AEW Is ALREADY Doing This One Thing Better Than WWE

The performers who lost enter the unknown, or will stall on the card—but they do so with either earned respect or a sense of intrigue around their character.

So many problems affect the quality and integrity of WWE’s product, and the comments section can cry bias long into the night all they want, but if this wasn’t objectively the case, Vince McMahon would not have taken the almost unprecedented step of relinquishing a degree of creative control. He still might not—there’s a chance he will come to resent it—but the mere fact that he has acknowledged the problems confirms that they exist.

Paul Heyman’s first RAW, in something that exists between the consultant and full Executive Director role, promised much. Much more than was reasonably forecast, anyway. The gravity of the wild opening angle, itself a badly-needed departure from the talking grind, was sold excellently. Stale characters were freshened up, in AJ Styles. Those in the 24/7 Title picture are clearly relishing the creative freedom. It was a promising start.

But production improvements and character development are just two areas of concern. A fundamental reason to invest, long-term, remains the core issue.

Unlike the token “Holy sh*t!” shortcut designed to go viral, WWE can’t “steal one” here.