Samoa Joe grabs MJF’s head.
Photo by Dean Moses
All Elite Wrestling (AEW) Grand Slam returned to Flushing on Wednesday night, bringing bone-crunching, star-studded action to the Big Apple and a sense of belonging for fans.
For many of those lining up outside of Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sept. 20, the third annual Grand Slam event in the borough is more than just a wrestling extravaganza and a chance to see some of AEW’s biggest names: it also provides a sense of community.
Simon Calderon, a devoted spectator, arrived with a prop wrestling belt slung over his shoulder and a second championship fastened around his waist. A lifelong fan of wrestling, he told amNewYork Metro that the storytelling and athleticism is more than just a show for him. He said wrestling provides escapism from the hardships of life and a fandom to join, even going as far as to aid with his depression.
“It was kind of like an escape from a really bad childhood and now at 33 and going through a divorce and my grandma passed away, I found myself really directionless, but one of the prevalent things is always watching wrestling to kind of cope with my emotions,” Calderon shared. “Legitimately looking through the emotional state from being suicidal and actually suffering very bad depression, which I still do but l have it much more in check, professional wrestling saved my life.”
For Calderon, AEW differs from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) by harkening back to shows of the 1990s and providing the fanbase with a viable alternative to WWE’s mainstream approach while also giving people a product to bond over.
“I feel like AEW came in right before the pandemic, so people were trapped at home. The WWE experience was a little stale, a little hokey. Here [AEW] it is like pure athleticism, they kind of just let these guys showcase themselves,” Calderon said.
While fellow fan Matt Cascone says he enjoys both WWE and AEW, he also said he feels that same sense of community…
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