How Vince McMahon's Biggest Nightmare Hid In Plain Sight
The 2012 tweet doesn't mean everything, but it doesn't not mean something.
Back then, WWE were so high on Twitter’s influence that they were constantly begging you to go there, or think about there, or contribute yourself, all in the name of trending topics and bolstering follower counts in order to pad out social media stats. But the future was hidden amongst those tweets, and not just in the form of Tony Khan's fantasy booking.
He was like so many other fans chased there by the company never to return. Not only was Khan not watching WWE, but he was mourning the departures of two of Ring Of Honor's biggest stars to the company as a reason for why he was enjoying their show less. And dreading that continuing on with the potential departure of Claudio "Cesaro" Castagnoli.
WWE was an enemy of his joy before it became a corporate competitor. He knew who he wanted to watch and knew enough of the marketplace agreed. It just took him nine years and the funnelling of his Dad's wealth to make it so.
The big names are now heading AEW's way, and wrestling stuff still trends massively on Twitter too. CM Punk was a fixture in the top 10 list for days following Darby Allin's "Best In The World" tease on a recent Dynamite. Unsurprisingly, mentions are slim on WWE TV. Tony Khan hasn't just started picking up talents, but taking away buzz, discussion and intrigue. His tweets are never about WWE, even if they stir up derisory conversation after the fact.
If only McMahon had tightened up his product in the 2010s, the billionaire's kid might have just stuck to ROH.