WWE is loading up Worlds Collide with CM Punk, Rey Mysterio and a bunch of other big names, but there’s one pretty wild catch — fans might not actually be watching the September 26 show live. The Chicago event is currently being treated internally more like a WWE live event than a traditional broadcast, even though the company has been stacking the card and putting it directly in AEW All Out’s backyard.
According to Fightful Select, WWE sources said there is a real possibility Worlds Collide won’t be broadcast live at all, although nothing is locked in and plans could still change before bell time. As of Tuesday, the expectation inside WWE was that the show would essentially operate as a “live event,” with one source believing that if it does eventually air, YouTube or Club WWE would be the most likely homes.
That makes the whole situation even stranger because WWE hasn’t exactly treated this like some throwaway house show. CM Punk has already been confirmed for Worlds Collide, while the Allstate Arena is also advertising several possible Worlds Collide matches featuring major WWE and AAA names that the company has not officially announced yet.
One of those advertised matches would put Punk, Rey Mysterio and El Grande Americano against Omos, JD McDonagh and Dominik Mysterio. WWE still hasn’t officially confirmed that six-man tag, but Punk being attached to the Chicago card is nothing new because a possible CM Punk vs. Dominik Mysterio match had already been discussed for Worlds Collide.
The timing is where things get even more interesting. Worlds Collide takes place September 26 at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont while AEW All Out runs the same day at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, and WWE’s decision to give Worlds Collide an 8 PM start time was tied directly to putting the show against AEW that night.
The bigger strategy goes beyond Punk showing up in Chicago. WWE has been positioning AAA as a much bigger piece of its wrestling business, and the plan behind running Worlds Collide opposite AEW All Out was about testing how much attention WWE and AAA could pull when both companies were thrown into the same market on the same night.
AEW isn’t exactly hurting on the other side of town either. All Out has already sold out its current NOW Arena setup, with more ticket inventory potentially still to come, meaning both companies have managed to pull serious interest in Chicago despite running against each other.
That’s what makes the possibility of Worlds Collide not airing live so bizarre. WWE put a loaded show in Chicago, stacked it with major names and scheduled it directly against AEW — only for fans outside the building to potentially be left waiting to actually see what happens.
Plans can still change before September 26, but WWE has created one hell of a situation here. They’ve got Punk, Rey and a loaded card ready to go in Chicago, and there’s now a chance the biggest fight that night might be fans trying to figure out where the hell they can actually watch it.
What do you think about WWE possibly running Worlds Collide without a live broadcast despite putting CM Punk, Rey Mysterio and other major names on the show? Let us know what you think and leave your feedback in the comments.
