JBL Doesn't Believe WWE Is Underestimating AEW As A Competitor

Former WWE executive Road Dogg recently said WWE didn't take AEW as serious competition, something JBL doesn't believe is true.

WWE has tried a few tactics to slow AEW's growth, which JBL believes is clear evidence that the company views AEW as a legitimate threat. He feels that WWE's counter-programming — which continues to this day — shows that it regards AEW as credible competition.

"I don't know [if WWE underestimated AEW] because I wasn't in the room. I don't think so. And the reason I don't think so is because of the counterprogramming," said JBL on "Something To Wrestle." "I mean, you look at what they've done, and when AEW would have an event, all of a sudden WWE would find a way to put some event at the same time or on the same day or something. That, to me, doesn't sound like they're underestimating them. Now, maybe they are because I certainly was not in the room and Road Dogg was, but when you look at what they're doing, they are showing them the respect of, 'Hey, we're going to kind of program against you. We're going to figure out a way to try to make sure you don't gain market share.'"

JBL believes that this tactic of counter-programming against another pro wrestling program has existed for a long time in the business. He doesn't think WWE has underestimated rivals, including Vince McMahon, when he went head-to-head with WCW and lost the ratings war for a few years.

"I mean, Conrad, this has gone on in the wrestling business forever," he added. "But if you learned anything from history, and we all lived it — I mean, the guys in WWE now that were in the wrestling business, we all lived this — it's pretty big as far as not wanting to underestimate anybody. Not that Vince underestimated WCW. I don't think he did. I don't think Vince underestimated anybody."

WWE continues to counter-program, with this month's NXT Great American Bash set to go head-to-head with the AEW and NJPW co-branded Forbidden Door pay-per-view, with both scheduled to take place on June 28.