Pro Wrestling Update: AEW Announces Collision Event at FedEx Forum, Navigating WWE Arena Contracts

All Elite Wrestling (AEW) dropped a bombshell announcement on Thursday, revealing plans to hold a Collision event at the FedEx Forum in Memphis, TN. Slated for Saturday, October 21, this marks AEW’s debut performance in this particular venue – a location familiar to WWE, which has held several shows there in the past.

Eager wrestling fans have only a short window to secure their seats, as tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Eastern Time this coming Monday. By adding this event to their calendar, AEW completes its October schedule, filling the month with a flurry of anticipated wrestling spectacles.

However, the late announcement, just a little over a month before the show, has led to some scratching their heads. This unpunctuality isn’t AEW’s signature style, but the reason behind this delay lies not with AEW but with the nuances of complex venue contracts.

In the latest edition of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, writer Dave Meltzer shed some light on the backstage dynamics of wrestling events. AEW’s late announcement, he suggests, resulted from the specific terms of WWE’s contract with arenas. This contract, double-locked and watertight, prevents the venues from announcing or advertising dates for other wrestling companies within a specified window before and after a WWE event.

This defensive measure ensures that tickets for both events aren’t on sale simultaneously, and the venue’s attention isn’t split between two wrestling giants.

The last WWE event to be staged at the FedEx Forum was a Raw show on August 28th. Meltzer speculated that the restrictive period is likely 15 days post a WWE event, during which another wrestling promotion could even think of unveiling its own show.

In related news, Jim Ross, AEW commentator, addressed headlines surrounding CM Punk and rumors that JR had left an AEW All In Show early.

As AEW navigates the locked gates and winding alleyways of these venue contracts, it promises an exciting and collision-filled event at the FedEx Forum come October. Stay tuned for more pro-wrestling updates.