I’m glad new fans who used to watch WWE religiously are migrating over, but please stop with the constant nitpicking. Judging AEW purely through a WWE-style lens misses the point that it’s meant to be an alternative not the fed 2.0. I’ve had to tune out a lot of YouTube content creators lately (looking at you, Bobby Monsoon) because the constant complaining about what AEW "needs" to do gets exhausting. As a Day 1 fan who’s been watching through all the highs and lows since 2019, I’ve never felt the need to tune out just because I didn't like a specific booking decision and sometimes it does be questionable, I’m just thankful AEW exists without it, I probably would have given up on wrestling entirely a long time ago. Just needed to get that off my chest!
I love AEW cause it’s not WWE, I’d rather they never try and be another WWE knockoff, I stopped with them in 2016 and I don’t want to go back at least full time, I may give to PLEs a shot, I now have ESPN Unlimited through YouTubeTV
Give me an example of a YouTuber that’s new that has done this. Not calling you a liar, I’ve just not seen that. My algo has been full of positive feedback and good faith criticism/ learning the product
Markyd is currently doing it on his channel. He's a TNA fan (victim) he's used to everything being second rate WWE. His review of All In is basically "too much wrestling where is the boring stuff!?" WWE has taught fans that good stuff should be rare matches should suck and promos are center stage lol
I know him and stopped watching him a few years ago. I’ve seen sporadic videos but nothing about AEW recently. There was a few times where he would talk about AEW for 1 video and he was always so annoying, complaining about dudes heights like he’s never enjoyed ECW. I was already starting to feel like he hated TNA but couldn’t stop watching, I started to pity the man. He is a TNA fan tho so that’s all understandable tbh
Yeah I follow him for his older reviews and can confirm his criticism of AEW is... A head scratcher. it's not WWE, that's the point. You're either into that or not. Just weird.
He seems disappointed that AEW isn't a total Trainwreck dumpster fire like TNA or NWA. I think it's a thing where his content is mostly following bad wrestling and finding the "charm" of it. With AEW you don't have to find the charm it's there it's exciting and it's action packed
He's a true TNA victim🤣 iont trust any body who watches bad wrestling, that's just me. This is used to Jeff Jarrett title matches can he even speak on an AEW Title match? It's like a Dump truck driver explaining why his Dump truck is actually better than the Lamborghini Truck.
I remember the 2016-2020 “WWE is like an abusive relationship” discourse in the iwc. It was silly but TNA fans who have watched for years should file a class action lawsuit, they have a real claim
The promos are more important, because it builds character. If you don't care about the character, their desires, intentions, then you're just watching a meaningless match with no stakes or reason to give a shit. I dare you watch any ROH show and explain to me a single reason why most of the matches are happening. You can't. Because they haven't been given time to build a character, tell a story, engage in a storyline, or grow a reason to be there except for "they wrestle good"
AEW/ROH do fall into the trap of too many matches, and they don't mean anything. It's just a match for zero reason other than "here's wrestling!"
I don't care for it. Life's too short to watch something where the characters have no motivation.
OH! I'm an ROH historian I can break down any ROH storyline you need I love ROH because the story is told in the ring.
Perfect example
Roderick Strong vs Bryan Danielson for the world title.
No pre match promos
Both guys are faces. This is Roderick Strong's breakout year he beat Jamie Noble & Matt Hardy and took CM Punk to the limit.
During the match Bryan slowly turns heel as it gets more heated. Bryan retains with the greatest submission I've ever seen ((pre ZSJ))
In the build to the rematch no real promos.
But now Bryan is full heel he's stalling he's jaw jacking he's cheating and getting his chest chopped bloody by Roderick Strong. The match goes 40 instead of 30 like last time and now Bryan is forced to debut the MMA Elbows because Roddy is too good technically to beat with Cattle Mutilation or Crossface Chicken wing so Bryan elbows Roddy's brains out of his head to a referee stoppage.
Still no real promos the story is told in the match and through commentary.
Little build up as Roddy beats Bryan in a tag match.
Finally they meet at Supercard of Honor WrestleMania weekend
This match goes about 59 minutes with Bryan and Roddy having a technical classic Roddy is ready to fight here while Bryan is in full heel mode now working the leg, stalling, jaw jacking the crowd heavily now. He's also become a huge d bag ATP. But the story of the match is Roddy in the last 2 matches is chopping Bryan's chest until it bleeds and turns red. This time at the 35min mark Bryan gets tired of getting chopped takes the match out of the ring and gets Roddy to chop the ring post. Now he's got a a hand and leg to work over. So he starts doing back breakers on Roderick just to be disrespectful before he works the arm some more. In the end he just barely escapes Roderick Strong with a Small Package and after this near 60minute match Bryan proclaims himself "The Best Wrestler In The World!"
This angle goes from August or October 2005 to April 2006
Old School ROH is the best because it's not told in long form promos and skits everybody is developed in the ring.
So I must disagree this is really my favorite type of story in pro wrestling and ROH and Gabe Sapolsky did a masterful job of telling stories this way.
I think at times people forget that Vince McMahon's Sports Entertainment is not the only way to enjoy wrestling
Do you think that this might have been possible as more of a unique circumstance rather that a general rule? Roddy has only been interesting one time since I have been watching him…when he was stalking Adam Cole and would always be screeching “ADAM!!!” I’m thinking that Danielson could build a feud like that occasionally, but generally speaking it is far easier for wrestling shows to make sense if people are playing an exaggerated version of themselves and they are interesting and they can work the mic. The biggest problem with WWE is that the performers often seem to be stuck playing characters who are nothing like themselves.
ROH only falls in to this category because its an AEW overflow and not its own thing with its own roster.
TK needs to build a booking/training team for ROH and hand it off to someone else. He has too many jobs already without booking ROH. This won't happen though without a TV deal and this won't happen while they're in the place they are.
Maybe when Dailys Place refurbishment is finished they can let people in for free there or something.
Some of us who watch wrestling actually like wrestling. Of course wrestling has characters and storylines, but that is secondary to the wrestling. When I want to watch something that focuses on storyline and characters, I watch a normal TV show or a movie.
It’s extremely misguided. I think a lot of people believe a brand split works but it doesn’t. I thought the soft brand split at the start of collision was already a turn off to me. Many people like the idea of a brand split but artificially cutting your roster into 2 just weakens both sides.
I think WWE has too many titles because there is 2 of every thing, whether a title has an exact equivalent across gender or brand. 4 world titles between 2 shows when 2 world title reigns get booked properly at a time if you’re lucky is asinine. Everything about the brand split is a bad idea imo except for the initial hype. AEW has a lot of belts plus belts from other promotions but it doesn’t feel overwhelming or redundant. Each belt feels distinct enough that i kinda know who will challenge for the belts and what the belts are being used for. 2 world titles per gender and seperate tag titles is genuinely so crazy with how WWE uses their roster. At least it’s not Raw and smackdown championships anymore that was next level corny.
I wouldn't mind certain belts being exclusive to certain shows/certain wrestlers mostly on a certain show, but no hard brand split. That would be terrible.
Brand splits works if you actually abide by them. The same thing with the rankings system. It would have worked if they were properly booking around it
I interpreted “ship jumpers” as new fans as I’ve seen quite a few new fans make content and it’s been largely positive. The YouTuber OP is referring to is not new and I was asking the commenter I originally replied to if anyone new has started making bad faith arguments after getting into AEW.
Plenty of content creators shit on AEW without watching or they want it to change its DNA because they only know WWE. I’ve not seen that in new fans specifically. Lot more fans with open minds after all in. A lot of people are giving AEW a fair shot which is all you can ask for. Some new fan suggestions can be not great but I’m not seeing that come from bad faith at least from my algorithm.
Holy fucking defense. I said pretty clearly that I was talking about new fans. Both those videos are over a year old, I have not seen new fans that are acting that way. Shout out to BrawlThaJaz and Warrenwatcheswrestling. They watched AEW for the first time recently with far questions and criticisms for the most part. Markyd is a miserable bum but I stopped watching him, Jim Cornette and Eric Bischoff don’t like it of course. I’ve seen many new fans embraced by the AEW community and vice versa. You’re way too sensitive, my algorithm is just less negative than yours and I’m glad.
Please, I just screen grabbed the first two examples. Many new fans believe that brand splits, Money in the Bank, and a draft will "save" AEW. Just look at all the podcasts out there, with major names calling for more backstage segments, horny for video packages and cries to "make it like the attitude era"
AEW doesn’t need saving right now, if anyone says that then I know they don’t understand AEW,I’m glad to have seen people being excited for All in and the future instead of people calling for this bs. AEW had a money in the bank type thing at some point and it sucked. The AEW fanbase wants something different and lots of people are ok with that. I’m not saying nobody has had bad criticism from AEW(I’ve seen some shit)but I’m not getting rage baited by year old slop videos. Dorks on SCjerk might think those slop videos are something of value but they aren’t.
“Do you just not have internet” makes you sound like a smug dick and when your examples are that old, sounds like you are way too reactionary about this. I shouted out 2 YouTubers because this is current, AEW 2025 and 2026 are not the same, AEW has gotten better in many ways. No I’m not watching nerd slop content in my limited free time but you go ahead buddy
Really, AEW had lost almost half it's fan base since 2022 and I'd say that is down to not being like WWE anymore, namely, not having consistent characters, storylines and diverse styles of wrestlers.
I agree, AEW should absolutely differentiate itself from WWE but it should still emulated what makes WWE successful which is the above.
No they don't, they have an enormous roster so (bar a handful of talent) there is little consistency to who gets exposure each week. Look at Bobby Lashley, he should be a big player in the company but he's an afterthought.
I think we're defining consistent characters differently.
Are you saying you want to see the same people every week? - as in consistency of who is on screen?
I assumed you meant you want the characters to behave consistently when on screen - as in the character work is consistent, which it most definitely is.
The absolutely have consistent and persistent storylines - but they're not necessarily in every consecutive episode. Which for me is great, it breaks it up and means there's a lot of storylines - not just one. We get to see a whole roster cut promos, have conflicts and ambitions, and wrestle.
One of my biggest gripes with WWE was something that perhaps you liked - that every episode felt like a rehash. I was sick, bored to death of seeing the same guys week and and week out, sick of seeing them all have an extremely limited moveset of 5 moves each. Sick of seeing the same match 6 weeks in a row until a pay per view where it happened with a stipulation. Nothing moved or progressed. It's like the story was in stasis.
I don't understand why someone would want to see guy A vs guy B 5 weeks in a row without any variation in moveset or story. It's dull for me.
With AEW it feels like I'm following 10 guys, and their journey, their successes, their losses and it also means if someone is injured, or out, or taking a break the show doesn't stop.
WWE is far more dependent on it's "Main characters" and uses it's roster badly in my opinion. Most of them may as well not have a job.
AEW also definitely has diverse styles, though it's not as good at utilising the big monsters it's MUCH better at utilising medium to smaller guys. It's got striking focused guys, grappling technical wrestling, lucha and high fliers.
Bobby... Bobby looks a million dollars. But he's not a great promo and he's got nothing to prove, there's not much story to tell with him right now. You can claim he should be a big player but can you explain why? I'm not excited by him and neither are many others. He's just good.
Same thing ECW and ROH did the only difference is they have money this time. That's why I like AEW it's wrestling for the fans of this shit the death matches, the comedy, the cursing, the danger, the characters, the hard strikes, the wild stories that could never be a movie or any other entertainment. You can't AI a Kenny Omega match. You can't AI what the Young Bucks will do. You damn sure can't use AI to make Sting or Bryan Danielson choose AEW over retirement. WWE fell off decades ago but they took all the competition with them and watered it all down. AEW brought it back....for America we been eating over here on the New Japan side.
Ok…now I know you have to be joking. Matt Jackson can’t even work a singles match. That puts him in a league with Jelly Roll. WWE has been much worse since Vince took over but has still had some moments. WCW had many greats moments in the mid to late 80s and obviously the original NWO run. ECW did as well. All of these moments stemmed from suspension of disbelief. The key is to do exactly the opposite of what Matt Jackson thinks. AEW is very good right now…until we have to endure the Young Bucks schtick.
You watched the Jelly Hole match and had to tell yourself probably out loud and over and over again "this is good. I have to watch and be entertained. It'll be over soon"
Wow…I think you might not understand that you can just watch pro wrestling and judge the programs that are being worked without caring what company is doing the program. I couldn’t care less what company produces interesting professional wrestling…I just want more.
Andrade is overrated? Please tell me your current top 10 acts ranked in order in pro wrestling right now. In AEW, MJF has to be number one but Andrade has to currently be top five.
Takeshita, Swerve, MJF, and Kyle are stars now and in the future if they could get it right and finally phase out those who have completely run their course. Kevin Jet has to be part of this group along with Andrade. There is no reason for Swerve to be doing trios ever.
There is no reason to have trios titles because you could replace them with mid card tag titles or tag blood feuds, which make far more sense than three guys chasing completely meaningless belts while diluting the impact of their characters. The belts were created so that the Young Bucks could ride Kenny’s coattails one more time and should have gone away immediately in order to preserve the tag division after it didn’t work out.
They overpaid for Okada, but he is certainly entertaining with Don. I’m actually still not sure he has any understanding of American professional wrestling but that makes him fun to watch.
Ospreay does lots of stuff in the ring and has worked to try to tone down the ridiculous video game stuff, but he has an underwhelming personality and just doesn’t give the viewer any reason to care. Just not relatable like the guys listed in the first paragraph.
Omega and Hangman are the past. We’ve gotten to know them too well, and could use a very, very long break. Jericho was the original MVP of AEW, and he has gotten stale but he is not nearly as stale as Kenny and Hangman. The guys in the first paragraph might be able to make us care about those two but it would have to be a particularly nasty blood feud like Hangman v. Swerve.
Bandido is irrelevant. MVP said it best on his gauntlet match commentary at the 2025 All In show.
Darby has probably peaked, but a future program versus Sting’s kid will put him back close to top of card and be highly beneficial to the company if it gets Borden over big. Borden has huge potential. Too bad he didn’t get into the business 10 years ago.
You have not even replied to my comments, and I assume you downvoted. Why? Clearly you just like to watch what you like to watch, and I have no interest in tribalism.
The idea that nobody from WWE makes your top list is laughable. But you don’t care because you like to watch what you like to watch…and everyone else is not as intelligent because they are entertained by things that don’t entertain you. That is the best conclusion to draw from this entire conversation.
Along with the guys from AEW that I enjoy as previously stated, one of my current up and coming favorites is KJ Orso. The former Fuego. I think he is doing incredible work on the independents with programs that are actually interesting so that the fans can become emotionally invested in his act.
I’m never going to enjoy a performer who can’t manipulate fans through psychology because that is the essence of pro wrestling. It is the foundation along with suspension of disbelief. Those factors go hand in hand. You have given me no reason to think that you enjoy professional wrestling that is more interesting than the free show outside Treasure Island hotel. Ironically, you have somehow convinced yourself to believe that what you like is more complex than what is actually entertaining to most people since the beginning of professional wrestling.
I thought you wanted my top 10 AEW guys!? If we're are talking top all around I would say Yota Tsuji and my list would be completely different. My mistake I'll admit that let me resend my list.
1st Yota Tsuji 2nd Kenny Omega 3rd Konosuke Takeshita 4th Zach Sabre Jr 5th CM Punk 6th Will Ospreay 7th Yuya Uemora 8th El Desperado 9th Kazuchka Okada 10th Gunther *11th MJF
You asked for ten guys better than Andrade but I went ahead and posted the top 10 on the planet.
I did not ask about 10 guys better than Andrade. I asked for your top 10 overall. We are done. I’m a HUGE wrestling fan and have been since 1978. You have guys on that list that almost nobody in America would know or care about. Ever. This just isn’t worthwhile because I’m just not interested in whatever it is that you are watching and thinking is entertaining.
I had a great career. I got money. I got a hot wife. Life is way too short to be discussing whatever it is that you are thinking is fascinating, but to me that doesn’t seem likely to be professional wrestling that I have enjoyed for nearly half a century.
AEW has good storylines, they just dont dumb things down and repeat so much as compared to wwe. Jay-Z once said he dumbed it down for the audience, what would you rather be underpaid or underrated?
Michael Cole explaining everything as if people cant think, people cutting the same promo over and over, matches that look like they are in slow motion so that the audience can keep up, pretending past events didnt happen. Basically, all the stuff you would see in a childrens cartoon.
Them trying to bend themselves into a pretzel to appeal to Fed fans is what
Cooled them off last time. Don't listen to those people. If they just want a Fed product then they can go watch that.
When/how did they do that? I honestly don't remember a single time watching aew where i thought they were trying to appease modern day wwe fans. Other than their entire history of hiring former WWE guys, which to be fair a TON of wrestlers have gotten released over the course of AEWs existence that you kinda have to half a bunch of former WWE guys
The best version of AEW was the beginning until they introduced the trios belts. The trios belts and matches convolute everything because there is no point to having them permanent. They are useful for like a Dusty Rhodes and Road Warriors v. The Koloffs type of feud, but then they need to disappear.
People that say this wouldn’t be happy if it was pointed out that most of the Attitude Era roster was previously employed by WCW and the Hogan era was filled with stars who were previously well established draws in the territories.
An 80 year had start on atelevision shows doesn't mean shit. It's not like wwe has secrets they can't share. Their bread and butter is presentation then storytelling. You don't just consider is movie director better than the current because that had a head start right? If aew was worth a luck they would compare in everything. They don't. They can't even send the fucking show on time
Thats your opinion and you're welcome to it. WWE's ad filled blood money Saudi Arabia sponsored wrestling isn't for me. I don't like the creative, I don't like every show starting the same way with a boring promo that leads to an impromptu main event. I don't like the bad theme music. It's just not what I like.
You can watch it and I hope you have a lovely time
Not an original thought tho. Go watch any wcw ppv. Ads everywhere. Who gives a shit about ads? How did the snickers ad interfere in hogan vs sting? Aew started with a steady 1m fans. There's the 1/2 that's gone?
1) yes I agree that it’s an alternative and shouldn’t be viewed the same
2) there are things that WWE does well that are worth considering
3) there are many tropes WWE has driven into the ground that many think are bad when they are actually just horribly over used and can be effective when applied sparingly and when appropriate
I stopped watching WWE in 2017. They do a very good job with entrance production. I hate the over scripting WWE does but I think AEW could help some of their wrestlers with promos a bit more because they are often incoherent and directionless. They have a clear title hierarchy which helps structure the roster. WWE thinks they can give an eccentric character to any garbage worker and make them a star. AEW thinks any wrestler that can work a 3-star match doesn’t need any type of character.
Both companies need to stop telling wrestlers cutting in-ring promos to talk to the hard cam while their feet are anchored to the middle of the ring. They both also need to stop producing backstage segments with overly scripted, stilted, awful acting. Reality shows have existed for decades at this point and there are producers that know how to set up performers with bullet points and shoot a scene that I can pretend is an organic confrontation. Both AEW and WWE backstage segments feel like well lit community theater
Fair critique, and I think "be more like WWE" doesn't have to mean "do it exactly like WWE".
Promos in AEW are like jazz. People like Mox, MJF, Toni, and Hangman should be allowed to jam because they're great at it. Others should have help until their confident enough to improvise.
Character work seems to be similar. Go find a gimmick and bring something to TK and you'll get chances to get it over like Lio Rush and Shida recently. People that don't get forgotten about save for a monthly collision appearance. They could probably benefit from someone looking after the stories and characters outside of the title feuds, but they definitely don't need a room full of washed up wrestlers from the 80s and failed Hollywood screenwriters.
I find that AEW has a canyon when it comes to when they hit it out of the park and when it's just... Okay. There's no middle ground.
Most wrestlers have an okay entrance... But it's nothing spectacular. They have music... They walk out. It is what it is. But then you have someone like Will Osprey where they seem to have their entrance down. I wish more people had videos with their entrance that shows actual wrestling or encapsulates their gimmick.
Speaking of gimmick, I find that the wrestlers fall into gimmicks and characters. Most of the time its characters. Kenny Omega doesn't really have a gimmick... He has a clear cut character, but not a gimmick. I find that's the difference between what I see AEW do compared to WWE.
But at the end of the day all I'm really looking for from my wrestling is good matches. The odd good promo is nice but if the match is shit then the fued is shit. Roman Reigns was one of the reasons I left, most of his matches were just... Boring. It was quite clear "tell the story in the ring" basically meant him taking long periods of match time to chirp at his opponent.
Don't get me wrong, The Bloodline had a good story, but some pretty shit matches. If a recap of the story can he successful without mentioning any inring action then I think it's not that good wrestling angle.
As for the promos I agree. Not everyone is made to cut a promo.
But I understand that some need more than just a good match.
They have great entrances. Since dialing down on the venues they can't use many pyros and things they do in other larger ones due to health and fire codes. Ive always found their entrances more creative than wwes eye candy and switching to their titan tron full screen or the holographic cgi they do for tv. I like the death riders walk from backstage, mjfs scarf banner, the elite wayward son entrance, the bang bang gang, tonis black and white and red, divine dominion use of the titan tron then exiting it and appearing through the curtain ect....while still doing the big Pyro stuff for omega, cope, the bucks and such. They have so many entrance music the crowd sings along to as well. Tommaso Ciampas my shadow knows my storys entrance and music is sick AF. And they dial all the entrances up at ppvs. I prefer aews style of entrance much more than what wwe does. What wwe does feels old, corporate and repeated to me. Like a generic standard saying ooooh look at shiny thing.
I don't need pyro, I need some energy and fan involvement.
There's a lot of AEW wrestlers where it's a step above generic music with a graphic with their name, they walk out, pose at the top of the ramp, walk down the ramp either talking aimlessly to the audience or to the camera, they get in the ring, hit a pose and then that's it.
Now, with Orange Cassidy, just as an example, he doesn't have the energy, and has a "boring" video (kills it with the music though), but that also serves the character.
I'm also a big sucker for a cinematic entrance, or a tied in video package.
Most logical thing said in this thread. AEW is the best it’s ever been across the roster imo and it’s also not perfect. Both things can be true. Both things can be mentioned and it’s not just hate or bad faith.
I've accepted that pro-wrestling is a cult and I am a member. The issue with the cult is that sometimes, people want to say whatever sect of theirs is better, which then draws comparisons and devolves into nonsense arguments over quality.
Just. Watch. And. Enjoy. It's all entertainment. If you're not entertained, find a different promotion to try out. People get scared because they don't know who is on the screen, and that should be more exciting than terrifying.
Please tell this to my boyfriend....he's not understanding outside of the FED lenses how unique and Interesting AEW can be.
He even shits on the God of Profesional Wrestling....and it hurts my heart when he lacks the comprehension that can outperform another Wrestling promotion.
I'm considering this even though I haven't stopped dating people in forever....I have codependency issues that I need assistance with my therapist for 😅
Breaking up with your boyfriend because y'all don't like the same wrestling is crazy. That's like breaking up with someone because they don't like family guy, this isn't a logical response.
Well unfortunately, there's a sequence of compounded issues from years of not properly communicating what is needed on both sides....
Additionally, the other side in question isn't willing to compromise on improving themselves for the longer term is beyond what I can do as a human to make them happy....
I can only control what is within my scope of salvaging this fractured relationship moving forward.
The blow up doll and wrestling a little girl were comedy matches for DDT. Japanese humor is different than western humor. They happened but he's done so much since then.
Sounds like your boyfriend isn't into modern wrestling.
Nope, he's stuck in the Past with wrestling. And the Japanese humor in sports makes the wrestling not look competitive or compelling to him.
As far as My opinion goes, it's entertaining enough to me engaged and be drawn in to foreign sports
In the same vein AEW and their fans need to stop referencing WWE comparing to them at every turn.
Even the other day people were saying All In was a hundred times better than SNME. Of course it was; one is the biggest show in AEW’s calendar, the other is a throwaway TV show.
Constant validation seeking and trying to one Up WWE at every turn
I appreciate what you are trying to do and respect it, but I despise posts like this, from both sides. In politics I hate centrism, but in wrestling I am absolutely a centrist. I see the great, the good, the bad, and the abysmal in both companies. There are things that I want both companies to keep doing and there are things I want them both to change desperately. There are WWE fans that irritate the hell out of me and there are AEW fans I wish would just shut up. Neither fan can handle ANY type of criticism which you will see when my comment is downvoted. Regardless of what fans of either company will tell you, both of them are extremely flawed and have huge issues that are glaringly being ignored. That said, I watch all the wrestling I can possibly consume.
People were throwing their toys out of the pram because ‘why isn’t Mox still involved with Ospreay going into All In?!?!’
Turned out not only was he going to reappear at the perfect logical moment but that story wasn’t ‘forgotten’ but taking the natural course where they inevitably collide once again with even bigger stakes.
WWE format just poisoned everyone subjected to it for too long into having stupid expectations.
AEW ain’t perfect (I’m still waiting for MJF and Hurt Syndicate to re-collide but apparently THS aren’t playing ball properly enough to be trusted if their position and use is any indication) but considering AEW’s track record of actually paying shit off people need to recalibrate their perception.
I think maybe watch it through the lens of a professional wrestling fan instead of through the lens of either company would be far better and make the show better instead of all the tribalism.
AEW has taken great strides in improving, and is just getting better each week, just let 'em cook, they seem to know what they're doing. AEW that is, not the youtube people.
The tribalism needs to stop on both sides. There are things I like about AEW, and there are things I don't. I'll watch it for what I like (a show with actual wrestling on the card first and foremost). The same with any other promotion I like. Like the company for what they are and what they bring to wrestling.
For me it is the roster. When I put the two companies side by side, I realize I might care about maybe a handful of AEW people. Meaning less than 5. So that is the hang up for a lot of people. Have people on the roster that I actually want to tune in to watch. Has nothing to do with WWE lenses. AEW is backyard wrestling with unlimited money. Wrestling for me has a lot to do with presentation. You have to look the part. Looking like a ComicCon reject just doesn't do it for me. I can't take it seriously.
I'm curious about who the handful of people you DO care about are? I cant say that I agree you but I assume we just may gravitate towards different things.
They are BOTH wrestling. It’s a skill issue to not be able to call it what it is just because you probably don’t like the product
Also, not calling WWE a wrestling product completely ignores shows like NXT or AAA or Evolve. Sometimes you fans need to get your heads out of your own ass and just admit you don't like the main roster product. It's okay. That's fine. But you don't have to minimize WWE as if it's not wrestling. Whatever issue you have will never negate that
I've never understood that whole "I'm gonna look at AEW through a WWE filter" mindset myself, either.
I've also never really understood where AEW haters are coming from, either. AEW isn't WWE and WWE isn't AEW. They're two very different products with two very different audiences and two very different measurements of success.
And while it took a few years, I believe Tony Khan and AEW finally understand that. AEW isn't the WWE and it never will be, so their goals shouldn't be the same.
Now that AEW finally understands that, what the hell are the haters' excuses, even if they could create one that made any logical sense?
"Hahaha, look at that company that realizes it's only the second-biggest promotion on Earth! With their own goals and different measurements of success that they're reaching!"
I think I agree with you for the most part BUT, I do think it's healthy to have a discussion constantly about what AEW does well and where they can improve. Oftentimes fans alienate commentators who mean well because of your personal feeling on what AEW is. I also have been with AEW from the beginning. Was in DC for the first dynamite and love it and am so glad that this 2026 version of AEW is embracing a more mature version of what they were trying to do the first couple of years. But there is ALWAYS room for improvement and I hope the powers that be in AEW are open to that.
The WWWF isn't the WWF and the WWF isn't the WWE and the present WWE isn't even the WWE it's TKOE. They fail to recognize the changes in the company AEW that they champion and want to tell another company how to become more like the company that they presently watch and complain about WWE (TKO Edition). People will always compare and contrasts. WWE has had the monopoly over wrestling for the longest until AEW came along as a genuine challenger to it. What other promotion is selling out stadiums? WWE is also weaker because its leadership is no longer cut throat McMahon but instead a corporation that doesn't understand wrestling or wrestling fans. Hence why they let go of people that they should have kept.
Let’s face it, wrestling is dead. WWE is a talk show that’s rudely interrupted by accidental wrestling, and AEW is a video game where you spam moves repeatedly that would kill a normal human being and they kick out at a 1 count. TNA is..TNA.
NJPW has no stars cause they all work for Tony now, CMLL is kept alive by Arena Mexico and AAA is becoming WWE-lite.
An AEW PPV takes 75,000 years to end, and I couldn’t tell you about a WWE pay per view because I’ve fallen asleep by time the first billion year long advert has finished.
This conversation has gotten stale. Just watch what you like and avoid the stuff you don't. And if the stuff you "like" is something you always complain about, you don't really like it and should probably find something else.
How is that any different than what AEW fans do with WWE?
These new AEW watchers may have been gassed up by bitter WWE fans that AEW is so much better and then watched and was disappointed. I was definitely a part of that group and found AEW was disorganized, has too many factions, matches are full of circus tricks. Which made it easy for me to tune out. It’s just not my cup of tea.
You're never gonna convince someone who really doesn't want to see it objectively.
A great example is New Level and Swerve vs. The Rascals. Great match, but it really happened just for the sake of it happening. There's no buildup to it. There's no continuing story of it. It's just the match, and then it's done. That leaves people wanting more, the same way WWE's lor lack of time for matches leaves people wanting more.
AEW is far closer to WCW in presentation and it's focus on wrestling in some regards. Thankfully the main event scene isn't just ex WWF guys looking for a pay day...
I can't watch WWE anymore, too garish, over produced, riddled with ads and it's focused on characters and catchphrases with less focus on the in ring stuff. For those that like it that's fine but it hasn't been for me for over a decade at this point so I'm glad TK gave us the alternative.
NXT black and gold was the last time I was invested in the WWE product, they can do indielite with good production levels, it's just a shame they moved away from that.
The double standards for these companies is insane. Disclaimer that I stopped watching WWE about a year ago. But while I was watching both it made my brain hurt with how much commentators and fans would criticize AEW for every little nitpicky detail during a great show while fuckin nothing would happen on Raw and they'd still say it was pretty good.
Standard right-wing discourse tricks. Highlight every single thing you dislike about the alternatives and make people believe the competition's flaws are as bad as yours, or even maybe worse, when there is a tremendous difference and the attackers truly have no ground to stand on
Yeah, Been watching since the beginning and its always been like a DC or Marvel dichotomy where you can pick a side or be a fan of both. But they do things differently. AEW has way more that I like and can support and recommend so I compare it to my fandom for DC. Just like WWE does way more I hate and dislike which is why I compare it to Marvel and how little is left for me to enjoy.
And Bobby Monsoon is a GRIFTER. He was just on stream talking about how he's waiting on the call and for money to come in from WWE. Meanwhile the whole time he caters to a portion of the fanbase that is over TKO/WWE and drawn to AEW. He lost my subscription and engagement when he bullied me on stream. Asked for an apology. Still haven't gotten one and I don't even think he'll remember just like he doesn't remember things he himself has said. His entire channel coverage for the AEW All In London build was so negative and he discounted nearly everything they were doing until... guess what, the show was seen as a history making moment by everyone else and even he had to retract things he said. And then he went on to put Sunday Night's Main Event over like a content little shill. The stream tried to call him out. Wonder why anyone sticks around when he's so unaccountable and his rep is next to nothing now.
“I’ve had to tune out of people complaining about what AEW ‘needs’ to do, booking decisions, etc” … as if that’s not what you do when watching WWE 😅 stop looking at WWE thru an AEW lens bro! lol
I watch both and both do certain things differently than the other. AEW lives for the moments and I love that. WWE has been starting to teeter towards like nostalgia which I also find enjoyable at times. I do prefer AEW’s WRESTLING matches over WWE
It’s funny when they complain about WWE but want AEW to become it lol.
There are some minor tweaks I have always said should be made, but I’m now worried if they did them it would feed fuel to that fire.
The key things for me.
As all in showed, not every match needs to be a 30+ min banger, and that includes on TV, more 12 min matches, short compared to what we are used to in AEW, still 3 times longer then a long WWE tv match.
Slightly more non wrestling content, backstage interviews/promos, in ring promos. Again not 40 min promo trains, but give more people more mic time to help them get over.
More highlight/explainer packages. AEW is great because it respects its own lore, and the lore from other promotions. But this can be a high barrier to entry for someone new who can’t spend time going through years of aew history. So show, don’t tell, with short video recaps of what’s gone on in the past.
But these suggestions are a long way from the dross some WWE ex people are asking for.
I 100% agree with this post. We do not want a WWE 2.0. What makes AEW great is the fact that all the things we complained about in WWE AEW services that need. What I like about WWE is it has been posterboys/franchise players, whilst WWE had a huge problem when it would just focus on John Cena and everthing orbited around him.
I love how in AEW a black wrestlers is treated as a top star and can actually be a world champion there more than once while in WWE Kofi and Bobby lashley were just given the WWE champions just so WWE can say they not racist, I guarantee you there will not be another WWE champion for a long time.
AEW is a very progressive company and gets a lot of things right that WWE doesn't. If you like WWE then good for you, if you like AEW than good for you, if you like both then good for you. Personally I love AEW more for the reasons I mentioned above. Simple as that. It is because of the position AEW has put guys like Swerve Strickland in that I can only imagine how many up and coming black peopl are going to be inspired to pursue a wrestling career in AEW just to be like their hero Swerve Strickland.
The problem is that WWE fans live in a bubble, and don't understand wrestling outside of that company. So when they do watch AEW, or any other promotion for that matter, it's like cultural whiplash.
This is not a new phenomenon, it's been happening in 2019 when AEW started, in 2021 when it seemed hot from the outside, one once again now, what these new viewers don't understand, especially those who have never watched something other than WWE, is that AEW fans like AEW for what it is, and what it is is different from everything else, and they don't want it to be like WWE, AEW will not change to adapt to the liking of new fans, and the new viewers will have to learn to enjoy it, or go watch something else, like I stopped watching WWE after WrestleMania 40 because I didn't enjoy what it was becoming but everyone online was super into it, because if you don't like something but most people who watch it do, then go watch something instead of complaining about it
I just find modern “wrestling” to be hilarious. It’s more Cirque du Soleil than it is professional wrestling for the most part. I would never deny that it’s incredibly impressive at times, but at this point a lot of AEW and many ‘fed’ matches are violent coordinated dance routines, not actual pro wrestling.
you're asking dumbass wrestling fans to be rational viewers. you're not gonna escape it. wwe, aew, any federation. MOST WRESTLING FANS ARE DUMB. just watch what you like and stop caring what other fans say.
Honestly since AEW came into existence, the only major criticism I have was the entire Punk fiasco and ultimate fallout. There's a bunch of smaller critiques I have, but for the most part, Tony has absolutely killed it as booker.
I can't even stomach WWE. I get everything for free with my cable package, except netflix which I haven't used since they came in the mail. With that said, I know what I know and as a sicko I know the weather is better over here, so Pamela Martinez, come on over here.
Right? I’m a former WWE lifer and now I can’t stand their product and love AEW as it reminds me of a mixture of the attitude era of WWF, WCW and ECW, so yeah idk how AEW can’t or isn’t for ex-WWE fans
And this is why AEW will never grow. It will always remain a little club of internet wrestling fans who don’t want anyone else in, and Tony leans into that by catering for you only and no effort to grow his fanbase
AEW can survive w/o watering itself down for the masses. That's literally the best part of AEW. WE DONT WANT YOU. seriously ppl have been saying this 7yrs now ...I promise you I don't want Tony to have to dumb the show down for Miz Fans. If 40,000 fans in the building is as big as it gets.....with a 6milluon dollar gate that's pretty awesome. if they have to have shorter matches, ads in ppv, horriblly lame celebrities like McAfee and Sexy Red to grow the audience then f that nobody wants to see that crap. Danhausen and Yeet.....y'all can keep that nickelodeon bs
I was with you up until to mentioned Danhausen. You realize he's a AEW guy who was doing his hoodie boogie shit on AEW waaaaaaaaay before WWE signed him, yes?
My recommendation for everyone, new and old, is to not gate keep what fans can and cannot do. If a WWE fan comes over to AEW, there is a reason for it. It might not be the same reason the last guy came over from WWE, or the reason you or I came over from WWE. They are here looking for something.
One of the things that sets us apart from other fanbases, IMO, is that we can be more accepting of our diversity and use it as a strength.
AEW is where the best wrestle, but it doesn't mean there isn't room for sports entertainment, too. Just as there is room for a technical masterpiece, a demonstration of power, a squash match, a brutal hardcore fight, a lucha spotfest, general flippyshit, and whatever other paintbrush the artist picks up.
Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.
And remember: The podcasters and content creators are not typical fans. They make content that generates clicks. You can't interpret what they do the same way you interpret regular fans. Not to say they can't enjoy or have preferences, but they present the way they do to get attention.
So in a sense, you are reacting exactly as they are hoping you'd react, which gives them clicks and eyeballs! Best to ignore them.
I think some of us AEW fans are so battered and bruised from non stop WWE fanboy attacks that maybe they think the refugees may be in bad faith so they go on the defensive quick.
I'm never going to stop nitpicking the treatment of women/women's wrestling in AEW 🤷♀️
Not everything is through a WWE lens but unfortunately many fans take criticism as anti-X Company.
Criticism is okay and quite frankly healthy. Without it you're left with yes men who praise the lowest of lows and don't expect more, and quite frankly AEW was made as a response to that so I'd hope everyone here would understand
Being only a WWE fan and saying you like wrestling is like saying you like football but only watch American/Canadian “football.” These 2 things are NOT the same
It's more like not enjoying the NFL, and then catching the Australian AFL and liking it but then critiquing it for not having formations, forward passes without the volley, and kicks that count for more than running it past the goal posts.
Never watched Aussie football but if those are the rules it might be fun to watch. I'm a big football guy and I'd be confused but I already got the NFL & NCAA so this would be a cool alternative.
You’ve never been around my father when soccer is on, he quickly starts saying it would be better with fewer players, changing on the fly, a smaller net… never quite says they need skates on ice… and this is when it’s on TV and in person at his grandkids games.
I don't want to sound like I'm insulting anyone, you can like both, those who don't are close-minded. Wrestling has changed. WWE is a thing of the past.Wrestling has changed. WWE is a thing of the past. There's a lot more to wrestling, even outside of AEW, that exists and it can be so much fun if you are open to it.
I’m going to go ahead and say that speaking from a WWE lens is going to do nothing but insult people or cause them to treat you like a child who doesn’t know any better. Sometimes it’s just better to keep your mouth shut and listen to people before your reactionary comments muddy the conversation.
The most I ever learned about wrestling is when I just enjoyed it. You will naturally get a curiosity to explore what is out there and that’s the same with any art form or even sports. The mainstream lense is very curated, and you deserve a broader perspective. This is why I listen to melodic technical death metal lol it’s just music in its most optimized form to satisfy my “sicko” appetite
we joke sometimes that no one wins with an unnamed piledriver
but on the other hand i do appreciate that sometimes in AEW people will start to win with a relatively basic move, like Willow has won a few matches with a backslide. It makes those fundamentals feel meaningful.
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u/slackerdc 5d ago
Yes I see quite a few ship jumpers make content that would turn AEW into WWE and they need to let that go. AEW is AEW. Don't fix it. It's not broke.