WWE announced a packed weekend of professional wrestling. Announcing what they called a “weekend takeover” in Atlanta included three events: Saturday Night’s Main Event, WWE Evolution, and the Great American Bash. Fans online had a lot to say about the news, but not because of excitement about the events. The chatter focused on WWE once again counter-programming a major AEW event. It’s an issue that should be openly talked about for several reasons.
AEW All-In 2025 is scheduled for Saturday, July 12, at the Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The event was initially announced on August 15, 2024, along with the 2026 location at Wembley Stadium in London, England.
Nearly six weeks before what is considered AEW’s biggest annual event, WWE announced not one, but three cards set to occur that weekend. With two happening on the same day as AEW’s PPV. Not only is this not a coincidence, but it also flies in the face of the idea that WWE does not see AEW as a competition. AEW CEO Tony Khan spoke about WWE’s practice during the Double or Nothing post-event press conference.
“It’s pretty consistent,” Khan said. “I’d say it’s the most consistent event head-to-head scheduling since Jim Crockett Promotions. Saw a lot of scheduling that went that way, and I can tell you that this will go a lot differently than that did.”
WWE’s counter programming only makes them look bad
Not only are WWE’s counterprogramming practices childish, but it also doesn’t present the company in the best light either. Double or Nothing faced off against NXT Battleground and the overall reaction to the two shows were quite different.
For example, Google Trends analyzes the popularity of various searches within specific areas and time periods. A score of 100 is considered peak popularity and search volume for that term. On Sunday, May 25 when both events occurred, NXT Battleground had a popularity score of 100 versus a score of 45 for Double or Nothing that same day. However, on May 27 the popularity for the NXT show was 79 compared to a 100 for Double or Nothing. That means that people were still talking about and searching for information about AEW’s PPV.
Another key metric is show rating on platforms like Cagematch. AEW Double or Nothing sits at a score of 9.53 with 350 valid votes as of this writing. NXT Battleground has an 8.11 rating with 111 valid votes.
The overall tenor of the conversation about both shows is that Battleground was a solid show for WWE’s developmental brand, but AEW once again presented a high-quality PPV that may even be the best show of the year across wrestling. And AEW consistently raises the bar with its PPV offerings.
The quality of entertainment on both shows isn’t nearly as good and it shows when the promotions run head-to-head. WWE is the largest promotion in the business and will stay that way unless something catastrophic happens. But it is far from the best presentation of professional wrestling or sports entertainment.
Still, WWE and its parent company Endeavor, only care about the bottom line. And that is where the company soars. So much so that it does not need to throw together shows counter to AEW’s biggest offerings. What’s the reason for doing that? Nothing more than to pull attention away from AEW and cut into the company’s ability to find success that may lead to growth. Sounds like a clear competition there.
The industry needs AEW and even more promotions to find success. Monopolies are never good for customers and talent/staff. The same is true for professional wrestling. Think back to how bad the WWE product was for years simply because the company did not face any significant challenges that would force innovation and change. Competition is what is best for all parties and WWE needs to stop its tired practices of trying to stamp out any that comes its way.
WWE did not need to announce three shows for the weekend of July 12-13. It is another attempt to pull attention away from AEW. Fans are tired of these tactics and the business would be better off if the company and its leadership stopped altogether.