Bully Ray Contrasts AEW's Storytelling Vs. That Of WWE
It feels safe to assume that both All Elite Wrestling and WWE aren't trying to be like one another, but that will never stop comparisons from being made. And following the July 5 episode of "AEW Dynamite," Bully Ray discussed each company's storytelling style. While he believes Tony Khan has a way to go creatively, he was generally pleased by what he saw this week. And in the process, commended the work of a new face who recently appeared behind the creative scenes at AEW.
"AEW to me is very surface-level storytelling. Like the tip of the iceberg storytelling," Bully said on "Busted Open." "Where the WWE is actually what lies beneath the surface of the iceberg. Deep storytelling."
Wednesday's "Dynamite" did leave multiple question marks throughout the show, including whether or not Chris Jericho will join Don Callis as Blood & Guts nears as well as the strengthening of a potential friendship between Adam Cole and AEW World Champion MJF. Bully believes these question marks are good to have as things continue to build, but he doesn't anticipate any sort of years-long storyline to follow. Not that one needs to.
A Step in the Right Direction
"I'm not saying that AEW is about to embark on a Bloodline-esque three-year story," he continued. "But something a little bit more than one-month or two-month, or just a pay-per-view to pay-per-view story I think would benefit them. And I think they planted a lot of seeds last night, and it's because of somebody who recently stepped into the backstage process."
That "somebody" is Jimmy Jacobs, who recently joined the company as a producer. A five-time Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champion, Jacobs has held writer and producer posts in the past with both WWE and Impact Wrestling.
One doesn't have to go very far to find Bully's criticism of AEW. Whether it's their referees, production issues, or general storytelling and characters, he's had plenty of negative things to say in the past. But Wednesday, he felt, was a good sign.
"I don't think it was a big step in the right direction," Bully continued, disagreeing with co-host Dave LaGreca in the process. "I'll call it a step in the right direction. Because I saw things that could lead to bigger storylines."
Critiques Of Tony Khan
The problem Bully continues to have with Khan's booking methods is the problem he has always had, in that he sees AEW as constantly trying to appeal to its core fanbase and little else. Long-term, Bully feels that can only be a hindrance.
"AEW suffers today from the same problem that they suffered from day one: Lack of storytelling," he added. "The storytelling that AEW fans love to clamor and scream at the top of their lungs about are stories for the AEW fanbase. Everything that AEW does, whether it's their matches, or their storytelling, is only custom-fit to the AEW fanbase."
Bully thinks a little out-of-the-box thinking both in terms of matches and storytelling would go a long way for the company, including bringing in a non-AEW fan, a WWE fan, or simply a more casual wrestling fan. Until they start to display that type of booking on a consistent basis, though, he feels the promotion will inevitably cease regardless of how much money Khan has.
"Otherwise, you're catering to the same 800,000-to-900,000 people that watch the show every single week," he stated. "And yes, you might have a gazillion dollars in the bank to fund your company. But eventually, that's just gonna run its course."
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.