Recent reports have shared AEW President Tony Khan’s reaction to AEW Collision: Grand Slam Australia’s performance. The show was originally set to take place at Suncorp Stadium, however, it was later moved to a new venue.
In November, reports suggested that AEW decided to move to Grand Slam Australia due to low ticket sales. As a result, the event was shifted to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre. Despite the venue change, fans filled the arena, creating an electrifying atmosphere.
The show featured five matches, kicking off with Will Ospreay and Kenny Omega defeating Kyle Fletcher and Konosuke Takeshita. Meanwhile, Mercedes Moné successfully defended the AEW TBS Championship against Harley Cameron.
The Death Riders—Jon Moxley and Claudio Castagnoli—secured a victory over Cope and Jay White, winning by technical submission after Moxley choked out Cope. Kazuchika Okada also retained his Continental Championship by defeating Australia’s own Buddy Matthews. In the main event, Toni Storm defeated Mariah May to capture the AEW Women’s Championship for the fourth time in her career.
While the show featured exciting matches, Wrestling Observer reported that Grand Slam Australia drew 502,000 viewers on TNT, earning a 0.21 rating in the 18-49 demographic. Additionally, a separate report revealed that AEW President Tony Khan was highly pleased with the viewership numbers.
AEW President Tony Khan is reportedly ‘very happy’ with the show’s performance
Fightful Select reported that sources at AEW Dynamite revealed President Tony Khan and others backstage were highly satisfied with AEW Collision: Grand Slam Australia, particularly due to the strong lead-in from the NBA’s All-Star Saturday Night.
Additionally, sources from Warner Bros. Discovery indicated that AEW could have more opportunities for strong lead-in programming, further strengthening their partnership. Following AEW’s successful visit to Australia, President Tony Khan reassured fans that the promotion would return in the future. The event drew 502,000 viewers on TNT, benefiting from the boost provided by NBA All-Star Saturday Night, which aired beforehand.
