Tommy Dreamer Shares What He'd Do Differently If Running AEW

Although AEW does not have many advantages over WWE, one that they do have is the usage of blood and matches with higher levels of violence to differentiate themselves. Difference comes with consequences as AEW has been criticized for spots fans considered too far such as the chair shot to Jack Perry's head in this year's Blood and Guts match, and Nick Gage using a pizza cutter on "AEW Dynamite" in 2021.  

"Busted Open" host and ECW alumnus Tommy Dreamer, who also serves as the head of creative for TNA Wrestling and is no stranger to violence in pro wrestling, is all for AEW using blood and violence, stating that he would do it too if he were AEW.

"If the network is fine with, the network is fine with it. If TBS, they're okay with it, that's cool. I like it for the fact of your competition isn't doing it. If I'm AEW I have to do everything different," Dreamer advised.

AEW earned a reputation early to some for being violent. Vince McMahon referred to AEW as "blood and guts" in 2019, which was an indication that AEW wanted to be different than WWE. Dreamer recalled ECW creative head Paul Heyman being wise to WWE becoming more hardcore-based in the late '90s to capitalize on the popularity of ECW. But to stay fresh and different, he changed the style of wrestling on ECW.

"Once the Attitude Era hits and they're doing our stuff, we go to wrestling or we went to Lucha [Libre]. We go to all different stuff when people started doing our stuff, and I'm not talking about having gore and blood fest. But, hey, if occasionally when blood happens, blood happens," Dreamer continued. "Don't worry about others, stay in your lane, yes, watch what the trends are doing, you can add to it, or you can put your own flavor and spin on it, and that will continue your success."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Busted Open" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.