Bully Ray Details The Predicament AEW Finds Itself In With All Out 2023

Last weekend's AEW All In 2023 event made history for the company, with over 81,000 fans packing Wembley Stadium in London, England. However, the buzz surrounding AEW All Out on Saturday arguably isn't as hot, presumably because most of the matches weren't booked until after All In. Additionally, it's the company's second pay-per-view in the space of a week. As such, Bully Ray believes that AEW is at risk of burning out its fan base, and the signs are already showing.

The WWE Hall of Famer spoke about the situation on a recent episode of "Busted Open," revealing that AEW is losing the interest of its fan base in one of the company's most popular demographics.

"How much can you possibly handle in such a short span? Obviously, there wasn't enough people [at Dynamite] that wanted to go see that show live... The two callers that were in attendance at Dynamite, who called into After Dark, both said the same thing: There was nobody there, and the people that were there were underwhelming. This is Chicago we're talking about. Nine out 10 pro wrestlers would tell you, if they could wrestle in any city, it'd be Chicago."

According to Ray, he's never heard of any wrestling company causing burnout in Chicago until now. While factors such as Chi-town native CM Punk being suspended for All Out has probably cooled interest in the event, the WWE Hall of Famer believes that there aren't any must-see matches with compelling stories behind them booked for the show either.

"There's no, 'I have to be planted in front of my TV set.' Now, Samoa Joe and Shane Taylor? Do I want to see that match? Yes. Is it absolutely 'I must be in front of my TV?' Nope."

If you use any quotes from this podcast, please credit "Busted Open" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription. Make sure to check out Wrestling Inc. this weekend for live coverage of WWE Payback, as well as all the latest news leading into the event.