The Unbelievable Truth Behind Wrestling Fan TRIBALISM

WWE Survivor Series WarGames 2023 Santos Escobar Dragon Lee
WWE.com

WWE will mix things up by doing temporary talent trades between NXT and the main roster, but a total bolt from the blue would very much help those weeks in which very little of interest takes place. Again, AEW and WWE operate at such opposing extremes that the ideal balance probably sits somewhere between the two.

AEW pay-per-views peak at seminal, but they're always, without fail, at least one match too long. Many WWE Premium Live Events feel rushed and under-baked as if Triple H is too wary of preserving the main event. He won't give Dragon Lee and Santos Escobar, for example, 15 minutes with which to go apesh*t and steal the undercard. Many such matches feel pointless, the opposite of life-affirming. Why sign Dragon Lee just to put him to work wrestling forgettable gentleman's threes?

WWE goes overboard with recaps, on PLE and otherwise. It is impossible not to remember every last solitary story beat. Depending on your perspective, it's either redundant and boring or even insulting to the intelligence. AEW meanwhile just bursts through match after match, forgetting that anticipation is key to the feeling. The heat in those matches rarely suffers for a lack of video packages, in fairness, but still: it would be nice to luxuriate in the hype or even remember how awesome something was after the fact.

In general, WWE is glacial and AEW is much too frantic. Dynamite could really do with room to breathe, room to register the emotion of certain developments. Continuing the theme, WWE could do with some spark, verve, energy.

This even applies to the commentary.

CONT'D...(4 of 5)

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!