Chicago emerged as a central hub for pro wrestling on Saturday night, with both AEW All Out and WWE x AAA Worlds Collide running in the area. According to a recent report from Fightful Select, the latter show was specifically organized in an effort to impact the ticket sales of All Out. Much to WWE officials’ surprise, though, All Out still drew a sold out crowd.
“I was kind of surprised they would say that because we’ve done very, very well,” AEW CEO Tony Khan said at the All Out post-show media scrum, referencing the report. “AEW’s having an incredible year. We were Sports Illustrated’s pro wrestling promotion of the year. Why would they be surprised that we would sell out? We’ve sold this arena out many times, and AEW is having a fantastic year. I think anybody underestimating AEW would be making a mistake. AEW continues to defy the odds and succeed. If AEW has ever been on the mat, every single time we’ve gotten up and fought.”
From start to finish, Khan believes that All Out turned out to be an “amazing event.” The respective show opened with a pre-show singles match between Jack Perry and Katsuyori Shibata, after which former AEW World Champion Samoa Joe marked his return. Later in the main event, Will Ospreay successfully defended the AEW World Championship against Jon Moxley.
“We’re having a great year in 2026, and we had a great 2025,” Khan added. “I think this year has been even better.
AEW All Out emanated from the NOW Arena, airing live on pay-per-view. WWE x AAA Worlds Collide, meanwhile, operated as a live event from the Allstate Arena, but is slated to broadcast on YouTube this Wednesday night.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit AEW with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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