Member-only story
If not a fan of All Elite Wrestling, what turns you off from tuning in to this show?
Nothing. All Elite Wrestling (AEW) is actually what got me back into wrestling.
It’s a combination of things, including the COVID-19 pandemic but their aggressive marketing on social media had them on my radar before that, and Jake Hager, who also competes in Bellator MMA made me interested. There is a long history between MMA and pro-wrestling whether fans either, like it or not.
The last event I covered in person before the pandemic started was in 2019. In Bellator 231, Hager fought Anthony Garret and it ended in a no-contest. In the post-fight press conference, Hager said he had intentions to be a Bellator MMA champion and an AEW champion. I was far removed from pro-wrestling, but I liked his energy. Plus, during the pre-fight media Hager was nothing but nice, completely different than his AEW persona, but that persona was turned on by the way his fight went. I also thought it was cool the AEW logo was on his shorts for his MMA fight, whether or not they sponsored his MMA camp, I neglected to ask but it kept AEW on my mind.
Fast forward to 2020, March 11 the global pandemic was declared. All sports shut down and canceled events. Everyone had to change how they did things as they moved forward. AEW was scheduled to be in Newark, New Jersey that week…
