Texas: Where the best wrestle. The Metroplex is well known for hosting major global events and continues to be a hub for entertainment and sports. In March, Sports Business Journal named Arlington the No. 6 sports business city in the U.S. At an Aug. 15 press conference, Mayor Jim Ross announced the city will host All Elite Wrestling’s largest annual event, All in Texas, on July 12, 2025 at Globe Life Field. This year, the event will take place on Aug. 25 in London for the second consecutive year. In 2023, the company broke several records including the highest-grossing AEW wrestling event and the largest pro-wrestling crowd held in Europe, with over $10 million in revenue. The show marks the first professional wrestling event at Globe Life Field, AEW’s first pay-per-view show in Texas and its first stadium show in the U.S. “I couldn’t think of a better place to do it. There’s not a better place to do it,” Tony Khan, AEW president and CEO, said. “This is the perfect home for AEW’s first [U.S.] stadium show.” Matt Wilson, executive director of Arlington Sports Commissions, anticipates that AEW: All in Texas and its related events will generate around $15 million in economic impact. Arlington preserves a storied history in hosting major events, Wilson said. The city appreciates AEW for trusting it to host the event and utilize arenas and stadiums. The city is a big stage and these shows not only bring global attention to it but also benefit the residents, he added. In May, AEW announced a partnership with Arlington to host a summer series featuring six shows from July through August at Esports Stadium Arlington. This marked the first residency of its kind in the city and while All in Texas discussions were ongoing, the relationship began with these events, he said. Wilson said there’s been great demand from wrestling fans across the region to attend these shows, which has helped AEW deliver high-quality events in Arlington. While economic numbers aren’t available, the city is pleased with the sold-out shows and boosts for local businesses. Khan said the announcement for All in Texas couldn’t come at a better time. He noted this will be AEW’s largest show in the U.S., emphasizing the company’s commitment to delivering its best in Texas, where everything is done bigger. The state has been hosting AEW shows since its inception in 2019. “It just feels right,” Khan said. “There’s never been a wrestling show here and I think we can do something really special. Our goal is to set the building attendance record, which I believe we can do.” Dallas native Adrienne “Athena” Palmer, Ring of Honor Women’s Champion, started her wrestling career in Mesquite, Texas, and began training on her first shows in Arlington at 18 years old. More than 10 years later, she still excitedly detailed familiar territories in Arlington, like boba tea shops, Insomnia Cookies and classic restaurants. “To have my humbling beginnings turn into something as big as All in Texas, it’s very humbling. It’s very awesome. It’s a very full circle moment,” she said. “I say that a lot, but I’m very biased, because I love Arlington to death.” With residency in Arlington for a month, Athena’s been fortunate to not go through TSA every week, drive 15 to 20 minutes to work, sleep in her own bed and still enjoy energy from the crowds. Wrestler Darby Allin and others paced around, scouting the stadium, possibly running scenarios in their heads of what the show will look like next year. The look in their eyes, they’re imagining what they’re going to jump off and what it’s going to be like, Khan said. “It’s a great tradition. There’s such a rich history around the great state of Texas, of [professional] wrestling,” Khan said. “It’s in everyone’s blood here, [professional] wrestling, and there’s great community support for it.” The summer series was part of a strategy to determine ticket sales, but recent sellouts provided confidence in making Arlington home, Khan said. Strong fan support reinforced the belief that All in Texas will be successful. “Texas is Texas,” Athena said. “We love our [professional] wrestling, we’ve loved [professional] wrestling since World Class days, since the Sportatorium was up and running. It’s a really cool opportunity, a really cool moment, just to be a part of the community a little bit more so than I already am.” Appearing on All in Texas is “do or die,” Athena said. Performing in front of a large crowd is bigger than being a performer. It’s about showing friends, family and those who haven’t quite made it to this level, that hard work pays off, she said. “It’s immensely important for me to be on this show as a Dallas native, as someone that’s very familiar with the area,” Athena said. “I am the homegrown talent.” @heyyyitslando sports-editor.shorthorn@uta.edu