WWE and parent company TKO are reportedly planning another direct challenge to AEW, targeting one of its major international pay-per-view events. According to a report from WrestleVotes Radio on WrestleBinge, the company intends to run an NXT Heatwave special on Sunday, August 24, the same day as AEW’s Forbidden Door.
The move appears to be a calculated counterprogramming effort aimed squarely at one of AEW’s signature shows. Forbidden Door, a cross-promotional event with Japan’s NJPW, is set to take place at The O2 Arena in London, England, and is already projected to be one of the largest gates in company history. The event is a cornerstone of AEW’s international strategy and will feature the final UK match for Japanese wrestling legend Hiroshi Tanahashi.
This reported scheduling decision by WWE is not an isolated incident but rather part of a larger, more aggressive strategy under TKO’s leadership. The plan follows a similar pattern established for AEW’s ALL IN weekend, which is also being countered by a slate of WWE programming including Saturday Night’s Main Event, Great American Bash, and Evolution. The choice to use the NXT brand as the primary vehicle for these challenges continues a deliberate tactic.
The report states that the decision to go head-to-head with AEW was made by TKO executives. The planned NXT Heatwave event is reportedly being considered for the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium in South Carolina.
With this latest move, TKO and WWE are signaling a clear and sustained competitive strategy. By positioning an NXT special event directly opposite a major AEW pay-per-view, the company is intensifying the ongoing rivalry and directly competing for audience attention on one of the wrestling calendar’s biggest nights.