Right now, the pro wrestling world is a-buzz with the current interpromotional storyline involving current 4x Champion Austin Aries. At present, Aries holds the Impact World Heavyweight Championship, IPW: UK World Heavyweight Championship and Defiant World Championship (formerly WCPW) from the UK, and Australia’s World Series Wrestling (WSW) Championship. Last night at Ring of Honor‘s 16th Anniversary PPV, Aries returned to ROH for the first time since a brief stint in 2015 and before that, 2010, where he was a 2x ROH World Champion and a ROH World Tag Team Champion with Generation Next partner Roderick Strong. Aries challenged ROH TV Champion Kenny King for the only title he never won in ROH, the Television belt.
The thought of Austin Aries – who is a free agent working on a per appearance deal with Impact Wrestling – working his way around multiple promotions, showing off his wares, is the stuff of the territory days. And it’s a great facet to expose multiple promotions from around the world to new eyes – I’d wager that IPW:UK, Defiant and WSW got more attention from North America in the past few months than it the past decade. But surely there’s more to get out of this storyline than just having four belts and working in five different promotions. He can’t be called “The Belt Collector” and then stop at four – that’s more like a casual Belt Enthusiast. So if we had any control (which we don’t) over the booking of Austin Aries for the next year, this is how we’d make it all go down.
PRO WRESTLING NOAH, Yokohama, Japan, March 11, 2018
Pro Wrestling NOAH‘s biggest event of the year is Grand Voyage, that runs in Yokohama, Japan on March 11th. Aries defeats Kenou for the GHC Heavyweight Championship.
NJPW STRONG STYLE EVOLVE, Long Beach, California, March 25, 2018
At NJPW’s biggest US card ever, Aries defeats “Switchblade” Jay White for the IWGP US Heavyweight Championship.
ROH SUPERCARD XVI, New Orleans, Louisiana, April 7, 2018
Over WrestleMania weekend, Austin Aries finally beats Kenny King to become the ROH Television Champion.
AAA TRIPLEMANIA XXVII, Mexico City, Mexico, August 25, 2018
Austin Aries arrives in Mexico and defeats AAA’s Impact export El Hijo del Fantasma to become the new AAA Latin America Champion.
PWG BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES, Reseda, California, late August 2018
On the final night of this year’s BOLA, Austin Aries defeats Chuck Taylor to become the new PWG World Heavyweight Champion. BOLA, which is regularly booked Labour Day weekend, has already confirmed they will be moving the date to avoid conflict with the All In.
ALL IN, Chicago, Illinois, September 1, 2018
Speaking of All In, this is where it would culminate. In Chicago, Illinois, on the biggest indie Super Show in history, Austin Aries defeats NWA World Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis, in a match where Aries put up all 10 of his belts against Nick’s one. Aries walks out as holding 11 different titles, giving him the new record, beating Ultimo Dragon‘s ten held in the mid-90s. With the final chapter told, Aries would then begin to lose the titles at next events, such as Wrestle Kingdom 13, ROH Final Battle, etc. Austin Aries goes down in history as literally, The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived.
