After a stellar 2022 which saw them reign as triple champions for much of the year, FTR look to be taking a break from professional wrestling for the first part of 2023.
FTR lost both the AAA and ROH Tag Team Championships in December of last year and then kicked off 2023 by dropping the last of their titles, the IWGP Tag Team Championships, to YOSHI-HASHI and Hirooki Goto at NJPW’s Wrestle Kingdom 17 on January 4th.
With FTR losing all three titles in quick succession and questions surrounding their long-term status in AEW, the futures of both Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler’s careers are unclear.
“Whatever We Decide To Do Next Will Be The Absolute Last Thing We Do As Far As Wrestling” – Dax Harwood On FTR’s Future Plans
During the latest episode of his ‘FTR with Dax Harwood’ podcast, the former Scott Dawson revealed that he and Cash Wheeler have been granted an extended break from AEW by Tony Khan:
“I also have the blessing of Tony Khan to talk about this and make a statement about this. Tony has been nothing but top-notch to me and Dan [Cash Wheeler] since day one. There are things that we haven’t agreed on, as any boss and any employee, even any friend. There are times that I felt the boat was missed on opportunities for us. There were times that I was super happy with everything we were doing, but there has come a time where we are on the tail end of our career.”
Harwood continued:
“Right now, at this point in our career, is the most important time in our career. I mean that monetarily, creatively, and personally. It is the most important time in our career. With that being said, we have asked and been granted the next few months off of television so we can sit back, reflect, decide, let out bodies heal, and figure out what we’re going to do for the next few years. Whatever we decide to do next will be the absolute last thing we do as far as wrestling.”
Harwood did confirm that the future of FTR will be revealed by April, which is when their contracts with AEW are currently due to expire:
“By April, we will have an answer. I have to take my health, my family, my creativity, and I have to take my personal life all in consideration about what we’re going to do next. I know what I want to do, but whatever we do, I just want to be respected.
Harwood added:
I feel we have done something so special in 2022 and most of that is in part to the fans. We deserve to continue to build on our legacy for ourselves, but also we owe it to the fans to build on that legacy because they made us this past year. I’m not sure exactly how long we’ll be away. It may be all the way until the end of our contract. Our contract is up in April.”
FTR’s last appearance in AEW came on the December 21st edition of Dynamite where they lost to The Gunn Club.
H/t to Fightful for the transcription.