Why AEW Must Take The Nuclear Option
THIS is the one signing that could change the game (if AEW want to...)
This article is premised on the idea that AEW wants to defeat WWE in the battle for cable television supremacy.
That appeared to be on the cards amid the unreal hype generated by All Out 2021. CM Punk had already arrived, smashing records through the magical viral marketing campaign, and the leaked debuts of Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson drove AEW towards its hottest period.
No longer; even before Triple H reenergised the WWE fanbase, and gradually impressed the cynics having launched this year's WrestleMania season in tremendous fashion, WWE had retaken the lead, and, since AEW was never going to sign three hotter free agents, much less at the same time and with such expert promotion, that lead was insurmountable.
Those who sampled AEW in the white-hot late summer of 2021 didn't stay the course. The dream roster barely interacted with itself. Tony Khan maintained his patient approach, and while it worked to a superb artistic extent - Revolution 2022 was a seminal pay-per-view that benefitted from a grand sense of anticipation - commercially, week-to-week, the booking patterns didn't approach the ceiling set when Dynamite defeated Raw twice in a row on September 8 (681,000 - 678,000 in 18-49) and September 15 (574,000 - 556,000).
Established star wins announced match against veteran, solid midcard hand or emerging prodigy; it was fundamental in presenting wrestlers as credible winners, and while Khan did book incredible heat angles to intensify his rivalries, the foundational steps were often obligatory. Now that WWE is at its hottest in years, AEW has fallen further behind.
There is however one name who might create the buzz necessary for the fabled "casual" fan to cast their linear eyeballs towards AEW for a sample. You might not like it: Shane McMahon.
Bear with the following.
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