WrestleMania is the showcase of the immortals and over the course of the last 35 years, it has grown into something that very few of us could've ever envisaged upon its creation.
Mania has always 'belonged' to WWE in a lot of ways, but we actually think it'd be interesting to consider the possibility of another major show from another company that is on the same scale as the grandest stage of them all.
That's where All Elite Wrestling comes in.
Just to clarify, when we say that we think they could have their own version of WrestleMania, we mean a substantial stadium show with all of the festivities to go alongside it.
10 SHOULD - Great Potential Moneymaker
If it goes right, then of course, there’s a very good chance that this could be a profitable form of making money for All Elite Wrestling – as well as the area that they host the event itself in.
Obviously they need to go out and draw the numbers in, but it’s a high risk, high reward type of scenario. A sell-out, if it ever came to that point, would probably mark one of the most financially successful shows in the history of pro wrestling outside of any Mania that has been and gone. That’s got to be tempting.
9 SHOULDN’T - It’s A Financial Risk
On the flip side of the point we just made, nobody really knows for sure what to anticipate or expect from something like this. If they stick their neck out on the line and it doesn’t work, it’s the kind of do or die move that is bound to get AEW in trouble.
When we say trouble, we mean that Tony Khan probably wouldn’t be best pleased to lose millions if the numbers just aren’t there.
This business is all about walking before you can run, but of course, there’s always that temptation.
8 SHOULD - Put Their Own Twist On It
Whether it be the way they present their pyro or perhaps even the match structure, or how they set up the ring, AEW could take what they know from WrestleMania and transform it into something completely different.
There’s always room for improvements in quite literally every walk of life and the same can be said for professional wrestling. AEW is already trying its best to change the way in which we view the business, so why not go all in by creating an event that is larger than life itself?
7 SHOULDN’T - Audience Probably Isn’t Big Enough
If you take a look at some of the crowds and ticket sales for AEW’s big events, as well as their first few Dynamite shows, it’s clear to see what we’re working with here. In comparison, a stadium show would probably require them to triple their average gate.
That’s not something you do overnight and it’s something that takes years of effort. If they are able to do this in a few years then that’s fine, but if they want to pull the trigger right now, we just don’t think it’s going to be big enough.
6 SHOULD - Mega Starrcast
Starrcast is already amazing and the upcoming fourth edition of the event should be a lot of fun. However, if they’re going to have a major stadium show, then they need to take it to a whole new level.
Some would suggest that isn’t going to be impossible but we think AEW is committed to making Starrcast something special. You can argue that the two aren’t intertwined all you want, but it’s pretty clear to see they’re collaborating on some level, so why not just go ahead and make it official?
5 SHOULDN’T - Hard To Avoid The Blueprint
WrestleMania has been around for over three decades and that just isn’t something you can put to one side. If you try, then you’re undermining one of the most remarkable events in the history of sports entertainment.
It’s all about embracing the good parts and improving on the bad, but you just know that AEW will be accused of copying or outright taking elements of WrestleMania and simply slapping their own name onto it.
Whether or not it’s worth that kind of scrutiny is one of the biggest questions of all.
4 SHOULD - Plenty Of Stadium Options
There are quite literally stadiums all around the world, and as you may have noticed, WWE tends to focus on what feels familiar to them. If it isn’t an NFL team that plays at the stadium, then it’ll be a fairly notable establishment that has hosted plenty of other relevant cultural events.
They turn a blind eye to the college football grounds or the soccer grounds or the baseball grounds these days, opening up a whole new wave of possibilities for All Elite Wrestling to exploit.
That, in itself, is quite exciting.
3 SHOULDN’T - They’ve Got A Good Thing
We’re still in the Honeymoon phase of All Elite Wrestling, and one could certainly argue that the system shouldn’t be tampered with just yet. It’s all about learning, developing and growing what they’re putting in place, instead of adding any kind of extra stress.
Attempting to push ahead with a show of this magnitude is just going to cause more headaches than it’s worth. It’s best to step aside and let Mania run for a little while before bringing on any unnecessary criticism because let’s face it, that’s exactly what would happen.
2 SHOULD - Appeal To Casual Fans
Casual fans come back for WrestleMania and perhaps even Royal Rumble because they’re the two biggest events of the year in pro wrestling and it isn’t even close. Therefore, it makes sense to suggest that this could end up having the same outcome.
Casual fans may take a look at this stadium show, outside of WWE, that is happening, and they could well jump at the opportunity to be a part of it. Whether that’s live in person or watching on pay per view doesn’t matter, because it’s a good sign either way.
1 SHOULDN’T - It’s An Act Of War
All Elite Wrestling has made it incredibly clear that they do not want to go to war with the WWE and that they simply want to serve as an alternative for fans of professional wrestling. If that is the case, and that’s an honest assessment, then avoiding this action would be the best way of proving that.
WWE will take great exception to a show on the level of Mania being put on, and while you could argue NJPW does this with Wrestle Kingdom every year, we’d suggest that isn’t really on a comparable level.