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AEW is now WWE's undisputed #1 competitor in the pro wrestling industry. Although they're a long way from becoming the mainstream juggernaut that WWE is, they have made a big name and have a rapidly increasing loyal fanbase because of good programming and treatment of talent, among others.
What AEW has received criticism for, however, is taking shots at WWE ever-so-often. It's debatable as to how often they take shots at WWE, but they have continued to do so time and again.
It seems to be something of a joke in the wrestling world, but AEW stars haven't shied away from taking direct and indirect shots at WWE.
Here are five instances where AEW stars roasted WWE subtly and directly:
#5. Former AEW World Champion Chris Jericho mocks Brock Lesnar's Money in the Bank title win
At Money in the Bank 2019, WWE made the controversial decision to have Brock Lesnar enter the Men's Money in the Bank ladder match at the very last minute. Mustafa Ali was a second away from winning the Money in the Bank briefcase, and he later revealed that he was, in fact, told he would win it on the day of the match.
However, Ali was pulled aside before the match and told the actual finish, which we can only imagine was incredibly deflating for the young star. Brock Lesnar would enter and capture the briefcase, leading to a mostly negative response from the WWE Universe.
Chris Jericho took a shot at WWE and Brock Lesnar for the Money in the Bank victory.
Chris Jericho and Brock Lesnar don't exactly have the best history together. Post-SummerSlam 2016, Chris Jericho furiously confronted Brock Lesnar after his match against Randy Orton. The issue at hand was that Brock Lesnar legitimately sliced Randy Orton open, making the match end in a technical victory to Lesnar.
Chris Jericho thought that Brock Lesnar was going to business for himself, and they seemingly clashed heads, with Brock Lesnar and Y2J exchanging not-so-kind words with each other.
However, Chris Jericho later stated that it was all water under the bridge. So perhaps his tweet against WWE and Brock Lesnar was more of a shot at his former employer for their handling of younger talent than The Beast Incarnate himself.
#4. Cody Rhodes takes a shot at WWE legend Triple H at AEW Double or Nothing
At AEW Double or Nothing, Cody Rhodes took a shot at the founder of NXT. Ahead of his instant-classic match against brother Dustin Rhodes, Cody Rhodes made a statement in his entrance by taking a sledgehammer and smashing a throne - seemingly taking a shot at Triple H.
This had a polarizing reaction from wrestling fans, but Cody Rhodes said it didn't reflect AEW at all. While making it clear that he grew up a big Triple H fan, the smashing of the throne primarily represented one thing: His post-WWE success.
Cody Rhodes spoke to Chad Dukes on 106.7 and revealed why he chose to send a statement to Triple H as well:
"When push came to shove and I thought I was better than 99 percent of the people he [Triple H] was putting ahead of me, he didn’t see that. So in that moment, there is no greater revenge in the world than success." (H/T Wrestlingnews.co)
He elaborated on the intensity and importance of the moment:
"So I knew I was walking out to a sold-out crowd, wrestling a 50-year-old man in a match that people, at one point, deemed unworthy and the place was literally shaking. So I felt no need. Like, this is the perfect time to do it, to fire my own shot, and it was my own shot, not an AEW shot.”
Cody Rhodes has become one of the most successful wrestlers in the world and earned far more than most of WWE's top roster while on a lighter schedule. He had a huge chip on his shoulder, and this was over three years of frustration that culminated in one moment.
#3. The Young Bucks mock WWE's practices to prevent talent from going to AEW
This is perhaps the most interesting and clever one in hindsight, as WWE used to prevent superstars from going to AEW as much as possible. Just for context, it was mid-2019, and despite the first episode of Dynamite months away from airing, AEW had made a considerably big statement.
With good and lucrative offers on the table, AEW was also able to lure top-tier WWE stars away from the company. This was when WWE was still hoarding talent, which makes it ironic (and cruel) since they would start ruthlessly releasing talent and staff in the coming two years.
However, it was an episode of Being The Elite, and Peter Avalon was upset at The Young Bucks for not getting the long-teased "Librarian" gimmick. He threatened to leave AEW, but The Young Bucks denied him his release request, taking a shot at WWE.
The situation specifically referred to The Revival and the late great Luke Harper, all of whom had asked for a WWE release but were denied. They mockingly said:
"You know what we're going to do? We're going to send you home," Matt says. "And you're going to collect paycheck after paycheck. How does that sound?" (H/T Comicbook.com)
In what was another cheap shot at WWE reportedly offering talent big raises to stay in the company, they told Avalon that they would double his salary and make him spend Christmas at home.
As we said, this one is perhaps the funniest and saddest at the same time looking back at it. Nevertheless, AEW has managed to acquire a lot of talent since 2020 because of all the releases that WWE has made.
#2. Former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley mocks the WWE Thunderdome
Former AEW World Champion Jon Moxley isn't a big WWE fan anymore. Having spent years in the system, he suffered from a severe physical and mental burnout that ultimately caused him to call it quits.
Jon Moxley joined AEW at the Double Or Nothing pay-per-view in 2019 and eventually went on to become the second AEW World Champion in history. He seems to be in a much better place, and over two years into his AEW stint, Jon Moxley has reinvigorated his passion for professional wrestling.
Speaking to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter in an interview, Jon Moxley said that nothing in WWE will change until Vince McMahon is gone. He also took direct shots at the WWE Thunderdome:
"I really don't want to get into bashing them (WWE), you know, but all the LED boards and s**t in their ThunderDome isn't going to fix their problems. We know what their problem is. I saw a picture of The ThunderDome and it had all the, it was like a Zoom call, with all the faces on the and it tripped me out because it immediately made think of...have you ever read the book, Fahrenheit 451?" Moxley said.
Fahrenheit 451 is a dystopian novel from the 1950s that predicted a version of the future, similar to what social media has become.
#1. Chris Jericho takes a shot at AEW vs WWE's way of treating legends
When Paul Wight, f.k.a. Big Show, joined AEW in early 2021, it came as a bit of a surprise. Fans thought that his in-ring career was over for good and that he was simply a part of WWE for the sake of a contract.
However, his move to AEW in 2021 proved he had a lot more to offer - and not just in the ring. Speaking to Digital Spy, Chris Jericho took shots at WWE for how they handled Sting and Big Show/Paul Wight over the last few years.
He said that they were almost "insulted" in their WWE runs. The inaugural AEW World Champion stated that Tony Khan's promotion treats their legends with respect, unlike WWE:
"We treat our legends with respect, we don't make jokes out of them and WWE is notorious for that, whether it's Sting, Paul Wight, Tully Blanchard, Arn Anderson, Jake Roberts, Dustin Rhodes, throw in Chris Jericho." Le Champion said.
Jericho also stated the importance of making such legends feel welcome in AEW:
"We know how to treat our legendary performers with respect and make them all look great and make them all worthy of being in AEW because if they aren't worthy of being in AEW why would they be there?"
He continued to criticize WWE's handling of Paul Weight and explained how he provides so much more to AEW from an overall perspective:
"But I know the value of [Wight], he's got one thing you can't teach, experience and who he is as a character, understanding comedy, drama and when to be violent." Jericho added.
While Chris Jericho may come off as too strong, there's no denying that AEW has utilized Paul Wight better in half a year than WWE has in over 7-8 years.The former Big Show has only made one in-ring appearance in AEW at All Out 2021, but his roles within the company are far bigger.
Not only has he dipped into commentary, but he seems to be something of a brand ambassador as well as a valuable guide who can help nurture future talent.
