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AEW Collision is set to premiere on June 17 as the company's third weekly television show. The new project has brought about a lot of excitement and intrigue in the wrestling world. However, this has not been reflected in the show's ticket sales.
The premiere episode of Collision will take place in Chicago. After that, AEW will embark on a tour of Canada. Despite CM Punk recently being revealed as a member of the show's roster, ticket sales in the Great White North have been poor.
The show has sold less than 2,000 tickets in Toronto, a known hotbed for professional wrestling. However, the most startling fact is that only 700 tickets have been sold for the Collision tapings in Hamilton on June 29. The other locations are also said to be struggling to fill seats at present.
Granted, the blame cannot be solely placed on CM Punk. Numerous factors are possibly contributing to the low sales. For one, AEW is running four shows in the Toronto area over six days, including the Forbidden Door 2023 pay-per-view. Additionally, the unknown factor surrounding Collision may be prompting fans to hold off on buying tickets.
Nonetheless, the Twitterverse has shared their reactions to the news, with many pinning the blame on The Second City Saint:
Others have argued that AEW's product not being up to standard is the reason the promotion is struggling in Canada:
Sales are expected to increase as the Collision premiere date draws nearer and more is revealed about the product. For now, fans can only hope this news has no long-term consequences for the promotion.
A WWE Hall of Famer warned AEW that Collision would not be a success
While it is far too early to consider Collision a potential failure, these are worrying times for Tony Khan's company. WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff has spoken openly about how he believes the show was running a massive risk.
Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff claimed that a lack of creative resources and overextension of personnel could be Collision's greatest pitfall. He likened the show's situation to similar mistakes he made in WCW.
However, Bischoff did wish the best for AEW as the promotion undertakes its new project — a sentiment shared by much of the wrestling world. If history has taught us anything, it is that the business is at its best when multiple successful companies are operating simultaneously. Only time will tell whether Collision is the beginning of the end for the promotion or a stroke of business genius.
