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#4 Appealing to hardcore fans
Chasing casual wrestling fans is a losing proposition for any company that isn’t WWE. WWE is better established, better known, and more accessible than any other wrestling promotion given their TV deals and the WWE Network. Hardcore fans or past hardcore fans alienated by the WWE product are the ones looking for more and different wrestling content.
AEW has appealed to hardcore fans in pushing talents who made their names in NJPW, Ring of Honor, and other smaller companies, besides giving former WWE talents an opportunity to shine by not rehashing their WWE shtick, but rather reinventing themselves. The Double or Nothing match between Cody and Dustin Rhodes alone demonstrated how past WWE stars can present different, and better selves when given greater creative freedom and time to ply their trade. Being different from WWE—offering a genuine alternative—is key to the long-term success of AEW, and courting hardcore fans is a great avenue to get there.
What makes Sting special? His first AEW opponent opens up RIGHT HERE.
