A Guide on How to Enjoy AEW as a Casual Fan

Is AEW a promotion for only hardcore fans? Think again. This simple guide will explain how even a casual fan can enjoy All Elite Wrestling.

We are only a couple short weeks away from the debut of All Elite Wrestling on TNT. It only seems like yesterday that AEW was announced on the 132nd episode of Being the Elite.  And now we’re here. We made it. Wrestling is going to be on TNT for the first time since 2001.

Before we celebrate with a little bit of the bubbly, there is a giant elephant in the room needing to be addressed. Most current fans of AEW are people, like myself, looking for something different from WWE. They are established fans. People who have been wrestling fans longer than some of you reading this article have been alive.  Is it possible to enjoy AEW as a casual fan?

Absolutely. The magic happening in the squared circle is for anyone willing to watch. That’s the beauty of wrestling. Professional wrestling can be enjoyed by everyone of every demographic. It can be enjoyed everywhere from high school gymnasiums to the Tokyo Dome to the comfort of your own home. There is always something for everyone. Some people watch for the storytelling. Some watch for the athleticism. Some watch for everything in between. How a person enjoys professional wrestling is their vice.

So, how does a casual fan enjoy AEW?

Just watch the shows and enjoy the wrestling. Seriously. It’s that easy. That’s all you have to do to enjoy AEW as a casual fan. In fact, that goes for anyone.

Now, there are ways of enhancing your AEW experience if you want more than simply watching the shows. Being the Elite is a weekly YouTube series created by The Young Bucks which stars several of the current AEW roster. The Road To… Series is a weekly series covering the lead up to different AEW events. Finally, after each Pay-Per-View, there have been media scrums which different journalists attending upload the interviews on their respective websites, although, I personally hope AEW will consider uploading official media scrum videos after each PPV.

It’s up to you if want to dig even further than that. There are countless respectable wrestling journalist outlets available such as Daily DDT, Fightful, WoN, Bell to Belles and many more that cover legitimate news for multiple promotions, including AEW.

I’d like to stress that none of the above is mandatory to enjoy All Elite Wrestling. You don’t have to watch AEW every week. Not being able to attend every live event doesn’t mean you’re not a real fan. You’ve never heard of Being the Elite? No worries! These are optional enhancements and if anyone tries to tell you otherwise, thank them for their advice and do your own thing.

Don’t get me wrong. This doesn’t mean don’t provide feedback. All Elite Wrestling has stressed they are listening to the fans on what they want to see. They are evolving based on feedback. If you are genuinely unhappy about something you saw on AEW, give constructive criticism. They are encouraging it to improve their product.

You might be wondering “But what about when they talk about -insert wrestler name here- from -insert wrestling promotion here-? It’s so confusing! How can a casual fan enjoy that?” 

The magic happening in the squared circle is for everyone. All Elite Wrestling is leading the way in introducing fans to new experiences. For example, Joshi Puroresu was mainly unheard of in the United States unless you were already familiar with it. Thanks to All Elite Wrestling, Joshi Puroresu is becoming mainstream.

AEW is holding the door open to a world of wrestling that many casual fans aren’t familiar with. That’s the best outcome for anyone, casual fan or not, invested in professional wrestling. More wrestlers and more promotions get a chance to shine in a spotlight that wasn’t available before.

If you’re still worried you can’t enjoy AEW as a casual fan: don’t be. Tune in when you can at your pace. Watching wrestling shouldn’t be a chore. Wrestling is exhilarating and captivating.  Don’t let others set the narrative on how you’re supposed to enjoy the promotion. At the end of the day, we’re all wrestling fans and we just want to watch wrestling.