Why It Is Literally Impossible To Hate AEW

KEnny Omega
AEW

The argument is that AEW, a promotion in which Kenny Omega was the longest-reigning World Champion and in which every single champion at time of writing hasn't worked a single main roster match, "relies" on former WWE talents. WWE didn't create a single star "in-house" until the Rock was trained up in the dusty Stamford warehouse. The idea of a "WWE guy" is a fallacy, particularly since WWE actually f*cked up several WWE guys before they got over by themselves (John Cena, Batista, Roman Reigns...). WWE "relied" on "non-WWE" guys to build the "Golden Age" and the "Attitude Era"; Hulk Hogan (AWA, NJPW), André the Giant (wanted everywhere), Ted DiBiase (Mid-South most famously), Randy Savage (Memphis), Steve Austin (WCW), Triple H (WCW), the Undertaker (WCW)...

None of these men were instructed in the ways of locating the hard camera in the Performance Center. AEW doesn't rely on former WWE talents as they were presented by WWE. AEW has however hired a lot of former WWE talents. Again, so what? No rules are being broken here, and the sheer volume at this point makes it impossible for a WWE fan to hate AEW. The argument actually works the other way.

CM Punk. Bryan Danielson. Andrade el Idolo. Chris Jericho. Jon Moxley. Miro. PAC. The Hardy Boyz. Keith Lee. Adam Cole. Bobby Fish. Kyle O'Reilly. FTR. Malakai Black. Buddy Matthews. Dustin Rhodes. Christian Cage. Jake Hager. Matt Sydal. Swerve Strickland.

If you are a fan of WWE since 1999, it is, again, impossible not to have enjoyed at least one of these performers during the time you spent watching it. Of course, several of these wrestlers are presented differently - far better in almost every case, but that's a subjective take in an argument that strives for objectivity. But some aren't drastically different.

CONT'D...(4 of 6)

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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!