AEW Battle of the Belts
AEW Battle of the Belts | |
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File:AEW Battle of the Belts logo.png AEW Battle of the Belts logo | |
Genre | Professional wrestling |
Created by | Tony Khan |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of episodes | 4 |
Production | |
Producer | Tony Khan |
Running time | 60 minutes |
Production company | All Elite Wrestling |
Release | |
Original network | TNT |
Original release | January 8 October 7, 2022 | –
Chronology | |
Related | AEW Dynamite AEW Rampage AEW Dark AEW Dark: Elevation |
AEW Battle of the Belts is an American series of professional wrestling television specials produced by All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Only four episodes were planned to air quarterly throughout 2022 and were broadcast on TNT in the United States. The first three specials aired on Saturday nights while the fourth aired on a Friday. The series premiered with a live episode on January 8. The next two episodes were taped on April 15 and August 5 and aired on tape delay on April 16 and August 6, respectively, while the fourth episode aired live on October 7.
As its name implies, all matches on the one-hour specials were contested for professional wrestling championships. Four of AEW's championships were defended across the four specials, as well as two championships from AEW's sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH), and one unsanctioned championship. These included the AEW Women's World Championship, the AEW TNT Championship, the AEW TBS Championship, the AEW All-Atlantic Championship, the unsanctioned FTW Championship, the ROH World Championship, and the ROH World Tag Team Championship.
History
In May 2021, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) renegotiated its broadcasting deal with WarnerMedia which saw AEW's flagship television program, Wednesday Night Dynamite, move from TNT to TBS in January 2022, while its other core program, Friday Night Rampage, remained on TNT.[1][2] Also as part of the deal, AEW agreed to produce four quarterly television specials on TNT that would take place on Saturdays.[1][3] Former AEW executive and wrestler Cody Rhodes said that these specials would be similar to Jim Crockett Promotions/World Championship Wrestling's Clash of the Champions and WWE's Saturday Night's Main Event shows, calling them super events.[4] Wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer reported that the quarterly specials would be one-hour shows, but said they were originally planned to be longer, and also that they would feature pay-per-view caliber cards.[5]
On November 24, 2021, the television special series was announced to be titled Battle of the Belts with the inaugural event scheduled to be held live on January 8, 2022, at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The tagline was confirmed as "Saturday Fight Night".[6][7] The name "Battle of the Belts" comes from a National Wrestling Alliance event held from 1985 to 1987 by the promotion's Florida territory that was operated by Eddie Graham.[6]
AEW President Tony Khan confirmed that due to the show's one-hour length, not all of AEW's championships would be defended on the specials, but their goal was to put on great championship matches.[8] On the day of the inaugural event, Khan revealed that matches for the January 11 episode of their YouTube show, Dark, were scheduled to be taped before the Battle of the Belts I live broadcast, with all other AEW champions participating in these Dark matches.[9]
On February 15, 2022, AEW announced that Battle of the Belts II would be taped on April 15 at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas.[10] It aired on tape delay the next day on April 16.[11] A month after Tony Khan's purchase of Ring of Honor (ROH), the ROH World Championship was scheduled to be defended at Battle of the Belts II.[12] On June 1, 2022, Battle of the Belts III was announced to be taped on August 5 at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan,[13] and it aired the following day on August 6.[14]
On August 4, 2022, Battle of the Belts IV was announced to be held on Friday, October 7 at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, D.C. As Battle of the Belts was established as a Saturday night television special, it was expected that Battle of the Belts IV would air on tape delay the next day on October 8.[15] However, due to WWE's Extreme Rules pay-per-view airing that night, Battle of the Belts IV was instead scheduled to air live on October 7 at 11 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) right after the live broadcast of Rampage to avoid counter programming against WWE. Due to its Friday scheduling, its tagline was changed to "Friday Fight Night". This was also the first Battle of the Belts episode to not include matches for either the AEW Women's World Championship or AEW TNT Championship, but it did include an ROH World Tag Team Championship match.[16]
Events
Event | Date | City | Venue | Main Event | Ref |
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Battle of the Belts I | January 8, 2022 | Charlotte, North Carolina | Bojangles Coliseum | Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (c) vs. Riho for the AEW Women's World Championship | [17] |
Battle of the Belts II | April 15, 2022 (aired April 16, 2022) |
Garland, Texas | Curtis Culwell Center | Thunder Rosa (c) vs. Nyla Rose for the AEW Women's World Championship | [10][11] |
Battle of the Belts III | August 5, 2022 (aired August 6, 2022) |
Grand Rapids, Michigan | Van Andel Arena | Claudio Castagnoli (c) vs. Konosuke Takeshita for the ROH World Championship | [13] |
Battle of the Belts IV | October 7, 2022 | Washington, D.C. | Entertainment and Sports Arena | FTR (Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood) (c) vs. Gates of Agony (Toa Liona and Kaun) for the ROH World Tag Team Championship | [18] |
Results
Battle of the Belts I
Battle of the Belts I | |||
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File:AEW BOTB I POSTER.webp | |||
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 | |||
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Battle of the Belts I took place on January 8, 2022, at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event aired live at 8 p.m. ET. In the main event, Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. defeated Riho to retain the AEW Women's World Championship. On the undercard, Ricky Starks defeated Matt Sydal to retain the FTW Championship and in the opening bout, Sammy Guevara defeated Dustin Rhodes to become the interim AEW TNT Champion; Guevara was originally scheduled to face lineal champion Cody Rhodes for the title, however, Cody was pulled due to COVID-19-related issues.[17]
No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[17] |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Sammy Guevara defeated Dustin Rhodes (with Arn Anderson) by pinfall | Singles match for the interim AEW TNT Championship[19] | 16:15 |
2 | Ricky Starks (c) (with Powerhouse Hobbs) defeated Matt Sydal by pinfall | Singles match for the FTW Championship[20] | 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[21] | 12:47 |
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Battle of the Belts II
Battle of the Belts II | |||
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File:AEW Battle of the Belts II.jpg | |||
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 | |||
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Battle of the Belts II was taped on April 15, 2022, at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas.[10] It aired on tape delay the next day on April 16 at 8 p.m. ET.[11] In the main event, Thunder Rosa retained the AEW Women's World Championship against Nyla Rose. On the undercard, Jonathan Gresham defeated Dalton Castle to retain the ROH World Championship and in the opening bout, Sammy Guevara defeated Scorpio Sky to win the AEW TNT Championship for a record-tying third time.[22]
No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[22] |
---|---|---|---|
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[23] | 12:45 |
2 | Jonathan Gresham (c) defeated Dalton Castle by submission | Singles match for the ROH World Championship[23] | 10:35 |
3 | Thunder Rosa (c) defeated Nyla Rose by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW Women's World Championship[23] | 14:10 |
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Battle of the Belts III
Battle of the Belts III | |||
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File:AEW Battle of the Belts III Poster.jpg | |||
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 | |||
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Battle of the Belts III was taped on August 5, 2022, at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan.[13] It aired on tape delay the next day on August 6 at 8 p.m. ET.[24] 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.[25]
No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[25] |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Wardlow (c) defeated Jay Lethal (with Sonjay Dutt and Satnam Singh) by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW TNT Championship[26] | 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[26] | 11:31 |
3 | Claudio Castagnoli (c) (with William Regal) defeated Konosuke Takeshita by pinfall | Singles match for the ROH World Championship[26] | 19:59 |
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Battle of the Belts IV
Battle of the Belts IV | |||
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File:AEW Battle of the Belts IV.jpg | |||
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 | |||
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Battle of the Belts IV took place on October 7, 2022, at the Entertainment and Sports Arena in Washington, D.C. As Battle of the Belts was established as a Saturday night television special, it was expected that Battle of the Belts IV would air on tape delay the next day on October 8; however, to avoid counter programming against WWE's Extreme Rules pay-per-view that night, Battle of the Belts IV was scheduled to air live on Friday, October 7 at 11 p.m. ET immediately after the live broadcast of AEW's regular Friday program, Rampage.[15][27][28] 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.[18]
No. | Results | Stipulations | Times[18] |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Pac (c) defeated Trent Beretta by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship[28] | 14:25 |
2 | Jade Cargill (c) defeated Willow Nightingale by pinfall | Singles match for the AEW TBS Championship[28] | 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[28] | 13:26 |
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See also
References
- ^ 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 c 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.
- ^ 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 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 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 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.
- ^ 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". TNTdrama.com. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 27, 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.
External links
- Articles with short description
- Official website not in Wikidata
- 2020s American television specials
- 2022 American television episodes
- 2022 in professional wrestling
- 2022 in North Carolina
- Events in Charlotte, North Carolina
- Events in Garland, Texas
- January 2022 events in the United States
- Professional wrestling in North Carolina