5 ways WWE vs. AEW is reminiscent of the Monday Night Wars

Since the fall of WCW following the Monday Night Wars between RAW and Nitro, WWE has been unchallenged as the top company in all of professional wrestling. That was until AEW arrived, led by Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham owners Shahid and Tony Khan.

AEW, while still in its infancy, has grown by leaps and bounds, bringing in icons like Chris Jericho and Sting and becoming a theatre for dream matches.

While WWE remains financially untouchable, boasting increasing profits despite a sizeable plateau in show quality, it has to be said that AEW has emerged as an alternative and competition for WWE amongst wrestling fans.

The Wednesday Night Wars between AEW Dynamite and WWE NXT put into perspective the reality that AEW, in its short life, has already managed to put WWE to the sword and win, with NXT eventually transitioning to Tuesday nights and reverting to the developmental territory it was before its rise to acclaim.

For the first time, AEW is set to go head-to-head with a main roster WWE show this Friday, with the Supersized SmackDown overlapping with AEW Rampage. Tony Khan has openly embraced the competition, harkening back to the days of the Monday Night Wars.

For the first time in decades, WWE has tangible competition, and the competition is ready for war.

WWE and AEW is Sports Entertainment vs Wrestling

Bret Hart vs. Hulk Hogan is a prime example of wrestling vs. sports entertainment

WWE has always held itself as separate from the rest of the industry by referring to itself as sports entertainment. It was a focal point throughout the Monday Night Wars, with early WCW looking to strike the market gap by being everything WWE was not.

WCW was wrestling, and WWE was sports entertainment.

It's no different for AEW, which was founded on the idea that wrestling could, and should, have a home, giving stars like Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks the room to perform their best work.

WWE, on the other hand, remains true to their sports entertainment brand, valuing stars on their physical stature as opposed to their in-ring ability. As a result, where WWE fails to provide significant opportunities for stars of smaller stature, AEW provides a great alternative as they prioritize in-ring and narrative ability.

It's a big deal when WWE and AEW go head-to-head

Jon Moxley and Seth Rollins went from SHIELD brethren to inter-promotion rivals

As we have seen with this Friday's head-to-head, WWE vs. AEW draws eyes and starts conversations. The Wednesday Night Wars consumed the fanbase, with all eyes on who pulled the greater viewing and put on a better show.

When AEW first came to light, there were questions as to whether or not there would be any direct competition. It can't be ignored that AEW is still a young company and has a lot of time to grow and evolve. You would forgive them for not wanting to come to the throne with so much to lose. But, every time we've seen AEW go head-to-head with WWE, they've not only embraced the competition but relished it.

Part of what endears fans to AEW is the fact that they are the antithesis of WWE. AEW is the well-needed breath of life into the upper echelon of the industry, and that has helped in their meteoric rise.

WCW going head-to-head with WWE made for eventful watching, with each show looking to outdo each other at every turn, and it has to be the belief that AEW and WWE are set to replicate that in their head-to-head battles.

WWE big names looking to jump ship to AEW

Adam Cole won it all in NXT before crossing over to AEW

WWE has long been the Premier League of pro wrestling. The lack of top-level alternatives for wrestlers has ensured that WWE has been able to employ some questionable internal practices for its staff, leaving workers to feel like they have no choice to grin and bear.

What AEW has provided is a haven for those creatively starved or misused. While the company was founded alongside former WWE Stars like Cody Rhodes and Chris Jericho, it's the transitions of names like Jon Moxley (Dean Ambrose in WWE), NXT cornerstone Adam Cole, and WrestleMania Main Eventer Bryan Danielson (Daniel Bryan) that have strengthened perceptions of the company.

The fairytale of CM Punk's return to professional wrestling was long thought to be a moment only WWE could produce until AEW delivered the former WWE Champion in all his glory. This isn't all too different from when WWE megastars Razor Ramon, Diesel, and Hulk Hogan made their way to WCW, establishing WCW as the competitor it threatened to be.

Much more concerning for WWE is the fact that rumors are linking current high-caliber stars to AEW. Kevin Owens is rumored to be heading towards his contract expiry with the belief that he is likely AEW bound. There have been rumblings that NXT cornerstone Johnny Gargano could be looking for greener pastures when his contract expires. (You can check a full list of AEW linked WWE stars here)

While it has never been uncommon for employee turnover to occur within WWE, it has always been a case of WWE releasing wrestlers when they feel they are at a dead-end with the company, whereas today we are seeing some highly valued stars opting to not re-sign with WWE and making the transition themselves.

It speaks volumes that these workers are starting to feel confident enough to gamble their livelihoods by departing the industry leaders for the "new kid on the block," as it communicates the profile AEW has constructed against WWE.

The Monday Night Wars involved some high-profile moves in its day. Who could be the latest high-profile move in the AEW-WWE rivalry?

AEW could conceivably beat WWE

The modern-day Battle of the Billionaires

Now, as said, WWE is untouchable financially. But, in terms of viewing and their show quality, AEW appears to have WWE firmly on the ropes.

As WWE's viewership continues to decline and AEW continues to rise, the industry lies in wait for the eventuality that AEW will overtake WWE as the most popular promotion in the world.

WWE has always been a powerhouse because of its ability to do things that other promotions cannot but, when you look at the two promotions, there truly isn't anything positively exclusive to WWE outside of contracted talent and marquee shows like the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.

It very much seems like WWE's arrogance at the top has allowed for AEW to become the problem child of the wrestling industry. AEW has shown with signings of Bryan Danielson, Chris Jericho, Sting, CM Punk, and Jon Moxley that it can sign top stars who have sat atop WWE. There's dual-sports appeal bringing in names from MMA like Jorge Masvidal and Junior Dos Santos and boxing like Mike Tyson and Olympic medallist Anthony Ogogo.

AEW also brings something new to the table by opening the "forbidden door" while WWE has declined to do so. AEW has breathed life into the industry and bonded with several other promotions rather than ignoring their existence to deliver a plethora of dream matches.

WWE has grown to dominate the industry and attempted to pull the ladder up behind them, whereas AEW has seemingly risen to the level and looked to bring everyone else along for the ride.

Like in a bad relationship, WWE has become complacent, lazy, and, at times, anti-fanbase. Their wrongdoing as the top dog in the industry helped create AEW.

AEW is rapidly evolving into the best wrestling promotion in the world, set to take the throne eventually.