8 months ago
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WWE and AEW have been at war ever since the upstart promotion came into existence in 2019 to serve as a direct competitor for the global juggernaut since the infamous Monday Night Wars back in the 1990s.
The recent showdown between both companies was seen in the realm of the free agent market opening with some of the best talent in the world and both companies trying to outsmart each other in bringing them to their respective landscapes.
This ongoing talent war was recently underscored by the signings of Mercedes Mone, Kazuchika Okada, and Will Ospreay, all of whom garnered substantial interest from both AEW and WWE. Ultimately, they all chose to ink deals with Tony Khan’s AEW.
According to the latest report from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Khan’s offers surpassed those of WWE. Despite WWE officials banking on their brand power and pull of competing at their premier show, WrestleMania to sway decisions, it ultimately fell short in this instance.
“For AEW, with her [Mercedes Mone] debuting after the recent debuts of Kazuchika Okada and Will Ospreay, it meant that AEW and Tony Khan signed all three of the major free agents that were talking to both sides.”
“In all three cases it was known that Khan offered more money than WWE, and WWE officials, who seemingly expected the lure of WWE and WrestleMania being enough of a deciding factor, ended up with it not being the case.”
With WWE losing out on three of the biggest signings in the wrestling business, it would be interesting to see their next move in this battle for supremacy against AEW.
What are your thoughts on WWE failing to sign top stars even with their magnanimous brand power? Sound off in the comments!
