The path to a championship opportunity at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door has become much clearer following the latest episode of AEW Collision. In the main event of Thursday’s show, FTR defeated The Bang Bang Gang to become the first team to advance to the finals of the AEW World Tag Team Title Eliminator Tournament.
FTR Punches Their Ticket to the Finals
The semifinal match saw Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler take on Austin Gunn and Juice Robinson of The Bang Bang Gang. FTR had advanced to the semis by defeating the high-flying team of JetSpeed (Mike Bailey & Kevin Knight) in the first round, while Gunn and Robinson had earned their spot by beating the powerhouse duo of Bryan Keith and Big Bill. After a hard-fought contest on Collision, FTR secured the victory and are now just one win away from a shot at the AEW Tag Team titles. They now await the winners of the other semifinal match between The Young Bucks and the team of Brodido (Brody King & Bandido).
The Other Side of the Bracket
The final semifinal match is now set after the team of “Brodido” defeated The Gates of Agony (Bishop Kaun & Toa Liona) in a physical quarterfinal bout on Thursday’s Collision. Brody King and ROH World Champion Bandido will now face the formidable challenge of The Young Bucks (Matthew and Nicholas Jackson) on next Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite. The Young Bucks are looking to earn a shot at what would be their fourth reign as tag team champions, while the new pairing of King and Bandido looks to shock the world and earn their first opportunity at the titles.
A Shot at The Hurt Syndicate Awaits
The stakes for this tournament are incredibly high, as the winning team will earn a championship match at the AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door pay-per-view in London, England later this month. The current AEW World Tag Team Champions are the dominant duo of The Hurt Syndicate (Shelton Benjamin & Bobby Lashley), who have been running roughshod over the tag team division since their arrival. For FTR, a tournament victory would give them a chance to capture the titles for a third time, which would be their first reign since October 2023. Whoever emerges as the tournament winner will have a massive challenge ahead of them as they look to dethrone the powerful champions on a global stage.
With FTR now locked in for the finals, all eyes will be on AEW Dynamite next Wednesday to see whether it will be The Young Bucks or the dark horse team of Brodido who will meet them for a shot at championship gold at Forbidden Door.
