WWE went old-school in their attempts to promote themselves at AEW Double or Nothing last night, using a hilarious outside-the-box method.
AEW’s Double or Nothing event in Las Vegas was a night full of chaos and new champions. The Jericho Appreciation Society wowed the audience with a wild ‘Anarchy in the Arena match. The faction fought against Eddie Kingston, Santana, Ortiz, Bryan Danielson, and Jon Moxley.
In a no-rules ten-man brawl, lighter fuel, barbed wire, and bloodshed were all on the table. After a brutal battle, the Jericho Appreciation Society took the victory via submission.
However, the headline of Double or Nothing went to none other than CM Punk. In the main event, he defeated Hangman Page to become AEW’s new world champion. This is Punk’s first world champion belt since 2013 and is the crowning glory of a rapid rise to the top of Tony Khan’s federation.
Additionally, it’s also CM Punk’s first belt since he left the WWE in 2014. These two companies are locked in a bitter rivalry for wrestling supremacy, often facing battles to keep their stars from defecting to the opposition.
The rival federations
WWE still towers over AEW when it comes to fame and history, especially considering that All-Elite is only three years old. Despite this, Vince McMahon’s noisy neighbour is attempting to become a threat to WWE’s stranglehold on the sports entertainment scene.
For instance, AEW is not afraid to take former WWE talent and re-invigorate them as stars. As well as the aforementioned CM Punk, All Elite have swooped to sign numerous big names after they left McMahon’s company in recent years. These include Dustin Rhodes (formerly Goldust in WWE), Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley, and Matt Hardy, to name a few.
When it comes to viewing figures, the rivalry becomes a bit more one-sided. WWE’s RAW averages around 1.6 million weekly viewers this year, per WrestlingInc. Meanwhile, AEW Dynamite’s viewing figure hovers just under a million generally. So, the start-up has a bit of catching up to do versus the OG.
The rivalry doesn’t just play out in the background, though. For example, AEW chief Tony Khan fired shots on Twitter at WWE. This came after news that they moved their Money in the Bank event out of Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to a smaller venue. Unfortunately for WWE, the UFC is on the same night.
“Genius move trying to take on Dana [White] and the UFC in Vegas during International Fight Week,” quipped Khan, in a tweet clearly aimed at WWE.
In response, Vince McMahon’s federation made some humorous moves to promote themselves during an AEW event.
WWE sneak promotion at AEW event
WWE knew full well that a TV advert was out of the question during an AEW broadcast. So, they went old-school with their promo approach. Rather brilliantly, they hired an advertising truck to drive around the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas – where AEW’s Double or Nothing was taking place.
The moving billboard promoted WWE’s Money in the Bank event. This is also due to occur in Sin City, on July 2nd. It featured an image of poster-boy Cody Rhodes – a former AEW star himself – to further fan flames. This brilliant yet funny piece of marketing is another moment in what looks to be a great rivalry between the two federations.
And the real winners of it all? The wrestling fans, who get to see the best of what these two companies have to offer on a regular basis.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
