What is the best alternative for WWE: AEW, TNA, or another promotion?

After everything I went through with “he who shall not be named” over my last two columns, it made me want to look at what the alternatives to WWE are and what truly makes them an alternative.

For some, AEW is the true and only alternative to WWE because of the money and exposure the company has compared to everyone else in the game. But I don’t really see it that way. Yes, AEW has a strong product—though it’s all over the place at times—and they’ve been able to secure great deals, like the rumored Amazon Prime partnership, to increase exposure. However, does that make them more of an alternative than TNA or other companies? In my book, I don’t think so.

For me, the alternative to WWE is whatever other product you enjoy watching. If you like watching TNA, then TNA is your alternative. If you prefer NJPW, CMLL, or any other international promotion, then that’s your alternative to WWE.

In the end, there are so many options available right now that fans can pretty much pick and choose what their alternative will be. That’s what’s fun about the current wrestling landscape—because like it or not, WWE is and will always be the number one company in the business, and nobody, not even AEW, can change that fact.

So just for fun, here are some of my favorite alternatives to WWE:

TNA: This has been my alternative since it started over 20 years ago. Lately, they’ve shown signs of really wanting to grow and get competitive again. The product has been on par with AEW’s despite having a smaller budget. You have to give them credit—they’ve been able to draw AEW-level crowds for some of their bigger shows, even outselling ROH for their Final Resolution PPV last year.

OVW: While it’s not as well-known as AEW or TNA, I really like what Al Snow has done with the company. It truly looks and feels like a regional promotion, but the wrestlers have passion and drive. It’s clear they believe in Snow’s vision, which makes it a really fun watch, whether on TV or their YouTube channel.

WOW: This has been my guilty pleasure for a few years now. While the show feels cheesy at times, the wrestling is really good for the most part. It also helps a lot of women wrestlers gain exposure and experience on television.

This is pretty much my selection of what I like to watch outside of WWE, but there are so many other options out there. AEW is obviously a popular choice, but smaller promotions like MLW and NWA, as well as various regional and international promotions, provide plenty of alternatives for fans. I don’t think the old narrative that “if AEW closes, there won’t be any alternatives to WWE” holds true anymore. If AEW were to close—which I sincerely hope doesn’t happen—their fans would simply move on to other wrestling products that already exist.

The wrestling business is very healthy right now, and I think it’s time for fans to enjoy whatever they like and stop being so toxic toward fans who enjoy products they don’t.