All Elite Wrestling made a clear statement with its first official event

James Musselwhite / All Elite Wrestling

All Elite Wrestling, a new wrestling promotion led by ex-WWE wrestler Cody Rhodes, put on its first official show, entitled "Double or Nothing," over Memorial Day weekend.
The show was enthralling, and received rave reviews from both fans in attendance and those watching at home, and gave clear examples of the differences between the new company and WWE.
Between the wide range of wrestling skills on display, the access given by the performers, and the return of a bit of blood, there’s plenty of reasons for wrestling fans to be excited about the future of AEW.
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On Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, a new chapter in the world of professional wrestling began.

All Elite Wrestling’s debut pay-per-view "Double or Nothing" aired live from Las Vegas, earning rave reviews from both fans in attendance and those watching at home.

All Elite Wrestling, or AEW, presents the first true stateside alternative to WWE in two decades. The brand is helmed by ex-WWE performer Cody Rhodes, who along with indie superstar tag-team The Young Bucks, and New Japan legend Kenny Omega, will serve as both performers and executives for the new promotion.

Funding the project is Shad Khan, the billionaire owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham F.C., with his son Tony, a lifelong wrestling fan, serving as president and CEO of the company.

Between its ever-growing roster of talent and announced television deal with TNT, AEW was already positioned as a new draw for wrestling fans before any action took place in the ring, but on Saturday, the promotion took things to another level with "Double or Nothing."

The show was enthralling and proved that not only can AEW draw a crowd and put on some classic matches, but that the differences between the upstart company and Vince McMahon’s Goliath may play to their advantage.

Between the show itself, and the interviews given to reporters after the final bell, it’s easy to see just how new a product AEW is setting out to be compared to WWE.

AEW might not want to say they are in direct competition with WWE, but their actions tell a different story.

Ricky Havlik / All Elite Wrestling

There is no established company line when it comes to how AEW performers compare the brand to WWE, and some have been hesitant to position the new company as a competitor to WWE, given its young, and still unproven status.

"We all just want to do the best shows," said Khan after AEW’s inaugural show. "I’m not really thinking about [WWE] shows, and I hope their shows are great because, at the best times in wrestling, everyone was doing great stuff."

That said, inside the ring, AEW appeared to tell a different story, with Cody Rhodes using a sledgehammer — the weapon of choice of his WWE executive/performer counterpart Triple H — to destroy a throne designed with skulls and an iron cross, a reference to Triple H’s infamous WrestleMania entrances.

"I want to play ball," said Rhodes of the meaning behind his destruction of the throne. "I know we don’t say ‘competition,’ but it stands for itself."

Rhodes has emphasized that he wants the wrestling to be the focus of AEW, with stories told in the ring, so don’t expect such overt jabs at WWE regularly. That said, if the opportunity arises to throw such a punch in service of the story being told, it’s clear that AEW isn’t afraid to take a shot.

Diversity in performers, styles, and matches.

James Musselwhite / All Elite Wrestling

WWE has made major strides when it comes to diversity in wrestling in recent years. At WrestleMania, a women’s match headlined the show for the first time in history, and Kofi Kingston became the first black superstar to win the world title.

But at AEW, diversity is a founding principle, not only in the performers, but the types of matches they put on, and the wrestling backgrounds and styles they present to their audience. The card at "Double or Nothing" featured both men’s and women’s matches with athletes from all across the world, in styles both traditionally found in the WWE, as well as matches that employed performers and wrestling styles native to China and Japan.

After the show, Rhodes said that diversity was a part of the plan for the company.

"The old territory system of ‘just one,’ that’s out," Rhodes told reporters. "The best wrestlers are going to field the game, and that’s a very diverse profile. And I’m really proud of it. But I know that we’re going to promote them of wrestlers. We’re not going to make it a PR element. It’s about the wrestling."

There will be blood.

Ricky Havlik / All Elite Wrestling

One of the most jarring examples of the difference between what AEW can offer wrestling fans in comparison to WWE came during Rhodes’ match against his brother Dustin.

Early in the match, Dustin began to bleed, letting copious amounts of blood spill over his face and onto the mat. By the end of the match, Cody’s bleach-blonde hair was smattered with streaks of red.

Blood was an essential part of wrestling in the past, and still a fairly common feature of matches outside of the WWE, but McMahon’s company has steered away from bloody matches over the past few decades in favor of keeping shows family friendly, using it sparingly.

The match between the Rhodes brothers was immediate proof that if the story called for it, AEW was willing to show some color.

"Our pay-per-views will take it a step up," Rhodes said, when asked if the blood was an indicator of things to come from the brand. "Wrestling is sports-centric. The other wrestling company almost runs a TV-G show, with how protected it is. But there’s a huge part of the audience that still wants sports, still wants violence."

"The pay-per-views will take it a step up, and I’m not trying to spoil it, but we even talked about a pay-per-view itself that’s another step up," Rhodes said. "Wrestling is violent. It’s part of combat sports. And I don’t mind using that word."

With death-match specialist Jimmy Havoc on the roster, as well as Jon Moxley apparently ready to return to his hardcore roots, the brand has the potential to put on some stellar, if vicious, matches in the future.

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