AEW’s 2025 has been quite hot, compared to recent years.
They’ve parted ways with divisive or demoralized talents, such as Ricky Starks, Mariah May, and Ethan Page. Additionally, uploading compilations, highlights, and full-match uploads of their still-growing content library has also helped. Lastly, Tony Khan’s gambits have paid off with long-term storylines, many of which have found satisfying conclusions and developments.
As the final half of 2025 begins its chilly dawn, it is essential to reflect on the elements of this year. It’ll be unpredictable. Crazy, even. But that’s the ride fans can expect with the company. This major United States wrestling promotion again became an alternative to the giant WWE product. Not by challenging them on their level, but by being who they were always meant to be—themselves.
2300 Arena Retrospective
Firstly, I’d like to take the time to observe what has happened in the 3 weeks of August 8, 2025, to September 11, 2025.
It started as the Death Riders continued their pursuit of Kris Statlander amid her team-up with Harley Cameron. They didn’t stop there, as leader Jon Moxley scouted Daniel Garcia. All of this, while Darby Allin was hot on their heels. They weren’t the only heel faction to feature developments in AEW’s Philadelphia residence. Ricochet and the Gates of Agony incurred the wrath of the Hurt Syndicate, while the Don Callis Family set their sights on Hangman Adam Page.
Much transpired onscreen. So much so that the seeds planted and grown may have gone unnoticed. For instance, Willow Nightingale and Statlander, much to Cameron’s delight, briefly and awkwardly reunited. Daniel Garcia opened this residency, wrestling with Jon Moxley, and by the end of it, he joined the Death Riders. And most curiously, while the Don Callis Family joy of the now-injured Wardlow in their ranks, tension bubbled lightly. Soon to boil is the jealousy between Konosuke Takeshita and Kazuchika Okada.
What AEW’s done so well in 2025 is making the most out of the venues they’ve held televised episodes in. This was no different with the 2300 Arena. Perhaps most unique about this one is the reverence for Philadelphia and ECW. (Technically, UWF and Sting, if you count off-air.) Nostalgia was on full display, as was the hardcore and forward-thinking mentality of ECW as chaos reigned and stars shone.
After analyzing this period, I’ve got a good idea of what’s to come, albeit intangibly so.
Venues
Location, location, location. Previously, I wrote about how AEW had been targeting smaller venues as of late 2024, a trend that continued well into 2025. They visited music centers, ballrooms, and the 2300 Arena as mentioned above. Throughout, they utilized each stage cleverly. Toni Storm spoke timeless promos from balconies. Historic walls witnessed high-octane matches. Death Riders crawled in from crevices to give a cheeky peek at the innards of these unique locations.
In essence, the arenas AEW filled were unorthodox. Yet, that’s precisely what benefited these episodes. Whereas some companies would stick to the crowd and arena, AEW used the venues to do something different. In these residencies, the venues became their own characters in the morality play of professional wrestling.
This excites me in particular, as a report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter stated that AEW could eye the Manhattan Center’s Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. I’d be remiss, though, not to mention how I also long for the days that AEW filled basketball and hockey arenas.
A stay at the Daily’s Place is imminent for AEW’s homecoming. The Boeing Center in Texas also hosts AEW in October, an arena that I’m curious to see.
Through some digging, I found that AEW fans are in store for that, too: a return to normalcy. I speculate that AEW may have run these small shows as a way to work within constraints, as I’m sure running yawning stretches of stadiums in Texas, USA, and London, England, may have tugged at Tony Khan’s wallet.
Surprises to Come
Several storyline developments are bound to come out of the 2300 Arena occupation. Daniel Garcia’s joining the Death Riders may carry several repercussions. Kris Statlander’s shaky ground with Willow Nightingale might be compromised by the group as well. The Don Callis Family grows in rank and achievements. Ricochet and the GOA are outright haunting the Hurt Syndicate. Heels have been out in full force.
This is a status quo that has been established, yet not overstayed its welcome. There’s likely to be some exciting moments to come. Eddie Kingston’s due for a return at the behest of Big Bill. The Grizzled Young Veterans have been confirmed to be on AEW’s roster. I wouldn’t be surprised if recent standouts Adam Priest and “Dynamite Kid” Tommy Billington joined as well.
On the Being The Elite YouTube channel, The Young Bucks were gifted something…alarming. On his Instagram page, Jack Perry was last seen creating knives. He sent one to them in their last episode, where they gambled away the $500,000 they won at a previous Dynamite. With it, he wrote a message: “For when you want to stab me in the back again.”
If I were to give a somewhat hot prediction, I’d say the shocks wouldn’t stop there. With Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, holding the September 24 episode of Dynamite, it might be time for a dentist appointment. Purely speculation, but I feel that the divisive Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. could make a return. Whether or not that impacts AEW’s hot streak, only time will tell.
Conclusion
All Elite Wrestling’s 2025 has been nothing short of thrilling. Patient viewers were rewarded with changes, furthering their momentum. They played the long game and made new strides. A Texas stadium boasted 29,000 filled seats. Two Grand Slam events, one in Australia and one in Mexico City, established the company’s presence outside of the USA, Canada, and the UK. Stays in smaller venues added intimate depth to several angles.
Yes, not everything will be perfect. Wrestle Dynasty, while a fun inaugural event, will need more delicate direction between AEW and NJPW in 2026. So too will Forbidden Door, with a date less close to the G1 Climax or any other NJPW tournament. Stardom definitely needs more representation, as well. CMLL benefited the most from their relationship with AEW, I’d say.
WWE’s momentum from 2023-24 remains high, notwithstanding their high ticket prices and public relations nightmares. AEW doesn’t need to compete with that. They don’t need to take shots. Hell, they don’t even need to counterprogram. The product speaks for itself.
As they return to arenas of old for Dynamite and Collision, the future looks bright.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header photo – AEW – Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on this and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world. You can catch AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS. AEW Collision airs Saturday at 8 pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content available on their YouTube
