Unpopular Opinion: AEW is the reincarnation of WCW
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are of the author's and not necessarily of Sportskeeda's
All Elite Wrestling took the whole professional wrestling world by storm when the company first announced its formation. Many fans believed this was the answer they were looking for, that it will change pro wrestling for the better and AEW will give WWE a run for their money, but I say that's all hearsay.
The company doesn't even have a TV deal yet and people are already trying to compare it to WWE, the largest and globally known pro wrestling company in the whole universe. WWE has been around for over many years. Since its inception, they proved that they can overcome anything and still remain standing.
Whether WWE was competing with WCW every week during the Monday Night Wars, facing multiple lawsuits, criticism for its violence during the Attitude Era, being ordered to change their name or facing even worse like the scandal they faced after the double murder and suicide of Chris Benoit, they overcame every obstacle that came their way.
For all those who are bashing WWE and praising AEW, WWE isn't going anywhere anytime soon. There will always be someone that will never turn their backs on the company no matter what happens. A lot of people have opinions on how the various paths that WWE should take whilst at the same time, their competitors may also do the same.
There will always be people who will always complain no matter what. People have been calling for the return of the Attitude Era, but they complained when Nia Jax received a superkick, 619 and an RKO at the Royal Rumble and WWE was even criticized of domestic violence. If they get their wish and the Attitude Era does come back, should it be mild and family-friendly?
A few years ago people were calling Becky Lynch underrated and they went on to say that WWE is misusing her. Fast forward today the same people are on social media saying she's overrated and boring. How quick and easily "fans" turn on their "favourite" superstars.
When WWE gives the fans what they want, they complain, and when WWE does the opposite fans still complain. People say WWE is predictable, but they're the same ones who read the dirt sheets as soon as they're out, so what do you expect?
Then they go on to praise AEW which has barely given us anything and say that "WWE fears AEW." What exactly does WWE have to fear? They have the money, the talent, the TV deal and most importantly they have experience. If WCW couldn't drive WWE out of business then AEW is small fry.
Just because WWE is offering to pay talents more money doesn't mean they have something to fear. It's just a wise business choice. AEW on the other is trying to snatch some of WWE's wrestlers. They're trying to make themselves seem like the better option but if we think about it this is not the first we are seeing something like this.
When I think of AEW, the first thing that comes to my mind is WCW. Why? Its pretty obvious. WCW threw a lot of money at WWE's top superstars to make them jump ship. They even created Monday Nitro to go head-to-head with WWF's RAW is WAR. Chris Jericho admitted that he just signed the best deal of his life with AEW. Clearly, that tells you how much money they are prepared to throw at superstars.
With the billionaire Tony Khan behind them, they probably feel invincible. What history taught us is no one can compete with WWE and come out untouched. No one can touch WWE. I believe AEW won't even last 7 years. Its either they will go out of business or end up like Impact Wrestling. TNA was great in its early days. A lot of WWE Hall of Famers and future HOF'ers competed in TNA. Look where it is now, it airs Impact on a channel that people have never heard of.
What brings me to my final conclusion, why AEW is the reincarnation of WCW is its similarities with the fallen promotion. One of AEW's founders is Tony Khan, a billionaire who also owns a sports team called Jacksonville Jaguars. The funny thing is, WCW owner Ted Turner was also a billionaire and he also owned a sports team, which is called Atlanta Braves (a baseball team).
Tony Khan is willing to throw millions to sign the hottest wrestlers in the world, including those in WWE. Oh, guess what? Ted Turner did the same. There are reports that say that Khan is negotiating a deal with Time Warner to have AEW programming air on TNT/TBS. Want to hear another fact? Ted Turner founded TNT/TBS.
AEW wants to give wrestlers a lighter schedule and creative control, the same thing WCW gave some of WWE's top superstars to convince them to sign with them. But creative control isn't always a good thing, as the nWo showed us.
So for all those people turning on WWE and praising AEW, remember that WWE isn't going anywhere and in the end, you will go back to it. One more thing, I suggest we quit saying WWE is trash when we're paying to watch it, so what does that make us?
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