WWE Just Proved Why AEW Is So Important With Their WrestleMania Weekend 

WrestleMania 41 should have been a huge weekend for WWE, with huge names, blockbuster main events, and massive announcements. In reality, it turned out to be the PR week from hell with two negatively received nights across April 19 and April 20, capping off questionable comments made by the likes of Triple H, in addition to some worrying business decisions that have begun to threaten the professional wrestling world. There is one thing for sure when it comes to the takeaways from WrestleMania 41 weekend, and that is that AEW providing an alternative for fans is more important than ever. We will assess why this is the case, and why it is imperative that AEW continues with its recent momentum.

WWE Cares About Money, And Not Much Else

WrestleMania 41 Priced Out Fans And Was Littered With Sponsors

• WrestleMania 41 tickets were hard to come by.
• The WWE audience was not as energetic as they would usually be at WrestleMania.
• Every match was sponsored, and WWE’s new direction took another step away from “pro wrestling”.

WWE likes to tell fans that they are part of the WWE family, and the promotion ‘listens to the fans’. As time goes on under the TKO ownership, it is becoming clearer and clearer that the priority in WWE is not the fanbase, but it is money. The company enjoys touting gate records, massive financial achievements, and more, but this is coming at the expense of the loyal fanbase. WWE may be selling out arenas, but it is coming at an increased cost. Tickets for this year’s WrestleMania were notably way higher than they’d been in the past, pricing out a whole portion of the audience. Once upon a time, families could save up to treat their kids or their partners to a tick off a bucket list item of experiencing a live WWE event, but it is becoming unfathomable for some with the recent hike in prices.

WrestleMania 41 was the most obvious example yet of WWE’s change in direction. There was a heavy focus on celebrities (with even Travis Scott interfering in the main event), every match was sponsored, individual entrances were sponsored, and the ring mat was covered in business logos. The wait times between matches are getting ridiculous, with the wait being longer than the bell-to-bell action itself. With more focus on ‘cinema’ and ‘moments’, the art of professional wrestling is being lost within WWE, which is why alternatives are more important than ever… especially with WWE’s attempts in recent weeks to try and ridicule the likes of AEW and Tony Khan.

WWE May Be Trying To Monopolize The Wrestling Industry

WWE Acquired AAA In A Worrying Move For Wrestling

• WWE have dipped their toes in the independent scene.
• WWE’s acquisition of AAA hints at more to come.
• AEW needs to retain its relationships with CMLL, NJPW, and Stardom.

WWE’s ID initiative has been a divisive development in the world of professional wrestling, with the company making their presence known in independent promotions, trying to scoop up all the talent and potentially to monopolize the business – attempting to complete Vince McMahon’s vision of destroying the territories back in WWE’s initial boom period. WrestleMania 41 weekend saw a big announcement, as WWE acquired Lucha Libre promotion AAA. A report from Cultaholic noted that WWE were looking to turn AAA into ‘NXT: Mexico’, which is a worrying sign for what is to come.

WWE has been branching out in recent times, procuring newfound partnerships with other companies – the likes of TNA, GCW, NOAH, Marigold, and more have seen WWE names compete on the cards. WWE’s acquisition of AAA and potential plans may have just uncovered a wider plan, where we may be seeing ‘NXT: Japan’, ‘WWE Presents TNA’, ‘WWE’s Game Changer Wrestling’, and more. This is all speculation, but a potential monopolization of the wrestling business would be disastrous. Triple H’s recent comments in an interview with Peter Rosenberg in which he told internet fans to stop being critics, to shut up, and to simply watch the product regardless of quality, could be what the future holds. If WWE holds increased power over the business, it doesn’t matter the quality of the product.

“This will sound offensive to every critic out there. I wish I could tell people f*** off for being a critic. Be a fan. Go watch this and be a fan.” (h/t WrestlingNews.co)

With the lack of an alternative, WWE presented a constantly declining product following the end of the Attitude Era, culminating in some truly horrendous programming around 2018 and 2019. The birth of AEW provided WWE with somewhat of a kick in the behind, prompting more focus on WWE’s need to actually provide good content. Without alternatives, WWE can take their foot off the gas from a creative standpoint, with fans simply needing to shut up and take what they can get.

AEW Is For The Fans Who Love Professional Wrestling

AEW’s Shows Are A Breath Of Fresh Air For The Sport

• Weekly AEW programming is fast-paced and full of action.
• AEW’s PPVs don’t have excessive waiting times between matches.
• AEW feels as though it is for the fans, and this is why the company is so important.

Tony Khan has been under some fire in the last couple of years for a reduced quality in AEW’s programming, but it must be said that the promotion has still remained pretty consistent, attempting to focus on in-ring work and putting on shows that get the crowd buzzing, and catering Dynamite, Collision, and PPVs to the loyal audience who has tuned in from day one. The difference between AEW and WWE shows is night and day, with AEW’s being way faster paced, less focused on recaps and sponsors, and prioritizing the audience (for the most part).

With WWE’s recent direction, price hike, and more, AEW’s approach to professional wrestling is desperately needed, perhaps more than it even was back in 2019 when it began. AEW must retain its relationship with other companies such as CMLL, NJPW and Stardom, ensuring that not every big promotion comes under the grasp of WWE. Additionally, AEW has proved to be vital to providing more options to wrestlers who are creatively frustrated, in need of something new, or would otherwise not get a chance to showcase their talent on a big stage. WrestleMania 41 weekend has only doubled-down AEW’s need to be different, provide options for fans and wrestlers alike, and remain successful to ensure that WWE doesn’t drive everyone either under their thumb or out of business for good.