Can AEW Really Beat WWE?

Can AEW Really Beat WWE? The answer may surprise you.

Introduction

In recent years, WWE has been the undisputed king of professional wrestling. But a new challenger has emerged in the form of All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Can AEW really dethrone WWE?

There’s no doubt that WWE is the biggest wrestling promotion in the world. It has a strong hold on the TV market, reaching over 800 million homes worldwide. And its live events are attended by millions of fans each year.

But AEW is quickly making a name for itself. In just a few short months, it has already signed some of the biggest names in wrestling, including Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, and Cody Rhodes. And its first pay-per-view event, Double or Nothing, was a huge success, selling out the 10,000-seat MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

AEW’s popularity is also reflected in its TV ratings. In its debut episode on October 2nd, 2019, AEW Dynamite drew 1.4 million viewers, making it the most-watched professional wrestling show on cable TV since January 2016.

There’s no doubt that AEW is a serious competitor to WWE. But can it really dethrone WWE as the top promotion in professional wrestling? Only time will tell.

AEW’s Strengths

While WWE is the current leader in the wrestling world, All Elite Wrestling is quickly gaining steam and could potentially dethrone them. AEW has a number of things working in their favor, such as having a more diverse roster, stronger relationships with sponsors, and a more fan-friendly approach. Let’s take a closer look at why AEW could be the new top wrestling promotion.

AEW’s Roster

AEW boasts a strong, deep roster of incredibly talented in-ring performers and charismatic promo cutters, which is one area in which the company absolutely excels.

The roster is headlined by Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson), Kenny Omega, Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley (formerly Dean Ambrose in WWE), PAC (formerly Neville in WWE), Hangman Page, Dustin Rhodes, Britt Baker and Riho. That’s an impressive collection of top stars, but it doesn’t stop there.

Other standouts include SCU (Frankie Kazarian & Scorpio Sky), The Lucha Bros ( Pentagon Jr. & Rey Fenix), Jimmy Havoc, Joey Janela, Jungle Boy, MJF, Orange Cassidy, Private Party (Isiah Kassidy & Marq Quen), Funny Bone (Joey Ryan & Swoggle), The Dark Order (Evil Uno & Stu Grayson) and more.

In other words, AEW has no shortage of incredibly talented wrestlers who are capable of putting on great matches and entertaining the fans on a weekly basis.

AEW’s Promotional Strategy

While WWE’s approach is to sign as many top talents as possible and then keep them under exclusive contracts, AEW has taken a more hands-off tact, simply signing a small number of top wrestlers to exclusive deals while relying on other top independent stars to appear on its weekly Dynamite show on TNT.

This has allowed AEW to tap into a larger pool of top wrestling talent and has helped it put together a roster that is stacked with superstars. In addition, AEW has used its weekly TV show to build up many younger wrestlers and create new stars, something that WWE has been criticized for not doing in recent years.

WWE’s Weaknesses

AEW has been making a lot of noise and they are quickly gaining popularity. Some people are even asking if they can really beat WWE. Let’s take a look at WWE’s weaknesses.

WWE’s Creative Direction

In recent years, WWE has been criticized for its lack of creativity and stale storylines. The company has been relying too much on nostalgia and has failed to create new stars. This has led to a decline in ratings and live event attendance.

WWE’s declining ratings

One of the primary reasons that many experts are suggesting that AEW has a real chance to take on WWE is due to WWE’s declining ratings.

Since 2016, WWE’s Raw ratings have averaged 3 million viewers, down from 4 million in 2015. Meanwhile, SmackDown Live saw an average 2.5 million viewers in 2018, down from 3 million the year before. That’s a decline of 25% for Raw and 17% for SmackDown Live.

WWE’s flagship shows are still among the most watched programs on cable television, but the company is clearly struggling to maintain its once-formidable ratings. And with AEW debuting its own weekly TV show on TNT this October, WWE will soon have a serious competitor for live wrestling audiences.

Conclusion

In conclusion, AEW can certainly give WWE a run for their money. With a more diverse roster of superstars, a focus on in-ring action and a willingness to take risks, AEW has the potential to dethrone WWE as the top wrestling promotion in the world. Only time will tell if they can truly make a dent in WWE’s monopoly, but there is no doubt that AEW is a force to be reckoned with.