Powerhouse Hobbs Explains Why AEW Is 'On WWE's Necks'

Since AEW's launch in 2019, many wrestling fans have hoped the WWE alternative would rise to the level of its chief competitor, creating legitimate competition in the world of professional wrestling. Powerhouse Hobbs thinks Tony Khan's company is already there. "We're on the same level as them. We're their competitors," he stated during an interview with "Chillin' with ICE." 

"They're on national TV, and we're on national TV. We go head-to-head, we're right on them," he continued. "We've beaten them in ratings at times. We're right there on their neck. There are two major companies in this business — it's WWE and AEW."

Hobbs also addressed the belief of some that he would fare well in WWE. For him, it's not a move he's ever considered due to AEW's stature in his mind. "When people say, 'Do you ever want to go to WWE?' — I tell people we're right there with them," he explained. 

AEW does lay claim to setting and holding the record for most paid attendance for a professional wrestling event with All In several months ago, bettering the numbers of past WWE shows like WrestleMania. However, WWE's merger with UFC and its recent television deals for both "WWE SmackDown" and "WWE NXT" may show that there is still a bit of a gap between the two companies as far as where they are positioned in the grand scheme of things. A new deal for AEW's programming — likely still with Warner Bros. Discovery — is expected in the months ahead. Where it might measure up to what WWE has managed to secure thus far — with "WWE Raw" still up for grabs — should speak volumes about the true nature of both as competition for one another.