Tony Khan has gone out of his way to leave his mark on the wrestling history of North Texas.
As All Elite Wrestling’s month-plus residency at Esports Stadium Arlington entitled the “AEW: Path To All In Summer Series” comes to a close this weekend, the AEW CEO and general manager couldn’t leave town without making one more major announcement.
Alongside Arlington mayor Jim Ross, Khan took part in Thursday’s press conference at Globe Life Field to break the news that the pay-per-view event “All In Texas” will be coming to the home of the Texas Rangers next year.
The event is scheduled to take place on July 12, 2025. It will be the first stateside event held in a stadium in the company’s history, as well as AEW’s first pay-per-view inside the state of Texas.
“For so long, fans have asked, when is AEW going to do a pay-per-view in Texas? It comes up all the time,” Khan told The Dallas Morning News.
“Every time we do a show in Texas, the fans deliver. And I’ve been waiting a long time to give that answer. We do everything big here in Texas, so it’s very fitting that we bring our biggest event, and make history here with our first Texas pay-per-view.”
One year ago, “All In” in London drew an attendance number of 72,265 fans at Wembley Stadium, becoming one of the highest-attended events in professional wrestling history.
Country music star Morgan Wallen holds the attendance record at Globe Life Field after 43,598 people came to watch him perform in 2022. Games 1 and 2 of the 2023 World Series drew 42,472 and 42,500 fans, respectively.
With the initial seating plans in place for next year’s event, it is AEW’s intention to set a new mark at Globe Life Field, Khan told The News.
“We think we have a chance to set the all-time attendance record,” Khan said. “That would be pretty cool.”
Here’s more from the conversation with Khan following Thursday’s announcement:
On All In making the jump from London to Arlington, and what it means to finally bring a pay-per-view event to the Lone Star State...
Khan: “It is a huge announcement on many, many levels. AEW All In is such an important event in sports, and it’s one of the most marquee nights in pro wrestling. I think for us, it’s the end-all, be-all. To announce the location is very special to us and Arlington, Texas, it’s a very special place. And the timing of this is so ... the timing of this feels like kismet. It’s so incredible that we’ve been able to come to Arlington and have this run of shows that has been so energetic and fun to go to the Esports Stadium and put on shows every weekend.
“I think that the energy of the Texas wrestling fans is unparalleled, and we’ve been waiting for so long to make this announcement. For so long, fans have asked, when is AEW going to do a pay-per-view in Texas? It comes up all the time. And every time we do a show in Texas, the fans deliver. And I’ve been waiting a long time to give that answer. We do everything big here in Texas, so it’s very fitting that we bring our biggest event, and make history here with our first Texas pay-per-view.”
AEW's @TonyKhan on why now is the time for the first PPV in Texas and the first stadium show in the U.S. before All In returns to London in 2026. @AEW pic.twitter.com/19SPfAuFVJ
— Joey Hayden (@_joeyhayden) August 15, 2024
Was AT&T Stadium ever under consideration as a landing spot for All In?
Khan: “It’s a great thought. It’s a great question. We’ve had an excellent relationship with the Jones family. I love Jerry and Stephen and Jerry Jr. and Charlotte, they’re a great family. ... And of course, Jerry is a legend in the NFL and a mentor to so many of the owners, and a friend and a mentor to my father [Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan]. And before my dad came into the NFL, he became close to Jerry and sought out Jerry’s advice on becoming an NFL owner and what it would take and they’re great friends to this day, and Jerry and his family have been great friends to me, so absolutely.
“It’s a great facility, and I have a lot of respect for him and everything they do. I also have great relationships here with the Texas Rangers. The Texas Rangers, world champions, are one of the most cutting edge, thought leading organizations and the Texas Rangers make great use of data science, analytics and they have been a great client for many years for my sports engineering and analytics company, TruMedia Networks. ... I have a great love for baseball, and it means a lot, the relationship that TruMedia has with the Texas Rangers. A great client and friends. We were very proud when they won the World Series, and, you know, to be able to be their engineering partner and provide them with top platforms and tools.
“So, I have great relationships on both sides, and I think it’s just a great sports community, you know. You have great options here. I think [Globe Life Field] is a great venue. And, of course, I have a ton of respect for Jerry and what they built [at AT&T Stadium], and that’s a great venue, too. You know, we’re doing something here that’s never been done before, that’s pretty exciting and very cool. Tons of respect all around.”
With All In in Arlington next year before going back to London, what does that say for the future of AEW’s summer series potentially coming back to Esports Stadium?
Khan: “Great question. I can’t speak to that right now, but it’s a great question. I can say we’ve had an amazing experience. It has been a life-changing, great experience being at the Esports Stadium. The wrestlers love it, the fans love it, the staff loves it, I love it. We have a great thing going. There’s a biological connection between the wrestlers, the staff, the fans, the building, everybody, the way it all clicks, the cameras, we all have a great chemistry and magic together there that can’t really be — it could only happen organically.
“I love being in Arlington. Those shows, that venue is great. Obviously, we’re trying something here [at Globe Life Field] that’s going to be the first time anybody’s ever done a show like this. And I think it’s really exciting. But the Esports Stadium has been great to us.”
On his experience booking shows with the Von Erich family — featuring Kevin and his sons, Ross and Marshall — during AEW and Ring of Honor’s recent stay in North Texas where the Von Erich family has such a history...
Khan: “It was awesome. Working with Kevin Von Erich in Texas, and being able to bring the Von Erich and Rhodes families together, teaming for the first time since the 1970s, it’s pretty amazing. Especially in the wake of the entire planet catching World Class [Championship Wrestling] Von Erich fever after The Iron Claw, and then to be able to work with the great Kevin Von Erich himself, bring him into the AEW locker room, bring Ross and Marshall in, to have Ross and Marshall team with Dustin Rhodes, and have Dustin Rhodes as a mentor for them and so many other great mentors in the locker room, [Katsuyori] Shibata and Orange Cassidy.
“It was a great moment for me when I saw Kevin, when his sons won the [Ring of Honor six-man tag] titles, and to see how proud he was of his sons. I thought that was so cool to see how proud they were to be able to hand the championship belts to their father here in Arlington, in a place where the Von Erichs had so many fans, such a rich tradition.
EXCLUSIVE: @DustinRhodes & The Von Erich Family CELEBRATE their #ROH World 6-Man Title WIN!@MarshallVonEric | @RossVonErich pic.twitter.com/inx15Npmsr
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) July 28, 2024
“And then to be able to team with Dustin Rhodes and for Dustin and Kevin, you know, Dustin’s father teamed with Kevin in 1978 and for Dustin to be able to stand there next to Kevin in a ring in Texas, in Arlington, around the Dallas metroplex, all these great fans, and to do it on TNT, it was pretty cool.
“Also, I thought it was kind of fun after spending some time in AEW and getting to know what the place is like, how great the locker room is to see Kevin really bonding with people in locker room. And after the Von Erichs had teamed with Orange Cassidy, you saw Kevin sought out Orange Cassidy to shake his hand in the ring. And I think that also speaks to, you know, misconceptions in wrestling, when you see one of the greatest veterans of all time going up to like, an Orange Cassidy, and going to shake his hand, and says, okay, maybe there really is something to this guy.”
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