AEW and WWE have never shied away from going head-to-head, often forcing fans to choose which show to support on the night. While some fans believe WWE is wrong to schedule shows against AEW, MJF has made it clear that he sees it as a savvy business move.
In a recent interview with TV Insider, MJF was asked whether WWE running head-to-head events gives him more motivation. Rather than be outraged, MJF admitted that WWE’s alleged counter-programming simply makes sense.
“I think it’s a smart business practice. I give jolly old St. Nick and Trips a whole lot of credit. At the end of the day, if you can stomp out your competition, you’re doing what is necessary. Lord knows I would.”
MJF pointed fun at WWE scheduling programming to run the same time against AEW, despite many insisting AEW isn’t competition to WWE. What some may brush off as coincident, MJF believes is certainly not accidental.
“Everyone is judging them for it. I think that’s silly. Don’t judge them for it, but also, don’t be stupid. They’re not doing this by happenstance.”
The two companies may offer differing takes on pro-wrestling, but they’ve often gone one-on-one. Examples include:
- AEW’s Dynamite debuted on TNT on October 2, 2019, directly competing with WWE’s NXT on USA Network each Wednesday night. AEW largely won the ratings battle until NXT moved to Tuesdays in April 2021.
- An overrun edition of SmackDown was extended into FS1 and aired simultaneously with AEW’s Rampage in October 2021, an explicit move to draw viewers away.
- WWE NXT destroyed AEW Dynamite when the two sides battled in October 2023, thanks in part to a stacked show of present NXT talent and legends.
- NXT Battleground, a WWE premium event, was held opposite AEW’s flagship Double or Nothing. AEW’s Tony Khan later labeled it the most consistent counter-programming since the Jim Crockett era.
- WWE scheduled Saturday Night’s Main Event on NBC and the Great American Bash Premium Live Event on Peacock the same day AEW hosted All In: Texas later this week.
Whether fans see these head-to-head battles as strategic or petty, MJF clearly respects the move from a business perspective.