AEW: Bringing the Wrestling World Together, One Dynamite at a Time

All Elite Wrestling continues to introduce viewers to new talent from around the world. 

Wednesday night wrestling was already special enough, as All Elite Wrestling and WWE NXT attempting to compete on a weekly basis. Lately, that competition has not been as clear. Even though NXT continues to put on strong shows, with excellent wrestling, the excitement around the content continually falls behind what AEW has to offer. This week saw the announcement of the full bracket for the Women’s World Title Eliminator Tournament and the surprise appearance of KENTA. Each week, it seems like AEW takes another step to bring the world of wrestling together as the WWE continues a path to isolation.

This week’s edition of AEW Dynamite featured wrestlers from approximately six different promotions. While headlines will continue to focus on KENTA and what that means for the future, that does not ignore the fact that wrestlers from NWA, Impact, and multiple Japanese promotions are all involved in one fashion or another. All the while, the show is not ignoring the talent on the actual AEW roster, making sure they are getting highlighted in multiple ways at the same time.

The wrestling social space exploded last night as fans talked about the possibilities in the weeks to come. Will we see Kota Ibushi or Kazuchika Okada? Where will the Japanese portion of the women’s tournament air, Dynamite or Dark? What does this mean for AEW’s continued work with Impact? When will MJF turn on Chris Jericho? What is going on with Adam Page and the Dark Order? Those are the types of questions that AEW excels in teasing and giving bits of answers to each week, while throwing in new questions along the way.

What AEW is doing is not new. Decades ago, Hulk Hogan competed in a New Japan tournament while becoming the WWE’s biggest star. WCW also worked with New Japan and other promotions during their time centerstage in the wrestling industry. But wrestling fans have become so accustomed to seeing WWE as the giant monolith in the industry that seeing a coalition of sorts occurring on a major television show each week creates immediate intrigue. This is an excellent opportunity to introduce these fans to new talents like those featured in New Japan or women like Maki Itoh, Mei Suruga, and Ryo Mizunami. The opportunity to create new fans of wrestlers from around the world only builds the industry in a way that benefits talent, promotions, and fans alike.

All Elite Wrestling has done a lot of things right since establishing itself back in 2019. However, at the ending of 2020 and early in 2021 the promotion has set itself up as the platform that will introduce wrestling fans to talented professionals they did not know existed. That deserves recognition because it has a positive impact on the industry, while reminding viewers why they love wrestling along the way.