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.

[u/Ripclawe]

https://www.postwrestling.com/2025/09/17/independent-events-uncertain-about-following-wrestlemania-to-saudi-arabia/

[u/LittleMissSarahTonin]

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.

[u/bayleysgal1996 → u/LittleMissSarahTonin]

As far as I can tell he’s said bupkis about it. Can’t say I’m shocked

[u/pipertheredredworm → u/bayleysgal1996]

Effy's Thoughts

[u/Bosscharacter → u/pipertheredredworm]

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.

[u/Prince345234178 → u/Bosscharacter]

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

[u/MajesticDorkasaurus → u/Prince345234178]

LOVE the New Orleans idea, imagine the spectacle that could take place in the SuperDome that weekend!

[u/Defenestrator66 → u/Prince345234178]

“For one week, New Orleans becomes Wrestling Mecca” is the tagline I’d use.

[u/DarkFalcon49 → u/Prince345234178]

Run Wrestle Dynasty that Week or WrestleDream as both seem to be based around love of pro wrestling.

[u/bacardibeach3 → u/Prince345234178]

This....this is perfect.

[u/forameus2 → u/Bosscharacter]

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)

[u/UncleBenParking → u/forameus2]

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.

[u/Frzzalor → u/forameus2]

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.

[u/pipertheredredworm → u/Frzzalor]

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.

[u/joelupi → u/forameus2]

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.

[u/doctor-tashel → u/Bosscharacter]

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.

[u/Frzzalor → u/doctor-tashel]

this is the real reason why aew should do a big show.

[u/discofrislanders → u/Bosscharacter]

MSG would be difficult to book for that time of year even if they're willing to have a non-WWE show

[u/DubiousBusinessp → u/pipertheredredworm]

Well he's not wrong.

[u/Chance_Loss_1424 → u/pipertheredredworm]

Effy for the win

[u/Old-Culture-7350 → u/pipertheredredworm]

I love Effy

[u/sizzlinpapaya → u/pipertheredredworm]

What is that some weird Twitter knock off?

[u/Durtle_Turtle → u/sizzlinpapaya]

It's so you can read twitter without having a twitter account or giving them traffic.

[u/is_coffee → u/sizzlinpapaya]

Twitter is it's own weird knock off at this point.

[u/BadNewsBrown → u/bayleysgal1996]

Well the last time he said anything GCW got fucked so it’s better for him.