Biggest Takeaways from WWE, AEW and Pro Wrestling Thus Far in 2023

Pro wrestling has had an interesting start to 2023, with the sale of WWE, the announcement of All Elite Wrestling's UK debut at Wembley Stadium, some questionable booking decisions and the emergence of two alpha dogs on Raw just as WWE introduced a new world championship.

Looking ahead to the second half of the year, though, it's important to reflect on some of those topics with the biggest takeaways from what has the makings of a transformative year in the industry.

Ahead of the summer months, when things figure to intensify, let's look back at the year so far with these issues that have left the wrestling world buzzing.

AEW Heating Back Up as Summer Arrives

AEW shook off a cold start to the year with the announcement that its All In pay-per-view would be staged at Wembley Stadium in London on August 27.

The event will be the biggest the company has ever produced and in front of the largest crowd its competitors have ever performed before.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported some 62,000 seats have already been sold for the show, which would be approximately three times the previous attendance record for AEW.

Add to that the expected announcement of a new Saturday night show called Collision, the return of CM Punk following his explosive departure following All Out in September 2022, and you have a company that feels like it has momentum on its side again following 10 months of uncertainty and head-scratching creative decisions.

That bodes well for the business as a whole, especially considering how hot the WWE product has been under Triple H.

If both companies are rolling at the same time, doing their best business and earning the acclaim of fans, the second half of 2023 could be the most fun and prosperous time for the industry since the peak of the Monday Night Wars in 1998.

Triple H's Masterpiece WrestleMania Marred by Controversial Finale Booking

In his first WrestleMania as chief content officer of WWE, Triple H produced one of the greatest events in the company's long and illustrious history.

The in-ring content alone ensured it ranked among the best 'Manias of all time, while the rest of the creative checked just about every other box you would hope for at the biggest show of the year.

Then came the main event, which still has fans criticizing and analyzing it.

Cody Rhodes entered as the overwhelming favorite to finally dethrone Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. The crowd was red-hot for him and wanted to see The American Nightmare capture the title that eluded his Hall of Famer father, Dusty.

And in the closing moments of the match, it looked like he would. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens had neutralized The Usos, and Rhodes and delivered consecutive Cross Rhodes to The Tribal Chief.

Then, Solo Sikoa appeared and caught The American Nightmare with a Samoan Spike, allowing Reigns to deliver a Spear and retain his title. The victory deflated the audience and left fans across social media debating the wisdom of the decision.

Two months later and fans still question why Reigns retained and whether Rhodes has been hurt creatively because of it. While WWE loves a nice round number like 1,000 to market and merchandise, and Reigns will achieve that number of days as universal titleholder on May 27 at Night of Champions, that finish has created more questions than WWE has answers for.

The implementation of the World Heavyweight Championship on Raw feels like a consolation prize to the rest of the roster. The shift in focus back to the in-fighting of The Bloodline has not helped Rhodes' case, either, as he has pivoted to a Brock Lesnar feud that came from nowhere and still has no reason for existing.

WWE had an opportunity to create an unforgettable moment at WrestleMania but went the route of the heel standing tall. Eventually, that will eat away at the good faith fans have in the company to deliver suitable conclusions to its ongoing storylines.

Hopefully, Triple H and his creative team are aware of that and prevent it from happening.

Mercedes Moné, Trinity Fatu Were Right to Bet on Themselves

In May 2022, Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out on WWE following creative disagreements about their role on an episode of Raw.

A year later, they have not been back and nor do they need to be.

At the conclusion of her contract with WWE, Banks adopted the moniker "Mercedes Moné" and made her New Japan Pro-Wrestling debut at WrestleKingdom 17 before competing against Kairi Sane in a magnificent first outing in California.

Her former tag team partner used her real name, Trinity, and debuted with Impact Wrestling, where she was immediately treated like a star, with a show built around her.

Away from the ring, they appeared together on red carpets for Disney, participated in New York Fashion Week and made it clear to even their harshest critics that they are major names, know their value and do not need WWE to succeed at the level they want to.

It was an inspiring message to the rest of the wrestling world that there is life beyond the two big promotions and that happiness does not necessarily come from being in front of a worldwide television audience every week.

Moné and Trinity remain among the buzziest performers in the industry today, which is a win for them and the industry as a whole. The question now is who will follow in their footsteps and achieve success away from WWE or AEW?

Celebrity Involvement is Better Than Ever

Bad Bunny and Logan Paul had set the bar impossibly high for celebrity involvement in professional wrestling, and they have raised it even higher in 2023.

First, Paul battled Seth Rollins in one of the best matches of the year at WrestleMania 39, once again melding showmanship and athleticism to create an awe-inspiring performance that saw him hang with the best and deliver a classic on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Bad Bunny followed up with a show-stealer of his own, wrestling another Match of the Year contender against Damian Priest in front of a red-hot crowd in San Juan, Puerto Rico at Backlash.

WWE introduced the idea of celebrities competing alongside its Superstars, at least on a national scale, at the inaugural WrestleMania and has always shown a penchant for putting them in the right position for the match or moment to succeed.

An increased athleticism and desire to perform at the highest level has driven participants like Bad Bunny, Paul and even Johnny Knoxville to work hard and ensure that whatever they are part of is as good as it can be.

As we move forward, and Paul and Bunny's relationship with WWE grows, don't be surprised to see the quality of the performances increase, with each man setting the bar higher every time.

Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins Set to Battle for WWE Fans' Allegiance

Rhodes may not have won at WrestleMania in April, but the connection he formed with the WWE fans along the way has endured.

The American Nightmare is one of the most popular wrestlers on the planet, but there is another name on the same show who threatens his spot at the top of WWE and as the most beloved in the company.

Seth Rollins is a workhorse for WWE, competing around the world on every show and often delivering the best performance on those cards. He has dedicated himself to reinvention and won over the fans for his Joker-like Visionary character.

Add to that the way the crowd loves to sing his theme song in support of the former world champion, and you have a guy who has quickly developed into one of the most over wrestlers in the business.

While it would be asinine to suggest Rhodes and Rollins are like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and The Rock, the dynamic those two had during the Attitude Era certainly exists. Both want to be the best, have a professional rivalry and will not stop until they achieve their own goals.

They have feuded on television, Rollins has admitted that he is not comfortable with all that Rhodes has been handed thus far, and the rekindling of their program was recently teased during a brief but tense faceoff.

It will be interesting to see what the rest of 2023 brings for both men, how fans react and which one ultimately captures the hearts of the audience.

If history is any indication, and Austin and Rock's battle for the top spot can be used as a reference, things will certainly get competitive and that almost always makes for a better product.