According to WWE veteran Vince Russo, neither Triple H nor TKO are concerned with AEW potentially overtaking them as the number one wrestling promotion. He posits that WWE’s recent decision to schedule its “WrestlePalooza” event on the same day as AEW All Out is a calculated financial maneuver rather than a direct battle for viewership.
Speaking on the latest episode of The Wrestling Outlaws, Russo explained that the primary effect of AEW’s existence has been the inflation of talent salaries across the industry.
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“I think they [Triple H and TKO] are paying wrestlers a lot more than they really wanna pay them and that’s because of Tony Khan and AEW,” Russo stated.
He firmly dismissed the notion that WWE perceives AEW as a threat to its top spot in the industry. “I don’t think they are afraid AEW is gonna become the number one wrestling promotion. That’s ridiculous.”
Russo’s comments come during a period of direct competition between the two companies, particularly in the United Kingdom. On August 24, AEW presented Forbidden Door from the O2 Arena in London, where the company announced a new wrestling attendance record for the venue of 18,992 fans, narrowly beating a previous WWE record.
The main event saw the team of Darby Allin, Will Ospreay, Kenny Omega, Kota Ibushi, and Hiroshi Tanahashi defeat the Death Riders and The Young Bucks in a Lights Out Steel Cage match. The broadcast concluded with a post-match assault by the Death Riders on Will Ospreay.
Just one day later, on August 25, WWE will hold Monday Night Raw in Birmingham, England.
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