Ricky Starks Wins FTW Championship At AEW Fyter Fest
He wins the battle of Team Taz members
Ricky Starks is the new FTW champion, after defeating Team Taz stablemate Brian Cage at night one of Fyter Fest in Austin, TX.
Late in the match, after Hook distracted the referee, Powerhouse Hobbs nailed Cage with the FTW title belt, enabling Starks to spear Cage and pin him.
Afterward, Taz celebrated with Starks, Hobbs, and Hook.
The group's participation in the ending plays off months of friction within Team Taz, and the result apparently spells Cage's excommunication from the group.
The match was Starks' first bout in nearly three months. He was sidelined with a neck injury following match with "Hangman" Adam Page in April.
Starks becomes the fourth regularly-acknowledged holder of the "unofficial" FTW championship, following Cage, Taz, and Sabu. Former Taz proteges Chris Chetti and Danny Doring also held the championship, in barely acknowledged reigns from the indies in 2002-03.
Cage was gifted the belt by Taz on the second night of Fyter Fest in 2020. Taz initially introduced the title in ECW in 1998, when he was unable to challenge injured World champion Shane Douglas, thus he created the FTW belt as "his" World title.
Written by Justin Henry
In addition to writing lists and commentaries for Cultaholic, Justin is also a features writer and interviewer for Fighting Spirit Magazine, and is co-author of the WWE-related book Titan Screwed: Lost Smiles, Stunners, and Screwjobs.