10 Times AEW Took Advantage Of WWE Ignoring The Fans
All Elite Wrestling brings back fan service, and cleans up messes made by the market leader...
Recent AEW signee Adam Cole has spoke in glowing terms about his time with WWE.
In various post-exit interviews and podcasts, the former NXT Champion has been extremely complimentary about working with his all-time favourite wrestler Shawn Michaels, as well as what he was able to learn from his time at the Performance Center and especially during a fondly thought-of run atop the black-and-gold brand.
He's not been the only one with nice things to say about his time there. Bryan Danielson arrived on the very same night and was similarly effusive in his praise of Vince McMahon and World Wrestling Entertainment. His move - as with Cole's - was seemingly too enticing an offer to pass up. Amidst a slew of other wrestlers sharing their stories of abject misery in Stamford, these were rule-proving exceptions.
Bryan has never hid his love for the mere act of wrestling. A "Yes Movement" that wasn't supposed to happen only did because he loved it so much that fans refused to give up on helping him take that love to the top of the mountain. Meanwhile, McMahon and his glad-handers never had a chance to ignore fan sentiment when it came to the leader of The Undisputed Era. He finished up on NXT then finished up with the company for good.
Big moves, but not ones made in spite of what they could have done elsewhere.
Unlike...
10. Miro
Proof of concept as much for All Elite Wrestling's ability to fix was wasn't working as take yet another failed WWE prospect and rebadge it, the road to 'The Redeemer' was far from an easy one for the former Rusev.
A love of gaming was drawn upon following his arrival, but a link-up with Kip Sabian did little to unleash the monster we'd later see take command of the prestigious TNT Championship. Fortunately, when the Bulgarian found his fire, there was no extinguishing it.
Miro entered incredible performances against just about everybody he faced, further elevating the title and himself in a run that has to be considered one of the best title tenures in AEW's short history. He's working hard and smart too - constant references to his wife seem certain to land her a job eventually, and some career-best promo work has ensured that the only way is back up the rankings whenever he chooses to formally rebound.