FTR have had plenty of chances to leave AEW and potentially make their way back to WWE, but Cash Wheeler says there’s a pretty simple reason they’ve never pulled the trigger. For him, AEW still gives FTR things they wouldn’t necessarily get anywhere else.
Speaking on Going Ringside, Wheeler was asked why he and Dax Harwood have kept AEW as their home base since arriving in 2020 instead of bouncing between major promotions. Wheeler started with the obvious answer for a guy who has spent most of his career in a tag team — he believes AEW has the best tag team division in wrestling. But there’s also something about being part of a company that’s still figuring out how big it can become that appeals to him.
“Just because it’s the home of the best tag team division in the world, and it is a place where, as you said before, it’s still so young and growing. It’s exciting to be part of that as opposed to being part of something that’s already a known entity, that’s established, that’s always going to be there no matter what, just because it’s been part of pop culture now for 60-plus years.”
Wheeler never mentioned WWE by name there, but the comparison was pretty obvious. Instead of returning to a company that has been established for decades, he likes the idea of helping build something that’s still relatively new.
“Whereas AEW, it’s seven years old. It’s in second or third grade, technically. It’s brand new, and it’s exciting to be part of that, to be building that up, and to see the growth the company has had since we debuted there in 2020 to now in 2026. Just to see how the TV show has grown, to see how the attendance has grown, to see how the fan base has grown, and to see new people discovering it.”
There’s another part of AEW’s existence Wheeler clearly values too. Having another major wrestling company around means more jobs and, perhaps even more importantly for wrestlers, another place they can negotiate with.
“And just knowing that it gives so many other people in our industry — not just the wrestlers, but people backstage — so many job opportunities now. And it helps give wrestlers leverage, honestly, which is not something we’ve had much of for the past 20-plus years that I’ve been in it.”
Then there’s the actual wrestling. Wheeler pointed to the number of tag teams FTR have been able to work with during their AEW run, while also noting that being with the company hasn’t stopped them from wrestling elsewhere. FTR have been able to head to places like New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Mexico while still calling AEW home.
“There are tag teams across the board that you can’t find anywhere else. And then you get a chance, like we’ve done with our AEW tenure, to go wrestle in New Japan Pro-Wrestling and work those tag teams, or go to Mexico and wrestle some of the luchadors down there.”
For Wheeler, that combination pretty much kills any reason to start looking elsewhere. AEW gives FTR the tag team competition they want, the freedom to work outside the company and the chance to help build something that’s still growing.
“It gives you so much freedom to go out and explore this wrestling world. It’s just a no-brainer for us. It’s a win-win for us and, I think, for the company.”
FTR have already spent six years watching AEW change around them, and Wheeler clearly still sees plenty left for them to do there. At this point, it sounds like being part of whatever the company becomes next is a bigger draw for him than going back to something they’ve already experienced.
Do you think FTR made the right call sticking with AEW instead of potentially returning to WWE, or would you still like to see Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood have another WWE run someday? Let us know what you think in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
