The Impact of Wrestling Tribalism on Fan Loyalty and Engagement

One of the biggest questions that outsiders have regarding wrestling fans is, why are they tribalistic? What drives wrestling fans to pick a side and defend it so fiercely?

Professional wrestling has always been a battleground, not just in the ring but also in its fanbase. Deeply divided fans engage in heated debates over wrestling promotions, wrestlers, booking decisions, and any other thing in the wrestling business. Fans debate which promotion is better, WWE vs. AEW, NJPW vs the West, or indie wrestling vs mainstream, tribalism runs deeply within the wrestling communities.  

Competition is a good thing, as it does not allow one to get complacent. It requires one to always be on their 'toes' to try and improve their product. Wrestling promotions have long fostered a sense of competition, except when WWE bought out everyone and became a monopoly. During the 1990s, fans were able to see this competition in play as WWE and WCW engaged in what is called the "Monday Night Wars." These two companies allowed fans to choose which they preferred and thus turned fandom into a battleground that is still going on today. Fans align with their preferred brand and the rivalry mentality from the "Monday Night Wars" has now transformed into WWE vs AEW. 

Fans feel a personal investment in wrestling. Wrestling enlists emotional investments from its fans, unlike traditional sports where teams and players are separate from the fans. Wrestling fans do not just watch the shows, they debate storylines, discuss character arcs, and make a case on why a certain wrestler deserves the spotlight. The personal connection that fans have with wrestlers and wrestling, in general, makes criticisms of their favorite promotion or wrestler feel like a personal attack. When fans make criticisms about certain wrestlers, fans of the wrestlers being criticized come and attack and use my favorite saying "Cry some more."

Social media has amplified wrestling discourse through sites like X (formally Twitter), Reddit, and Facebook. These sites have turned basic disagreements into full-blown wars. Hot takes and controversy thrive on social media, encouraging fans to defend their favorite promotion or wrestlers aggressively. Fans are not the only ones that are to blame, wrestling promoters also play into this discourse as they use fan division to generate engagement and buzz. Wrestling promoters understand tribalism and often encourage it subtly or outright. When leaders of major wrestling promotions fuel the flames, fans tend to follow suit.

Society has a mentality to view the world as a "us" versus "them" which leads to favoritism towards the "us" group and potentially shows prejudice against the "them" group. Wrestling fans grew up in an era where their favorite promotion was under whether it was WCW fans defending their company against WWE dominance or ECW loyalists swearing by the extreme style. This mindset is still seen today as now we have WWE loyalists calling AEW fans "indie marks" and AEW fans calling WWE fans "corporate shills.

Wrestling offers its fans different visions of what wrestling could be. Tribalism often stems from the different philosophies in wrestling. Some fans enjoy the 'sports entertainment' philosophy of the WWE; where there is little in-ring action and more promos and video packages. Other fans prefer more in-ring action where the story is not told by the mouth, but by the action in the ring....the actual wrestling. Each style appeals to different sensibilities so fans naturally defend their preferred likes.  

Wrestling tribalism is not going away anytime soon. Why does it need to be so hostile? Fans can show their preferences without tearing down others. We fans, all share a love for wrestling and a thriving wrestling industry benefits both the fans and the individual wrestler. Is there a way us fans can appreciate the variety of wrestling rather than fighting to the death defending one promotion? Is not more wrestling a good thing?

What do you think? Are wrestling fans too tribalistic or is competition part of the fun?