Axe’s Blueprint: AEW x Carnage Carnival

How Tony Khan Could Own the UK Market Before WWE Wakes Up

Introduction: The Noise vs. The Blueprint

I criticized Tony Khan and AEW on X this week and the replies flooded in.

“Nick Khan shill.”

“AEW hater.”

“All In was a success, why complain?”

That’s how far gone the conversation has become. Fans would rather defend the scoreboard than look at the game plan. AEW’s win at All In was real, but what’s the next move? And when you ask how and why, suddenly you’re the villain.

I’ve been around this business too long to stay quiet when there’s a clear path to something bigger. This blueprint isn’t about defending WWE or slamming AEW. It’s about control: of the market, of the moment, and of the narrative.

Tony Khan has a real chance to shift the balance of power in the UK. He just has to stop waiting for moments to happen and start engineering them.

Part I. The WWE–London Cold War

WWE has been stringing London along for years. Politicians and local officials have made their pitch. The ask has always been the same: bring WrestleMania to the UK. WWE listens, nods, then reminds them that site fees drive the bus. London doesn’t want to bend the knee to pay. So WWE stays away.

That’s where things have been stuck: empty promises and missed chances.

Then AEW stepped up with All In. They packed Wembley, made history, and sent a message. London didn’t need WWE to draw 75,000+. The fans were already there.

However, instead of turning that momentum into a movement, AEW reverted to its usual approach. U.S. dates, familiar cities, no long-term UK presence.

Meanwhile, WWE still hasn’t delivered on its end either.

So now London’s standing in the middle of a standoff. One side won’t pay. The other won’t commit. The fans are ready. The cities are waiting. The table’s set.

It’s clearly time for someone to eat.

“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity.”

— Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Part II. The “Carnage Carnival” Concept

AEW has already proven that the UK market will show up. The question now is whether they’re willing to build something permanent.

“Carnage Carnival” is built as a pro-wrestling traveling residency across the UK. Stadiums in Manchester, Cardiff, Birmingham, Glasgow, and London serve as rotating hubs. But the show isn’t just inside the ring. It’s everything wrapped around it.

Each event becomes a day-long experience: Food trucks line the walkways. Independent vendors sell gear and collectibles. Music stages run live sets. Carnival games and fan zones bring families in early. Panel talks and meet-and-greets give diehards more than just a seat. Local wrestling schools showcase their talent in pre-show exhibitions. Great way to revive AEW Dark.

The AEW show is the finale, not the product. The city itself becomes the event.

This model doesn’t rely on inflated site fees or empty promises. It creates real value: for fans, for local economies, and for AEW’s brand. Month after month, the company embeds itself deeper into the culture of every town it touches.

There’s no gimmick here. Just smart infrastructure and consistent delivery. This is how you become essential to a region, not just simply become a visitor.

Part III. Why It Works for AEW

AEW doesn’t need another tentpole. They already have All In, Double or Nothing, and Forbidden Door. What they lack is territorial control.

Carnage Carnival builds that. It locks AEW into a market that’s already shown up in force. Instead of flying in once a year and hoping the hype holds, AEW sets up a circuit. Each month, a new stadium, same blueprint: day-long experience, local engagement, capped off with a primetime show.

It’s not dependent on site fees or a U.S. media deal. It generates steady revenue from ticketing, vendors, tourism, and merchandising. Once established, the costs are predictable, and the returns become reliable.

It also turns the UK into AEW’s turf. Right now, WWE’s grip on the region is soft. They tease London with WrestleMania but never commit. AEW can be the one who shows up, month after month. Fans respond to consistency. Cities build around it.

And honestly, if we’re keeping it real, most of the trolls who come after me when I called out Tony Khan? UK flags in their bios. That’s not a complaint. To me, it’s confirmation. The interest is already there. Time to feed those starving trolls.

Carnage Carnival doesn’t replace AEW’s current big events. It supports them. It gives the brand a physical presence in a country waiting for one.

Part IV. The Pressure Play on WWE

WWE doesn’t move without a check. That’s been very clear now. Cities can pitch all they want, but if the site fee isn’t there, the conversation ends. Just ask New Orleans. And London’s learning that the slow and hard way.

But if AEW launches Carnage Carnival and runs the UK consistently, the game changes. Suddenly, WWE isn’t the only option on the block. AEW becomes the brand with real presence: on the ground, in the press, and in the economy.

That forces WWE to rethink its position. Either they match AEW’s investment and risk looking late to their own party, or they double down on the U.S. and concede ground in a market they’ve dominated for decades.

Carnage Carnival isn’t just good business, it’s about building leverage. It shifts the balance. AEW will control the narrative, the attention, and the calendar in the UK.

And make no mistake: once local governments see the tourism numbers, foot traffic, and spending around each event, they’ll back the brand that’s showing up. Not the one dangling promises.

WWE loves to sell the dream of WrestleMania. AEW could be delivering the reality every month.

This is about rejecting the one-weekend business model and replacing it with a year-round presence that builds real equity, and making sure WWE hears every step of it.

Part V. Strategic Synergy with the NFL

Carnage Carnival does more than plant AEW in the UK. It reopens the pipeline between the Khans and the NFL.

The NFL’s push into London hasn’t disappeared. It’s just stalled. Shad Khan and the Jaguars were handpicked by Roger Goodell to lead the charge, but the momentum hasn’t been maintained. Meanwhile, WWE has been making inroads through corporate/partnership alignment, packaged with international positioning.

AEW hasn’t been part of that picture. It’s been operating in isolation with no real link back to the NFL, even though it shares ownership with one of the league’s most visible international teams. That disconnect leaves money and influence on the table.

Carnage Carnival creates a way back in. With a fixed residency in the UK, AEW can align its calendar directly with the NFL’s. Schedule AEW events on Saturdays before Jaguars games on Sunday. Package deals. Shared venue costs. Cross-promoted fan experiences. One weekend with two tentpole events. One for wrestling. One for football.

The commercial upside is massive. Ticket sales, media rights, sponsorship bundling, hospitality activations: all amplified. Local governments would support it. Brands would buy in. The NFL would see AEW as a contributor, not a distraction.

This also restores the Khans’ position inside the league’s expansion efforts. AEW becomes a strategic piece of the UK puzzle. Not just as an independent wrestling product, but a platform that drives revenue, fans, and cultural relevance in the same markets the NFL is targeting.

Instead of operating as a separate entity, AEW and the Jaguars function as a single unit. One ecosystem. One long-term plan. This brings AEW back into serious business territory and cuts WWE off from locking down the relationship unopposed.

Part VI. The Long-Term Vision

This doesn’t end in the UK. It starts there.

Once the system works, venue partnerships, vendor pipelines, media attention, it scales. Paris. Berlin. Dublin. Amsterdam. AEW can build out a European circuit that doesn’t rely on U.S. broadcast windows or pay-per-view buys. It becomes a physical footprint, not just a streaming number.

From there, more verticals open up:

• AEW-exclusive merchandise drops tied to each city.

• Licensing deals with UK broadcasters like Channel 4, BBC Three, or even a Sky partnership.

• Local tourism campaigns built around the event calendar.

• Partnerships with British and European wrestling schools to build feeder programs.

And AEW wouldn’t need to chase outside validation to fund this. The economy builds itself. Cities and stadiums will want in once the first few stops show results.

TKO built its empire on global brand power. AEW can build one by embedding into the ground. Country by country. Community by community.

This is how you go from a challenger brand to an international institution.

Ultima Sententia: From Blueprints to Battlegrounds

The UK isn’t waiting. It’s wide open. WWE won’t commit. AEW won’t return. Fans are left clinging to one historic night at Wembley while both companies focus elsewhere.

Carnage Carnival gives AEW a way to stop drifting and start planting flags. It turns momentum into infrastructure. It creates a platform, not just an event.

I didn’t write this because I hate AEW. I wrote it because I’ve watched them circle opportunity without ever landing the shot. The fans attacking me on X? They don’t get it yet. But the cities and promoters in the UK will.

This isn’t a fantasy booking thread. It’s a revenue model. It’s a media strategy. It’s a challenge to the status quo.

Tony Khan has the money. He has the roster. He just needs a spine and a blueprint. I’m pretty sure Ospreay and Meltzer wouldn’t complain.

I’ve done my part.

Time to do yours, Tony.

…

“History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.”

— Winston Churchill

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Blake Avignon is the pseudonym of a media and advertising strategist and executive who has worked across and represents clients in F1, MLB, NBA, UFC, and the NFL. He builds brands, brokers partnerships, and helps reshape the future of sports and entertainment from the inside.