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The AEW Battle of the Belts is a quarterly television special that solely consists of championship matches involving all titles in the promotion.
It started when AEW renewed its deal with WarnerMedia in May 2021, with Dynamite going to TBS and Rampage staying on TNT from January 2022. Part of the deal was that the Jacksonville-based promotion would produce four quarterly television specials on TNT.
Former AEW Executive Vice President Cody Rhodes emphasized that the specials would be patterned to WCW's Clash of the Champions and WWE's Saturday Night's Main Event.
The television special was formally introduced on November 24, 2021, and was given the tagline 'Saturday Fight Night.' Battle of the Belts was derived from an NWA event which ran from 1985-1987 and was booked by Eddie Graham.
All Elite Wrestling's inaugural event was held on January 8, 2022, and aired live at 8 PM ET on TNT at the Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. While the AEW World Heavyweight Championship was not defended, other championship matches displayed spectacular performances, especially the TNT title match between Dustin Rhodes and Sammy Guevara.
With the opening special done, the question now is, would there be a second Battle of the Belts? If it does, when and where?
The latest edition of the show will be taped on April 15, 2022, at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas. The show will air a night later, on April 16, 2022, on TNT.
As of this writing, no championship matches have been confirmed for this month's event. Several title changes might happen in the coming weeks before the second offering of the TV special takes place.
Who were the winners of the first edition of AEW Battle of the Belts?
The TNT Championship, the FTW Championship, and the Women's Championship, were defended at the inaugural Battle of the Belts on January 8. It should be noted that the FTW Championship is not officially recognized as a main title, as it only serves as an unsanctioned and renegade title.
Sammy Guevara went head-to-head with Dustin Rhodes for the interim TNT title after lineal champion Cody Rhodes failed to defend his title due to illness. After numerous roll-ups, The Spanish God outlasted The Natural to become the interim TNT Champion.
In the second match, Ricky Starks squared off against Matt Sydal. Starks retained the FTW Championship by hitting a Roshambo on Sydal in a match where both men displayed their athletic prowess.
In the main event, Britt Baker battled Riho for the AEW Women's Championship. Baker successfully defended her title after making Riho tap out to the Lock Jaw.
With the second edition of the event coming up this month, it remains to be seen what matches are on offer and which championships are on the line.
What are your thoughts on the upcoming Battle of the Belts 2? Sound off in the comments below.
