Why I won’t give up on WWE in favor of AEW just yet

It’s been a hard week for WWE fans. From Kofi Kingston losing his WWE Championship in mere seconds, to the horrible all-around booking at the Hell in a Cell Pay-Per-View. #CancelWWENetwork was trending on Twitter, while fans at the show were chanting for AEW and booing as the event was closing.

I understand why some of you are frustrated, why so many of you are ready to give up on the WWE, cancel your Network subscription, take your business and go elsewhere – hey – now you have options, right?

My fellow Daily DDT colleague Jesse Velasquez wrote an incredible article about why he’s fed up with the WWE and moving on to AEW, and I completely get his point of view; however, I do have my own personal thoughts about why I won’t stop watching WWE.

I’ve been a fan of the WWE for four decades now. I literally grew up with the brand, watched it since age 3, and now I’ve passed on my love of wrestling to my two young daughters. I’ve been to countless house shows, RAWs, SmackDowns and live PPVs. There are weeks where I can’t wait to turn on Monday Night RAW and SmackDown; and there are weeks I struggle to get through either program; there are weeks I fall asleep on my couch watching.

Having said that, I can’t imagine walking away from the WWE completely. Why? Simply put, we have history together.

I was there when Hulk Hogan slammed Andre Giant at WrestleMania 3; I remember when Rowdy Roddy Piper beat the holy heck out of Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka; I was sitting in my living room at my parents’ place that fateful first Monday night when RAW hit the airwaves.

I recall a time The Rock was known as Rocky Maivia; the night Austin 3:16 was born (that infamous promo Stone Cold spit out during his feud with Jake the Snake Roberts); I still laugh every time I see a meme with HHH and Stephanie McMahon in that convertible after they got “married;” Mick Foley participating in the 1998 Royal Rumble three times (as three different personas; Ric Flair’s retirement match against Shawn Michaels.

I was there for CM Punk’s “pipebomb” promo, the night #GiveDivasAChance was trending on Twitter after the infamous 30-second women’s tag match, when John Cena brought a child cancer survivor inter the ring after a match, when Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank contract during WrestleMania 31’s main event, during Becky Lynch’s infamous nose-bleed stance at the top of the arena right before the 2018 Survivor Series, and I got teary-eyed when I finally saw the women main event a WrestleMania this past April.

Little 10-year-old Dorathy never would have believed the women of the WWE would close WrestleMania, or any show for that matter, but it was a huge moment for me to see as a long-time female fan of the brand.

So yes, I’ve continued to stick with the WWE through its highs and lows after all this time. Yes, their programming will suck every now and again, but for the most part, I am entertained. And not just entertained for a night or two, but entertained for the long haul.

I have over 40 years of good memories with this brand and sometimes, I’m blown away at the idea that the company has been running for far longer than even I have existed. In fact, can you think of any other program that has to come up with fresh new material and storylines on a weekly basis for years upon years?

Sure, fans experienced some terrible booking this week, and probably one of the worst PPVs of the year, but how about all the other good moments and PPVs of 2019?

Royal Rumble was solid, WrestleMania was one of the better ones fans have seen in years, and Money in the Bank provided some incredible matches and spots that had fans highly entertained. I think what we sometimes forget as fans is that the WWE is like any other television show with characters and storylines that we will like, and ones that we don’t agree with. Except, most shows do take a break, and most shows don’t continue on for decades upon decades.

Most shows don’t need to struggle with injuries, which change the game entirely when it comes to storylines. Plans can be in the works, and then a plot twist comes out of the blue in the form of a hurt superstar, because really, there is no other choice. That struggle has to feel real to WWE Creative, especially when a top star gets injured.

I’m not saying that I won’t watch AEW. I respect what Cody Rhodes and the gang has done so far. I highly respect the fact that he left the WWE, branched out on his own, and has built something that connects with a certain fan demographic. AEW is creating competition and that will only bring things up a notch for all of pro wrestling; they created an option for fans and talent alike, and that is something that cannot be ignored and should be applauded on many levels.

But I challenge this to AEW and their fans. Sure, the company is doing some incredible stuff; however, can they keep their content fresh in a year? Two years? A decade? Decades from now? Will they have the longevity to keep everyone in their seats, create a multimedia empire? Will fickle fans be chanting W-W-E at one of their shows if one event doesn’t go to your pleasing?

Bark about the WWE all you want, but at the end of the day, in many ways, it’s become the American dream; small little promotion, rising to a global sports entertainment conglomerate, and it has done so for a very good reason. Because with the good, comes the bad; with some sagging storylines there are compelling content that has touched many people and inspired.

Having said that, I can’t give up on the WWE after one bad week when I have years upon years of good ones. I can’t just toss the brand aside because Kofi lost his title, when I had goosebumps just months before seeing him, the rest of the New Day, and his son celebrate with that championship at WM 35; watching Daniel Bryan’s evolution of the YES! Movement organically unfold in front of my very eyes in 2013/14; seeing Bray Wyatt turn from cult leader to an over-the-top psychotic with multiple personalities that suffers from PTSD, who’s BFFs happen to be a group of puppets.

It’s also going to live events; meeting WWE Superstars in person; watching what they do in the community; watching how they interact with fans.

WWE is more than just wrestling matches, more than just storylines, and more than just wrestling. It’s a part of my life, it’s a part of my own career as a wrestling writer, and in many ways, it’s a part of who I am.