10 Ways AEW Is Dangerously Close To Following In WCW's Footsteps

To most wrestling fans, the name Brett Weitz won't mean a thing.

Up until earlier this year, Weitz was the General Manager of TNT, TBS and truTV, and was a huge believer in All Elite Wrestling. As such, many believed he was key in AEW's network presence and pivotal to the expansion of said presence. Not just was Brett important in establishing AEW Dynamite, AEW Rampage and the quarterly AEW specials, but he also had an eye for other TV ventures for AEW talent - as seen by Weitz overseeing Cody Rhodes' Rhodes to the Top show.

So, when this May saw it announced that Brett Weitz was leaving his role, some who were around during the WCW days became concerned for the implications this would have on AEW. Why was there that concern? Well, that's thanks to a fear of another Jamie Kellner emerging.

Kellner is viewed as being the person who put the final nail in the coffin of World Championship Wrestling.

Once the AOL Time Warner merger went through in 2000, there were several suitors weighing up purchasing WCW, with Eric Bischoff and Fusient Media Ventures leading the pack on that front. By now, Kellner was heading up the Turner Broadcasting division which housed WCW, and he made it clear that rasslin' would not be a part of the TV line-up in the future - meaning anybody purchasing WCW would have no TV slots.

Under Ted Turner, WCW always had a home on TNT and TBS, regardless of how many anti-wrestling executives were in Ted's ear. Once Turner was out of the equation, that safety net was gone. So, some feared that the departure of Brett Weitz would open the door for a Jamie Kellner figure - as in, someone not as passionate about pro wrestling - to have a detrimental impact on the future of AEW.

Thankfully, Weitz's exit has yet to cause any damage to AEW, although there is the fascinating proposition of the company's next TV negotiations on the horizon.