AEW doing too much, too soon?
In less than a month, AEW will make its TV debut on TNT, and the move has excited fans.
There is a buzz around the pro wrestling world because of it, even with some people talking about how AEW will be competition for WWE.
For AEW to truly become competition to WWE, it would take a few years of building its product and adjusting its business model.
While the buzz is a breath of fresh air for the sport, it doesn鈥檛 mean that AEW will actually succeed.
Competition is always good, but while AEW seems to be consumed to a point with WWE, it needs to focus on giving its product its own niche and making its own roads.
With that said, is AEW really ready for a live two-hour show each week?
On paper, heavyweight champion Chris Jericho and Jon Moxley (formerly Dean Ambrose in WWE) are its only true stars in the eyes of most American pro wrestling fans.
Yes, there are stars who have made names for themselves like Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks to name a few, but on paper, AEW doesn鈥檛 have much of a mid-card roster and its lower card guys thus far leave a lot to be desired.
And with Omega and the Bucks, they are much more known for high-paced matches than they are for their characters.
Cody, known as Cody Rhodes in WWE, was a mid-card guy in WWE and is now a top star for AEW.
He is very talented in the ring, but even Cody has to be established as a top star.
Yes, he has been built that way so far in AEW, but will it carry over for the duration?
AEW is selling itself on putting on great wrestling matches and that is a breath of fresh air.
But will the company be able to find a balance to fill two hours a week between long matches and developing new stars?
Considering NXT will be on the air at the same time, Vince McMahon is well aware of AEW.
But he wont make the same mistake he made with WCW in the 1990s.
Instead of giving AEW a chance to build, McMahon is going to do what he can to eliminate any solid footing that the upstart will try to build.
Info on NXT debut on USA
WWE announced this past week that for the first two episodes of NXT鈥檚 TV show, the first hour will air on the USA Network while the second will air on the WWE Network.
WWE will go with the full two hours on the USA Network starting Oct. 2.
Flair, WWE at odds
It seems that there are problems between Ric Flair and WWE over the use of the phrase, 鈥淭he Man.鈥�
Raw women鈥檚 champion Becky Lynch has been going by the moniker 鈥淭he Man鈥� since last year and Flair feels that he is entitled to money from WWE.
Earlier this week, Flair told TMZ that he filed for a trademark based off of his longtime phrase, 鈥淭o be the man, you gotta beat the man.鈥�
Things have gotten so bad that Flair has said that his own daughter is not talking to him right now because of the situation.
AEW to Pittsburgh
Tickets remain for the AEW TV taping at the Petersen Events Center on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com.
On This Day鈥�
In 1991, the NWA strips Ric Flair of its World Heavyweight championship two days before he would make his WWE (then-WWF) in-ring debut.
It would also lead to a split of the title lineage connection between the NWA and WCW World championships.
This week鈥檚 question:
Have you seen the ad for the show on Fox? The first wrestler they show on the one commercial is Triple H. I guess it shows the lack of big stars and have to lead off with someone who hasn鈥檛 wrestled full time in years. Joe from Charleroi.
My guess is that WWE went with an older star, much like it did with Steve Austin for another commercial, because it is trying to bring back old fans.
If older fans do not watch anymore, they would recognize Triple H or Austin before they would someone who they have never seen.
Email questions/comments to Bill at powerhousehughes@gmail.com or tweet them to me @BillHughes_III.