WWE’s AEW Counter-Programming Strategy ‘Outdated’ Amid Growing Weekend Clashes

WWE isn’t being subtle anymore. The company has booked its Great American Bash and Saturday Night’s Main Event for July 12—the exact same day AEW is running All In: Texas at Globe Life Field. It’s the latest move in a growing pattern of counter-scheduling, a strategy WWE also used earlier this year when NXT Battleground went head-to-head with AEW’s Double or Nothing.

But Dave Meltzer believes WWE is playing a losing game. During the June 7, 2025 episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer and Garrett Gonzales broke down why this old-school tactic may not hurt AEW the way it once decimated Jim Crockett Promotions.

“This idea that WWE’s going to run AEW out by scheduling shows next to them—it’s just not realistic. It worked in 1988. It’s not going to work now.”

Meltzer emphasized that AEW isn’t dependent on pay-per-view revenue in the same way WCW was in the past.

“WWE’s playbook is outdated. You can’t run AEW out like they did Crockett. AEW is funded. AEW has a base. They’re not relying on pay-per-view to stay alive. That’s the big difference.”

He acknowledged WWE might be doing it to flood coverage or create distractions—but that’s not going to magically erase AEW’s fanbase.

“They’re doing it because they can. And maybe they think it’s going to throw AEW off, or dilute their coverage. But AEW fans aren’t just going to suddenly stop watching because there’s a WWE show earlier in the day.”

Instead of engaging in a counter-offensive, Meltzer thinks AEW should stick to its core mission.

“If I were AEW, I’d ignore WWE and focus on putting out the best product. That’s the only thing that’s going to matter in the end.”

Still, he didn’t rule out smart tactical responses if needed.

“But if they wanted to selectively fight back—sure, they could. You could go long on a pay-per-view, push the main event back 15 minutes if WWE’s doing a post-show presser or something. You could even go head-to-head with a kickoff. But you’ve got to pick your spots.”

Garrett Gonzales pointed out that Tony Khan has stayed relatively quiet about WWE’s schedule maneuvers.

“The tone from Tony Khan lately has been more about not engaging. At least publicly.”

Meltzer supported that strategy but added a warning.

“Yeah, and that’s probably smart. You don’t want to make it a war if you’re not built for a war. But at the same time, you also don’t want to look like you’re backing down every time they do this.”

“If WWE books a show the same day as you, you don’t need to move or apologize. You just need to make sure your show is great. That’s the real answer.”

WWE might be pulling pages from an old playbook, but AEW isn’t flinching—and that says a lot about where the industry stands today. The wrestling war might not be as loud as it was during the Monday Night era, but the shots are still being fired. Whether this strategy fizzles out or sparks something bigger, fans are in for one hell of a power struggle.

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