Secondary championships in All Elite Wrestling explained

The American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has maintained several secondary championships since its inception in 2019. The company's first secondary championship was the AEW TNT Championship, which was established in 2020 for the men's division.

AEW currently promotes four secondary championships. The secondary championships include the AEW TNT Championship, the AEW International Championship, and the AEW Continental Championship for the men's division; and the AEW TBS Championship for the women's division.

This article covers all secondary championships created and contested by AEW throughout its history.

Overview of titles

Male

No.NameYears
1AEW TNT Championship2020 – present
2AEW International Championship2022 – present
3AEW Continental Championship2023 – present

Female

Summary of championships

Male

AEW TNT Championship (2020–present)

See main article: AEW TNT Championship. The AEW TNT Championship is the first secondary championship established by AEW. Established on March 30, 2020, it is named after the TNT television network, which currently airs AEW's weekly programs, Collision and Rampage, as well as the promotion's Battle of the Belts quarterly television specials. The inaugural champion was Cody Rhodes.

AEW International Championship (2022–present)

See main article: AEW International Championship. The AEW International Championship is the third secondary championship established by AEW. Established on June 8, 2022, it was originally introduced as the AEW All-Atlantic Championship, but was rebranded as the AEW International Championship in March 2023 due to AEW's broadcast partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery.[1] The title was created to represent AEW's fans from around the world, but with no particular focus on the Atlantic Ocean or countries surrounding it, despite the title's original name. The inaugural champion was Pac. Since its establishment, the title has been defended in the Revolution Pro Wrestling and Over the Top Wrestling promotions, although most of its defenses have occurred in AEW, the latter of which has included defenses against wrestlers from New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

AEW Continental Championship (2023–present)

See main article: AEW Continental Championship. The AEW Continental Championship is the fourth secondary championship established by AEW. The inaugural champion was Eddie Kingston, who was also declared the American Triple Crown Champion (also referred to as the Continental Crown) upon winning the title, as he simultaneously held the ROH World Championship of sister promotion Ring of Honor (ROH) and the Strong Openweight Championship of partner promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). By being part of the Triple Crown Championship, the Continental Championship is recognized by AEW, ROH, and NJPW and can be defended in all three promotions.

The title was separated from the Triple Crown in March 2024. The rules of the title were then clarified that title matches are contested under Continental Rules in which no one is allowed at ringside and outside interference is strictly prohibited. Additionally, whoever is champion at the time of the annual Continental Classic (C2) is automatically entered into the tournament and defends the title in the C2.

Female

AEW TBS Championship (2021–present)

See main article: AEW TBS Championship. The AEW TBS Championship is the second secondary championship established by AEW. Established on October 6, 2021, it is the secondary championship of the promotion's female division, and the inaugural champion was Jade Cargill. It is named after the TBS television network, which currently airs AEW's flagship program, Dynamite.

Champions

Current champions

The following list shows the wrestlers that are currently holding all active secondary championships in AEW.

ChampionshipChampionReign Date wonDays held[2] LocationNotes
Men
AEW International ChampionshipMaxwell Jacob Friedman1July 17, 2024+Little Rock, AR
AEW Continental ChampionshipKazuchika Okada1March 20, 2024+Toronto, ON, Canada
AEW TNT ChampionshipJack Perry1June 30, 2024+Elmont, NY
Women
AEW TBS ChampionshipMercedes Moné1May 26, 2024+Paradise, NV

Inaugural championship holders

The following list shows the inaugural holders for each secondary championship created by AEW.

ChampionshipHolder(s)DateNotes
Men
AEW TNT ChampionshipCody RhodesMay 23, 2020
AEW International ChampionshipPacJune 26, 2022
AEW Continental ChampionshipEddie KingstonDecember 30, 2023
Women
AEW TBS ChampionshipJade CargillJanuary 5, 2022

Superlative reigns

Ten longest

The following list shows the ten longest secondary championship reigns in AEW history.

No.ChampionTitleReignLength
(days)
Notes
1Jade CargillAEW TBS Championship1508
2Orange CassidyAEW International Championship1326
3Darby AllinAEW TNT Championship1186
4Kris StatlanderAEW TBS Championship1174
5Julia HartAEW TBS Championship1155
6Orange CassidyAEW International Championship2145
7MiroAEW TNT Championship1140
8WardlowAEW TNT Championship1136
9Kazuchika OkadaAEW Continental Championship1+
10PacAEW International Championship1108

Longest per championship

The following list shows the longest reigning champion for each secondary championship created by AEW.

No.ChampionTitleReignDates heldLength
(days)
Notes
1Jade CargillAEW TBS Championship1January 5, 2022 – May 28, 2023508
2Orange CassidyAEW International Championship1October 12, 2022 – September 3, 2023326
3Darby AllinAEW TNT Championship1November 7, 2020 – May 12, 2021186
4Kazuchika OkadaAEW Continental Championship1March 20, 2024 – present+

Most per championship

The following list shows the wrestlers with the most reigns for each secondary championship created by AEW.

No.ChampionTitleNo. of reignsNotes
1Cody RhodesAEW TNT Championship3
Sammy Guevara
Wardlow
2Orange CassidyAEW International Championship2
3Jade CargillAEW TBS Championship1
Julia Hart
Kris Statlander
Mercedes Moné
Willow Nightingale
Eddie KingstonAEW Continental Championship
Kazuchika Okada

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: AEW To 'Level Up' All-Atlantic Championship Into AEW International Championship On 3/15 Dynamite. March 8, 2023. Russell. Skylar. Fightful. March 8, 2023.
  2. As of, .