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It all started with a tweet.
When Dave Meltzer of the respected and long running Wrestling Observer Newsletter was asked by a fan on social media if a small promotion like Ring of Honor might be able to sell out a ten thousand seat arena, Mr. Meltzer's response was "not anytime soon."
One man who took exception to this assessment was none other than second generation international wrestling superstar Cody Rhodes. His reply? "I'll take that bet, Dave!"
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The result was the world's biggest independent wrestling show, All In. All In was an unparalleled success, selling out in mere minutes and drawing heavy buyrates from fans. Once the show was over, fans were teased with an All In 2: Double or Nothing event.
However, it seemed that ambition had struck deep in Cody and his business partners, the Young Bucks. They didn't just want to run another show; they wanted to start their own promotion, and enter a crowded North American wrestling market that already has WWE, Impact, ROH, and NJPW vying for fan's attention and money.
Unbelievably, the All Elite Wrestling promotion got its financial backing and became a reality in a remarkably quick time. Now with the signing of major stars like Chris Jericho and former WWE Cruiserweight 'king' PAC (formerly known as Adrian Neville) the promotion seems well on its way to legitimacy.
Here are five things you can expect from AEW, and five things that probably won't happen.
Could Happen: Signing of more Ex-WWE talent
One thing is almost certain - PAC is not the last former WWE talent who will end up signing with AEW.
Not all seeds grow in all soils, and the WWE is no exception. Sometimes, talent has to be reshuffled, or even let go altogether so they may seek their fortunes elsewhere. You can expect many WWE talents whose careers have more or less stagnated to consider jumping ship to the AEW.
The New Day is a group on a lot of people's lips in this regard, as they already have an association with the Elite, and they are mired in the mid card with little prospects for upward mobility, but they are far from the only superstars in this situation.
Probably won't happen: New Monday Night War
Pro wrestling is like any other form of entertainment - it goes through its boom periods and its lulls. One of the biggest boom periods of recent memory is the much ballyhooed Monday Night War between WCW and the WWE.
WWE had long held dominance on Monday nights, having had their show Prime Time Wrestling on the USA Network for years before it transitioned into the program now known as Monday Night Raw. WCW president Eric Bischoff did the unthinkable and set up his company's show to compete directly with RAW.
The result was the Monday Night War, in which the two promotions sought to outdo each other by any means necessary. As exciting as it was, fans should not expect AEW to go head to head with WWE, at least not yet.
Given the WWE's huge market share and massive advertising juggernaut, AEW probably won't choose to compete head to head with them on Monday nights, at least not until the new promotion has established itself and grown its own fan base.
Might Happen: A strong women's division
When it comes to pro wrestling, women have made great strides toward equality. The TNA Knockouts division started it all in the mid 2000s, highlighting in ring action and technical acumen rather than gimmicks like bra and panties matches.
WWE picked up the ball and ran with it, developing one of the strongest women's rosters in recent memory. Featuring stars like Asuka, Becky Lynch, Charlotte Flair, and Nia Jax, the division has become so popular that it even had its own PPV.
Many fans wondered if AEW was going to feature women's wrestling. AEW COO Brandi Rhodes made a major announcement that shocked the wrestling world. Not only will AEW feature what they described as a 'very competitive' women's division, they were also going to pay the women equal to the men. This was shocking in wrestling, where male stars might make ten times as much as their next closest female co worker.
Probably won't happen: Crossover with New Japan Pro Wrestling
One thing seems crystal clear: New Japan Pro Wrestling does not seem interested in a working relationship with All Elite Wrestling.
For one thing, NJPW sees AEW as direct competition. Indeed, many of their top stars have already signed with AEW or are direct founders. For another, New Japan Pro Wrestling already has a working agreement with Ring of Honor, and the two promotions seem to be happy with their arrangement.
This isn't to say that some AEW wrestlers won't work dates for NJPW or other promotions, but that there won't be a formal exchange of talent between the two entities. This means that, for example, Chris Jericho might wrestle for both AEW and NJPW, he won't be defending titles he won in All Elite in New Japan, and vice versa.
Might Happen: Enzo Amore under contract
Eric Arndt, the man formerly known as Enzo Amore, might seem an odd choice for All Elite Wrestling on the surface.
For one thing, he's not known for being technically gifted between the ropes. Indeed, the best way you can describe Arndt's wrestling ability is 'adequate.' However, his personality is huge, and fills an entire arena. He also has a propensity for selling a ton of merchandise.
These qualities are what makes him so attractive to AEW's leadership. Cody and the Young Bucks know that in order to grow their business they will have to acquire talent that will appeal to a greater, mainstream audience, and given Amore's strong social media game, he might be the dark horse recruit they need for All Elite Wrestling.
Probably won't happen: WWE Legends under contract
The WWE Legends contract is, by design, a very flexible arrangement between the former talent and the promotion. The idea is that the Legends will be available for autograph signings, meet and greets, and the occasional (non wrestling) live appearance.
The Legends are typically free to work dates for other promotions, provided they are not in direct competition with the WWE (Impact wrestling and ROH are definitely on the list of prohibited promotions.)
However, All Elite Wrestling will likely be considered direct competition, and that means that the WWE Legends will have to choose between their cushy Legends gig with WWE or having a one-off appearance for AEW.
Given that AEW is trying to build a promotion based upon young, hungry in ring talent, and that the Legends are mostly incapable of actually wrestling in their current age, it seems unlikely you'll be seeing them in AEW.
Might Happen: NWA stars appearing at AEW events
The National Wrestling Alliance was once so big, so successful, and so influential that it provided serious competition to the WWE. Most of this came from the auspices of the biggest owner of the regional entities, Jim Crockett Productions.
However, when Jim Crockett Productions was sold to Ted Turner and eventually transitioned into WCW, it was a major blow to the NWA. While the promotion has still existed in some fashion ever since, there is little doubt that it is a mere shadow of its former self.
However, the NWA has been trying to change its status of late. One of the things they did to increase their market share was to be involved with All Elite Wrestling. In fact, they even allowed their champion, Nick Aldis (Magnus in Impact) to defend their world title.
Cody actually defeated their champion (which obviously didn't happen without the NWA's approval) which bodes well for future crossover events between the two promotions.
Probably won't happen: A network television deal
Professional wrestling has often been considered 'second tier' entertainment, meaning it might do well on cable television or, in the modern era, streaming services but it doesn't cut the mustard for the big four networks in the USA - namely NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX.
However, that all changed when WWE and Fox network banded together to bring Smackdown to an ever larger audience. It is considered a major coup by the WWE to get their programming on as large an entity as Fox.
Don't expect All Elite Wrestling to follow suit. A fledgling wrestling promotion will still be considered quite risky. Only the WWE's long history of successful ventures made their deal with Fox possible, and many television execs will no doubt be waiting to see if AEW can survive and thrive before they even think of offering a deal.
Might Happen: An AEW streaming service
Given the lack of interest from major networks and even cable stations toward pro wrestling promotions (look at how much trouble the venerable Impact has had in securing and maintaining a relationship with a network), it's no secret that if AEW wants to survive and thrive, they will have to find an alternative means of getting their product in front of viewers' eyeballs.
Ring of Honor has a weekly, hour long show that airs on Sinclair broadcasting partners, but the main way in which ROH fans enjoy their product is by tuning in to the ROHwrestling.com's streaming service, particularly by joining Honor Club. This allows ROH to get their content out into the market without a major network deal.
AEW might have to take a similar tactic, even if they are able to get their programming on traditional media outlets. Modern fans expect to be able to enjoy content at the click of a button, and they would be well served to examine this possibility.
Probably won't happen: Putting WWE out of business
When you're on top of the mountain, the king of the hill as it were, the view might be great, but everyone and his brother wants to knock you down and see you take a tumble.
It's true that success breeds contempt, and the same holds true for the WWE. Even though the WWE has millions of fans worldwide, there are also a lot of people who would like to see them taken down a peg, or even run out of business entirely.
Unfortunately, we have bad news for those people. No matter how successful the WWE is, they aren't going to be run out of business by All Elite Wrestling. The WWE is, for many fans, the promotion they literally grew up watching. It is also the home to legends like Undertaker and Hulk Hogan, men who won't likely be tempted by any offer AEW might make.
Then there's the fact that the WWE has proven itself to be an incredibly adaptable entity. They truly known how to change with the times, to reflect a true zeitgeist of the industry. This is why even if AEW is more successful than anyone can imagine the WWE won't be going anywhere.
There you have it: Five things to expect from AEW, and five things that probably won't happen soon, if ever. What are your thoughts on AEW? Please comment and let us know, and as always thanks for reading!
