FTR may have impressed fans for years with their skills in the ring, but Vince McMahon was far from pleased with their performance in 2018.

After an impressive run in NXT, FTR (then The Revival) was called up to WWE’s main roster as part of the post-WrestleMania 33 Raw in April 2017.

Despite reigns as both Raw and SmackDown Tag Team Champions (making the team the first triple-crown tag Champions in WWE) the duo couldn’t match their NXT success on the main roster and were granted their releases in April 2020.

The Worst Match

By the 2018 Royal Rumble, The Revival had been feuding with the Good Brothers and had traded wins on TV and at live events with Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows.

Speaking with Matt Koon on his FTR podcast, Dax Harwood recalled the less than favorable feedback to the match on the Royal Rumble kick-off show.

“We come to the back and Vince (McMahon) is waiting for us, all four of us. We thought the match was good. it was like an eight-minute match. We came to the back and he said, ‘Welp, that was absolutely the worst wrestling match I’ve ever seen in my entire life.”

Dax Harwood.

Given that McMahon was closing in on fifty years in the wrestling industry at the time, Harwood joked that he takes having the worst match as a “badge of pride.”

Harwood added that McMahon was likely unaware that he and Cash Wheeler were employed by WWE for eight years.

WWE Return

While McMahon was far from pleased with FTR, WWE today is much different to the one the tag team left nearly three years ago.

Following McMahon’s retirement last July, Triple H has been appointed Head of Creative and Head of Talent, and FTR thrived under the Game’s watch in WWE NXT.

McMahon has (so far) kept away from creative meetings and WWE programming since his return to WWE last month.

It has been reported that FTR’s deals with AEW expire this May, but Harwood claimed in a previous episode of his podcast that McMahon’s return has made them question coming back.

h/t – Fightful

All Elite Wrestling (AEW) star Dax Harwood has opened up about FTR asking for their WWE release in 2020.

The Revival, Harwood and Cash Wheeler, joined WWE as a duo back in 2014, spending several years in NXT before getting the call up to the main roster. Ultimately, the team’s run with WWE came to an end in 2020 after being granted their requested release.

Recently, Harwood took to The FTR podcast to open up about the team’s decision to leave WWE, and how the process went down. Harwood explained how the conversation with Vince McMahon went and gave the team’s reasons for wanting to leave.

“So we had asked for our release. Initially, we were told ‘are you sure you want to do this because there’s a big quote-unquote wind of change coming, and we would love for you to be a part of it.’ We said, respectfully, we would love to have our release.

“We need to go out, make a name for ourselves, and hopefully come back and make more money but also increase our marketability for you. Vince said okay, I’ll have Mark Carrano contact you tomorrow and start the process. This was again, earlier in the year, not SummerSlam.”

Triple H apparently attempted to try and keep The Revival onboard, and although they stuck around a few months more, ultimately the team stuck to their decision and ultimately went through with the release.

“Mark Carrano called and some things led to other things and we talked to Hunter. He said, ‘we can’t let you go right now. But in six months, if you’re not happy with the position you’re in in our company than we can revisit the conversation.’

“We said okay, thank you. Obviously, we respected Hunter and had a lot of faith and trust in him anyway; we had no reason to doubt him. Come around SummerSlam time, we were pretty sure we weren’t going to be figured in, but we had done all we could to get our release.”

During their time with WWE The Revival captured the NXT Tag Team Titles twice, before going on to the main roster where they were two-time RAW Tag Team Champions, and one-time holders of the SmackDown Tag Team Titles.

Currently, FTR work for both AEW and New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), where they are former Tag Team Champions for both organizations.

Quotes via 411Mania

Just one week after making their promotional debut, FTR is slated to do their first AEW interview. 

All Elite Wrestling announced on Friday that The Revolt, formerly known as The Revival, will be doing an interview with Tony Schiavone on next Wednesday’s episode of Dynamite on TNT. 

It should be noted that this episode has already been taped. The former WWE stars made their debut this past Wednesday after The Young Bucks & Matt Hardy defeated Private Party & Joey Janela in a six-man tag match. 

They did so when they made the save for The Young Bucks from an attack by The Butcher & The Blade.

AEW President Tony Khan took to Twitter to hype next week’s show by writing the following: 

“Thank you for making it one of the most successful weeks we’ve had at #AEW, with great viewership for Double or Nothing + Dynamite! #AEWDynamite is back Wednesday with a huge card!”

Update AEW Dynamite Card

• AEW TNT Champion Cody Rhodes vs. Jungle Boy
• AEW Tag Team Champions Hangman Page and Kenny Omega vs. Kip Sabian and Jimmy Havoc 
• Chris Jericho will be in action against Colt Cabana
• Big Swole vs. Nyla Rose
• FTR interview

FTR (Formerly The Revival) Debut On AEW Dynamite

The Revolt, formerly known as The Revival, has made their debuts in All Elite Wrestling. 

The former WWE stars did so on Wednesday’s episode of AEW Dynamite on TNT after the opener that saw Matt Hardy and The Young Bucks vs. Private Party and Joey Janela in a six-man tag team match. 

Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, formerly Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder, arrived in the arena in a truck and walked down to the ring after The Butcher and The Blade had attacked The Young Bucks. Wheeler and Harwood made the save for The Young Bucks.

They hit a spike piledriver to Blade then hit their finisher to Butcher. The segment ended when they had a staredown with Matt and Nick Jackson. 

The tag team is going by FTR in AEW for now. 

WWE released the former WWE Tag Team Champions from their contracts in April after they had requested to be let go. The Revival potentially going to AEW when their deals with WWE were up has been speculated about for over a year now. 

Now, it’s a reality. The Young Bucks and FTR have talked about wanting to work with each other for years.

• The Revival Receive Cease & Desist Letter For “The Revolt” Name

Cash Wheeler and Dax Harwood, the Revolt, were guests this week on Talk is Jericho. The former members of the Revival spoke on a variety of subjects including Vince McMahon and WWE’s attitude toward southern accents. Harwood first spoke about how the team’s former trainer, Dusty Rhodes, liked that they were both southern wrestlers.

“I think that Dusty enjoyed the fact that we’re both southerners and we both sound like southerners,” Harwood said.

“Some people atop the WWE may not like that southern accent and I think Dusty enjoyed the southern accent because he had one himself but also because he knew that the upper chain in WWE didn’t, so he just liked to push back a little bit.”

The topic of conversation then moved to the belief that Vince McMahon doesn’t like southern accents. The Revolt then spoke about how they were told by some that they likely wouldn’t get much promo time because of Vince’s aversion to southern accents. Cash then mentioned they brought this up with Vince.

“He never said that directly to us, we actually brought it up to him,” Cash said. “He laughed about it. He said ‘well, I’m from North Carolina’ and I said ‘yeah man, I know.'”

“Then why are you ashamed of it?” Harwood chimed in.

“We didn’t understand it,” Cash continued. “I don’t think it’s just a Vince thing. I think its maybe a worldwide thing that just because you have this southern accent you are perceived as a dumbass.”

“That was one thing that when Daniel and I first started teaming, I told him ‘man, I really want to show these people that you can be a southern wrestler and you can be a southerner without being an idiot.”

The Revolt On Meetings With Vince McMahon

The team continued to speak about their interactions with Vince McMahon during the podcast.

“Anytime we had interactions with Vince, they always went really well. He was very open, he would listen, he was very responsive and complimentary,” Cash continued. “We were taken aback sometimes that he was aware of things that we didn’t think he would be.”

Cash continued to talk about how it wasn’t just Vince who didn’t like southern accents.

“It wasn’t just a Vince thing, I think a lot of the upper management there, for some reason, they just think with a southern accent, you’ll only go so far,” he continued.

• Fear The Revolt ‘Coming Soon’ Teaser Released (Video)

WWE is looking to oppose several trademark applications that were filed by the former WWE stars Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson collectively known as The Revival.

The duo was already preparing for their release in recent months and they had filled for a number of trademarks as their WWE contracts were nearing its end.

Now the company has filed an opposition against terms such as “No Flips, Just Fists,” “#FTRKO” and “Say Yeah” which the Revival was looking to register for merchandising and other purposes.

WWE filed the application two days after the trademark filings became eligible for the opposition. The company has been granted the standard 90-day extension to prepare their opposition and they now have until Wednesday, August 26 to submit their application.

It’s worth mentioning here that WWE themselves filed for a number of Revival related trademark earlier to try and stop them from using the terms in the independent circuit.

The terms include their original NXT names “The Mechanics” and the phrase “No Flips Just Fists” which is the same as The Revival’s filings, just without the commas.

Now it would be interesting to see how The Revival reacts to this move from the company and who ends up winning this trademark war.

• Also Read: Backstage News On Recent Changes To The NXT Commentary Team

The Revival has decided to have some fun with their latest t-shirt design by playing off an idea that recently surfaced online. 

Last week, photos of the artwork for the new idea that WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon had for the tag team emerged. 

Last year, WWE was once again trying to get them to sign new long-term deals. However, the tag team didn’t want to do so but rather wait out their current contracts until they expired. 

At the time, McMahon had plans to turn The Revival into a comedy tag team. He came up with the idea to them portray a comedy version of The Fabulous Ones tag team.

After McMahon finally realized that they were not going to sign new deals, plans were dropped for them and they were eventually pulled from television. They would’ve had new gear and music. 

Scott Dawson has changed his name to Dax Harwood while Dash Wilder has changed his name to Cash Wheeler. Dax Harwood’s real name is David Harwood and Cash Wheeler’s real name is Daniel Wheeler.

Harwood showed off the new t-shirt that has the planned artwork for their comedy characters featured, which you can see here: 

The Revival Was Due For A Comedy Makeover Before WWE Granted Their Release

The Revival finally got released from their WWE contracts earlier this month and the duo revealed the new name for their tag team in the independent circuit just yesterday.

However, it appears that this move from the former WWE employees is not sitting well with some indie stars and the duo has heat over their new name, according to PWInsider.

The Revival introduced a new logo and revealed that they will be using The Revolt as their team name moving forward. However, this name is already being used by indie stars Caleb Konley and Zane Riley for their team.

The indie team has been using the name for more than 5 years and it’s said that some in the North Carolina independent scene are upset because the indie stars have invested in promoting and merchandising the name.

Both Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson of the Revival are from Carolinas and so this move is perceived as personal because one of their own went against the working indie talents.

Though the report also suggests that it’s possible that the former Raw Tag Team Champions were not aware that the name was being used by Konley and Riley since they have been busy in WWE in recent years.

Both the indie stars have taken the issue to twitter but the Revival has not responded to their posts yet. We’ll keep you posted on any response from the former WWE stars.

• Also Read: First Photos Of The Rooftop Set For Money In The Bank

Arn Anderson has revealed what former WWE Superstar Scott Dawson told him the night before The Revival was released by WWE. Speaking on the ARN Podcast, Anderson shared how Dawson hinted that there may be some “good news” that would come out the next morning. 

Anderson explained he got a message from Dawson that informed him that “about 9 A.M. there will be some good news shop up.”

According to the WWE Hall of Famer, that’s all Dawson said. He noted how, at approximately that time the next morning, the news broke that both Dawson and his tag team partner Dash Wilder had been released from WWE. 

Despite being given the cryptic tease, Anderson shared he was still surprised by the news. He was taken aback that WWE “would let them go scot free.” He added, however, how “that’s the way it should be.”

Arn Anderson Believes The Revival Will Be Wrestling’s “Hottest Commodity”

With both Dawson and Wilder no longer associated with WWE, Arn Anderson acknowledged how they are probably the “hottest commodity” in wrestling. He believes that every promotion will be vying for them. Anderson stressed that whoever ends up signing the pair will be better off for having them on their roster. 

He shared how the pair are the most “unselfish, giving guys” he has seen in a long time. Anderson compared their mentality to himself, Tully Blanchard, and the original Four Horsemen.

Arn Anderson extrapolated his point, highlighting how that extended to going out and stealing the show. He believes they will do whatever they can to ensure everybody in the arena exhausts themselves. It doesn’t matter whether fans were cheering or booing. As long as fans “blow themselves up,” they’ll know they’ve done their job—just like the Horsemen.

After a recent message on social media, there is now speculation that The Revival could be headed to the NWA. 

Earlier this month, WWE released the former WWE Tag Team Champions from their contracts. The Revival potentially going to AEW when their deals with WWE were up has been speculated about for over a year now. 

Now that Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder are no longer under contract with WWE, speculation among fans as to where they would be headed next has begun. 

• The Revival Was Due For A Comedy Makeover Before WWE Release

Scott Dawson has changed his name to Dax Harwood while Dash Wilder has changed his name to Cash Wheeler. Dax Harwood’s real name is David Harwood and Cash Wheeler’s real name is Daniel Wheeler.

Wheeler responded to a tweet sent out by the NWA that fans which tag team they’d like to see in the Crockett Cup. He wrote, “FTR.” 

It should be noted that the tag team has trademarked “Fear The Revolt.” Whether his response was a reference to that name or “For The Revival” remains to be seen. 

Either way, the possibility of this could happen even if it’s for a short run. On a related now, Harwood shared this photo that appears to be their new logo going forward: 

The Revival are no longer with WWE, having been granted their releases from the company on April 10th. Prior to granting Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder their releases, WWE was planed to repackage the duo as a comedy act.

Vince McMahon is said to have personally given the above photos to illustrate the new look he wanted the team to go with. The photos come courtesy of Bodyslam.net. The Revival were to receive new ring music, in addition to the bow-ties, silly hats, glow sticks, oversized necklace, etc. that this new gimmick would have included.

Cash Wheeler (formerly Dash Wilder) was asked on Twitter if these photos are legit. He respectfully ‘pleaded the fifth’ and let the images speak for themselves.

This is not the first time WWE has dogged The Revival with third rate comedy garbage. Last year, the world-class in-ring technicians were the butt of several wacky gags on WWE programming. During a feud with The Usos, they were caught shaving each other’s backs backstage in the locker room. They were also pranked with “Ucey Hot” cream, a high-point for WWE’s recent creative efforts.

Back in December, it had been reported that there were plans to turn the Revival into a full-fledged comedy team. According to a report from the Wrestling Observer, the team was set to become a spoof of the Fabulous Ones.

“The booking plan on Smackdown is to turn The Revival into comedy characters,” wrote Dave Meltzer. “There are mixed feelings on this for obvious reasons and it still may get shot down, but the deal where Wilder tripped and fell during the ring entrance was supposed to be the start of it.”

• The Revival Reportedly Set To Be A Comedy Team

What’s Next for The Revival

The Revival is already using new ring names. Dash Wilder is now Cash Wheeler and Scott Dawson is going by Dax Harwood. The same day they were released from WWE, Wheeler filed a trademark application for the phrase, “Fear The Revolt.”

Whatever you call them, Wheeler and Hardwood are free agents unbound by no-compete clauses.

• Jim Ross Discusses Possibility Of The Revival Joining AEW
• Arn Anderson Talks About The Revival Possibly Signing With AEW

Cash Wheeler, formerly known as Dash Wilder in WWE, has filed for a new trademark that may reveal The Revival’s new tag team name.

Wheeler applied for the trademark “Fear the Revolt” on April 10. With that being said, it’s reasonable to assume that The Revival will now be going by The Revolt wherever they end up next. Although, it’s a strong possibility that the pair are AEW-bound. Wheeler applied for the trademark the very same day he and Dax Harwood, formerly known as Scott Dawson, were released from WWE.

It was first reported that the former tag team champions requested for their release back in January. While Wheeler and Harwood have applied for trademarks since their departure, WWE has as well, trademarking things such as “the Mechanics,” “No Flips, Just Fists,” and more. The Revival weren’t happy during their time with WWE, but they did achieve quite a bit.

The duo were the first-ever triple-crown winning tag team champions after winning the NXT, Monday Night RAW, and SmackDown Tag Team Titles. They also co-held the WWE 24/7 Title at one point. Now that they’re done with WWE, and not under a non-compete clause with the company, Wheeler and Harwood are free to sign wherever they like. It’s no secret they have a lot of friends in AEW, making the young promotion their likely landing spot when it’s all said and done. Only time will tell.

We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.

• The Revival Granted Release From WWE

Arn Anderson answered some questions about the Revival on an episode of his podcast, the Arn Show. The episode was recorded before the Revival were officially granted their WWE release but Arn spoke about the best of the team still being ahead of them.

“I know these guys have patterned a lot of their stuff after Tully and I. Not that each piece of the physicality is the same, but the thought process is the same,” Double-A said about Scott Dawson/Dax Hardwood and Dash Wilder/Cash Wheeler.

“They’re more athletic than Tully and I will ever be, or ever were, even at our peak.”

“The best of those guys has yet to be seen, let me put it that way.” Anderson continued.

Arn also recently commented on what it would be like managing the Revival as well. Arn was asked about possibly managing a 4-person team featuring Cody, the Revival, and Hangman Page.

“You know how I feel about the Revival, they are the best team in the world right now,” Anderson said.

“I would be honored to be the manager of those 4 guys,” he continued.

Scott Dawson showed up in the replies section of AEW’s Tweet announcing Arn’s signing with AEW:

Arn’s comments can be heard in the player below:

H/T to WrestlingInc for quotes from the Arn Show

AEW announcer Jim Ross did an interview on this week’s edition of the Top Rope Nation Wrestling Podcast where he spoke about The Revival. 

Now that Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder are no longer under contract with WWE, the belief is that they will be signing with WWE. When asked whether the former WWE stars could be headed to AEW, Ross noted how it’s a big IF it happens because he doesn’t know their goals. 

“I think they would fit into our team very, very well. You know, we’re trying to be a little bit more athletic, athletically oriented, more fundamentally sound in our storytelling, and The Revival team certainly fits that bill. They are one of the best tag teams in the world, period, no matter where it is. 

So I think they would do great in our company, whether that happens or not remains to be seen. There’ll be gross speculation that it’s a done deal, all that good stuff.” 

Ross noted how he doesn’t know why Tony Khan, who handles their talent relations, wouldn’t be interested in signing The Revival. Thus, he thinks there’s a possibility they come to work for AEW. 

Ross noted that he likes the style of the team and that he would love to call their matches. He likes them because they’re a throwback team and fundamentally sound. He praised them for being old school-oriented in the process of telling a story.

Ross later added that based on what he’s read online, he isn’t sure whether they have a non-compete deal. It should be noted that it’s been reported that they do not have that clause and thus are available to sign with anyone right now. 

Ross stated that he hopes The Revival will consider AEW. He stated that they were not sports entertainment type wrestlers and that was never a great fit for them. 

The legendary pro wrestler added that The Revival is wrestling guys and they need to be in a wrestling company. Thus, for Ross’ money, that spot would be AEW. 

• The Revival Closer To Signing With AEW Than Originally Expected, New Names Confirmed

WWE made a big announcement on Friday, which was that The Revival’s Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder have been released from the company.

Now, the belief is that the former tag team champions are headed to WWE’s rival promotion, AEW. This move could happen earlier than originally expected. 

Of course, this all comes down to whether they can reach a deal with All Elite Wrestling. On Friday afternoon, WWE Backstage reporter and Pro Wrestling Sheet owner Ryan Satin noted on Twitter that The Revival is not under a non-compete clause with WWE.

Thus, they are now free to work for any promotion they want including AEW. It comes down to WWE mentioning in the announcement of the Revival’s departure that they have been granted their “immediate release” from the company. 

The Revival potentially going to AEW when their deals with WWE are up has been speculated about for over a year now. 

On a related note, the tag team formerly known as The Revival has changed their names at least on Twitter. This is an indication as to what they’ll now be going by. 

Scott Dawson has changed his name to @DaxHarwood Dash Wilder has changed his name to @CashWheeler. Dax Harwood’s real name is David Harwood and Cash Wheeler’s real name is Daniel Wheeler.

Edge Talks In-Ring Training With The Revival For Return, Bike Accident Leading To Comeback

Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder have officially been granted their release from WWE. The former tag champions have not wrestled a match since a March 1st house show in Syracuse, New York.

“Effective today, Friday April 10, 2020, WWE and The Revival have agreed on their immediate release from WWE. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors,” a WWE press release reads.

The Revival was first reported to have first requested their release in January of 2019. They were then reported as having requested their release again earlier this year.

• The Revival Request For WWE Release Again, Scott Dawson Reacts To Fan Criticism

Dash Wilder has trademarked the name “Cash Wheeler” for wrestling purposes. WWE has filed for several trademarks related to the team as well. These include “the Mechanics” “No Flips, Just Fists” and more. The Revival has filed trademarks for “Shatter Machine” “Say Yeah” and others.

• WWE Files New Application For Revival Related Trademarks

Scott Dawson & Dash Wilder, The Revival in WWE

The Revival are the first triple-crown winning tag team champions in WWE. They achieved this by winning the NXT, RAW, and Smackdown tag team titles. Dawson and Wilder also once co-held the 24/7 title.

Scott Dawson of the popular WWE tag team The Revival is teasing that he might finally be free from the company.

Dawson, along with partner Dash Wilder, has turned down multiple offers to re-sign with WWE. Quoting the country music song “Amarillo by Morning by George Strait, he cryptically wrote on Monday, “I AIN’T GOT A DIME, but what I got is mine. I ain’t rich, but Lord I’M FREE!”

The Revival Leaving WWE?

We have reported over the last few months that The Revival have been looking to leave WWE. Although, this is not something new. The tag team have reportedly been unhappy with their stature in the company for quite some time; apparently turning down huge deals in the region of $750,000 per year each to leave WWE.

The duo have also been attempting to copyright several of their trademarked names. This is likely so that they can be used outside of the WWE bubble, presumably somewhere such as AEW.

Recent Booking For The Revival

Dave Meltzer recently reported in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that the tag team were being ‘phased’ off television. Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder were originally slated to be featured in SmackDown Tag Team Title Elimination Chamber Match. This at the namesake pay-per-view event. Plans are subject to change in WWE, however the plan is believed to be to keep them in the same ‘spot’ as performers. Such Jon Moxley and Matt Hardy before they left the WWE.

We do not currently know exactly how much longer Dash Wilder has on his WWE deal; however it is believed that it is around 10 weeks beyond when Dawson was slated to leave. It is also not confirmed if Dawson took a ‘buy out’ on his WWE contract or if he simply chose to not renew. “I AIN’T GOT A DIME” seems to indicate that he may have ‘bought’ himself out of his last few months. However this is just conjecture and we cannot currently confirm.

Some interesting news has surfaced online that involves The Revival and where things stand regarding their future in the company. 

Dave Meltzer reported in the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder were originally slated to be featured in SmackDown Tag Team Title Elimination Chamber Match this Sunday at the pay-per-view event. 

However, Lucha House Party replaced them in the contest. This was done as part of taking The Revival off of television.

Plans change all the time in WWE but as of now, the plan is to keep them in the same spot as guys like Jon Moxley and Matt Hardy before they left the company. 

According to the report, the tag team is leaving the company next month when their contracts expire.

This comes after reports surfaced about Wilder and Dawson retaining the services of the same lawyer who handles trademarks for wrestlers in AEW. The belief is that The Revival will be headed to AEW when they’re free agents. 

The Miz and John Morrison, The New Day, The Usos, Heavy Machinery, Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode and Lucha House Party are slated to work the Elimination Chamber Match. 

Booker T Offers Advice To The Revival: “Take The Money”

All signs are pointing towards The Revival leaving WWE once their contracts expire and it appears that the company is also preparing for their departure.

PWInsider is reporting that the company has filed an application to trademark terms The Mechanics as names for wrestlers and No Flips Just Fists as a tag line for merchandise.

The Mechanics is the original tag team name the Revival used during their initial days in NXT, and No Flips Just Fists is the popular catchphrase that has been used by the duo.

This move comes after the former Raw Tag Team Champions applied for a number of trademarks themselves including the name Top Guys and phrases such as ‘Say Yeah’, ‘No Flips, Just Fists’ and ‘Shatter Machine.’

While not confirmed, it’s believed that the Revival is trademarking the terms in preparation for their post-WWE careers and Top Guys is the name they are planning to use.

On the other hand, WWE is likely trying to trademark the terms to try and stop them from using them in indies or any other promotions if the duo does leave the company.

Scott Dawson’s current contract is set to expire in April while WWE has added 10 weeks to Dash Wilder’s deal for the time he missed due to injury, meaning that he will become a free agent sometime in June.

Another year, another time for The Revival to convince WWE management to be released.

News broke on Friday from Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live that Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder had requested their release from the company last week. They still have time on the deals and clearly wants out of them early. 

However, as of this writing, they have yet to be granted their release. The Revival has filed to trademark their finisher, “Shatter Machine,” and “#FTRKO,” which is seen as a step towards life outside of the company. 

In January 2019, it was reported that The Revival was unhappy about their position in the company and requested their releases. Later that year, it was reported they were offered five-year, $500,000 per year deals to stay with WWE, but haven’t accepted.

Dawson commented on fans reacting to the news by writing the following on his official Twitter account: 

“If we settle, you guys say we’re lazy & complacent. If we try to be better, you guys say we’re whining & complaining. Make up your mind.”

WWE added another 10 weeks to Wilder’s contract due to the time he missed in 2016 while Dawson’s deal is up in April. 

The Revival Reportedly Set To Be A Comedy Team

Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder’s contracts with WWE are believed to be up in the spring. According to documents publicly available through the US Patents and Trademark Office, a trademark application was filed on January 8th, 2020 for the term “Shatter Machine” which is the current name of the Revival’s tag team finishing move.

The trademark applicants are listed as Daniel Wheeler and David Harwood whose wrestling names are Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson respectively.

The trademark application was filed by lawyer Michael E. Dockins. He is also the lawyer who handled Cody Rhodes’ applications for the Bash at the Beach and other WCW event names recently.

The stated purposes of the trademark are listed below:

“Entertainment in the nature of wrestling contests; Entertainment services, namely, live appearances by a professional wrestling and sports entertainment personality.”

The Revival Leaving Social Media

• The Revival: “It’s Time To Go Away For A While”

Scott Dawson recently took to Twitter to announce the Revival are taking a break from social media:

Dawson then took to Twitter to clarify what he meant in his previous Tweet:

Rusev was happy to find out Dawson considers him a friend:

• The Revival Promise To “Change Everything” In 2020

The Revival hasn’t wrestled a match on WWE programming since dropping a street fight to Heavy Machinery on December 20th, 2019 episode of Smackdown. They have been competing regularly on house shows, however.

WWE Superstars Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder of The Revival are “going away for a while” as they figure out their next career moves.

Dawson took to Twitter to share The Revival’s intentions. He wrote, “Guys, it’s time to go away for a while until we get everything figured out. See ya soon. #FTR” With the team’s contracts reportedly expiring soon, speculation is rife over where The Revival may go if they decide to leave WWE.

For a short time, Dawson and Wilder were partnered with “The Viper” Randy Orton. The three frequently used their social media accounts to tease interest in jumping to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), with several hints and references towards their plans. Despite this, Orton would end up signing a new multi-year deal with WWE.

Dawson followed up by stating that his tweet resulted in his friends and fans asking for clarification. He is taking a break from social media and he will continue acting in the best interests of his family.

The Revival Promise To “Change Everything” In 2020

The Revival’s comments come off the back of another recent tweet where they promised to “change everything” in 2020. Wilder summed up the team’s years beginning in 2017, writing how “2017 was a wash. 2018 we got our groove back. 2019 we took control back. 2020 we change everything.”

Despite this latest tease, The Revival appears to remain interested in a matchup against WWE Hall of Famers Harlem Heat. The team initially disrespected Booker T during the WWE TLC Kickoff show back in December.

Booker T has admitted he has spoken to his brother, Stevie Ray, about the matchup, with both teams appearing to be interested in a bout.

How will the Revival “change everything” in 2020? We should know within a matter of months.

Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson are ready to embrace the new year, and all that 2020 might offer them as a team. Taking to Twitter, Wilder reflected on The Revival’s success over the past few years, highlighting how 2020 is the year in which they “change everything.

“2017 was a wash. 2018 we got our groove back. 2019 we took control back. 2020 we change everything.”

Wilder and Dawson’s WWE contracts allegedly expire at some point this coming April. The team have frequently teased their interest in All Elite Wrestling. At one point, The Revival’s temporary partner, Randy Orton, also hinted at his interest in the promotion. Orton would subsequently sign a new multi-year deal with WWE. A 10-week extension was reportedly added to Wilder’s contract. This was due to time missed with the company thanks to a broken jaw he suffered in 2017.

The Revival Versus Harlem Heat

The Revival has recently continued their pursuit for a match against WWE Hall of Famers Harlem Heat.

The team disrespected Booker T during WWE’s TLC Kickoff show last year. Booker T recently addressed his interest in The Revival’s challenge, admitting that he and his brother, Stevie Ray, have spoken about the matchup. He added how he has “one more left in me” before lobbying another warning at The Revival, telling them not to “get jacked up, sucka!”

WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has laid out two goals he would like to keep in 2020. During 2019’s final episode of WWE Backstage, Booker T shared how he would love to team up with his brother, Stevie Ray, to take on The Revival. He also reiterated his interest in managing RAW tag team The Street Profits.

“You know, since I am a tag team extraordinaire, tag team specialist, fourteen Tag Team Championships throughout my reign in this business, I’m looking forward to the tag team division getting crunk in 2020,” Booker T said. He then added, “And I might even manage The Street Profits somewhere along the year.”

Renee Young then asked Booker T about his interest in facing off against The Revival. A match between the two teams was initially teased during the WWE TLC Kickoff show last year after The Revival disrespected Booker T. The Revival challenged Harlem Heat to come out of retirement and face them in a one-time matchup. Reflecting on this challenge, Booker T confessed that he and Stevie Ray have spoken about accepting the match. He noted how he has “one left in me” before warning Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson to not “get jacked up, sucka!”

Booker T On How He’d Manage The Street Profits

Booker T has previously stated his interest in managing The Street Profits. During an interview with ESPN 97.5 in Houston, he shared how he would help them evolve as a team, stating he would “Just put a little bit more street on em, that’s all. It’d be no playing, no jiving, just business.”

He explained how, sometimes, a wrestler has to be viewed as more than just an entertainer. When you can make that switch, he noted that you “[…] feel it in the soul, deep down in one’s bones. That’s what I loved about the business and that’s what I think I can bring to the Street Profits.”

H/T to Wrestlezone for the transcription.

The Revival continues to make their case for a cross-generational match at WWE’s next pay-per-view event. 

Scott Dawson of The Revival took to his official Twitter account where he pushed for a match that would see them take on WWE Hall of Famers Booker T and Stevie Ray at the Royal Rumble. 

The Revival Continues To Push

You can see his tweet here: 

The idea of such a match between the legendary tag team and the former WWE Tag Team Champions started earlier this month during the Kickoff Show for WWE’s TLC pay-per-view. 

Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder confronted Booker T after the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion said that he thought AOP is the tag team to beat now after aligning with Seth Rollins. 

The Revival thought his comments were disrespectful and a sign that he was ignoring them just like everyone else in the company. The tag team demanded Booker T hand over his two WWE Hall of Fame rings to them. 

They then stated that Booker T should call his brother to reform Harlem Heat so they can beat them. 

After this segment had aired, there was words exchanged between the two tag teams on social media. It will be interesting to see if The Revival continues to push for this contest. With the contracts of The Revival set to expire and the company deciding to book them as a comedy tag team, the match is unlikely to actually take place. 

WWE has already confirmed the Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas will host the Royal Rumble on Sunday, January 26, 2020. 

The event will mark WWE’s debut at Minute Maid Park. Minute Maid Park has a maximum capacity of over 40,000 people. 

• Backstage News On NXT’s Involvement Into Royal Rumble 2020