Bully Ray Says Fans Connect With AEW Like They Did For ECW
In the latest episode of Pro Wrestling 4 Life, WWE Hall Of Famers Bully Ray and Mick Foley sit down with the two time WWE Hall of Famer Sean "X-Pac" Waltman and Wrestling Inc's Managing editor Nick Hausman. During Bully Ray's time on the show, Hausman asked him about AEW All Out and whether it is as big a game changer as many fans and pundits are making it out to be.
"I think these companies are going in two completely different directions. One company is a traditional pro-wrestling company," Bully explained. "The other one is very much, week by week becoming more and more, sports entertainment. AEW is as close to competition as WWE has had in forever. We've already seen a little skirmish and how it ended up."
Bully Ray noted that AEW has the energy of the fans because they are providing something has been missing from WWE. Bully believes Tony Khan is borrowing elements from the late 90s and presenting it in a new way.
"AEW has the energy and the enthusiasm of the pro-wrestling fanbase," Bully stated. "Because they are giving fans everything that these fans feel that they are not getting from the WWE.
"When you look back in history and you go 'Okay this worked, and this worked, and this worked. Why don't we just try to repackage it and do it again? What I'm seeing is Tony Khan and AEW have looked back and said 'Okay, this worked in ECW, this worked in the Attitude Era, this worked in WCW. I'm gonna put it all together in a big bowl, call it AEW and I'm gonna pour it out there for the wrestling fans to enjoy'"
Khan has openly talked about growing up as a wrestling fan and attending ECW shows. Bully believes that his fandom is what makes him realize what work and what doesn't.
Bully Ray wrapped up his conversation by pinpointing how Tony Khan is so successful at putting everything together, "Tony was a huge fan! I mean, as a 12 year old kid, he's sitting in the third row of the ECW arena. He got to experience a real wrestling revolution live. His eyes saw it, his ears heard it... being a fan all his life. Knowing what worked and what didn't work."
A new episode of Sean Waltman's Pro Wrestling 4 Life drops every Wednesday morning on all major podcast platforms. It is also released in video form on FITE and YouTube.com/XPac Thursdays at 3 pm EST!