On Friday 1st December, AEW All In tickets go on sale. Several days after, CM Punk returns to the promotion he calls “home.”
On Sunday, 27 August 2023, I experienced nirvana. As part of this community, a union of voices, we chanted, swore, and sang until our throats hurt. It brought catharsis. It felt spiritual. It was the best day of my pro wrestling fandom.
Myself and my partner, along with “81,033” other pilgrims, and I experienced something special: history. So, when Tony Khan post-show came out to say AEW was going to do it all again next year, I jumped out of my seat again, for perhaps the fiftieth time that evening. My only thought: shut up and take my money!
On the couch, we buzzed excitedly, analyzing the night’s events. Then, a fan on the coach broke the news in front of us. There were expletives, including one that had been chanted during the opening bout at the man who soured my memories of the event: CM Punk.
🚨 #AEWAllIn London Tix
1️⃣VIP Presale 11/27: 9a-11a GMT w/ emailed codes
2️⃣Early Access/Pre-Reg Presale: 11/27 11a GMT to 11/29 8a GMT w/ emailed codes
3️⃣Partner Presale: 11/30 9a GMT to 12/1 8a GMT
4️⃣12/1 Public On Sale @ 9a GMThttps://t.co/DR63oMPPyf + https://t.co/1x9IfanR4n pic.twitter.com/qPX25sS67f— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) November 27, 2023
All In Did the Impossible. Yet is This Remembered?
All In at Wembley Stadium was a turning point for AEW. The second-ever All In marked a peak in business for AEW. It also fully exposed cracks in management, backstage tensions and creative. The tides of conversation about AEW have turned, at least in some online bubbles.
For the third time in AEW’s history, CM Punk’s actions overshadowed the product and, more severely, stole the focus away from other performers. “Brawl Out’ tainted All Out. CM Punk’s online comment killed the praise for Kenny Omega and El Hijo del Vikingo’s March 24th AEW Dynamite main event. Finally, there was All In.
Moments that could have been celebratory, historic moments made with blood, sweat, and tears of wrestlers, production staff, and an entire company, have been lost to the controversy of one man.
Yet, ultimately, AEW management also has an equal share of the blame. There were chances to resolve the issue at Brawl Out. Instead, things were allowed to repeat to the detriment of the in-ring product. It gave some tribalistic fans another stick to beat AEW with. For other fans, it created a sense of distrust. It allowed more room for a great achievement to be debuted.
Attendance Debut
During All In, they announced 81,055 people were in attendance. This makes it the 3rd most attended wrestling event ever and the all-time wrestling paid attendance record. 85,000 tickets were distributed. Yet, local government data logged only 72,265 at the turnstiles.
I say “only” because lots of AEW detractors have taken this tone to imply the arena was somehow empty or a minor success. As if AEW isn’t allowed, like WWE, to fudge numbers for hype. But post-All In, there has been a clear change in the online wrestling community’s mood towards AEW. A lot of this is not just due to CM Punk or All In, but the influx direction of the company.
Another Big Announcement
Wednesday, 1st November, Dynamite and Tony Khan have another “important announcement.” Memes of Tony Khan’s announcements made the rounds on forums and on X prior. The general reaction to AEW All In tickets going on sale on 1st December (my birthday) just in time for Christmas, was… “Is that it?”
The announcement is big, but in the wider landscape, AEW fans have become desensitized to big announcements and hype and even the big accomplishments of the company because of product fatigue and/or creative dissatisfaction. Some fans missed the point of this announcement, which was also strategic and aimed at English and European fans. This was a marketing ploy because WWE is bringing two big PLEs to Europe.
Backlash and Bash in Berlin
On Saturday, 31st August, the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin, Germany, will host Bash in Berlin. This happens one week after All In on Sunday 25th August. Six days separate two huge events.
Of course, WWE is no stranger to counterprogramming to go toe to toe with their competitors in the name of business. It’s how WWE became the market leader. The Wednesday Night War between AEW and NXT is rooted in modern wrestling tribalism. This Berlin PLE can potentially hurt AEW’s success in England and Europe. But before this, on 4th May, France will host Backlash at the LDLC Arena in Lyon-Décines.
Presale tickets for the Bash in Berlin have gone on sale already, with general ticket sales beginning 30th November. All In tickets come out a day after.
Wembley is More Important Than Marketing
AEW is fighting back in terms of marketing. On TV, their weekly shows in the UK feature reminders that the All In tickets will be on sale soon. Wrestlers like Bryan Danielson, potentially in his final year, have made it clear he will be at All In. At Full Gear, Wembley’s importance to AEW was shown when latest big signee was unveiled: Will Ospreay. Months before his New Japan Pro Wrestling deal is up.
During his promo, Osprey made clear Wembley, All In, will be significant in his future. Wembley is one reason Osprey picked AEW over WWE. The Aerial Assassin had the attendance number, accurate or not, tattooed onto his arm. Ospreay is a big selling point for UK fans, who, like myself, want to see the Brit compete on the biggest stage possible.
Yet wrestler’s excitement for All In next year it isn’t just hollow marketing. AEW wrestlers’ X accounts reveal genuine excitement. They haven’t lost their buzz for the event, and for UK fans who didn’t get to see PAC and Jamie Hayter compete on home soil, it will be a strong draw in this iconic venue.
AEW Overcomes Challenges
The entire company was built on proving doubters and naysayers wrong. Proving that there can be an alternative in pro wrestling. AEW is also the company that acts as a steward to all of wrestling’s history.
As the challenger brand Pepsi to WWE’s Coke, AEW has set itself a difficult target given a dip in domestic business. Especially given the seating plans for the event reveal, AEW is being ambitious in making even more seats available. In the first 72 hours, this year’s All In London sold just over 60,000 tickets. Have they set themselves up to fail? Only time will tell.
Stealing Headlines Again
Hell has frozen over. CM Punk returned to WWE at Survivor Series. It’s quite the coincidence, or maybe not, that he returned to WWE as AEW was moving pas the less-than-favorable circumstances surrounding his exit from the promotion. Yet according to Forbes, AEW has already sold 35,000 tickets through pre-sales, breaking the company’s one-day pre-sale record. Given 60,000 have registered for presale tickets, this hardly spells the death nail of AEW, as some fans predict.
What I do know is that as a fan who attended the first London All In, I remember the euphoria before news about the CM Punk situation. Tickets go on sale Friday 1st December- my birthday- and personally, I’ve already decided I’m All In.
More From LWO Pro Wrestling
Header photo – AEW – How do you feel about the AEW Full Gear results? Sound off in the comments. Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS. AEW Rampage airs on TNT at 10 PM EST every Friday night. AEW Collision airs Saturday at 8pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content available on their YouTube.
