What If? – AEW Never Launched

TheChairshot.com asks the question…What If? Greg DeMarco discusses what if All Elite Wrestling never started!

AEW launching in 2019 did more than introduce another wrestling company. It changed the structure of the industry by creating a legitimate alternative at a national level. Without it, the entire landscape looks different.

WWE would still operate as the dominant force in North America, but the level of urgency shifts. Competition drives reaction, whether that means improving creative, adjusting contracts, or changing presentation. Without AEW, those changes still happen, but they happen on WWE’s timeline rather than in response to another company gaining momentum. The product likely evolves, but not at the same pace and not under the same pressure.

The talent landscape changes just as much. AEW created a second destination where wrestlers could earn strong contracts and gain national exposure. Without it, those opportunities narrow. Talent either stays within WWE, works internationally, or operates on a lower ceiling within the independent scene. That affects career trajectories across the board. Wrestlers who found new life in AEW may never reach that level, while others remain in WWE longer than expected, altering the composition of the roster.

The creative impact is also significant. AEW positioned itself as an alternative with a different presentation and pacing, which gave fans a real choice. Without that option at scale, variety in mainstream wrestling becomes more limited. The business side follows the same pattern. AEW’s television deals and partnerships created competition for attention and distribution. Without it, WWE maintains stronger control over the market, particularly in the United States.

The biggest shift is leverage. AEW gave talent more negotiating power and gave fans a viable alternative. Remove that, and the industry continues, but the balance changes. Opportunities tighten, innovation slows, and the conversation becomes more one-sided. Wrestling does not disappear, but it becomes less competitive, and that changes how everyone operates.

Professional wrestling as a whole, and sports entertainment too, are much better today thanks to AEW.