AEW’s Use of Wrestling Legends is Brilliant Compared to WWE

AEW’s use of wrestling legends is not to push the program, but upcoming stars. WWE is trying to save ratings.

Last week WWE Legend Jake The Snake Roberts made his debut on AEW Dynamite interrupting Cody’s call for MJF to come to the ring. Jake let him know that he had a client that was going to face him in the future. Tully Blanchard is managing “The Chairman” Shawn Spears. Spears is currently looking for a new Tag Team partner.

Here’s what makes AEW special: Tully and Jake, these legends of wrestling, are putting over AEW’s roster and new arrivals. This is very different from what WWE is doing. WWE’s current Universal Champion is Goldberg, a WCW Legend.

At this year’s Elimination Chamber Pay Per View, the loudest pop from the crowd came when The Undertaker (also a legend) interfered in the A.J. Styles/Aleister Black match. The Fiend is facing 16-time WWE World Champion John Cena, who you might as well say is a legend.

In other words, the WWE still has a lot of their legends working to get programming over more than talent. It’s about ratings with them. It’s like they think if they bring back some legends people will tune in. New talent? they can wait, obviously.

Sure, WWE  may have gotten a few more viewers when Cena came back (2.717 million viewers as per Bleacher Report), but the following week it dropped again (2.326 million). Even when The Rock returned for its debut on FOX the numbers jumped. Deadline reported they got 3.9 million viewers,  up from the 2.1 daily average they were earning on USA. But that was because of the excitement of SD returning to Friday night. Everyone tuned in to see what big differences were going to be with FOX in the background.

This is what they do with Veteran talent. I don’t count the spot The Rock had with King Corbin and Becky Lynch because it didn’t put anyone over but the ratings.  If, and this is a big if, the WWE wanted to do something big for their premiere, they would have had The Rock do a surprise match.  That way he could have helped push someone from the back rather than have them stand in the ring and just watch him hit all his moves.

If I’m wrong about all this, explain why they threw Richochet’s push into the trash? Why not put the Tag Team titles on Heavy Machinery? The Elimination Chamber was the perfect time to make them Tag Team Champions. The Usos aren’t really in the hunt. The New Day has held it more than enough times for everyone to be bored to death.

The Miz and John Morrison are two heels that could have survived a short-lived reign. They held those titles a decade ago when The Miz was rocking that horrible fedora and when Morrison was clean-shaven. Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode could have put over Heavy Machinery in a major way.  They’re fresh talent, totally over with the crowd after the whole Mandy Rose heartbreak. The crowd is all in for Otis. The result? Miz and Morrison retain. It did nothing for Heavy Machinery’s storyline.

The only people that actually capitalized on that match was Lucha House Party, and they have no storyline. It’s almost like they’re so worried about ratings, developing new Heels and Babyfaces are at the bottom of their to-do list. Using legends to get a boost in ratings is one thing, but when they are unable to put any of the new talent over, that’s a whole other issue.

Eventually, you got to believe in the up and comers, and you can’t take forever to do it. The Street Profits worked backstage for months before doing any real storylines. WWE needs to figure out what era they want to live in and stay there. Either that or set a pace for their Legends to be consistent and not just surprise cameos.

AEW’s use of their legends puts them in a committed, and consistent set of storylines. WWE should take notice.