WWE and AEW Discuss Roster Shake-Up
It has been a few days now, but recent reports hint about the two biggest wrestling promotions in North America-WWE and AEW-one possibly discussing a shake-up within their rosters. Such news lit professional wrestling on fire worldwide as fans try to guess what such an unprecedented move could bring. From being the ultimate fantasy match-up to groundbreaking storylines and potentially even an overhaul of the professional wrestling landscape as we know it, the depth of talent function between two companies cuts many ways.
Ever since All Elite Wrestling came into the market in 2019, WWE and AEW have been at loggerheads as each looks at outdoing the other in ratings, market share, and hearts of wrestling fans around the world. While both have tasted success, the way they look at professional wrestling is poles apart. WWE, with its extra years and exposure across the globe, has always been slanted toward a polished, entertainment-based product. On the other hand, AEW has carved out a niche by embracing a far more sport-centric style and winning over hardcore wrestling fans on the basis of pedigree in-ring action and storytelling. But despite their differences, it would seem that both of them are open to discussions involving talent exchange, proving quite simply that each can see a positive side to the concept.
Still, according to sources, discussions are in the early stages with few details coming on the meeting. But the idea of a roster shuffle does mean talent from the two companies would be able to work with each other, be it temporarily or in an overarching talent exchange program. That means wrestlers who have been part of one promotion for years could find their way soon into the rival company, opening a whole world of fresh matchups and surprise alliances. It’s something not seen since the old territorial system where wrestlers would bounce from promotion to promotion, staying fresh and exciting throughout their careers.
One of the huge attractions of a shake-up of the roster is that dream matches, which one would have thought unthinkable to likely everyone, will become very real prospects. Picture a scenario: AEW’s Kenny Omega facing off against the WWE’s Roman Reigns, or Seth Rollins against Jon Moxley outside of the WWE corporate umbrella. Those are the kinds of dream bookings that fans want to see, and talent exchange makes that possible.
The crossover potential is huge, and it could give both promotions that much-needed shot in the arm, considering it is recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has gotten some buzz on live events and audience contact.
But there is always a chance that a roster change might create some fresh storylines or character developments.
A move of scenery can sometimes help wrestlers who feel they have become stale in their current situations to recreate themselves and find new aspects of their personas. A talent such as Ricochet, for example, has mostly been a haphazard talent utilized on WWE programming and may be suited better to AEW, where the wrestling is given a little more play date. On the other hand, AEW stars like MJF would continue to make that splash at WWE, bringing their brands and charisma in front of an entirely different set of eyes. The cross-pollination of talent would no doubt lead to some exciting dynamics, as wrestlers adjust to new styles, new opponents, and new creative directions.
While that would significantly expand the potential dividends, major obstacles also are presented by such a move that would need to be resolved before such a roster shake-up could ever become a reality. One is the issue of creative control. Both the WWE and AEW have their own creative teams, each of which has their own vision for how the product under their banner should be presented.
Such a talent exchange would require a level of cooperation and give-and-take seldom witnessed in professional wrestling. WWE, though, is particularly known to be very entrenched in their creative process. How far they will go to give up the reins for this talent swap remains to be seen. Another possible problem could be the question of contracts. WWE and AEW have wrestlers under exclusive contracts, and some sort of talent exchange would need to be negotiated so that everyone would be satisfied with the terms. The wrestlers are to be well remunerated, and both promotions have to agree on everything concerning the length and conditions of the talent exchange. There is also the concern of injury-a wrestler injuring themselves while competing for another promotion might burden the working agreements with complications, both legal and financial, that would have to be agreed upon ahead of time.
Despite these issues, it is a good sign for the wrestling world in general that discussions are said to be underway. Wrestling has picked up a lot of steam over the last couple of years, and much of that steam comes from the competition between WWE and AEW. Both promotions have pushed each other to put out a better product, and the fan comes out on top. A roster shake-up would take this to the next level: a more dynamic and unpredictable landscape in wrestling that would keep the fans engaged and excited.
An AEW talent exchange would allow WWE to take some of the bullets that have been chipping away at them for some time. Perhaps the biggest criticism of the WWE product these days is that it has grown stale, with too much repetition in storylines and a lack of truly fresh matchups. Adding AEW talent into the mix would breathe some life into the roster and allow the writers to create some truly new and different storylines. It would also give way for WWE to capitalize on some of the popular stars in AEW who have huge followings due to their work in the independent scene and performances in AEW.
In return, AEW would gain promotion exposure with WWE, the world’s largest wrestling promoter. While the company has been doing great in creating a niche for itself, it would enable its stars to work their way to a larger audience, as well as to newer fans if it partners up with WWE, of course. With WWE’s more established stars, the talent of AEW will have an excellent amount of experience and be exposed to profiles that are elevated immediately.
Perhaps even bigger, though, the upside for AEW is they could conceivably tap into some of WWE’s legends and create some matches that would certainly attract huge ratings and heavy buzz.
This also potentially begs questions of how a roster shake-up would affect the dynamic currently already in place between the promotions. The Bloodline has been perhaps the most dominant faction in WWE in recent memory, and the addition of an AEW star into the fold only strengthens-or threatens to tear apart-the group’s cohesion. Conversely, an AEW star such as Blackpool Combat Club may see the addition of a WWE star join their stable, adding another wrinkle to ongoing storylines.
The introduction of outside talent would set up alliances that the fans never expected, or rivalries across promotional boundaries.
More importantly, the more-than-likely roster shake-up has brought about discussions that WWE and AEW can hold joint events in the future-something that had been unimaginable several years ago. An understatement to say, a joint pay-per-view event with a match between WWE and AEW would be a dream come true for wrestling fans.
It could be the promise of an inside glimpse at a crossover event like Wrestle Kingdom in New Japan Pro Wrestling, where boys from different promotions take the ring for that night of unforgettable matches. The idea would be not only a massive financial success but would also be the experience of a life time for wrestling fans who have longed to see the stars of WWE and AEW share the same ring. We’d imagine a show featuring the best of WWE taking on the best of AEW, with the likes of Roman Reigns against Kenny Omega; Becky Lynch would oppose the Doctor, while CM Punk would go against Seth Rollins, and The Young Bucks opposed The Usos. These would make for some highly salivated matchups, ones that could very well set new records in terms of pay-per-view buys and live attendance figures. It would be an opportunity to show how different wrestling could get between the two promotions-from WWE’s polished storytelling to AEW’s high-octane, fast-paced action inside the ring. Just knowing that WWE and AEW superstars are competing together would make it a historic day for professional wrestling history, and it would raise the bar for the entire wrestling world.
There is also the possibility of joint storytelling that can build over weeks or even months, with talent from WWE and AEW showing up on each other’s programs to help advance their storylines. The unpredictability of seeing one of your WWE superstars turn up on AEW Dynamite or an AEW wrestler suddenly pop up on WWE SmackDown-just like that-would create must-see television and keep fans tuning in week after week.
This type of collaboration has the potential to blur the lines between the two promotions and give way to an element of unpredictability not seen in professional wrestling for many years.
Another interesting aspect might be how such an exchange would affect or alter the locker room culture of either promotion. The WWE and AEW have respective environments, and with some other company’s talents coming in, that could be pretty cool to see backstage.
The WWE wrestlers could have experience and expertise from the greatest stages around the world, while the AEW talent brings a new school of thought and that passion for in-ring storytelling that has helped them stand out. The mixing of these two locker room cultures may create new friendships, rivalries, and an increased sense of competition among the talent themselves that would drive each other onward to be their best. Of course, there are a variety of more inherent risks, too. With so many wrestlers fiercely loyal to their respective companies, the potential for any sort of talent exchange to result in backstage tension or conflict always exists. You can imagine wrestlers who have been in the WWE for years feeling like AEW talent is going to come in and steal some of their opportunities. Alternatively, AEW stars may worry about how they will be treated in the more corporate WWE setup. Of course, all these dynamics would take very deliberate planning and open communication on both sides of the promotions in order to secure that everybody feels valued and respected.
Even with the setbacks in mind, WWE and AEW’s consideration of collaboration is a perfect example of how the very nature of professional wrestling has shifted. Those days of strict territorial boundaries and rivalries between promotions aggressively competing against one another are slowly going away and being replaced by new, more open approaches in the benefit of everybody-most of all, the fans. The wrestling business has matured, and to think that the companies these days work together en route to bringing out the best product for the audience is in antithesis to the cutthroat competition of yesteryears.
Whether this shake-up roster makes it a reality or stays as one of those tantalizing possibilities, one thing is for sure: professional wrestling is on the move, and its future looks brighter than ever. A WWE and AEW talent co-op in some sort of event or as part of a talent exchange is all but a dream that changes the dynamics that define professional wrestling. That would be a whole new rut of montage where promotional walls go down, and the only focus is to deliver the best possible experience to the fans. With this, discussions are still going on, and wrestling fans worldwide are vigilant to find a way if this audacious new vision for the sport could ever be realized.
