When wrestling insiders talk about digital dominance, WWE typically owns the conversation. But something extraordinary happened during Memorial Day weekend that has even the most seasoned observers raising their eyebrows—AEW just scored their biggest online victory in nearly two years.
The Numbers That Stunned Wrestling’s Top Reporter
Dave Meltzer dropped a bombshell revelation on the May 29 Wrestling Observer Radio that caught everyone off guard. AEW Double or Nothing 2025 didn’t just compete with WWE’s offerings—it actually outperformed them in online search interest.
The Wrestling Observer Newsletter founder seemed genuinely surprised by his own findings. According to Meltzer’s research, Tony Khan’s promotion managed to edge out both WWE Backlash and Saturday Night’s Main Event in digital engagement metrics.
“In this last month, Double or Nothing, which was the high point for AEW obviously, actually was ahead of the WWE Backlash show, which shocked me… and it also beat out Saturday Night’s Main Event the night before. Not by a great margin for either one—it was like 11%, 12%—but still.”
A Rare Victory in the Digital Wrestling Wars
While an 11-12% margin might appear modest, context makes this achievement remarkable. AEW hasn’t topped WWE in online search activity since their historic first Wembley Stadium show in August 2023—a gap of nearly two years.
That previous victory came during All In London, when AEW made wrestling history by selling out Wembley. Meltzer emphasized just how significant that earlier triumph was for comparison purposes.
“I went back, and the last time that there was a month where both companies had a major show in the same month and AEW was ahead was August 2023, which was the first Wembley show—which did beat WWE’s stuff. But that first Wembley show was a gigantic, gigantic show.”
Wrestling’s Most Competitive Weekend
Memorial Day weekend 2025 presented wrestling fans with an embarrassment of riches. Three major promotions delivered premium content simultaneously, creating a perfect testing ground for audience interest.
AEW Double or Nothing faced direct competition from WWE Backlash and an NXT special event. In this three-way digital battle, the Jacksonville-based promotion emerged victorious—a result that surprised even veteran observers.
“There were three shows, including the NXT show, and AEW’s show did have the most interest of the three, which surprised me.”
What This Victory Actually Means
Meltzer was careful to provide proper context for these findings. While AEW’s Double or Nothing success represents a significant milestone, it doesn’t signal a fundamental shift in wrestling’s digital landscape.
The longtime wrestling journalist stressed that this singular victory shouldn’t be interpreted as AEW closing the overall gap with WWE’s massive digital presence. Instead, it represents a moment where everything aligned perfectly for Tony Khan’s company.
“I don’t want to say the gap’s closing because that’s probably not a fair thing to say at all, but AEW had a lot of interest over the weekend.”
Breaking Through WWE’s Marketing Machine
For AEW, competing against WWE’s promotional juggernaut remains an uphill battle. The sports entertainment giant possesses decades of brand recognition, mainstream partnerships, and marketing resources that dwarf most competitors.
This makes AEW’s Double or Nothing achievement even more impressive. Breaking through that noise requires exceptional content, strategic booking, and perhaps most importantly, genuine fan excitement that translates into organic online engagement.
The fact that wrestling’s most respected journalist found these results shocking speaks volumes about how unexpected this digital victory truly was. In an industry where WWE typically dominates every measurable metric, AEW just proved that lightning can still strike twice—even if it takes nearly two years between bolts. Will this Memorial Day weekend moment spark more consistent digital competition, or was Double or Nothing 2025 simply a perfect storm that AEW might struggle to recreate?
