Recalling AEW tag team FTR's five most memorable moments in WWE
AEW tag team FTR is once again gaining the attention of WWE, who are reportedly interested in bringing them back if recent reports are to be believed. The reigning Ring of Honor and AAA Tag Team Champions Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler are finally getting their moment in the sun recently.
After defeating The Briscoe Brothers in a Match of the Year candidate at ROH Supercard of Honor XV, they followed up with another tag team classic with the Young Bucks on the April 6 edition of AEW Dynamite.
Despite being part of the villainous Pinnacle stable, they have inadvertently become one of the biggest babyfaces in AEW. Now, it seems like WWE has also taken notice of their exploits and is interested in bringing the duo, formerly known as The Revival, back into the fold.
According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler's AEW contracts are set to expire this summer. However, AEW President Tony Khan has the option of keeping them for another year.
Dax Harwood responded to a fan on social media about the WWE return rumors by tweeting:
"Yes, If the money and circumstances were right and, no, you can't interview me," Dax Harwood tweeted.
It is unlikely that FTR will return to the company they spent six years in, especially now that they are flourishing in AEW. However, we have narrowed down The Revival's five best moments in WWE.
#5. The Revival vs. Undisputed Era - WWE NXT, 2019
The road to Survivor Series 2019 was a special time in WWE. Not only did we have the usual battle for brand supremacy between RAW and SmackDown, but it was also the first and only time so far that NXT joined the fray to make it a three-way battle.
While The Revival was synonymous with NXT earlier in their careers, at this point in time, they were a regular feature on the main roster for several years. In their absence, the Black and Gold brand was dominated by The Undisputed Era.
Now representing SmackDown, The Revival made their way to NXT to challenge Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish in a tag team dream match. It was a bout that fans wanted to see for years, and the match lived up to all the hype that was built around it.
Combining The Revival's old-school grappling style with Fish and O'Reilly's modern striking, the duo wrestled a tremendous, must-see match. Now that both tag teams are once again in the same company in AEW, it is only a matter of time before they face each other once more.
#4. The first two-time NXT Tag Team Champions - NXT TakeOver: The End, 2016
The NXT Tag Team Championship feud between The Revival and American Alpha remains one of the most exciting in NXT's history. Long before Jason Jordan became known for being Kurt Angle's illegitimate son, he and Chad Cable were among the finest tag teams in the company.
The duo would go on to defeat the reigning NXT Tag Team Champions at NXT TakeOver: Dallas in a high-octane tag team classic. However, Dash and Dawson would get their win back at NXT TakeOver: The End, becoming the first team to capture the NXT Tag Team Championship twice.
To be fair, it was a shock result as most fans didn't expect American Alpha to drop their titles back to The Revival. However, it was a remarkable result for the last TakeOver event to take place at Full Sail University.
#3. Defeating The New Day on their main roster debut - RAW after WrestleMania 33, 2017
After dominating NXT, The Revival made its WWE main roster debut on the RAW after WrestleMania 37. The New Day issued an open challenge to any tag team in the back, and Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder answered the call, much to the delight of the Orlando crowd.
"Yes...yes... thousand times yes!" Corey Graves exclaimed in exuberant fashion as the Top Guys strolled down the ramp, ready to dish out fists. Dawson and Wilder earned the victory after hitting the Shatter Machine on Xavier Woods.
As one of the most successful tag teams in NXT history, The Revival's RAW debut was handled well, and many fans hoped they could parlay their success into the main roster. On this night, The Revival were treated like real stars.
#2. Becoming the first-ever WWE Tag Team Triple Crown Champions before leaving for AEW - Clash of Champions, 2019
#ThrowbackThursday TIME! A year ago on September 15th, @CashWheelerFTR & @DaxHarwood of FTR formerly known as Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson of The Revival became the first ever WWE Triple Crown Tag Team Grand Slam Champions. From this day forward, it should be known as #FTRDay! https://t.co/Xh080BHYLw
While some fans might feel that FTR's run in WWE was underwhelming, they still managed to carve quite a legacy for themselves prior to joining AEW. On September 15 at Clash of Champions 2019, The Revival defeated The New Day's Big E and Xavier Woods to capture the SmackDown Tag Team Championship.
The victory made them the first team to hold the RAW, SmackDown, and NXT Tag Team Championship, and thus the first-ever WWE Tag Team Triple Crown Champions.
On top of their reign as two-time NXT Tag Team Champions, The Revival also captured the Raw Tag Team Championship twice. It is certainly an impressive resume. However, in later interviews, Harwood and Wheeler would reveal the challenges of getting tag team wrestling to be respected by the higher-ups in WWE.
Since leaving the company to join AEW, FTR has managed to re-establish themselves as one of the finest tag teams in all of professional wrestling.
#1. Epic rivalry with DIY - NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II & NXT TakeOver: Toronto
Day 89 Match 81_ The Revival vs DIY for the NXTTTC NXT Takeover Brooklyn II.
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The Revival and DIY had an epic rivalry that defined the early years of NXT. The two teams had undeniable chemistry with one another. Johnny Gargano and Tommaso Ciampa played the roles of underdogs trying to usurp the more established duo.
Their first major encounter between the two was on the night before Summerslam 2016 at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II. Gargano, in particular, came across as a star as he fought valiantly against The Revival. Since this was an early chapter in the story, naturally, the heroes had to fall, and it was Gargano who succumbed to the champions' ingenuity.
Somehow, DIY and The Revival managed to top this match at the following NXT TakeOver: Toronto 2016 in a two-out-of-three falls classic. Everything about this match is perfect, from in-ring storytelling to crowd reactions and the build-up to the finish. It was a special night for both teams that established all four men at once.
This time, the heroes stood tall, fighting from behind to secure the two falls, capturing the belts in a brilliant finish. Gargano and Ciampa forced a dual submission on Dawson and Wilder. As a result, the AEW stars tapped out to end this legendary battle.
Dax Harwood stated in a recent interview that he considers this bout to be the best tag team match of the current generation.
āThe greatest tag match, at least of this generation, is the two out of three falls match with DIY. You go back and watch that, thatās emotion. Thatās creativity. Thatās what this business is all about, what itās built around; itās built around making a babyface, wanting to watch a babyface overcome an obstacle and overcome the odds, and then at the end of the day that babyface gets his hand raised and everyoneās going home crying. Thatās emotion.ā
There's no denying it was one of the finest matches of The Revival's entire WWE career. It will be interesting to see if FTR can recreate the same magic in their current AEW stint.