FTR Retain Tag Titles at AEW Double or Nothing

By Liam Crowley

Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler find themselves at the pinnacle of AEW's tag team division once again. After the most successful year of their career ended in a whimper, speculation went wild about where FTR would be come Spring 2023. Storylines mirrored real life when FTR put their AEW careers on the line against Austin and Colten Gunn's AEW Tag Team Titles on an April episode of AEW Dynamite, and with their backs against the wall, Harwood and Wheeler left New York with the gold. The duo have had just one defense since, retaining against The Gunns on a recent house show.

For just the second time in their AEW careers, FTR walk into a pay-per-view with the company's top prize in the tag division. The last time FTR was in this situation, they entered AEW Full Gear 2020 as AEW Tag Team Champions but lost the straps to the Young Bucks at that event. This time around, FTR stood opposite the tandem of Jay Lethal and Jeff Jarrett, with the added variable of Mark Briscoe involved as the title bout's special guest referee.

Despite the uncertainty of Briscoe's allegiances as well as Lethal and Jarrett's expansive corner, FTR were able to successfully defend the AEW Tag Titles at AEW Double or Nothing. The match ran for about 20 minutes, with momentum shifting back and forth between the two teams throughout. Things took a turn when Harwood caught Lethal on the top rope, who was going for an elbow drop, and super-plexed him immediately into setting him up for a Doomsday Device. Jarrett made one last effort to steal the win, going for a guitar shot on Harwood, but accidentally cracked Briscoe instead. 

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Harwood and Wheeler got the visual victory, but there was no referee to count the 1-2-3. Referee Aubrey Edwards ran to the ring but was stopped by Sonjay Dutt before she could enter the ring to officiate the match, and ended up taking a guitar shot herself from Jeff's wife, Karen Jarrett. More shenanigans ensued while officials were down, and despite Jarrett hitting his finisher on Harwood, a slow count from a resurrected Briscoe wasn't enough to get his team the win. FTR then landed a Shatter Machine to score the pinfall victory.

Stay tuned to ComicBook.com for continuing coverage of AEW Double or Nothing.

AEW Double or Nothing 2023 Results

  • (Buy-In) The Hardys & HOOK def. Ethan Page & The Gunns 
  • AEW International Championship: Orange Cassidy retains in a 21-Man Blackjack Battle Royal
  • Adam Cole def. Chris Jericho (Unsanctioned Match)
  • AEW World Tag Team Championships: FTR def. Jeff Jarrett& Jay Lethal (Mark Briscoe as Special Guest Referee)
  • AEW World Championship: MJF vs. Darby Allin vs. Sammy Guevara vs. "Jungle Boy" Jack Perry
  • AEW Women's World Championship: Jamie Hayter vs. Toni Storm
  • AEW TNT Championship: Wardlow vs. Christian Cage (Ladder Match)
  • AEW TBS Championship: Jade Cargill vs. Taya Valkyrie
  • AEW World Trios Championship: The House of Black vs. TBA (Open House Match)
  • The Elite (Kenny Omega, "Hangman" Adam Page, The Young Bucks) vs. Blackpool Combat Club (Bryan Danielson, Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Wheeler Yuta) (Anarchy in the Arena Match)

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