Going Broadway: The Truth About Diehard WWE Fans
By JDB…
Quick Hot Takes
On news that CM Punk and Bryan Danielson are AEW Bound:
-If you’re a WWE fan, news of Bryan re-signing and Punk returning to WWE certainly wouldn’t ruffle any feathers. Is it just because AEW can offer them something Vince can’t? Or perhaps it’s useful fodder for fanboys to try to compare AEW to TNA for not building stars…
*checks notes*
-Every current AEW title holder is “homegrown” with the exception of Miro
-4 out of the top 5 ranked men’s singles competitors are “homegrown”
-5 out of the top 5 ranked women’s singles competitors are “homegrown”
-4 out of the top 5 ranked men’s tag team competitors are “homegrown”
What was that again?
On news “Hangman” Adam Page has been pulled out of the main event for All Out:
Disappointing, but this is long-term storytelling at its finest. There are two points I’d like to make here:
- With Punk and Bryan likely competing at All Out, this takes away some of the spotlight on Page in an eventual world title win.
- Full Gear in November is named for Adam Page. This is the logical event where he finally overcomes Omega.
Settle down, guys. It’ll be okay…
On news that Dominos Pizza is pissed about the pizza cutter spot side-by-side with their commercial:
Was it Jim Cornette that called in complaints to Dominos for the pizza cutter spot on Dynamite? Man, some of these fans are so fickle…
Truthfully, TNT has a big enough network where an angry pizza company isn’t going to make much difference. PBR already stepped in to offer advertising placement if necessary. Besides, who orders Dominos? Any self-respecting pizza lover buys local anyway. Local pizza from small businesses is always the way to go over a mediocre corporate chain.
The Truth About WWE Fans
Anyway, in this article, we’re going to delve into the truth about WWE diehard fans, and why they can’t seem get on board with AEW. Let’s make a quick distinction that not all WWE fans are created the same. This is meant for the “fanboys” that like to insult anything non-WWE.
In reality, there’s quite an analogy for the separation between AEW and WWE fans, and for many, it may hit close to home. There are two truths about these types of fans. So first up…
#1 PC (AEW) vs. Console (WWE)
I liken a lot of WWE diehards (you know, the ones who go out of their way to insult AEW and likely have a Bray Wyatt avatar as their FB profile picture) to console gamers. There is nothing wrong with console gamers. I own a console and play games on it. But here’s the analogy:
When you buy a console, everything is handed to you in a neat package. You can’t upgrade the processor, RAM, graphics cards, or any of the like — but every game in said library for the console will work. It’s mindless in the best of ways, and there are some solid games when it comes to consoles.
Whether it’s PS5 or Xbox One, there is no extra work involved. For better or worse, this is your console(s) and this is what you have to work with.
When you buy a gaming PC, it comes with some research. You may have to learn a little bit more about what you’re buying, but in the end you get way more options. You get to choose the power of your processor, how much RAM and SSD memory you want, as well as the graphics card. There’s a good chance that with the right choices, you may not have to upgrade your gaming PC for many years to come — unlike a console. However, you can upgrade if you’d like, and it will probably cost less than a brand new next-gen console. (when the Xbox One Z or PS6 or whatever hits stores in a few years)
AEW vs. WWE
And this is the analogy. AEW has an expansive universe where you simply have more options. You may need to do some research, but you’ll find many great gems of wrestling talent out there across multiple promotions. This is much like how PC owners have an expansive library of games to choose from, be it from multiple storefronts (Steam, GoG, etc.), emulators, or even in-store purchases. Rarely do PC gamers have the inability to play a game only offered on a console.
AEW simply offers more options, more styles, more collaboration, and a wider universe. On the other hand, much like a console, WWE gives you what it gives you with little customization, if any. You can only purchase one type of game that will work on the console from one category. If you want to play other games on on the console (or see wrestlers in other promotions), that simply isn’t going to happen.
WWE gives you a neat package of high production value, the same in-ring style for every match, and the same predictable writing and booking that we’ve come to know for many many years now.
But for some, this works…
#2 Lost Boyhood Dreams
For many fans, this is all they want to know. Perhaps they don’t care about New Japan crossovers, other promotions outside of the universe, or their favorite wrestlers jumping ship to another hot new company.
Since childhood, be it the glory days of the 80s to the Attitude Era of the 90s, this is what wrestling has always been. A neatly wrapped corporate package under the comforting WWF/E logo.
I get the sense that WWE diehards either: A) are resentful of the fact that their own favorite product isn’t the company drawing the most excitement and growth in the sport and/or B) are simply in denial of how far their beloved promotion has dipped in quality.
Because if you read the hurtful comments thrown towards AEW, it becomes quite clear that many WWE diehards are simply frustrated, one way or another. While shade is thrown in both directions, I feel like the shade coming from WWE fanboys is more spiteful — as if they want AEW to fail.
Why would a wrestling fan want any wrestling company to fail? As stated above, a mixture of denial and resentment. These are unhealthy fans that will take any opportunity to shit on a random botch on Dynamite while ignoring (and defending) that the alleged WWE Queen of the Ring tournament finals will be held in a country that treats their women like third-class citizens.
It’s sad, really. But it’s a product of boyhood dreams that will never truly surface again. So denial and resentment take the place of mutual respect and understanding.
Going Home
For the diehards, much like WWE, they are stuck in sort of a wrestling hellscape. As I mentioned in a prior article:
(The WWE is) Forever unable to move the needle, bound to their shareholders and family-friendly advertisers, and giving the nod to their casual fans who yearn for the past — not the future.
And this has created a sect of a fanbase that will (at all costs) harshly reject anything else that threatens their comfortable WWE universe. Its no different from only listening to mainstream Top 40 garbage when there is a plethora of better music produced by smaller labels. It’s no different than only drinking Miller Lite or Budweiser when you have locally brewed craft beer available that doesn’t taste like piss-water.
Is it elitist? A little — but that’s something to strive for. Accepting mediocrity simply because it’s what you “know” is a rejection of personal growth. Try thinking and searching outside of the neatly wrapped box that’s been gifted to you by the corporate wrestling gods.
For the fans who have found a way to enjoy both companies: a hat tip. You’re the true MVPs of the wrestling fanbase. If only we can all just appreciate all wrestling companies, right? Then again, here I am at the end of another perceived anti-WWE article. Oh well.
Sometimes being “elite” also means being a bit honest…
-JDB