessee]]. The show aired live at 10 p.m. ET on TNT immediately after the live broadcast of AEW's regular Saturday program, ''Collision''.<ref name="BattleBeltsVIII"/> While all past ''Battle of the Belts'' episodes featured three matches per card, Battle of the Belts VIII had four matches. In the main event, The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) and [[Billy Gunn]] defeated [[Matt Menard]], [[Angelo Parker]], and [[Daniel Garcia (wrestler)|Daniel Garcia]] to retain the AEW World Trios Championship. On the undercard, [[Kris Statlander]] defeated Willow Nightingale to retain the AEW TBS Championship, [[Samoa Joe]] defeated [[Tony Nese]] to retain the |
'''Battle of the Belts VIII''' took place on Saturday, October 21, 2023, at the [[FedExForum]] in [[Memphis, Tennessee]]. The show aired live at 10 p.m. ET on TNT immediately after the live broadcast of AEW's regular Saturday program, ''Collision''.<ref name="BattleBeltsVIII"/> While all past ''Battle of the Belts'' episodes featured three matches per card, Battle of the Belts VIII had four matches. In the main event, The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) and [[Billy Gunn]] defeated [[Matt Menard]], [[Angelo Parker]], and [[Daniel Garcia (wrestler)|Daniel Garcia]] to retain the AEW World Trios Championship. On the undercard, [[Kris Statlander]] defeated Willow Nightingale to retain the AEW TBS Championship, [[Samoa Joe]] defeated [[Tony Nese]] to retain the ROH World Television Championship, and in the opening bout, Orange Cassidy defeated [[John Silver (wrestler)|John Silver]] to retain the AEW International Championship. This was the first time that the AEW World Trios Championship and ROH World Television Championship were defended at ''Battle of the Belts''.<ref name="BattleBelts8results">{{cite web|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/results/aew-battle-belts-viii-10212023-kris-statlander-vs-willow-nightingale-two-more-title-bouts|title=AEW Battle Of The Belts VIII (10/21/2023): Kris Statlander vs Willow Nightingale, Three More Title Bouts|date=October 21, 2023|last=Pulido|first=Luis|work=Fightful|access-date=October 21, 2023}}</ref> |
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'''Battle of the Belts X''' took place on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at the [[Truist Arena]] in [[Highland Heights, Kentucky]]. The show aired live at 10 p.m. ET on TNT immediately after the live broadcast of AEW's regular Saturday program, ''Collision''.<ref name="BattleBeltsX"/> In the main event, [[Athena (wrestler)|Athena]] defeated [[Red Velvet (wrestler)|Red Velvet]] to retain the |
'''Battle of the Belts X''' took place on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at the [[Truist Arena]] in [[Highland Heights, Kentucky]]. The show aired live at 10 p.m. ET on TNT immediately after the live broadcast of AEW's regular Saturday program, ''Collision''.<ref name="BattleBeltsX"/> In the main event, [[Athena (wrestler)|Athena]] defeated [[Red Velvet (wrestler)|Red Velvet]] to retain the ROH Women's World Championship. On the undercard, AEW International Champion Roderick Strong defeated Rocky Romero in a Championship Eliminator match, thus Romero could not challenge Strong for the title for as long as Strong was champion, while in the opening bout, [[Hook (wrestler)|Hook]] defeated [[Shane Taylor (wrestler)|Shane Taylor]] in an [[FTW Rules match]] to retain the FTW Championship. This was the first time that the ROH Women's World Championship was defended at ''Battle of the Belts'', and the last time for the FTW Championship as it was retired in September 2024. It was also the first time that a Championship Eliminator match was contested at ''Battle of the Belts'', subsequently being the first non-title match on the show.<ref>{{cite web|last=Pulido|first=Luis|title=AEW Battle of The Belts X (4/13/2024) Results: Roderick Strong vs Rocky Romero, Athena, HOOK, More|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/results/aew-battle-belts-x-4132024-results-roderick-strong-vs-rocky-romero-athena-hook-more|work=Fightful|date=April 13, 2024|access-date=April 13, 2024}}</ref> |
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|stip2 = [[CMLL Women's World Championship]] [[Last Chance match|Eliminator match]] <br>{{small|Since Purrazzo lost, she could no longer challenge Nightingale for as long as Nightingale was champion. Had Purrazzo won, she would have received a future match for the title.}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/willow-nightingale-face-deonna-purrazzo-aew-battle-belts-xi|title=Willow Nightingale To Face Deonna Purrazzo At AEW Battle Of The Belts XI|first=Jeremy|last=Lambert|work=Fightful|date=July 26, 2024|access-date=July 26, 2024}}</ref> |
|stip2 = [[CMLL Women's World Championship]] [[Last Chance match|Eliminator match]] <br>{{small|Since Purrazzo lost, she could no longer challenge Nightingale for as long as Nightingale was champion. Had Purrazzo won, she would have received a future match for the title.}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fightful.com/wrestling/willow-nightingale-face-deonna-purrazzo-aew-battle-belts-xi|title=Willow Nightingale To Face Deonna Purrazzo At AEW Battle Of The Belts XI|first=Jeremy|last=Lambert|work=Fightful|date=July 26, 2024|access-date=July 26, 2024}}</ref> |
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|time2 = 11:30 |
|time2 = 11:30 |
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|match3 = The Sons of Texas ([[Dustin Rhodes]], [[Marshall and Ross Von Erich]]) (with [[Kevin Von Erich]]) defeated [[The Undisputed Kingdom]] ([[Roderick Strong]], [[Matt Taven]], and [[Mike Bennett (wrestler)|Mike Bennett]]) by [[pinfall]] |
|match3 = The Sons of Texas ([[Dustin Rhodes]], [[Marshall Von Erich]], and [[Ross Von Erich]]) (with [[Kevin Von Erich]]) defeated [[The Undisputed Kingdom]] ([[Roderick Strong]], [[Matt Taven]], and [[Mike Bennett (wrestler)|Mike Bennett]]) by [[pinfall]] |
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|stip3 = [[Trios match]] for the vacant [[ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/new-roh-six-man-tag-team-champions-to-be-crowned-at-aew-battle-of-the-belts-xi/|title=New ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions to be crowned at AEW Battle of the Belts XI|first=Ethan|last=Renner|work=[[Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online]]|date=July 25, 2024|access-date=July 26, 2024}}</ref> |
|stip3 = [[Trios match]] for the vacant [[ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.f4wonline.com/news/aew/new-roh-six-man-tag-team-champions-to-be-crowned-at-aew-battle-of-the-belts-xi/|title=New ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions to be crowned at AEW Battle of the Belts XI|first=Ethan|last=Renner|work=[[Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online]]|date=July 25, 2024|access-date=July 26, 2024}}</ref> |
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|time3 = 13:30 |
|time3 = 13:30 |
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Latest revision as of 00:19, 4 January 2025
| 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 | 12 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Tony Khan |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company | All Elite Wrestling |
| Original release | |
| Network | TNT |
| Release | January 8, 2022 – present |
| Related | |
AEW Battle of the Belts is an American series of professional wrestling television specials produced by the 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 Saturday nights at 10 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) immediately after AEW's regular Saturday program, Collision; the series originally aired on select Saturday nights at 8 p.m. ET, but was moved to Fridays at 11 p.m. ET beginning with the fourth episode before its move back to Saturdays with the seventh episode. Battle of the Belts premiered with a live episode on January 8, 2022. The 12th and most recent special was held on October 17, 2024 (aired October 19).
The theme of the show was originally that all matches were contested for professional wrestling championships; in 2024, this expanded to include matches for future opportunities at championships as well as standard non-title matches. Thus far, seven of AEW's eight active championships have been defended on the specials. This includes five men's titles—the TNT Championship, the International Championship, the Continental Championship, the World Tag Team Championship, and the World Trios Championship—and both women's titles—the Women's World Championship and TBS Championship. There have also been five championships from AEW's sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH) contested. These include four men's titles—the World Championship, the World Television Championship, the World Tag Team Championship, and the World Six-Man Tag Team Championship—and one women's title—the Women's World Championship. The former FTW Championship, which was used by AEW from July 2020 until its retirement in September 2024, also had defenses on the program.
As of October 19, 2024[update], only three title changes have occurred during Battle of the Belts episodes, two of which involved Sammy Guevara. The first was on the inaugural episode, which saw him defeat Dustin Rhodes to determine the interim TNT Champion, and the other was on the second episode in which he defeated Scorpio Sky to win his record-tying third TNT Championship. The third title change occurred on the 11th episode which saw Dustin Rhodes and The Von Erichs (Marshall Von Erich and Ross Von Erich) defeat The Undisputed Kingdom (Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett) to win the vacant ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship. There have also been four Championship Eliminator matches, a stipulation in which if the challenger defeats the champion, they get a future title match, but if they lose, they can no longer challenge that champion for as long as they hold the title. One of these Championship Eliminators featured the Women's World Championship of AEW's partner promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre, which happened on the 11th episode. The first match to not have any championship implications occurred on the 12th episode, which was a standard tag team match.
History
[edit]In May 2021, the American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) renegotiated its broadcasting deal with WarnerMedia (now Warner Bros. Discovery), which saw AEW's flagship television program, Wednesday Night Dynamite, move from TNT to TBS in January 2022, while its other weekly program at the time, 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" came 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 former 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. The inaugural episode itself featured matches for the AEW Women's World Championship, the interim AEW TNT Championship, and the FTW Championship.[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] which aired on tape delay the next day on April 16.[11] After Tony Khan's purchase of Ring of Honor (ROH) in March 2022, the ROH World Championship was scheduled to be defended at Battle of the Belts II, the first non-AEW championship defended on the series.[12]
On August 4, 2022, Battle of the Belts IV was announced to be held on Friday, October 7. 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.[13] However, due to WWE's Extreme Rules pay-per-view and livestreaming event 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 TNT Championship, but it did feature the first defenses of the AEW TBS Championship, AEW All-Atlantic Championship (renamed International in March 2023), and ROH World Tag Team Championship on the program.[14]
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, which featured the first defense of the AEW World Tag Team Championship on the program.[15] Despite the addition of Saturday Night Collision to AEW's weekly lineup, which premiered on June 17, 2023, Khan confirmed that Battle of the Belts would continue, although its future on TNT was uncertain.[16] On July 4, 2023, PWInsider reported that the show would remain on TNT with Battle of the Belts VII scheduled to be held on July 15 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at 10 p.m ET after the live broadcast of Collision on TNT. This in turn returned the special to Saturday nights and also marked the first Battle of the Belts to be held outside of the United States.[17]
Battle of the Belts VIII, which took place on October 21, 2023, was the first Battle of the Belts to have four matches on the card; all previous episodes only had three. It would also be the first episode to include defenses of the AEW World Trios Championship and the ROH World Television Championship.[18]
While the theme of Battle of the Belts was originally that all matches would be championship matches, in 2024, the show began to feature Championship Eliminator matches. A Championship Eliminator is a variation of a Last Chance match where if the challenger defeats the champion, then they will earn a future match for that championship, but if they lose, then they can no longer challenge for that title for as long as the champion holds that title. This first occurred at Battle of the Belts X on April 13, 2024, in which reigning AEW International Champion Roderick Strong defeated Rocky Romero. This particular episode also saw no defense of an AEW branded championship, as in addition to the Championship Eliminator, the other two matches were for the FTW Championship and the ROH Women's World Championship, which was the first time for the latter to be defended on the program.[19]
The Mexican promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL), a partner promotion of AEW, would have one of its championships featured on a Battle of the Belts episode. At Battle of the Belts XI on July 27, 2024, reigning CMLL Women's World Champion Willow Nightingale defeated Deonna Purrazzo in a Championship Eliminator match. This episode was also the first time that the ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship was contested on the show.[20]
The first match to not have any championship implications occurred at Battle of the Belts XII, which was taped on October 17, 2024 (aired October 19). This was a standard tag team match in which The Don Callis Family (Brian Cage and Lance Archer) defeated Jon Cruz and Jack Cartwheel. This episode also saw the first defense of the AEW Continental Championship at Battle of the Belts.[21]
In October 2024, AEW announced a new media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, taking effect on January 1, 2025; however, Battle of the Belts was not included in the new deal. While there has been no confirmation on the future of the series, the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that AEW could potentially shop it to other networks.[22]
Events
[edit]Results
[edit]Battle of the Belts I
[edit]| 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 Saturday, January 8, 2022, at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event aired live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT. 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.[23]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[23] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sammy Guevara defeated Dustin Rhodes (with Arn Anderson) by pinfall | Singles match for the interim AEW TNT Championship[32] | 16:15 | ||
| 2 | Ricky Starks (c) (with Powerhouse Hobbs) defeated Matt Sydal by pinfall | Singles match for the FTW Championship[33] | 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[34] | 12:47 | ||
| |||||
Battle of the Belts II
[edit]| 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 Friday, April 15, 2022, at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas.[10] It aired on tape delay the next day on Saturday, April 16 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.[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, which was the first time that an ROH championship was defended at Battle of the Belts, and in the opening bout, Sammy Guevara defeated Scorpio Sky to win the AEW TNT Championship for a record-tying third time.[35]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[35] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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[36] | 12:45 | ||
| 2 | Jonathan Gresham (c) defeated Dalton Castle by submission | Singles match for the ROH World Championship[36] | 10:35 | ||
| 3 | Thunder Rosa (c) defeated Nyla Rose by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW Women's World Championship[36] | 14:10 | ||
| |||||
Battle of the Belts III
[edit]| 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 Friday, August 5, 2022, at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan.[24] It aired on tape delay the next day on Saturday, August 6 at 8 p.m. ET on TNT.[37][38] 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.[39]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[39] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wardlow (c) defeated Jay Lethal (with Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh) by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW TNT Championship[40] | 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[40] | 11:31 | ||
| 3 | Claudio Castagnoli (c) (with William Regal) defeated Konosuke Takeshita by pinfall | Singles match for the ROH World Championship[40] | 19:59 | ||
| |||||
Battle of the Belts IV
[edit]| 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 Friday, 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 and livestreaming event that night, Battle of the Belts IV was scheduled to air live on October 7 at 11 p.m. ET on TNT immediately after the live broadcast of AEW's regular Friday program, Rampage.[13][41][42] 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. This was the first time that these championships were defended on a Battle of the Belts special.[25]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[25] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pac (c) defeated Trent Beretta by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship[42] | 14:25 | ||
| 2 | Jade Cargill (c) defeated Willow Nightingale by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW TBS Championship[42] | 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[42] | 13:26 | ||
| |||||
Battle of the Belts V
[edit]| 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 Friday, January 6, 2023, at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. The show aired live at 11 p.m. ET on TNT immediately following the live broadcast of AEW's regular Friday program, Rampage.[43] 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, which was the first time for the title to be defended at Battle of the Belts.[44]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[44] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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[45] | 10:52 | ||
| 2 | Jade Cargill (c) defeated Skye Blue by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW TBS Championship[45] | 9:13 | ||
| 3 | Orange Cassidy (c) defeated Kip Sabian by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship[45] | 16:44 | ||
| |||||
Battle of the Belts VI
[edit]| 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 Friday, April 7, 2023, at the Ryan Center in Kingston, Rhode Island. The show aired live at 11 p.m. ET on TNT immediately following the live broadcast of AEW's regular Friday program, Rampage.[26] 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).[46]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[46] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orange Cassidy (c) (with Chuck Taylor and Trent Beretta) defeated Dralístico (with 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[45] | 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 | ||
| |||||
Battle of the Belts VII
[edit]| Battle of the Belts VII | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Promotion | All Elite Wrestling | ||
| Date | July 15, 2023 | ||
| City | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | ||
| Venue | Scotiabank Saddledome | ||
| Battle of the Belts chronology | |||
| |||
Battle of the Belts VII took place on Saturday, July 15, 2023, at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, marking the first Battle of the Belts to be held outside of the United States. This episode returned the special to Saturday nights and aired live at 10 p.m. ET on TNT immediately after the live broadcast of AEW's regular Saturday program, Collision.[17] In the main event, Luchasaurus defeated Shawn Spears to retain the AEW TNT Championship. On the undercard, Toni Storm defeated Taya Valkyrie to retain the AEW Women's World Championship, and in the opening bout, Orange Cassidy defeated Lance Archer to retain the AEW International Championship. Due to inclement weather that caused satellite issues in Calgary, the conclusion of the Women's World Championship match was not broadcast. After the signal was restored, the announcers informed the television audience of the result, and showed a replay of the finish.[47]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[47] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orange Cassidy (c) defeated Lance Archer (with Jake "The Snake" Roberts) by countout | Singles match for the AEW International Championship | 10:20 | ||
| 2 | Toni Storm (c) (with Ruby Soho) defeated Taya Valkyrie by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW Women's World Championship | 11:15 | ||
| 3 | Luchasaurus (c) (with Christian Cage) defeated Shawn Spears by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW TNT Championship | 9:15 | ||
| |||||
Battle of the Belts VIII
[edit]| Battle of the Belts VIII | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Promotion | All Elite Wrestling | ||
| Date | October 21, 2023 | ||
| City | Memphis, Tennessee | ||
| Venue | FedExForum | ||
| Battle of the Belts chronology | |||
| |||
Battle of the Belts VIII took place on Saturday, October 21, 2023, at the FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. The show aired live at 10 p.m. ET on TNT immediately after the live broadcast of AEW's regular Saturday program, Collision.[27] While all past Battle of the Belts episodes featured three matches per card, Battle of the Belts VIII had four matches. In the main event, The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) and Billy Gunn defeated Matt Menard, Angelo Parker, and Daniel Garcia to retain the AEW World Trios Championship. On the undercard, Kris Statlander defeated Willow Nightingale to retain the AEW TBS Championship, Samoa Joe defeated Tony Nese to retain the ROH World Television Championship, and in the opening bout, Orange Cassidy defeated John Silver to retain the AEW International Championship. This was the first time that the AEW World Trios Championship and ROH World Television Championship were defended at Battle of the Belts.[18]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[51] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orange Cassidy (c) defeated John Silver (with Alex Reynolds) by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW International Championship[48][49] | 9:31 | ||
| 2 | Samoa Joe (c) defeated Tony Nese (with "Smart" Mark Sterling) by pinfall | Singles match for the ROH World Television Championship | 1:17 | ||
| 3 | Kris Statlander (c) defeated Willow Nightingale by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW TBS Championship[48] | 10:21 | ||
| 4 | Billy Gunn and The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) (c) defeated Daniel Garcia, Matt Menard, and Angelo Parker (with Anna Jay) by pinfall | Six-man tag team match for the AEW World Trios Championship[50] | 10:44 | ||
| |||||
Battle of the Belts IX
[edit]| Battle of the Belts IX | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Promotion | All Elite Wrestling | ||
| Date | January 13, 2024 | ||
| City | Norfolk, Virginia | ||
| Venue | Chartway Arena | ||
| Battle of the Belts chronology | |||
| |||
Battle of the Belts IX took place on Saturday, January 13, 2024, at the Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. The show aired live at 10 p.m. ET on TNT immediately after the live broadcast of AEW's regular Saturday program, Collision.[28] In the main event, Orange Cassidy defeated Preston Vance to retain the AEW International Championship. On the undercard, Julia Hart defeated Anna Jay to retain the AEW TBS Championship, and in the opening bout, Ricky Starks and Big Bill defeated Le Sex Gods (Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara) in a Street Fight to retain the AEW World Tag Team Championship.[52]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[52] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ricky Starks and Big Bill (c) defeated Le Sex Gods (Chris Jericho and Sammy Guevara) by pinfall | Street Fight for the AEW World Tag Team Championship[53] | 18:15 | ||
| 2 | Julia Hart (c) defeated Anna Jay by submission | Singles match for the AEW TBS Championship[54] | 10:16 | ||
| 3 | Orange Cassidy (c) defeated Preston Vance by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW International Championship[55] | 11:17 | ||
| |||||
Battle of the Belts X
[edit]| Battle of the Belts X | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Promotion | All Elite Wrestling | ||
| Date | April 13, 2024 | ||
| City | Highland Heights, Kentucky | ||
| Venue | Truist Arena | ||
| Battle of the Belts chronology | |||
| |||
Battle of the Belts X took place on Saturday, April 13, 2024, at the Truist Arena in Highland Heights, Kentucky. The show aired live at 10 p.m. ET on TNT immediately after the live broadcast of AEW's regular Saturday program, Collision.[29] In the main event, Athena defeated Red Velvet to retain the ROH Women's World Championship. On the undercard, AEW International Champion Roderick Strong defeated Rocky Romero in a Championship Eliminator match, thus Romero could not challenge Strong for the title for as long as Strong was champion, while in the opening bout, Hook defeated Shane Taylor in an FTW Rules match to retain the FTW Championship. This was the first time that the ROH Women's World Championship was defended at Battle of the Belts, and the last time for the FTW Championship as it was retired in September 2024. It was also the first time that a Championship Eliminator match was contested at Battle of the Belts, subsequently being the first non-title match on the show.[56]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[60] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hook (c) defeated Shane Taylor by referee stoppage | FTW Rules match for the FTW Championship[57] | 10:25 | ||
| 2 | Roderick Strong (c) (with Wardlow, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett) defeated Rocky Romero by pinfall | AEW International Championship Eliminator match[58] Since Romero lost, he could no longer challenge Strong for as long as Strong was champion. Had Romero won, he would have received a future match for the title. | 11:40 | ||
| 3 | Athena (c) (with Billie Starkz) defeated Red Velvet by pinfall | Singles match for the ROH Women's World Championship[59] | 12:40 | ||
| |||||
Battle of the Belts XI
[edit]| Battle of the Belts XI | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Promotion | All Elite Wrestling | ||
| Date | July 27, 2024 | ||
| City | Arlington, Texas | ||
| Venue | Esports Stadium Arlington | ||
| Battle of the Belts chronology | |||
| |||
Battle of the Belts XI took place on Saturday, July 27, 2024, at the Esports Stadium Arlington in Arlington, Texas. The show aired live at 10 p.m. ET on TNT immediately after the live broadcast of AEW's regular Saturday program, Collision.[61] In the main event, Dustin Rhodes and The Von Erichs (Marshall Von Erich and Ross Von Erich) defeated The Undisputed Kingdom (Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett) to win the vacant ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship, which was the first time for the title to be contested at Battle of the Belts. On the undercard, CMLL Women's World Champion Willow Nightingale defeated Deonna Purrazzo in a Championship Eliminator match, while in the opening bout, AEW Women's World Champion "Timeless" Toni Storm defeated Taya Valkyrie, also in a Championship Eliminator; as a result of both Championship Eliminators, Purrazzo and Valkyrie could not challenge for those respective titles for as long as Nightingale and Storm held their respective championships. This was subsequently the first time that a CMLL title was featured at Battle of the Belts.[20]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[20] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Timeless" Toni Storm (c) defeated Taya Valkyrie by pinfall | AEW Women's World Championship Eliminator match Since Valkyrie lost, she could no longer challenge Storm for as long as Storm was champion. Had Valkyrie won, she would have received a future match for the title.[62] | 9:10 | ||
| 2 | Willow Nightingale (c) defeated Deonna Purrazzo by pinfall | CMLL Women's World Championship Eliminator match Since Purrazzo lost, she could no longer challenge Nightingale for as long as Nightingale was champion. Had Purrazzo won, she would have received a future match for the title.[63] | 11:30 | ||
| 3 | The Sons of Texas (Dustin Rhodes, Marshall Von Erich, and Ross Von Erich) (with Kevin Von Erich) defeated The Undisputed Kingdom (Roderick Strong, Matt Taven, and Mike Bennett) by pinfall | Trios match for the vacant ROH World Six-Man Tag Team Championship[64] | 13:30 | ||
| |||||
Battle of the Belts XII
[edit]| Battle of the Belts XII | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Promotion | All Elite Wrestling | ||
| Date | October 17, 2024 (aired October 19, 2024) | ||
| City | Stockton, California | ||
| Venue | Adventist Health Arena | ||
| Battle of the Belts chronology | |||
| |||
Battle of the Belts XII was taped on Thursday, October 17, 2024, at the Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, California. AEW's regular Saturday program, Collision, was also taped that night with both subsequently airing on tape delay on Saturday, October 19; Battle of the Belts XII aired at 10 p.m. ET on TNT immediately after Collision's broadcast.[65] In the main event, Anna Jay defeated AEW Women's World Champion Mariah May in a Championship Eliminator match, thus Jay will receive a title match on the November 2 episode of Collision; had Jay lost, she would have not been able to challenge for the title for as long as May was champion. On the undercard, The Don Callis Family (Brian Cage and Lance Archer) defeated Jack Cartwheel and Jon Cruz in what was the first match in Battle of the Belts history to not have any championship implications, Kazuchika Okada defeated Kyle O'Reilly to retain the AEW Continental Championship, which was the first time for that title to be defended at Battle of the Belts, and in the opening bout, Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli, Pac, and Wheeler Yuta) defeated The Dark Order (Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds, and John Silver) to retain AEW World Trios Championship. This was also the second Battle of the Belts episode to have four matches on one card, after Battle of the Belts VIII.[21][66]
| No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[66] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli, Pac, and Wheeler Yuta) (with Jon Moxley and Marina Shafir) (c) defeated The Dark Order (Evil Uno, Alex Reynolds, and John Silver) | Six-man tag team match for the AEW World Trios Championship | 5:10 | ||
| 2 | Kazuchika Okada (c) defeated Kyle O'Reilly | Singles match for the AEW Continental Championship | 18:50 | ||
| 3 | The Don Callis Family (Brian Cage and Lance Archer) defeated Jack Cartwheel and Jon Cruz | Tag team match | 2:40 | ||
| 4 | Anna Jay defeated Mariah May (c) | AEW Women's World Championship Eliminator match Since Jay won, she will receive a title match on the November 2 episode of Collision. Had Jay lost, she would have not been able to challenge for the title for as long as May was champion. | 12:10 | ||
| |||||
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Lambert, Jeremy (May 20, 2021). "Tony Khan Turned Down Third Hour Of AEW Dynamite, Got 'Fair Financial Considerations' For TBS Move". Fightful. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
- ^ Joe Otterson (September 23, 2021). "'AEW: Dynamite' Sets January Date for TBS Move, 'Rampage' to Remain on TNT". Variety.com. Retrieved September 23, 2021.
- ^ Heydorn, Zack (November 24, 2021). "AEW officially announces Battle of the Belts special". PWTorch. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ Casey, Connor (November 1, 2021). "Latest Report on AEW's First TNT Special Event in 2022". ComicBook.com. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ Ounpraseuth, Jason (November 2, 2021). "Backstage News On Plans For AEW's Battle Of The Belts". Wrestling Inc. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
- ^ a b Guzzo, Gisberto (November 24, 2021). "Date Revealed For First-Ever AEW Battle Of The Belts". Fightful. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
- ^ "AEW Battle of the Belts". All Elite Wrestling. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
- ^ Lambert, Jeremy (December 20, 2021). "Tony Khan Confirms AEW Battle Of The Belts Will Be A One Hour Special". Fightful. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
- ^ Lee, Joseph (January 8, 2022). "AEW To Tape House Show Before Battle of the Belts Tonight, Matches Will Air On Dark". 411mania. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
- ^ a b c Johnson, Mike (February 15, 2022). "AEW ANNOUNCES BATTLE OF THE BELTS II". PWInsider. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
- ^ a b c Thomas, Jeremy (April 6, 2022). "Women's World Title Match Set For AEW Battle of the Belts II This Month". 411mania. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
- ^ Casey, Connor (April 13, 2022). "AEW Battle of the Belts 2's Full Lineup Includes a Ring of Honor World Championship Match". ComicBook.com. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
- ^ a b Currier, Joseph (August 4, 2022). "AEW returning to Washington, D.C. for Dynamite, Rampage, Battle of the Belts IV". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
- ^ Lowson, Thomas (September 27, 2022). "AEW Battle of the Belts 4 Moves Date - No Longer Competing with WWE Extreme Rules". eWrestlingNews. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- ^ a b Tessier, Colin (November 2, 2022). "Date And Venue Announced For AEW Battle Of The Belts V". Fightful News. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
- ^ Nason, Josh (June 14, 2023). "Tony Khan says AEW Battle of the Belts will continue". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ a b c Johnson, Mike (July 4, 2023). "AEW BATTLE OF THE BELTS VII WILL TAKE PLACE..." PWInsider. Retrieved July 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Pulido, Luis (October 21, 2023). "AEW Battle Of The Belts VIII (10/21/2023): Kris Statlander vs Willow Nightingale, Three More Title Bouts". Fightful. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ Knight, Cain A. (April 14, 2024). "No AEW belts were actually defended at AEW Battle of the Belts X". Cageside Seats. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ a b c Powell, Jason (July 27, 2024). "AEW Battle of the Belts XI results (6/27): Powell's review of The Kingdom vs. Dustin Rhodes and The Von Erichs for the vacant ROH Six-Man Tag Titles, Toni Storm vs. Taya Valkyrie, and Willow Nightingale vs. Deonna Purrazzo in eliminator matches". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved July 27, 2024.
- ^ a b Lambert, Jeremy (October 18, 2024). "AEW Battle Of The Belts XII Spoilers (Taped On 10/17)". Fightful. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ Carey, Ian (October 13, 2024). "AEW/WBD TV rights update: Rampage end date, Battle of the Belts". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
- ^ a b c 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.
- ^ a b DeFelice, Robert (June 1, 2022). "AEW Battle Of The Belts III Set To Take Place In Grand Rapids, Michigan". Fightful News. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
- ^ a b c 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.
- ^ a b Tessier, Colin (January 4, 2023). "Date And Venue Announced For AEW Battle Of The Belts VI". Fightful. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
- ^ a b Carey, Ian (October 12, 2023). "Date and start time revealed for AEW Battle of the Belts VIII". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Lambert, Jeremy (December 31, 2023). "AEW Battle Of The Belts IX Listed On TNT Schedule For January 13". Fightful. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
- ^ a b Defelice, Robert (March 9, 2024). "AEW Battle Of The Belts X To Take Place On 4/13/24". Fightful. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
- ^ Nason, Josh (July 15, 2024). "AEW Battle of the Belts XI date & location revealed". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Renner, Ethan (August 28, 2024). "AEW reveals Battle of the Belts XII date". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b c Guzzo, Gisberto (April 13, 2022). "AEW TNT Championship And ROH World Championship To Be Defended At AEW Battle Of The Belts II". Fightful. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ^ "Schedule". TNT.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
- ^ Rose, Bryan (July 29, 2022). "ROH World Championship match announced for AEW Battle of the Belts III". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b c Russell, Skylar (August 3, 2022). "TNT Championship Match, AEW Women's Title Bout Set For AEW Battle Of The Belts On 8/6". Fightful. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
- ^ Rueter, Sean (September 27, 2022). "Next week's AEW Battle of the Belts won't air on Saturday". Cageside Seats. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Thomas, Jeremy (October 5, 2022). "Updated Card For AEW Battle of the Belts IV". 411Mania. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
- ^ Thomas, Jeremy (January 4, 2023). "Updated Lineup For AEW Battle of the Belts V". 411Mania. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b c d 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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ a b Powell, Jason (July 15, 2023). "AEW Battle of the Belts VII results (7/15): Powell's review of Orange Cassidy vs. Lance Archer for the AEW International Title, Toni Storm vs. Taya Valkyrie for the AEW Women's Title, Luchasaurus vs. Shawn Spears for the TNT Title". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
- ^ a b Russell, Skylar (October 18, 2023). "AEW International Championship Match, TBS Championship Bout Added To AEW Battle Of The Belts VIII". Fightul. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ^ Tessier, Colin (October 19, 2023). "AEW Rampage Spoilers For 10/20 (Taped On 10/18)". Fightful. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
- ^ Rose, Bryan (October 14, 2023). "Trios title match announced for AEW Battle of the Belts VIII". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
- ^ "AEW Battle Of The Belts VIII". Cagematch. October 21, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ a b "AEW Battle Of The Belts IX". Cagematch. January 13, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ Lambert, Jeremy (January 6, 2024). "Big Bill And Ricky Starks To Face Sammy Guevara And Chris Jericho In A Street Fight At AEW Battle Of The Belts". Fightul. Retrieved January 6, 2024.
- ^ Thomas, Jeremy (January 10, 2024). "TBS Championship Match Set For AEW Battle of the Belts IX". 411Mania. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ Nason, Josh (January 12, 2024). "International title match set for AEW Battle of the Belts IX". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Pulido, Luis (April 13, 2024). "AEW Battle of The Belts X (4/13/2024) Results: Roderick Strong vs Rocky Romero, Athena, HOOK, More". Fightful. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ Renner, Ethan (April 11, 2024). "FTW title match booked for AEW Battle of the Belts X". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ Rose, Bryan (April 7, 2024). "International title eliminator official for AEW Battle of the Belts X". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ Lambert, Jeremy (April 12, 2024). "Athena To Defend ROH Women's Title Against Red Velvet At AEW Battle Of The Belts X". Fightful. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
- ^ Powell, Jason (April 13, 2024). "AEW Battle of the Belts X results (4/13): Powell's review of Athena vs. Red Velvet for the ROH Women's Title, Hook vs. Shane Taylor for the FTW Championship, Roderick Strong vs. Rocky Romero in an eliminator match". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
- ^ Lee, Joseph (July 15, 2024). "AEW Battle of the Belts XI Set For Later This Month". 411Mania. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Lambert, Jeremy (July 25, 2024). "Toni Storm To Face Taya Valkyrie In AEW Women's Title Eliminator Match At AEW Battle Of The Belts XI". Fightful. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
- ^ Lambert, Jeremy (July 26, 2024). "Willow Nightingale To Face Deonna Purrazzo At AEW Battle Of The Belts XI". Fightful. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Renner, Ethan (July 25, 2024). "New ROH Six-Man Tag Team Champions to be crowned at AEW Battle of the Belts XI". Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
- ^ Tessier, Colin (August 29, 2024). "AEW Battle Of The Belts XII Announced For October 17th". Fightful. Retrieved August 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Powell, Jason (October 19, 2024). "AEW Battle of the Belts XII results (10/19): Powell's review of Kazuchika Okada vs. Kyle O'Reilly for the AEW Continental Title, AEW Women's Champion Mariah May vs. Anna Jay in an eliminator match". Pro Wrestling Dot Net. Retrieved October 20, 2024.