During a recent appearance on “The Ariel Helwani Show”, former WWE creative team writer Freddie Prinze Jr. commented on the differences between WWE and AEW, WWE being “clearly overwritten”, and more. You can check out some highlights from the podcast below:
Prinze on the AEW vs. WWE products: “I think for the first time, you can make an argument that AEW is closer to balance than WWE is. I don’t know if you win that argument.”
Prinze on WWE being “clearly overwritten”: “WWE is clearly overwritten and the hands are on and the grip is tight, right? AEW is, you could say underwritten and the grip is there to catch you if you fall. It’s a very loose, comforting grip, right? I think the best wrestling is somewhere in the middle.”
His thoughts on the problems some wrestlers have with scripted promos: “There’s some wrestlers where, no matter how cool I think it looks on paper. Once it comes out of their mouth it’s not theirs. It’s just not theirs and they can’t say it. So I literally would have to teach them how to write and then how to act what they wrote.”
On AEW having a better product and servicing the fans better: “Currently, I think AEW is doing a better product and servicing the fans better. The majority of fans, better than WWE is, and I include NXT in that. If NXT was still the way it was, then I would say WWE is still servicing the mainstream and the hardcore and the kids in a better fashion. Simply because they had more variety.”
His thoughts on AEW promos: “I like the fact that the people who can talk, talk. It’s so nice to hear CM Punk say a promo that wasn’t written. Even in WWE, he got to freestyle a lot, but there were certain moments that he had to hit. Especially when he was in there with someone like Vince, otherwise it’s going to be a problem. I just think they got some people trying to do things in an old-school way. But with some new school ideas and philosophies as far as how a match should go.”
