This past weekend, WWE held Worlds Collide out of Chicago, featuring AAA talent as well as hometown hero CM Punk. and a host of other performers. At the same time and in the same venue, AEW held their annual All Out pay-per-view. WWE did not stream Worlds Collide live on Saturday, with recent reports suggesting the company plans to stream it on YouTube this Wednesday, directly against AEW Dynamite, but starting an hour earlier. Speaking “Wrestling Observer Radio”, Dave Meltzer explained the motivation behind the move.
“Ultimately, the goal is that they don’t renew, and the way to not renew is to damage their television ratings,” Meltzer said. He also noted that he doesn’t think Tony Khan was effectively hurt by the move, and suggested he might just be angry. “I mean, will it hurt?” Little one. But that’s why they do it, with the idea that “we will manage to jump on them for an hour”.
One thing that could put a wrinkle in the Worlds Collide broadcast plans is that The Shocking Death of Benjamin Satterly (AKA Pac and Neville) on weekends. While AEW has yet to make an official announcement regarding Wednesday’s show, the company has historically held special memorial episodes of their flagship program Dynamite to honor current or former roster members who have passed away. If Wednesday’s “Dynamite” pays tribute to Satterlee, it remains to be seen if WWE moves forward with its plan to air Worlds Collide vs. the episode.
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit Wrestling Observer Radio and credit ah/t Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.