First launched in January 2022, AEW Battle of the Belts has been met with a mixed reception. When the concept was first announced, they were seemingly to be promoted along the same lines as WCW Clash of the Champions and WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event; to date, though, the four Battle of the Belts cards have gone largely forgotten.
The fifth instalment has now been announced, slated for Friday, January 6 from Portland, Oregon’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum. This will mark the debut of the Tony Khan-helmed organisation in Oregon. Tickets for the event, which will also be a taping for that week’s episode of Rampage, are scheduled to go on sale on November 11.
AEW Battle Of The Belts Is Four Events Old
First held on January 8, 2022 from Charlotte, North Carolina, AEW Battle of the Belts, as the name implies, features cards entirely contested for championships. Not every AEW title has made it to Battle of the Belts, however, with the AEW World and World Tag Team Championships never being defended on the 60-minute cards.
The inaugural event featured three contests, headlined by Britt Baker retaining the AEW Women’s World Championship against the inaugural champion, Riho. The AEW TNT and FTW Championships were also up for grabs, as Sammy Guevara became the interim TNT Champion, whereas Ricky Starks remained the FTW Champion when he defeated Matt Sydal.
Subsequent Battle of the Belts events featured defences of the TNT, Women’s World, and All Atlantic Championships from All Elite Wrestling, as well as two ROH championships; the ROH World and World Tag Team Championships. This has resulted in the AEW debut of Dalton Castle, as well as stellar performances from the likes of Konosuke Takeshita.
The most recent Battle of the Belts was held on October 7 from Washington, D.C. In order, PAC, Jade Cargill, and FTR retained the AEW All Atlantic, AEW TBS, and ROH World Tag Team Championships, respectively; they bested Trent Beretta, Willow Nightingale, and The Gates of Agony.