10 Best Times AEW Threw Shade At WWE
Petty war crimes.
The mere existence of All Elite Wrestling is hilarious on a karmic level because it should not exist. By rights, AEW should not exist.
WWE held a grotesque monopoly over an industry effectively unparalleled in the free market. WWE is a synonym of professional wrestling. WWE has the resources to crush even the faintest ember of competition and did, for a long while.
What's more amusing, at least to those whose intelligence has been ruthlessly insulted by WWE over the years, is that AEW exists now as almost a complete riposte to WWE. They studied the competition and succeeded to an extent not seen in decades by simply doing the opposite: unscripted promos, clean wins only, managers, varied styles, stables, creative control, booking the very young and the grizzled vets alike...
Etc.
The entire M.O. of AEW - in addition to much of its roster being made to feel like useless meat puppets by WWE - of course lends itself to the odd dig.
What is rarely mentioned is that WWE threw shade at AEW before AEW even ran its first show. Triple H referred to it as a "pissant company" in DX's 2019 Hall of Fame speech. Mere months later, AEW slaughtered his NXT in the ratings battle.
You hate to see it.
Others hate that AEW does this, and if so, this free of charge article you are under absolutely zero obligation to read is not for you.
10. Tony Khan Takes Rightful Credit
On a principle level: in business, if you're clearly better than the competition, why not broadcast that? Why not publicise it?
Bragging is a heel move, and AEW is the apparent babyface company. It's understandable that this dissonance alienates some. But WWE is something beyond the heel company. On a near daily basis, something surfaces that indicts them. A shockingly awful pay-per-view that proves wildly damaging to talent. News of lowball pay. Placing immunocompromised performers in positions of risk. At this rate, they are hiding EC3 in a bunker with no food, as ironic penance for his "Catering was delicious" tweet, and we'll find out over the weekend.
On this week's Monday Night RAW, WWE belatedly listened to widespread complaints over its distractingly stubborn attempt to run an empty arena show as if nothing had changed. Production moved the hard camera in front of the entrance ramp so as to not remind the viewers at home of a better, less bizarre time.
Clearly inspired by AEW - the first empty arena Dynamite in comparison to RAW was a tale of two UWFs - President Tony Khan responded to Bryan Alvarez's relieved tweet to take cheeky credit.