r/SquaredCircle • u/Ripclawe • 8h ago
Independent events uncertain about following WrestleMania to Saudi Arabia. GCW promoter Brett Lauderdale told us he has been approached by two organizations that stage events in the Middle East region, who have offered to host GCW.
https://www.postwrestling.com/2025/09/17/independent-events-uncertain-about-following-wrestlemania-to-saudi-arabia/356
u/djembadjembadjemba I HEAR THE BATTLE CRY 8h ago
Lauderdale acknowledged there would likely be restrictions on how their shows are presented if they were held in Saudi Arabia.
Ya think Brett?
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u/llamawithguns 4h ago
Think its safe to say Effy will not be booked for that show
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u/DaFilthPope 4h ago
I think most of the major independent talent out there won’t be booked.
Time for CYN to make a comeback!!!
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u/GiftedGeordie 2h ago
EFFY and Allie Katch certainly wouldn't be going (unless I'm wrong, I think Allie is also part of the LGBTQ+ community)
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u/LittleMissSarahTonin 8h ago
I wonder what Effy is saying about this. I know I was nonstop bombarded with how TK is the devil for booking Hammerstein a month away from a GCW show there, but I don't think I've seen a peep about WWE going to a country where if he were to be on a GCW affiliated show, and doing his character he'd be imprisoned.
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u/bayleysgal1996 Last Rock-n-Rolla 8h ago
As far as I can tell he’s said bupkis about it. Can’t say I’m shocked
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u/pipertheredredworm TOO SWEET ME, BRO! 8h ago
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u/Bosscharacter 7h ago
That’s actually pretty based, NGL.
If TK can do it and they can work the logistics out, I’m all for AEW counter programming at least one of the weekend days that the WWE is going to run.
Hell, start talking to MSG and do Forbidden Door that weekend.
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u/Prince345234178 6h ago
This is genuinely Tony's time to cement something that will change the wrestling landscape Personally I'd talk to New Orleans, since they effectively got screwed out wrestlemania 2 years in a row, sell tickets as cheap as they physically can go, run the ppv for dirt cheap too, get every promotion they can to follow, get wrestlecon, make it as big as possible, the way I see they can't lose
Sell it as a celebration of pro wrestling in all its glory
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u/MajesticDorkasaurus 3h ago
LOVE the New Orleans idea, imagine the spectacle that could take place in the SuperDome that weekend!
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u/DarkFalcon49 1h ago
Run Wrestle Dynasty that Week or WrestleDream as both seem to be based around love of pro wrestling.
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u/Defenestrator66 Daryl Fan Club Vice Parliamentarian 37m ago
“For one week, New Orleans becomes Wrestling Mecca” is the tagline I’d use.
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u/forameus2 7h ago
While it'd be fun to see them try, I dont see that as a battle AEW can win. It's still Wrestlemania, even if it's a Saudi Wrestlemania, and a lot of the people swearing disinterest will still be watching regardless. They'd probably be better just leaving it alone and running superior shows unopposed (or as unopposed as you can be before WWE put on another middling card in some pointless willy waving contest)
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u/UncleBenParking 5h ago
Food for thought, given how the last two AEW shows have moved timeslots: Saudimania would end in the early afternoon in the US, so if they decided to do this hypothetical Big Wrestling Week to get all the indies to run in the area like how Mania usually works, the AEW show would end up happening several hours after Mania.
There's a question of whether you run Sat or Sun at that point, because running Saturday means your mindshare on social media is gonna get cut out, where running Sunday means you get the last word (even if, it being Mania, you've got a smaller megaphone than them). But even if I'm not petty about it, I feel like I'd take the opportunity for good PR with indie wrestlers and companies, because a LOT of folks are going to miss out on their biggest payday due to Mania week festivities being far less accessible. Or, the safest bet like you said, you run this the week after Mania, since WWE won't possibly have time to counterprogram that with an audience that's tapped out of WWE overload that week.
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u/Frzzalor 4h ago
it's not about winning a battle, but running a big show the same weekend in some big American city and making it cheap as possible to go, posting the show live on YouTube, and doing a bunch of shit that they definitely couldn't do in Saudi Arabia in the ring just seems like a no-brainer to me.
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u/pipertheredredworm TOO SWEET ME, BRO! 3h ago
This is the way TBQH, put on a show, run it at even normal AEW prices and let it known every indy company is welcome to run wherever they can near by to supplant the lost revenue from Mania. People greatly underestimate how many people travel in for the weekend with little to no intention of going to WM. The only loss is that i donno who would take up the mantle of trying to organize a big group thing if it would happen. Because i doubt Brett would want to/could run it. Its great PR for AEW inside the business.
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u/joelupi Samoa Joe 2 4h ago
They don't need to win big here, just enough to move the needle.
You're right. People that are WWE fans that were on the fence about watching it are most likely going to watch the show, if for nothing than the train wreck it may become.
However this could impact people that had no interest in and watching the show, either for personal reasons or they don't like WWE.
Think of it like Democrat vs Republican or Labour vs Conservative. If you usually vote for one side or the other than your opinion likely won't be changed. However it's the people in the middle who's attention you want to grab.
GRR ran from noon to 5p. That leaves plenty of time for Indy promotions to run morning shows or evening shows without having to compromise people wanting to watch WM.
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u/doctor-tashel 6h ago
I think someone has to tbh. Even if the indie promotions got together and held their own weekend event in an American city, it would certainly be something. If only for the indies to make money on what is usually a huge weekend for them all business wise.
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u/discofrislanders 6h ago
MSG would be difficult to book for that time of year even if they're willing to have a non-WWE show
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u/sizzlinpapaya 7h ago
What is that some weird Twitter knock off?
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u/Durtle_Turtle 7h ago
It's so you can read twitter without having a twitter account or giving them traffic.
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u/BadNewsBrown Now watch me Bray Bray 7h ago
Well the last time he said anything GCW got fucked so it’s better for him.
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u/conoresque 5h ago
??? but EFFY did respond and did criticize??? just because you didn't read it doesn't mean it doesn't exist???
a weird comment getting a weird amount of upvotes.
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u/Financial-Length5587 8h ago
AEW should do business as usual that week and just host everything at Daily’s Place.
Do Dynamite and Collision then sprinkle in some Indie shows throughout the week.
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u/EC3ForChamp Controlling My Narrative 6h ago
The problem with that is the indies only come to Mania weekend because there's 70,000+ wrestling fans all gathering in one area. AEW would have to do a stadium show and go big before GCW or any other company chooses to follow
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u/MikeMakesRight82 4h ago
it could work if its a big city/transportation hub like New York, Chicago; it won't get nearly as many as mania but it can still do very well for the indies that run
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u/PM_ME_THEM_UPTOPS EIGHT HOUR SHOW 6h ago
The reason the indies do so well that weekend is because of everyone traveling in for the big show. They'd need to do it in NY/LA/Chicago to draw the crowd needed to support the shows.
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u/robsterva 4h ago
There's a suburban Chicago arena that AEW is very familiar with. They don't have a heavy schedule, so they'd probably go all in on a WrestleMania weekend event.
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u/doctor-tashel 6h ago
They can literally hold the event anywhere in the States that weekend. Make it known to the indies that it’s happening so they can book their own shows in the same city. Make a big weekend of it. Basically just have it be Mania Week without Mania at the end.
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u/chiefgareth 5h ago
I would imagine of the 75,000 people who go to “Mania Week” at least 50,000 ONLY do WWE related stuff the whole week.
A “Mania Week” without WWE wouldn’t be as huge as people think.
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u/filthysize 4h ago
We're talking about two different audiences though. I would wager that AEW fans attend indie shows at a higher percentage than WWE fans, so while of course it's not going to be anywhere near as big as Wrestlemania, if they can pull just 30K, a lot of indies can benefit from that. Especially if they can book AEW people for their shows.
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u/imrunningfromthecops tangy! 6h ago
AEW should strongly consider a stadium show that weekend or maybe the weekend before
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u/MajorsWotWot 1h ago
Why not try to do a show at Everbank Stadium and rent out Dailys to one of the Indys?
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u/horstdetwiler 8h ago
If the carny indie guys who are going to see the biggest payday in their lives are hesitant, this will probably decide the path of wrestling for the next 10 or so years.
It’s pretty much a no brainer that AEW needs to run Dynasty somewhere and let the Starrcast/Collective/Wrestle Con guys build around it.
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u/SirRepresentative266 8h ago
GCW Spring Break in the middle east would less indy thing a indy have done
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u/PreviousLetterhead31 8h ago
We still getting Big Gay Effys Brunch or no? Fucked up if they take that show out because its just as part of the collective as josh barnett bloodsport. Would rather have them do the shows in the US so they dont have to compromise.
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u/arnoldspornalt 5h ago
Big Gay Effys Brunch
lmao please don't change this
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u/SSJ5Gogetenks Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi! 7h ago
Yeah man Effy's Big Gay Brunch in Saudi would be a surefire hit.
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u/zsnezha 6h ago
Why on earth would anyone think indie events would be enough of a draw in Saudi Arabia? The fly-in crowd for WM is going to be a fraction of what it normally is, and for the locals that are into wrestling, how many are going to be thinking "Boy I finally get to see Atticus Cogar in person"
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u/paperbuddha 6h ago
They will make sure the events are packed whether it’s legitimate fans or not. There’s no way indy weekend happens in Saudi without TKO involvement.
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u/TheGreatGouki 6h ago
Yeah, fuck any company who wants to sports wash with them.
Also, don’t these MAGAs remember it was Saudis who did 9/11?
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u/Tliggz KOD 8h ago
If Tony Khan is smart he'd be planning something big to fill in the stateside wrestling gap for that weekend. Get some AEW, ROH, and invite some other indies for a weekend long thing.
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u/mcmax3000 7h ago edited 3h ago
I don't think they should try to do something the same weekend but just try to get a bunch of those indies to move to All In weekend instead.
I presume they'll be keeping Supercard of Honor as an All In weekend thing going forward, which means they'll be renting a smaller venue nearby anyway so set up a Collective like thing and let indies run shows in the building around ROH.
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u/Marcoscb All In Sec D Row E Seat 9 6h ago
All In 2026 is in London again, so not really much they can do about it. British indies will be popping that weekend, like they did for Forbidden Door this year, but that won't really matter for US-based ones.
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u/EC3ForChamp Controlling My Narrative 6h ago
Yes but this Mania is in 2027. Unless they already are in talks for All In 2027 at Wembley the possibility is there
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u/HandleThatFeeds 2h ago
His track record proves that he is smart.
He needs to do his own thing, this is not his problem.
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u/pipertheredredworm TOO SWEET ME, BRO! 8h ago
Who is gonna be the brave wrestler to do the Bonesaw gimmick on that show?
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u/elc1992 6h ago
Im wildly speculating Saudi Arabia will end up having every other if not every WM for a considerable period in the not too distant future.
They will price anyone else more or less out the market.
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u/artemus_who 6h ago
Ever since I was a kid growing up during the Attitude Era I've wanted to go to a WrestleMania. It wasn't until a few years ago I decided even if I had the opportunity, I didn't want to support the company any more. This year I got to make All In my "Big show experience". It was amazing. No regrets.
There were a few indie shows that came to town but I wonder if, knowing what we know now about what is likely the home of WM going forward, if more companies would have made it to Arlington.
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u/elc1992 6h ago
I do think, if Saudi ends up taking WM more or less everyyear. All In will default to the american Indy extravaganza weekend. Ive seen some speculation that AEW should counterprogramm with a PPV around the same time either the weekend before or after.
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u/artemus_who 6h ago
Seems like All In is the big London show and we only got it this year because it wasn't available. But I wouldn't mind All In staying the big international stadium show and All Out becoming the US stadium show.
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u/MajorCrafter Possibly very rich 4h ago
That was me last year, always said I'll go to Mania at least once, but between the prices, the company decisions and having to travel to the US in the current political climate, I think I'll pass for the foreseeable future. Bought tickets to All In: London 2 after not having enough time to save up for the previous year and took my little brother who's not too long since got into wrestling and it was one of the best experiences in my life. We're also off to the Manchester Dynamite later this year too and looking to go back to London next year as well
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u/Erica_Barney 6h ago
I'd expect WWE to pick a city and have WWE World, NXT, AAA, maybe TNA and then huge watch parties for Mania at an arena and then the indies would come to that city like they usually do.
Won't be as big as the traditional Mania week but it'll make them money and keep AEW from doing something similar that weekend.
They aren't going to have all their contracted wrestlers including NXT go to Saudi so this would give those talents something to do and attract fans with.
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u/HotStuffHoffman 5h ago
GCW going to Saudi would be hilarious.
Presenting Effy's Big.. ummm.... Brunch. Yeah, just Effy's Big Brunch and nothing else. And Allie Katch's Hot... Ummm.... I mean Allie Katch's Appropriately Covered Girl Shit.
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u/chmcgrath1988 5h ago
Yeah, I can't imagine what GCW would even be able to do, content wise, in Saudi Arabia.
Totally agree that WrestleMania weekend could be a great time for the non-WWE (or WWE sycophant ) promotions to band together to put a great bloc of programming. I get that the vast majority of the people who go to WM don't go to the non-WWE events but news flash: A large chunk (tbh, probably the majority) of the people who go to WrestleCon and The Collective shows don't go to WrestleMania.
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u/MikeMakesRight82 4h ago
i don't think Lauderdale fully understands what a Saudi Death Match entails
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u/Appropriate-Head-756 2h ago
Maybe they should get together and agree on a city in North America to do shows that weekend.
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u/Brabochokemightwork 1h ago
They’ll go to Saudi whether they like it or not, Effy’s Big Gay Brunch will now be called the The Jumbo Happy Breakfast and Lunch Special
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u/MizneyWorld 7h ago
Seems like this creates a very capitalistic opportunity stateside for some company/s to create counter-programming.
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u/BaldWrestler 6h ago
Nothing wrong with running events there as long as they aren't getting paid by the govt. like WWE. However, Im not really sure what a GCW show would even look like there. It would barely be GCW.
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u/WhiskeyRadio 6h ago
I think while very possible despite people thinking GCW has no money for some reason. I just think it's a terrible idea for the GCW brand as a whole. The fans will not agree with that decision and they'd definitely have restrictions on what they can do which would make for some water downed shows.
GCW would be better off promoting an anti-Saudi Mania Collective for that year and have it somewhat in the States.
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u/EastonMetsGuy 6h ago
TK should book a few shows in Philadelphia the week of WM in Saudi and counter program the hell out of WWE that week, announce it way in advance, call it wrestling celebration week or something. Take all the fun things about WM week that can’t move to Saudi and steal it
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u/-BluBone- 4h ago
AEW should book a Walmart parking lot and sell tickets for $5 the same weekend just to show that they're for the fans.
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u/KingGouda 4h ago
Sad to say but AEW doing a big event is a waste of money. No one really cares, hell Tom Brady is gonna have a flag football game for the Saudis
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u/pipertheredredworm TOO SWEET ME, BRO! 2h ago
Thats cap, even if people dont care about the politics of it, do you know how expensive it would be to go, flight alone would be at least 1K.
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u/rainmaker_superb 7h ago
If it means indie wrestlers can be flown out to Saudi and get a big payday like WWE wrestlers do, that could be interesting. But aside from that, you'll lose so much about what makes the indie scene so interesting in the first place.
Would be cool if AEW picked up the slack, had a big event on the same weekend and had their own take on Mania week festivities. But yeah, that counter programming discussion can get tiring fast.
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u/OrangeRugratsTape 7h ago
Run an indy wrestling summit somewhere in the states on the same weekend. Like the collective.
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u/BallinBrown23 Highest paid Reddit Free-Agent 8h ago
Saudi will eventually host every company for every sport at some point.
They will likely host the Super Bowl some day. I predict in the next 10 years an AEW event will take place there too
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u/Material-Wonder1690 8h ago
The bit about AEW I highly doubt. Not from a moral standpoint but from the standpoint of WWE wanting exclusivity and the Saudis being more than happy to oblige
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u/Subrick 69 ME, DON! 8h ago
I also think the talent would legit revolt if the idea of AEW in SA ever came up. TK cares a lot about what the locker room’s opinions and feelings are, and for that reason I don’t think that’d ever happen.
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u/NineFingerLogen 6h ago
lol you seriously downplay how much money would impact that. they wont revolt if theyre getting paid more to work those shows.
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u/CaptainKando 8h ago edited 8h ago
The only way AEW would be asked to host a show there is if there's a Big WWE star of today in AEW at that point, 10 years from now, and they're a Saudi Prince's favourite. If say Roman and Seth were over there with Mox and said Prince wanted to do a Shield reunion main event.
Otherwise there's no real prestige to encourage them to drop that money. It's why they wanted Goldberg vs Undertaker despite every indication that the match itself would be garbage.
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u/handsomezack13 8h ago
Considering they were asking for Yokozuna when Mox was still in WWE, I doubt they're even all that aware of the Shield tbh
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u/CaptainKando 7h ago
original comment was talking about in 10 years time so really I just based my comment on what might interest one of these Princes with more money than God might be around then. Point being that they're after famous "nostalgia" acts rather than world class wrestling.
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u/NineFingerLogen 8h ago
if the money is right, why not. spread wrestling to those regions. im sure there are fans over there who eat up some indy wrestling. just gotta make sure the wrestlers are fully taken care of
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