AEW Collision Announced For June 17 During WBD Upfronts

AEW has officially announced a third television show, its second to air on TNT, with one of the worst-kept secrets in wrestling: AEW Collision.

Warner Bros. Discovery Chairman and Chief Content Officer Kathleen Finch announced the news during the WBD Upfronts at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

“We’re doubling down on wrestling with ‘AEW: Collision,’ which gives fans two more hours every week,” said top WBD executive Jason Sarlanis in a press release.

“AEW’s roster of talent has expanded so quickly that we felt it needed another night to bring our audience the epic rivalries, unforgettable matches and stars they love to watch. Adding Collision to our programming mix on TNT will allow us to satisfy a massive demand we’ve felt from our hardcore fanbase and the ultimate complement to AEW Dynamite.” AEW Collision will debut on June 17, 2023, with all signs pointing to the United Center as its host venue.

“With the addition of AEW: Collision on TNT, I’m extremely proud that a Turner network will be the home of Saturday night wrestling for the first time in more than two decades,” AEW CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan said in a statement.

“The debut of Collision is significant across numerous sectors including television, wrestling, entertainment and sports, and reinforces AEW as the bold property we envisioned when we launched in 2019. Collision will deliver live every Saturday night more of what fans and viewers tell us they want — athleticism, big personalities, exciting storylines and hard-hitting wrestling action, all of which have become synonymous with AEW.”

AEW Collision is expected to be accompanied by a soft roster split and the return of CM Punk, who remains a polarizing presence following his nuclear brawl with Kenny Omega and the Young Bucks at AEW All Out. The tensions have yet to be publicly acknowledged or resolved due to pending legal issues.

The million-dollar question—or perhaps the billion-dollar question—remains. Just how much money did AEW receive from WBD for its new television deal? These heavily anticipated figures are likely to be revealed sooner rather than later.

AEW Collision is a bittersweet moment for AEW. AEW will continue to be a focal point of WBD during what were once uncertain times in a new regime, however the onset of Collision is almost guaranteed to diminish AEW Rampage as a C show.

Whether or not Rampage holds on for dear life in the shadows of AEW Dynamite and AEW Collision remain to be seen. Perhaps AEW turns Rampage into its version of WWE NXT
XT
. More likely, it’ll capture the spirit of AEW Dark and AEW Dark Elevation, which were recently nixed as part of AEW’s exclusive contract with Warner Bros. Discovery.

Tony Khan teased another major announcement for tonight on AEW Dynamite, and with rumors aplenty regarding AEW, their day of big news is far from over.