AEW has firmly established itself as the #2 professional wrestling company in the world since its inception over five years ago, positioning itself as the primary competitor to WWE. Despite this success, recent allegations have surfaced suggesting that WWE may be involved in spreading negative stories about All Elite Wrestling to the media, raising questions about the extent of the rivalry between these two giants.
Concerns about WWE’s influence over wrestling media have been growing among fans, particularly regarding the potential manipulation of information to control narratives. A notable incident occurred with the reported viewership figures for AEW Collision on June 1st. Initially, it was claimed by Alfred Konuwa that the viewership was a mere 122,000. However, it was later revealed that the actual number was significantly higher at 378,000. Despite the correction, the initial misinformation had already sparked widespread online discussions.
The Wrestling Observer highlighted that the erroneous figures originated from WWE. He emphasized that contrary to the belief that WWE is indifferent to AEW, there is an ongoing and intense rivalry between the two entities. The Observer described this as a “pro wrestling war” that extends beyond the ring into public relations and media manipulation:
“This was a number supplied by WWE. And for those who think like, ‘WWE’s not concerned about AEW’ or ‘It’s a one-sided thing.’ AEW is in a war with WWE. It’s a pro wrestling war. Okay? These pro wrestling wars are insidious. They are brutal. They are both in a public relations war, where one side is far more effective as far as getting news out there and controlling the media because they are afraid of not having access or whatever they are afraid of. WWE obviously, whenever AEW has a badly rated show, WWE makes sure that the fast nationals get out.”
After reading this report, a fan tweeted the following about Dave Meltzer:
“What you’re saying is Dave Meltzer doesn’t check sources or check for accuracy… & this is why not many people take him seriously anymore… he throws things out there & hope it’s true & accurate & when it’s not blames someone else. What poor journalism. If that’s what you want to call it.”
Meltzer replied:
“Sorry, but the ratings I listed were accurate. The others were not. They were supplied by WWE to the reporter. Sorry for people mad because everything I stated was correct, and this is not a new story. It’s a story that dates back many years and has been talked about and written about the entire time. In other words, people mad at the accurate story are the ones who complained without checking something easily verifiable. Ultimate irony.”
AEW President Tony Khan tweeted the following about this:
“These are the same predatory business practices that Jim Crockett Promotions + many former wrestling territories faced in the 1980s.
I’m very grateful to all of you wrestling fans who watch AEW, and AEW is here to stay.”
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