Report: AEW Holding Off On Big Moments To "Avoid A Drew McIntyre Thing"
The Empty Arena Era continues to have an impact on AEW's booking.
AEW is reportedly holding off on several big booking moments because they don't want to risk diminishing their impact by having them go down in empty arenas.
This is the word of Dave Meltzer, who stated the promotion "don't want to do the Drew McIntyre thing" while speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio.
Meltzer clarified that this isn't intended to disparage McIntyre, as WWE had no choice but to put the WWE Championship on him when they learned Brock Lesnar would be taking time off after WrestleMania 36, with the Scot drawing considerable acclaim for his performances since taking RAW's top strap. Instead, AEW wants to delay certainly booking moves until they can get a giant pop from a live crowd.
McIntyre's WWE Championship win would have felt like a more monumental moment had it played out before tens of thousands of fans. He has done everything he can with the belt and looks great every week, though his win going down in an empty Performance Center unquestionably diminished it.
As Dave points out, the problem with AEW's approach is that the current situation could conceivably continue for another year, which may force them to pull the trigger regardless. Either way, that they want to save certain moments is understandable.