FITE COO Mike Weber Explains How AEW Has Helped Independent Wrestling

A rising tide lifts all boats, and the arrival of All Elite Wrestling in 2019 has only helped elevate the independent wrestling scene given its tight connections with other promotions. That's according to FITE TV COO Mike Weber, who said during a recent appearance on the "POST Wrestling" podcast that AEW's interweaving connections with a handful of prominent independent promotions around the world has allowed them room to grow as well.

"I think independent wrestling is growing," Weber said while discussing the independent circuit's rise in popularity. "And frankly, I think AEW has probably helped independent wrestling, because so many of their top stars, they almost encourage them, or they do encourage them to do other shows on the weekend, especially some of the younger guys so they can get more ring time."

Unlike its rival promotion WWE, AEW frequently allows its wrestlers to make appearances with other promotions while representing the brand. Stars like Jon Moxley, Kenny Omega, and Chris Jericho have all held World titles with other promotions –- such as GCW, Impact Wrestling, and ROH respectively –- while under contract with AEW. At the same time, AEW owner Tony Khan has recruited some of the top wrestlers in the world outside of AEW to make appearances at its pay-per-views or weekly "AEW Dynamite" and "AEW Rampage" programs, such as NJPW's Jay White, Will Ospreay and, most recently, Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide star El Hijo del Vikingo.

Weber said independent promotions have also benefited from the rise of digital streaming and the internet, in recent years, which has allowed more fans to discover their events and matches. "There is streaming and people can find it, easier than tape trading and so forth like it was back in the day," Weber said.