AEW marked several significant achievements in 2025 during its sixth year of operation, including a milestone early in spring. In April, “AEW Dynamite” surpassed “WCW Nitro” as the top-rated primetime wrestling show on Turner Sports. Former WCW executive and prominent NWO-era figure Eric Bischoff congratulated AEW President Tony Khan despite often criticizing the company’s programming. However, during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Bischoff chuckled when discussing AEW’s network milestone.
Bischoff remarked, “I just laughed. It’s like a participation trophy. That might mean a lot to someone, but given the audiences Nitro had during its peak, it might take AEW another 15 years to reach similar numbers.” Helwani highlighted AEW’s historic stadium event in Texas, which Khan claimed had over 29,000 attendees, while Wrestletix reported 26,153 people at the show. When Helwani noted many consider AEW had a strong year, Bischoff questioned how to define success for the company.
He said, “They had one event that really worked out. Their TV ratings are flat.” Earlier in March, Bischoff had expressed a critical view of AEW, partly influenced by comments from former WCW owner Ted Turner and Tony Khan about wrestling knowledge. AEW’s “Dynamite” celebrated its 300th episode on July 2nd.
Fan Take: This news is important for AEW fans as it shows that even industry veterans like Bischoff are weighing AEW’s progress with a critical eye, reflecting the ongoing debate about AEW’s growth and influence. It highlights the challenge AEW faces in sustaining long-term success amid high expectations, potentially shaping how the sport evolves in the coming years.
