FTR are staying in All Elite Wrestling. Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler’s most successful year of their careers concluded with a whimper, as the tag team lost three sets of championships within a matter of weeks. After being defeated by The Gunns on an episode of AEW Dynamite in December 2022, Harwood and Wheeler took a sabbatical from the company, noting that they would be taking time off to decide their next career steps. They returned at March’s AEW Revolution, seeking vengeance on The Gunns, who were now AEW Tag Team Champions. FTR put their AEW careers on the line against Austin and Colten in order to receive a title match, which ultimately resulted in the Top Guys walking away with the gold.
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Speaking on this Friday’s AEW Rampage, which was taped following AEW Dynamite on Wednesday, Harwood and Wheeler revealed that they have inked four-year contracts with AEW, effectively keeping them on Tony Khan’s books until 2027. When that distant year rolls around and their new contracts expire, Harwood and Wheeler announced that they plan to retire.
These retirement plans are consistent with what Harwood has professed for many months. Back in October 2022, Harwood told a fan on Twitter that he plans to hang up his boots “within the next 3-5 years.”
While Harwood and Wheeler feel like they are just getting started, it is important to note that both men have been in the game for nearly two decades already. Harwood made his professional wrestling debut in 2004 while Wheeler’s first match went down in 2005. They came together in 2014, forming The Mechanics in NXT. Then known as Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder, the two found their biggest success under the WWE umbrella upon rebranding to The Revival. They captured the NXT Tag Team Championships on two separate occasions, putting on instant classics with American Alpha and DIY. A main roster run that left them with a lot to be desired resulted in the two requesting their release from WWE, which was granted in April 2020.
Since debuting in AEW in Summer 2020, Harwood and Wheeler have impressed in their tag bouts with the likes of the Young Bucks, Aussie Open, Kenny Omega and Hangman Page, and others. They are currently in the middle of their second reign with the AEW Tag Team Championships and are awaiting their first challengers.
