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#5 The Fans Have a Voice
It seems like almost a forgotten concept, but the wrestling business was, for decades, built on listening to your fanbase and not stubbornly pushing on with your plans regardless of whether your audience is rejecting your ideas at each and every turn.
One prime, easy example of this is “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.
Depicted as a nefarious and vicious heel once he dropped his Ringmaster shtick, Austin was soon feuding with Bret “Hitman” Hart. But wait, is that the fans slowly starting to cheer for the Texas Redneck? Why yes, yes it is. The then-WWF recognised that fan reaction, took it on board, and masterminded a brilliant double turn at WrestleMania 13 as Austin was fast-tracked to becoming the company’s hottest babyface, while the changing reaction towards Hart saw the Excellence of Execution turned in to one of the best heels going.
Now, though? Vince McMahon and Co. have their plans and they’re sticking to them, regardless of if good guys are getting booed or bad guys are getting cheered.
With AEW, however, the promise has been made that the fans do indeed have a voice, that they won’t be told who to boo or cheer for, and that there are no plans to “coach” their audience on how to be a fan in the mould that the company sees fit. And after years of not being listened to, that is surely music to the ears of so many wrestling fans.
