Dave Meltzer Comments On Success Of AEW Grand Slam Australia

AEW made their long-awaited debut down under on February 15 with the "Grand Slam: Australia" event in Brisbane, and it's safe to say that the show was a big success for the company. On screen, Toni Storm became the first-ever four-time AEW Women's World Champion, while off-screen the show was reportedly a smash hit on the financial front — so much so that Dave Meltzer confirmed on a recent edition of "Wrestling Observer Radio" that "Grand Slam: Australia" officially ranks third behind AEW's two All In pay-per-views in London, England when it comes to money generated at the gate.

"This was the third biggest gate in the history of the company," Meltzer said. "I didn't get the final number, but they were at $1.3 million at least on Thursday, two days ahead [of the show]. I mean for AEW that's fantastic ... in the end, the show was a big success. It was not a big enough success to be a stadium show, but that's a big ask — AEW is not a stadium product, it really isn't. Most wrestling companies aren't stadium products, very few if you think about it."

Meltzer rounded off by saying that if AEW chose to remain at the Suncorp Stadium instead of moving venues, they could have sold a few extra tickets. However, the show did set the record for the largest gate for a wrestling event held in the city of Brisbane.

AEW President Tony Khan confirmed that the company will be returning to Australia in 2026, with fans being able to scan a QR code to get updates on when and where it will be, a show Meltzer believes should take place in either Melbourne or Sydney.

Please credit "Wrestling Observer Radio" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.