WWE’s decision to run Worlds Collide during AEW’s All Out weekend may not have been a one-off. While fans continue debating whether the scheduling was intentional or simply smart business, a new backstage update suggests this could become a much more familiar sight going forward.
According to Bryan Alvarez of the Wrestling Observer, WWE is expected to continue running events opposite AEW pay-per-views. Exactly what those events look like—and where they’ll air—could still change, but the idea itself reportedly isn’t going away after this weekend.
“Tonight’s WWE house show versus the PPV (although it will air Wednesday versus Dynamite) is not the last time this will happen, although when, where and broadcast ideas may vary depending on how this week goes.”
If that sounds like WWE is waiting to see how this experiment plays out, that’s because it apparently is. Worlds Collide drew more than 13,000 distributed tickets in Chicago, while WWE also announced that instead of airing live, the show will premiere on YouTube the following Wednesday night—putting the broadcast head-to-head with AEW Dynamite.
The update also comes just days after Self Made Pro reported that WWE talent weren’t making much of the scheduling conflict internally. According to the wrestlers he spoke with, the feeling backstage was simply that this is how the wrestling business works now, rather than some major promotional battle.
Right now, Worlds Collide is still the only confirmed example. But if this information is accurate, fans probably shouldn’t expect it to be the last. WWE may be tweaking the formula as it goes, but the idea of running events around AEW pay-per-view weekends doesn’t appear to be leaving the playbook anytime soon.
Do you think WWE should keep counter-programming AEW pay-per-views, or would you rather see both companies avoid going head-to-head? Let us know in the comments below.
