All Elite Wrestling is the fresh new promotion fans are flocking to at the moment, some going so far as to believe it could be the company that pushes WWE as a major competitor. And it is a competitor, in a sense, but leave it to Batista to be the voice of reason on why it’s not exactly a “legitimate competition,” as he put it:
“I don’t see it as legitimate competition. I see it as competition, which is great, there should always be competition. But until they actually produce one of their own major stars, until they actually have a production that is as big as WWE, and until they start... I mean, WWE has already got the next three generations of Superstars because they have NXT camps all over the world now. They’re so far ahead of the game that I don’t see any competition, like real competition. Not even close. But I believe that competition is always good, especially in the sports entertainment industry. I really support them.”
It’s hard to argue with that.
WWE may feel stale creatively at the moment, and ratings may be down for its television programs, but the company is making as much money as ever and showing no real signs of slowing down any time soon. Vince McMahon is so firmly established as the top dog in the industry, it’s hard to imagine anyone knocking him off his throne.
But every journey begins with a single step.
And, as noted in the interview, things could look a lot different a year from now, and that would be a very good thing.