AEW found a way to get its wrestlers and staff to Phoenix for Saturday’s Full Gear pay-per-view, even as widespread flight disruptions left travelers stranded across the country.
Owner Tony Khan arranged private planes to bring people to the event at the Mortgage Matchup Center, where fans were expected to fill the venue. In a video posted on social media, he said the previous day had been difficult for many people and offered his sympathy to those affected by cancellations and delays.
Khan said private and commercial flights had both been grounded, and AEW had to work within the same restrictions as everyone else. The company developed a backup plan, sending planes to three hub locations to pick up wrestlers and staff.
Everyone scheduled for the main Full Gear card made it to Phoenix. The only adjustment, Khan said, involved the Tailgate Brawl, which was part of the pre-show. He thought some changes to the main card would likely have been necessary without the private flights.
Adam Copeland, who is set to face Kazuchika Okada for the AEW International Championship, described his trip from the East Coast as a challenge. His flight was preparing to leave for Denver when the pilot announced a nationwide ground stop. Copeland went home, and then watched as his replacement flights were canceled one by one.
With his next scheduled flight not due to leave until the following morning, Khan sent a plane to pick him up. AEW commentator Tony Schiavone was also there early, so Copeland invited him over for coffee. Copeland said his family and dogs helped make the wait a little more pleasant.
Schiavone had planned to fly from Atlanta, but uncertainty about delays led him to take a smaller plane from Asheville, North Carolina. He said he would have driven to Phoenix if he’d had enough time for the roughly 27-hour trip. His car is still in Asheville, he added, but getting to Full Gear was what mattered.
Mark Davis and Jake Doyle, who compete as Davis and Doyle, also faced a difficult journey ahead of their AEW World Tag Team Championship match against The Young Bucks. Davis said he traveled across Florida, from Tampa to Orlando, looking for a flight before Khan’s arrangements got them moving again.
Doyle said his trip involved driving to Detroit and then Chicago, followed by an eight-hour wait on a private jet. He thanked Khan for arranging the flight and said the team was ready to face The Young Bucks.
Matt Jackson said he and his brother Nick, the Young Bucks, were already in California and drove to Phoenix. They had about six hours on the road to think through their match, he said, and were prepared despite the rough travel day.
Commentator Excalibur was at the gym when he heard about the disruption. He drove for five hours from Southern California to Phoenix, saying he wouldn’t miss the show. He added that others in AEW had faced more difficult journeys, but everyone was determined to get there if they could.
Nigel McGuinness, the third member of the broadcast team, also drove from Los Angeles. He said he had never missed a show and wasn’t about to miss Full Gear.
The main pay-per-view card is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET and will stream on HBO Max.
