So I’ve been watching WWE since around 1999 and have been through phases of loving it and hating it. My question today is – are wrestling fans just…the worst?
Attitude era, yes I’m one of those. I loved every minute of it. From the Mankind vs Rock feud (Mankind, your monkey ass says I Quit!), Austin/McMahon feud, sprinkled with the rise of HHH, Undertaker vs Kane, and the Hardys, Dudleys and Edge and Christian slobberknockers. There was a lot to love (and some to hate as well) and it was a great time to be a fan.
I was only 15/16 so this was all new and wild to me and I loved it. Then came the Ruthless Aggression era and seeing the likes of John Cena, Batista, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio and many others take the ball. I will admit that I wasn’t as invested in this era as the previous, but I still enjoyed it.
Then came some real barren years. I mean terrible. Remember when Roman was shoved down our throats? I’m looking at you, Royal Rumble 2015! This is when I started to fall out of love with wrestling. Don’t get me wrong, there were some incredible moments along the way:
Summer of Punk and the pipebomb was incredible.
Seth Rollins cash-in during the main event of WrestleMania gave me goosebumps.
The Wyatt Family/Shield face-off was insanely riveting.
But these moments were too few and far between and with the talent WWE had at it’s disposal, I felt there should have been more of these moments. Now, I’m not one of those ‘attitude era’ guys who is all for that time and nothing else. I love this era of wrestling also.
AEW was formed in 2019 and I heard about it but didn’t really start watching it until around the time Jon Moxley made his debut. I still watch this debut on youtube (linked here) and it gives me those goosebumps that I previously had.
The formation of another company, whether we think of AEW as a rival to WWE or not, has been great for the industry and great for the fans.
Having more options out there is great for everyone involved in wrestling, whether you are a wrestler who now has more options job-wise, a crew member or backstage person who now has the possibility of a job somewhere else, a journalist who now has a whole lot more to write about, or a fan who has seen the products improve because of the competition.
Let’s face it, when a company has a monopoly, they get complacent. Everyone needs a little competition to keep them on their toes. Make them wheel out their A-game. It’s the same in all walks of life. Having some competition drives us on and makes us better. It gives us a reason to improve and do the best we can.
And although AEW is only 5 years old and isn’t seen as massive competition for WWE, it is doing enough to make WWE and the industry as a whole, up it’s game.
So, if the TV product of WWE is improving (which it has over the past two years) and there is another company on TV that has a lot of well-known stars, then we should be ecstatic, right? RIGHT??
Well, apparently not.
Wrestling ‘fans’ are just the worst.
Now I’m not tarring you all with the same dirty brush here. Far from it. I have seen a lot of positive posts about how you want people to see that competition is good and it means more jobs for people and so on.
But naturally, with anything in life, the negative comments far outweigh the positives. Welcome to the internet!
The wrestling community has always been extremely passionate, but vile comments from fans are at an all time high and are increasingly damaging the industry. Social media platforms, forums, and live event interactions have become breeding grounds for negativity, with some fans directing hateful and abusive language towards wrestlers, promoters, and even other fans.
Only recently we saw someone shouting vile comments at Skye Blue, a young female AEW wrestler, at a live event.
This toxic behavior not only harms the individuals targeted but also tarnishes the overall image of wrestling, potentially driving away new and existing fans.
One major issue is the personal attacks on wrestlers. Wrestlers often endure harsh criticism about their performances, appearances, and personal lives. These attacks can be profoundly demoralizing and have led some performers to disengage from social media entirely.
For instance, incidents of cyberbullying and harassment have prompted several wrestlers to speak out about their mental health struggles, with some even taking extended breaks from the industry. This creates a hostile environment that discourages talent from engaging with their fanbase and undermines their well-being.
Moreover, the negativity spreads to interactions among fans. Instead of fostering a sense of community and shared enjoyment, fan interactions frequently devolve into arguments and insults. These toxic exchanges can deter casual viewers from becoming more invested in the wrestling world.
So I’m going to prove my point (just a little bit). I’m going to go away and screenshot a lot of comments. Hey, you may get featured, who knows?
Now this is going to be a big job, but let’s face it, unfortunately, an easy one. I shall return with my findings below.
Elite Level Abuse: Are Wrestling Fans Just…The Worst?
Ok so, Ethan Page has just signed for WWE and this didn’t take long…
Here’s some cool observations regarding AEW’s negotiations with WBD about their TV deal:
A few nice ones about Adam Copeland’s injury:
On Mercedes Mone’s press conference after AEW’s PPV Double or Nothing:
I’ve also linked here some abuse that Stokely Hathaway has received since Kris Statlander’s heel turn at Double or Nothing. I mean, come on it’s wrestling for christs sake! I suppose though when big names in the industry are at each other’s throats then others will follow their behaviour. You can read more about Eric Bischoff and Tony Khan arguing here!
I’ve been reading comments for around an hour now and I literally have to stop as I’m becoming depressed reading all the arguments and negativity. And these are just from Facebook (where all the experts live). Some of these comments are from ‘top fans’ as well!
So, we have ‘fans’ who want a company to go out of business. Why on earth would anyone in their right mind want a company to go out of business? A company that employs hundreds of people. Giving them a wage to feed their families. I wonder if these people actually want other companies they don’t like (but probably never use) to go out of business?
“Tiktok? Ahhh I want this company to dieeeee.”
“Why?”
“Err well I have always loved Instagram of course.”
A lot of these ‘fans’ may not have ever watched the product. I watch AEW and WWE and I can admit that the AEW PPVSs are usually absolute bangers, even if they are too long (looking at you Double or Nothing!)
I can also admit that the TV product is not always up to par. I can quite easily skip through a lot of it and don’t get me started on Collision. The argument about Dynamite being full of matches 20 minutes long and not enough build is a valid argument.
However, the argument that there are no storylines in AEW is just false.
I’ve listed some negative points there about AEW. I will also say that WWE PPVs need more focus but the storylines are improving a lot since he who shall not be named (oh damn, I mentioned him earlier, didn’t I?) left.
There are lots of things to like about both companies right now and of course, some things that both companies could improve.
And if you are a fan of one company over the other that’s fine. Honestly, it’s fine! We don’t have to bash the other company and wish death upon them all.
Competition is good. Really, it is! Let’s not let Amazon take over the world by destroying all their competition and let’s do the same with wrestling please.
Call To Action
So what can we do moving forward? Well, it seems obvious don’t you think?
- Recognise that multiple companies are good for everyone
- Competition ensures everyone is kept on their toes
- Vile comments on social media need to be deleted
- Make feedback constructive!
This has been fun, thanks for reading. Oh and if you are one of the people in the screenshots, well, congratulations you have been featured on a wrestling website. Also, please grow up and just enjoy wrestling.
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