WWE Figures Didn’t Want Women’s Wrestling To Be Like “Horrible” AEW Match

Not everyone within WWE was impressed by a famous AEW match.

On March 17th, 2021 Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa battled in a Lights Out Match, which became the first women’s match to main event Dynamite. The bloody chaos was widely praised by a huge section of fans, but not everyone was impressed.

Interestingly, while speaking during a panel at SXSW, Bryan Danielson revealed not everyone in WWE was impressed with the match. The American Dragon was still with WWE at the time, and claimed some backstage described the action as “horrible” and something they shouldn’t allow.

“There was a ton of hoopla backstage in WWE when Britt wrestled Thunder Rosa and it was bloody. There were a bunch of people backstage saying, ‘Women’s wrestling should not be like that. This is horrible. We would never do that.’

Except, if you’re talking about equal rights, letting women go out there and do things that men do. That kind of match took Britt and women’s wrestling and AEW to the next level. You’d watch it and be like, ‘These women are stars.’”

WWE Bosses Wanted An Inside Track On AEW

During the same appearance, Bryan Danielson revealed Vince McMahon asked him about AEW, and what the company was doing that he wasn’t.

After being questioned, Danielson recalled watching several weeks of AEW television in order to report back.

The exchange came while Danielson was working as part of WWE creative, before he eventually signed with AEW in September 2021.

H/t to Fightful