ASK TITO: WWE vs. AEW Competition, Bill Goldberg, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, Adam Cole, and More
The Excellence in Column Writing has returned, as I’ll present snappy answers to questions sent in by emails, private messaging on social media, or the comments section below. I’m heading into my 27th year as Mr. Tito and have built decades worth of relationships with many long-term fans. Reading emails from readers is like my second job, as many come in asking about this and that with the current happenings in pro wrestling.
I always laugh at the haters… You can always tell when you have posted EFFECTIVE columns when the noise gets louder, particularly by those trying to grandstand underneath my columns. Jealous much? As you can see from Aaron’s NoDQ X/Twitter tweet hyping my column, my most recent column reviewing WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event generated over 99,000 views which pumps up interest in my columns. The old man still got it, folks…
Now, speaking of that hype tweet from Aaron… I can usually tell when someone just throws outrage only at his social media post while not reading the context of the column.
Many were acting like it was a pro-AEW column, when it was clearly not. Basically what I was saying is that WWE has grown and AEW has decreased, therefore, AEW is no longer a competitive threat to the WWE. Hence why it was my opinion that WWE was acting a bit “dickish” from their dick moves to air NXT Great American Bash and WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event purposely on the same night as AEW’s All In Pay Per View. They didn’t need to waste resources on a non-existent competition.
Shall I go through the factual numbers again?
– WWE’s TV deals with Netflix, USA Networks, and CW: Around $800 million per year
– AEW’s TV deals with Warner Bros. Discovery: Around $185 million per year
– WWE weekly television show attendance = Around 10,000
– AEW weekly television show attendance = 4,000 on a good day
– WWE weekly television viewership = 1.5 million or more (2.5 million on Netflix)
– AEW weekly television viewership = Around 600,000 (with HBO MAX numbers eerily silent)
– Merchandise sales, NOT EVEN CLOSE
Guys, it’s OVER. WWE is clearly the #1 company and began really separating during late 2022 when the Bloodline got red hot and AEW botched the careers of Cody Rhodes and CM Punk, both of which left AEW for WWE.
THAT IS WHAT I WAS SAYING!!! Don’t kick a lesser promotion when they are down.
That is why I showed pity for AEW on Saturday 7/12/25… WWE devoted bigtime production resources to 2 shows just to screw with a company that has a much smaller audience and won’t catch up to them. AEW still has to get through YEARS of high priced contracts such as Okada, Adam Copeland, Will Ospreay, and Mercedes Mone along with any other re-signings to millions while NOT having a solid farm system to develop talent for the future. They aren’t catching WWE anytime soon unless WWE self-implodes (which they won’t do).
We’re exactly at the point during early 2010s when TNA tried but couldn’t catch up, especially with paying too much to veterans from WWE/WCW/ECW, and WWE remaining the top dog by a margin.
So thus, WWE doesn’t have to waste their time trying to squash the tiny bug who will just not grow at all until serious fundamental change happens with AEW’s management.
Furthermore, WWE needs AEW to exist… They need another “farm system” to acquire free agents from and maybe send talents who need more seasoning.
In case I cannot be any more clearer… AEW is NOT a competitive threat to WWE. Hence my opinion that WWE shouldn’t waste their time trying to overshadow any big AEW shows because it just doesn’t matter.
BUT, I’m wise enough to know that AEW’s existence, particularly from 2019 through 2022, has helped improve the WWE from what it once was. Go look at ANY discussion about the WWE prior to 2019 and it was nothing but frustration and begging for a competitor. AEW’s existence forced WWE to change, such as reconsidering how they pushed wrestlers, changing Roman from a terrible and overpushed babyface to a heel with Paul Heyman, and got wrestlers PAID. Problem is that the very beast that AEW woke up is become an even bigger machine while AEW has lost energy since 2022. What happened at All In 2023 was embarrassing.
Let’s just stop this senseless debate about WWE and AEW. WWE is clearly #1 and AEW is clearly a distant #2, but oddly enough, well ahead of the rest of the pack who don’t have major TV deals.
And then, you can just like what you want to like without any complaints. Personally, I dislike AEW’s programming and really have since CM Punk left the promotion. Okada looks so bored out there and AEW is now chalk full of older WWE stars getting pushed over what should be younger wrestlers in place. If AEW is to succeed, they need to push wrestlers that we’ve never seen before and NOT over-expose them. For example, MJF joining the Hurt Syndicate of older WWE wrestlers and his age gap just doesn’t mix with those older WWE performers.
So now, I’ll be bombarded with hatred from the die-hard AEW fans who thought I had their backs earlier this week and then I’ll be attacked by the usual jealous hacks who hate anything that I write.
Onto your questions.
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ASK TITO: Your Questions, My Answers
What are your thoughts on Bill Goldberg complaining about his retirement speech being cutoff by NBC or WWE?
I think that Bill Goldberg needs to drink a tall glass of SHUT THE HELL UP.
Who is he to even request anything? Guy hasn’t wrestled in like 3 years, WWE give him a MAJOR spot on WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event against the World Champion, and the World Champion Gunther has to go OUT OF HIS WAY to sell to make Goldberg look legitimate for a 15 minute match.
This is the guy whom many wrestlers complained about throughout the years, whether it was in WCW when he was constantly injuring people because he lacked training or the bad attitude in WWE during his 2003-2004 entitled run. Goldberg believes in his own hype and believes that he’s a superhero. Meanwhile, people like Charles Robinson get cracked ribs because Goldberg isn’t a fully trained wrestler and never has been.
WWE did Goldberg a big favor by giving him that SNME spot and Gunther did him even better by carrying his 58 year-old carcass around the ring for 15 years.
“WWE would never cutoff Cena or Undertaker during their retirement speech”. Well, yeah, Goldberg, because they are BETTER THAN YOU. And they contributed more towards wrestling and the WWE than you could ever dream of. The fact is that since Survivor Series 2016, the WWE pumped resources into revitalizing your career because of a bunch of WCW fans demanding them to do so. If you want to do a TRUE retirement speech, host your own event and invite the loyal WCW fans who stuck with you and convinced the WWE to push you for the past 10 years.
Christ, I still need eye bleach to repair how BAD the Undertaker and Roman Reigns matches were. Good God, could you at least try to get in decent cardio shape before wrestling in big events?
So yeah, I was disappointed in Bill Goldberg crying about his poor retirement match and I laughed at all of the Bret Hart memes posted afterward where he’s sitting in a production truck…
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Thoughts on how Seth Rollins injury could affect future WWE storylines?
IF he is actually injured… Could all be a clever ruse to screw Gunther out of the World Heavyweight Championship or maybe even Cody Rhodes (if he beats Cena) at SummerSlam. The injury and the selling afterward looked very convincing, so kudos to the acting job by Seth Rollins and medical teams afterward.
BUT, if he’s actually injured… WWE is in a real pickle. After all, Seth Rollins is the Money in the Bank contract holder and I don’t think you can transfer that, other than defending the briefcase in a match where the MITB contract is on the lines. Yet, we haven’t had a wrestler injured yet… If it’s a torn ACL, it takes up to 9 months, at the earliest, to reasonably heal from that injury though a full 12 months is suggested. With Wrestlemania being the expiration date to cash-in the MITB briefcase, he’d be out of time unless he really rushed back.
My guess is that if Rollins is really injured, we’ll see something like a “power of attorney” situation where Heyman was granted power of the contract and we’ll see Bron Breakker now own the ability to cash it in.
But is Bron really ready for the Main Event spotlight? He’s a very talented athlete and very skilled… However, does he have the personality intangibles to draw as a main event heel? Heyman can only do so much and we’ve already seen Bron flip and flop between being a babyface and a heel. I just don’t see anything significant with those intangibles with him, nor do I see them with Bronson Reed, either.
That said, I don’t think that highly of Gunther as a main eventer, either. His Intercontinental Title run proved that he kind of peaked there and was a very weak World Heavyweight Champion through Wrestlemania 41 and justified Jey Uso actually beating him. Triple H likes the guy and thus was given a second chance… To his benefit, I thought Gunther was a total professional against Bill Goldberg, but I need to see Gunther showing more personality intangibles to prove that he’s a main eventer. Actually, I think Gunther just needs better opponents to show off his physical skillset and why Brock Lesnar could have been his perfect opponent.
To me, I really haven’t been that excited by the RAW brand since Wrestlemania 41. This Seth Rollins/Bron Breakker/Bronson Reed stable with Paul Heyman has lacked excitement and I believe that’s because we’ve seen the best out of Seth Rollins already from both the babyface and heel side of the ledger. He’s over-exposed as a performer… Personally, I thought that Wrestlemania 41 should have been CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns and that Seth Rollins was the third wheel to that experience. Sure, the match was fine and the ending was great, but post-Wrestlemania 41, it hasn’t been exciting at all ESPECIALLY when Roman Reigns takes his usual 3 months off.
In my opinion, WWE should have made CM Punk turn heel instead and form a heel stable with Paul Heyman. That would have fit better and then gave Roman Reigns a bigger threat versus feuding with Rollins all over again.
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What should Roman Reigns do now that he’s returned?
How about not taking 3 months off following Wrestlemania? Geesh… I understand spending time with family and congrats to him on the birth of another child. But give us something after Wrestlemania. Following Wrestlemania 40, we had nothing about Roman getting a rematch on Cody nor did we see any reaction from Roman after Heyman was attacked. At Wrestlemania 41, both Rollins and Heyman SCREWED HIM and yet, we hear nothing from Roman for 3 months.
THIS, along with the Rock never putting him over to make him a babyface, is why I don’t think Roman has been as top drawing of a character since Wrestlemania 40. The shine is no longer there… Yes, he received a big reaction on RAW and yes, he also received one at SummerSlam 2024 when he returned then. However, as he’s here and doing a standard babyface character, it won’t be as appealing as PROVEN by late 2024 and early 2025. He should be your top guy and exceptional, but he’s starting to blend in with other wrestlers too much.
Which proves that the entire Bloodline was what drew from 2020-2024, not just Roman. Jey Uso and Paul Heyman were important too.
And then he’ll take extensive time off to end 2025 to film the Street Fighter movie. And we’ll be let down at Wrestlemania 42 when Rock vs. Roman doesn’t happen, YET AGAIN.
I wish Roman well, as I enjoyed his work since late 2020 after being disappointed with his overpushed babyface character from 2015 through early 2020. But the way he just randomly turned babyface has been a letdown and these WEAK heel stables that he’s fighting against, Solo-led Bloodline and Seth/Heyman’s stable, it hasn’t made him look good at all.
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Any thoughts on Adam Cole’s possible injuries or rumored retirement?
I’m always sad when a wrestler cannot compete at a high level. If you know wrestlers, they have a TON OF PRIDE in what they do and performing in front of an audience makes them feel alive. I’m not sure what specific injuries he’s dealing with, but he was unable to be cleared for All In 2025 and reportedly thought about retiring.
Cole is only 36 years old, too, and wrestlers usually experience primes through their mid 40s. Hopefully, whatever is ailing him can get repaired or corrected, while I’d advise speaking with guys such as Chris Jericho or AJ Styles who were dealing with ongoing pain until they tried things like DDP Yoga or other lifestyle adjustments to keep them performing.
I don’t need to say anything critical here… It’s a bummer and I hope that he continues to contribute to pro wrestling whether he performs or not.
What the wrestling fan needs to understand is this… It’s not a trampoline out there. Getting slammed on any surface, even if it’s padded, hurts because impact is absorbed in your spine and joints. Cole has wrestled 19 matches this year, but he’s been performing since 2008 and has tons of mileage racked up from the higher impact style that today’s wrestling commands. Speaking as someone who travels for work, getting cramped up in airplanes, walking extensively through airports, and driving for many miles takes additional tolls in addition to getting physically beaten. Then, if you get a bad hotel bed, that adds to the back or neck pain.
In other words, what I’m saying is appreciate wrestlers for what they are doing… They have to love it to want to endure that physical and mental punishment. Even if they make a ton of money from the business, THEY EARNED IT from the beatings and the mileage.
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Thoughts on Pat McAfee stepping away from WWE announcing?
HE SHOULD. Sorry, but you have a daily 2-hour show on ESPN that extends an additional hour or so on YouTube. Then, you’re doing College Football Gameday on the weekends during the Fall.
The WWE schedule is BRUTAL, with Mondays locking in travel and 2-3 hours of performing and then you have Premium Live Events.
Pat, you don’t need to prove yourself to be great at everything… You made your brand with the daily show, as proven by ESPN paying you like $20 million or more per year, and you’ve honestly revitalized College Gameday which gives you more exposure and paydays. So chill… And honestly, Wade Barrett and Corey Graves are excellent color commentators and WWE won’t miss a beat without you.
And this needs to be REALLY said… Pro Wrestling and Pro Sports DO NOT MIX WELL AT ALL. They just don’t, as they have completely different fanbases. Look at the comment sections of any Pat McAfee Show when wrestlers appear and the sports fans are hammering it because they want more NFL coverage. That vibe, I think, is what over-exposes Pat when he does WWE stuff and then tries to mix it within his daily sports show.
Pat has to realize that he has MADE IT and has nothing to prove… When ESPN forks over money to you, take that as a victory lap and enjoy your life afterward. You’ve changed the landscape in sport talk forever with that victory and don’t need to prove how “great” you are otherwise, like commentating or wrestling within WWE. Enjoy your ESPN money and your family. Stop burning yourself out by attempting to be all things to all people!
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THE LAST WORD
I fully understand that wrestling debates get heated… I’m heading into my 27th year of being Mr. Tito, having written columns with LordsofPain from October 1998 through the Summer of 2020 (brief retirement from 2006-2009) and then joining NoDQ afterward. Certainly on my end, I post my honest opinions and do so in a provocative way. It’s been my choice to focus in on Current Events, which allows me to provide my takes on recent stuff and usually that is what is debated heavily by wrestling fans, whether it was on message boards of the past or social media now.
But to threaten, personally attack, or just be negative or cynical to others about their wrestling opinions is ridiculous.
And I’m not just talking about the “heat” that I receive. It’s not just my columns that get personally attacked. You can go do ANY NoDQ comments section under any news or opinions posting and see everybody attacking each other. Hell, you could see it under the Special Features section of NoDQ where Aaron will post what a female wrestler has posted herself on Instagram and fans attack him there. What, do you not want to see incredibly beautiful women in a separate section of the website?
Just go all over Facebook, X/Twitter, or any Social Media about wrestling and it’s nothing but negative attacks. Go on any YouTube video and see the comments sections there… Just vicious stuff posted over wrestling opinions. But go to any wrestling website and see their comments sections too under postings, nothing but negativity there. There are a few wrestling websites who did away with comments sections underneath posts because they were too negative.
Sure, I can be a lightning rod… But I’m human and am posting this stuff on a voluntary basis. It’s been my choice to do this as a hobby from day one and yet here I am, always having to see or respond to feedback. Unfortunately, I’m the kind of guy who hits back when attacked and that’s probably a bad habit. At the same time, I don’t deserve personal attacks over posting wrestling opinions. NOBODY DOES. Everybody has a right to an opinion and everybody has a right to respond to anyone’s opinion, but do so in a professional way. Personal attacks are for teenagers who don’t know any better for adults to levy them is a complete waste of time and energy.
I always laugh when people question why I don’t appear on camera more often and when I do, I’m wearing my “gimp mask”. Well, look at the attacks that have been thrown at me over wrestling opinions for the past 27 years. When you have to forward a few death threat emails to the authorities because of an opinion said in a wrestling column, it’s a good indication of a problem in society. Lots of anger out there and I’ve always assessed that something pissing someone off in the real world leads to venting that frustration in other places. That makes me the punching bag for some, I assume.
If you don’t like my columns, I’m 100% fine with that. DON’T READ THEM. NoDQ has many columns to read now, so please check them out instead.
But to just keep coming back and complaining about anything I post is a waste of your time and energy. And then I’ll waste your time further because I’ll hit ya back and then you’ll be responding even more, further wasting your time. Do you see how this endless cycle happens?
I honestly wish that I had the time to go around and crap on things that I dislike… I really envy people who have all of the time in the world to shout down and be negative towards others. Anytime that I dislike something, I cut off that branch on my tree… I never liked TNA during the 2000s or 2010s, so hence, I never wrote about it. Ditto Ring of Honor, which I never covered. In case you haven’t noticed, I have written fewer AEW columns in the past 2 years versus covering them excessively during 2019-2023. I used to be big NHL, MLB, and NBA fans but each sport has commanded less of my attention. Hell, I’m even watching less of NFL and I’ve never liked college football, so I don’t watch that at all.
As an adult, there are foods that I’ve always disliked and I just don’t buy that for myself… Why would I consume food that makes me want to vomit?
Why would you click into a column written by a guy you apparently dislike?
And I’ll say this… If I’ve been the bigger a**hole in response to your negative attacks on me, then I’ll apologize… I’M SORRY. BUT, you should apologize too for triggering me with your negativity/personal attacks and just move on away from my columns if they trigger you. So simple.
Understand this… I’ve been doing this for 27 years and if you read my columns during the late 1990s, you’ll observe that I haven’t changed that much with how I present my opinions. In other words, it takes a lot to convince me to change, so your negative attacks aren’t very successful at all. Again, they are a waste of time.
If you don’t like my columns, then I don’t want your business. Life is too short on both of our ends to waste time fighting.
I enjoy posting columns for my longtime readers and that’s why I here today. You can either find something meaningful in my columns or just move on if all you do is attack, attack, attack my columns or even my readers.
Again, the hatred among wrestling fans isn’t just isolated to my columns specifically. Look underneath any wrestling post, on Social Media, or in any forum, and the personal attacks, negativity, and cynicism is strong everywhere and has been since I started writing during October 1998.
I have a good relationship with the NoDQ crew and with Aaron, so my voluntary services aren’t going anywhere unless I get completely tired of covering the wrestling business. Believe it or not, we’re actually closer to that than you think as I’m not impressed with the WWE youth movement and feel they are too veteran heavy while AEW and other promotions do nothing for me. But, I enjoy writing as Mr. Tito and that has probably kept me rooted as a wrestling fan, even during tough times in the business.
Again, it’s not just me… Wrestling fans are showing a metric ton of anger and if you’re one of them who vents online, then maybe you ought to assess what is happening in your personal or professional life. Trust me on this one… If you read my columns during the mid to late 2010s, there was a lot of rage vented through my columns and that’s due to a family member becoming ill and burnout from work that I was doing. I did some much needed changes in my professional life and I’d argue that my columns have been written in a more positive light since during the 2020s.
Sorry, but I’m not your personal punching bag and neither is the rest of the wrestling community. If you’ve got something going on your life, see what you can do fix it or alleviate pressure. Prune your trees of stuff that is taking up time or bothering you. If I personally bother you, then cut off my tree branch and I won’t be offended. I’ll wish you the best, regardless.
Otherwise, THANK YOU for reading my columns and you’re welcome to provide any feedback, at any time, as long as you are reasonable. And I have ZERO administrative capabilities, nor am I reporting your posts, to have anything deleted. Aaron personally laughs at anything posted, as he loves a good troll game, so he’s not going to delete them either.
“Why can’t we be friends…”
So just chill until the next episode!
Mr. Tito Column Archive @ NoDQ