Dave Meltzer recently spoke about the changing momentum between All Elite Wrestling and WWE during an episode of Wrestling Observer Radio.
During the discussion, Meltzer reflected on how the narrative surrounding AEW has evolved over the past year. He noted that while the company was heavily criticized during a period when its momentum appeared to be declining, the conversation has shifted more recently as AEW has regained traction.
“It’s always about a wrestling war, right? And like a year ago in wrestling when they were talking like that, I mean, All Elite Wrestling was just—momentum-wise—they had terrible momentum. Even when they put on good stuff, the momentum was so bad and everybody was talking down about them. It just became this thing of like they’re dying, they’re dying, they’re dying.”
Meltzer said that many of the voices who previously predicted AEW’s downfall have since quieted as the promotion’s performance and perception have improved.
“And now, right now, it’s like all those people are very quiet. All those people that were hounding me about how they were going to die and all this—it’s like they’re very quiet. Other than the ones who want to do the ‘oh, the Paramount Global thing now, they’re going to get cancelled because TKO Group Holdings will make them get cancelled.’ They don’t even get it.”
While acknowledging that WWE remains well ahead in the industry, Meltzer believes the competitive gap has begun to narrow again, comparing the current situation to historical shifts during the wrestling boom of the late 1990s.
“But that’s the difference. And again, that’s another story. In 2027 everything can be different, and probably will be. But right now, you think you got them—like what Eric Bischoff had in 1997. They’re in the dust. They’re not even competition anymore. We won the war. And then all of a sudden, you didn’t win the war.”
Meltzer also pointed to WWE’s previous attempts to counter-program AEW with head-to-head shows, noting that those efforts sometimes produced the opposite of the intended effect.
“And I think in this one, they’re way, way ahead, but the gap is closing. Even though they’re still way ahead, the other guys are coming up. And all the little tricks—when they started coming up, or even before they started coming up—to try to put them in the dust, like putting those head-to-head shows, every time it backfired. AEW did a good number, and they always did a lower than usual number every single time.”
According to Meltzer, those broader industry dynamics play a role in shaping the perception of the competition between the two companies, even if WWE remains the market leader.
