Opinion: AEW might overtake WWE in the future
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect Sportskeeda's views.
AEW or All Elite Wrestling is turning out to be the biggest competitor to WWE in such a short period of time. AEW is founded by Tony Khan, a billionaire, and co-owner of NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars who is all set to rock the wrestling world with his new promotion alongside Cody Rhodes and The Young Bucks, also called The Elite.
The formation of AEW lies in Dave Meltzer's comment about Ring of Honour when he opined that the promotion can't sell out an arena with 10,000 people anytime soon. Cody Rhodes, who responded to this statement, settled the otherwise notion that WWE is the only and the biggest wrestling promotion in the world that can sell out an arena with that many people.
ALL IN took place on September 1st, 2018, with a record attendance of over 10, 000 attendees who came together to watch one of the most prolific and entertaining pay-per-views of all time. ALL IN was a successful event which had all the major established and talented wrestlers from all around the world. AEW turned out to be the biggest competitor to WWE by signing all the wrestlers that pose a threat to WWE by not working with WWE.
There is a huge history behind WWE and that works in the favor of the company which manages to gather attendance with the big names that are signed to them. WWE also uses the strategy to bring in veterans of the game for big occasions. But in this new digital age, AEW can turn the tables and bring the audience into their arena. Something that WWE did with WCW, this certainly doesn't mean that AEW will buy WWE but All Elite Wrestling can grow on the cult that there is something better out there that can challenge WWE for the throne.
AEW has a rich roster and so far they have signed 43 talent. This involves the likes of Chris Jericho, Adam Page, Christopher Daniels, Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks, Pac (Neville), Billy Gunn, Fenix, Pentagon Jr, Kenny Omega, Excalibur, Jim Ross, and many wrestlers who have grown a lot in the independent circuit. AEW also boasts of a very young set of wrestlers who are going to be a big asset to AEW in time to come.
WWE has always been an organization which can make their stars stay because of the kind of money that they can afford to pay them. AEW to me is a startup by Tony Khan who has the kind of money that can lure any wrestler to make their switch from WWE to All Elite Wrestling. WWE has also been on a fair criticism by many fans for not booking many talented and established wrestlers properly.
These include the likes of Dean Ambrose, Bobby Roode, Bobby Lashley, Shinsuke Nakamura and many other wrestlers who have found it difficult to find success in WWE. The organization's adamant attempt to focus the entire attention on a few sets of wrestlers has also been a major problem for WWE. I think five years can make a lot of difference considering WWE has always managed to find those extra viewers by roping in veterans of the game.
Most of the major stars of the Attitude Era might not be able to perform as decently or wonderfully, the opinion may vary, after five years. AEW has already roped in Kenny Omega, someone WWE has eyed for so many years. AEW can certainly build on the very talented roster that they have now and can look for signing more wrestlers with time. Nakamura will be healthy add the roster, who has seen a great downfall ever since coming to WWE.
Wrestlers like Ronda Rousey, Rusev, and Sahsha Banks joins the list of many wrestlers who have shown their disappointment for how they are booked in WWE. AEW stands at a major advantage and with three PPV's already announced and Doube or Nothing PPV slated to take place on May 25, there is stiff competition for WWE ahead. I believe that in the future; five years to be exact, AEW will be seen as major competition to WWE. Do let me know your views in the comment section.