Does AEW Have A “Wrestlemania” Level PPV?
Emily Bell AEW’s PPV calendar currently boasts four events — Revolution, Double or Nothing, All Out, and Full Gear. This has been AEW’s formula for three years, and it works like a charm. It is vastly different from WWE’s PPV line-up, which features around one PPV event per month, including their ‘Big Four’, and most notably their biggest yearly attraction, ‘Wrestlemania’.
AEW’s Current PPVs All Have A High Quality
In many ways, AEW’s current format is perfect. Whilst it could be argued that they have room for a few more PPVs, it could damage what they currently have. The four events are spread out evenly and are all on an equal playing field. Some shows have certainly been superior to others at times, but this has varied from year to year. There hasn’t been one particular PPV that has stood head and shoulders above the rest in terms of both card quality and match quality.
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It seems to be a regular occurrence around PPV time to hear the words ‘this is AEW’s best card to date’, and that is due to the consistent quality spread through every single show. It could be argued that because of this, AEW couldn’t possibly pitch a match card that could carry the weight of being a Wrestlemania equivalent, because the quality is so high already. When looking at WWE, the difference between a Wrestlemania card and a B-level show card is very clear to see.
What Are The Benefits Of A Wrestlemania Sized Event?
There would be several positives to establishing an event to match the level of Wrestlemania, one of them being the potential for a money-making mechanism and the drawing power of an event of that size. Generating the same buzz that Wrestlemania creates would be a benefit to any wrestling company, and AEW certainly has the star power and the audience to establish something within the same threshold as the Showcase of the Immortals.
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Taking over a city or town for a week, like Wrestlemania, bringing in a wave of wrestling related events, publicity, and buzz, would be huge for AEW and could be something to push them up to the next level. Something like Wrestlemania could even act as a draw to top talents from around the world, seeing AEW as a viable alternative with them being an ever-growing brand.
What Are The Negatives Of AEW Creating Their Own Wrestlemania?
There would be some detractions when it comes to mimicking Wrestlemania, especially for AEW. It would potentially be difficult to market, given how they can’t outright say ‘this is our very own version of Wrestlemania’, so coming out the gate and saying a brand-new show will be their biggest and best is very much out of the WWE book, rather than the AEW style of doing things.
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With a company as young as AEW, putting all their eggs in one basket and pushing forward with a major show could be a huge risk. Failing at selling out a big stadium show could be detrimental to their progression as a company and could be seen as a huge dud. With AEW’s PPVs being all about buyrates, they would need to do something extra to push a major show. That could mean stalling on giving big matches at their other PPVs in order to stack a Wrestlemania-like event, meaning that their other shows would suffer. AEW also don’t have the part-time headliners like Brock Lesnar or Goldberg to push their shows to gain more mainstream interest.
AEW Should Continue With Their Current Formula
Currently, every AEW PPV has a big-time feel, with cards to match many Wrestlemania line-ups, with the quality of shows being of a very high standard, with some even being considered to be up there with the best wrestling shows in history. Proceeding with the current yearly schedule would be the best move, especially if they wanted to run a stadium show. Each of the four shows have created an identity and could all conceivably sell out a larger arena or even a stadium. They could even have all those events being inside a big venue, with four Wrestlemania shows per year, and that would set them apart even more from WWE, helping to create their own image and legacy.
Of course, they may not sell out, but trialling this with one of their established events is a safer move, rather than creating a brand new one. Sticking with what they have now will continue their growth, with the company gaining more and more prominence each passing moment. With big names on their roster, and younger performers on the brink of breaking out into top tier talent, they have all the tools to put major events forward for years, without having to have one, singular big show per year. It could certainly be argued that all their current PPVs are Wrestlemania-level PPVs, or at least they will be as time moves on. In terms of where AEW needs to improve, their PPVs are most definitely not an issue.