10 Biggest Ways WWE Changed In AEW's First Full Year
WWE stated their competition wasn't a factor in any decision making, but that's not entirely true.
The moment AEW aired its first pay-per-view, they were effectively deemed the second-biggest wrestling promotion in the North America. And, despite claims from WWE that they weren't concerned with anything the upstart company was doing, they started making decisions that proved Vince McMahon and his writers consistently had AEW on the back of their minds.
From changing elements involved in the production of their television shows to keeping Superstars they may have otherwise released, it became clear WWE was doing what they could to win the ratings war. In some cases, WWE appeared savvy and succeeded. In others, they began employing petty and shady tactics (even more so than usual). Regardless, the idea was to try and halt any momentum AEW was looking to build.
Today, AEW and WWE wage war on Wednesday nights, creating what many fans hope is a new version of the Monday Night Wars. That said, the battle is bigger than two brands competing against one another on one evening. WWE has fundamentally changed some of its practices as a result of AEW posing a threat - here are some of the most significant alterations.
10. WWE Tried To Hire Back Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho has told the story on more than one occasion that it was Vince McMahon who actually told Jericho to sign with AEW. Using his Talk Is Jericho podcast to detail the conversation between himself and McMahon, the former AEW Champion revealed that he'd been in constant communication with WWE all the way up to just before he signed with the competition.
It didn't take long for McMahon to realize what he'd done by letting Jericho leave. As Jericho tells the story, Vince called almost immediately and asked, " ‘Did you sign the contract?’ I said, ‘Well, yeah.’ He said, ‘Can you get out of it?’ ‘No! You told me to sign it!’"
Jericho then appeared at AEW's first press conference and it was likely then WWE knew AEW was true competition. The budding wrestling promotion wasn't just using independent wrestlers, they were hiring big-name stars.
WWE had no use for Jericho until they realized they didn't want anyone else to have him. This would become a theme over the next year.