AEW's FTR Take Extended Hiatus After 12 Years, Citing Injuries and Exhaustion

Q: Will FTR's break from AEW lead them to finally conquer Japan's World Tag League?

Possibly, but there is no evidence yet that FTR’s AEW hiatus will directly lead to a World Tag League run, much less a victory. What is clear is that the break removes one of the biggest obstacles: scheduling. Cash Wheeler has said for years that FTR wants to enter New Japan Pro-Wrestling’s World Tag League before retiring, and past commitments appear to have made that difficult. With FTR now stepping away from AEW television after Double or Nothing to recover physically and mentally, their calendar is more open than it has been in years. That said, the hiatus was announced primarily as a health-and-family decision, not as a Japan plan. Dax Harwood described the team as physically and mentally exhausted after a long run of injuries, and FTR still has non-AEW dates booked in August, including Kentucky and RevPro in London. There has been no official announcement from NJPW or FTR confirming entry into the next World Tag League. If they do enter, they would be credible contenders. FTR already has a strong NJPW résumé, including an IWGP Tag Team Championship reign, and they remain one of the most accomplished tag teams of their era. But World Tag League is a demanding tournament, and their current condition makes any prediction uncertain. So the break may create the opportunity FTR has long wanted, but whether they “finally conquer” World Tag League depends on recovery, booking, and whether they actually commit to the tournament.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 21

Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler said they are stepping away from AEW for an extended period after 12 straight years of near-continuous work, with Harwood saying both are physically and mentally exhausted.
Harwood detailed a long injury list behind the decision, including three lower-back hematomas, an untreated bicep tear, a labrum tear from groin to hip, and a shoulder he said needs replacement.
FTR have not appeared on AEW programming since losing an I Quit match to Adam Copeland and Christian Cage at Double or Nothing last month, a defeat that ended their third AEW World Tag Team Championship reign.
The team still plans one booked match in Kentucky at the end of August, and Wheeler said he would still like FTR to try NJPW's World Tag League before retiring.