It’s been said many times before: For every kid who dreams about being a professional wrestler, WWE is the ultimate destination. For over three decades since the end of the territory days, that was essentially true. WWF and then WWE were the only options for wrestlers that would monetarily benefit them on the long run. It was the only real option where wrestlers could not only hope to earn good money to secure a future for their family, but it was also the place where wrestlers went so they could become major stars and household names.
WWE was and still is the single most dominant company in the industry and the truth of the matter is that it won’t change anytime soon. No matter how much the quality of the programming drops and no matter how much the ratings keep going down – WWE continues to make more money than ever. Why is that?
It’s not just about ratings and ticket sales and merchandise sales anymore. While those three aspects still do play a large role, WWE securing major television network deals such as FOX and massive-money deals like the one in Saudi Arabia has helped keep their profits afloat.
During WrestleMania 35 season (before and after), there were multiple reports of instances where WWE’s talent management was poor. There were even reports of top superstars leaving to other promotions such as AEW. However, that wasn’t the first time that such reports emerged.
Since the announcement of AEW and the signing of elite superstars like Chris Jericho, Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, etc., WWE finds themselves threatened with top competition from a promotion that has hardly even gotten running yet. But how could the biggest sports entertainment juggernaut in the world be threatened by a promotion that only had its first show in May 2019?
Simply put, it’s the backing that they have and the history to it. As we know, WWE’s greatest-ever competitors were WCW in the 90s. That was an era that saw the famous Monday Night Wars, where superstars would be jumping ship from one promotion to the other, with the financially well-backed WCW often swooping top stars from WWF.
The end result saw WWF have their backs to the wall, coming up with The Attitude Era as the company-saver and the Monday Night Wars winner. It was a game-changer and saw WWF shoot right back up, with WCW shooting right back down. It’s too early to say what will be, but it’s undoubtedly going to take a long time for AEW or any other promotion to ever attempt to reach that level.
Yet, several WWE superstars nowadays have zero issues when it comes to requesting their release and exploring options on the outside. Sure, the steady WWE paycheque is good, but with many superstars essentially being paid to sit on the sidelines, there’s no longer that fear of unemployment.
Moreover, having a “former WWE superstar” tag attached to them certainly helps them get work from different promotions. Now, there are multiple superstars asking for their release and having a bit more negotiation leverage than they did previously. Is it the offers on the outside that lures these superstars to put their foot down? And what will WWE do with decreased negotiation power?
We all know that WWE loves to have control of its talent and exclusivity despite the “independent contractor” tag. With more superstars willing to take other offers and explore outside, WWE is really going to have to slowly but surely restructure contracts that are more favorable to talent.
In a way, it’s a great thing for fans and it’s an even better thing for wrestlers. After all, it’s not just money that wrestlers seek, but creative satisfaction. While every wrestler’s goal is (and should be) to be the top champion of their division and promotion, the reality is that every company has its place and every superstar has his or her place. WWE having lesser power on talent can only be good, but obviously, not everyone is going to leave.
Yet, there has been a trend of superstars openly willing to leave and it’s a trend that’s likely going to continue. This is where AEW’s role in wrestling is so important at this juncture. While there are several other promotions that wrestlers can go to for employment, it’s going to be the offers that AEW makes to WWE talent that will really make a difference in how deals are negotiated.
Maybe, that was one of Cody Rhodes‘ many objectives in the first place when he announced AEW.
