AEW recently held a Ticket Party in Las Vegas where they announced some huge signings like Kenny Omega, Nyla Rose, Sonny Kiss, and Kylie Rae, and their reported list of events for 2019 should get wrestling fans just as excited.
Most wrestling fans are cautiously optimistic for what AEW will bring to the sport in 2019, especially since they seem to be genuinely committed to showcase a diverse group of performers.
In addition to signing Britt Baker, Sonny Kiss, Kylie Rae, Nyla Rose, and Penelope Ford, the promotion has working agreements with AAA and TJPW, with the likes of the Lucha Bros and Aja Kong set to wrestle at the promotion’s first show on May 25 (Double or Nothing in Las Vegas).
Of course, AEW will have other events planned for 2019, and while those haven’t been officially announced, WrestleTalk.com’s Andy Datson (I had to be careful to not conflate his name with the NFL quarterback) has an exclusive on the promotion’s planned events.
Here’s a quick snippet of what’s to come for wrestling fans this year:
"May 25 – Double Or Nothing at the MGM Grand Arena, Las VegasJune 2019 – Unspecified show (believed to be in USA)July 2019 – Unnamed show in Jacksonville, Florida with a portion of the proceeds going to anti-gun crime charitiesAugust 2019 – Royal Albert Hall, London, EnglandSeptember 2019 – All Out – the official sequel to All In and the full launch of the brand prior to TV tapings beginning. We understand that while not yet confirmed, this is again likely to take place at the Sears Center in ChicagoOctober 2019 – Weekly television starts"
[Hat tip to Fightful.com’s Jeremy Lambert]
At AEW’s first gathering in Jacksonville this January, Cody Rhodes mentioned that some of the gate proceeds would go to helping victims of gun violence. A mass shooting at a Madden Tournament occurred in Jacksonville last August.
Therefore it is awesome to see that AEW will be running a show in Jacksonville, which is kind of their home base as the promotion’s lead investor Shahid Khan is the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, with proceeds helping an important cause.
AEW’s show at the Royal Albert Hall is also noteworthy, as that’s been an important forum for WWE’s events in the United Kingdom. Wrestling fans in the United Kingdom are incredibly passionate but don’t get many shows from large, American promotions. When they do, though, fans turn up and give the performers everything they have, so this could be an especially awesome show for AEW. It’ll also be intriguing to see if they come up with working relationships with UK promotions, as NXT/WWE have been incredibly active in the region.
Although there’s no indication of which network will sign AEW to a deal, there’s plenty of optimism surrounding their chances of securing an excellent partnership that will likely be a huge upgrade over what competitors like Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and Major League Wrestling have currently. When that show starts up in October on Tuesday nights, replacing the FOX-bound WWE SmackDown Live on Friday nights, there will undoubtedly be plenty of buzz.
And, of course, the “All Out” sequel in September, will be can’t-miss. It should be an even bigger show than the first edition, because while WrestleTalk reports it will be in the same arena, the additional TV tapings will add that much buzz.
As a whole, AEW seems to be headed in the right direction early on, and while it’s important to remain cautious and constructively critical of the new promotion, the majority of the incoming news has been encouraging.