If AEW (and WWE) didn't want us to care about ratings and backstage rumours/gossip they wouldn't brag about it openly (remember the "Demo God"). If they hit one million viewers I'm sure Tony Khan would have been the first person to post about it (he's usually posting in the middle of the night). Remember the ratings wars in the Attitude Era? We've been trained to care about these things, whether or not we have a horse in the race.
I think most of us do want a strong competition, but that's not happening. WWE can survive a prolonged cold streak, can AEW do the same? Tony has a fat wallet, but they're not trending in the right direction. What more can they do to head the ship in the right direction? They can't add more free agents, that's been said and done. In a future where Sting, Bryan, and Edge are retired. Omega might be finished, and who knows what happens with MJF... how long can they keep going at the current rate? The talent IS there, I think we all can agree on that. But talent in the ring alone isn't going to keep AEW afloat.
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