FTR Explain Why They Requested A One-On-One Match

Current ROH and AAA Tag Team Champions FTR have given the reasons why they wanted to have a singles match between themselves, even if they had to force the issue.

In a qualification match for the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament, Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood will square off one-on-one when AEW heads to Philadelphia on 27th April.

Speaking on the Wresting Perspective Podcast, FTR explained that it was entirely their idea to have a singles match, with Cash Wheeler saying they had to fight for it to happen.

That was our idea, totally. We had to fight for it, but that was completely our idea.

Dax Harwood added that they’d wanted to face each other for a long time, but that the match needed to have a purpose rather than being for the sake of it.

We’ve always wanted to have a match, but we didn’t just want to have a match just to have a match. There had to be a reason. This is the perfect reason to do it. The Hart Family means a lot to both of us, personally and professionally. So being able to show respect to Owen Hart and his whole family, what better way to do it than allowing the two biggest Hart Family fans in the world to compete.

Cash Wheeler continued, explaining that having a singles match is in no way a tease of the team splitting and is instead an opportunity for them to better themselves.

There was no way for Owen to get the tribute he deserved, and now we have the platform for it and as Dax said, we wrestled the one time, and when we did, I’ve never felt the electricity of when we locked up and when we started working around, how easy it was. We want to be the best. I think Dax is the best wrestler in the world, and I’ve said that on Instagram or whatever. So for me to get better, I want to wrestle him.

I don’t want to do a ton of singles stuff, but I want to do something that matters to me and this is one, for me, for years, we’ve been like, ‘how can we make it make sense? How can we have a singles match against each other? Just a straight-up, back and forth wrestling match in our vision?’

There was no way to really make it make sense any time before because we don’t ever want to tease a breakup, do a breakup. I have no interest in that. I’ll retire before I even entertain that idea, I’ll say that right here and right now. Credit it, tattoo it, I don’t care; we’re never going to do a breakup anymore.

So when we heard about the Owen, we were like, ‘we’ve got to go to Tony with the idea of the singles match.’ And he did like it, but he was like, ‘okay, I’ve got to see if I can make it make sense.’ And we just stayed on him about it. ‘Hey, can we? Can we? Can we?’

Finally, he was like, ‘alright, I’ve got a way where we can make it all work. Yes, we can do it. I’ll announce it and in Philly, it’s going down.’ So yeah, he liked the idea but we had to make sure. ‘Please let us, this means a lot to us.’ And he finally gave us the nod and here we are.

There has been plenty of speculation that Bret Hart could be in attendance for the match, however FTR seemed to cool these rumours. To Dax Harwood, the presence of ‘The Excellence Of Execution’ could take away from the moment.

I think about Bret Hart walking me down the aisle every day. I thought about Bret Hart walking my wife down the aisle for our wedding. But just having the match out of respect for Owen, I think is enough for me. Of course, we would love to have Bret there, but that’s not our call. But again, just having the match and only doing this match, only having this match with my best friend, my tag team partner, the guy I’ve never going to leave his side.

The only reason we’re having this match is for Owen Hart. So I think if Bret was there, it might take away a little bit because he’s such a big star and such a beloved professional. The thing is, I’ve said it in all my interviews before, there are guys who have been and are more over than Bret.

But there aren’t guys, there’s no other professional wrestler that was over like Bret. The fans just had a love for him. So if he was there, I think the focus maybe turns to him instead of the match and Owen.

There are plenty of contest signed for AEW Dynamite on 27th March. As well as FTR squaring off against each other, Scorpio Sky will challenge for the TNT Championship in a Ladder Match against Sammy Guevara, there will be a ten-man tag match involving The Undisputed Elite, Hikaru Shida and Serena Deeb face each other one more time in a Philadelphia Street Fight, and Wardlow takes on Lance Archer.

With thanks to Wrestling Inc for the transcription.