Reports began circulating last week that WWE has interest in trying to lure FTR back once the tag team’s contract in AEW is up, which won’t be anytime soon.
Hearing from Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler on a recent appearance on “The Sessions with Renee Paquette” podcast, it doesn’t sound likely that the interest is mutual.
“We left that place because they didn’t put a focus on tag team wrestling, and we knew there was a ceiling to where we could go in the company. We wanted to do more, we wanted to be known as the greatest tag team of all time, and we had to leave there to do that,” Harwood said.
And then to the obvious question.
“And then I started thinking, Do they want us? Or do they want AEW to not have us? It’s cool for Cody to do what he’s done, but there’s just so many unknowns there. Would they ever focus on tag team wrestling the way we’ve been able to the last two years?” Harwood said.
And then to the next obvious question.
“I don’t know how much has changed there as far as what we wanted tag team wrestling to be. And now, we’re getting to show everybody what tag team wrestling can be and what our vision of it is,” Wheeler said.
Fair questions, both, there.
It will become obvious soon that WWE only wanted Cody Rhodes as much as it meant that AEW couldn’t have Cody Rhodes.
And tag team wrestling in WWE will never get back to where it was during the heyday of The Hart Foundation and British Bulldogs.
FTR’s eyes are on bigger prizes.
“I have two things that are very high on the list for me. We want to be the first-ever two-time AEW tag team champions. Until then or after then, we want the IWGP tag team titles, and that’s very, very important to us and that’s something we’ve wanted to do for a while,” Wheeler said.
There is a joint AEW/New Japan show coming up in June.
Sounds like FTR wants the marquee tag match.
“If we do get the opportunity to win the IWGP tag team championships, we’ll be the only tag team in history to hold WWE’s Raw, Smackdown, NXT, AEW, AAA, ROH, and IWGP, but if we do all that, if we hold all those titles, is there a debate anymore?” Harwood said.
‘Dynamite’ preview: FTR featured in a singles match
Speaking of FTR, the guys will be featured in a one-on-one match in the Owen Hart Cup on Wednesday’s “Dynamite.”
Harwood and Wheeler confirmed in an appearance on the Wrestling Perspective Podcast that they had asked AEW CEO Tony Khan for the match.
“We’ve always wanted to have a match, but we didn’t just want to have a match just to have a match,” Harwood said. “There had to be a reason. This is the perfect reason to do it. The Hart Family means a lot to both of us, personally and professionally. So, being able to show respect to Owen Hart and his whole family, what better way to do it than allowing the two biggest Hart Family fans in the world to compete.”
Also on the card for Wednesday:
- TNT champ Sammy Guevara vs. Scorpio Sky in a ladder match
- Hikaru Sheeda vs. Serena Deeb in a Philly Street Fight
- Wardlow vs. Lance Archer
- Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly and Bobby Fish vs. Dante Martin, Brock Anderson and Lee Johnson
Why the former Bray Wyatt isn’t coming to AEW
Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer reported on his Sunday Night’s Main Event podcast that the former Bray Wyatt was making more than $4 million a year at the end of his run in WWE, and is apparently asking companies that might want his services for a premium salary.
“His price is really high,” Meltzer said. “I know a couple of companies that wanted to get him, but the price he was asking was really just too high.”
WWE released Wyatt last summer. Every day that passes, his value drops.
Story by Chris Graham
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