WWE Tour Blocks Big AEW Announcement
What does WWE’s return to Europe mean for AEW?
On November 4th WWE announced a huge return to Europe in early 2025. The tour will see three episodes of Raw and three episodes of SmackDown taped across the continent with a series of live events sprinkled in between.
WWE’s European adventure will begin in Barcelona on March 14th, before finishing up on March 31st in London at the O2 Arena.
The announcement continues the company’s recent trend of giving its product an increasingly international flavour. During its Crown Jewel weekend, WWE taped an episode of Raw in Saudi Arabia for the first time, while SmackDown has regularly been taped outside of the United States for international PLEs.
WWE Announcement Comes With AEW Implications
Wembley Stadium has been the home of AEW All In for 2023 and 2024, but that will all change in 2025 when the event moves to Texas. However, there will still be an All Elite presence in the UK in 2025 with Forbidden Door taking place in London on August 24th.
Despite the host city being announced back in August, no venue has been confirmed. But a new report may have just revealed why.
Writing in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer surmised that WWE’s use of the O2 Arena is likely why AEW has been unable to announce the venue for Forbidden Door. There are usually restrictions around both companies advertising at venues too close to other events.
WWE will be doing its most extensive European tour in years from 3/14 to 3/31, including six television taping. The tapings will be 3/14 Smackdown in Barcelona, Spain, 3/17 Raw in Brussels, Belgium, 3/21 Smackdown in Bologna, Italy, 3/24 Raw in Glasgow, Scotland, 3/28 Smackdown in London and 3/31 Smackdown in London, both at the O2 Arena.
The expectation has been that AEW is running Forbidden Door at the O2 Arena next year in August, but haven’t been able to announce the arena. Most likely this is the reason and thus AEW won’t be able to announce the arena or put tickets on sale until sometime after the end of March, depending on what the specifics were for the WWE deal.
Forbidden Door won’t be the only AEW/NJPW cross-promotional in 2025 with the inaugural Wrestle Dynasty show set to take place on January 5th in the Tokyo Dome. At the event, Ricochet will challenge IWGP Heavyweight Champion Zack Sabre Jr. and the Young Bucks will be in action. Meanwhile, it’s been speculation that the show will also feature the in-ring return of Kenny Omega.