The AEW National Championship was officially unveiled at AEW Full Gear 2025 with the inaugural champion being decided in a Casino Gauntlet. After a match that was full of twists and turns, it was Ricochet who left Newark, New Jersey as the first-ever AEW National Champion.
Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin of The Hurt Syndicate kicked things off and despite being tag team partners, they had a short sparring session as they jockeyed for the advantage. Ricochet entered at number three with a microphone in hand, stating that people wanted Lashley and Benjamin to actually fight each other, but this was simply a distraction as Toa Liona and Bishop Kaun assaulted The Hurt Syndicate from behind. After laying out Lashley, Benjamin, and MVP, referees rushed to the ringside area to get the Gates of Agony out of the match.
Entering at number four was Claudio Castagnoli, who beat Ricochet from pillar to post and tried to end the match early. However, Ricochet used his athleticism to create some distance, right as Daniel Garcia entered the match at number five. The Death Riders teamed up for a brief period, but that was quickly stopped as Orange Cassidy drew number six, who slapped Ricochet on the head as he was Suplexed off the top by Garcia. Castagnoli used his strength to get the better of Cassidy, but "Freshly Squeezed" almost got the win with a quick roll-up. The Death Riders got an even bigger boost when Wheeler Yuta came in at number seven, with the group ganging up on Cassidy.
Kevin Knight was next to enter the bout, who got the better of Yuta and Garcia before taking Castagnoli out of the equation. Roderick Strong entered at nine and quickly went for the Death Riders before hitting a Backbreaker on Knight and Ricochet. Entering at ten was "Dunkzilla"Mark Davis representing The Don Callis Family, who destroyed virtually the entire field before "Speedball" Mike Bailey entered the match at eleven. JetSpeed both went to pin Davis but realized it was every man for himself, leading to both men locking horns for a brief period. Garcia then locked in the Dragon Slayer right as "Daddy Magic"Matt Menard drew number twelve and immediately confronted Garcia and took the fight into the crowd.
The Hurt Syndicate got themselves back in the match taking out everyone, making sure to give Ricochet some extra punishment. Yuta thought he had the match won by hitting a Busaiku Knee on Cassidy, but Knight broke things up and hit a UFO Splash on Yuta. However, Ricochet quickly ran in and hit a Spirit Gun on Knight to get the win and become the first-ever AEW National Champion.
