Why Bully Ray Says He Has To Watch AEW With A 'Different Set Of Eyes'

As someone who has been actively involved in promotions as wide-ranging in tone and style as ECW, WWE, and TNA, Bully Ray has been a witness to many different kinds of pro wrestling over the years. While not all styles are for him, the WWE Hall of Famer acknowledges that, like any art form, different variations are going to appeal to different tastes. Speaking on a recent edition of "Busted Open Radio," Bully discussed how he views AEW and its relationship to pro wrestling as an art.

"When I watch AEW, I consciously watch with a different set of eyes, because if I start comparing it to the WWE and the way they do things, I would tear AEW to shreds," Bully said. "I have to remember that AEW is a completely different company — an alternative."

Having said that, Bully pointed out that there is still plenty of room to criticize AEW. The promotion still has to function as a successful company, and Bully feels that there is still a right and wrong way to go about presenting wrestling, but it still comes down to opinions at the end of the day.

"Pro wrestling is art, okay?" Bully continued. "We can both look at a Picasso and see different things. You might pay a million dollars for a Picasso. In all honesty, if you gave me a Picasso for free, I probably wouldn't hang it in my house. Just not my cup of tea."

Bringing the conversation back to AEW, Bully said that the promotion's style of storytelling doesn't always make sense to him. His perspective on wrestling comes from the shows he watched growing up, as well as the way he came up in the business and the promotions he worked in. While AEW doesn't always fit into that dichotomy, it seems Bully does try and keep an open mind.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.