AEW vs. WWE: Which promotion is developing young talent better?
For both AEW and WWE, the ability to constantly develop new characters and talent is a big part of their lifeline. In the ever-changing world of pro wrestling, you never know when you need the 'next man up' (or woman, in some cases) to keep the show going strong.
WWE's pipeline for prospects has been NXT for several years now. With the re-tooling of the product, they are in the embryonic stage of the new 2.0 version. So it's only a small sample size of their new direction.
However, it's already shown some promise with names like Bron Breakker, Grayson Waller, and Solo Sikoa looking like they could eventually make a splash on the main roster.
For AEW, most of their younger stars were free agents that they originally brought in from MLW, IMPACT Wrestling, and the indies. But they have used their YouTube programming, Dark and Dark: Elevation, to highlight some of their prospects. It's given them valuable ring time and exposure. These online shows are as close to a developmental territory that All Elite Wrestling has right now.
Both promotions have intriguing catches in WWE's Bron Breakker and AEW's Hook
There is definitely some similarities between Bron Breakker & Hook. The Attitude, the ring work, the crowd reaction. #AEWRampage
Both of these young men made their debuts late in the year, but they didn't waste any time when it came to making an impact. Each performer drew immediate attention for their intensity and ring presence. Breakker and Hook have shown maturity beyond their years — which is probably the product of being second-generation wrestlers and growing up around the industry.
Overnight sensations like that are very rare, however.
For the most part, it's the job of each promotion to cultivate the wrestlers who need a little more guidance. Much like Major League Baseball has its 'farm system,' both AEW and WWE have coaches in place to help these sports entertainment seeds blossom.
As we head toward 2022, which company is more adept at developing new talent?
“There’s a lot of young stars on this roster and I have some stuff up my sleeve coming soon too.”
- Tony Khan https://t.co/H1upsCQKBp
For now, All Elite Wrestling has more ready-made young stars in names like Sammy Guevara, MJF, and Jungle Boy. To be fair, all of those youngsters have a lot more time under their belts than most of WWE's new faces.
The edge today goes to AEW, but WWE's NXT 2.0 experiment may change all that. Vince McMahon and Bruce Prichard's move to sign amateur athletes from various sports could prove to be very intriguing over the next few years. Lest we forget, they have Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson waiting in the wings as well.
The good news for wrestling fans is that both promotions have really focused on developing future generations. That hasn't always been the case in pro wrestling, so this new environment is refreshing.
They say if you aren't growing, then you're dying. But if the young talent of AEW and WWE is any indication? The two companies will be living strong for a long time to come.
Which promotion do you think has demonstrated a better ability to develop young stars? AEW or WWE? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.