it’s early 2026. a large amount of New Hockey Fans are appalled at the misogyny and homophobia in the hockey world and disavow the sport. a non-coordinated series of explainers/primers/guides pop up on tumblr encouraging everyone to get into AEW. and they all break containment. a massive fujo fanbase starts tuning into dynamite.
jack perry becomes the #1 merch seller every week. TK is stressed about his sudden popularity so he invents a new High Speed belt to put on jack. the fanbase soon dubs it the Twink Belt, a name that surprisingly sticks even after hobbs beats him for it.
creative encourages the men to “get a little gayer with it”. max caster is allowed on tv again. mox missed the meeting but does bring up he likes to suck dick sometimes with his wife’s permission, which is somehow his way of talking smack about his opponent. kenny omega officially comes out on BTE during pride month and he was suuuper nervous about it before it went up but we all don’t really notice it happening until we see anthony bowens congratulate him on twitter. (the gifset of it only gets 120 notes.) max caster is taken off tv again. an effy match gets announced for collision but it’s a squash match and he never has another match in aew again after.
hangman and swerve spend four months staring yearningly at each other. around july, we all wisen up and decide to cancel hangman for queerbaiting.
over the course of a year, the company puts out no less than 3 formal apologies and statements that mjf is taking sensitivity training. there’s tumblr discourse on whether he’s allowed to use the f slur.
needless to say, nothing changes in the women’s division, by the end of what many have dubbed “AEW’s queerest year yet” there are six different active storylines involving dyke drama (with tongue kissing) but the women still only get one match per show.
everyone online celebrates how inclusive and lgbt-friendly aew has truly become. 2026 marks the second year in a row that former women’s world champion nyla rose has not had a single match in the promotion she’s still signed to.
