Former AEW World Champion makes a shocking claim about how WWE sees competition: "They want them gone"

WWE has been making moves against its competition, AEW, as of late. The Stamford-based promotion recently counter-programmed AEW's All Out pay-per-view with its Wrestlepalooza PLE. It sparked a major discussion online where many shared the belief that WWE wants to destroy AEW.

Former AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson claimed in his recent interview that WWE wants All Elite Wrestling to be gone from the business. The American Dragon has been vocal about his frustrations over the Stamford-based promotion counter-programming the Jacksonville-based promotion. He said that he does not understand the reason behind putting on a show against a company like All Elite Wrestling, which is not a danger to WWE.

Now, speaking on the Ned & Josh podcast, Bryan claimed that WWE wants the Tony Khan-led company to go out of business. He noted that the sports-entertainment giant has followed the same approach since its inception, eliminating or pushing out its competition. The American Dragon said that while he is fully aware of these tactics by WWE, it still makes him wonder why they want All Elite Wrestling to be out.

"You never say never. In the current climate, my answer would kind of have to be no. It almost seems—and this is just my perception and I don’t want to put this on anybody because I’ve never talked to anybody about this—it almost seems like they would like us to go out of business. That’s not my game. They’ve operated this way since 1984. They see a competitor, and no matter what, they want them gone." he said [H/T: Ringside News]

In response to WWE's counter-programming, All Elite Wrestling has moved its show from the evening to the afternoon of 20th September. With that said, it will be interesting to see how things will turn out in this controversy from here on.

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Bryan Danielson believes WWE stars want AEW to exist

It is often believed that WWE stars might also be against All Elite Wrestling. There have been many occasions where the stars from the Stamford-based promotion have fired shots at Tony Khan's company, solidifying this belief. However, Bryan Danielson shared a different kind of opinion recently.

In the same interview on the Ned & Josh podcast, The American Dragon expressed that he believes WWE stars want All Elite Wrestling to exist, as it allows them to have options. He added that it gives them creative options, which is good for the overall business.

"Wrestlers in WWE want AEW to keep existing because it’s good for them. It gives them leverage, it gives them creative options. Two companies means more opportunities, not just for fans, but for the wrestlers, production people, and everyone in the business." he said [H/T: Ringside News]

The former AEW World Champion also added that having more than two companies in professional wrestling also creates more opportunities for the talent and for the production staff to work as well, which is beneficial for the future of professional wrestling.