Squared Circle Spotlight

The debate between AEW and WWE has become one of the most passionate divides in modern professional wrestling.

When we posted our debate on AEW vs. WWE, I knew the division between fans would be evident. What I didn’t expect was the passion—and maybe some vitriol—that fans had for their favorite promotion.

Now don’t get me wrong: everyone has their favorite team in sports that they ride with no matter what. As someone who grew up a lifelong WWE fan, I obviously lean one way, but you can’t deny the passion of AEW’s fan base.
They love the sport of professional wrestling—the athleticism, the risks, the hard-hitting maneuvers, the long, energy-packed battles. I attribute some of that to the days I would stay up until one in the morning to watch ECW and see wrestling like I had never seen before. There’s an undeniable excitement to it.

WWE, on the other hand, is where we go for larger-than-life spectacles—clashes of titans and stories that feel familiar yet play out with new characters generation after generation. Fans who have watched since they were children can reconnect years later as they watch their own kids follow a new generation of superstars.

What makes the dynamic interesting, though, is how quickly that passion can turn into tribalism.
Somewhere along the way, enjoying one promotion started to mean rejecting the other entirely. I’m guilty of it myself, only getting back into AEW this past year.

If you praise a match on one show, someone assumes you’re taking a shot at the other. Criticize a storyline in one company and suddenly you’re accused of being biased. What should be a celebration of wrestling sometimes turns into a scoreboard.
And the truth is, both sides are chasing different interpretations of the same art form.

Neither approach is inherently better—they’re just different flavors of the same thing.

The irony is that wrestling itself has always thrived on rivalries: promotions competing, styles clashing, and territories fighting for audiences. In many ways, the modern fan debate between companies is simply a reflection of that same competitive spirit that has always existed within the industry.

But as fans, we sometimes forget something simple: we’re living in a time where there is more high-quality wrestling available than ever before. Multiple promotions, different styles, and countless wrestlers getting opportunities to shine on major platforms.

And maybe that’s the real takeaway from all of this.

You don’t have to choose a side to enjoy wrestling. You can appreciate the spectacle of a massive moment on one show while still getting excited about the athletic showcase happening on another. At the end of the day, the goal should be the same for all of us—sit back, enjoy the show, and remember why we fell in love with professional wrestling in the first place.