This Week in Wrestling 2023 Week 12

Brian Damage

It’s Saturday and today we have ’This Week in Wrestling’, the 12th entry of 2023. Today Brian wonders if AEW is doing too much too soon and shares all the best wrestling content from this week.

Is AEW Going All Out Too Soon?

Rumors have been swirling recently, that All Elite Wrestling will be adding a third show to their programming. The rumored name of the third show is AEW Collision. If true, it will join Dynamite and Rampage on the TBS/TNT schedule. That is not to mention AEW Dark Elevation on YouTube, the recently announced reality show AEW All Access and Ring of Honor which is a pay streaming service.

Certainly, Tony Khan has a lot of irons in the fire so to speak. While I am happy that AEW seems to be doing well for itself, I wonder the necessity for a third show. Oh sure, there is a bunch of talent that isn’t used much on Dynamite or Rampage and could use the exposure on the rumored third show. Is AEW expanding too much too soon?

The argument made by some AEW fans is that WWE has three shows that air on USA and FOX…that being Raw, Smackdown and NXT. While very true, keep in mind that NXT is a developmental show and not run by Triple H…but by Shawn Michaels. Over at AEW, it is Tony Khan calling all the shots on everything. I give the man credit for his energy, but a third show doesn’t seem to be the best idea. Especially, when you couldn’t secure a TV deal of Ring of Honor.

As of right now, AEW barely gets over a million viewers for Dynamite and that isn’t even every week. They usually hover around the 900,000 to 800,000 area. Despite the fluctuation in ratings, they keep securing TV deals. That to me is both good and bad. Good because they are in demand, but but bad because overexposure of the product is never a good thing. Not to change course too much, but Court Bauer (The owner of Major League Wrestling) has been involved in a lawsuit with WWE. One thing I found interesting from Bauer’s testimony, was that he mentioned AEW and how it still wasn’t making a profit. If true, that doesn’t exactly bode very well for AEW to continue chugging out product that isn’t in high demand by fans.

The Khan family may be billionaires, but so was/is Ted Turner. He pumped millions upon millions into WCW. While it did compete with WWE for several months, ultimately not even Turner’s money was enough to save the company. Apples and Oranges I know…but Khan should slow down just a bit and stop expanding so much, so soon. Wrestling needs AEW as another alternative.

With All That Said…

The AEW Dynamite match between Kenny Omega and El Hijo Del Vikingo to me, was off the charts entertaining!

Photo Gallery

The logo for this year’s SummerSlam in Detroit, Michigan.

Scott Steiner looking over his son’s shoulder as he commits to Virginia Tech University. How long before he starts his own wrestling career?

Matt Cardona is indeed…’The King of the Indies!’

Cool looking WWE tag team bracelet on the Godfather…

Former WCW executive Jim Herd turned 91 this past week.

Every winner of the Wrestlemania Andre the Giant Battle Royal.

Cool Macho Man Randy Savage art

Ric Flair tattoos

Behind the scenes shot of Sting and an unmasked Robocop

Braun Strowman’s physical transformation

The struggle was real!

Still nothing.

To avoid anymore ‘Plane ride from Hell’ incidents…the Nature Boy started his own airline. 😉

I miss this man.

Maryse

Gigi Dolin

Lacey Evans

Kristal Marshall

Catalina Hager

Noelle Foley

AJ Lee

Summer Rae

Melissa Santos

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WARNING!!!

NSFW CONTENT BELOW

VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

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CJ Perry

Jenni Neidhart

Mandy Rose

Velvet Sky

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SAFETY!!!

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Video Gallery

The great Bobby ‘The Brain’ Heenan and some of his classic jokes on WWF Prime Time

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