This past weekend we would see round two of the battle of AEW versus WWE. WWE would air the 10th anniversary special of Evolve Wrestling as “counter-programming” to All Elite Wrestling. So for this piece, we will look at round two of the head-to-head battle.
The Card
When looking at wrestling events, it can be make it or break it, by the card. What wrestling are competing and how the match lineup is laid out can be critical to the success or failure of an event. And when looking at these two cards, there positives and negatives to take away from both. Now when comparing the two cards, there is a difficulty because they were not created equal. What do I mean by that statement?
When looking at the WWE card first nearly, every match has a positive and above-average rating. (In our Extreme Rules recap article.) And when looking at the AEW card, some underwhelming matches received low ratings from the Laracuente Ledger. However, the matches at the top of the AEW card would outshine the matches on the Extreme Rules card. So, in this case, this portion of the card was a draw.
Card Advantage: Push
The Price
When comparing the price of the two events, they are quite even. The event from All Elite Wrestling was streaming live on Bleacher Report Live for free. And as far as Extreme Rules goes, the WWE Network streams live for new subscribers. So this portion of the debate is also a draw.
Price Advantage: Push
Preshow Interest
The interest in these cards was in opposite directions. AEW was high because of the “chair shot heard round the world.” But WWE was not quite as high because of the lackluster builds for these feuds. So preshow interest would go to AEW.
Preshow Interest: AEW
Future Booking
The aftermath of each event has a different tone to it as we approach both promotions, August events. Backlash and fall out from each show will reverberate across the coming weeks. And it is only because of having Paul Heyman at the creative helm that this category ends the way it does. But the advantage for both sides is neutral.
Future Booking Advantage: Push
Final Thoughts
Following last weekends events, the pro wrestling landscape is looking quite impressive. And as fans of pro wrestling, we are the true beneficiaries of this competition. Watching both products was a pleasant experience. Most of the time, there is something that can be embarrassing done. But this time the playback was perfect.
