By Goose Mahler, Associate Editor
NXT’s Great American Bash defeated AEW Fyter Fest in the overall ratings, giving NXT a second consecutive week of wins.
One more win? And NXT will have a winning streak.
AEW still beat NXT in the 18-49 demographic, which they claim is the major victory. Or is it really?
The bigger story here is how is NXT, (which All Elite Wrestling called out initially being the “supposed” minor leagues), beating the self-proclaimed better product of a newer, fresher company?
Before you continue reading, AEW promoted itself to be different than the WWE, and an alternative for fans. They are, but they are also pulling some bush league moves that create anger in fans that makes you not want to watch them every week on TNT.
Not all fans are one side or the other, but some fans are flipping sides because the childish behavioral games are too much for some fans.
From the beginning ,Cody and AEW’s attempt to mock the WWE has helped and hindered AEW. If anything, you would think he would have learned from WCW’s mistakes and not taken the same path of mockery and shit slinging. Instead every turn AEW gets to take a pot shot at the WWE has been taken and lately there is as many misses as there are hits. They didn’t learn from WCW and the pot shots are turning the casual fans off right into NXT’s laps.
MJF, Britt Baker, Penelope Ford, Jericho on commentary, Brian Cage, the tag team division are all solid for All Elite. The problem isn’t the talent it’s the backstage stage politics and antics that they are showing the wrestling world that is a complete and utter turn off. Ah, the realm of social media and kayfabe are completely out the window.
Cody and his war with the WWE over trademarks. I totally get the name Cody Rhodes, I won’t argue that because that is and has been petty on the WWE’s part. But Cody also has kept his fight up for former WCW PPV names. Again, if you don’t want to be like a failed company try creating your own identity and stop living off the other company that failed. It seems like that’s simple and very common sense like…at least to me.
The WWE purchased names and likenesses from WCW for a reason…their own library. If Cody’s war is that personal, trying to get things he believes were his dad’s, Tony Khan’s investment along with the Bucks and Omega might be very misplaced in Cody. AEW wanted to be different, but Cody wants to be like his dad and that is a dangerous game to be playing with other people’s money in an upstart company.
I remember people shitting all over TNA for constantly bringing in WWE castoffs. Well…the same people now are praising AEW for doing the same thing. I’m sorry, again very dangerous game. Matt Hardy is a talent, no doubt about it, and those that know me, know I’m a “Broken” Matt Hardy mark. The Revolt or FTR, whatever you want to call them, talented, but in a stacked tag team division will they be complacent with being third, fourth or even fifth fiddles? Highly doubtful.
What about the teams that were busting their asses when AEW started? Are they happy with Cody bringing in WWE castoffs without getting a solid chance like the Butcher and Blade? Again, AEW tag team division is stacked, but again like the WWE they have two single wrestlers holding the tag titles, which means, they aren’t that important or AEW is similar to the WWE not caring about teams, except when they have spot fest matches and tags aren’t needed and neither are refs to be honest.
Taz comes out and cuts a killer promo on Moxley. Less than 24 hours later a fan in attendance posts on reddit that AEW didn’t COVID test the fans. They just got temperature checks and social distance seating, which is okay for AEW, but not the WWE. It makes Taz’s words look completely hollow.
From hero promo to zero promo because no one informed the talent “hey guys and gals, we WWE’d it and half assed the testing tonight to get a crowd in to watch.” Shot fired, direct hit, and in reality a complete and utter miss on AEW’s part.
Red Forman goes through my head at this point just calling everyone not taking COVID serious “DUMBASSES!”
I’ve thrown this out several time, one more time will not hurt. If AEW wants to compete and beat the WWE, try worrying about yourselves and not what the WWE is doing. Give the damn fans a good show and not one where you have to rely on what your opposition is doing. Do you and fans will appreciate it. Be them and fans will just change the channel and watch “them”.
You’d be shocked at how much a fan digs a good storyline like Baker and Swole, over Cody wearing an old school shirt with his dad’s symbol on it because he’s pissed the WWE used a PPV name that his dad came up with. He didn’t buy it, he doesn’t own it, so get over it and run your damn show better and not bitterly.
Two weeks NXT won the overall ratings. AEW can easily beat NXT next week, but its up to Khan and common sense people to point out to Cody the grade school tactics aren’t working and need to stop before they find themselves on a slide that wouldn’t make his dad happy ala WCW ratings tank into being sold.
If anything, this should serve as a wake-up call for AEW. Unfortunately, the same people that might read this will probably laugh and cast the words of warning aside. In doing so, don’t be shocked if NXT beats AEW again, and gets that winning streak going.
What NXT does with that streak will be up to them and Triple H. How AEW rebounds might be up to those who are their locker room leaders and not tainted eyes not listening to others for all the wrong reasons. To me, that isn’t being very elite.
Until next week… Hope you had a Happy 4th of July!
Mark Mahler is the Associate Editor of TheGorillaPosition.com and the former Editor-in-Chief of Absolute Wrestling. Follow him on Twitter @MGoose37
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