AEW’s first-ever event in Australia was supposed to be a monumental moment for the company, but instead, Grand Slam: Australia on February 15 at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre turned into an absolute disaster. From botched seating arrangements to a tiny, borrowed wrestling ring, fans were left frustrated—and now, many are questioning whether AEW even picked the right city for the event.
Before the show, Tony Khan appeared on Wrestle Radio Australia and addressed one of the biggest questions surrounding the event: why AEW chose Brisbane over a major city like Sydney. According to Khan, the decision wasn’t AEW’s—it was Brisbane that made the first move.
“Brisbane wanted us. Brisbane came to us and said, ‘We really want you. We want you to do a show here. We think AEW would be a tremendous attraction in Brisbane,'” Khan explained.
While that may have sounded like a solid reason at the time, the event itself proved to be anything but smooth. Fans who shelled out thousands for premium seating were outraged when they arrived at the venue only to find their seats nowhere near where they expected. Some were placed in completely different sections than what they had paid for, and instead of a refund or any kind of price adjustment, they were told to just deal with it. Social media was flooded with complaints, with some fans saying they felt outright scammed by the experience.
Then there was the ring. AEW, rather than shipping in their standard ring, opted to borrow one from a local independent wrestling promotion. The result? A noticeably smaller ring that looked ridiculous in the middle of the massive venue. Fans watching on TV immediately noticed, with one viewer sarcastically asking, “Was this ring built for ants?” The presentation felt cheap, and for a company that prides itself on production value, it was a massive step down.
Khan tried to spin the event as a major success, claiming that Grand Slam: Australia had one of the biggest gates in AEW history. But with all the issues surrounding the event, that statement rang hollow for many fans who felt let down by the company’s execution.
Brisbane may have been eager to bring AEW in, but was it the right city for such a big international event? Sydney, Melbourne, or even Perth could have offered bigger venues and possibly a better overall experience. Instead, AEW’s Australian debut will be remembered more for what went wrong than anything that happened in the ring.
Should AEW have chosen Sydney instead? Was Grand Slam: Australia a massive mistake? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.