AEW: First House Show Tour Announced, Community Program Revamp, More News

Feb 2, 2023

AEW Announces Debut of House Show Tours Starting This March

AEW recently announced that they will be holding their first ever house show tour this Spring.

It was announced that this upcoming tour will be called AEW House Rules and will take place on select weekends across the United States going forward starting on March 18th.

Official press release:

AEW Announces Launch of Live Events Series: “AEW House Rules”
— Intimate, Weekend Events to Kick Off in Markets Across the U.S., Starting March 18 in Troy, Ohio —
Feb. 1, 2023 – AEW CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan today announced the launch of “AEW House Rules,” a live event series taking place on select weekends in markets across the country. Continuing the promotion’s meteoric rise and following the success of “AEW: Dynamite” on Wednesdays on TBS and “AEW: Rampage” on Fridays on TNT, fans can expect an up close and personal experience at local venues along with a spectacular and engaging environment.
These non-televised, live events will showcase an electrifying mix of matchups featuring the stars of AEW. Each event offers an even more immersive experience for fans, including customized merchandise, unique ways to engage with featured talent and in-show interactions different from what is featured on televised AEW programming.
The first AEW House Rules show will take place on Saturday, March 18 in Troy, Ohio, at the Hobart Arena and will feature Ohio’s own Jon Moxley, Claudio Castagnoli, Dr. Britt Baker, Darby Allin, Orange Cassidy, and many more. Tickets for all AEW House Rules shows start at $20 plus fees and can be purchased at AEWTIX.com starting Friday, Feb. 3 at 10 a.m. ET. Further show dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
“As a lifelong fan of professional wrestling who grew up attending house shows, AEW House Rules is an exciting next step in our journey, giving fans a new level of access to top-tier professional wrestling,” said Tony Khan. “We’re always looking for meaningful ways to engage with our fans, and AEW House Rules will be a great way for them to connect with our incredible talent and experience AEW in an intimate setting.”
“The extraordinary success of AEW changed the landscape of professional wrestling as a whole, not only by providing a fresh new product, but also by raising the bar in a manner that many deemed impossible a few years ago,” said Jeff Jarrett, AEW’s Director of Business Development. “Now as we expand to live house shows, fans can expect an innovative approach and get up close with the best talent in professional wrestling. In addition to satisfying the passions of diehard fans, we’re excited about creating new fans of all ages through these entertaining events.”
“I’m looking forward to teaming with Jeff Jarrett to oversee the expansion and growth of our live event touring schedule,” said Rafael Morffi, AEW’s VP of Live Events. “AEW House Rules ramps up our commitment to creating positive, memorable experiences for fans at our shows, and we’re thrilled to kick off the initiative on March 18 in Troy, Ohio.”

AEW Announces Revamping of Their Community Outreach Program

AEW also announced that they have recently revamped their official community outreach program.

It was announced that as part of these new changes, Mark Henry, Paul Wight, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, and “Captain” Shawn Dean have all been promoted as special advisors for this program. It was also announced that Katelyn Borden, daughter of Sting, will be serving as AEW’s new Director of Community Engagement.

It was also announced that Amanda Huber, wife of the late Brodie Lee, will be continuing her work as AEW’s Community Engagement Coordinator.

Official press release:

AEW ANNOUNCES REFRESH AND RENAMING OF COMMUNITY PROGRAM: “AEW TOGETHER”
— Revamp Includes Program Restructuring, Enhanced Strategic Pillars and the Addition of Key Staff
Feb. 1, 2023 – AEW CEO, GM and Head of Creative Tony Khan today announced the company’s refreshed and refocused community outreach program under a new name: AEW TOGETHER. Moving forward, AEW TOGETHER will operate as AEW’s philanthropic initiative designed to foster lasting, positive change in each market AEW visits.
Under the leadership of new Director of Community Engagement Katelyn Borden, AEW TOGETHER will dedicate its efforts and initiatives around four core pillars: (1) Next Generation, focusing on youth programs, (2) Equity, with an emphasis on human rights and social change, (3) Service, helping those in need in the local area, and (4) Wellness, focusing on physical and mental health. The efforts of AEW TOGETHER complement AEW’s commitment to fostering the physical and mental wellness of its talent and staff. Borden and AEW Senior Vice President and Chief Legal Officer Megha Parekh established these core pillars with a renewed emphasis on selecting and serving causes near and dear to the hearts of AEW’s roster.
AEW TOGETHER will continue its larger-scale national partnerships with charitable organizations throughout the year, including KultureCity, the American Heart Association and Oceana. In tandem, the team will continue to develop collaborations with local nonprofits and organizations to support communities in need. AEW Together will also continue fundraising efforts and awareness campaigns for groups that align with the program’s core values.
AEW TOGETHER’s relaunch kicks off today, the start of American Heart Month, with a CPR training session done in coordination with the American Heart Association for AEW talent and staff ahead of a live episode of “AEW: Dynamite” in Dayton, Ohio.
The following updates to the AEW TOGETHER team, who will report into Parekh, are effective immediately:
Katelyn Borden will serve as AEW TOGETHER’s Director of Community Engagement. She will be responsible for driving the overall strategy of philanthropic and local activations, managing fundraising targets and overseeing team members. She will also manage the evaluation of proceeds, data and results, and work to secure and develop partnerships and implement activations.
Amanda Huber will continue her impactful work as Community Engagement Coordinator, spearheading the identification of local organizations for collaborations in AEW’s touring markets. Her role will encompass coordinating logistics for activations and meet-and-greets, as well as managing all team communications channels.
Mark Henry, Paul Wight, Jake Roberts, and “Captain” Shawn Dean have been promoted to Special Advisors to AEW TOGETHER. In this role, they will bring their experience and passion for community relations to help identify partner organizations across the country, assist in incorporating talent participation and provide counsel on enhancing activations.
“The overarching mission of AEW TOGETHER is to fight collectively for a better world, and I’m honored to lead this incredible team in our effort to create meaningful impact,” said Katelyn Borden. “With our roster of passionate wrestlers and amazing partners across the country, we have the power to make a difference. We’re thrilled to officially kick off AEW TOGETHER today, and I’m looking forward to all that’s to come this year and beyond.”
”Hand-in-hand with delivering the best product to our fans each week is our strong commitment to fostering a safe, healthy and inclusive community through the power of wrestling. AEW TOGETHER complements this by identifying causes that are important to our talent and supporting organizations in the cities we visit throughout the year,” said Tony Khan. “The team behind AEW TOGETHER will ensure that we make a positive impact in every town we visit through volunteering, fundraising and helping to drive social change.”
For the latest updates and activations, follow @AEWTogether on Twitter & Instagram and visit www.aewtogether.org.

AEW News & Notes

As noted before, former WWE and Major League talent EJ Nduka made his official debut for AEW at their AEW Dark tapings this past Saturday in Orlando, Florida. PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that his sources stated that Nduka was very well received by AEW officials over his ring work against Konosuke Takeshita at the tapings.

Former WWE NXT talent Bodhi Hayward reportedly was among the indie talent brought in by AEW for their Dark tapings this past Saturday in Orlando, according to PWInsider. Hayward reportedly wrestled under the ring name of Brady Booker.

Max Caster recently announced that he will be holding a concert event on March 3rd at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco, California following that night’s AEW Rampage show.

Big Event announced that they recently signed an exclusive deal with HOOK for fan signings events.

AEW producer Pat Buck recently announced that his family is currently expecting the birth of his first daughter.

AEW recently released a video message from Mark Briscoe following his match last week against Jay Lethal on Dynamite that was held in tribute to his late brother Jay Briscoe.