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I've noticed most matches from the AEW PPV shows pop on Youtube around several days after the show. Considering that content on Youtube is free to view and the uploaders of these matches have not been forced to remove them, do you consider it a form of piracy to watch the matches on Youtube, or is it an acceptable way of accessing these PPV matches, especially during this time when many people may not be willing or able to pay full price for the PPVs?
It really doesn’t matter what I think, it matters what Tony Khan thinks. If he pulls it down, he considers it piracy. If he allows it to stay up, he doesn’t. It’s only acceptable to watch them if he is OK with it.
Just a hypothetical here, but considering the drop in WWE RAW ratings, what would happen if AEW went up against them on Mondays? Would the AEW audience they currently have stay loyal and would that eat into the RAW audience enough to hurt the WWE financially (even if they still win the ratings battle) more than it hurts WWE to lose on Wednesday nights? I always felt NXT was just a bonus for the WWE and that they didn’t care as much to lose on Wednesdays as long as they hurt AEW and stymied their growth at the start of the company’s tenure with TNT. But seeing major erosion in RAW ratings would be detrimental to the company in the eyes of stockholders. Thoughts?
I think most of the AEW audience would stay loyal, as they have from the start. The question is, how many of them actually watch Raw as well. I don’t know the answer. It also works the other way, for some Raw would be the choice live and AEW the show to watch later. WWE doesn’t make a whole lot, if anything, for NXT’s Wednesday airing but obviously they do for Raw on Monday. I don’t know the terms of their deal with USA. There may be a kicker if their ratings drop below a certain level. But if I were AEW, I wouldn’t even think of making that move right now. I would keep building momentum on Wednesday and not compete with Raw and the other Monday shows (such as Monday Night Football) at this time. Impact tried it years ago and it didn’t go well.
Do you think fans get the difference in the fact that WWE is at the mercy of stockholders while other companies are not? You can’t hold them to the same standards but fans seem to not understand that difference or not care. Where would the WWE be today if they remained private?
I think some fans get it, some fans don’t. With that said, the show we get now is done as much for Vince McMahon as the stockholders. I think the product would be largely the same if WWE were private. Vince only ever left his comfort zone once, in The Attitude Era, and that was because he was losing to WCW. Now? We get what he likes.
Do you think AEW hurts itself sometimes when they stay away too much from rematches? Seems like Cody didn’t really finish his feud with MJF (we still had a crowd the show after Revolution) when he was starting a new one with Lance Archer while also battling the Inner Circle and seemingly reentering a feud with Shawn Spears. Is Cody Rhodes legitimately the most hated man in AEW?
I love that they do that. They are letting things germinate that they can go back to later down the road. Cody has been used well to establish other guys. I think they do just the opposite of shooting themselves in the foot there!
Forgive me if this question seems odd, but do you think WWE should consider renaming Rhea Ripley's "Riptide" move out of respect for how Shad Gaspard's life ended?
My take is this. If they decided to do that, I would be fine with it. If they don’t, I am fine with that too.
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