Although the online discourse between wrestling fans regarding WWE and AEW can often become heated, most of the actual performers seem to feel the “tribalism” in pro wrestling is unnecessary. Additionally, rather than proclaiming one company as superior to the other, some feel that the two brands are trying to appeal to different audiences. Speaking on “AEW Unrestricted,” AEW’s Mansoor compared the stylistic differences to a pair of popular Hollywood directors.

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“If WWE is like a Michael Bay movie, I see AEW as like a David Lynch movie, you know what I mean?” Mansoor said.

While Bay is famous for bombastic action movies like “Transformers” and “Bad Boys,” Lynch is known for artsier films such as “Blue Velvet” and “Mulholland Drive.” Mainstream Hollywood blockbusters like those made by Bay usually deliver crowd-pleasing action sequences and digestible narratives, while Lynch is more focused on building atmosphere rather than laying out an easily-followed plot.

Elaborating on his point, Mansoor stated that he and his MxM tag team partner Mason Madden have enjoyed the level of creative freedom within AEW. Though they still work with the company’s creative team, being able to utilize their own ideas has resulted in Mansoor feeling like the duo is currently putting in their best work.

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After departing WWE in 2023, MxM began working with AEW in July and have since made at least one appearance on all of the promotion’s major series. Earlier this month, the duo took part in the Casino Gauntlet tag match on the September 11 episode of “AEW Dynamite,” which saw Will Ospreay and Kyle Fletcher win to become new number-one contenders for the AEW World Tag Team Championship.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “AEW Unrestricted” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.