5 Reasons why WWE should be worried about AEW
On 1 January 2019, Cody Rhodes, The Young Bucks, and Adam Page announced the formation of a new promotion, All Elite Wrestling, on Twitter. The announcement created a buzz in the entire professional wrestling community. The owners of the new giant in professional wrestling were revealed to be Shahid and Tony Khan.
Ever since the announcement was made, speculations started among the fans as of who will be the wrestlers that will sign with the newly founded promotion. One such name was Kenny Omega, a talent that even WWE wants badly. This also embarked the discussion of how big of a threat AEW will be to WWE.
WWE has never had a real competitor ever since the demise of WCW in 2001. The only major promotion other than WWE was Total Nonstop Action, presently known as Impact Wrestling.
While TNA was a good alternative to WWE, it never really provided the competition WCW did in the late 90s. The independent scene too wasn't as good as it is right now. Hence, WWE was unchallenged in the professional wrestling for quite long.
However, in the last few years, there has been a huge growth in the independent scene. The rise of promotions such as New Japan Pro Wrestling, Ring of Honor, Lucha Underground among several others has played a critical role in the formation of All Elite Wrestling. These promotions are no longer watched just by hardcore fans. Many of the casual fans have tuned-in to these promotions as well.
The current events have inspired All Elite Wrestling to be The Next Big Thing in professional wrestling. WWE can not afford to take AEW lightly. Why? Here are 5 reasons why WWE should be worried about the rise of AEW.
5. The growth of the Independent circuit
The independent circuit has seen massive growth in the last 5 years. Gone are the days when people used to refer it as "Bingo Halls". In fact, the independent circuit is now becoming a home of many wrestlers who have found it difficult to succeed in WWE.
Let us take Cody Rhodes for example. The American Nightmare left the company in 2016 after a lackluster run as "Stardust". However, he dug in the independent circuit and became one of the biggest names in the industry.
He even claimed on Twitter that he made 3 times more since joining the independent circuit than he did while he was in WWE. Drew Mcintyre is another such wrestler who turned his career upside after leaving the company in 2014.
It is evident that the Independent Circuit is more of a profitable option and hence more wrestlers are willing to take the same route.