With the fantastic success of All In, will there now be a whirlwind of support for The Show of Shows to take place in the magical confines of Wembley Stadium?
Anyone who witnessed the colossal spectacle that was AEW All In witnessed what must have seemed like a fantasy. Wembley Stadium provided an almost storybook backdrop for what will go down as an event that you could watch over and over again. Just like an old movie – one that you watch about once a year.
London, England, is not only one of the biggest and most visited cities in the world, it’s also filled with rabid fans of pro sports and wrestling. Between their love for rugby, football, and fighting, the pulse of the city courses with a craving for competition.
Perhaps that’s why over 80,000 fans packed one of the most hallowed venues in the world to witness an event of epic proportions. Whether you are a fan of AEW or even enjoyed the show is irrelevant. What happened over the weekend was infinitely groundbreaking, and befitting of one of the most culturally influential cities in modern civilization.
And as far as wrestling is concerned? You won’t find a more passionate fan base than you’ll find in the UK. Some of the greatest international competition takes place in their various federations, and there’s no denying the talent the nation has produced. WWE’s roster is filled with top-flight Superstars who were all born under the waving shadow of the Union Jack.
Speaking of World Wrestling Entertainment, they recently visited The Big Smoke themselves, presenting this year’s Money in the Bank event from the O2 Arena in July. During that show, none other than John Cena came out and talked to the crowd about WrestleMania potentially playing Wembley Stadium. Needless to say, the mere mention of that sent a wave of messed-up smiles throughout the British audience.
In all seriousness, it’s a very valid question: Why NOT Have The Show of Shows in London?
Picture it: WrestleMania at Wembley… The Tussle at Tea Time.
Seriously, the city has everything to offer to make the trip worth the fare. Even though start times would change because of the time zone difference, that didn’t seem to affect All In. AEW posted crazy high water marks in both attendance and buy rates, with an event that has to be considered one for the history books.
But if WrestleMania is the next logical step down the yellow brick road back to Wembley, it’s going to take a lot of work. WWE is in a position to negotiate the greatest terms possible when picking a city and a venue, and it’s widely known that they are leveraging the same with the City of London.
However, there is also the possibility the all-knowing and all-powerful Vince McMahon, will decide from somewhere behind the curtain that he wants to blow away All In with a cyclone of a show. And since he’s the one who really pulls the levers, he could grant the fans of the UK their ultimate wish.
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And he shouldn’t wait too long. Because the AEW is swooping in from the sky and trying to make the city their own. They have already announced that they will be bringing All In back to London in 2024.
In order for Wembley Stadium to eventually host The Greatest Spectacle in Sports Entertainment, three huge elements have to come into play
First, someone has to have the brains to realize that this one is a no-brainer. To this day, one of the greatest pay-per-views in WWE history took place at Wembley Stadium with Summer Slam 1992. McMahon and Company could easily trump that event with an announcement that ‘Mania was coming to London. And with the capacity of Wembley Stadium, it’s a smart move, because it would allow the company to easily set its all-time ‘Mania attendance mark.
Secondly, WWE needs to have a heart when it comes to granting England this major event. In their worst times, when they were down and out in the mid-90s, they always had the UK. In the darkest of times, the promotion always knew they could travel somewhere over the rainbow (and across the pond), and find a home. So, in essence, they should be clicking their heels at the idea of repaying that debt now.
And finally, it will take courage for WrestleMania to come to Wembley Stadium. It will take civic leaders who are willing to go the extra mile for something that many of their peers would scoff at. Rolling out the red carpet for a bunch of roughnecks might not seem like a very British thing to do, but it would reap rewards for the community. So in that instance, the good witches have to beat the bad witches in order for this thing to happen.
If it does, fans all over the world should be happy for Swinging London. They have certainly earned the right and the honor of being the host city for WrestleMania. And it would be an awesomely unique experience.
A ‘Mania from the UK would breathe new life into the event as well. With Wembley as the backdrop, a mega match as the main event, and all the pageantry worthy of the nation’s regal and royal reputation?
Now? That would truly be “a horse of a different color.”
Ryan Boman is the author of the 2023 book, ‘Pop Music & Peanut Butter‘ and a freelance writer whose previous work has appeared at SB Nation, The Miami Herald, Fansided, and Yardbarker. He has covered professional wrestling since 1999.
