Why WWE Stars Ride Buses and AEW Wrestlers Don’t

If you’ve ever wondered why WWE superstars are cruising around in private tour buses while AEW wrestlers aren’t, MVP just broke it all down—and it all comes down to how each company operates.

Speaking on his Marking Out with MVP & Dwayne Swayze podcast, the former United States Champion explained how the bus life became a staple for top WWE talent over the years—and why AEW stars don’t have the same setup.

MVP revealed that buses started in WWE mainly for convenience, especially during the constant grind of live events.

“At WWE, buses were a thing because of the live events, but live events have become less and less. So I don’t know the necessity of a bus anymore for live events, you know? I don’t know how that works.”

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Back in the day, only the biggest names in the company could afford that luxury.

“I do know in the beginning, buses were… only a few people had buses. Taker had a bus. Big Show had a bus. Triple H had… just top, you know, Cena. But then over the years, with salaries going up and people being able to negotiate more, a bus also became like a status symbol — not just, ‘I got the fat contract,’ but I also got a bus in my contract.”

But not every star found the bus worth the investment. MVP shared that even Bobby Lashley realized it wasn’t worth the hassle.

“I remember Bobby had a bus for a while, and after a while, Bobby’s like, ‘I don’t even need this bus. I don’t use it enough.’ So it’s pointless for me to have it.”

Over in AEW, the structure is totally different, which makes personal buses unnecessary.

“In AEW, nobody has buses because we don’t need them. The way it’s laid out at AEW, all we do is TV. We don’t do live events. And Tony Khan, the way he has it set up is, they fly you in, they pay for your hotel. There’s a bus or a shuttle that takes you from the hotel to the building, and there’s a shuttle that takes everybody from the building back to the hotel. So there’s really no point to have a bus.”

Some AEW stars still like their private rides—but that’s all handled in their contract negotiations.

“Maybe, I know some people have their own car service where they get, you know, a black car, an SUV to pick them up and drop them off — only a few people have that — but that’s something they negotiated in their deal. And that’s the extent of it.”

At the end of the day, it’s all about how the companies are structured—WWE’s road-heavy schedule made buses a luxury and a flex, while AEW’s fly-in TV format keeps things simple.

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.