AEW WrestleDream Nets Lowest PPV Gate In 2023

WrestleDream was AEW’s worst-performing pay-per-view of 2023.

On October 1st, AEW hosted the first-ever WrestleDream event, with the show coming live from the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. The event served as a tribute to New Japan Pro-Wrestling founder Antonio Inoki and took place on the one-year anniversary of his passing.

While the show featured AEW’s biggest stars, it seems that it didn’t quite capture fans’ imagination.

As reported by Pollstar via Wrestlenomics, AEW sold 7,108 tickets for the event, drawing $533,717. In terms of attendance and gate, these figures make WrestleDream the worst-performing pay-per-view of 2023. However, it should be noted that a complete data set isn’t available for All Out which was held on September 3rd.

WrestleDream came at the end of a busy spell for AEW with the company holding Double or Nothing on May 28th, Forbidden Door with NJPW on June 25th, All In on August 27, and All Out a week later.

What Happened At AEW WrestleDream

Arguably the most anticipated match on the card saw Bryan Danielson take on Zack Sabre Jr. to determine the ‘best technical wrestler on the planet.’ In the end, it was the American Dragon who got the win, with Dave Meltzer awarding the match 5.5 stars.

In the main event, Christian Cage defeated Darby Allin in a Two out of Three Falls match, but the show went off the air following the surprise debut of WWE legend Adam Copeland.