WWE Vs AEW - The New Wrestling War

Kenny Omega Hirooki Goto
NJPW

WWE has ritually failed to create or capitalise on an endless influx of talent, and those with residual, lasting star power are either bound for Hollywood, embarrassing themselves in Saudi Arabia, or are unable to impact anything within the all-encompassing malaise. The old days, of huge WWE stars and the Indy geeks who don’t know how to work are gone, post-NXT. WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins, and top AEW star Kenny Omega, are far closer in stature and popularity than, say, Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart were in the mid-1990s. If anything, Omega’s critical acclaim and objective drawing pull exceed that of the Architect’s.

If the roster is suspect, viewed through the optics of the mainstream, so too is the ethos of the TV show. The proposed sports framework might be considered dry and niche to a casual fanbase, but sport is inherently theatrical. Combative Premier League press conferences, with their managerial meltdowns; the outrageous bravado of the UFC weigh-in: hell, even ten pin bowling yields this wildly entertaining eruption of emotion and fury and triumph.

Entertainment is derived from sport; it need not be welded clumsily to it.

AEW boasts wide accessibility, and a roster spanning legends and the consensus best wrestlers amongst the devoted. This roster obviously and demonstrably appeals to the not inconsiderable demographic that made ALL IN such an emphatic success. The very success of that show led us to where we are now. The very success of that show, anecdotally, has created a further gulf between WWE and its Universe.

But can AEW recapture the long-lapsed wrestling fanbase—all those millions of traditionally-leaning WCW fans who lost all interest, as WWE’s monopoly strangled everything?

CONT'D...(3 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!