AEW Champion Loses Title Belt; Cover Up Airs On TV

Why exactly was a major AEW championship belt covered up on a recent TV show?

When Ric Flair was on his way to WWE in the early nineties, Bobby Heenan began teasing the arrival of the “Real World Champion” by parading the Big Gold Belt synonymous with the NWA and WCW that was still in Flair’s possession. After a legal threat, WWE began pixelating Flair’s title belt, but the issue soon came to an end when Flair captured the WWE Championship at the 1992 Royal Rumble.

Now, the AEW International Championship was covered up and not shown on the January 31st edition of Collision, and the reason for that strange choice has now been revealed.

On Collision, AEW International Champion Kazuchika Okada took on Adam Priest in a title match. Despite the bout being for Okada’s gold, his title belt was kept in a black belt bag so nobody could see the actual title. On commentary, Rocky Romero noted that Okada felt his opponent didn’t even deserve to see the championship, so he was keeping it hidden. However, the Rainmaker’s unusual ring gear told the real story.

AEW Title Belt Goes Missing

Fightful Select has reported that the bag containing Kazuchika Okada’s gear and title belt was lost, so the company had to use a replacement belt and cover it up for his match. It’s unknown how the bag was lost or if it has been recovered.

Chris Jericho famously lost the AEW World Championship belt when his bag was stolen out of his car just days after he won the gold at All Out 2019.