FTR and the Motor City Machine Guns have agreed to a Best-of-Five Series to determine who stands atop AEW’s tag team division, with the opening match set for AEW WrestleDream. The series was set in motion during the October 14, 2026 episode of AEW Dynamite/Collision, when Tony Schiavone brought FTR out to address the Motor City Machine Guns.
The segment, as reported by Ringside News, resulted in both teams committing to the five-match series rather than a single bout, framing the feud as an extended test of who truly belongs at the top of AEW’s tag division. Best-of-Five formats place a premium on pacing and attrition, since a team must win three of the five matches to claim bragging rights, and the structure allows both FTR and the Motor City Machine Guns to showcase different styles and strategies across multiple nights.
FTR, made up of Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler, have built a reputation in AEW as one of the company’s most decorated and respected tag teams, consistently positioned in programs with championship stakes and historical significance attached. The Motor City Machine Guns, consisting of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, bring their own lengthy tag team pedigree into the series, giving the matchup a built-in sense of legacy on both sides. The specifics of how the series will be scored, whether additional stipulations apply to later matches, and what is at stake beyond pride have not been detailed in the available reporting.
By anchoring the first match of the series to WrestleDream, AEW has attached early stakes to one of its marquee events, ensuring the opening chapter of the rivalry plays out in front of a significant audience. The outcome of that first match is expected to set the tone for the remaining contests, though no further match dates beyond the WrestleDream opener have been confirmed. Fans watching the series unfold will be looking for how AEW paces the remaining four matches and whether the promotion ties any title or division implications to the result once the series concludes.
