The Secret Weapon AEW Holds Over WWE

Hikaru Shida James Musselwhite
AEW (James Musselwhite )

Really, this isn’t an advantage AEW holds over WWE alone.

New Japan Pro Wrestling is exponentially more diverse than an outsider might suspect, presenting comedy and an epic big fight feel alike under a sporting framework in which several genres are showcased. New Japan does not, despite a recent and not inconsiderable groundswell of protest, present women’s wrestling—and its tag team output leaves much to be desired, in terms of both match quality and committed booking.

NXT TV is often logical not to a fault, exactly, but its detriment. There is an almost dry, clinical quality to the storytelling. Everything makes sense, and the best performers are booked with consistency and conviction—but rarely does the brand produce truly wild or inspired angles. Obviously, those five Saturdays a year are true highlights of a lifetime fandom—but the weekly TV show creates few, unmissable talking points. New Japan is beholden to tradition. NXT is beholden to a distinctly melodramatic WWE vision, albeit the perfection of it, and a taped schedule that prohibits curiosity. This lack of immediacy in a warp-speed world is why more hardcore fans complain on Tuesday mornings more than they celebrate on Thursdays.

Moreover, both brands prohibit accessible, week-to-week investment. The New Japan World streaming service is deeply unintuitive; keeping track of the various storyline threads requires users to navigate and jump around its confusing bowels.

CONT'D...(4 of 5)

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!