Reason Why AEW Will Tape February 12 Dynamite in Advance

AEW is set to make its Australian debut with AEW Grand Slam: Australia this week, and talent will need to travel to the Land Down Under to be present for the event. That’s exactly why it’s no surprise that AEW will be taping the upcoming episode of Dynamite in advance to accommodate the travel schedules.

According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the February 12th edition of AEW Dynamite will be taped on Tuesday, February 11, in Austin, Texas. However, it will still air in its usual Wednesday night time slot. The decision to tape the show early is to allow AEW talent and crew to travel to Australia immediately after the event.

So far, two matches have been announced for the show. Bobby Lashley & Shelton Benjamin will defend the AEW Tag Team Titles against The Gunn Brothers, while MJF is set to take on Dustin Rhodes in Rhodes’ hometown.

Originally scheduled for 8 p.m. ET, AEW Grand Slam: Australia would have clashed with NBA All-Star Saturday, one of TNT’s biggest nights of the year. To avoid the conflict, AEW confirmed that the event will air at 10:30 PM Eastern on TNT, following NBA All-Star Weekend coverage.

AEW Grand Slam: Australia will be taking place on February 15th at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre and there is certainly tons of interest in the show, even though quite a few fans feel they got scammed after they didn’t get any refunds following the change in venue. Regardless, we’ll have to see if the show will turn out to be memorable despite all the backlash.

Are you excited for AEW’s Australian debut? How do you feel about the schedule changes and the fan backlash? Share your thoughts in the comments below!