AEW has been struggling with maintaining a stable viewership for quite some time. This year has been a hit and a miss. While they did see some boost as Mercedes Mone made her debut, AEW also marked its lowest viewership in history back in February. But what’s causing this major decline? Is it the booking or the quality of the matches? Well, legendary manager Dutch Mantell did give us an answer by setting the Rock and Roman Reigns as perfect examples.

Why does the WWE manage to beat All Elite Wrestling?

All Elite Wrestling is often called the spiritual successor of WCW. But it seems like they’ve missed a lesson. And that is establishing a top face of the company. In the WWE there has always been a face. However, AEW doesn’t have the face of the company yet. And that’s the problem that Dutch Mantell pointed out in his podcast on YouTube. “Well, in a nutshell, nobody in AEW looks like a star. Nobody. And you could name the stars in WWE”.

“You know who the stars are. It’s Cody right now. And of course, when he comes back it will be the Rock. Of course, the Rock’s in a universe all by himself. Roman Reigns, he’s in a universe by himself now. They’re gone right now and they’re still kicking AEW’s butt.”

It seems like Tony Khan’s approach toward pushing everyone equally has become the reason behind the downfall in ratings. Whether it be Chris Jericho, Samoa Joe, Swerve Strickland, or Malakai Black, they all seem to be on the same podium. But Black may step off the podium soon, as his contract is set to expire.

So what’s next for the leader of the House of Black? Will we see him return to the WWE and maybe establish himself there as the new face of the company?

Update on Malakai Black’s contract with AEW

In recent years, Malakai Black’s contract with AEW has been discussed on several occasions, especially after he requested his release and it was denied by the company. However, it was never clear how much time was left on Black’s contract or when it would come to an end.

In a recent Q&A, Fightful’s Sean Ross Sapp revealed new details about Malakai Black’s contract status with AEW. He revealed that his contract was close to coming to an end. However, AEW has an option to automatically extend it for an indeterminate amount of time. And the company is expected to exercise this option.

The reason why Malakai Black’s contract can be automatically extended is not entirely clear. There is a belief that there is a clause that would allow the contract to be automatically extended for two more years. However, it could also be an extension because of the amount of time he has been sidelined due to injuries. We’ll see if this situation becomes clearer in the coming months and at what point Black’s contract with AEW actually comes to an end.

What do you think? Should Black join the WWE when he finally gets his release? Let us know in the comments.