A WWE Hall of Famer has spoken about how they believe TNA Wrestling has a shot at overthrowing AEW as the number two wrestling promotion in the world.
WWE Hall of Famer D-Von Dudley believes TNA Wrestling has a real chance to reclaim its place as the world’s number two promotion, but says AEW’s internal structure could determine how that race plays out.
Speaking in a new interview with Pro Wrestling Culture, the WWE Hall of Famer was asked whether TNA could realistically overtake AEW in the current wrestling landscape. Dudley did not hesitate in his response.
“Absolutely, I think they can be number two,” he said.
Dudley stressed that his comments were not meant as an attack on AEW itself, but rather a critique of how the company is being run behind the scenes. He pointed to what he sees as a lack of strong internal opposition to Tony Khan’s decision-making.
“I’m not knocking AEW. I said this on my YouTube channel,” Dudley explained. “Tony Khan doesn’t have somebody in his face telling him yes and no to things that aren’t good and yes to things that are good. He’s got a lot of yes people in his company that tell him what he wants to hear, and you can’t do that.”
Drawing on his years in WWE, Dudley compared Khan’s situation to that of Vince McMahon, noting that while McMahon also had loyal supporters, he benefited from trusted voices who were willing to challenge him creatively.
“Vince McMahon had a lot of yes people, but he had real people in his life to help him, like Pat Patterson,” Dudley said. “If Pat didn’t like something, he would tell Vince. They had that kind of relationship. There were others like that too, but you still had a lot of yes people.”
Dudley believes the competition between AEW and TNA is far from settled and could hinge on whether AEW strengthens its creative structure.
“As far as I’m concerned, if Tony can get the help that he needs to run that company, create better stories, and put more emphasis on storylines, then it’s going to be a hard fight to decide who’s number two, TNA or AEW,” he said.
With TNA continuing to rebuild its profile and AEW facing increasing scrutiny over its creative direction, Dudley’s comments add to the growing debate over whether the wrestling industry’s pecking order could soon change again.
When Was D-Von Dudley Inducted Into The WWE Hall Of Fame?
D-Von Dudley was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018 as part of The Dudley Boyz, alongside longtime tag team partner Bubba Ray Dudley.
The legendary duo were honoured for their groundbreaking work in ECW, WWE, and across the global wrestling scene, where they became one of the most decorated and influential tag teams of all time, holding world tag team championships in multiple promotions.
