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Some people say that the AEW audience is rabid. Well, they indeed were on Sunday night.
AEW All Out 2021 was a success on so many levels. The in-ring return of CM Punk - fortified by the debuts of Ruby Soho, Adam Cole, and Brian Danielson - made it what is arguably the biggest event of the year. It's been applauded by virtually every fan and observer that follows professional wrestling. It's being considered the most significant home run that AEW has hit so far.
The card featured some great matches, but perhaps there is nothing that says more about the night than the soundtrack it provided: The noise of an excited audience, who ate up all the action and just kept asking for more.
The live crowd at AEW All Out added to what was already a terrific show.
On what would be AEW's most-watched pay-per-view, the thousands of people who packed the NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, made sure they didn't keep quiet.
As the night rolled on and gained more steam, the crowd continued to get hotter until the show reached a fever pitch. Like many other AEW fans before them, they cheered their lungs out and sang along to the wrestlers' theme songs.
It was a crowning achievement for Tony Khan and the company. They seemingly staged their own All Elite pep rally with their loyal supporters supplying plenty of background noise. Even after over four hours of action, they were ready for more.
The crowd for All Out made the environment feel more like a rock concert than a wrestling show.
The AEW audience is often criticized for being 'clapping seals' - praising anything that the promotion provides. But no one can deny they had many reasons to rejoice when their favorite company produced the pay-per-view of the year.
All Out was everything it promised to be, from the blow-away cage match for the tag team titles to a stunning conclusion. It verified the faith that the fanbase has in its product.
Right now? AEW has a world of momentum, and even their biggest doubters and critics can't deny that. And while their most loyal supporters may get on the nerves of those who are 'WWE for life,' their reaction to the action is pro wrestling, personified.
AEW has a more vocal audience right now than the competition because they give them more to cheer for. World Wrestling Entertainment hasn't had that kind of passion for a long time now, and they're being shown up by a company that knows how to stir that fire with the fans.
WWE is - and likely will always be - the most effective and most potent wrestling promotion in the world. There's no denying that. But they're losing in the court of popular opinion right now. It can be heard in the thousands and thousands of voices of dissent—the people who left behind their product for a better alternative.
The bottom line is this: AEW's programming seems fresher, and it's reflected in the fans' voices. It's given their loyalists not just a voice... but a megaphone.
And they were undoubtedly yelling through that megaphone on Sunday night. LOUDLY.
What did you think of AEW All Out 2021? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!
