Hall of Famer claims there is no war between WWE and AEW
A Hall of Famer has claimed that there isn't a war between WWE and AEW.
Last Tuesday night, WWE loaded up the card for NXT as it went up against AEW Dynamite. All Elite Wrestling's flagship show typically airs on Wednesday nights but was forced to switch to Tuesday last week due to the MLB playoffs.
In response, last week's episode of WWE NXT featured Cody Rhodes, John Cena, The Undertaker, LA Knight, Asuka, The Brawling Brutes, and Paul Heyman. NXT demolished AEW in the ratings war last Tuesday night, and it led to Tony Khan taking a few shots at WWE on social media.
Speaking with Booker T and Brad Gilmore on the Hall of Fame podcast, Mark Henry claimed that there is no war between WWE and AEW. Mark Henry said that the war is making sure the fans don't turn the channel during your segment:
"There is no war. You know what the war is? The war is the ratings in your segment. Do people turn the channel to another channel when you’re on? When Sexual Chocolate was on, they didn’t turn the channel. When the World’s Strongest Man and the Hall of Pain was on, they didn’t turn the channel. You could put me up there with some of the best. When Booker T was King Booker, they didn’t turn the channel. So that’s where the war is. The war is in the segments and the individuals," said Mark Henry. [H/T: Fightful]
You can check out the full video below:
WWE legend Mark Henry gives his thoughts on CM Punk not connecting with younger talent in AEW
WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry believes CM Punk's old-school mentality was his downfall in the AEW locker room.
CM Punk returned to the world of professional wrestling two years ago on the 2nd episode of AEW Rampage. However, his time in AEW left a lot to be desired, and he was fired last month following another backstage altercation in the promotion.
During his appearance on the Hall of Fame podcast, Mark Henry noted that Punk has an old-school mentality and probably rubbed younger wrestlers the wrong way. Mark Henry added that Punk's delivery sometimes didn't connect with younger talent:
"Young people call you a boomer or outdated and some people are stuck in their ways and Punk is stuck in his way and that's not a knock. I like conviction, I like somebody that can stand to their guns and they can debate with you on the fact that, 'You know what? this is why sometimes being the old will save your life because I know better, I experienced it, I went through the fire,' and I feel like that Punk's delivery of some of that conviction fell on deaf ears," said Mark Henry. [From 21:25 - 22:16]
All Elite Wrestling has made a ton of noise since their arrival, but the situation with CM Punk has been a distraction for the promotion. It will be interesting to see how the ratings will play out the next time the two promotions air on the same night.
Did you tune into WWE NXT or AEW Dynamite last week? Let us know in the comments section below.