What did WWE CBO Stephanie McMahon say when she was asked about AEW?
Stephanie McMahon, the current Chief Brand Officer of WWE, has seen a lot in her time in her father's company. From being an on-screen villain to one of the most powerful women in wrestling history, Steph has done it all in WWE.
She has seen companies rise and fall while attempting to compete with WWE. Whether it's Monday Night Wars with WCW or TNA's ill-fated attempt in 2010 to try and go head-to-head with WWE, Stephanie has throughout been a major presence in the global juggernaut.
However, in recent years, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has grown from an idea to an alternative to a fully formed rival to WWE that keeps growing with each passing week. But what does Stephanie think of AEW?
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Back in 2021, in the lead-up to WrestleMania 37, Stephanie McMahon said on the Bill Simmons Podcast that she thinks having "competition" is a good thing and will hopefully improve WWE as a whole:
“I think having to a competitor, it always makes you – it’s not that we never had a competitor. We just look at everything as competitive. Anything that’s competing for eyeballs and attention is a competitor. We’re all competing against each other, but in terms of a direct wrestling competitor, I think hopefully, it’s going to make you a better company. It’s going to make you re-examine everything that you do and do it to the best of your capability. I think that it’s always a good thing. It can make you better and stronger.” (H/T: Prowrestlingnewshub)
Other WWE personnel who have echoed this sentiment include Stephanie's husband Triple H and former RAW and Smackdown Women's Champion Becky Lynch.
A current AEW star was once Stephanie McMahon's favorite heel
Not everyone who steps through the doors of WWE will last forever, but it's important to make an impression. It's what current AEW star Swerve Strickland did, revealing recently that Stephanie McMahon was a huge fan of his.
Isaiah Swerve Scott being wanted by big companies like AEW and NJPW doesn’t come off as a surprise.
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Strickland told former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho on his Talk Is Jericho podcast that there was an occasion where Stephanie told Swerve he was her favorite heel in NXT:
"Stephanie McMahon comes to the back and says, 'You're my favorite heel on the show.' Like, literally, she said I'm her favorite." (from 24:50 to 25:00)
Is Swerve Steph's favorite now that he's in AEW? Is Steph right about AEW? Let us know in the comments section down below!