Can AEW Beat WWE in the Race to Capture the Asian Market in 2021?

WWE has been the dominant force in the wrestling industry ever since the downfall of WCW 20 years ago. The company reigns Supreme as the majority viewership puller in the business and has been known to employ some of the best wrestlers in the world. 

WWE enjoyed this reign of iron until a new rival entered the picture. All Elite Wrestling has been the persistent thorn in the side of Vince McMahon as the promotion has now risen above NXT, beating the show in ratings multiple times in a row. 

Already seemingly having the upper hand in the Wednesday Night Wars, Tony Khan seeks to spread the popularity of his products to a different battleground. 

WWE’s core audience is in the USA. AEW plans on spreading its influence to the UK and Asia. The promotion has decided to win over the loyalties of the English fans by hosting PPVs there, something that WWE has not done since SummerSlam 1992. 

AEW plans on tapping into the Indian wrestling fanbase

However, the focus here is on the Asian territories that can really be a threat to WWE. The massive Indian audience remains loyal to WWE. The immense fan following behind mainstream WWE figures like The Undertaker, John Cena, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns, and Sasha Banks makes the Indian crowd a pro-WWE fanbase. 

The company in return reconfirms its presence in India by hosting Superstar Spectacle in the country. The special PPV will feature WWE’s Indian wrestlers competing against each other which will please the fans. 

AEW believes it can win over some of the fanbases by bringing in its product to the shores of the Indian subcontinent. If AEW has a live show with its big stars like Chris Jericho, Cody Rhodes, and Kenny Omega, it will surely gain the approval of some of the fans. 

NJPW and AEW’s close partnership halts WWE’s advance in Japan

WWE has tried to spread its influence in the major Japanese market but falls short of NJPW, which retains the dominance over its fans. However, AEW will have better luck at it since the Japanese audience know and love the faces of AEW like Chris Jericho and Kenny Omega, both of who have featured in major NJPW matches. 

The contract of AEW allows inter-promotional wrestling and the promotion has also managed to form great partnerships with NJPW. For this reason, collaborations between the two companies are more likely. AEW will have a lot of success in the Japanese market for this reason. 

If Tony Khan plays his cards right, AEW can even persuade the Indian market to change loyalties. As the product grows popular, a lot of fans look up to AEW and its work. Needless to say, they probably weren’t disappointed with what they saw.