5 things AEW could learn from WWE 

(The article reflects the views of the author and not of Sportskeeda)

AEW vs. WWE - is all that fans hear these days. People have been yearning for Monday Night Wars to return, which transformed pro wrestling. WCW took their content and ensured that it was different from WWE. Their p felt different from the 'cartoonish' world that WWE presented.

But WWE learned from their competition. The situation demanded it, and fans got stars like The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Mick Foley, and many more. Eventually, WWE prevailed over WCW and became the biggest wrestling company in the world.

However, with the rise of AEW, things are a bit different. WWE is a global powerhouse, garnering massive revenues with multiple billion-dollar deals across broadcast, television, and streaming. So WWE and Vince McMahon have nothing to worry about when it comes to their profit margins.

On the other hand, AEW is just a little over two years old. While their growth is outstanding, there is still a lot to learn. Here are five lessons AEW could learn from WWE.

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#5 AEW should invest in promo school

Let's not take anything away from the current crop of guys in AEW. Cody Rhodes, MJF, Chris Jericho, and a few others can cut some of the best promos in the business. The promos are better due to the freedom of being unscripted. But if one were to look a little deeper, they would find something amiss.

AEW World Champion Kenny Omega, for instance, does not have the same energy on the mic. While his promos are serviceable, his in-ring work is way superior to his mic skills.

Another example is Jungle Boy. While he's a part of the Jurassic Express, it's hard to recall when's the last time he cut a decent promo.

WWE Superstars are expected to master the ropes and the mic in the Performance Centre. AEW might not have the kind of resources that WWE does (at the moment), but pushing more people to learn to cut promos will help in the long run. Considering that they now have CM Punk in their ranks, that dynamic could change very quickly.

#4 AEW needs a better time management

Now, you're asking yourself, what does it mean that AEW needs a timer? Simply put, they require a better way to communicate to the audience when match time is almost over.

While WWE barely follows this stipulation or ignores it entirely, AEW has made an effort to follow through, with their announcer providing the time left for each match as it progresses. But sometimes, that doesn't work.

Take the recent time-limit draw between Bryan Danielson and Kenny Omega as an example. While the match ran for 30 minutes, it seems that fans only heard the 1-minute warning before the match ended.

This is something that WWE does very well. When the timing matters in specific matches, they will flash a clock on the screen. This is an easier and more effective presentation as the match draws to a close.

Something for AEW to remember as they book future time-limit draws.

#3 AEW needs to book better brawls

AEW has brawls, but people love WWE for their all-out brawls. The famous one-on-one brawls happen when the entire locker room holds back wrestlers right on the week of their upcoming match. The tension is boiling, and both wrestlers can't wait to tear into each other. It's a fascinating sight, especially if Brock Lesnar is involved.

On the other hand, AEW has tried this, and somehow, the results are not as fulfilling. This isn't because AEW doesn't have compelling storylines. AEW had one of the best heels around in Chris Jericho. His buildups were entertaining and fascinating. His feud with Jon Moxley was one of the high points of AEW.

But A few months ago, on Dynamite, Penta feuded with Cody Rhodes, culminating in this Lord of Lucha Libre vs. Prince of Wrestling buildup. Penta insulted Cody, wishing that his arm had been hurt far worse so he couldn't pick up his new baby girl. This enraged Cody, and the one-on-one brawl began.

But just like that, it ended so quickly that not much attention was drawn. In AEW, that grandeur is nonexistent. But with time, it's something that AEW will probably perfect.

#2 AEW could move away from the win-loss rule

In WWE, wins and losses are often trivial. But in AEW, they used their stats system to base their title shots around it to make themselves look different. Now, there are some positives to this model.

It allows wrestlers to "come up the ranks." This is a very concise storytelling approach best suited for small scale promotions. But AEW also tracks the wrestler's record in Dark and Elevation.

But it's often hard to explain a fan-favourite wrestler's push despite being on the losing end of things after several matches. It's probably why WWE has never gotten entangled with stats, with a few exceptions.

AEW can pull this off for the long term. The AEW win-loss ratio resets every year.

“When the year ends and AEW is in Jacksonville in January, that is when the plan to reset is. Tony is obsessed with numbers. He mentioned we’ll do a reset, but we’ll have your overall record on there. I’m thinking that’s a lot of numbers with their Twitter handle and their nickname. He has a point: your overall record will always be intact, but just to keep the top fives for women, tag teams and men’s singles, every year will reset,” Cody Rhodes explained once.

While AEW does have battle royale and ladder matches to get around these rules, they will have to consider them in the future.

#1 AEW needs to bolster their women's division like WWE

AEW has made significant strides with its women's division over the last few months. The rise of Britt Baker as one of their top heels has been a revelation. The additions of Ruby Soho, Jade Cargill, and others have been a step forward for AEW.

But WWE still has the best women's division in pro wrestling. Main-event stars like Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch have transformed the women's division to a point where women steer the show. NXT and Triple H deserve credit for helping mold these talents.

AEW has only been around for a couple of years, but their willingness to groom talents like Anna Jay, Tay Conti, Kris Statlander is a positive. With the possibility of a second Women's Championship on the horizon and the women's match main-eventing AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam, the only way forward is up.