10 Major Unanswered Questions About AEW
3. Selling Out?
We have a theory that Tony Khan is creating his own demand. pic.twitter.com/C6T8h9iBB8
— Allan (@allan_cheapshot) August 23, 2019
With attention turned to attendance, a slightly damaging story escaped regarding AEW's impressive run of arena sellouts that threatened to undermine much of what had made their recent history so intoxicating.
It appeared as though Tony Khan was buying tickets instead of tarp.
There's a logic to this. Dishonesty isn't a great look, but the billionaire and his new wrestling friends would probably argue that a fan photo of an empty hard camera side is an even worse one. WWE have grappled with the problem for years now. There's something fascinating about seeing the ostensibly well-attended television show playing out to half a crowd, or, as with Stomping Grounds 2019, the biggest wrestling organisation in the world being forced to film around a fourth side being entirely closed off.
As of writing, there are tickets low as $6.00 available on resale sites (hundreds at that very price), with touts and perhaps Khan himself taking a loss for the good of cause. With the bloom off this particular rose, what realistic attendances can the company expect once Dynamite becomes normalised within the regular wrestling week?