10 Anti-WWE Moves AEW Made Out Of Spite
4. Blood & Guts
Vince McMahon, to investors, July 2019;
“WWE will not do blood and guts and things of that nature, such as what is being done on our new potential competitor...I can’t speak for TNT but I can’t imagine they’d put up with that"
TNT were more than happy to "put up with that" in 2021, presenting the first iteration of the match on television as what many thought would be the payoff to the feud between The Pinnacle and The Inner Circle. It might not have proffered that, but it offered up just about everything else promised by the contest.
Oddly, this wasn't even as shocking as it might once have been. AEW were a little too liberal with claret either side of the contest, normalising what would have otherwise been a break from the norm. There have been far more dangerous moments in other matches for McMahon to feign concern over than what took place in the double cage. TNT, they of a network utterly thrilled about Dynamite's ratings, still haven't protested.