It has been reported that WWE may be looking to hinder AEW's potential growth by keeping them out of certain areas for a period of time.
With the exception of a few subtle nods to one another on-screen over the past few years, the two wrestling companies have seemingly let each other exist without having to engage in a ratings battle reminiscent of the Monday Night Wars of the late 1990s.
However, according to a recent report from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, World Wrestling Entertainment has put in a clause with various venues that host their events, which may be backing AEW into a corner.
"There is an interesting note that in arenas that do rent to both AEW and WWE, WWE has put clauses in its deals that AEW can’t run a certain number of weeks before or after the WWE show, and also that AEW and the arena can’t announce the show or sell tickets until after the WWE show has taken place." (H/T Ringside News)
Since AEW came into fruition in 2019, many performers who made their name working for Vince McMahon jumped ship to the new company. However, the biggest swap between the promotions is arguably the return of Cody Rhodes, who left All Elite Wrestling as an executive vice president in 2022.
Former WWE writer compares both company's two biggest current stars
While both World Wrestling Entertainment and All Elite Wrestling have stacked rosters, the two performers that seem to stand out from the rest are MJF and Roman Reigns.
Currently, both performers sit atop the business as world champions. However, former wrestling writer Freddie Prinze Jr. recently stated on his podcast that MJF, given his younger age, is in a far greater league than The Tribal Chief.
"This dude [MJF] is the gold standard of professional wrestling. He is top of the food chain. Roman Reigns is what he is. He’s great, and he’s not even close to reaching what MJF already has. And MJF hasn’t been doing it half as long, at this level." (H/T Sportskeeda)
Given the fact that his current contract with All Elite Wrestling expires in 2024 and he has yet to re-sign, many are wondering if Maxwell Jacob Friedman will move over to his company's biggest rival in the new year.
Will MJF leave AEW in 2024? Give us your thoughts in the comments section below.