In a strategic move ahead of a major weekend for professional wrestling, WWE is once again removing the NXT name from one of its premium live events. The upcoming Heatwave show, scheduled to run on the same day as AEW’s Forbidden Door, is being marketed simply as WWE Heatwave, a decision that comes as ticket sales for the event have been sluggish.
The rebranding was highlighted by Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio. He noted the deliberate omission of the developmental brand’s name for the show, which takes place on Sunday, August 24, at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium in Lowell, Massachusetts.
“They are not branding NXT. This is now the second time that there’s an NXT show that they’re just calling ‘WWE Whatever.’”
He pointed to a recent precedent, explaining how the company handled a similar situation with another NXT-centric event to establish a pattern.
“It was WWE Great American Bash—WWE, WWE, WWE—for a total NXT show. And now this is Forbidden Door against WWE Heatwave, which is an NXT show.”
Despite the move to leverage the main WWE brand name, the strategy has not yet translated into a sold-out venue. Even with the Lowell Memorial Auditorium being a smaller facility, sales have been slow to fill the building for the August event.
“They were in a small building and, up until the last couple days, they weren’t even sold out in that little building.”
While Heatwave is positioned against AEW Forbidden Door, there will be little direct broadcast competition for viewers in the United States. AEW’s event takes place in London, meaning it will air in the afternoon for American audiences, hours before Heatwave’s 7 PM ET start time. WWE’s show is set to feature top talent from its developmental brand, including champions Oba Femi, Jacy Jayne, Ethan Page, and Sol Ruca, along with an appearance by TNA World Champion Trick Williams.
Industry observers view the scheduling as a calculated tactic by WWE to challenge AEW for media buzz and fan attention. This follows a pattern of counter-programming major AEW shows, such as NXT Battleground running opposite Double or Nothing in May. By using NXT for these maneuvers, WWE can compete for the weekend’s narrative while insulating its main roster brands, RAW and SmackDown, from any direct ratings comparison.
The competitive scheduling comes as AEW continues to build momentum for Forbidden Door. The July 16 episode of Dynamite featured significant developments in the feud between “Hangman” Adam Page and Jon Moxley and included a tease from Darby Allin, heightening anticipation for the crossover event with NJPW.
This sets the stage for August 24 to be a “super Sunday” for wrestling fans, creating a battleground for brand loyalty and online discussion, even if the two shows don’t go head-to-head in the same time slot.