Tony Khan confirms major AEW rumor ahead of All In 2024
AEW All In 2024 is nearly here, and Tony Khan's promotion is riding high after a raucous Dynamite in Cardiff, Wales. The All Elite Wrestling President held a media call today regarding the state of the company ahead of its biggest event of the year, and he dropped some surprising news about a potential show in Australia.
AEW has found success with international shows in Canada and the United Kingdom. The young promotion's second-annual All In event at Wembley Stadium has already sold more than 50,000 tickets.
Tony Khan recently announced that next year's edition of the PPV will be held in Arlington, TX, but that the company would be sure to return to the UK in 2025 for another event. Meanwhile, reports have indicated that AEW was looking into a potential stadium show in Australia next year.
During today's All In media call, Tony Khan confirmed that he was indeed interested in producing a big event in the Land Down Under in 2025. The All Elite Wrestling chief noted that he was currently scouting different venues for a potential show in Australia.
Possible venues mentioned in The Sporting News Australia's initial report are Sydney's Allianz Stadium, Melbourne's Marvel Stadium, and Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. The report noted that AEW has partnered with TEG to produce the event.
Eric Bischoff is skeptical about Tony Khan running a stadium show in Australia
WWE recently had a successful premium live event in Australia, running this year's Elimination Chamber at Optus Stadium in Perth. Although AEW President Tony Khan is looking at venues on the other side of the country, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff thinks it will be a tough sell.
Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, the former WCW Executive Vice President noted that wrestling companies hadn't had a track record of success in the Land Down Under, despite WWE's Elimination Chamber selling more than 50,000 tickets in February, earlier this year.
"I’m not saying it can’t happen, but if you look at the success of Australian promotions, setting WWE aside over the last 20 years, and their dismal failures, it’s just, first of all, you have the cost. The expense is astronomical. This is not like running venues here in the States. I would say the costs are essentially going to be not three times as high, but damn close. Somewhere between two, two, and a half, and three times as high," he stated.
Tony Khan is building up 2025 as a potential banner year for AEW, with international expansion and the promotion's first-ever US stadium show on the menu. Whether the company can continue building momentum throughout the rest of 2024 remains to be seen.