FTW Title Retired By HOOK
HOOK retires FTW Title
Beat him if you can, survive if he lets you, but don’t expect a shot at the FTW Title as HOOK retired the unsanctioned championship at AEW Dynamite Grand Slam IV on September 25.
HOOK successfully defended the championship against Roderick Strong inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, then after the bell rang he spoke with Tony Schiavone at ringside noting that "all good things must come to an end", thanked every wrestler who has ever competed for the belt before officially retired it. HOOK then walked over to his dad Taz and presented him with the belt before the two embraced.
Taz later took to X/Twitter to share his thoughts on the life of the title he created back in 1998, posting the following:
“I would like to thank all of the men whom have held the FTW Championship…. @TheRealSabuECW @briancagegmsi @starkmanjones @boy_myth_legend @IAmJericho & @730hook And also any fan that has supported/enjoyed this championship during the ECW years or in modern day wrestling during the current AEW years…thank you.”
Taz created the belt in ECW when injured ECW World Champion Shane Douglas refused to give ‘The Human Suplex Machine’ a shot at the gold. Taz unveiled the belt at ECW ‘It Ain’t Seinfeld’ in New York’s Elks Lodge saying you could call the title the ‘Brooklyn Title, or the F*** the World Belt’.
The belt was resurrected in AEW in 2020 under similar circumstances to its initial creation, with Taz awarding the belt to Brian Cage after a planned shot at AEW World Champion Jon Moxley was cancelled due to COVID. HOOK is the record setting three-time FTW Champion, with 627 days as champ.