By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
A former AEW expressed concern over the AEW WrestleDream main event. Sarah Stock responded to an AEW social media post with a caption of “Somebody Stop This” to go with footage of Jon Moxley dunking Darby Allin’s head in an aquarium filled with water.
“You know who should stop this?” asked Stock, a former AEW coach. “Mothers. With their remote control. This is worse than the plastic bag over the head. Kids are going to end up dead trying this stuff at home.” Stock left AEW back in April. Follow her on social media at SSDarkAngel.
Powell’s POV: I don’t know how many kids are actually watching AEW these days, which is a problem in and of itself. It’s Tony Khan’s company, and he can book it however he chooses. But it’s a questionable business decision to alienate families, especially when WWE ticket prices are sky high. I’m not suggesting that AEW become WWE Lite, but simply toning down the language and extreme violence could make the product less niche and open it up for the masses.
You know who should stop this? Mothers. With their remote control. This is worse than the plastic bag over the head. Kids are going to end up dead trying this stuff at home. @aew https://t.co/DjCBNr4KiY
— Sarah Stock (@SSDarkAngel) October 19, 2025
(Jason Powell, founder and editor of ProWrestling.net, has covered pro wrestling full-time dating back to 1997. He hosts a weekly podcast, Pro Wrestling Boom, and also appears regularly on the Wade Keller Pro Wrestling Podcast. Reach him via email at dotnetjason@gmail.com and on social media via @prowrestlingnet.bsky.social or x.com/prowrestlingnet. For his full bio and information on this website, click here.)
They shouldn’t become WWE Lite, because WWE is already WWE Lite. Still, I can see where the lady is coming from. I wouldn’t want my daughter watching that either.
Nobody is watching AEW outside of the demented few that have hostages in their basements.
Although her statements are valid, this was an odd time to bring it up considering that in the leadup to this show we had a flamethrower and a Molotov Cocktail — things that would never have been allowed by the state of Missouri.
I agree Tony Khan can book his promotion however he and the network it airs on see fit. But I can’t help but agree that this stuff just doesn’t appeal to the masses in 2025. The Attitude Era was a different time. This type of thing is one of the things that drove me away from AEW. And I’m a huge wrestling fan since 1984. Again, Tony can run his company however he wants and whoever wants to watch the product can and I hope they enjoy for their sake. But this stuff just seems so outdated and cliche in 2025.