AEW isn’t playing ball with WrestleMania weekend, at least when it comes to their younger talent.
According to The Wrestling Observer Newsletter, AEW has reportedly banned its younger stars from competing in independent matches during WrestleMania 41 weekend in Las Vegas. This comes as numerous promotions gear up for a weekend of stacked events, capitalizing on WWE’s biggest show of the year.
Dave Meltzer wrote, “According to one person involved with booking talent at the independent level, AEW younger talent are not allowed to do matches in Las Vegas over Mania week.”
For years, WrestleMania weekend has been a massive attraction for independent wrestling, with companies like GCW, NJPW, and countless others running shows in the same city WWE takes over. Before Tony Khan purchased Ring of Honor, ROH’s Supercard of Honor was a staple of WrestleMania week. However, there are now rumors that the event may not happen as expected this year, adding to the uncertainty around AEW’s plans.
Neither AEW nor Tony Khan have addressed the reported restrictions, leaving many fans and wrestlers wondering why AEW is keeping its younger talent on the sidelines. With no official Supercard of Honor announcement and AEW talent seemingly off the indie scene in Vegas, it raises questions about the company’s strategy heading into WrestleMania week.
Do you think AEW is making the right call by keeping their younger talent out of WrestleMania weekend? Or is this a missed opportunity for exposure? Drop your thoughts in the comments!