Tony Khan plans to bring a chapter in wrestling history to a close with AEW WrestleDream.
Khan first announced WrestleDream during the post-All In Media scrum. The event will be held on October 1st in Seattle, Washington, and will serve as a tribute to the founder of New Japan Pro Wrestling, Antonio Inoki.
The first match announced for the show was a dream bout for many as Bryan Danielson will take on NJPW’s Zack Sabre Jr. The show will also see FTR defending the Tag Team Titles against Aussie Open, Katsuyori Shibata challenging Eddie Kingston for both the NJPW STRONG and ROH World Championships, and a huge 6-Man Tag Team bout with Will Ospreay, Konosuke Takeshita, and Sammy Guevara continuing their rivalry with Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, and Chris Jericho.
During a commercial for the event that aired during the latest edition of Collision, Tony Khan claimed WrestleDream would be “one of the greatest nights in wrestling.”
“Next Sunday, October 1st, it’ll be one of the greatest nights in wrestling, with every match capable of stealing the show and a card befitting the legacy of a kingdom that has touched every one of us.
“AEW and the world of pro wrestling will converge as the greatest champions and rivalries in this sport will take center stage live on pay-per-view at AEW WrestleDream next Sunday.
“We will pay tribute to the dreamer that made this all possible, the late great Antonio Inoki, with an event one year in the making.
Khan finished by saying the event would bring one chapter to a close and begin a new era for the company.
“You won’t want to miss AEW WrestleDream as we’ll end a chapter in wrestling history and begin a new era in AEW live on pay-per-view next Sunday night, October 1st.”
"We'll pay tribute to the dreamer who made this all possible, the late, great Antonio Inoki, with an event one year in the making!"#AEWWrestleDream is next Sunday, 10/1, LIVE on PPV from the @ClimateArena!
Don't miss this historic event!
🎟 https://t.co/UN1cNj1kQqpic.twitter.com/mhizcYbgis
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 24, 2023
Updated Card for AEW WrestleDream
- Bryan Danielson vs. Zack Sabre Jr.
- ‘Hangman’ Adam Page vs. Swerve Strickland
- AEW Tag Team Championships: FTR (c) vs. Aussie Open
- ROH Tag Team Championships: Adam Cole & MJF (c) vs. The Righteous (Vincent & Dutch)
- NJPW STRONG & ROH World Championships: Eddie Kingston (c) vs. ROH Pure Champion Katsuyori Shibata
- TNT Championship 2 Out Of 3 Falls Match: Christian Cage (c) vs. Darby Allin
- TBS Championship: Kris Statlander (c) vs. Julia Hart
- Will Ospreay, Konosuke Takeshita, and Sammy Guevara vs. Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, and Chris Jericho
- Four Way Tag Team Championship Number 1 Contenders Match: The Young Bucks vs. The Lucha Bros vs. Hook & Orange Cassidy vs. The Gunns
Despite the stacked card, WrestleDream is on course to be the worst-attended AEW pay-per-view since the pandemic.
H/T to Fightful for the above transcription.