Strong AEW and WWE competition is what is best for business
Imagine living in a world where there was only one video game console, one sneaker company, or one movie studio. Variety would be null and void as those entities would control everything in the space. So why do wrestling “fans” push so hard for major organizations to fail? It’s a perplexing question that shows an overall lack of understanding of how such a situation would impact the business, all the way down to their favorite performers and their own ability to enjoy wrestling. In the end, competition is what is going to make professional wrestling stronger.
AEW and WWE are the two biggest organizations in North American wrestling. Each week, the content created by these two promotions drives millions of viewers and even more engagement across their various platforms. Even though their contracted performers may never meet in the ring, fans do more than enough “battling” online to argue about which organization is better than the other. While the spirited debate can be enjoyable sometimes, there’s a sector of the IWC that has sucked all the fun out of those conversations.
Contrary to what a loud but unenlightened contingent may think, competition is important to the professional wrestling industry. This is why there’s anticipation around Triple H taking over WWE and hopes that he can turn around the malaise that Vince McMahon made standard within the promotion. Before 2019 WWE did not face a true competitor in the space and look how little that did to improve the industry.
In fact, it stagnated. Innovation slowed down and the individuals that work in the business lost the leverage that comes with multiple major promotions. With AEW’s rise, the opportunity for competition helps restore that leverage and create more opportunities for those that may be left by the wayside if there was only one way to “make it big.” Still, fans today clamor any time that big news or a good show occurs that the other promotion is “in trouble,” and other negative predictions. When in reality, fans should be the loudest voices pushing for adequate competition that forces everyone to raise their game.
Imagine what would happen if professional wrestling went back to being one company again. Shows like Forbidden Door would be much more difficult to pull off. It would be harder for the complete breadth of talent to be shown, leaving numerous professionals off shows altogether. Plus, the wrestlers themselves would have less leverage to demand the type of contracts and terms that would allow them to be happy with their career choice. Losing a major promotion in the industry hurts everyone involved and fans should stop wishing for that outcome.
Next. The challenge of booking Liv Morgan over Ronda Rousey. dark
Imagine only being able to enjoy one comic book series or one television show. That’s a ridiculous setting to imagine for any form of entertainment. Yet, there’s a loud contingent of wrestling “fans” that callously push for a world where one major promotion rules over the North American wrestling scene without noticing what impact that would have on the entire industry.