While WWE has said on countless occasions that they don't perceive AEW as "competition," the company sure does go out of its way to try and cause problems for the newer promotion. We've heard reports about them attempting to interfere with sponsors and television networks, while Vince McMahon's comments that AEW deals in "blood and guts" is still widely discussed by fans.
Recently, The Toronto Star ran a piece about the way AEW is nipping at WWE's heels (don't forget which company won the Wednesday Night War), and the Vince McMahon-owned sports entertainment giant took aim at that recent AEW Rampage match featuring Penelope Ford and The Bunny taking on Tay Conti and Anna Jay.
"If you look at the gory self-mutilation that bloodied several women in the December 31 event on TNT, it quickly becomes clear that these are very different businesses. We had an edgier product in the `Attitude’ era and in a 2022 world, we don’t believe that type of dangerous and brutal display is appealing to network partners, sponsors, venues, children, or the general public as a whole."
Won't somebody think of the children?!
This is a little pathetic on WWE's part, but comically echoes comments Vince made regarding WCW way back in 1996. Blading (the process of cutting oneself open to bleed) does happen in WWE, albeit rarely, so it feels a lot like stones are being thrown in glass houses with these particular comments.