It isn’t easy selling out Wembley Stadium with its capacity of between 70,000 and 90,000 (depending on the exact arrangement). It’s a feat achieved by only a handful of performers each year – all of whom you’ve likely heard of.
This summer, though, Wembley will play host to something rather different – an American pro wrestling show called AEW (All Elite Wrestling). A few months ago, AEW’s biggest achievement this side of the Atlantic was bagging a midnight slot on ITV4. Now it’s going head to head with Harry Styles on ticket sales.
These days wrestling storylines are usually written by professional screenwriters
Arguably, AEW isn’t even the most important wrestling event in Britain this year. Next Saturday, the US-based World Wrestling Entertainment – the granddaddy of American wrestling – will host its first ‘premium’ event in London for 30 years at the Greenwich O2. The 18,000 or so tickets sold out in an hour, with most fetching well into triple figures.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in