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Both WWE and All Elite Wrestling are constantly moving. Every week is a new story, building to the next big show. Along the way, questions are left unanswered.
Champions like Roman Reigns and Jade Cargill remain dominant, and who could possibly stop them?
What will the future look like for new champions to run with the gold, such as CM Punk or Liv Morgan?
Bigger questions persist beyond that about the future of the companies and the talent. What, for example, will come of the drama surrounding Vince McMahon?
Wrestling is a constant evolving conundrum, and these unanswered questions leave many worried about the future but also hopeful for big angles to come.
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AEW began as a unique upstart in competition with WWE. Tony Khan promised a true alternative. While there were some established names, the company brought in many wrestlers who were barely known.
While some like MJF, Darby Allin and Orange Cassidy have made themselves stars, there are other talented performers who have left in that time or have been completely overshadowed.
This is due to the arrival of big names including CM Punk, Bryan Danielson, Christian Cage, FTR, The Hardy Boyz and Toni Storm. They are grabbing a spotlight that is not often returned to those loyal performers.
While the stars leaving were rarely the biggest names, from Joey Janela to Marko Stunt, these are wrestlers who had a chance to do more. However, the product is changing, and it is very possible bigger names (beyond Cody Rhodes) will continue to leave with this direction.
Fans who fully invested in AEW from the beginning will notice these departures most. They will worry about the disgruntled wrestlers left behind, and this could lead to resentment for the program as a whole.
Khan is riding a fine line in creating the best product possible while also making sure he keeps his talent happy. It is not clear if he can ever find the best balance.
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Liv Morgan's SmackDown Women's Championship win at WWE Money in the Bank was a special moment. It was a journey fulfilled as a long beloved wrestler finally won her crown.
However, there is one major looming concern. Will this be a short reign or the beginning of something new? Morgan will face Ronda Rousey at WWE Summerslam. She could very well lose that match.
If she manages to overcome the challenge of The Baddest Woman on the Planet, she will have an even more dangerous hurdle in front of her. Charlotte Flair is a 13-time women's champion for a reason. She is the constant in WWE's women's division.
The Queen was the woman to dethrone previous 3 Money in the Bank winners after successful cash-ins: Carmella, Bayley and Nikki A.S.H. After time away, Charlotte could instantly grab back the spotlight by ruining Morgan's run.
WWE needs to show trust in Morgan to make her a top act, but it will take putting her over some of the best in the business in the coming months.
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The WWE Women's Tag Team Championships have not often been a lead story in WWE, but Naomi and Sasha Banks' abrupt departure as champions was one of the biggest stories in modern WWE.
Since that time, it has been radio silence from both sides beyond one official statement made through Michael Cole that the titles were vacated and the two women suspended.
There was originally supposed to be a tournament to crown the new champions, but nothing has come of that promise. The women have worked in teams on and off, but the titles have not been discussed in two months.
The Legit Boss and The Glow as well as the women's tag titles remain on WWE.com's roster page. WWE is not moving away from pairing up women to potentially go after gold, even if the company has done a poor job building those teams.
If WWE has any plans to use the women's tag titles in the future, the talent must first be reestablished as threats. From there, the titles can hopefully be revitalized. It is just unclear whether WWE wants to do that at all.
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CM Punk's return to wrestling was one of the biggest nights in AEW history. Since that time, he was the focus of AEW programming all the way up to winning the AEW World Championship.
Unfortunately, shortly after winning the gold, he was forced to step away due to a foot injury. It is unclear when he will return, but Jon Moxley has taken his spot as interim AEW world champion.
Mox has been a fantastic champion to date. In just a few weeks, he defeated Hiroshi Tanahashi to win the gold, helped his team win Blood & Guts, defended his title against Brody King and put on a fantastic match with Konosuke Takeshita.
As one of the top stars in early AEW, Moxley is beloved and continues to perform at the highest level. No one is bigger than him right now.
When Punk returns, he will come back to a changed landscape, competing with a fighting champion who should be more than just an "interim" titleholder. It is hard to believe Punk will be able to win back the full crowd in competition with Mox.
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Streaks in modern wrestling are a tough sell. Wrestlers who cannot lose grow stale quickly, especially working every week on television. Jade Cargill is 33-0 in AEW, but she can only face so many more secondary opponents.
She has two rivals at the moment in Athena and Kris Statlander. Either could dethrone the TBS champion while also ending her undefeated streak.
If both fail, no one else is established to defeat her. There may not be a single woman in all of AEW that can defeat her in an interesting manner. While Thunder Rosa or Britt Baker have the legitimacy, neither would benefit much from it.
It will be important for AEW's booking to focus on the present and future for Cargill. Every match has to have a purpose until a woman is ready to take her down. That woman needs to be built up perfectly for that moment.
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Roman Reigns has a firm grip on the top spot in WWE. He is the undisputed champion, holding both the WWE Championship and Universal Championship. He has defeated most everyone who could get in his way.
However, The Head of the Table has barely defended his world titles since WrestleMania 38. His latest challenger is Brock Lesnar, who he already defeated multiple times. The pool of challengers is growing stale.
After The Beast Incarnate, few men stand out as real competition. Theory may hold the Money in the Bank briefcase, but he is a heel going after a fellow heel. This won't invest fans.
Drew McIntyre will be the champion's challenger at Clash at the Castle but hardly has the build to dethrone Reigns. Cody Rhodes may be the only true star ready to defeat Reigns, but he may not be back until WrestleMania 39.
Even Seth "Freakin" Rollins has lost steam recently. If WWE does not trust McIntyre, Rhodes or Theory, there may be no one left, forcing WWE to settle for an awkward end to The Head of the Table's long reign of terror.
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There has been just one constant in WWE since its inception: Vince McMahon. While he first took over the company from his father under the initials WWF, McMahon quickly made the company the largest wrestling promotion in the world, no matter the name.
He has controlled the company as it evolved through different eras of top Superstars. From Bruno Sammartino and Hulk Hogan to The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin all the way to John Cena and Roman Reigns, Vince has overseen the company.
Recent allegations against McMahon have required that he step aside as CEO of WWE, as announced by WWE Corporate. Joe Palazzolo, Ted Mann and Joe Flint of the Wall Street Journal have continued to report on various allegations that could truly herald the end of Vince's control of the company.
Most recently, the Wall Street Journal reported McMahon has paid $12 million to four women in securing non-disclosure agreements over infidelity and sexual misconduct.
What is WWE without McMahon? We have not seen it yet, as McMahon remains in control of creative while his daughter Stephanie McMahon is the interim CEO. If Vince is required to fully step away, Bruce Pritchard would be first in line to take over creative.
However, with others in control, many could take over for Pritchard if they are favored by the next CEO. If it is Stephanie, Triple H would likely have the first shot at that spot. If it is Nick Khan or someone else outside the McMahon family, the company could completely change.
Fans have never seen WWE without McMahon influence. Standards could massively change. Many wrestlers could rise or fall. The foundation of WWE's storytelling process could be altered. It would be an exciting yet also frightening new standard for professional wrestling.
FAQs
Do they actually bleed in AEW? ›
However in promotions that allows blading in the 2020s such as All Elite Wrestling, women have bladed as well, for example in a match between Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa in 2021, Baker underwent excessive bleeding because of blading during the match.
Who is the best AEW wrestler of all time? ›1. Kenny Omega. Kenny Omega garnered the world's attention when he regularly delivered five-star rated matches during his time spent in NJPW. He pushed the envelope with his style of wrestling and pulled in a huge subset of fans due to his global superstardom.
Is AEW scripted who wins? ›Unlike WWE, AEW won't have scripted promos; everyone will be responsible for getting him or herself over by delivering their own words, from the heart. AEW will also prioritize the non-verbal storytelling happening in the ring over backstage drama.
Does AEW have too many wrestlers? ›While the early one had a more Indy feel to it, these days, there are a lot more former WWE guys present. One of the major complaints that a lot of AEW fans have had is that the company signs too many wrestlers. While that might be a problem, their biggest problem might very well be mishandling their TV time.
Is AEW rigged? ›It is not just WWE which is scripted, but most pro-wrestling franchises such as All Elite Wrestling (AEW), Ring of Honor Wrestling, etc. are all scripted. The bottom line is pretty simple, if you're after entertainment, you will get truckloads of it watching WWE and other pro wrestling matches.
What was the bloodiest match in WWE history? ›1. Eddie Guerrero vs. JBL: Judgment Day 2004.
Who is the world best WWE wrestler? ›1. Stone Cold Steve Austin. Career: Stone Cold Steve Austin is arguably the most popular wrestler ever to lace up a pair of boots and his status as a first-ballot Hall of Famer is justified by his many World title reigns and his role in the eventual victory of the WWF in the Monday Night Wars.
Who is the biggest star in wrestling? ›The Rock is the biggest star in the history of WWE – even above Stone Cold Steve Austin, Ric Flair or Hulk Hogan. Wrestling is a totally subjective form of entertainment.
Who is no 1 wrestler in AEW? ›1. Cody Rhodes. Cody Rhodes' name has become synonymous with AEW.
Is AEW a threat to WWE? ›His company, AEW, has taken advantage of several simultaneous factors to grow into the biggest threat to WWE's dominance since WCW was purchased. First, by getting a deal with US cable network TNT (and then a more-lucrative second contract in early 2020) the company became financially viable.
Is the blood real in WWE? ›
Many wrestling fans know that it's not ketchup packets that a wrestler uses to bleed. It is real, bona fide blood that is seeping out of their cuts. Many say that blood is needless to use in the art of wrestling, as it poses great risks to the performers.
Are WWE matches fixed? ›WWE matches, as fans are well aware, are predetermined and choreographed. This practice ensures that the storyline will move ahead as planned and the winners and losers of the match can move on to other angles. Sometimes, things don't work out as intended though.
How do AEW wrestlers bleed? ›This often happens by a razor blade being taped to a wrestler's wrist like last night or a referee handing over a razor blade so the wrestler can cut into their scalp and draw blood.
How does WWE fake blood? ›The most common way to produce blood -- or “get color” as they say -- is by a process called blading. While the term “blading” makes it sound like wrestlers are slicing themselves up with razor blades in the middle of matches, the blade in question is actually pretty small, like a fragment broken off of a razor blade.
Do pro wrestlers cut themselves? ›Wrestling Blading, Explained - YouTube
Do wrestlers use razor blades? ›Blading, or cutting with a razor blade, is now banned in WWE. This is because of times it went horribly wrong with Eddie Guerrero, John Cena and more. Blading has been a part of professional wrestling since time immemorial.