Opinion: Are WWE and AEW now officially at war with each other?

What a night it turned out to be for the debut of All Elite Wrestling ( AEW). I think it is more than safe to say that they got their company off the ground on the right note. There were more positives than negatives to like about this inauguration of AEW. We also got many shocks and surprises. The one question we all want to know is...

Has AEW officially declared war on WWE?

In my personal opinion, the easy answer is yes. Firstly there were many WWE Hall of Famers at tonight's Double or Nothing, such as DDP, Bret Hart, and others. Because these legends are signed to WWE legend contracts, it certainly wouldn't make WWE happy, endorsing the enemy. If it's an alternative style to the WWE PG product, why not endorse it?

Secondly, we got to witness something extremely shocking at the event. Cody Rhodes came out on a throne and proceeded to smash it with a sledgehammer. The scene was directly reminiscent of Triple H and seemed to be AEW's way of making a huge statement to WWE officials. Cody has also been taking many jibes at the WWE lately for their storylines and the company's poor thought process. It seems things are heating up and turning personal fast.

Thirdly, former WWE superstars such as Awesome Kong ( Kharma in WWE), Dustin Rhodes, and Jon Moxley ( Dean Ambrose) all appeared at the show. Many people were a little shocked by Moxley appearing, as it was believed by some he may go back to WWE. With the impact he made tonight and his demeanor, it seems Jon Moxley may be their version of Stone Cold Steve Austin. In fact, he may be a bit more sick and twisted version of Austin.

There is a plethora of fresh talent for Moxley to a feud within AEW. It seems he may be going straight to the top for either Kenny Omega or Chris Jericho. It will be interesting to see who they go with because both are good choices and are top guys in the company.

It's more likely going to be Omega considering that Jericho has to take on Hangman Page for the title. Watching an Omega vs. Moxley match is one that fans have dreamed of, and it should be a great watch. It will also be great to see a match between Moxley and Jimmy Havoc at some point in time.

How will WWE respond to AEW and what sort of ramifications will it have on WWE?

WWE will have either heard or seen what went on at Double or Nothing. My belief is, they will initially be quite concerned about how well AEW started off. Vince McMahon definitely won't be happy at Jon Moxley going to AEW, especially if he told WWE personnel he might return. It's probably going to end up being a war between the two companies, as AEW continues to gather momentum. It's certainly possible that Jon Moxley going to AEW may be a catalyst for the war.

What impact Double or Nothing will have on WWE, remains to be seen. Some people may decide to make AEW their preferred company to watch after tonight's show. It could mean WWE could see ratings decline further and maybe TV Networks backing out of deals. It may not get that bad, but it's a real possibility.

WWE is going to need to respond very swiftly and aggressively. Creative, management, and talent are all going to need to start working together. I would suggest to get rid of all the scripted promos, PG rating, and micromanaging. It's sending the company even further into a sinkhole with ratings and is just difficult to watch. This may be a fight that Vince McMahon can't win, due to his predictable and old school, formulaic approach and 50/50 booking.

Triple H is more than equipped, ready to take the fight to AEW. He was there in the Attitude Era and would have learned how to handle things in the proper manner. The pro wrestling landscape has changed too much for Vince and father time is catching up to him. We can only hope that WWE gets themselves out of this slump very soon.

Please leave your thoughts below and thanks for reading.