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AEW might have a shiny new TV deal with WBD, likely meaning years of profitability for the fledgling company, but the promotion is still wrestling with attendance numbers getting lower and lower. The recent "Grand Slam" in Arthur Ashe Stadium didn't help this perception, as ticket sales for the event have declined over the years. On "Busted Open Radio," former TNA World Champion Bully Ray said the company should move the September special.
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"Here's the thing with AEW and Arthur Ashe ... The numbers have dwindled, this being the least-biggest house that they've had," Bully said. According to the WWE Hall of Famer, Arthur Ashe doesn't provide enough aesthetic differences to other arenas to warrant such pomp and circumstance. "It's not gonna look that much different." Bully posits a different arena for the next Grand Slam, Hammerstein Ballroom, which has played host to numerous events from ECW and ROH. Perception-wise, Bully believes it would look like a downgrade, but the legacy of the building would salve that issue.
"That's the place where there's this vibe, this electricity, this feel ... Yes, you're going into a smaller building, but that building is going to give you back in spades what you're losing in the amount of tickets," Bully explained, noting that ticket prices can be much higher in Hammerstein. "The vibe and the feel is going to blow Arthur Ashe away." Hammerstein will soon play host to a wrestling show, though not from WWE or AEW, as GCW will make its return to the venue next year for "The People vs. GCW" in January.
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If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

