AEW introducing the TNT Championship belt, winner to be crowned in a tournament

By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)

All Elite Wrestling issued the following press release to announce that it will crown the first-ever TNT Champion in an eight-man tournament.

March 30, 2020 – AEW announced its first-ever “TNT CHAMPIONSHIP,” a high-stakes, eight-man tournament which kicks off on Wednesday, April 8, on the weekly AEW: DYNAMITE show on TNT. The single-elimination tournament will feature the biggest names in AEW all vying for the inaugural TNT CHAMPIONSHIP belt.

Wrestlers in the first half of the tournament bracket will be revealed this Tuesday, March 31, on AEW’s YouTube show, AEW DARK. The second half of the bracket will be announced this Wednesday, April 1, during the live AEW: DYNAMITE show on TNT. The TNT CHAMPIONSHIP will culminate with an epic final match at DOUBLE OR NOTHING, AEW’s highly anticipated PPV event on Saturday, May 23, in Las Vegas.

“It’s been a privilege working with Kevin Reilly and TNT to bring fans the best live wrestling show week after week on AEW: DYNAMITE, especially during these tumultuous times,” said Tony Khan, president and CEO of AEW. “I’m glad we’re now able to announce the TNT CHAMPIONSHIP. The first ever titleholder will be determined by an unforgettable tournament that fans will not want to miss, and that our wrestlers will be desperate to win. I’m excited for the announcement of the full bracket live on Dynamite this week. And, it’s only fitting that the champion and the title belt will carry the logo of the globally-respected TNT brand, and that they’ll represent not only AEW but also the great quality programming, massive reach, and storied history in the wrestling business that are all associated with TNT.”

Powell’s POV: I love the idea of a secondary championship and this feels like AEW is putting its own twist on the TV Title approach that others have used. It does seem like they are being overly optimistic about the pay-per-view taking place in Las Vegas in May as scheduled given the current state of affairs, but it would be tremendous news on a number of levels if it actually happens. Either way, I’m pleased to see the introduction of a new title, as I think a lot of us assumed they were working toward having six-man tag titles rather than a another singles title. I haven’t cared about six-man tag titles since the days of the Von Erichs vs. The Freebirds in World Class Championship Wrestling, so I’m all for going the singles route.