Backstage Notes on WWE x AAA Worlds Collide, CM Punk’s Involvement, & Reaction to AEW All Out Ticket Sales

While AEW presents All Out 2026 later tonight at the NOW Arena in Chicago, WWE will present WWE x AAA Worlds Collide in the Chicago area as well. Fightful Select has more details on tonight’s Worlds Collide show.

Although WWE ran the event to impact ticket sales for All Out, it didn’t have much of an effect, with the AEW pay-per-view nearing sellout status. Fightful reports that sources in WWE admitted that they didn’t expect All Out tickets to sell as well as they did, but they were still happy with how well tickets sold for Worlds Collide. As noted, over 13,200 tickets have been sold for Worlds Collide.

Additionally, Worlds Collide will not receive a live broadcast. It will stream later on Wednesday (Sept. 30) on YouTube. Fightful Select reports that the decision to not broadcast the show live was made to encourage more people in the area to attend the event in person, theoretically impacting AEW’s ticket sales. Also, it’s said the decision not to broadcast the show live was made in early August.

Worlds Collide will also feature former WWE Undisputed Champion CM Punk in action in a six-man tag team match. Fightful reports that CM Punk’s being on the show was discussed early on during the planning stages of the event.

WWE x AAA Worlds Collide takes place later tonight at the Allstate Arena. It streams exclusively on YouTube at 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT on Wednesday, September 30.