The Montreal crowd is not for the faint of heart

AEW just announced that their upcoming pay-per-view, Redemption, is hitting Montreal this July. If you have been living under a rock, the Bell Centre is arguably the loudest arena on the planet.

This is the same building that gave us the most hostile reception in wrestling history during the Survivor Series back in 1997. Tony Khan is essentially walking into a lion’s den and hoping the lions have a soft spot for independent wrestling dream matches.

The Quebec gamble

As WrestleTalk recently reported, the show is locked in for July 26. Booking a venue with this much history is a flex, but it is also a massive liability if the product doesn't deliver.

Montreal fans don’t just watch wrestling. They perform along with it. If the card isn't stacked from top to bottom, the Bell Centre will turn into a living funeral for whoever is in the main event.

Why this could backfire

The company is relying on pure brand loyalty here. Bringing a massive show like Redemption into a market that remembers the absolute peak of the industry with a cynical, sharp-tongued intelligence is like bringing a pop-up book to a doctoral thesis presentation.

If the pacing of the show drags, or if the booking feels disjointed, they will hear about it for every single one of the 4 hours the broadcast is on the air. A lackluster undercard will be dissected by a crowd that knows when they are being sold a bum steer.

I am curious to see if the talent can actually handle the pressure. It’s one thing to have a solid match in a neutral zone, it’s another to have it when the fans in the cheap seats are trying to incite a riot because they think your heat is heat-adjacent.

The cost of the ticket

We are looking at a late-summer event that carries a lot of expectations. Tony Khan needs to realize that you cannot just throw a random assortment of wrestlers into the ring and expect a polite golf clap.

You need to give them a reason to care. If the main event doesn't have a story that can survive a crowd actively looking for reasons to groan, it’s going to be a long night for everyone involved.

Sometimes the best wrestling shows are the ones where you are terrified as a performer. This is that type of show. It is either going to be legendary or a complete disaster, and I’m going to have my popcorn ready for the fallout either way.