The tribalism in pro wrestling is horrible. Wrestling fans are choosing between WWE or AEW — and that isn’t a good thing. The Monday Night War between World Championship Wrestling and World Wrestling Entertainment ended in 2001. During the mid-1990s, wrestling was still highly popular; things are different now. Wrestling is nowhere near as popular as it was then. Yet fans, YouTubers and podcasters are hoping for one company to go out of business simply because they watch only that organization.
Fans used to gather with friends to watch their favorite characters — such as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, Sting, Goldberg, Ric Flair and others — but those days feel gone. Today’s wrestling landscape includes performers such as Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, The Usos, Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks. Both AEW and WWE struggle to deliver the “larger-than-life” type of character that can attract a new audience.
In the spring of 2019, Dean Ambrose — now known as Jon Moxley — left WWE because he disagreed with the direction of his character. Some fans expressed frustration on social media, vowing never to watch WWE again. Where was that same frustration when Sting — often viewed by hardcore WCW fans as a WCW icon — signed with WWE in the fall of 2014? Instead of complaining, many old-school fans supported him. That reaction seems hypocritical.
Both AEW and WWE have strengths and weaknesses in storytelling. AEW currently runs a recurring storyline in which a heel faction tries to take over the company — but that hasn’t produced the ratings it had when AEW first launched. On the plus side, AEW maintains a strong tag-team division. WWE had a compelling storyline recently with Roman Reigns’s “Bloodline” run, but some fans say the angle has gone stale and run its course. Many critics argue WWE does not have much of a tag-team division today.
In 2024, WWE continued performing in large arenas while maintaining solid viewership for its weekly shows. Meanwhile, AEW saw a notable drop in ratings for its flagship show AEW Dynamite — down from previous years, reflecting a shrinking TV audience. Rather than acknowledge these changes, some AEW fans insist nothing is wrong.
It is wrong for fans of one wrestling organization to hope the other goes out of business. Having two major wrestling organizations on major networks or streaming services should be something fans celebrate. It offers wrestlers another place to work and make a living. Why should fans be happy when someone’s livelihood is threatened?
Fans should enjoy wrestling for what it is: entertainment. True wrestling fans will criticize or appreciate both companies equally — and ignore the tribalism. There are more serious examples of tribalism in society that deserve attention, such as political division.
