AEW Is The Shot In The Arm That Pro Wrestling Needs
Start writing a post
Sports

AEW Is The Shot In The Arm Pro Wrestling Needs

In a dull era of Wrestling, AEW is the competition WWE never thought they'd get but they desperately need.

11
AEW Is The Shot In The Arm Pro Wrestling Needs

First of all, if you think of Wrestling as a four letter word that starts with an F, then I suggest you Get the "F" out.

WWE did.

The actual campaign for WWF to become WWE after losing a lawsuit to the World Wildlife Foundationcdn-b-east.streamable.com


Now if you're in your early 20s or less and don't know Wrestling History that well, sit back and let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time Vince McMahon's WWF/E wasn't the only wrestling promotion in the country. Wrestling territories in the North America such as the National Wrestling Alliance, AWA, Stampede Wrestling, Jim Crockett Promotions. Of course, when McMahon elevated his WWF promotion to a global stage in the mid-80s with superstars such as Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Macho Man Randy Savage, they dominated and absorbed most of their competition away as one major wrestling network.

The last great territory battle and perhaps the greatest era in wrestling history was the Monday Night Wars between Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling and McMahon's World Wrestling Federation. Oh my goodness it was a glorious time, as epic as the Civil War. It's crazy to think that WCW nearly put the almighty McMahon out of business, but the WWF managed to overcome an 83 week losing streak to Turner's promotion with their epic Attitude Era. The signature story of that era was Vince himself becoming an evil boss character onscreen as Mr. McMahon, the foil to the rebellious Texas rattlesnake that became the Wars biggest icon, Stone Cold Steve Austin.

I can honestly go on forever about the Monday Night War and I was only a toddler during it.

Ultimately, WCW went from owning WWF in a two year stretch to completely collapsing under them. In April of 2001, Vince McMahon himself bought WCW and thereby ended the last great territory war in wrestling.

Sinec 2001, there have been a couple of new promotions that attempted competing with the land of the giants. The closet of which was TNA, but terrible booking and backstage politics from old WCW heads eventually drove TNA down to the dumps without ever coming close to giving WWE a run for their money.

So if TNA couldn't be a valid alternative to WWE, what can be?

The answer to that is something that seemingly came out of no where. That answer being All Elite Wrestling.

AEW was founded by Tony Khan, the co-owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars but the company was spearheaded by independent wrestlers Cody Rhodes and a tag-team known as the Young Bucks. Rhodes, or billed in AEW as just Cody, is the son of the late "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, one of the most famous wrestlers of all-time. Cody himself had a nice career in WWE under several gimmicks but never ultimately ascended to a main event spot, eventually leading his departure to the indies.

The unlikely rise in popularity in AEW is striking, as they've already garnered more buzz worldwide than TNA ever did. Rather than taking WWE cast-offs, they've taken valuable WWE commodities. Chris Jericho, one of the most decorated WWE wrestlers of all-time, made the surprising jump to AEW as it's likely first world champion. And making his AEW debut at the end of their first pay-per-view, Double or Nothing was former WWE champion Dean Ambrose, now billed under his indy name Jon Moxley. AEW plucked a WWE superstar in his prime, and Moxley certainly won't be the last to make the jump. In fact, Bret "The Hitman" Hart, one of the most iconic wrestlers of all-time, even introduced the new AEW world championship belt, an incredible endorsement from a man who knows wrestling better than anyone. Oh, and AEW has Good ole JR Jim Ross as their lead commentator.

Despite me not liking the direction and booking of the WWE over the past several years, I still love Vince McMahon. I will always love and appreciate what he created with the WWE and elevating it into what it's become today. Even with the many controversies that has followed McMahon and WWE over the decades, I will always be Team Vince in my heart of hearts. That said, Vince is an old man, and WWE has looked like it's been run by an old man for awhile now.

AEW is not only a promotion that might make him turn his head back to notice, but it's the competition that he's probably been waiting for deep down since he took WCW. (Well in storyline it was his son Shane who bought WCW from under his nose which started the WCW vs. WWF invasion angle which didn't work out because contracts and reasons.)

Rather than stay stuck under the thick glass ceiling that is WWE, wrestlers can now break free from the commercial and publicly traded company to a place where they can shine creatively in All Elite Wrestling.

WWE employees will never admit to liking AEW, but deep down they know it's the shot in the arm the pro wrestling business needs.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
the beatles
Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

Keep Reading...Show less
Being Invisible The Best Super Power

The best superpower ever? Being invisible of course. Imagine just being able to go from seen to unseen on a dime. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to be invisible? Superman and Batman have nothing on being invisible with their superhero abilities. Here are some things that you could do while being invisible, because being invisible can benefit your social life too.

Keep Reading...Show less
Featured

19 Lessons I'll Never Forget from Growing Up In a Small Town

There have been many lessons learned.

71252
houses under green sky
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash

Small towns certainly have their pros and cons. Many people who grow up in small towns find themselves counting the days until they get to escape their roots and plant new ones in bigger, "better" places. And that's fine. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't thought those same thoughts before too. We all have, but they say it's important to remember where you came from. When I think about where I come from, I can't help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for my roots. Being from a small town has taught me so many important lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Keep Reading...Show less
​a woman sitting at a table having a coffee
nappy.co

I can't say "thank you" enough to express how grateful I am for you coming into my life. You have made such a huge impact on my life. I would not be the person I am today without you and I know that you will keep inspiring me to become an even better version of myself.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

133374
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments