Bully Ray Thinks WWE Counter-Programming AEW All In Is Smart

AEW All In is just a few weeks away, but the promotion's biggest event of the year won't be the only wrestling show taking place on July 12. That afternoon, directly against All In, WWE will present NXT's Great American Bash before the next edition of Saturday Night's Main Event airs on NBC that night.

"Busted Open Radio" co-host Bully Ray spent some time discussing WWE's decision to run against All In on a recent edition of the satellite radio show, stating that he understands why WWE would make the move from a business perspective. If WWE allowed All In to run unopposed, the entire wrestling world would be focused on AEW. Now, regardless of ratings and pay-per-view buys, the conversation among fans will be split between the two companies.

"If wrestling has taught us anything, it's to always have ... your company represented on that same night, so your fans aren't encouraged [to] go watch or look at another product," Bully said. "However, WWE has told us that AEW is not competition, correct?"

The way this plan could backfire on WWE, according to Bully, is that it may cause some fans to start viewing the two promotions as direct competitors. He stated that AEW doesn't actually pose any risk to WWE, but if the company treats them as if they do, that perception may stick with the wrestling audience. Still, the WWE Hall of Famer doesn't believe that's a good enough reason not to run the shows opposite of All In.

"Here's the mentality: 'We could lose fans because we did not command their attention on this night, and they watched the other company's biggest show,'" Bully continued. "They became the biggest company in the world for a multitude of reasons, positioning of shows being one of them."

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.