Bryan Danielson Questions WWE Motivation For Counter-Programming AEW

Bryan Danielson, who spent over a decade with WWE, has now been with All Elite Wrestling for over four years. He was recently asked about the counter-programming initiative by his former employer, and offered a pretty candid response.

“I’m just curious... 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,” Danielson said during a conversation with The Kairouz Bros.

The former AEW World Champion noted that the company's existence over these past six plus years has completely changed the entire landscape of professional wrestling. Furthermore, in addition to offering fans an alternative product to enjoy, AEW has specifically made WWE a better company.

"If AEW wouldn’t have started, would Cody Rhodes be where he is right now? No, they have a megastar because AEW exists. Would CM Punk ever have come back? Probably not."

Conversely, talent like Jon Moxley, Adam Copeland, Christian Cage and Toni Storm are very likely not crafting their current bodies of work if WWE was the only real game in town. Not to mention the bigger paydays that are available for performers across the board.

"Wrestlers are being paid more now than ever from a sports rights perspective. So, for example, in most major sports in the United States, the players get anywhere between 40 to 50% of the revenue. WWE was paying their wrestlers nowhere close to that. Now, keep in mind, they’re still not paying anywhere close to that, but they do have to pay more, because if they don’t, the talent is going to leave and go to AEW."

Danielson disclosed that AEW does pay out 40 to 50% of revenue to its wrestlers, despite bringing in less than what WWE currently does.

Is AEW a threat to WWE's business?

Despite the quality of AEW's media rights deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, the fact is that company is still in catch up mode with WWE recently agreeing to massive deals with Netflix, NBC Universal and most recently ESPN for their content.

“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,” Danielson 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."

While the American Dragon has retired from in-ring competition, at least on a full-time basis, he will be increasing his on screen role with AEW by joining the commentary team during episodes of Collision on Saturday nights.

He's also been assisting All Elite Wrestling with a number of behind the scenes roles over the years. Danielson believes that many of the people he knows in WWE are great individually, but the collective decision-making from the company as a whole has left him a bit puzzled. He also tries not to concern himself with it too terribly much.