Wednesday saw the final episode of “AEW Dynamite” before “Revolution,” but according to Wrestlenomics, Tony Khan’s promotion didn’t set the bar high heading into the pay-per-view weekend. Viewership data shows a steady decline in viewership and ratings for “Dynamite,” even with Nielsen’s recent methodological overhaul.
Per Wrestlenomics, with data from Programming Insider, the March 11 episode of “Dynamite” garnered 619,000 viewers, with a 0.09 in the key P18-49 demo. “Dynamite” tied with the World Baseball Classic’s Venezuela/Mexico game for the 15th most-watched cable program in the key demo that night.
These numbers are concerning across the board, but are most troubling in the key demo. While “Dynamite” saw a 5% decrease in overall viewership compared to the previous March 3 episode and a 4% decrease in viewership over the past four weeks, the program’s key demo rating was 25% lower compared to March 3 and the past four weeks of “Dynamite” broadcasts. “Dynamite” key demo ratings are down by 41% from 2025 Q1, and have decreased by 38% compared to March 2025.
The live audience is essential to nearly every professional wrestling promotion, but unfortunately, the March 11 episode of “Dynamite” floundered in the physical ticket sales as well. Wrestlenomics, with data from WrestleTix, reported that AEW sold approximately 2,402 tickets during their Wednesday stop in San Jose. This is lower than their current-year Q1 average of 3,100 tickets per show, and even lower than their 2025 Q1 average, which only saw an average of 2,700 tickets sold per show.
Wednesday’s episode of “Dynamite” was just as action-packed as its predecessors, despite the lower viewership numbers. The show saw both a TBS Championship and TNT Championship defense from titleholders Willow Nightingale and Kyle Fletcher, while MJF and “Hangman” Adam Page’s pre-Revolution press conference closed the show with a main-event brawl.
Unlike many pro wrestlers, “WWE NXT” star Tatum Paxley didn’t grow up as a fan of the business. Thanks to a nudge from someone connected to the industry, though, Paxley eventually opened her eyes to it and found herself deeply immersed.
During an interview with “Going Ringside,” Paxley cited former WWE Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss as the main focus of her wrestling fandom, particularly due to former “Goddess'” storytelling abilities. Beyond that, Paxley seemed to feel personally connected to Bliss’ on-screen character at the time.
“When you look at her and you see the craziness that she can bring to the ring, she can tell a story so much with her face and her eyes. To me, she just stood out,” Paxley said. “She’s what helped me realize that there are more to pro wrestling than just what you see in the ring. She’s the one that made me realize there is story, there’s something to connect with. There’s something to really draw you into pro wrestling. She’s what did that for me.
“I think everyone that falls in love with pro wrestling, they’re falling in love with our stories and what we’re going through. She was that for me. Even me just YouTubing her, just seeing little short clips of her, she could tell that story in that short time for me. I just think she’s so incredible and so talented.”
Mesmerized by Bliss’ work in WWE, Paxley later decided to pursue professional wrestling herself, beginning with a WWE tryout in the summer of 2021. Four years later, Paxley stood opposite Bliss in a WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match on “NXT,” with Bliss and her partner Charlotte Flair emerging victorious.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Going Ringside” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
It is hard to imagine a universe where Rhodes is not now a three-time WWE Champion, having been the one to beat Roman Reigns, John Cena, and Brock Lesnar throughout his run and clearly looked at like the top guy; he is heading into his fourth WrestleMania main event in a row, winning titles on TV to cement that as the case. He is about as Hulk Hogan as one could get in 2026.
But that would also undermine how shocking his move from AEW to WWE originally was. For much of the time he had been presented much in the same way Paul “Triple H” Levesque had been for WWE, speaking as a suit in media calls and leading the company seemingly be example.
It does often beg the question whether becoming AEW World Champion and stripping away that one significant constraint would have changed what transpired with his career as time went on.
Does a proven main eventer/face of the company in Rhodes choose to leave AEW in 2022 like he did in real life? Maybe not. It’s not as though it will ever be known either way, and likewise the argument could be made that him winning the World title and leaving anyway might have at the detriment of the company. But that in itself is the nature of considering what could have been.
The decision to rule Rhodes out of AEW’s main event picture is one that may well have spelled the end of his run with the company he co-founded.
And if there had been that decision made to make him the top guy instead, perhaps both AEW and WWE’s main event pictures look a lot more different.
Eric Bischoff believes Brian James could be exactly what Tony Khan and All Elite Wrestling need following James’ recent departure from WWE.
The WWE Hall of Fame member, widely known to fans as Road Dogg, parted ways with WWE earlier this month after spending more than a decade working behind the scenes as a writer and producer. During a recent episode of the 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff discussed the situation and suggested that AEW should strongly consider bringing him into the company’s creative structure.
According to Bischoff, Road Dogg’s experience in wrestling storytelling could help address several areas where he believes AEW’s creative process has struggled.
“I think if he’s got desire to remain in creative, personally, I would love to see him sit down with Tony Khan, because he’s exactly what Tony Khan needs.”
Bischoff also noted that if AEW is looking to strengthen its creative direction, adding someone with Road Dogg’s background could be beneficial.
“If I’m AEW, and I’m maybe hanging on by a thread, the first guy I would go to is someone like Road Dogg because he can help.”
He specifically pointed to what he sees as weaknesses in AEW’s storytelling approach and said that James’ experience could help improve those areas.
“He can help specifically with the weaknesses and the flaws in the AEW approach.”
At the same time, Bischoff acknowledged that a potential partnership between James and AEW leadership might not be easy due to personality differences.
If AEW ultimately chooses not to pursue James, Bischoff suggested that TNA Wrestling could be another logical destination. The promotion, which continues working to strengthen its position with its television partner, could benefit from adding an experienced creative voice.
“That’s probably the most obvious, most likely place they would land, because of their need and his skillset.”
Bischoff also emphasized the importance of chemistry within a wrestling creative team, explaining that a strong working environment is often key to producing successful television.
He added that Road Dogg may have found it difficult to adapt to WWE’s modern structure, which he believes has become far more corporate than it was in previous eras.
“He’s a good guy, but he’s old school.”
Bischoff went on to explain that during the era when Vince McMahon ran WWE, the company operated under a much different creative culture.
“From the outside looking in, WWE has become so corporate that a guy like Road Dogg, who’s not a corporate guy, he’s a square peg that’s being forced into this round corporate hole.”
Because of that shift, Bischoff believes James may ultimately find more success in a wrestling promotion with a less corporate creative environment.
“In that corporate, sanitized, ultra-corporate environment, a guy like Road Dogg is going to struggle.”
Eric Bischoff Suggests AEW Should Consider Hiring Road Dogg After WWE Exit
Charles Wright portrayed several characters during his WWE career, including Sir Charles, Papa Shango, Kama Mustafa, and eventually The Godfather. While each role had its place in WWE history, Wright says his time as The Godfather was the most meaningful period of his career.
During a recent interview with Rewind Recap Relive, Wright explained that he was deeply connected to the character and was having the most fun of his career portraying The Godfather on WWE programming.
“I was a mark for the Godfather. The Godfather was me. So, I was my biggest mark. So when they took the Godfather away… Believe me, Vince fought for me till the end, but things were changing… they put me in the Right to Censor.”
Wright admitted that once the character was removed, he considered leaving the company. Financially, he said he was in a comfortable position thanks to outside business ventures, including a Las Vegas strip club he co-owned.
“Vince told me, I’m like, ‘Well, finish me up.’ He’s like, ‘Charles, wait a minute.’ I’m like, ‘Vince, come on, bro. At this point in my life, financially, I’m cool. I have other things. I had a strip club in Vegas called Cheetah. I was one of the owners of that. I’ve always had that. So, it wasn’t about the money at that point. I wanted to go out as the Godfather.”
Instead of letting him leave, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon convinced Wright to stay a little longer and placed him in the Right to Censor faction. Wright eventually teamed with Bull Buchanan and even captured the WWE Tag Team Championship.
“So, I finished up and did some stuff with him. Vince, being the Joker that he was, dropped the tag team belts on me and Bull [Buchanan]. We beat the Hardy Boyz, and that kept me there even longer. I said, ‘As soon as we drop these belts, I’m gone.’ At that point, wrestling was fun for me. I was having such a good time as the Godfather that I didn’t want to do it anymore.”
Wright wrestled his final WWE match in 2002 on Velocity before stepping away from full-time competition. Despite that, he revealed that WWE has continued to reach out to him over the years.
“Dude, they never let me go. I’m not trying to blow steam up my own ass, but I’m just telling you, they never let me go. I never asked to come back. They would always call me.”
He explained that he often turned down potential storylines because he did not want to return to the demanding travel schedule wrestlers once maintained.
“They would call me with angles, and I’m like, ‘I’m not doing that.’ But mind you, financially, I had money coming in. So it was easy for me to say no. I’m like, ‘No, I’m not going on the road. I’m not getting hit over the head with chairs and tables.’ Back then, man, you were wrestling 300 days a year. It’s not like it is now.”
During the interview, Wright also spoke about his long friendship with The Undertaker, revealing that they first met in 1987.
“I met him in 1987. Right away, we became really good friends, and we’ve been friends ever since.”
He joked that his win-loss record against The Undertaker was not impressive, noting that he only managed to defeat him once in a handicap match.
“I don’t have a good record against The Undertaker. There are a lot of characters. But I tell people I’ve been put in caskets as Papa Shango [and] Kama. I’ve been beaten up as Godfather [and] Kama Mustafa. I’ve wrestled that man under five or six different gimmicks, and I beat him one time in a handicap match.”
Wright also recalled how that victory came together.
“I came back to be Papa Shango. They made me Kama Mustafa. Just as soon as I get to TV, they’re like, ‘Hey, change of plans.’ Me and Ron Simmons had a match. That’s the first time I met Ron Simmons, who’s a great friend of mine now. They say, ‘You and Ron Simmons are going to wrestle Undertaker, and you’re going to go over with a finish.’ I’m like, ‘What?’ That’s how that happened.”
