Real Reason AEW Keeps Bragging About Those Sports Illustrated Awards Revealed

AEW has been hammering home its recent Sports Illustrated wins on every single show—and now we know exactly why.

During a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer peeled back the curtain on what’s really going on. Fans have noticed that AEW programming—especially Worlds End—has been loaded with references dedicated to the Sports Illustrated awards. Whether it’s Tony Khan repeating accolades or on-screen graphics constantly reminding viewers, the message is being blasted loud and clear.

But this isn’t just pride—it’s strategic. Meltzer says AEW is trying to flip the script on a brutal past year and change the way fans and media view the company.

“They’re probably a year late on this,” Meltzer explained. “They really should have done this a year ago. But they are doing a tremendous job of essentially trying to, I think, reverse that negativity that really plagued them badly in, I think, late 2023, throughout a lot of 2024.”

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The perception AEW was trying to overcome? That it was a “loser company” run by someone in over their head. So AEW turned the Sports Illustrated awards into a full-blown brand rehab campaign.

“There was always that theme of, ‘This is a loser company,’ and, ‘They’re losing all this money,’ and, ‘They’re run by somebody incompetent,’” Meltzer said. “That perception was really killing them.”

“On every single show, they had a freakin’ video package of the Sports Illustrated awards. Tony Khan during the show, they talked about it… at the press conference again. They are just going on this—these awards are over and over.”

And it’s not just pride—they’re using the SI name to signal importance. According to Meltzer, AEW couldn’t make that kind of claim last year, even if they wanted to.

“They should, you know, tell everyone like—‘Sports Illustrated’ sounds important. And it’s like, ‘We won awards!’ So it’s the message they needed to send.”

“They really couldn’t do it last year. Because last year, they were splitting awards… This year, they’re gonna win—at least in the Sports Illustrated awards—they won a lot.”

AEW knows exactly what it’s doing, and Meltzer admitted the plan is working. And how much is AEW leaning on the awards? Meltzer didn’t hold back.

“You can see it—they are so into this idea of the awards. But it’s the perception turnaround they’re into… ‘We had a great year. We had the biggest shows. We had the best wrestlers. We had the best matches.’”

“They have talked about those awards—I know those awards by heart now—because they keep saying them over and over and over again. Every single one of those awards, and who won them… It’s crazy. Not crazy. Actually, I think it’s smart. But boy, are they into those awards.”

This is more than chest-thumping. It’s a calculated attempt to reshape AEW’s reputation heading into 2026. AEW is betting that by drenching its product in praise, it can shake the stench of past backstage drama, ratings slumps, and credibility hits. It’s working overtime to remind fans—and the industry—that it’s still in the fight.

So what do you think? Are you buying AEW’s award-driven PR campaign or does it feel overdone? Drop your thoughts in the comments—we want to hear from you.