AEW vs WWE in Australia: A Counter Booking War?!

By Christina Boudib

In the world of professional wrestling, there’s no doubt that every promotion wants theirs to be the top of the chain. The WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) has vied to be at the top since its establishment, but has had a run for its money thanks to other, popular promotions such as TNA (Total NonStop Action), and most recently, AEW (All Elite Wrestling). But what’s with the counter booking, and will it come into play downunder when WWE are set to takeover Perth this October? It’s possible!

As of late, we’ve seen that AEW has ran events on the same day as the WWE has, with the counter booking very hard to miss. Most recently, we saw WWE bite back, when AEW’s Double Or Nothing on the 25th of May was countered by the WWE’s NXT Battleground, in attempt to draw away from them. AEW’s final attendance number was 8,179, in comparison to WWE’s 7,190; that’s close to a difference of 1000 people. Is this counter booking strategy going to come into play in October when the WWE hit our Aussie shores? Will Tony Khan book AEW in Queensland in October?

When asked his thoughts in a recent episode of Australian Indie Wrestling on Youtube, Australian professional wrestler, Don Morleone, stated that both AEW and WWE are very different. Referring to the last time both promotions were in Australia, Don described Elimination Chamber as a ’spectacle’ in itself, with a huge vibe of its own; and he’s not wrong! We all dream of seeing the amazing, spectacular Elimination Chamber in real life! However, it’s proven that a lot of Australian wrestling fans go to AEW events as well, with their most recent stunt downunder, being one of the better shows put on by an international company in Australia, EVER! The action delivered by ROH and AEW was a different excitement to the 52 minutes that Elimination Chamber brought, which wasn’t as exciting as wrestling fans had anticipated it to be.

Now, Don was quite torn on which show was better, and did state that being so fatigued by the time that he arrived to AEW could’ve impacted his frame of mind, but nevertheless, a highlight for him was that both companies showcased some of our Australian wrestlers, but more so on the ROH/AEW side, with their special ingredient of indy wrestlers added to the mix. The WWE gave us our MAMI, Rhea Ripley, as well as Grayson Waller (who did not compete on the show) and Indi Hartwell. But, on the opposite side, AEW gave us Tommy Knight, Robby Eagles, Harley Cameron, Kyle Fletcher, Mark Davis, Buddy Matthews and of course, ‘main event’ Toni Storm. Quite a bit of ‘Aussie flavour’, which we always love to see. Now, with this, a counter booking from Tony Khan at the same time as Crown Jewel isn’t looking like the worst idea in the world.

A show in Queensland might even make it easier, and less expensive, for Aussie wrestling fans to attend a show. Not everyone wants to make that expensive trip over to Perth! While there’s 3 shows to see on the WWE’s part, including a SmackDown and a RAW they’re all taking place in Perth’s RAC Arena, which only holds between 15, 000 and 17, 000 people. That’s not a great ratio for the many Australian wrestling fans around the nation, is it? It’s more than likely that tickets will be purchased for all 3 shows at the same time, restricting the amount of people who will be able to attend this 3 day takeover. This will in fact, leave quite the void for the remaining wrestling fans eager for some wrestling…which would make an AEW counter booking practically perfect! So…maybe, we encourage Tony Khan to actually book something in October?! Can we have some more notice, though? Let’s not announce it 4 to 6 weeks prior to the event…and then not know what’s on the card UNTIL THE DAY! Come on, Tony; you can do better than that for your loyal Aussie fanbase!

What’s my ACTUAL opinion, though? Honestly, looking at the statistics and reception that AEW has received here in Aus, a counter booking isn’t something that I’m going to completely rule out…or oppose to. HOWEVER, I feel that our Aussie wrestling fans will likely try their best to get a piece of the takeover in Perth, especially knowing that JOHN CENA will be competing, and for the final time in Australia (rip my heart out and stomp all over it, why don’t you!?). That’s a pretty big incentive to make a trip to Perth, granted there’s tickets available. Having 3 shows makes it difficult for everyone to get a taste of the action, especially with the ridiculous size of the RAC Arena (no offence!). I guess it’s first in, best dressed? We might not have John Cena on AEW’s list, but they will definitely draw a good crowd if they decide to book their own event in October. Crown Jewel, on October the 11th, would be the one to steal attention from. It seems like Tony Khan is actually a fan of this counter booking tactic, and it’s working for AEW, so…keep your eyes out, wrestling fans! We might just get an AEW announcement soon…or 4 to 6 weeks before the event is set to take place! In the meantime, don’t forget to support your state’s local wrestling promotions!