A major angle took place following a title match at “AEW Dynasty 2025.”

AEW’s second pay-per-view event of the year featured an AEW World Trios Championship match. Claudio Castagnoli, Pac, and Wheeler Yuta of Death Riders defended their gold against Cope, Dax Harwood, and Cash Wheeler of Rated FTR. Death Riders managed to pull off yet another win over Cope and FTR.

After the match, Harwood and Wheeler attacked Cope, who had been their best friend for several years. Cope and Wheeler offered Harwood a hand and hugged him, but Harwood spiked Cope with a piledriver.

Harwood then grabbed two chairs. He placed Cope’s head onto one of the chairs and gave the other to Wheeler, who shoved him to the ground. It was all a ruse, as Wheeler helped drive Cope’s head onto a chair. Wheeler then finished the job with three conchairtos.

The ending of the match occurred when Cope went for a spear on Yuta, who leaped over him. Cope stopped himself from hitting Harwood, but Yuta shoved him into the FTR member. Yuta then pinned Harwood after landing the Busaiku Knee.

Trouble had been brewing within Rated FTR in the weeks leading up to “AEW Dynasty.” When Cope lost the AEW World Championship rematch against Jon Moxley on “AEW Dynamite,” Harwood walked out on Cope. Before the AEW World Trios Championship match was booked, Harwood suggested that he and Wheeler go after the AEW World Tag Team Championship instead.

Harwood even shoved referee Paul Turner following a loss to Wheeler Yuta on “AEW Collision.” Harwood snapped on Turner, and accidentally shoved his FTR partner to the mat. While it appeared FTR might have been heading for a split, the two remain aligned following their attack on Cope.