All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has faced its fair share of criticism since its inception, but few have been as vocal as WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff. The veteran wrestling personality has made a name for himself by taking shots at AEW, its talent, and its president, Tony Khan. And now, it seems Bischoff has gotten his “I told you so” moment, as AEW’s ratings for its latest episode of Dynamite have plummeted to a dismal 672,000 viewers.
The episode, which featured a Continental Championship match between Kazuchika Okada and Dax Harwood, failed to impress, with the quarter hour featuring the match being the lowest-rated of the night. This comes as no surprise to Bischoff, who predicted early last month that AEW’s viewership would drop below the 700k mark before May 15. And, as it turns out, he was almost spot on.
Bischoff took to social media to rub it in, quoting a tweet from Dax Harwood that sarcastically questioned the creative direction of the bout. “I guess I was right again,” Bischoff gloated, highlighting his own prescience. It’s a bitter pill to swallow for AEW, which has struggled to compete with sports programming, including the NBA and NHL playoffs, on Wednesday nights.
Despite having a stacked schedule heading into the summer months, including major pay-per-views like Double or Nothing and All In, AEW’s ratings woes are certainly cause for concern. The company’s recent deal to host several episodes of Collision in North America’s largest esports arena should provide a much-needed boost, but for now, the writing is on the wall: AEW needs to revamp its strategy to stay competitive in professional wrestling.
Bischoff’s criticism, while often provocative, has a kernel of truth to it. AEW needs to take a hard look at its creative direction and ask itself some tough questions if it wants to regain its footing in the ratings. Until then, Bischoff will continue to revel in his “I told you so” moment, and AEW will be left to pick up the pieces.
