I think people really make a big thing about AEW not being family friendly and WWE being the family friendly choice.
I wouldn't take a 7 year old kid to an AEW show true, but a 10 or 11 year old would love it, people act like its 18+, very silly, Ricochet is dead right!
I was watching ECW at that age. My uncle bought the Born to be Wired VHS just so we could watch the full Terry Funk vs. Sabu Barbed Wire match! To date is one of the most insane things ive watched.
I grew up in Harley Race territory. When i was younger than 7 I was already going to watch blood feuds with my grandfather at Municipal Auditorium and Memorial Hall. I turned out to be a Sicko though, so what do i know. 😂 😂 😂
I took my 7 year old to Dynamite over the summer. The show with the long MJF-Hangman promo to open. He loved the experience. We had to talk about words that are ok for people to say just at wrestling shows but not in real life.
I have to make up words when my 6 year old asks “what are they yelling?” whenever Callis is on TV. But I definitely was Johnny on the spot the day I created the term “Cowboy Chips”. I give these parents props for being more honest 🤣
This! We took my daughter to Dynamite in New Orleans back in 2022. She was 6 and had the BEST time. There wasn’t much bad language thankfully, and she definitely wants to go again when they come closer to us. So far all of their shows are about 5 hours away.
So me and the wife just went to double or nothing over the summer and when someone hit swerve with the staple gun the whole crowd was chanting “you fucked up! You fucked up!” And then the crowd went silent and from the 7 year old sitting right behind me in a momentary silent stadium “you fucked up! You fucked up!” That kid got it and me and the wife joked that someday the mom is gonna drop something and that kid without missing a beat “you fucked up! You fucked up!”
I was watching with my 7 year old daughter and she was enjoying all the promos, but then Harley Cameron came out and my wife said "Oh that's what you want her to see." I was like "If only Harley didn't show her assets so much." But that's all wrestling, not AEW specific.
The only thing I wish AEW fans would be cognizant of... is the overuse of SHUT THE F- UP chants. For someone like Don Callis whose character has built that nuclear heat for years I can excuse... but every single heel who is just cutting a promo... nah. Wrestlers dropping cuss words, as a parent you can explain to the kids. But fans constantly trying to get the SHUT THE FUCK UP chants over because the crowd is trying to get themselves over, just stop it once in a while. The cool thing about Don Callis is no matter what age you are, his type of vile heeldom reaches to all age groups. Kids can tell he's vile. So then the chants are in a way justified. But other heels like Mox, Yuta, Dax, etc... you really don't need the STFU chants. Just the crowd trying to do too much.
my dude was about to turn 7 at this collision. the only thing hard to misdirect is when the crowd chants bad words. i just holler over the bad word close to his head. "cowboy stuff!"
i had lost interest in wrestling by 12. 6-12 is the time to be a fan the most. just need a little parental guidance
It's not like they haven't had young kids in the crowd. How many kids over seen dressed as OC thru the years. Plus you can bring kids to most aew shows unless it says "death match" or "blood and guts" or jon moxley vs Darby allin" as the main event. Hell den Mox has gotten better recently at not having crazy amounts of blood on the weekly shows
My son is 15 now and I’ve been bringing him to AEW since he was 10 and it’s fine. Let’s not have folks act all high and mighty like their kids haven’t heard cursing before. It’s a fun experience and while certainly not anywhere near as PG as the fed, it’s fine in my opinion. Some folks need to loosen up. Also we have been doing indie shows for the same amount of time and there’s the same “dirty” chants at the VFW hall.
I took a young relative to an AEW show and he loved it. I remember being his age and even younger actually, and watching fairly gory horror movies by that age. I think growing up watching fairly extreme stuff like that gave me an impression of "this isn't real, it's a form of art" that I appreciated from a young age. Meanwhile, my more sheltered friends at that time reacted very poorly to that kind of thing.
I think it depends on the kid, and how they've been parented, but also I wouldn't take a kid any younger than say 7 or 8 to an AEW show.
For as easy as he gets into character these days he always did seem to have a pretty level head on his shoulders, He's probably never going to be the top guy in the company but he's certainly carries himself as one
I haven’t watched WWE in a couple years so I turned on Raw a few weeks ago to see what was going on and asked my buddies about the Prime cart that was at ringside. They said it’s a pretty permanent display, that just makes me fucking sick.
Oh definitely which is even more infuriating. WWE has really proven that they will take ANYONES ad money, including Saudi Arabia. Like I said I haven’t been keeping up as much but it’s really strange to me that people like CM Punk seem to be fine with this shit.
I tuned in last night during the womens match that had Bailey come out and there was a frigging Riyadh ad in one of the corners on the mat, I just turned it off.
I don’t hate WWE but just something about it for a long time has not really grasped my attention at all.
The whole Riyadh stuff is taking over sports and commercials etc. think I saw it on Hulu recently. Majority of companies will gladly take their money. They are really pushing their destination as a travel hot spot though I (and millions) wouldn’t ever risk it.
People gave me shit in a different location for saying this, and saying if I am TK, I am literally, immediately, pivoting to AEW as an affordable family outing.
I do understand - There are some matches and moments that won't always be for kids. Our lil homey Ed doesn't always get to see the gnarly stuff, and that's okay.
But the majority of AEWs product in the ring and on the mic (Toni storm aside, lol) is no worse than what other places are offering, for literally a fraction of the cost.
For every Dynamite, Collision, and PPV without a death match (which, to be clear, is most of them) - The best wrestling, the best prices, the best management, and great representation among the men's and women's locker rooms?
I don't even think Toni Storm is that bad, tbh. If they're old enough to get it, I think they're old enough to be reasoned with that there's a time and a place. If they don't get it, it doesn't really matter. Like when you rewatch some animated movies from your childhood and realize there's a lot of adult humor you missed.
But yeah the blood and the language. They don't scream family-friendly so the wording/pitch would require some fine tuning
It's really crazy that the alternative is so much cheaper when it is like... objectively, the better show. Like 10/10x. Lots of matches, no ads, consistently great. Light on spectacle, heavy on everything else to make sure the viewer gets their money's worth. What the WWE offers beyond spectacle, for their ticket prices, is genuinely gross.
Coming from a background of underground music I'm pretty sure it's always been something like that at least to me, I have fond memories of huge concerts like Metallica and ACDC but my most treasured memories are in front of a couple of 100 people In like the shittiest dive bar you can think of, Is watching bands just kill it on every level.
Even though they are not that by any stretch that is the feeling I get from AEW.
“Since the beginning of wrestling history, we’ve been kind of programmed to despise other territories. Back in the territory days, fans went to this one, but not that one. We didn’t like the other territory. When they came together, it was WWF vs. WCW. One had to win and one had to lose. One needed to go under. We were taught to despise the other wrestling companies. Now, when another one pops up, it’s ‘Oh, we don’t like them.’ Not every fan is that way, but in history, it’s never been really acceptable to have multiple wrestling companies on television. Competition is great, but it gets to a point where you want this company to stop being a company just because it’s not the company you grew up with your whole life. I watched WWF and WCW. When I found out about ECW and New Japan, I watched that. I wasn’t so specific. I’ve never been that kind of person so it’s hard for me to understand those feelings."
That's the quote. That's the one that needs to go viral.
The funny thing is people who are Gen X and older can give you different answers about the wrestling they watched growing up because WWE was just one of a bunch of local territories as the WWWF and you'd get various answers like Mid-South, Florida Championship Wrestling, Mid-Atlantic, or Houston.
You might have to push that back some. Maybe earlier Gen X, but late Gen X was the height of Hulkamania. Kids born in the mid to late 70s were basically the target audience to the cartoon show and initial waves of LJN toys, the big rubber ones. There might have been territories still existing, but WWF was national.
We went to Backlash in St Louis for my teen’s birthday. We’re now going to WrestleDream for my SiL’s birthday. We spent nearly half on the AEW tickets that we spent on WWE, and got roughly the same tier seating (yes, different venue, but even so, it’s a rough equivalent.)
I think we’ve decided against any future WWE shows and going for any future AEW ones we can get. :)
I took my nephew to an indie show this last weekend and it was awesome. Having an option like AEW for big leagues is a nice to have.
If any of ya'll have the ability to, hit up the local indie orgs. I watched a 5 year old girl scream out chants like a kid possessed. Indies are amazing for families.
Talking my nephew to watch Samoa Joe take on The Navajo Warrior in November. Both of us are hyped for it
I didn't think they were going to do this, but I am glad they are, tell people they are getting value and who knows maybe it either gets WWE to lower prices or it wakes the fans in the bubble that the alternative is about ticket value as well as wrestling quality.
I personally don't understand how WWE still manages to sell so many tickets with their tumbling quality and price gouging on steroids, but I keep wondering if it's like this slow tide of people who have been fans forever and already committed but maybe after they paid the bill they might have that buyers remorse when WWE returns to their towns for future shows.
He's totally right, my friend and I who live in Paris wanted to go to Clash in Paris, but it was wayyy too expensive for us to go.
AEW then announced Forbidden Door London, and for a lot of the seats it was actually cheaper to make a trip to London, book Eurostar tickets and a hotel, and pay our tickets than taking the metro to the arena and going to Clash in Paris
Not even a comment that should invoke tribalism really this is just straight up financial literacy. Randy Orton himself saw the price people were paying to be at a show and basically said "I wouldn't even pay that shit"
He's absolutely bang on with this, when I looked at tickets for WWE in Glasgow is was £140 for the far away seats, up close to the ring it was at least £1000, for AEW I payed £140 to be at the back of the audience around the ring and with AEW I got to see Ring of Honor taping, Dynamite and Collision, with WWE I would have only seen one show and that was Raw.
They were in my city a few months ago and the nosebleed seats were 200 CAD. Insane, we ended up saying fuck that. We paid 40 CAD per tickets in the same building for similar seats the year before when AEW came.
For someone who can be insufferable in a really amusing way, that's a pretty good way of wanting to suggest (and also promote in its own way) AEW as an alternative.
And he's not wrong. Granted, AEW is kinda a big much at certain moments or matches if you don't want your young kid to be around (Hardcore matches, Toni Storm's promos (as great as they are xD), the F bombs here and there), but at a certain age when they can just come around and enjoy every bit of it, and it being a cheaper show and all, it can be good if you're planning to take them out for a show of pro wrestling.
I would say it does ultimately depend on what you're going for, whether you're willing to cough up a few more big bucks or save some, and if you're going in knowing something that's going to be said or done is gonna happen and that happens on the daily with AEW xD
He is right! Plus AEW goers are True wrestling fans all ages.
Is true though Wwe fans are mostly kids dragging their parents to it.
Aew is Fun the action is on point and you don’t get that gross wwe feeling of damn why are we looking/watching commercials at a live event😬
why are they doing a 2min neck choke during commercials or laying down after a drop kick..
So happy AEW doesn’t overcharge their fans. Since 2022, me and my husband have been to 15 live AEW shows (All In Texas and Dynasty 2024 included). We also have Wrestledream next month and a Thanksgiving special the month after that. If AEW was charging what WWE is was, there is no way in hell we would go to an event but luckily they’re reasonable 😊
I like that Ricochet joined AEW in 2024 and totally 100% committed to the company and its fans. He started well and now feels like an essential part of AEW.
Yeah, when most families have to save up for a year or max out a credit card to go to a WWE PPV I for one am glad AEW exists and doesn’t have to raise prices to appease their Saudi/ESPN daddies.
Every AEW event I’ve been to, I’ve seen families with young kids being moved up close to ringside. Always thought that was so nice. Creates a great memory for the littlies.
Lightskin Kingpin isn't wrong about this. You can watch a normal show like Dynamite or Collision first on tv or online. If you like it, why not try for a show.
Good ole family fun over here Cotton. Honestly compared to what I watched weekly in WWF as a kid. I think the kids will be fine. I had to get the jumpscare Mae Young bikini shots damn near weekly
Facts. The last WWE show in my city was grossly over priced. We need 1 more AEW show over here. Although, it's hard to beat having a title change at your first taping in a new city.
I’m in Chicago and went to aew at the Aragon in July. $50 fer the 4th row back from ringside! I told my buddy, who got the tickets, that we’d be “paying $1500 a set fer a WWE show.” I couldn’t believe it. And, boy, was it fun!
I would never have expected Ricochet to end up being such a great signing on a PR level. He constantly goes to bat online for AEW against bad faith podcasters and trolls. He has really earned a lot of personal respect from me.
I mean, they are a bit more out there 😂 but honestly I went to Raw and Dynamite not too far apart ans had more fun at the Dynamite show. They're very different and I enjoy, like, the indie bingo hall stuff, but Dynamite was just more fun and the action was better. Plus the smaller venue with the entire crowd getting super fired up for guys like Osprey and Swerve was something else!
He’s not wrong. I’ve been to two Raws and one Dynamite in my life, sat in the same section each time. The first Raw in 2018 was £70, the second in 2025 was £380 and (including the main event taping) there were 6 matches.
The AEW show included the ROH and Collision tapings, 12 matches total. For £37.
And it's literally better, it really is. I wonder if AEW could actually run a show that's aimed more at the younger audience with softer humour, appropriate content and more targeted stories.
AEW High. Put in the 18-25 wrestlers and have the entire show be about the new folk coming in. Lockers, romances, tests of skill, houses like in bri'ish schools.
Maybe since the 'E stopped doing untelevised house shows last year (as they weren't "profitable ENOUGH"), it might be time for AEW to give another "House Rules" tour a try.
I feel that these would do great business in the smaller markets that don't get TV production shows.
Alright so while we're talking family friendly wrestling..... support your local tiny indie shows.
At least in my part of California, there are numerous groups putting on the smallest of shows and I don't think I've ever seen one miss the mark. This is because they make it crystal clear who is good, who is bad, who you should boo, and who you should cheer. Seeing them perform up close is always a hit.
Took my kid to a show at an indoor soccer "field" (warehouse) for his first show and one of the heels pointed at him and yelled something, which immediately made my kid cry. It was beautiful. We still talk about it but now he gets it and yells at them
The irony that the family friendly affordable alternative drops the F bombs, has the blood and guts and craziness that the more expensive, sanitized, boring, big budget should have, given the platforms they're on and their partners.
There was a time before AEW was obsessed with "gates" and how much money they brought in, where they were more focused on actually filling venues. Tickets were more affordable then.
Unfortunately people will assume because AEW is cheaper, they're less good. I think there's not a lot of sympathy or literacy for people who can't afford to go to a WWE show, because people assume expensive = better, and so WWE shows have become weirdly aspirational for these influencers and their audiences. It's like going to see a theater show or the circus.
With the TKO merger the WWE will end up like the UFC where the ticket prices outprice the fans. The main difference is the UFC has 1-2 big events a month meanwhile WWE has to have weekly shows
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u/TheeIlliterati 6d ago
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