WWE reportedly has their security team preventing All Elite Wrestling fans from representing the new wrestling promotion at tonight’s SmackDown in Jacksonville, FL.
As noted, AEW held their big Double Or Nothing launch rally in Jacksonville today outside of TIAA Bank Field, not far from the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena where SmackDown is being held. The big news coming out of the rally was the signing of Chris Jericho. You can read all the news coming out of the rally by clicking here and here.
Some fans who attended the rally then drove to SmackDown for tonight’s tapings but they claim they were now allowed in with their AEW t-shirts. One fan noted on Twitter that he was not allowed to buy a ticket as long as he was representing AEW. Another fan claimed he was given the boot for carrying an AEW towel.
The fan wrote, “Was just turned away from attending Smackdown for wearing @AEWrestling merchandise. Was told I would NOT be allowed in or to purchase a ticket per @WWE. @MattJackson13 @NickJacksonYB @CodyRhodes you guys wouldn’t turn me away from an AEW show would you?”
It should be noted that another fan said he saw no issues with the merchandise, but he did notice some AEW fans causing problems, which led to their dismissal. He wrote, “my friend was there wearing a shirt and had no issues. another friend saw a group of rowdy AEW fans causing problems and security asked them to calm down and it escalated to them being asked to leave.”
UPDATE: It looks like WWE changed their minds on allowing AEW merchandise into the arena as a fan posted the following:
Security is now allowing in AEW shirts after tossing me out for wearing one. I even offered to buy a WWE shirt and they wouldn’t allow me to. I was able to get back in through another entrance after changing pic.twitter.com/TRhGoLlWDD
— Graham (@thagreenlizad) January 9, 2019
You can read the tweets from AEW fans at SmackDown below
Was just turned away from attending Smackdown for wearing @AEWrestling merchandise. Was told I would NOT be allowed in or to purchase a ticket per @WWE. @MattJackson13 @NickJacksonYB @CodyRhodes you guys wouldn’t turn me away from an AEW show would you?
— Scrump_1 (@scrump_1) January 8, 2019
@AEWrestling just got kicked out of smackdown for having an #AEW towel… somebody’s scared!#AllEliteWrestling
— Aaron Perry 🐺 (@Mr_Too_Sweeet) January 8, 2019
@CodyRhodes @NickJacksonYB they wont let me in smackdown with my aew merch!!!😠😠
— Miike787 (@Mike52509) January 8, 2019
@CodyRhodes they won’t let us in smackdown with the AEW Shirts!!!
— Amp ⚡️ (@Amp0930) January 8, 2019
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