WWE Reportedly Adding Clause That Will Affect AEW To Its Deals With Venues

This past weekend, AEW presented Double or Nothing at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, a venue WWE has used in the past for "WWE Raw," WWE SmackDown," Money in the Bank 2016 and Elimination Chamber 2018. According to the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE has now put clauses in its arena agreements, where AEW will not be able to hold a show at the same building for several weeks before or after the Stamford-based promotion's event. Additionally, Tony Khan's company will not be allowed to announce a venue or sell tickets until WWE has held its show at the same location. 

The information comes after "WWE NXT's" Battleground event clashed with Double or Nothing this past Memorial Day weekend. While some people have suggested the move was purposely done to go up against one of AEW's pay-per-views, WWE's Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative Shawn Michaels recently said the date was chosen because the holidays typically do well for the promotion.

It's not the first time WWE has allegedly attempted to interfere with another promotion's arena booking. In 2018, Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro-Wrestling announced the G1 Supercard would take place at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, over WrestleMania 35 weekend. That event was canceled the following month after reported interference from WWE, who had a strong relationship with the venue since the 1960s. The show was eventually reinstated and went ahead on April 6, 2019 — the event clashed with that year's WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, which took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.