Why AEW Had to Scrap Lakers-Themed Graphics for Prior Full Gear Event

Update: Ringside News has now published an exclusive report debunking the idea that the Crypto.com Arena ever had an exclusive agreement with WWE.

AEW Revolution 2025 is set to go down on March 9, 2025, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. The company planned out for this pay-per-view, and that also included making sure they had the right graphic for the show.

Sean Ross Sapp reported on Fightful Select that AEW Full Gear 2023’s graphics took some time to be finalized, which wasn’t the plan at first. Initially, the graphics for Full Gear featured yellow and gold colors, and those graphics were actually used for the company’s first promotional blitz.

That design decision was a callback to the Los Angeles Lakers’ past at the venue. However, by October, the design changed. This shift happened because the ownership of the LA Forum, now owned by the LA Clippers, requested a change. The Clippers wanted the graphics to avoid referencing their rivals, which happened to be the LA Lakers.

As a result, AEW reportedly went back to the traditional Full Gear design that had been used in previous years. Things are a bit different for AEW Revolution 2025. AEW adopted the Lakers’ colors, as the event would take place at the Crypto.com Arena, formerly known as the Staples Center, where the Lakers play.

Tony Khan is a Lakers fan, and he reportedly originally picked the purple and gold color scheme for Full Gear in homage to the team. The Crypto.com Arena had previously been exclusive to WWE events, but AEW was able to book it for Revolution after WWE moved to the Intuit Dome for their Raw on Netflix premiere.

We will have to see what kind of graphics AEW and WWE are able to come up with in the future. Obviously, a lot of planning goes into making the right branding, and you never know what kind of obstacles might cause a change.

What’s your take on AEW having to change up their graphics due to a location shift? Let us know in the comments.