Dave Meltzer recently shared his perspective on the shifting narrative surrounding the perceived rivalry between WWE and AEW, noting how quickly public sentiment can change within the wrestling industry.

Speaking about the ongoing discussion around a so called “wrestling war,” Meltzer pointed out that the tone of the conversation has evolved significantly compared to a year ago. At that time, he said many critics were openly predicting that AEW’s momentum had stalled beyond repair.

“It’s always about a wrestling war, right? And like a year ago in wrestling when they were talking like that, I mean, All Elite Wrestling was just momentum wise they had terrible momentum. Even when they put on good stuff, the momentum was so bad and everybody was talking down about them. It just became this thing of like they’re dying, they’re dying, they’re dying.”

According to Meltzer, that same criticism has largely faded in recent months as the narrative around AEW has shifted.

“And now, right now, it’s like all those people are very quiet. All those people that were hounding me about how they were going to die and all this it’s like they’re very quiet. Other than the ones who want to do the ‘oh, the Paramount Global thing now, they’re going to get cancelled because TKO Group Holdings will make them get cancelled.’ They don’t even get it.”

Meltzer stressed that wrestling history has repeatedly shown how quickly fortunes can turn, referencing past industry battles as a reminder that dominance in the moment does not always last forever.

“But that’s the difference. And again, that’s another story. In 2027 everything can be different, and probably will be. But right now, you think you got them like what Eric Bischoff had in 1997. They’re in the dust. They’re not even competition anymore. We won the war. And then all of a sudden, you didn’t win the war.”

He added that while one side may currently hold a clear lead, the broader landscape is constantly shifting and the gap between companies can change faster than many expect.

“And I think in this one, they’re way, way ahead, but the gap is closing. Even though they’re still way ahead, the other guys are coming up. And all the little tricks when they started coming up, or even before they started coming up to try to put them in the dust, like putting those head to head shows, every time it backfired. AEW did a good number, and they always did a lower than usual number every single time.”

Meltzer concluded by noting that moments like those can influence the overall perception of the industry as a whole.

“All of a sudden, it’s like the big picture those things weigh into it.”