AEW Is Reportedly Making a Major Change to Its Annual Pay-Per-View Schedule

AEW's annual All Out pay-per-view has taken place at the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, during Labor Day weekend every year since the company first launched in 2019 (minus 2020 due to the pandemic). The venue holds a special place in All Elite Wrestling's history as it hosted the All In event in 2018 that wound up serving as a precursor to the company's launch. However, it now appears that AEW is looking to move one of its five annual pay-per-views to a much larger venue. 

Per Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, AEW officials are considering moving the event 37 miles southeast into downtown Chicago at The United Center. While the NOW Arena can seat a little under 12,000, the home of the Chicago Bulls can seat up to 23,500 and its location would make it much easier for fans traveling to Illinois for the event. AEW has previously sold out the arena twice — for CM Punk's debut on the AEW Rampage: The First Dance show in 2021 and the AEW x NJPW crossover event Forbidden Door in 2022.

Sapp noted AEW will continue to use the NOW Arena to host episodes of Dynamite, Rampage and Dark. AEW has yet to make an official announcement and likely won't until the Double or Nothing 2023 pay-per-view in May.

Between the company's history and the success it found after bringing in CM Punk, Chicago has become one of AEW's signature cities. Long before his backstage issues, Punk discussed that idea with ComicBook.

"We sold out the United Center on a rumor," Punk said. "If I can toot my own horn, I'm a kid from Chicago and I don't know if I can claim I sold out this building because I think it was sold out before I was ever announced, but I sold out the United Center, I sold out the Rosemont Horizon (now the Allstate Arena)... man, that's super great and I would like to brag on that but it's also super humbling. For a kid who... I was at the first-ever event in the United Center, SummerSlam 1994. I watched Bret and Owen (Hart) in the cage. And I feel like Chicago has just been ripe for the taking, they love wrestling and they want to be entertained. And there's been some great shows here, I was on a few of them, and then I just feel like we've got the pulse of the whole place. To me, what's next? Wrigley Field? Soldier Field? Let's go!"

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