CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Nearly two decades have gone by for Charleston without hosting a live cable-network professional wrestling broadcast. The wait is over.
For the first time since 2000, the world will be able to watch a high flying ring event as All Elite Wrestling (AEW) invades the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center on Wednesday that will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the arena and broadcast on TNT at 8 p.m.
Brandi Rhodes, AEW Chief Branding Officer, and In-Ring Talent and Cody Rhodes, the Executive VP of Live Events, Talent and Marketing for AEW and In-Ring Talent spoke with MetroNews on Tuesday to preview AEW’s Dynamite show.
“We are going to have a full two-hour taping, lots of bells and whistles involved including the crowning of the first AEW world tag-team champions that’ll only happen one time and it’s happening in Charleston, West Virginia. That’s a cool and historic moment,” Brandi Rhodes told MetroNews.
This is AEW’s fifth live televised event on TNT with previous stops in Washington D.C., Boston, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Cody Rhodes said Charleston was selected in part because of past television ratings for wrestling events.
“Just all across the board with Double or Nothing, with All Out there has been a lot of views and interests from Charleston. When you have a TV show, the old rule of thumb is you have to go where the TV is,” he said.
Cody Rhodes is part of a loaded card on Wednesday that features him in an AEW Full Gear contract signing with World Champion Chris Jericho. The Lucha Bros. will face SCU in the finals of the AEW World Tag Team Championship tournament, The Rock ‘N’ Roll Express will be there to present the AEW World Tag Team Championships, The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega square off against Hybrid 2 and Kip Sabian in a six-man event, Hangman Page takes on Sammy Guevara, and there will be an appearances of Jon Moxley and Hikaru Shida.
VIEW: AEW preview of Wednesday night’s show
Rhodes, the son of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) legend Dusty Rhodes, said he has always loved coming to Charleston during his time with WWE and believes the AEW wrestlers coming here for the first time will enjoy it.
“This is exciting for me because I grew up on southern wrestling,” Rhodes said. “A lot of the wrestlers we have are west coast style, indy style, it’s going to be a first for them. I know it’s going to be a first that they are like ‘I want to come back to Charleston.’
“There’s a different charm to it and I think they will experience that.”
July 3, 2000, was the date of the previous date of the last live televised wrestling show in the capital city when World Championship Wrestling (WCW) came to town. Less than a year after that show, WCW was sold to WWE owner Vince McMahon. AEW was founded on January 1 of this year by Tony Kahn, son of Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Kahn.
The Wednesday show will be invaded by Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty as well as being Halloween themed. There will be a third hour of wrestling content for fans inside the arena during AEW Dark.
Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center will open the doors at 6:30 with the event beginning at 7:30. A meet and greet will take place for the first 100 fans when the doors open.
Tickets can be found at allelitewrestling.com/events. Brandi Rhodes said the event will be a great time for the whole family.
“They start at $20, it’s a great idea to come and bring the whole family,” she said. “If you haven’t watched wrestling in 20 years, this is the time to start watching it. It’s a huge boom and this is the product that has brought it back. Come be a part of history.”