AEW Did Not Forget to Ship a Ring for Grand Slam: Australia

Recent speculation on social media has suggested that AEW mistakenly failed to ship a wrestling ring in time for AEW Grand Slam: Australia, forcing the promotion to borrow one at the last minute. However, these claims are entirely false.

AEW does not transport its 20×20 rings overseas for international events. Instead, the company had always planned to use an 18×18 ring for the event in Brisbane—a common industry-standard size that has been utilized by promotions such as TNA, ROH, ECW, WCW, and various independent companies. Many AEW wrestlers have extensive experience competing in 18×18 rings, and at no point was there a plan to use a 16×16 ring, as some online rumors suggested.

Unlike WWE, which maintains rings in international locations for its global events, AEW rents rings when holding shows outside the United States. While it is unclear if the specific ring used at Grand Slam was the exact one originally planned, the intention was always to use an 18×18 ring, with all branding and ring aprons adjusted accordingly.

This is not the first time AEW has used an 18×18 ring. The promotion notably utilized one for the acclaimed Britt Baker vs. Thunder Rosa steel cage match in the United States.

Simply put, AEW did not forget to ship a ring—this was the plan from the start.

I just got a report alleging that Kyle Fletcher got his buddies to loan AEW one of the local indy rings for the #AEWGrandSlamBrisbane show. Apparently, AEW didn't factor in frieght times properly for Brisbane travel. The ring is 16×16, way smaller than normal, and the ring aprons… pic.twitter.com/xWVw3EL8y2

— The Death of AEW® (@AEWFULWRESTLING) February 15, 2025