AEW All-Atlantic Champion

The AEW International Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW). It is a secondary championship for male wrestlers, and unlike AEW's other titles, which are almost exclusively defended on AEW programming, the International Championship can also be defended in other promotions around the world. The current and inaugural champion is Orange Cassidy, who is in his first reign.

The title is considered the successor to the AEW All-Atlantic Championship, which had been established on June 8, 2022, and its inaugural champion was Pac. On March 15, 2023, during Orange Cassidy's reign, the All-Atlantic title was rebranded as the International Championship. AEW regards this date as the retirement of the former and the establishment of the latter, with Cassidy considered the final All-Atlantic Champion and inaugural International Champion. Although considered a new title, it retains the lineage of the All-Atlantic Championship, which had only two title holders.

History

AEW All-Atlantic Championship (2022–2023)

On the June 8, 2022, episode of ''Dynamite'', the American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) unveiled the AEW All-Atlantic Championship to be a secondary championship for the men's division. Despite its name seemingly centering on countries around the Atlantic Ocean, the company announced that the championship " epresentedthe AEW Fans watching around the world in over 130 countries". The inaugural champion was crowned in a four-way match which was held at the AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door pay-per-view event on June 26, which was co-produced with the Japanese promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). To determine the competitors in the four-way, six qualifying matches were held. Three of these featured wrestlers from AEW with the three winners advancing to the four-way match. The other three qualifying matches were held between four wrestlers from NJPW in a single-elimination tournament fashion. The winners of NJPW's preliminary qualifiers faced off and the winner of that match advanced to the four-way match at Forbidden Door. On the AEW side, Pac, Miro, and Malakai Black won their qualifiers; on the NJPW side, Tomohiro Ishii qualified but suffered a left knee injury and had to be replaced with the runner-up, Clark Connors. At Forbidden Door, Pac became the inaugural champion by submitting Connors.

In an interview with Robbie Fox on the ''My Mom's Basement'' podcast, AEW president Tony Khan confirmed that the championship would be defended differently than the company's other titles. Khan said that holders of the All-Atlantic Championship would defend the title around the world in other promotions, in addition to AEW. This interview came shortly after Pac defended the title at a Revolution Pro Wrestling event, which was later shown on AEW's YouTube show, ''Dark'', on July 12. Pac also defended the title at an Over the Top Wrestling event on July 22.

AEW International Championship (2023–present)

On the March 8, 2023, episode of ''Dynamite'', Tony Khan announced that Orange Cassidy's defense of the title that night was the final for the AEW All-Atlantic Championship. The following week on March 15, in celebration of the release of the Warner Bros. film ''Shazam! Fury of the Gods'', the title was rebranded as the AEW International Championship due to AEW's broadcast partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery. Although it retains the characteristics of the All-Atlantic title, AEW considers this to be a new title, with Cassidy regarded as the final All-Atlantic Champion and inaugural International Champion; the latter retains the lineage of the former, which only had two title holders.

Inaugural All-Atlantic Championship tournament

Belt design

Ron Edwardsen of Red Leather Belts designed the championship belt. At the top of the center plate is AEW's logo, while at the center of the plate is a globe with flags representing six countries: Mexico, China, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Japan. Originally, the banner above the globe read "All-Atlantic", but this was changed to "International" with the championship's rebranding on March 15, 2023. Another banner below the globe reads "Champion". Sitting on each side of the center plate are two side plates. The inner side plates include AEW's logo over a globe, while the outer side plates feature two wrestlers grappling.

Reigns

As the All-Atlantic Championship, there were only two reigns between two champions. Pac was the inaugural champion and he had the shortest reign at 108 days. Orange Cassidy is considered the final All-Atlantic Champion with his reign lasting 154 days. Pac was also the youngest All-Atlantic Champion when he won the title at 35, while Cassidy was the oldest at 38.

As the International Championship, Orange Cassidy is the current and inaugural champion. He defeated Jeff Jarrett to become inaugural International Champion on the March 15, 2023, episode of ''Dynamite'' in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. On this episode, the All-Atlantic Championship, which Cassidy held, was retired and replaced by the International Championship.

References

External links

Official AEW All-Atlantic/International Championship History
at All Elite Wrestling

{{All Elite Wrestling

All Elite Wrestling championships
International professional wrestling championships
2022 introductions