10 Ways AEW Has ALREADY Made Wrestling History
4. Grand Slam
Grand Slam was a landmark event in the rise of AEW in 2021.
In a year that saw AEW break PPV records, become the number one show on cable TV, and draw over a million viewers on Dynamite fifteen weeks out of the year, Grand Slam stands out for both statistical and sentimental reasons.
Firstly, selling out New York City's largest indoor venue, Arthur Ashe Stadium, with 20,177 people in attendance is a huge accomplishment for the company, especially considering this was their first event held in NYC.
AEW became the first non-WWE wrestling promotion since 1999 to host an event of this size, whilst also becoming the first company outside of WWE to generate $1 million or more from ticket sales alone.
This is the biggest live crowd AEW has ever had, in a territory that has historically been dominated by WWE, and what an event it was. Running over four hours of TV time across Dynamite and Rampage, Grand Slam was a PPV level event on free TV that drew great numbers in ratings.
Not only that but Grand Slam was received incredibly well by fans and critics alike, with the opening match, in particular, being a barn-burner that received universal acclaim. This leads to our next entry...