After months of rumors, it was finally confirmed last night that AEW will be streaming on Turner Network Television moving forward, more than 18 years after World Championship Wrestling exited the TNT.
This is huge news for All Elite Wrestling since it means that the company can now be seen as a legitimate challenger for WWE much like Impact Wrestling once was. Someone who knows what it’s like to wrestle for both WWE and TNA is WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle, and he recently spoke to WrestlingInc in the wake of the deal announcement.
“I want the fans to be excited about it. I’m gonna tell you this though, and I don’t wanna come around in five years and say ‘I told you so.’ Listen, WWE is the No. 1 brand and will always be No. 1…There’s no way in heck anybody’s gonna catch up to them. If this company… I’m not daring them, I’m just saying it’s not bad to be No. 2. If you’re gonna set out to be No. 1, then you’re gonna spend a lot of F’n money,” he said via Wrestlinginc.
Angle was part of the company when Impact Wrestling tried to compete with WWE, they moved to Money night’s and brought in legends like Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff which was when the company started to lose a lot of money.
“What I’m saying is that I think AEW can be a good addition to wrestling. I believe that it can be a great No. 2 company. But if they wanna be No. 1, be prepared to spend hundreds of millions of dollars,” stated Angle. “If you’re gonna catch up to WWE, you’re gonna have to do that.
“I welcome AEW to do whatever they want to do to become No. 1. But I’m telling you right now, they’re gonna have a great run but WWE is No. 1 and always will be.”
Double or Nothing is now just days away and if it’s able to create as much of a buzz as “All In” last year then this TV deal could really be the first step to WWE having a real challenger in the future.
