Why AEW Has Just Pulled Off The Mother Of All Game-Changers

Fiend Goldberg
WWE

The Wednesday Night Wars was always a misnomer because AEW was not at war with NXT, which, after a period of turbulence on Dynamite that unfolded in parallel with WWE stacking Wednesdays with main roster talent, wasn't a war but a massacre.

The gulf between AEW and NXT in July 2021 is enormous. If the war itself was a bloodbath, NXT is still stained with a dark, browny red, its once hallowed reputation spattered all over the canvas. The idea that NXT is an alternative has haemorrhaged, with every fire unscripted AEW promo, and now that Vince McMahon himself think it's in the mud, it really is in the mud. WWE positioned NXT as a siphon in fear of AEW mounting a challenge to RAW, and this is now a reality. John Cena and Goldberg brought the boost on Monday, but how often have we been here? We've been here so long that WWE almost created its own competition. Years and years of creatively bankrupt part-timer entitlement hasn't done anything but create long-term resentment, upon which Tony Khan capitalised.

And do you know what is the truly impressive part?

Despite this incredible, game-changing news breaking hours before AEW Dynamite aired, not a single soul in the Curtis Culwell Center hijacked the show and chanted his name, even during the quieter moments - and there were quite a few on an uneven show. Frankie Kazarian's in-theory-awesome Elite Hunter gimmick just didn't connect, the Andrade segment was long, confusing, underwhelming, and Dr. Britt Baker Vs. Nyla Rose took a considerable amount of time to get going.

And still, the crowd did not demand some dreamlike projection.

CONT'D...(2 of 6)

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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!