Navigating the modern professional wrestling schedule can be a daunting task for even the most dedicated fans. Gone are the days when wrestling was confined to Saturday mornings or a single Monday night timeslot. Today, the wrestling landscape is a sprawling, multi-platform ecosystem that operates 24/7, 365 days a year. With major promotions like World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and All Elite Wrestling (AEW) producing hours of live television weekly, alongside a vibrant independent circuit and international promotions like New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), keeping track of who is fighting where and when requires a strategic approach. This guide aims to demystify the wrestling schedule, providing you with the authority and depth needed to ensure you never miss a major moment.
Understanding the WWE Weekly Schedule
The cornerstone of the global wrestling schedule is undoubtedly the WWE. Their programming anchors the week for millions of fans. Historically, Monday Night Raw has been the flagship show, airing live every Monday evening. It is crucial to note that broadcast partners and platforms are evolving, with major shifts moving content to streaming giants like Netflix. Following Raw, the developmental brand, NXT, typically takes the spotlight on Tuesday nights. NXT serves as the breeding ground for future superstars, often featuring a mix of established veterans and hungry newcomers. Finally, the week culminates with Friday Night SmackDown, a show that rivals Raw in star power and viewership, currently airing on major broadcast networks.
WWE Premium Live Events (PLEs)
Beyond the weekly episodic television, the WWE schedule is punctuated by monthly Premium Live Events, formerly known as Pay-Per-Views. These events are where storylines reach their climax and championships often change hands. The schedule is anchored by the “Big Four” events: Royal Rumble in January, WrestleMania in the spring, SummerSlam in August, and Survivor Series in November. While these events have historically been held on Sunday nights, there has been a significant strategic shift in recent years to host major PLEs on Saturdays. This change has been widely praised by fans for allowing better travel logistics and recovery time before the work week begins.
The Role of WWE Live Events (House Shows)
A hidden but vital component of the wrestling schedule is the “Live Event” circuit, colloquially known as house shows. These are non-televised events that tour smaller cities and international markets. While the results rarely impact the main televised storylines, house shows are essential for the wrestlers to refine their craft and test audience reactions to new matches. For fans, checking the schedule for a local house show offers a unique, intimate experience. The atmosphere is generally more relaxed, and wrestlers often interact more freely with the crowd since they are not constrained by strict television commercial breaks.
All Elite Wrestling (AEW): The Alternative Schedule
Since its inception in 2019, AEW has established itself as a major player, significantly expanding the weekly wrestling schedule. Their flagship program, AEW Dynamite, airs live on Wednesday nights, directly competing for the core wrestling demographic. To accommodate their growing roster, AEW added AEW Rampage on Friday nights and, more recently, AEW Collision on Saturday nights. This aggressive scheduling ensures that hardcore wrestling fans have high-quality content available almost every night of the week. Keeping up with AEW requires tracking multiple networks and distinct storylines that often cross over between these three shows.
AEW Pay-Per-View Expansion
Originally, AEW operated on a quarterly Pay-Per-View (PPV) schedule, which made every event feel massive and distinct. However, as the promotion has grown, so has its PPV calendar. The schedule now includes staple events like Double or Nothing, All Out, Full Gear, and Revolution, alongside newer additions like Dynasty and the massive international crossover event, Forbidden Door. Unlike WWE’s shift to streaming subscriptions for monthly events, AEW largely retains the traditional PPV model, making it essential for fans to budget accordingly for these high-stakes broadcasts.
Ring of Honor (ROH) and Streaming Exclusives
Under the ownership of Tony Khan, Ring of Honor (ROH) has been integrated into the broader wrestling schedule, though it lives primarily on streaming platforms. ROH content is often taped in conjunction with AEW live events, utilizing the same venues to maximize production efficiency. For completists, subscribing to the HonorClub streaming service is necessary to follow the weekly TV episodes and exclusive PPV events like Supercard of Honor. This adds another layer to the schedule, requiring fans to actively seek out digital platforms rather than relying solely on cable television.
Impact Wrestling (TNA) and the Legacy Schedule
Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling, often rebranding and evolving, remains a steadfast part of the industry. Their schedule typically involves taping multiple weeks of television episodes over a single weekend to reduce travel costs. This “block taping” method means that spoilers are often available weeks in advance, so fans watching the weekly broadcast on Thursday nights must be wary of online discussions if they wish to remain surprised. TNA also hosts four major live specials a year, maintaining a consistent, if somewhat more niche, presence in the wrestling calendar.
