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If the idiom "silence speaks volumes" holds true, then the quiet coming from All Elite Wrestling in Jacksonville, FL, after Wednesday night screams, "We quit!"
This week, NXT barged into AEW Dynamite's home on Wednesday -- eating their porridge, kicking back in their recliner, and taking a victory slumber in their bed. In a shocking twist, AEW President Tony Khan, known for fanning the flames of toxicity between WWE and AEW fans, has stayed unusually quiet on social media, only sharing brief posts to thank fans and promote upcoming shows. His lack of response says a lot, suggesting he's finally realized that the battle for bragging rights and wrestling supremacy is, for now, over.
NXT has won the last three head-to-head matchups against AEW, including October showdowns this year and last. In their most recent battle this past Wednesday, NXT's ECW-themed show in Philadelphia attracted 619,000 viewers, while AEW's Dynamite drew 523,000 viewers. Last month, in their previous encounter, AEW's "Title Tuesday" edition of Dynamite garnered just 329,000 viewers, while NXT pulled in 874,000 viewers.
Khan's silence in the wake of this latest defeat sharply contrasts with his bombastic remarks in October 2023. Ahead of what became the start of a three-match losing streak to NXT, he attacked WWE's new leadership of Paul Levesque and Shawn Michaels, calling them "bald assholes." Even after Dynamite was soundly defeated, Khan continued to make disrespectful statements, making John Cena and The Undertaker targets of his vitriol.
"This week, 2 active decades-long ratings streaks from 2 great legends were ended," Khan wrote on X. "With all due respect, until this week's head-to-head AEW on TBS vs WWE on USA, neither John Cena nor Undertaker had ever been on a WWE show with under 1 million total viewers + under 400k in the demo."
Ironically, this week's episode of Dynamite featured Jon Moxley and the recently acquired Bobby Lashley, two former WWE Champions, in pivotal but respective segments that failed to help AEW put up a fight against WWE's developmental brand.
In the past, Khan has blamed AEW's struggles in its one-sided war with WWE on everything from bots to alleged business misconduct. But with dwindling ratings and attendance averaging less than 3,000 fans per show, Khan may finally be forced to face the truth: he, not WWE, is to blame for his company's decline. Now that AEW has fallen far behind WWE's third brand, perhaps Khan will realize that booking for "the sickos" alone is not enough to keep up in today's pro wrestling scene.