Brian Cage, known for his work in AEW and ROH, recently discussed the wrestling promotion’s move toward hosting events in smaller venues during an appearance on the Hitting the Turnbuckle podcast. He explained how this strategy affects both the atmosphere and the crowd experience at shows.
Cage remarked,
“We’ve done some smaller shows, as far as bigger arena shows but they’re like a little smaller. So they’re scaled down, where you can get more of a sold-out capacity and then, two, when it’s more filled, the crowd is more lively. It just is. The more space you have — it could be 6,000 people regardless, but if there’s 6,000 people in a 7,000-seat arena and 6,000 people in a 10,000-seat arena, the six in the seven is gonna be louder, just because they’re all contained.”
—Brian Cage, AEW/ROH Wrestler
The Appeal and Drawbacks of More Intimate Settings
On the subject of performing in smaller, more tightly packed venues, Cage highlighted the energizing effect of audience proximity. He reflected on residencies held at places like the Aragon Ballroom, emphasizing the positive impact of the crowd feeding off one another. At the same time, he conveyed his personal ambivalence toward these repeated smaller shows.
“They’re all next to each other, they all feed off of each other’s energy… Now when it comes to the smaller, smaller venues, like the (Aragon) Ballroom that they did and a few different residencies, they have a cool look and a cool setup and there’s some convenience sake for ‘em but, ultimately, this is just my opinion personally, I prefer it in the normal arenas, so you’re not in the same place the whole time because you kind of start to kill the town… And again, it’s just for me.”
—Brian Cage, AEW/ROH Wrestler
Balancing Perception: The Illusion of Larger Arenas
Cage also spoke about the psychological effect of competing on larger stages, even when the actual audience size is similar to that of the smaller venues. He indicated that the grander arenas create an impression of a bigger, more impressive event, which can be diminished when shows are held repeatedly at the same smaller location.
“There’s more an illusion that you’re on a bigger stage in the bigger arenas, even though it’s still on TV, it’s still being watched by all the same amount of people… It just creates the illusion that it’s bigger than what it could be like when we’re doing some of the smaller shows at the residencies, and even then, those can still be fun and okay… I don’t like it as much because I don’t like performing in the same place over and over and over and over again because again, it loses the mystique and just kind of feels more, you know, paint-by-numbers, so to speak, and again, that’s just me.”
—Brian Cage, AEW/ROH Wrestler
Implications for AEW’s Event Strategy and Fan Experience
Cage’s insights reveal a tension between the advantages of smaller venues—such as fuller attendance and a more intense crowd energy—and the potential downsides, including a diminishing novelty for performers and fans alike. His views suggest that AEW’s shift to smaller arenas, while practical and beneficial to crowd dynamics, may impact the unique atmosphere traditionally associated with larger arena events. Whether AEW will strike a balance between these factors remains a key consideration as they plan future shows.
