WWE’s 8 PM ET start time for Worlds Collide on Saturday, September 26 was chosen on purpose. WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select has learned the timing is intentional, with WWE looking to compete directly with AEW All Out that same night.
That means neither show gets a head start. AEW’s official pay-per-view listing has All Out going live at 8 PM ET, which is 7 PM local time in Illinois.
The two buildings are a short drive apart. Worlds Collide takes place at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, while All Out runs from NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates. The report came alongside WWE’s start times for the rest of its 2026 premium live events.
WWE Has Been Circling This Date Since July
AEW announced All Out for September 26 on July 6. Ten days later, WWE revealed Worlds Collide for the same date in the same market.
This isn’t WWE’s first run at an AEW pay-per-view this summer. NXT Heatwave overlapped with All In from London’s Wembley Stadium on August 30, and Darby Allin has already weighed in on WWE’s counterprogramming. Chicago takes away the ocean and the time difference.
The competition extends to the box office. WrestleTix data shows Worlds Collide has distributed more than 10,000 tickets with almost nothing announced, while All Out is close to a sellout.
WWE is leaning on a hometown name. Undisputed WWE Champion CM Punk is advertised for the show in Chicago, and the winner of the TripleMania 34 Night 1 four-way between Roxanne Perez, Nattie, Faby Apache and La Hiedra earns a AAA Reina de Reinas Championship match at Worlds Collide.
AEW’s card is further along. Will Ospreay defends the AEW World Championship against Jon Moxley in the All Out main event, while Adam Copeland and Christian Cage put the AEW World Tag Team Championship on the line against FTR and The Young Bucks in a three-way.
The Brawling Birds also defend the AEW Women’s World Tag Team Championship against Divine Dominion in a Chicago Street Fight.
