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All-Elite Wrestling, best known as AEW, brings its brand of pro wrestling to Arizona Financial Theater on Wednesday night. It is to be the company’s third visit to Arizona, with a fourth later this year.
AEW’s “Dynamite” program will air live from the venue in downtown Phoenix on TBS, and other parts of the event will be taped to re-air on AEW “Collision” Saturday on TNT and streaming on MAX.
The company and its shows have become the top competition for the oldest and longest-running wrestling brand in the U.S., WWE. As it was in the last half of the 1990s into early 2001, there are two top wrestling programs vying for viewers on cable TV and now, streaming channels.
Wednesday is a preview of AEW’s return to the Phoenix area on May 25, when it will hold its “Double or Nothing” pay-per-view event at Glendale’s Desert Diamond Arena. “Double or Nothing” is AEW’s original pay-per-view show, and has been held mainly in Las Vegas since AEW was founded in 2019.
Tickets for “Double or Nothing” go on sale to the general public Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. MST. Fans can also register for presale opportunities at the AEW Insider site.
“We put on the best pay-per-view events in the wrestling business,” AEW founder and co-owner Tony Khan said. “The fans in the Phoenix area have been so incredible for AEW. We’ve done several shows around Phoenix and we’ve had great support from the fans.
“I had said after an amazing AEW event in Phoenix in the past that we would bring these great fans a pay-per-view event, because they deserve it.”
AEW’s roster includes names longtime wrestling fans know well, including Bryan Danielson (once Daniel Bryan in WWE), Christian Cage, Kenny Omega, Adam Cole and current world champion Jon Moxley, once known as Dean Ambrose in WWE.
There is also a women’s division, of which Toni Storm is the champion, and veteran announcers Jim Ross and Tony Schiavone are part of the broadcast crew.
Former wrestlers Chris Jericho and Paul “Big Show” Wight are commentators, and Jericho,, who has been in the business for decades, is still active in the ring. AEW first came to Arizona in February 2023 with a show at Footprint Center.
Fan favorites include TNT champion Daniel Garcia, Swerve Strickland, Jay White, Adam Copeland, Will Ospreay and Samoa Joe. Villains include Dustin Rhodes, MJF and TBS women’s champion Mercedes Moné.
“We have the best roster of wrestlers in the world,” Khan said.
Tickets for Wednesday remain available at AEWTix.com and doors open at 4:30 p.m., with the program starting at 6.
