With a pay-per-view absent next year, there’s every possibility that an AEW cross-promotional event could counter WWE WrestleMania 43.
WWE WrestleMania 43 takes place in April 2027, with the event date yet to be confirmed and a belief that this is to keep AEW on their toes when it comes to locking down their own plans.
Tony Khan previously stated that “spring 2027 is gonna be a great time for AEW“, there’s every possibility that the absent pay-per-view could return in a new form:
Wrestle Dynasty
January 5, 2025 saw a co-production between NJPW, Stardom, AEW, Ring of Honor and CMLL at the Tokyo Dome in Japan.
Tony Khan indicated that Wrestle Dynasty is unlikely to take place next year during the Full Gear media call, with Wrestle Kingdom 21 featuring a number of prominent AEW talent on its January 4 card.
With this in mind, Khan stated he was “thrilled” to support Wrestle Kingdom, with AEW stars contributing to “help make a strong show”.
The opportunity is clear
Khan didn’t explicitly state that Wrestle Dynasty was off the cards, suggesting that Wrestle Kingdom 21 was seeming the focus for AEW talent come January next year.
With WrestleMania 43 taking place mere months later, the possibility of putting together a cross-promotional supershow to counterprogram the juggernaut WWE event is one that Khan has clearly been considering, and Wrestle Dynasty could fit that bill.
Two nights of cross-promotional entertainment
Wrestle Dynasty wasn’t advertised as an AEW event, in a similar way to how Forbidden Door was a co-production between the Tony Khan-led company and NJPW, with Stardom and CMLL officially joining the banner this year.
Spreading the production across multiple promotions has its benefits when it comes to delivering a show that has the most bang for its buck, and it’s something that Khan has enjoyed over the years through these international partnerships.
With WWE WrestleMania being a two-night PLE, AEW is yet to follow that format, though Wrestle Dynasty could offer that opportunity, presenting a weekend of international professional wrestling action to fans in a single location.
More companies to add to the pay-per-view
AEW’s partnerships stretch beyond the aforementioned promotions, with the MyAEW streaming platform hosting a wealth of independent companies from around the world.
The potential for AEW to counter WrestleMania 43 by bringing in stars from Maple Leaf Pro Wrestling in Canada, Revolution Pro Wrestling and Pro-Wrestling Eve from England, Westside Xtreme Wrestling in Germany or any other independent promotion featured on the platform is an opportunity that could be too good to miss.
Will the fans turn up?
WrestleMania week is such a draw that it brings a number of independent wrestling shows and events to the host city, with many of those seeing the type of attendance they perhaps wouldn’t otherwise enjoy.
If AEW were to run a two-night event, it is highly likely that their own fans, domestic and international, would attend just to be part of the action, while many WWE fans will look at what’s going on and figure that staying stateside is a better option than travelling to Saudi Arabia, particularly with the current situation in that region.
Will it be Wrestle Dynasty?
For AEW and NJPW fans, Wrestle Dynasty is likely a recognizable name, but it may not have the value of Forbidden Door, and then there’s AEW Dynasty, which takes place in Liverpool, England on February 7 next year.
A cross-promotional event, however, is too good an opportunity to miss when it comes to delivering a fan-pleasing alternative to WrestleMania 43. It’s that aspect that AEW would do well to exploit when it comes to whatever they do to counterprogram WWE.
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