It is official, FTR (formerly The Revival of WWE) have made their debut for AEW. In joining an already stacked tag team division, who should we most be looking forward to seeing them wrestle?
Because of several hints across social media and some prophetic tweets we’ll bring up a little later on, it always felt like it was more so always a matter of “when” rather than “if” The Revival were coming to AEW.
This past Wednesday, on the May 27 episode of AEW Dynamite, we finally got the “when” once the newly rechristened Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood (formerly Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson) jumped in to save The Young Bucks from a beatdown courtesy of The Butcher and The Blade.
Judging from that segment, we won’t be getting FTR vs. The Young Bucks any time soon (for now at least) but what FTR dream matches will AEW bring to life first? Let’s take some guesses.
Butcher and The Blade
Let’s start with what could give us FTR’s debut feud, or at least their debut match. This may be viewed as a simple match to re-introduce Wheeler and Harwood to the AEW audience, but this is not a match to be slept on.
The Butcher and The Blade are formidable adversaries in their own right and have tremendous chemistry together as a team. A match with FTR could be a fun one. Don’t sleep on this one; it could surprise a lot of people.
Proud ‘n’ Powerful
FTR have just entered AEW as the hottest free agent tag team on the market, but before them, that honor was bestowed on to Santana and Ortiz of Proud ‘n’ Powerful (then known as LAX in IMPACT Wrestling) when they debuted by surprise attacking The Young Bucks at All Out last year.
Upon their exit from IMPACT that summer, there was a massive buzz surrounding where the former (and longest reigning, in combined days) four time IMPACT World Tag Team Champions could wind up next and since turning up in All Elite Wrestling, they have not disappointed.
Not only did they join Chris Jericho in becoming two-fifths of The Inner Circle, but they had some memorable matches with The Young Bucks. They could create some similar magic with FTR. The Bucks proved to be a great introduction feud for Proud ‘n’ Powerful to AEW and they could do the same favors for FTR this year.
Be it a straight up wrestling match or a hardcore street fight, I am positive that Santana and Ortiz can produce some memorable magic with Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood (it still feels weird calling FTR by their new names; still gotta get used to that).
Kenny Omega and Hangman Page
It only seems like a matter of time before FTR decided to make a grab at the AEW World Tag Team Championship. The current title holders are Kenny Omega and Hangman Page, who have surprisingly exceeded expectations in the role.
For a duo compiled of singles stars we all assumed would inevitably turn on each other, they have emerged as one of the most exciting tag teams to watch and have given us some of the best matches of the year so far. If they manage to hold on to those belts for just a little bit longer, they are bound to have another Match of the Year candidate against FTR.
Both teams have a knack for pulling off double team moves in tandem; FTR’s being slower, methodical and more psychological based (often working the same body part the whole match) while Page and Omega share a more quicker offense that sees them throwing caution to the wind.
While their approach to tag team wrestling is very different, the differences could make for champions when opposites attract to pull off a stellar contest. And perhaps, maybe one that leads to FTR putting gold around their waist.
Lucha Bros.
Prior to AEW getting their own tag titles, the Lucha Bros. were viewed as the proverbial kings of the tag team division. Their feud with the Young Bucks over the AAA Tag Team Titles that culminated with Pentagon Jr. and Fenix winning their finale at All Out was essential in introducing Lucha Bros. as one of the best tag teams in the world.
For a long time, as The Revival, FTR were viewed as the very best tag team that the WWE roster had to offer. Now that they swam across the other side of the wrestling pond, the question remains if they can hold their own against other tag teams that aren’t so ingrained in that classic WWE style of wrasslin’.
A feud with Lucha Bros. should be a good way to help FTR establish themselves, not to mention be just a fun romp between two of the world’s more character driven, charismatic tag teams.
Sadly, this is a match that we will have to wait a little while on since Pentagon Jr. is currently stuck overseas and can’t travel during the current novel coronavirus pandemic, but believe me, when AEW is finally able to put FTR vs. Lucha Bros. on a card billing, we will rejoice.
Speaking of rejoicing, you know what’s coming next …
The Young Bucks
In December 2019, in tweets that have since been deleted, both parties tweeted “One day, we’ll wrestle The Young Bucks/Revival and everyone will rejoice. Remember this tweet.” Well, it might be time to rejoice. Albeit, likely later rather than sooner.
Judging by the last episode of AEW Dynamite, FTR may be going in a more babyface direction early on and therefore, their inevitable in-ring skirmish with the Bucks will be saved and built up for a later date. As we saw in that episode, FTR saved The Bucks in what appeared to be an act of mutual respect.
Much like their debut, FTR wrestling The Young Bucks feels like a matter of “when,” not “if.” A no brainer contest of this marquee magnitude could happen as soon as this August’s All Out PPV (which would be fitting for a show that could emerge as AEW’s equivalent to WrestleMania) or much later down the line for a special occassion.
The “when” continues to be in question, but if one thing is certain, it’s that when FTR vs. Bucks finally happens, we all will rejoice. Remember this paragraph.