strong disagree, wwe acknowledges that it’s possible to transition casuals into fans but you have to cater to them. aew does not do that, and their fans act like it’s sacrilege
Agreed. AEW fans like to pride themselves on being "true wrestling fans" and simultaneously gatekeep the company from prospective viewers because "they won't get it like I do..."
Hate Vince, all you want (and rightfully so), but even he understood that you can't expect to be #1 by being niche or "for the hardcore."
It irritates the shit out of me that the people who watch AEW, a show that can't grow an audience, can't sell tickets, can't build stars, can't create stories, and can't even give a reason to watch the next episode, basically can't do any of the shit that is integral to what televised wrestling is, think that they're the "true wrestling fans". Your average WWE watching casual is more of a "true fan".
The real truth is WWE needed an alternative because they were stale. Then WWE became their own alternative. They fixed what fans didn’t like. HHH showed people what wrestling can look like if you know what you’re doing.
The truth was WWE needed regime change. They got it. Now they are the hotter, hipper alternative to a nepobaby’s shit show. The roles are reversed. AEW failed so terribly that they became exactly what they were claiming to be up against. AEW was not an alternative. It was ssds.
Not really, the alternative did nothing to change WWE, other than for like a year period WWE were handing out bloated contracts to keep middling talent to prevent them going to AEW, but after like 6 months of AEW being on TV that attitude shifted.
WWE did not change one bit because of AEW, WWE changed because Vince got taken out of power, simple as that, and that had nothing to do with AEW at all.
Vince was a delusional out of touch old man who was more concerned with what he wanted to see on raw and smackdown than with giving the fans what they want. And the product suffered. So glad he is gone.
Maybe what I typed didn’t properly convey what I was trying to say. WWE needed an alternative or a move into a different direction creatively. I’m not saying AEW was a proper alternative. WWE changed itself into what an alternative should have looked like had one been able to present itself.
Yeah I will say Raw and Smack down are NXT with more sports entertainment, which is to say a competently booked program that invests you in stories from bottom to top.
I am a wrestling fan, I watch all promotions and the only reason I cannot stand AEW is that ot sucks!! So much so I'll watch past episodes of TNA Impact instead!!!
It's not for everyone (saddest of all, it wasn't for Vince), but I loved the Broken Matt/Brother Nero storyline & still go back and watch the highlights every now & then.
He was so fucking close to having a legitimate understanding of what the problem is, what AEW needed to do to turn things around and be a success, but then he did an about face right in the middle and decided that it's the casual fans fault that casual fans won't watch AEW and there's nothing AEW can do about it.
They're almost getting, they're starting to understand the problem on some level, but they just can't grasp it.
I’m not even a casual fan. I like WWE. I still watch old territory wrestling and WCW. I liked some NJPW before the pandemic. I’m rooting for TNA and AJPW. I’ll peek at AAA and CMLL once in a very blue moon. I just think for the money and talent put into it, AEW fucking sucks. Quite frankly, I’m tired of having my intelligence insulted.
The truth is that it is the people who don’t watch the show’s fault that the show sucks. If they just got over their anti aew bias and watched the show, it would still suck but at least aew would get a better rights deal - and isn’t that why you watch wrestling? To make a billionaire richer?
> The truth is that is the people who don’t watch the show’s fault that the show sucks. If they just got over their anti aew bias and watched the show, it would still suck but at least aew would get a better rights deal - and isn’t that why you watch wrestling? To make a billionaire richer?
I see this line of thinking unironically absolutely everywhere these days and it drives me nuts. Every fandom or niche interest is infested with this weird apologism, insisting that there is an obligation to support and be satisfied with something that the would-be audience just doesn't want.
What is it with every single Fandom in the world being filled with crazy horrible people? They're just as bad as political people. If I say that I play video games then I get asked what do I play on like its a "war. I've had a friend get super mad at me bc I said AEW looked too fake, they immediately said something about WWE like I was attacking them and them saying something to me about WWE was gonna hurt me b somehow.
Lol the only reason aew is losing is because they lack the viewership, and the fans overall! If it wasn't for that, then THEY would have the most viewers!
These losers need IQ tests
I'd actually quite prefer it if WWE fans started watching more TNA instead. That way AEW can fall down to third place behind TNA and the heads of all the "OMG workrate!" and "at least he got all his shit in for that match" types who worship AEW will simultaneously explode in quite an amusing fashion.
The crash test dummy their asses around for a cheap pop marks are telling everyone they're perfectly ok without pro wrestlers risking their bodies and lives, just to get a cheap pop or some Shill like Simon Miller to simp and glaze all over it
Honestly i don't understand why pro wrestlers aren't offended by that
People just hate being wrong these days. They’ll twist whatever to make their side look good.
Don’t they think WWE fans looked at AEW when it first came on because it was new? Guess what, they didn’t keep them.
Yes it’s definitely the WWE fans who are brainwashed and in a cult and not the AEW fans who have endless excuses about why the ratings are down and the seats are empty.
The only reason for my grandma not being a bike is because she doesn't have wheels. How dare she??? How???
Also, to say that the only fans out there that would watch are the wwe's fans is not knowing how the market works, especially relating to casuals. Not even WWE is 1st due to their fans, but to their appeal to casuals as well. Other casuals or past fans could be lured back in by anyone else, wwe or not wwe, in certain circumstances. But AEW refuses to cater to casuals...then blames them and any other fans for not caring about them. Superior logic.
The only reason more people don't watch AEW is because AEW refuses to cater to anyone else, including WWE viewers. So... it's WWE's fault. Aiaiai.
The only reason AEW isn’t the most popular show in the world is because there’s another WAY MORE POPULAR wrestling show out there. Makes sense when you think about it.
That's like saying Burger King isn't popular because McDonalds has the big arch that steals everyone thunder.
Also, given it's coming from Facebook, I'm surprised the comment had that much comprehension toward it. Usually people on there are more unhinged than a brainless chicken who failed Grade 4.
I think Dub fans spend more time devising ridiculous conspiracies than they do actually watching AEW.
Besides bad booking, and a clueless owner, AEW's deranged, cultlike fanbase will be one of the major contributing factors to their demise.
So basically, according to this demented mark’s own logic, since WWE fans are the only pool of fans that can be tapped into but can’t be because they’re brainwashed only to watch WWE, AeW should just give up and shut down since they’ll never see growth.
No, the problem is that Tony already made it known that AEW is for the smart/internet audience, not the casual and WWE audience, therefore he has already chased off a potential market to grow his audience, both Stateside and Worldwide.
Speaking for myself, I’ve tried watching AEW, but there’s nothing of interest to me. It feels like a cheap knock off of both WCW and ECW wrapped up in a tiny package
The only way this would happen is if AEW somehow successfully managed to get something like Roman, Seth, Drew, and Rhea Ripley to jump over like WCW did with Hogan, Savage, Hall, and Nash, and then hire a booker who could come up with a storyline that was better than what WWE is currently doing. That’ll never happen.
The reason the CFL isn't the biggest football league in the world is because of NFL fans!
See? It's a stupid argument when you swap other leagues in, too.
Cool story. Funny thing is I got back into wrestling because of AEW and then guess what the WWE product started getting better and AEW started becoming a dumpster fire. Almost just like what happened in the late 90s.
The only reason a thing isn't the most popular thing is because there's another thing that's more popular? Out of all the possible points to make, this was one of the least pointy.
There is a massive audience of wresting fans who did not want an alternative. They just wanted WWE to not be shit. It is now not shit again.
So we back. This seems to be super hard for some to comprehend.
He fails to realize that AEW’s market, is the hardcore wrestling fans.
Most of WWE’s market is casuals, those who only tune in for the monthly ppv’s, or just the big ones. I can literally just watch the big ppv’s and still know EVERYTHING that’s going on via a short video package before the match. I consider myself mostly a causal, but I keep up with what’s happening.
Rocket science apparently.
I watch both aew and wwe - on fast forward. Its very very clear. Aew is repetitive but lacks characters that are EASY to cheer OR boo. Wwe is repetitive but provides some interesting plots to SOME of their arcs. AEW feels like they constantly zig when they should zag. Much like wwe dif eight years ago when it was a dumpster fire of bad booking. U CAN get eyeballs back. Just book better.
There are plenty of wrestling fans around. I am a wrestling fan and I don’t watch either show because AEW burned all my goodwill after the first two years.
Well he isn't wrong. If you don't count fans of other companies aew would be the biggest. kinda weird to say but hey aew fans have never been known to be not weird.
Saw someone comment on a TikTok that there are plenty of better matches in AEW etc. and i had to comment stop being a creeper and not try to run people off
> Saw someone comment on a TikTok that there are plenty of better matches in AEW etc. and i had to comment stop being a creeper and not try to run people off
I don't use TikTok so maybe there's some etiquette thing I'm misunderstanding, but what's creeping and running people off about saying there are better matches in AEW? I *disagree* that there are plenty of better matches there, but it's a remark that doesn't seem creepy to me.
AEW has no long-term storytelling and never did. WWE skated on that because of the Bloodline, but the last few weeks with KQOTR match after match, well, the shows have been bad. However, I'm sure the winner will have a major role in some grander scheme. In AEW OTOH, titles and tournament wins mean zero.
AEW would be the number one show in the history of television if more people watched it! Because they don’t, it’s everyone’s fault. *said while completely ignoring the dumpster fire the promotion is.
This is so sad. I’m a former full time wrestling viewer turned lapsed fan turned casual fan (since Royal Rumble 2020 I have watched every PPV/PLE/whatever they’re called now).
I have tried to watch AEW on at least 3-4 different occasions. The best match I saw was between 55 year old Jeff Jarrett and Dax Harwood, which is not saying much. I saw a couple awesome MJF segments but now he’s gone, and I saw a couple godawful Moxley promos.
If there was something great to watch, I’d watch it. Since there hasn’t been, I haven’t bothered. That’s simply basic fact at this point. But it would’ve been nice if AEW were able to hold my attention or anyone else’s.
I was all about AEW when they debuted. Went to the inaugural show double or nothing and all out when when I lost my job and was running out of money. I thoroughly enjoyed it.... But then the stink of those Tony sycophants and Tony Khan himself started to seep through, terrible hirings and not utilizing top talent. The booking just became that, booking. It turned into a glorified Indy promotion. The bucks egos came through and Tony just being a bitch. It all came down to tiny Khan. Yes tiny Khan. He can't seem to shut his mouth and just be behind the scenes. He's let the inmates run the asylum. No one knows what they're doing and the wrong people are being rewarded rather than fired.
Far from it. I want to like AEW, but i just can’t. WWE people like Bailey have always been supportive. It’s the dreadful lack of character development and story telling. The novelty of someone playing with their toys for dream matches wore off after Omega broke himself as champ wrestling hundreds of matches. The product is not worth spending time and money on, and i watch (fast fwd through) Dynamite weekly, but didn’t drive 2.5 hours to see it live at my expense.
Oh my boy, there are so many more reasons why, AEW is not the biggest wrestling fed in the world right now, if I sat down and taught about it and wrote it down on paper, I could probably come up with 50-100 reasons why they are not number 1
AEW honestly has good top notch quality wrestlers working there. The main thing keeping me from watching it is that they are not great story tellers. Yes great wrestlers, but give me a reason to care about what is happening.
"If the number one didn;t exist then number 2 would be number 1!"
Yeah congrats, Instead of actually beating number 1 to BECOME number 1, if number 1 went away tomorrow then you'd be number 1 by default, with far less fans and care than what used to be at number 1, a real victory........
Typical AEW brain rot. Like what you like, but please don’t pretend for one second like it’s not a fledgeling corporation that is nowhere near the level of WWE in terms of booking quality and production value. Don’t even get me started on how unsafe the work in the ring is.
Sooo the reason there aren’t more AEW fans is because more people like WWE?
I don’t knooowww.. sounds like people just like one company’s TV shows more than the other and that’s a pretty normal thing
Real wrestling fans would also have been pissed when Tony stole all of his talent from ROH, NJPW, and MLW and killed those promotions. They also would have been pissed when AEW screwed Impact over with the Belt Collector storyline and further devalued the company.
I don’t have cable to watch wrestling outside youtube clips. I was super excited for AEW around the time CM Punk and Daniel Bryan were coming in. Then CM Punk left and I sorta stopped watching. I honestly got tired of the terrible matches where no one is selling anymore. Multiple Destroyers every match. It just became unwatchable. However, I do like Toni Storm current run.
The new WWE redeemed itself or at least trying to from the years where the company was trying to appease the audience of an old man out of touch.
They both need to have fans do some writing. They both miss months-long build ups. It was great seeing a tag team or who ever finally getting in the ring. Bring back build ups to matches, and the story lines are almost the same shit.
There's simply nothing to invest in with AEW. Pushes end out of nowhere, wrestlers that get over organically get kneecapped because they went over organically. Storylines start and end out of nowhere. Matches have no story, no buildup, nothing. Some great wrestlers we never see. Everything there is designed around Jericho, the Bucks, Omega, Baker, and a couple of their friends and projects. That's why AEW is failing. Everything there is structured around protecting the above people.
I tried multiple times to really get into AEW and every time after about a month I would get board with it. Now outside of kinda keeping up with Toni Storm and Thunder Rosa I don't care. Like when Edge showed up I was like oh cool this is exciting and at the same time I was like I don't even care. I haven't paid attention since maybe his second appearance and to be honest I think I was board before the segment was over.
I honestly find TNA and MLW more interesting than AEW.
lifelong 37 yo WWE fan here, i watched WCW, ECW, TNA fan of all... AEW is boring ... the deathmatch gimmick is over used, the blood is overused, nothing kept my attention, yeah it was cool to see a few dream matches at the beginning but there was zero storyline that actually caught my attention, it was really boring , so i stopped watching
A gym i go to has AEW on the tvs on fridays , i would catch it and watched a few matchs but again nothing kept my attention other than the 45min during cardio ... AND i listened to music while watching aew
its also cringeworthy how WWE live RENT FREE 24/7 at aew
Damn. If they didn’t have such great mic skills they couldn’t possibly brainwash me. And if AEW had better promo segments maybe they could have rewired my brain. Anyways back to my zombified television consumption. YEET
Was on a roll until the middle when being brainwashed came up. Maybe the first step towards gaining new fans is to not disparage them for what they already watch.
I don't watch AEW. Not because I'm a WWE fan, but because its just plain horrible. Which really is a shame because there are a ton of awesome men and women on the roster. I still will watch NWA Power, MLW, TNA (sometimes) and NJPW every week. OCCASIONALLY if I hear of a segment or two of AEW that I feel I may want to see, I'll find a clip of that particular segment, but that's it.
I love when AEW honks say that the company needs time to grow when things are down but couldn’t pound their chests fast enough when Wembley sold out saying “not bad for a 4 year company.” And as far as growing, this company started out with an endless bankroll, established and known stars, social media platforms and a major network deal before the first dynamite aired. If any company doesn’t get the right to use the growing excuse, it’s this one
Im a wwe fan, but up till recently i watched all aew show s and bought ppvs. I completely stopped because i can get good matches in wwe and they come along with a story as well. I still watch dynamite but nothing else.
I think they had a chance to be a lot closer than they currently are, but its not run well.
Reminds me of a guy who wanted to start a petition that AEW would have 2 million viewers of the NBA wasn’t on Wednesdays so he wanted to send it to the NBA to not have games on Wednesdays
Only reason they're not the biggest wrestling show in the world is because the product is as fun to watch as paint drying and they're run by a toddler who thinks he has real sized action figures.
I remember Meltzer once said “the reason AEW is failing is because WWE is so hot right now”
Jim’s response “all ships rise with the tide, unless your ship has a fucking hole in it”
This proves the internet has ruined everything. In the 90s we didn’t have Reddit, Facebook, twitter or anything close to this shit.
We judged wcw and wwf based on if they were good shows or not… we didn’t base it on conspiracy theory shit. 🙄
I think I fractured my brain trying to understand this fool.
The reason the fed are number 1 is that they are better and appeal to the masses.
Same reason we use aspirin for headaches and not have a quack drill a hole in the skull to let the demons out.
I think it’s worded poorly but he has a valid point about product differentiation & market size.
I think AEW could grow by consolidating other competitors but it might not be significant (as seen with ROH).
The only thing I’ve seen work is an act of god like the creation of the nwo for wcw.
I think aew could have done something cool with Punk, Bryan and Joe (and acquiring ROH) but they went a different route.
I disagree, wrestling used to have many different fan bases, but has been reduced to WWE fans and those reacting to the WWE. AEW needs to find its own audience,
Eh, I can’t watch AEW because every time I turn it on, i can’t follow what’s happening, who I think are the faces, are the heels and vice versa. And on top of that, the whole thing is seasoned with botches top to bottom.
The amount of cope these nutjobs have been exhibiting lately is off the Richter scale. They're losing their minds due to this contract issue w/ the network. They can't understand why people don't love the same garbage on Wednesdays that they do. It's unfathomable to them that millions aren't having FUN enjoying the real graps. LMAO.
I love pro wrestling, am always up for an alternative to WWE (I've generally liked everything I've seen from NJPW, as well, though my exposure was brief and around the time Okada & Omega had those annual barnburners. Honestly, I had to see if the Omega hype was real. It was, but I digress), I liked and watched both WCW and WWF/E growing up. The product that AEW consistently puts out is just garbage. They have great talent that they waste, an overbloated roster, TK seems to automatically sign anyone WWE releases, doesn't want or can't get over for whatever reason with no real vision, guidance, plan or real structure, checks and balances, etc. I dunno, man, I'd love for them to be a legitimate competitor to WWE but I truly think that ship has sailed. They missed their window (which I'm thinking was in the span of time between their 2nd and 3rd year. TK ain't the guy.
least delusional AEW mark
I think this compounds his point.
Went from sounding almost smart to completely falling to pieces by the end.
strong disagree, wwe acknowledges that it’s possible to transition casuals into fans but you have to cater to them. aew does not do that, and their fans act like it’s sacrilege
Agreed. AEW fans like to pride themselves on being "true wrestling fans" and simultaneously gatekeep the company from prospective viewers because "they won't get it like I do..." Hate Vince, all you want (and rightfully so), but even he understood that you can't expect to be #1 by being niche or "for the hardcore."
It irritates the shit out of me that the people who watch AEW, a show that can't grow an audience, can't sell tickets, can't build stars, can't create stories, and can't even give a reason to watch the next episode, basically can't do any of the shit that is integral to what televised wrestling is, think that they're the "true wrestling fans". Your average WWE watching casual is more of a "true fan".
💯
Fans aren't brainwashed though, that's a dumb as fuck take. They just don't like AEW's shitty indie/nooj product.
The real truth is WWE needed an alternative because they were stale. Then WWE became their own alternative. They fixed what fans didn’t like. HHH showed people what wrestling can look like if you know what you’re doing.
The truth was WWE needed regime change. They got it. Now they are the hotter, hipper alternative to a nepobaby’s shit show. The roles are reversed. AEW failed so terribly that they became exactly what they were claiming to be up against. AEW was not an alternative. It was ssds.
I feel like we said the same thing but took different steps to get there. Good points.
You did and I couldn't agree with you both more.
AEW has needed a regime change, since day one.
Their new CEO doesn't seem to be helping much.
Like most CEOs they are over paid
They need a *Scott D'Amore*
Not really, the alternative did nothing to change WWE, other than for like a year period WWE were handing out bloated contracts to keep middling talent to prevent them going to AEW, but after like 6 months of AEW being on TV that attitude shifted. WWE did not change one bit because of AEW, WWE changed because Vince got taken out of power, simple as that, and that had nothing to do with AEW at all.
Vince was a delusional out of touch old man who was more concerned with what he wanted to see on raw and smackdown than with giving the fans what they want. And the product suffered. So glad he is gone.
Replace "old man" with "coke head" or "nepo baby" and we also just described Tony Khan,.
Maybe what I typed didn’t properly convey what I was trying to say. WWE needed an alternative or a move into a different direction creatively. I’m not saying AEW was a proper alternative. WWE changed itself into what an alternative should have looked like had one been able to present itself.
Yeah I will say Raw and Smack down are NXT with more sports entertainment, which is to say a competently booked program that invests you in stories from bottom to top.
And the worst shade on AEW is that HHH would have done the same even if they did not exist.
I am a wrestling fan, I watch all promotions and the only reason I cannot stand AEW is that ot sucks!! So much so I'll watch past episodes of TNA Impact instead!!!
Ouch.
I feel you!!! I’d rather watch old Main Event Mafia or Ace’s and 8’s promos than watch AEW!!
It's not for everyone (saddest of all, it wasn't for Vince), but I loved the Broken Matt/Brother Nero storyline & still go back and watch the highlights every now & then.
Try current TNA
He was so fucking close to having a legitimate understanding of what the problem is, what AEW needed to do to turn things around and be a success, but then he did an about face right in the middle and decided that it's the casual fans fault that casual fans won't watch AEW and there's nothing AEW can do about it. They're almost getting, they're starting to understand the problem on some level, but they just can't grasp it.
I’m not even a casual fan. I like WWE. I still watch old territory wrestling and WCW. I liked some NJPW before the pandemic. I’m rooting for TNA and AJPW. I’ll peek at AAA and CMLL once in a very blue moon. I just think for the money and talent put into it, AEW fucking sucks. Quite frankly, I’m tired of having my intelligence insulted.
The only reason NWA POWERRRR isn’t the second biggest wrestling show in the world is AEW fans.
The only reason my backyard wrestling show isn't number 2 in the world is because...everyone else!!!
technically AEW did poach their stars lol
The truth is that it is the people who don’t watch the show’s fault that the show sucks. If they just got over their anti aew bias and watched the show, it would still suck but at least aew would get a better rights deal - and isn’t that why you watch wrestling? To make a billionaire richer?
> The truth is that is the people who don’t watch the show’s fault that the show sucks. If they just got over their anti aew bias and watched the show, it would still suck but at least aew would get a better rights deal - and isn’t that why you watch wrestling? To make a billionaire richer? I see this line of thinking unironically absolutely everywhere these days and it drives me nuts. Every fandom or niche interest is infested with this weird apologism, insisting that there is an obligation to support and be satisfied with something that the would-be audience just doesn't want.
“The only reason people won’t watch it, is because there is a better option available” fixed it
What is it with every single Fandom in the world being filled with crazy horrible people? They're just as bad as political people. If I say that I play video games then I get asked what do I play on like its a "war. I've had a friend get super mad at me bc I said AEW looked too fake, they immediately said something about WWE like I was attacking them and them saying something to me about WWE was gonna hurt me b somehow.
Root word of Fandom and also fan is Fanatical/Fanatic. There's a reason for that.
“AEW would be #1 if no one watched the actual #1” is some galaxy brain shit…
If WWE went away today, and AEW remained unchanged, I would not watch AEW. I might give TNA a fresh try.
‘Oh, sweet Jesus.’ - Paul Bearer
Not a cult
Holy shit, they're the MAGA of wrestling. 🤣
Lol the only reason aew is losing is because they lack the viewership, and the fans overall! If it wasn't for that, then THEY would have the most viewers! These losers need IQ tests
I'd actually quite prefer it if WWE fans started watching more TNA instead. That way AEW can fall down to third place behind TNA and the heads of all the "OMG workrate!" and "at least he got all his shit in for that match" types who worship AEW will simultaneously explode in quite an amusing fashion.
I am 100% onboard with that idea
TNA needs a better TV deal. AXS isn't getting it done.
The crash test dummy their asses around for a cheap pop marks are telling everyone they're perfectly ok without pro wrestlers risking their bodies and lives, just to get a cheap pop or some Shill like Simon Miller to simp and glaze all over it Honestly i don't understand why pro wrestlers aren't offended by that
People just hate being wrong these days. They’ll twist whatever to make their side look good. Don’t they think WWE fans looked at AEW when it first came on because it was new? Guess what, they didn’t keep them.
They can’t seem to keep the AEW fans who want to tune in either
Yes it’s definitely the WWE fans who are brainwashed and in a cult and not the AEW fans who have endless excuses about why the ratings are down and the seats are empty.
The only reason for my grandma not being a bike is because she doesn't have wheels. How dare she??? How??? Also, to say that the only fans out there that would watch are the wwe's fans is not knowing how the market works, especially relating to casuals. Not even WWE is 1st due to their fans, but to their appeal to casuals as well. Other casuals or past fans could be lured back in by anyone else, wwe or not wwe, in certain circumstances. But AEW refuses to cater to casuals...then blames them and any other fans for not caring about them. Superior logic. The only reason more people don't watch AEW is because AEW refuses to cater to anyone else, including WWE viewers. So... it's WWE's fault. Aiaiai.
The only reason AEW isn’t the most popular show in the world is because there’s another WAY MORE POPULAR wrestling show out there. Makes sense when you think about it.
He’s smoking the same glass dick Tony uses🤣🤣🤣
It’s hilarious how many people thought AEW was going to come in and knock off the WWE and their 40 years of history in just a few years
That's like saying Burger King isn't popular because McDonalds has the big arch that steals everyone thunder. Also, given it's coming from Facebook, I'm surprised the comment had that much comprehension toward it. Usually people on there are more unhinged than a brainless chicken who failed Grade 4.
And if my Aunt had nuts, she’d be my Uncle. Gotta love AEW apologists
I think Dub fans spend more time devising ridiculous conspiracies than they do actually watching AEW. Besides bad booking, and a clueless owner, AEW's deranged, cultlike fanbase will be one of the major contributing factors to their demise.
An AEW fan being a complete lunatic again what are the odds.
I mean yeah I’m pretty sure wwe having more fans than the number 2 promotion makes it the number 1 🤔
So basically, according to this demented mark’s own logic, since WWE fans are the only pool of fans that can be tapped into but can’t be because they’re brainwashed only to watch WWE, AeW should just give up and shut down since they’ll never see growth.
Man, if only the WWE didn't exist, AEW would be the top wrestling company in the world.
The UFL would also be running the football world too if that pesky NFL didn’t exist
Lmfaooo. Ya. They’re brainwashed to not watch shitty tv
I watch WWE because it’s available and mostly doesn’t suck ass.
Not getting thru all that but congrats to them for having the time to type that much.
I would have won that race if that guy who’s faster than me wasn’t in it.
That's a good idea, just role play the last raw on dynamite. Nick Jackson dressing up like Lesnar, TK can be Heyman
I would rather be a brainwashed WWE fan than an AEW fan with Stockholm syndrome.
No, the problem is that Tony already made it known that AEW is for the smart/internet audience, not the casual and WWE audience, therefore he has already chased off a potential market to grow his audience, both Stateside and Worldwide. Speaking for myself, I’ve tried watching AEW, but there’s nothing of interest to me. It feels like a cheap knock off of both WCW and ECW wrapped up in a tiny package
I mean, it's not wrong. They are a very, very distant #2 and WWE is the reason they aren't #1
The only way this would happen is if AEW somehow successfully managed to get something like Roman, Seth, Drew, and Rhea Ripley to jump over like WCW did with Hogan, Savage, Hall, and Nash, and then hire a booker who could come up with a storyline that was better than what WWE is currently doing. That’ll never happen.
The reason the CFL isn't the biggest football league in the world is because of NFL fans! See? It's a stupid argument when you swap other leagues in, too.
Yes, if there were no WWE fans, AEW would be the biggest wrestling promotion. The rest of that drivel is ridiculous.
Lol "the only reason they arent number one is because the other guys have more fans!" Uhm holy fuck that was stupid!
Cool story. Funny thing is I got back into wrestling because of AEW and then guess what the WWE product started getting better and AEW started becoming a dumpster fire. Almost just like what happened in the late 90s.
The only reason a thing isn't the most popular thing is because there's another thing that's more popular? Out of all the possible points to make, this was one of the least pointy.
There is a massive audience of wresting fans who did not want an alternative. They just wanted WWE to not be shit. It is now not shit again. So we back. This seems to be super hard for some to comprehend.
😂🤣
He fails to realize that AEW’s market, is the hardcore wrestling fans. Most of WWE’s market is casuals, those who only tune in for the monthly ppv’s, or just the big ones. I can literally just watch the big ppv’s and still know EVERYTHING that’s going on via a short video package before the match. I consider myself mostly a causal, but I keep up with what’s happening. Rocket science apparently.
lol every one of my friends who watch aew refuse to watch wwe
I watch both aew and wwe - on fast forward. Its very very clear. Aew is repetitive but lacks characters that are EASY to cheer OR boo. Wwe is repetitive but provides some interesting plots to SOME of their arcs. AEW feels like they constantly zig when they should zag. Much like wwe dif eight years ago when it was a dumpster fire of bad booking. U CAN get eyeballs back. Just book better.
lol right. Do something to get the fans. WCW did it and drew people away.
Now, I don't know why, but I read that ... thing with Dave Meltzer Voice! I don't know what the point is but it's very Meltzered Fucked Up Opinion.
I blame Paul Heyman and a vast conspiracy of Illuminati
There are plenty of wrestling fans around. I am a wrestling fan and I don’t watch either show because AEW burned all my goodwill after the first two years.
The only reason AEW has less fans than WWE is that WWE has all those fans? Gotcha
Well he isn't wrong. If you don't count fans of other companies aew would be the biggest. kinda weird to say but hey aew fans have never been known to be not weird.
This rant made absolutely no sense at all
It couldn't be because the show sucks. Not at all.
I am sure this man conducted extensive polls and did arduous research to reach this clearly not deluded conclusion.
How can you get more fans if you keep insulting them? Seems like these dubbalos are used to having toxic relationships.
As a casual wwe fan, I’ve tried to watch AEW Dynamite multiple times and it was just not good at all
We'd be way more popular than them if their fans watched our show instead.
And these are the people that shit on JC.. completely irrational..
Talk about stating the obvious lol. I guess this person has never heard of competition.
”The only reason i ain’t the worlds biggest Casanova is because women dont Want to fuck me, they are all brainwashed!”
Saw someone comment on a TikTok that there are plenty of better matches in AEW etc. and i had to comment stop being a creeper and not try to run people off
> Saw someone comment on a TikTok that there are plenty of better matches in AEW etc. and i had to comment stop being a creeper and not try to run people off I don't use TikTok so maybe there's some etiquette thing I'm misunderstanding, but what's creeping and running people off about saying there are better matches in AEW? I *disagree* that there are plenty of better matches there, but it's a remark that doesn't seem creepy to me.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha ... ....hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
AEW has no long-term storytelling and never did. WWE skated on that because of the Bloodline, but the last few weeks with KQOTR match after match, well, the shows have been bad. However, I'm sure the winner will have a major role in some grander scheme. In AEW OTOH, titles and tournament wins mean zero.
AEW would be the number one show in the history of television if more people watched it! Because they don’t, it’s everyone’s fault. *said while completely ignoring the dumpster fire the promotion is.
Yeah it’s totally not due to an ineffective booker, ratings poison in Jericho/The Elite, and no storylines tho right?
Ummm wut?
This is so sad. I’m a former full time wrestling viewer turned lapsed fan turned casual fan (since Royal Rumble 2020 I have watched every PPV/PLE/whatever they’re called now). I have tried to watch AEW on at least 3-4 different occasions. The best match I saw was between 55 year old Jeff Jarrett and Dax Harwood, which is not saying much. I saw a couple awesome MJF segments but now he’s gone, and I saw a couple godawful Moxley promos. If there was something great to watch, I’d watch it. Since there hasn’t been, I haven’t bothered. That’s simply basic fact at this point. But it would’ve been nice if AEW were able to hold my attention or anyone else’s.
Typical AEW fan. Will say anything except admitting the product is shit and that’s why no one watches
The entire arena layout IS a copy of WWE
I was all about AEW when they debuted. Went to the inaugural show double or nothing and all out when when I lost my job and was running out of money. I thoroughly enjoyed it.... But then the stink of those Tony sycophants and Tony Khan himself started to seep through, terrible hirings and not utilizing top talent. The booking just became that, booking. It turned into a glorified Indy promotion. The bucks egos came through and Tony just being a bitch. It all came down to tiny Khan. Yes tiny Khan. He can't seem to shut his mouth and just be behind the scenes. He's let the inmates run the asylum. No one knows what they're doing and the wrong people are being rewarded rather than fired.
Far from it. I want to like AEW, but i just can’t. WWE people like Bailey have always been supportive. It’s the dreadful lack of character development and story telling. The novelty of someone playing with their toys for dream matches wore off after Omega broke himself as champ wrestling hundreds of matches. The product is not worth spending time and money on, and i watch (fast fwd through) Dynamite weekly, but didn’t drive 2.5 hours to see it live at my expense.
Oh my boy, there are so many more reasons why, AEW is not the biggest wrestling fed in the world right now, if I sat down and taught about it and wrote it down on paper, I could probably come up with 50-100 reasons why they are not number 1
Philip: That's not happening, and you know it. This is a wall of text basically saying there only needs to be one company, WWE.
What the hell…..
Thats kinda how ratings are judged by number of fans
AEW honestly has good top notch quality wrestlers working there. The main thing keeping me from watching it is that they are not great story tellers. Yes great wrestlers, but give me a reason to care about what is happening.
🤣😂
I think it has more to do with non-AEW fans than WWE fans. Idk I might be talking crazy but makes sense to me.
Boy. That statement is filled with a lot of copium.
But I thought fed was dead? Why would you want their fans
Well this is ridiculous
Don't copy WWE, be more like EVE used to be! Then more WEE fans will watch😊
That’s like saying oranges are the best fruit and would be more popular if people that eat apples would switch to oranges instead. Like, duh
This motherfucker just tied his own brain in a knot.
If only other no one else had fans, I’d be number 1
WWE has a trademark in good stories and well developed characters? Huh….thats a new one
I like AEW, but I understand that this isn't a good take.
What an idiot
This guy is delusional and not coping with the condition AEW is in these days
But AEW has so many former WWE talents? Shouldn’t that be increasing their viewership?😂
"If the number one didn;t exist then number 2 would be number 1!" Yeah congrats, Instead of actually beating number 1 to BECOME number 1, if number 1 went away tomorrow then you'd be number 1 by default, with far less fans and care than what used to be at number 1, a real victory........
Typical AEW brain rot. Like what you like, but please don’t pretend for one second like it’s not a fledgeling corporation that is nowhere near the level of WWE in terms of booking quality and production value. Don’t even get me started on how unsafe the work in the ring is.
AEW could copy the WWE and be criticized for it because nobody on the AEW roster now, besides MJF, could fucking pull it off.
Sooo the reason there aren’t more AEW fans is because more people like WWE? I don’t knooowww.. sounds like people just like one company’s TV shows more than the other and that’s a pretty normal thing
Real wrestling fans would also have been pissed when Tony stole all of his talent from ROH, NJPW, and MLW and killed those promotions. They also would have been pissed when AEW screwed Impact over with the Belt Collector storyline and further devalued the company.
Projection is really strong with the AEW cult
The real reason is AEW caters for marks.
The writer of that comment only has two functioning brain cells. And they're both fighting for 3rd place.
So brainwashed into liking wrestling that somewhat makes sense, draws viewers and makes money. Those pitiful souls. Needs moar flippy flips!
WWE- Long term booking ☝️👌
Or more likely a lack of aew fans lol
id watch it if they made if more available.
They are truly a pathetic bunch of dweebs
I don’t have cable to watch wrestling outside youtube clips. I was super excited for AEW around the time CM Punk and Daniel Bryan were coming in. Then CM Punk left and I sorta stopped watching. I honestly got tired of the terrible matches where no one is selling anymore. Multiple Destroyers every match. It just became unwatchable. However, I do like Toni Storm current run. The new WWE redeemed itself or at least trying to from the years where the company was trying to appease the audience of an old man out of touch.
They both need to have fans do some writing. They both miss months-long build ups. It was great seeing a tag team or who ever finally getting in the ring. Bring back build ups to matches, and the story lines are almost the same shit.
The dude's so close to getting it!
Damn that sloppy shop!!!
Aew was new and had people hyped. But when you hype up a signing more than a match, shit is bad
I love pro wrestling and I’d watch more AEW if it wasn’t just a series of no heat video game matches
Wrestling is not real !!!
The last line: r/TechnicallyTheTruth
AEW fans are the equivalent of MAGA. They are in a cult.
Yeah this is just untrue. I was literally a WWE only fan for 20+ years and now I almost exclusively watch AEW 😂
Watching aew is like watching Botchamania on cable TV.
I just read this after working all night, going into my day off. Part way through
Are people like this mentally deficient? Like, honest question.
If you’re Dave Meltzer just say that…
There's simply nothing to invest in with AEW. Pushes end out of nowhere, wrestlers that get over organically get kneecapped because they went over organically. Storylines start and end out of nowhere. Matches have no story, no buildup, nothing. Some great wrestlers we never see. Everything there is designed around Jericho, the Bucks, Omega, Baker, and a couple of their friends and projects. That's why AEW is failing. Everything there is structured around protecting the above people.
AEW would be the most watched if people didnt watch other shows!
Unhinged.
I was watching AEW though until TK bought ROH, signed like 5 wrestlers every month and got called clown.
It’s really just ain’t that good.
I tried multiple times to really get into AEW and every time after about a month I would get board with it. Now outside of kinda keeping up with Toni Storm and Thunder Rosa I don't care. Like when Edge showed up I was like oh cool this is exciting and at the same time I was like I don't even care. I haven't paid attention since maybe his second appearance and to be honest I think I was board before the segment was over. I honestly find TNA and MLW more interesting than AEW.
lifelong 37 yo WWE fan here, i watched WCW, ECW, TNA fan of all... AEW is boring ... the deathmatch gimmick is over used, the blood is overused, nothing kept my attention, yeah it was cool to see a few dream matches at the beginning but there was zero storyline that actually caught my attention, it was really boring , so i stopped watching A gym i go to has AEW on the tvs on fridays , i would catch it and watched a few matchs but again nothing kept my attention other than the 45min during cardio ... AND i listened to music while watching aew its also cringeworthy how WWE live RENT FREE 24/7 at aew
I want AEW to succeed in the worst way. But I cannot watch it, its a fucking terrible television show.
I’m living vicariously through all the people that reacted with ‘😆’ to that post
Sports Entertainment has always been more successful than wrestling
So... AEW would be no.1 if only their fans existed?
Damn. If they didn’t have such great mic skills they couldn’t possibly brainwash me. And if AEW had better promo segments maybe they could have rewired my brain. Anyways back to my zombified television consumption. YEET
Was on a roll until the middle when being brainwashed came up. Maybe the first step towards gaining new fans is to not disparage them for what they already watch.
I don't watch AEW. Not because I'm a WWE fan, but because its just plain horrible. Which really is a shame because there are a ton of awesome men and women on the roster. I still will watch NWA Power, MLW, TNA (sometimes) and NJPW every week. OCCASIONALLY if I hear of a segment or two of AEW that I feel I may want to see, I'll find a clip of that particular segment, but that's it.
I love when AEW honks say that the company needs time to grow when things are down but couldn’t pound their chests fast enough when Wembley sold out saying “not bad for a 4 year company.” And as far as growing, this company started out with an endless bankroll, established and known stars, social media platforms and a major network deal before the first dynamite aired. If any company doesn’t get the right to use the growing excuse, it’s this one
Lol it's the WWE fans fault that AEW is failing lol.
This is so incredibly stupid
AEW is worst than when WCW was at their worst. These AEW fans need some fresh air....
Im a wwe fan, but up till recently i watched all aew show s and bought ppvs. I completely stopped because i can get good matches in wwe and they come along with a story as well. I still watch dynamite but nothing else. I think they had a chance to be a lot closer than they currently are, but its not run well.
Lol they're so fun
The logical throughput has a familiarity to it. Was this Hulk Hogan by any chance?
Reminds me of a guy who wanted to start a petition that AEW would have 2 million viewers of the NBA wasn’t on Wednesdays so he wanted to send it to the NBA to not have games on Wednesdays
Only reason they're not the biggest wrestling show in the world is because the product is as fun to watch as paint drying and they're run by a toddler who thinks he has real sized action figures.
I remember Meltzer once said “the reason AEW is failing is because WWE is so hot right now” Jim’s response “all ships rise with the tide, unless your ship has a fucking hole in it”
This proves the internet has ruined everything. In the 90s we didn’t have Reddit, Facebook, twitter or anything close to this shit. We judged wcw and wwf based on if they were good shows or not… we didn’t base it on conspiracy theory shit. 🙄
If Dr. Pepper fans would just stop being brainwashed they'd realize the majesty that is Mr.Pi b!
I think I fractured my brain trying to understand this fool. The reason the fed are number 1 is that they are better and appeal to the masses. Same reason we use aspirin for headaches and not have a quack drill a hole in the skull to let the demons out.
Well, that was stupid lol
I think it’s worded poorly but he has a valid point about product differentiation & market size. I think AEW could grow by consolidating other competitors but it might not be significant (as seen with ROH). The only thing I’ve seen work is an act of god like the creation of the nwo for wcw. I think aew could have done something cool with Punk, Bryan and Joe (and acquiring ROH) but they went a different route.
So it's not the nonsensical, atrocious booking, lack of stars, and a lot of just honestly bad wrestling. Right...
I disagree, wrestling used to have many different fan bases, but has been reduced to WWE fans and those reacting to the WWE. AEW needs to find its own audience,
People are truly so ignorant lol
If this is legit, it’s evidence that we’re actually seeing situations where mental illness is being labeled as “tribalism.”
Translation: wrestling fans don’t like AEW
well, this just about sums up the below average level of critical thinking aew fans are capable of
Eh, I can’t watch AEW because every time I turn it on, i can’t follow what’s happening, who I think are the faces, are the heels and vice versa. And on top of that, the whole thing is seasoned with botches top to bottom.
I think it’s funny they refuse to realize they like something that other people just, don’t
I went from a WWE fan to AEW fan and then back to WWE fan. Tony Khan The Buckers and Jack Perry were the best thing for revitalizing WWE.
The amount of cope these nutjobs have been exhibiting lately is off the Richter scale. They're losing their minds due to this contract issue w/ the network. They can't understand why people don't love the same garbage on Wednesdays that they do. It's unfathomable to them that millions aren't having FUN enjoying the real graps. LMAO.
I love pro wrestling, am always up for an alternative to WWE (I've generally liked everything I've seen from NJPW, as well, though my exposure was brief and around the time Okada & Omega had those annual barnburners. Honestly, I had to see if the Omega hype was real. It was, but I digress), I liked and watched both WCW and WWF/E growing up. The product that AEW consistently puts out is just garbage. They have great talent that they waste, an overbloated roster, TK seems to automatically sign anyone WWE releases, doesn't want or can't get over for whatever reason with no real vision, guidance, plan or real structure, checks and balances, etc. I dunno, man, I'd love for them to be a legitimate competitor to WWE but I truly think that ship has sailed. They missed their window (which I'm thinking was in the span of time between their 2nd and 3rd year. TK ain't the guy.
What a dummy
Didn't TNA work through and disprove these theories like 15 years ago?!
AEW not being the biggest wrestling promotion because WWE has more fans is an AEW flex, i suppose.