In what can only be described as “classic WWE,” the company has revived Saturday Night’s Main Event for 2025, but their scheduling has fans raising eyebrows and clutching their replica belts. Following its December 2024 resurrection, WWE is set to produce four NBC specials this year, with one conveniently airing on July 12—right on top of AEW’s All In Texas at Globe Life Field. Call it counter-programming or just a happy little coincidence (wink, wink), but the timing feels as subtle as a Vince McMahon strut.

Counter-Program Mania Returns
WWE is no stranger to stealing AEW’s thunder with the grace of a chair shot to the back. Back in 2019, they streamed an EVOLVE event on the WWE Network during AEW’s charity-driven Fight for the Fallen. They followed that up by running NXT UK TakeOver: Cardiff the same day as AEW’s inaugural All Out—albeit at an earlier time, presumably to let fans catch both shows… or get thoroughly confused.

Fast forward to December 2024, and WWE escalated the drama by running a house show in the same city as AEW’s Worlds End pay-per-view. Now, for 2025, WWE is plotting to run Saturday Night’s Main Event specials that may just crash AEW’s two tentpole events, Double or Nothing (Memorial Day weekend, May 24) and All In Texas (July 12). It’s almost like WWE’s programming team has Tony Khan’s Google Calendar bookmarked.

“We Don’t See Competition, Honest!”
Triple H and others in WWE have famously claimed that AEW isn’t competition. Yet their scheduling feels like the wrestling equivalent of showing up to someone else’s party and setting off your own fireworks display. Sure, fans get more wrestling, but it’s clear WWE loves a little friendly (read: aggressive) one-upmanship. Perhaps they’re hoping fans will flip between channels like they’re back in the Monday Night Wars—or maybe they just love stirring the pot. Either way, the salt is real.

With Saturday Night’s Main Event aiming for prime-time glory and AEW continuing its tradition of blockbuster shows, wrestling fans will be spoiled for choice… or stuck deciding which show to watch live and which to catch on replay. Either way, one thing is certain: the real winners here are the fans—and popcorn manufacturers.

By Joseph Gallery

I like ice cream, taking a back seat, wondering who I am, and pretending kayfabe is real. May or may not be the Real Dark Brandon. For the LOLZ. MALARKEY!

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