It’s pretty incredible to think that AEW is still building momentum (pal) despite the fact that their first three World Champions now aren’t really a factor in the main event scene anymore. Jericho doesn’t even seem capable of wrestling a one-on-one match anymore, Moxley is in rehab, and Omega is on the shelf with injuries.
That got me thinking…. Even with the mantra that the logo is bigger than any one superstar, how big of a hit would WWE take if a few of their last champions (some combination of Reigns, Lashley, McIntyre, Big E) were suddenly gone like that? Especially Reigns, since SmackDown has been built entirely around him and him alone for well over a year now. Does viewership start dipping below pandemic levels or are they pretty much going to stay where they’re at regardless of who’s getting championship opportunities and putting smiles on faces?
I think we're mostly at whatever the bottom level is right now as far as viewership goes. But they can always go lower, I suppose.