All Elite Wrestling’s inaugural event Double or Nothing gave us a feeling that we haven’t had in a long time in this wonderful world of professional wrestling. It didn’t feel like an independent promotion trying to prove itself. It felt like it belonged. It felt like something Vincent Kennedy McMahon hasn’t had to deal with in a long time.
It felt like competition. Healthy competition.
From the brilliantly handled sibling rivalry between brothers – and former WWE talents – Cody and Dustin Rhodes and the surprise arrival of Jon Moxley (Dean Ambrose in the WWE) to the fantastic set inside of the sold-out MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and the extraordinary energy that emanated from the fans throughout the show, All Elite Wrestling quickly proved their value as they head to TNT for a weekly show this fall.
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It felt like a big deal. With the events of Starrcast – a pro wrestling convention of sorts with panels featuring former wrestlers, meet and greets and vendors selling merchandise – taking place throughout the weekend week, Double or Nothing felt like its own version of WrestleMania weekend.
For the first time since the infamous Monday Night Wars between the then-WWF and WCW (which, ironically, was the last pro wrestling show on TNT), pro wrestling gave us a feeling that we didn’t have two decades ago when pro wrestling was must-see TV. Those wars reeled in casual fans at record numbers and made wrestling feel cool. In the aftermath of the war that Vince McMahon won, pro wrestling has drifted from the conscious of the casual fan. With no immediate competition, it forced hardcore fans to dig deep for an alternative in the event that they weren’t enamored with the PG direction of the WWE.
As a result, the independent scene had a massive boom with much of the talent being quickly gobbled up by the WWE. It was the equivalent of a major record label signing any talent making noise on the independent scene. Some would manage to have successful careers under the major label umbrella while others were unable to fit into what the label wanted. But with only one show in town, it was either sink or swim.
But now it appears that there is an alternative that can force the WWE to look over its shoulder in a race it has been winning for over twenty years. The Monday Night Wars made the WWE dig into its bag of creative ideas and give birth to some of the greatest moments in pro wrestling history. With AEW appearing to be the promotion that can push The McMahon Family into the proverbial corner and create an opportunity for them to fight their way out, we just might be able to get that feeling back.
You can’t continue to jog and win the race when somebody is gaining ground behind you. Now you have to run.
And it goes without saying that we would all like to see the WWE run again.
Yet, some people want to see AEW fail and were quite vocal on Twitter in their attempts to dismantle the show one tweet at a time. But why would anybody want to see a new company fail? More importantly, how can you call yourself a pro wrestling fan if the only promotion that you want to succeed is World Wrestling Entertainment? Sure, you can have your preferences, as we all do, but what’s wrong with alternatives?
Throughout the broadcast, there was a healthy contingent of people on social media determined to shred the show before it even started. Sure, Double or Nothing wasn’t perfect, but the blinding determination to shout down everything the inaugural event had to offer was baffling. Unless they were current employees of the WWE, this was wholly unnecessary.
They say that competition is better for business. But an alternative is better for everyone involved. Especially if the alternative is being funded by an owner with deep pockets and is a self-proclaimed longtime fan. Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham F.C. co-owner Tony Khan serves as both the founder and president of All Elite Wrestling. But he isn’t just a fly by night owner looking to capitalize on the business that he has no knowledge of. Khan is a fan dating back to his childhood and admits to seeing just about every pro wrestling event that has been broadcast.
His deep knowledge of the product has allowed him to create an alternative universe that gives extra attention to the things that the WWE doesn’t. Teaming up with pro wrestlers Cody Rhodes, his wife Brandi, Matt and Nick Jackson and arguably the best wrestler on the planet in Kenny Omega to round out the executives for AEW is telling. Khan doesn’t just care about the business; he cares about the wrestlers and their stories on and off screen.
For the talent, it gives them options. If they are unhappy with one promotion, they can find work elsewhere. The same goes for the fans. If you miss tag team wrestling in the WWE, you can find a heavy emphasis in AEW as evidenced by the outstanding showdown between The Young Bucks and Lucha Bros.
There no longer is one show in town. Imagine if McDonald's was the only fast food restaurant in your town and you just happened to not like their burgers. Wouldn’t an alternative be nice that you didn’t have to drive 100 miles outside the city to find? And that alternative doesn’t necessarily have to be bigger than McDonald's to be relevant. But as long as it exists on the same town – or, in this case, on a major network -- it will force McDonald's to step their game up.
All Elite Wrestling isn’t for everybody, nor should it be. It’s filling a void that the WWE cannot at this point and time. They aren’t here to cater to a wide age demographic. As evidenced by the blood and middle fingers, they are poignantly after the underserviced 18 and up audience who has grown weary of what the WWE has to offer.
Also, how can you want a company to fail that was recently lauded by congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for their efforts in diversity and race relations? Giving them a chance is the least we can do as pro wrestling fans. This isn’t to say that we shouldn’t be critical of the product. But it does mean that pro wrestling fans should do away with the archaic mindset that only one promotion can survive. If you don’t like it, don’t watch it. It’s really that simple. But tearing it apart on social media is unnecessary and a disservice to everyone.
And, this may come as a surprise to some, but you can actually be a fan of both. There was a time when fans frantically flipped back and forth between WWE Monday Night Raw and WCW Monday Nitro to ensure they wouldn’t miss something significant.
That’s even better for business.
All Elite Wrestling pushed all of its chips into the middle of the proverbial table and delivered with Double or Nothing. They introduced a potential superstar to the world in MJF, whose heel tactics were a callback to the great heels in wrestling history. The return of Awesome Kong put an extra spotlight on a match that saw Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D., Nyla Rose and Kylie Rae put on a showcase for AEW’s brand of women’s wrestling.
The shocking debut of Jon Moxley sent ripples to the pro wrestling world and the man who was part of the WWE’s most popular faction in the modern era, The Shield, laid out both living legend Chris Jericho and future legend Kenny Omega to close the show. Jim Ross brought back the nostalgic commentary as he called the matches alongside indie commentating stalwart Excalibur. The aforementioned sibling rivalry between Cody and Dustin Rhodes was a master class in storytelling that was less about acrobatics and more about grounded storytelling between two brothers from different eras doing battle and then reconciling under the watchful eye of their late father, Dusty Rhodes.
There was a lot for underserviced pro wrestling fans to sink their teeth into during AEW’s debut. And as fans, the least that we can offer is a chance for them to win us over.
