With WWE developing working relationships with the likes of TNA Wrestling, and outright buying Mexican promotion AAA, some fans are beginning to wonder if WWE are trying to once again monopolize the wrestling industry.
The last time WWE were "the only game in town" was back in the early 2000s after both WCW and ECW closed their doors, and before the likes of TNA and ROH started up as small indie promotions. However, ECW legend Tommy Dreamer doesn't see it that way, as he stated on a recent episode of "Busted Open Radio" that the one thing stopping WWE from monopolizing professional wrestling is their biggest competitor, AEW. "New Japan [Pro Wrestling]'s business hasn't been the same, where did all their top acts go? AEW. So you can't say WWE is monopolizing it, just like you can't say AEW's monopolizing it."
Dreamer went on to point out the other thing stopping a WWE monopoly from happening, the sheer volume of talent who are still unsigned. "Here's the other part, everybody cannot be signed somewhere. There's enough talent out there if you wanted to build a strong wrestling company from scratch, there's enough talent out there to build that company of just people who are not under contract with any wrestling company. But there are just so many different factors that go into this, it's a fascinating dive of how you want to think of that."
To round off, Dreamer explained that he was there in WWE when WCW and ECW finished in 2001, stating that he has seen what a true monopoly looks like, and since the likes of TNA, NJPW, and AEW have been able to provide wrestlers with a comfortable living for some time now, it's hard to see WWE having a 100% stranglehold on the wrestling business anytime soon.
Please credit "Busted Open Radio" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
