AEW Battle of the Belts is an American series of professional wrestlingtelevision 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).
As of October19,2024[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.
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 interimAEW TNT Championship, and the FTW Championship.[9]
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]
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]
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.[22]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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 Barredtag 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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
AEW International ChampionshipEliminator match[59] 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.
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]
AEW Women's World ChampionshipEliminator 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]
CMLL Women's World ChampionshipEliminator 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]
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]
AEW Women's World ChampionshipEliminator 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.
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