Summary
- WWE plans to host major event during AEW’s All Out PPV on September 20 to compete head-to-head.
- John Cena expected to face Brock Lesnar in main event, as Cena nears end of retirement tour.
- WWE risks viewership backlash due to Lesnar’s legal issues, while WWE and AEW continue to counter-program events.
Is WWE ready to truly battle AEW? As reported, the company decided to have its first main roster premium live event during AEW’s All Out pay-per-view. Both events are scheduled for September 20, though it’s unknown what the name of the WWE event is. What is known is that the company is likely planning a huge main event, and it looks like WWE is trying to one-up AEW.
Possible John Cena Main Event
According to the latest Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said as of now, John Cena is expected to face Brock Lesnar in the main event. He also noted that was one of the reasons Cena isn’t facing Lesnar at Clash in Paris. Meltzer said:
“It can change, but the main event for this show is Brock Lesnar and John Cena. So it’s a big one. Which is why Brock’s not in Paris, is because of this. They wanted him for this show, not for the Paris show. And that’s where Logan Paul got the gig.”
John Cena is on the last leg of his retirement tour, and that means he only has so many PLEs left, and he probably should be facing Lesnar sooner rather than later. It’s a pretty good strategy on WWE’s part, sort of.
Fans are still divided about Lesnar’s SummerSlam return due to his legal issues. Lesnar was gone from WWE for two years due to allegations against him from former WWE employee Janel Grant. Lesnar was not named as a co-defendant in the original 2024 lawsuit, but was named as part of the sex-trafficking allegations. Grant later identified Lesnar in the revised February 2025 lawsuit as the wrestler that former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon allegedly offered her up for sex in 2021. So could this backfire on WWE and have people not watch it because of Lesnar? Possibly.
What Tony Khan Has Said In The Past
While this is the first WWE main roster PLE to be head-to-head with an AEW PPV, that’s not the case for NXT. Actually, the upcoming AEW and NJPW event, Forbidden Door, will have to contend with the NXT Heatwave PLE on August 24.
During the Double or Nothing media scrum, AEW CEO Tony Khan spoke about counter-programming after he was asked about it, due to the same day WWE had the NXT Battleground PLE. He said:
“It’s pretty consistent. I’d say it’s the most consistent event head-to-head scheduling I’ve seen since Jim Crockett Promotions, so a lot of scheduling that went that way. I can tell you, this will go a lot differently than that did.”
While Jim Crockett Promotions tried, it couldn’t keep up with WWE and was sold to Ted Turner in 1988. It was then re-branded as World Championship Wrestling, which also fizzled out. Khan, though, is confident that AEW won’t end that way. Anyway, as of this writing, WWE has yet to confirm the match between John Cena and Brock Lesnar, nor has AEW shared what their main event will be for All Out. So things can always change for either promotion.
