AEW: Current Championship Holders Half Way Through 2023
The late 1990s was the prime of the “competitive era” of wrestling promotions with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) facing its biggest challenger in World Championship Wrestling (WCW.) After WWE purchased its biggest rival WCW in March 2001, there has been little in the way of true competition for WWE in the North American pro wrestling business. In step Tony and Shahid Khan. Their 2019 creation of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) would serve as arguably WWE’s biggest competition since the 1990s golden age of professional wrestling. With us just six months away from the five-year mark for AEW, let’s take a look at the current championship title holders. Make sure to check out our wrestling news and stories at MyMMANews by clicking here. Let’s take a look who is sitting atop the AEW championship thrones at the mid-year mark of 2023.
Men’s Championships
AEW World Championship
Sitting atop the AEW throne is MJF. Maxwell Jacob Friedman, better known as MJF, is currently in his reign as the world champion. A braggadocious character, MJF has been praised for his ability to truly blur the line between kayfabe and reality. If any wrestler from AEW could have made it through the blurred kayfabe/reality days of the 1970s and 1980s of wrestling, it’s MJF. His reign as champion began at AEW: Full Gear in November 2022 when he defeated Jon Moxley, who was in his organizational-leading third reign. 23:15 after the bell rang, MJF was declared the winner in the night’s main event. 6-0-1 in singles competition so far in 2023, MJF looks to lose the title no time soon.
AEW International Championship
Named ESPN’s “wrestling’s males breakout star of 2020”, Orange Cassidy is the organization’s longest-reigning and only AEW International champion. Known for his lackadaisical style including such antics as putting his hands in his pockets during his matches and throwing less-than-enthusiastic kicks, Cassidy is 16-0 through 2023 up to the month of July. “The King of Sloth Style” uses this to his advantage to throw off his adversaries before landing a super kick at the tail end of the “kicks of doom.” Orange Cassidy is a not only a fan favorite, but a favorite of the AEW brass and pro wrestling writers around the world.
AEW TNT Championship
The the face of a reptile and green tongue to boot, Luchasaurus currently sits as AEWs TNT Champion. Joining the organization at Double or Nothing 2019 in the show’s Casino Battle Royale match, Luchasaurus began his AEW run in a tag-team unit with Jungle Boy. Luchasaurus would go on to taste his first bit of AEW gold as a tag-team champion with Jungle Boy apart of the tag team, Jurassic Express. The pair would rule for 161 days before dropping the titles to the Young Bucks. The first half of 2023 has been a quiet year for Luchasaurus, only competing in one contest. He is scheduled for his first title defense against Shawn Spears at AEW’s Battle of the Belts VII on July 15, 2023.
FTW Championship
An “unsanctioned” championship by AEW, the FTW Championship pays homage to the Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) days. The title was created by Taz in 1998 during the modern-day golden era of professional wrestling. So it’s only fitting that AEW’s version of the title has Hook, the son of Taz, as the currently champion. Hook made his debut in AEW in December 2020 alongside his father as a member of Team Taz. So far it has been a great half-start to 2023, earning a 16-0 record and an overall undefeated 34-0 inside the AEW ring. Hook’s finishing move, Redrum, is the same as the Tazmission his father used in his career. At 24 years of age, there has been much talk of WWE having their eye on Hook, wanting to bring him over as one of their top acquisitions.
AEW World Tag Team Championship
The 2022 Tag Team of the Year by both Pro Wrestling Illustrated and Wrestling Observer, FTR consisting of Cash Wilder and Dax Harwood are in their first reign as the AEW World Tag Team Champions. The tag team was a creation of the late Dusty Rhodes when the two began wrestling under the NXT banner of WWE. A throwback to the 1980’s-style of professional wrestling, the tag team brings back vibes of tag teams such as The Midnight Express and The Brain Busters. Known for using the catchphrase, “No flips, just fists,” as a way to label their style to as hard-hitting and no play. As far as their AEW run, the two are 3-0 in the first-half of 2023 heading into the month of July. If you are a child of the 1980’s-1990’s wrestling scene and new to AEW, look no further than to hook you fandom onto the FTR bus.
AEW World Trios Championship
Similar to what you see overseas in Japan with NJPW’s NEVER Openweight Six-Man Tag Championship, AEW brings it’s version of the three-man tag championship to it’s organization with the AEW World Trios Championship. Half way through the 2023 year, House of Black sits with the championships. The three-man team consists of leader Malakai Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews. The trio are also the longest reigning trios champions in the organization’s history, which began this championship in September 2022. The trio is having a great first-half of 2023 with a record of 6-0. This is the first title held for any of the members that comprise the House of Black. If you are hoping to catch the trio in action, AEW Collision on Saturday nights might be your best bet as Malakai Black stated on the Bobby Fish Undisputed podcast, he requested to only appear on the Saturday show.
Women’s Championships
AEW Women’s World Championship
Sitting atop the women’s division is the current AEW Women’s World Champion, Toni Storm. With not much to speak for in her tenure in WWE that lasted from 2017-2021, Storm would go on to greatness in AEW. Storm is also currently the only woman to have multiple reigns with the AEW Women’s World Championship. She initially won the title in September 2022 and went on a 76 day title run. Her second run would begin just before summer, winning the title in May 2023 by defeating Jamie Hayter at Double or Nothing. Storm is 13-3 in single matches thus far in 2023 along with a 3-3 record in tag team competition. Since making the move to AEW from WWE, a new breath of life has been given to Storm.
AEW TBS Championship
Almost bigger than earning the AEW TBS Championship, Kris Statlander will go down in history as the woman who put an end to Jade Cargill’s 508-day reign as the first and only champion. In August 2022, Statlander suffered a completely torn ACL and lateral meniscus. In just nine months, Statlander made her triumphed return at Double or Nothing to defeat Cargill in an open challenge after Cargill had successfully defended her title that same night. A wrestling star on the rise, it’s only a matter of time before we see Statlander graduate to an AEW Women’s World Championship holder.
