Bryan Danielson has offered his perspective on WWE’s recent strategy of counter-programming AEW pay-per-view events. In a new interview, Danielson stated that he does not believe the tactic is a sign that WWE views AEW as a “real danger” to their business, but rather that it is one of the “weird games” that people with power and money play.
Speaking with the Kairouz Bros, Danielson was asked for his thoughts on WWE’s recent trend of scheduling their premium live events on the same day as AEW’s pay-per-views. He does not believe AEW is at the point of being a true “threat” to WWE’s billion-dollar business.
“I’m just curious, like, what the people who are making these decisions, what they’re thinking, right? In the sense of like, ‘Oh, okay, this AEW thing. It’s a real danger to our billion-dollar business.’ That can’t be it,” he said. He then went on to explain that he believes the existence of AEW has been a net positive for all wrestlers, as it has forced WWE to pay their talent more than they were in the past.
Danielson, who has worked at the highest levels of both companies, said that he questions the decision-making process behind the counter-programming. “It’s interesting because we’re not at the point of being a threat. It’s one of the things that people who really crave power and a lot of money play these weird games that I don’t understand,” he said. “I don’t understand, it’s like, ‘Okay, we’re gonna run all the competitors that might be competitive with us out of this business.’ Why? It’s good. It’s good for the wrestlers. It’s good for the wrestlers, both in AEW and in WWE, it’s good for them.”
Danielson added by saying that while he doesn’t understand the corporate gamesmanship, he has a great deal of respect for the people who work in WWE. The full interview with Bryan Danielson can be heard on the Kairouz Bros’ platform.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Kairouz Bros with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
