Ex-WWE World Champion Blasts AEW “Circle Jerk”

A former WWE star doesn’t think AEW’s creative team is earning their money.

AEW’s creative team has regularly come under fire since the company debuted with some fans claiming the promotion pays too much attention to good matches instead of interesting storylines.

This chatter has only gathered pace in 2024 with the company struggling with attendance for TV tapings as well as ratings. However, it’s not all doom and gloom with AEW netting a massive new media rights deal with Warner Bros Discovery.

Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry suggested the atmosphere backstage and in creative meetings isn’t conducive to creating good television. The former World Champion branded AEW Creative a “circle jerk.”

“[Creative] is supposed to be an argument. It’s supposed to be a shake-up to figure out what the f*** to do next,” Henry said. “[But] everybody want to circle jerk over [in AEW]. And you can’t do that. You gotta disagree. Me and Bully [Ray] -for years- we disagreed, but…We knew what we were fussing at was the greater good of the match and of the show.”

Henry said AEW is struggling without a clear authoritative voice leading the way.

“There’s a reason that [NFL coach Bill] Belichick is Belichick,” Henry explained. “There’s a reason that John Wooden is John Wooden, that Pat Patterson was Pat Patterson, that Dusty Rhodes was Dusty Rhodes. Bow down to their greatness and let them lead you.”

Mark Henry Unimpressed By AEW Star

On a different edition of the show, Mark Henry was highly critical of AEW’s use of Kazuchika Okada. Henry said Okada shouldn’t be used in as many comedy segments when he’s so good in the ring.

The WWE Hall of Famer said Okada should be allowed to “go to work” rather than appearing to say “b*tch” to pop the crowd. The former NJPW star recently spent almost six weeks out of the ring, but that was in large part due to the birth of his second child with wife Suzuko Mimori.

Okada returned to action on November 30th, kicking off his Continental Classic campaign with a time-limit draw against Daniel Garcia.

H/t to Wrestling Inc