Chavo Guerrero has seen plenty of wrestling companies come and go, and he does not understand why some fans act like they have to pick one side and hate everything else.
During a recent appearance on Gabby AF, Guerrero talked about the current wrestling landscape and the amount of crossover that exists today. With WWE, AEW, TNA, NJPW, AAA, and independent promotions all giving fans different options, Guerrero made it clear that he sees that as a good thing for the business.
The conversation turned toward the idea of major crossover matches, including a scenario where the WWE Champion could defend against the AEW Champion. That led to a bigger point about wrestling fans and how some of them refuse to enjoy anything outside their favorite promotion.
After the host pointed out that fans of different companies would have to get along for something like that to work, Guerrero said he does not understand the tribalism.
“I don’t understand that, why people do that. I get that you have people like WWE more, AEW more, whatever but wrestling’s wrestling. I don’t like when the fans criticize somebody else just because they don’t like the brand. If it’s a damn good match, I don’t care if it was on TNA, in New Japan, AAA, I don’t care if it’s an indie show. If it’s a good match, it’s a damn good match.”
Guerrero then brought up Rey Mysterio and John Cena while explaining why some wrestlers are viewed differently by fans. He said Cena spent his entire career as a WWE guy, while Rey built his fanbase across multiple promotions and countries. Guerrero said fans should not knock someone like Cena just because he never wrestled in other companies.
“There’s people like John Cena who was only a WWE guy. If people who like other organizations, they don’t like John Cena. I’m like, why? Because he never wrestled in AEW or TNA or whatever. If he puts on a good match, he puts on a good match. There’s a reason why people really love Rey Mysterio is because he’s gone other places. He came from different places. So he’s got his fandom, people love him. Probably not just for his matches, but for him wrestling other places.”
Guerrero also used MJF as an example, pointing out that WWE fans should not dismiss him just because he is known as an AEW star. In Guerrero’s eyes, talent is talent, no matter where someone works.
“But guys like MJF… MJF is really an AEW guy. So don’t hate on him when you’re a WWE person. He’s pretty damn good. He’s great.”
Tribalism has become one of the louder parts of modern wrestling fandom, especially online. Fans argue over ratings, ticket sales, booking choices, match quality, and which company is doing things the “right” way. Guerrero’s point is simple: if the match delivers, the logo on the screen should not matter.
What do you think about Chavo Guerrero’s take on wrestling tribalism? Do fans focus too much on company loyalty instead of just enjoying good matches? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comments section below.
