One of the most interesting parallels in American life right now is WWE bending over backwards for the Saudis and Trump administration and watching their fans get gradually more uneasy with it, while AEW just grinds away and slowly grows as their talent wears Abolish ICE shirts on cable TV. - ThreadSky

bencollins.bsky.social • 2 days ago

One of the most interesting parallels in American life right now is WWE bending over backwards for the Saudis and Trump administration and watching their fans get gradually more uneasy with it, while AEW just grinds away and slowly grows as their talent wears Abolish ICE shirts on cable TV.

Reposted from David Bixenspan

Top 3 topics on /r/SquaredCircle right now:

"WWE’s late-stage capitalist hellscape is just a sign of the times"

"Early-arriving WWE Night of Champions production employees stuck at Qatar airport"

"AEW wrestlers met some adorable kittens from the The Humane Society ahead of Collision in Kent, WA"

Comments

thecleanupstep.com•2 days ago

I gave up when they had Chad Gable masquerading as a luchador from the 'Gulf of America' fuck this shit

streamthevote.bsky.social•2 days ago

This was so perfect

malcolmsearcyvo.bsky.social•2 days ago

Teehee. Dude Wipes. 😂

mik.hunts.monster•2 days ago

Had to Google. So wet wipes, but marketed solely at guys who are scared they'll be thought of as gay if they use anything that isn't specifically for men?

The same market where protein stuff is Grenade! and Fuel! and every fragrance is gunpowder, ballsack, and leather.

malcolmsearcyvo.bsky.social•1 day ago

Dude Wipes are like right-winged toliet paper. 😂😂 What a world.

frontrowbrad.bsky.social•2 days ago

I went to three WWE PLE last year (and really enjoyed them) but have managed to completely lose interest in the product this year. Haven't watched any tv since WM41

Going to my first AEW show in September 🙌🏻

sxysamurai.bsky.social•2 days ago

The best part of SC is not having to go to SC. That place has went from a fun place to discuss wrestling to showing off all the toxic traits that make up the worse the IWC has to offer.

Finding a middle ground isn't worth the hassle.

schlagging.com•2 days ago

Lifelong fan, and to me.. Saudi shows aren't canon. I generally tune out for months around them. Can't wait til that terrible deal is done and over with. #bloodmoney

brando37.bsky.social•2 days ago

Well I’m glad the blood money spectacle being a glorified house show is enough to make you tune out and not the decades of sexual abuse, misogyny, casual and overt racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, abusive work environment, sexual harassment, and the thousand other McMahon transgressions.

schlagging.com•2 days ago

Hey man, nice to meet you. You don't know me and the hours I've railed on that shitbag McMahon and the decades of horribleness he brought on the industry and those around it.

brando37.bsky.social•2 days ago

And yet…

epistemophobia.skeet.tw•2 days ago

don't be a dick

boaty.bsky.social•2 days ago

Sickos united

buchman.bsky.social•2 days ago

WWE thinks their audience is the NASCAR crowd. Meanwhile it's actually much closer to American premier league fans.

chas.bsky.social•2 days ago

Levesque making himself the face of WWE and McMahon MAGA at the same time is not a good booking decision. Also fuck him and Linda and Vince now, then, and always.

roxconn.bsky.social•2 days ago

I’m surprised Paul hasn’t gone up to Trump and said “I need-ahhhh to speak at your rally-ahhhh for twenty minutes-ahhhh and say absolutely nothing-ahhhh!”

epistemophobia.skeet.tw•2 days ago

Paul somehow finding a way to put himself over and bury Trump at a Trump rally

bimboiii.bsky.social•1 day ago

he just settled for hanging out with Brain Worm Jones.

0ronson0.bsky.social•2 days ago

allegedly, he just had Cody do that

itswilltime.bsky.social•13 hours ago

Just dropping this here since it’s related. https://prowrestling.net/site/2025/06/25/pruetts-blog-why-i-stopped-watching-wwe/

marceorosa.bsky.social•1 day ago

jezps.bsky.social•2 days ago

It’s enough to make me want to start watching wrestling…

Nah just joking.

Cool though!

phillipmalone.com•2 days ago

a) The t-shirt is great.
b) When you say "AEW just grinds away" your talking about them grinding away people watching them, right?

chuckfinlay666.bsky.social•1 day ago

the worst parellel is that the WWE will grow and succeed regardless, while AEW tumbles down almost the exact path as TNA did in the early years.

theangelremiel.bsky.social•1 day ago

And we are now well into the seventh year of people predicting that this would happen. Any day now.

thenorseawakened.bsky.social•1 day ago

AEW is infinitely more successful than the entirety of TNAs existence.

Higher Quality show, with better attendance, better PPV numbers, & a better TV deal than TNA has ever had.

End of debate

chuckfinlay666.bsky.social•1 day ago

Then the WWE talent starts taking up all the spots. All the main events. the indy guys fall off. The stories die. the attendance drops. Eventually Tony will sell and then we'll have our Dixie.

8bitbruche.bsky.social•1 day ago

You got tonight's lotto numbers too?

chuckfinlay666.bsky.social•1 day ago

I'm sorry but you're no. The quality of the show has declined along the same trajectory as TNA. We starred out strong with great indy talent and storytelling. But after the first couple of years, the big ideas have fizzled out and the storylines start to fall apart. Remember the rankings?

runningsignal.com•2 days ago

It’s the Iron Sheik again

esghound.com•2 days ago

WWEs fan base is shockingly resilient towards consensus manufacturing

brrrrrunette.bsky.social•2 days ago

I thought we were supposed to enjoy wrestling

usdhuga.bsky.social•2 days ago

Banger.

redmenace.bsky.social•2 days ago

I love AEW precisely because I can watch it and not feel gross.

lacewings.bsky.social•2 days ago

This is very important to me.

chuckgrape.bsky.social•2 days ago

I relate with that so hard. I couldn't watch WWE anymore because it made me feel gross.

redmenace.bsky.social•2 days ago

It is truly the Wrestling Bad Place.

adirv.bsky.social•2 days ago

I gave the Netflix debut a shot for the first time in ~a decade and this was how I felt with the Saudi and Real American ads in the ring.

persianx6.bsky.social•2 days ago

WWE promos read and sound like ChatGPT

torqpenderloin.bsky.social•2 days ago

welcome aboard

airtrafficaj.bsky.social•2 days ago

jaydeedouble.bsky.social•2 days ago

WWE would sell all their fans out in a second for $2/each.

kidcoheed.bsky.social•1 day ago

Tim Onion stop being top tier for like 7 minutes dog

motowncatscrown.bsky.social•2 days ago

And you'd never know it from the way wrestling media covers the two companies.

bschneider30.bsky.social•2 days ago

But didn’t you hear Tony Khan said “year over year”? Let me find an unflattering picture of him to send you.

dawisco.bsky.social•2 days ago

WWE fans aren't necessarily wrestling fans. And people who understand that are wrestling fans

wooster182.bsky.social•2 days ago

I’ve always said AEW just needs to be exposed to more people. The audience is there. They just need to know to look for it.

mickeyflykick.bsky.social•2 days ago

I’ve only just started watching wrestling again thanks to AEW finally being broadcast here. I couldn’t stomach the WWE after the Saudi Arabia grossness. It’s also a better product. Double or Nothing this year was one of the best shows ever

poloandjays82.bsky.social•1 day ago

You can't see that on X or you would have hundreds of E fanboys going at you

tdcheetah.bsky.social•2 days ago

Hello Mickey, welcome aboard AEW fandom in #wrestlesky! If you have questions, sometimes we have answers. ;)

Let us know who you enjoy! And don't forget to boo Don Callis. :D

flavadave.bsky.social•2 days ago

mik.hunts.monster•2 days ago

You're one of us now. We'll protect you from fights after school and share our chicken wing recipes.

realbigkris.bsky.social•2 days ago

umby.bsky.social•2 days ago

AEW's respectful, euphoric show in CMLL's own building vs. WWE's patronizing display after buying out AAA (expedited in response to the announcement of the collaboration) was the perfect contrast.

Watching AEW makes me love the entire world of wrestling, and watching WWE made me hate wrestling.

umby.bsky.social•2 days ago

(It also doesn't hurt that the company is booked by a 40 year old WCW/ECW/ROH mark who posted under his barely disguised name on forums who looks like he's going to burst into tears when he gets to hug his favorite wrestlemen)

heathercosta.bsky.social•2 days ago

I watched one of Maven's videos where he went backstage at an AEW taping and met Tony Khan. Tony then reminded him that the two had met after a house show on Halloween in 2004. Him remembering a random ass house show where he got Maven (and Randy Orton's) autograph says a lot about him.

umby.bsky.social•2 days ago

I hate him most for his class position, the grifters hate him most because he actually loves wrestling

zyla.top•2 days ago

i hate his money but i cant deny the man didnt spend time in the posting mines with me

airtrafficaj.bsky.social•2 days ago

Much like all of us he loves wrestling, and sometimes his fantasy booking is amazing and sometimes he makes bad decisions like the rest of us.

takel.gryph.one•1 day ago

there's no such thing as a good billionaire, but I'm willing to classify Tony Khan as a neutral billionaire

umby.bsky.social•1 day ago

Give him a little playpen to book shows from while we sort the rest of them out, imo

chrisvrennashairdo.bsky.social•2 days ago

Never forget... WWE doing a show in Mexico means... LUCHA LIBRE HAS FINALLY MADE IT! (Which I hope Reys ancestors forgive him for that next level stupid shit. He could have been all elite, but he just had to have a nepo baby.)

umby.bsky.social•2 days ago

I think it was the Forum in LA too, lol

chrisvrennashairdo.bsky.social•2 days ago

Oh my god... Really? What the fuck?

bradleysands.bsky.social•2 days ago

WWE's top babyface is just another WWE superman-type while AEW's is a guy who suffers from depression and anxiety.

orbit56.bsky.social•2 days ago

I’m sure you meant least interesting.

bskwitter.bsky.social•2 days ago

I'm not even sure what this is, what country it's from, or where I am

flavadave.bsky.social•2 days ago

And The Onion is holding truth to power while the Paper of Record falls for WMDs again and endorses Cuomo!

singlemalttheory42.bsky.social•2 days ago

Fuck The Fed

Then

Now

Forever

chriscjackson.bsky.social•2 days ago

I’m waiting for Vince McMahon to endorse Cuomo.

airtrafficaj.bsky.social•2 days ago

Cuomo is basically assembling the Sex Pest Avengers

manticorn.bsky.social•2 days ago

The Sex Offengers

davidcchord.bsky.social•2 days ago

Aew has been killing it lately. Great shows. The t-shirt was a big plus, and let's not forget Hangman's promo in Spanish, another great moment.

Everything is political. Levesque and Steph supporting trump's/mom's crusade against public education and doing photo ops with RFK Jr are choices.

ddigitalmedia.bsky.social•2 days ago

WWE has always been Trump friendly, He's in their damn Hall of Fame and was involved in an angle years ago with Vince that ended at Wrestlemania 23, TKO is even more Trump friendly than Vince was. There's pretty much a MAGA pipeline running through WWE Developmental.

darthhellokitty.bsky.social•2 days ago

My cat came from the Humane Society in Kent! Nice to support the kitties and a great opportunity for a face turn.

mrbrendan23.bsky.social•2 days ago

Their women's champion closed the show with this:
https://youtu.be/v90s_5a9E1s?t=233

momojes.bsky.social•2 days ago

plus doing meet-and-greets with kittens has to help

argovela.bsky.social•2 days ago

How we got here.

nancygeorges.bsky.social•1 day ago

yes!!

96aka.bsky.social•2 days ago

I'm fighting the war against the Onion man
On the side of the Onion man

cassiopeiacrow.bsky.social•2 days ago

Been watching AEW for 5 years and it has yet to make me feel gross the way WWE always did!

rawkitbawl.bsky.social•2 days ago

Mostly. Ric Flair showing up made me feel pretty gross.

cassiopeiacrow.bsky.social•2 days ago

Yeah that sucked. Thank fuck it was incredibly short-lived

thepaintedman.bsky.social•2 days ago

I hit my limit of stuff I could overlook and ignore. Haven’t watched weekly WWE programming in a month or so now and I almost never missed it before Fuckface McFelon was inaugurated

chefdiogenes.bsky.social•1 day ago

Ok but when do we get the Tim Onion and Abby Gazebo are All Elite graphic?

kaoticpersona.bsky.social•1 day ago

The fact that Ben Collins is talking about AEW as a real alternative to WWE was not on my bingo card for 2025.

helashandproductions.com•2 days ago

A E DUB!

wiseowlmakessoap.bsky.social•1 day ago

This isn’t a good look.
https://www.netflix.com/us/title/81048394?s=i&trkid=258593161&vlang=en

morningmoonmeme.bsky.social•1 day ago

Those are worked kittens, a podcast told me so

stickydrama.bsky.social•2 days ago

the aew posts at the moment on /sc/ are about the wrestlers meeting kittens and schiavone flying cross country to adopt a dog. damn if brand fanatics are the most annoying people, but the vibes between the companies right now

ulysses2619.bsky.social•2 days ago

As a wrestling fan since 83 I love it. WWE and TKO are high on their own supply. I see tough times for them shortly. It kind of reminds me of WCW after the Starcade 97.

supinearcanum.bsky.social•2 days ago

Woah, hold it, who's rolling the Abolish ICE merch on AEW? I need to catch up.

cgd-2.bsky.social•2 days ago

Big Brody King.

brrrrrunette.bsky.social•2 days ago

Brody King was very bold and wore an abolish ice shirt in a country where ice doesn’t exist

bschneider30.bsky.social•2 days ago

Brody King at the Arena Mexico show last week.

supinearcanum.bsky.social•2 days ago

Yo @miawong.bsky.social you seen this shit yet?

hanitje.bsky.social•2 days ago

🙌🙌🙌

#Wrestlesky #AEW #AbolishICE

amy.wrestlejoy.com•2 days ago

Brody King! He's in a faction called Hounds of Hell and is the lead singer of God's Hate. Here he is in Mexico City during AEW's special episode of Dynamite called Grand Slam at Arena Mexico.

He also has an ABOLISH ICE shirt where proceeds go to help victims and families affected by ICE.

bixdogbixdog.bsky.social•2 days ago

Christ almighty, i love this guy

supinearcanum.bsky.social•2 days ago

Woah, I never would have called Brody, but damn, guess I need to jump back in again. Fuck ICE bro, and hell yeah for Brody!

amy.wrestlejoy.com•2 days ago

Dude it is the PERFECT time. Hangman, the cowboy from Virginia, opened that show in Mexico with a 10 minute promo *in Spanish* about the power of solidarity, immigrants, and standing together.

And he's gonna be fighting for the championship at All In, their biggest show of the year, in 2 1/2 weeks!

boschii.bsky.social•2 days ago

Would explain why no one is calling for "cancelling" the WWE as McMahon cancels our education.

acinthe715.bsky.social•2 days ago

Not only the Trump and Saudi connections but the overkill of advertisements. Brands on the ring, on the turnbuckles, on the barricades, on the ring posts, on floor and now they have sponsors for tables breaks

buchman.bsky.social•2 days ago

Remember when they brought back Bray Wyatt and his only match was a glow in the dark ad for Mountain Dew?

handlebarorionx.bsky.social•2 days ago

The ads don't bother me because all the Japanese and Mexican wrestling promotions are littered with ads. It's whose advertising that makes me uneasy

angelofiction.bsky.social•2 days ago

The Khans donated to Trump. The Bucks donated to Trump. Jericho had the junior on his pod and his wife was at J6. American Wrestling has always been predominantly right-wing. People who try to say AEW is part of the resistance are either lying to themselves, or trying to make themselves feel better

realbigkris.bsky.social•2 days ago

Shad Khan donated once in 2016 and has gone on record saying he regrets that decision and has not supported him since. Jericho is trash and almost every single AEW fan despises him. You are a faceless troll who is either a big huge WWE fan trying to somehow whatabout AEW or are just ignorant.

realbigkris.bsky.social•2 days ago

Also, there is no proof of the Bucks donating to any politician or party. I keep asking for the evidence of this but no one has provided any documentation of this. Although there is a whole lot of evidence of Cody being a cheerleader for Trump. Fuck WWE and fuck Cody.

nowavecoffee.bsky.social•2 days ago

untamedbrain.bsky.social•2 days ago

The Bucks are Christian so ppl have assumed they must be Conservatives who support Repubs. I think that’s where that all comes from. So obnoxious how ppl take rumors and run with them as if true.

fanzine.bsky.social•1 day ago

People also assume that their dad being pro trump means they are and uhhh no thats not how it works

mcmax3000.bsky.social•1 day ago

I've also seen people cite some tweet they made that was like mildly critical of Obama back when he was in office as some evidence that they're Trump supporters, as if no progressive person has ever been critical of Obama or something.

sparrowmint.bsky.social•1 day ago

The fiction part of your username is relevant, you pathetic troll who capes for the rapist, racist company.

iownadreamcast994.bsky.social•2 days ago

Oh look some cunts burner. You ever thought about just fucking off into the dirt hole you belong in?

angelofiction.bsky.social•2 days ago

And a good evening to you, as well.

You always disprove a point by straight insulting someone.

iownadreamcast994.bsky.social•2 days ago

I ain't here to disprove shit. That's what someone else can try and do.

tiredunclesean.bsky.social•2 days ago

This is the right energy

iownadreamcast994.bsky.social•2 days ago

Yeah a lot of AEW fans have what I consider this unfortunate need to try and be open-minded towards other people. Me? I ain't got that.

homunculusdick.bsky.social•1 day ago

This is so boring. WWE is currently being sued for child molestation and sex trafficking.

mik.hunts.monster•2 days ago

Assuming ALL of what you said is true (and I'd be interested in sources on one of your claims), and none of it was actually decade ago and has since been expressed as a major regret by the person doing it (the first one) who himself has nothing to do with AEW, how does it change what's being said?

mik.hunts.monster•2 days ago

Seriously. How does any guest on Jericho's personal podcast that is unrelated to AEW change the fact that the company is quietly grinding away and stars are allowed to wear Abolish ICE shirts on their main shows if they choose to make that statement?

Whatever argument you're making, this ain't it.

untamedbrain.bsky.social•2 days ago

This was in 2016 before he became a convicted felon and blatant authoritarian. Fool me twice shame on me. The Khans have spoken out against Trump since and Tony even wanted to run for office as a Dem. Your logic is fallacious. AEW in 2025 is anything but MAGA. While WWE & TKO are fully supportive.

mattortega.com•2 days ago

My brothers and I grew up on WWF in the 80s and 90s. (I stopped around the time of the name switch.) My older brother checks in on it from time to time and we've talked about this for over a year now. It's grotesque.

tristancall.bsky.social•2 days ago

This is the reason I pay for AEW and pirate all WWE. I love the wrestling, but not enough to support that garbage company.

mydadeatsramen.bsky.social•2 days ago

never forget when the aew crowd chanted "he's gay" at anthony bowens in the most positive way I've ever seen a group of people call another person gay, and when toni storm cut an entire promo directly in front of a trans flag so it was on tv the whole time. aew is better than the things you love

8bitbruche.bsky.social•1 day ago

It might be my favorite non-match moment in wrestling.

loth-catgirl.bsky.social•1 day ago

"their talent wears Abolish ICE shirts on cable TV" wait wrestling is good now!!

puppygirlgirld.bsky.social•1 day ago

referring to brody king. this was last week when AEW was in mexico city at the cathedral of lucha libre, arena méxico. the match in question immediately followed an opening segment where one of the top babyfaces, adam page, did a promo entirely in spanish talking about how immigration is good.

puppygirlgirld.bsky.social•1 day ago

fun fact: brody king is also the lead singer for the hardcore band god's hate. here's another angle. the television crew was not shy about getting good shots of him in it.

puppygirlgirld.bsky.social•1 day ago

that first one was supposed to be a gif and it's cool enough in motion that i'm just gonna link it https://64.media.tumblr.com/a01eeed1363f0c16333cee4a51941430/1c5b4e16879332b4-11/s540x810/5d7b10e67c43500d85dc68a6c6a8a0609e8dc116.gif

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