WWE Hall of Famer says he does not watch Dynamite, legend shuts down WCW/AEW comparison (Exclusive)

AEW continues celebrating a major milestone as the seventh annual Double Or Nothing spectacular approaches. The comparison between WCW and AEW has picked up recently, fueling heated discussions among fans and analysts. A pair of Hall of Famers have just offered their exclusive, unique takes on the matter.

Tony Khan presented the 289th episode of Dynamite on April 16, billed as the Spring BreakThru special. This marked a major milestone for AEW as its flagship show has surpassed WCW Monday Nitro as the longest-running pro wrestling show on TBS/TNT. Nitro aired 288 episodes over six seasons, while Dynamite is in its sixth season, with the 292nd episode airing in three days. Countless wrestling stars and fans have weighed in on the World Championship Wrestling vs. All Elite Wrestling debate, with Teddy Long and Bill Apter now joining the discussion.

SmackDown's most beloved General Manager isn't fazed by the Dynamite milestone at all. On the latest episode of Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Time Machine, Long reiterated how he does not watch the Wednesday night show and said the achievement does not make a difference. The 2017 WWE Hall of Famer shared his opinion when co-host Mac Davis asked if AEW airing more Dynamite episodes than WCW Nitro even matters, and if it's a big deal.

"Well, like I said... AEW Dynamite, whatever it is, I don't watch it, so I can't hardly speak on it, but I don't think that has anything to do with anything. I don't think it makes a difference at all," Teddy Long said. [From 3:35 to 3:52]

Bill Apter believes Khan's company and WCW are very different. Co-host Mac Davis asked Sportskeeda Wrestling's Senior Editor if he could compare the two promotions, and Apter began by stating that it depends on the era. The 2011 NWA Hall of Famer made the case for why he would not compare the two and believes there is no resemblance. Davis agreed.

"Well, it depends what era. If you watched WCW, it was its own product, with its own stamp on it. AEW is different to me, it's more hardcore, it's more like an ECW type of audience at times, than WCW was. WCW was World Championship Wrestling, and they did a lot more wrestling on there. There are good wrestling matches on AEW, but again, there's a lot of hardcore stuff on that show. So, I wouldn't compare the two of them, they're two separate entities, and I don't see any resemblance between the two of them," Bill Apter said. [From 2:49 to 3:30]

WCW Nitro premiered September 4, 1995, at the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN. The historic finale aired March 26, 2001, from Boardwalk Beach Resort in Panama City Beach, FL. Dynamite premiered on October 2, 2019, at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, and this week the show will air from Detroit's Masonic Temple.

AEW Dynamite lineup for this week

All Elite Wrestling's Dynamite will air live from Masonic Temple in Detroit this week as the build to Double Or Nothing continues. Below is the updated lineup:

1. Renee Paquette hosts a sit-down interview with Jamie Hayter
2. Samoa Joe vs. Claudio Castagnoli
3. The Young Bucks and Ricochet vs. Mark Briscoe, Swerve Strickland, and Mike Bailey

The company will run the same venue for Collision on Thursday night. The episode will air live on TBS instead of the usual Saturday timeslot. The change is due to TNT airing the NHL Playoffs on Saturday, May 10.