WWE and AAA aren’t just happening to run Worlds Collide on the same day as AEW All Out. The 8 PM start time was picked so the two shows would be fighting for the same wrestling audience at the same time.
According to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, WWE’s Premium Live Event start times have bounced around quite a bit lately, but there is a specific reason Worlds Collide is starting at 8 PM on September 26. The location and date were taken into account, with WWE intending to put the show directly against All Out.
“We’re told the 8 PM start time for Worlds Collide in Rosemont, Illinois, is a reflection of the city and date chosen, with the intention of directly competing with AEW All Out, which is on the same day in Hoffman Estates, Illinois.”
That turns September 26 into a very deliberate fight for Chicago wrestling fans. Worlds Collide will be in Rosemont while All Out takes place in Hoffman Estates, and WWE isn’t giving fans the option of simply watching one live and waiting for the other to begin.
The timing stands out even more when looking at WWE’s remaining schedule. There isn’t a standard start time being used across the board, with the company currently planning everything from afternoon and early-evening shows to a 6 AM start for Wrestlepalooza in Australia.
“As for the remaining 2026 PLEs, we’ve learned that the current start times are listed as follows: Money in the Bank on October 10th (6 PM), Crown Jewel on November 7th (1 PM), Survivor Series: WarGames on November 28th (6 PM), Wrestlepalooza in Australia on December 13th (6 AM).”
There could even be wrestling at both ends of December 13. WrestleVotes noted that Wrestlepalooza’s Australian start time leaves the possibility of fans getting wrestling in the morning and another show later that night.
The Worlds Collide decision also lines up with what Self Made Pro previously said about WWE’s larger plans for AAA. According to him, WWE wants to build AAA into a television property, but part of that strategy is showing that the promotion can take business away from AEW when they are placed against each other.
AEW hasn’t exactly folded under the pressure so far. All Out had already distributed over 8,400 tickets with almost three weeks remaining and only about another 1,000 available, despite WWE and AAA running Worlds Collide in the same market with CM Punk on the card.
WWE could have given Worlds Collide another start time and left fans room to watch both shows live. Instead, the latest report says 8 PM was chosen specifically to put Worlds Collide in All Out’s path, making September 26 a genuine head-to-head fight rather than two wrestling shows simply sharing a date.
Which show gets your attention on September 26, Worlds Collide or AEW All Out? Let us know in the comments.
