AEW Rampage and WWE SmackDown went head-to-head for 30 minutes on Friday with WWE winning the overall viewership, but AEW winning in the key 18 to 49 demographic.
Tony Khan and other AEW wrestlers weighed in on social media about the victory, but Cody Rhodes spoke to Kevin & Cory to give his thoughts.
"It's a bigger deal for them," he said, referring to WWE losing. "I don't mean to sound bullish or anything like that, but if they were under the impression that they were going to win in that key demo, there are plenty of people behind the scenes at WWE who are brilliant and great people, but I think there are people in the industry, non-wrestlers, people who have never even stepped in the ring, who are leading them down a business path while the business isn't there. We're an alternative, they're the juggernaut of this space, we're the alternative brand. If you're looking at metrics and you work in the offices of that company, you do have to be aware that there is a seismic, SEISMIC, earth-shattering shift in the wrestling business. The last time there was this type of shift, was in the mid-80s when WWE was taking every territory because he had the TV and they were making a better product and they deserve all the praise they did, but it's definitely an unreal time. As someone who is an executive in the company that is making these moves; you ask me when I'm standing in the ring with a microphone in my hand and I'm gonna give you the most competent answer, but it is also very overwhelming to be sitting here and talking to you guys, that's the responsibility. Great power, great responsibility. If the fans are choosing us and not the others, we have to make sure we give them everything they want and continue to give them the promise of a wrestling company led by wrestlers and Tony has done such a great job in terms of doing that, really led the ship in a great way."
Tony Khan went in-depth about the ratings win in an interview with Busted Open Radio on Wednesday. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
Cody is set to return to the ring on Saturday's AEW Dynamite when he faces Malakai Black. Fightful will have live coverage of AEW Dynamite beginning at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday.
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