AEW went all-in on Saturday night, literally. AEW All In: Texas clocked in at an astonishing six hours, making it the longest professional wrestling pay-per-view of all time. That runtime shattered the previous record held by WrestleMania 35, which ran five hours and twenty minutes.
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the decision to stretch the show to such a massive length wasnt by accident. It was 100% intentional, Meltzer said, explaining that AEW deliberately timed the show to compete directly with WWEs Saturday Nights Main Event on NBC.
The idea was to make sure their main event was still going on when WWEs broadcast began, Meltzer noted. AEW didnt want to be bullied.
WWE stacked the weekend with programmingairing NXT: Great American Bash and Saturday Nights Main Event on July 12, followed by Evolution the next night. In whats now being viewed as another chapter in the modern wrestling war, AEW extended All In to go head-to-head with WWEs primetime presence.
And thats exactly what happened. As WWEs show kicked off on network TV, AEW was still deep into its main event, sending a clear message about its place in the current wrestling landscape.
AEW didnt just deliver a massive cardit made a statement. The promotion continues to play hardball with WWE, and fans are watching the power struggle unfold one broadcast at a time.
Do you think AEW was smart to stretch All In to compete with WWEs NBC showor did it overstay its welcome? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
