AEW’s on-air presentation has long carried a reputation for giving its wrestlers considerable freedom with strong language, particularly compared with wrestling programming built around more rigid broadcast standards. That freedom does not mean there are no consequences behind the scenes, however.
During a discussion of the September 16 episode of AEW Dynamite on Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer said AEW has legitimately fined talent for swearing on television. The topic emerged after Francesco Akira used profanity during a segment involving the Death Riders, prompting his partner for the night, Will Ospreay, to apologize and say that he would cover a fine.
Akira said, “Let’s kick the s*** out of the Death Riders,” during the show. Ospreay’s immediate response made the moment notable, as he addressed the possibility of a penalty rather than treating the line as an entirely consequence-free part of the broadcast.
Meltzer stated on Wrestling Observer Radio, “There’s a fine for swearing...legit too. Guys have been fined legit, yeah, I think it’s a $500 fine.” Bryan Alvarez then suggested that the reported amount could help explain why profanity remains relatively common on AEW television, since a $500 fine may not serve as a major deterrent for many wrestlers.
For more background on this topic, read Wrestling Injury Report: Major WWE, AEW, TNA and NJPW Absences Entering Late September.
A Flexible On-Air Style Still Has Boundaries
AEW has often differentiated itself through a more adult-oriented tone. Its wrestlers have been permitted to speak with an intensity that can include profanity, and the promotion’s television product has regularly pushed closer to the edge of what viewers might hear on mainstream wrestling shows. Depending on the platform carrying the program, language may also be handled differently, with some services not applying the same standards that would govern a broadcast-network program.
Still, the reported existence of a fine system illustrates that AEW’s approach is not simply an unrestricted one. A promotion can allow performers latitude in promos and live segments while also maintaining an internal expectation that talent exercise judgment, especially when programming is being delivered live and the exact wording of a promo may not be predictable.
That balance is especially important on a show such as Dynamite, where wrestlers frequently perform extended talking segments, confrontations, and backstage interviews in front of a live audience. Wrestling promos are designed to feel emotionally charged, and performers often benefit from sounding spontaneous rather than overly rehearsed. At the same time, live television leaves little opportunity to correct language once it reaches viewers.
The Akira and Ospreay exchange offered a small on-screen reminder of that tension. Akira’s line fit the aggression of a conflict with the Death Riders, while Ospreay’s response acknowledged that language standards can still carry a practical cost. Whether the apology was entirely in-character, partly playful, or reflective of a genuine concern, Meltzer’s comments indicated that fines themselves are real.
The Reported $500 Figure
The amount mentioned by Meltzer was $500, though no broader details were provided regarding how often AEW applies the fine, what specific words or circumstances trigger it, or whether the amount can vary based on context. There was also no indication that Akira was definitively fined over the September 16 segment.
Those distinctions matter. A company policy can exist without being imposed after every instance of strong language. The setting, the timing of the comment, whether the profanity was scripted or improvised, and the distribution platform could all potentially affect how a promotion handles a particular situation. No additional internal guidelines were discussed during the conversation.
Nevertheless, the reported $500 number adds an interesting layer to the way AEW’s product is perceived. Strong language has been visible enough on AEW programming that audiences may assume it is always expressly approved. Meltzer’s comments suggest that there can be a difference between a promotion’s overall creative tone and the rules governing individual moments on live television.
For talent, a fine structure can function as a line of accountability without fundamentally changing the presentation of the product. A wrestler may still have the ability to deliver a fiery promo or use language that suits a personal character, but they may also have reason to consider whether an unscripted escalation is worth a financial penalty. In that sense, the rule is less about eliminating AEW’s established edge and more about giving the company a tool to manage it.
Warner Bros. Discovery Previously Requested Softer Language
The issue of AEW language standards has surfaced before. In 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly sent AEW a letter requesting that the company reduce the amount of strong language used on its programming. The request came after the June 1, 2022 episode of Dynamite in Los Angeles, California, a show attended by Warner Bros. Discovery executives.
That episode is particularly remembered for MJF’s explosive promo directed at AEW President Tony Khan. MJF’s remarks concluded with him calling Khan a “f****** mark,” a line that became one of the defining moments of his then-developing storyline with the company.
It was never officially confirmed that MJF’s promo was the direct reason Warner Bros. Discovery requested less profanity. The timing has nonetheless kept the two events connected in discussions surrounding AEW’s relationship with its television partners and its willingness to let major angles become exceptionally raw.
The 2022 situation demonstrated that television partners can have a significant voice even when a cable or streaming environment is generally more permissive than network television. AEW programming does not operate in a vacuum. It must work within the expectations of the networks and services that distribute it, as well as the commercial considerations attached to those relationships.
That does not necessarily require a company to abandon an edgier identity. Rather, it can require selective judgment about where the line is drawn. The language used in a marquee storyline, the time a show airs, the tone of a segment, and the audience a network hopes to reach can all become relevant when executives assess the presentation.
Why the Conversation Matters for AEW
Profanity is a relatively small part of wrestling television, but it can have an outsized impact because it helps define a promotion’s personality. AEW has made its brand around presenting in-ring action and promos with a degree of intensity that is distinct from more family-focused alternatives. For some fans, that presentation makes the product feel more immediate and less constrained. For others, frequent swearing can become distracting if it appears to be used merely for shock value.
The reported fine policy points to AEW trying to manage both sides of that equation. The company can preserve an environment where performers do not have to speak in sanitized terms at all times, while retaining the right to respond when it believes a performer has gone too far. That is a familiar challenge for any live entertainment company, but it is particularly visible in professional wrestling because so much depends on performers communicating emotion in real time.
It also puts additional context around Ospreay’s mention of paying a fine following Akira’s comment. Even if the line was delivered in the heat of a television segment, the reference was grounded in something that, as Meltzer explained, exists beyond the storyline setting. The fines are not merely a fictional disciplinary device for television; Meltzer said wrestlers have actually been penalized.
For now, the September 16 Dynamite moment has mainly served to reopen a larger conversation about AEW’s standards rather than establish any announced policy change. There is no indication that AEW is preparing to eliminate strong language from its broadcasts, nor was there a stated change to the company’s reported disciplinary approach.
What the discussion does establish is that AEW’s reputation for permissive language comes with limits. The promotion may offer its wrestlers a wider range of expression than many viewers expect from major televised wrestling, but the reported $500 fine means that freedom is not absolute. In a live environment where a single unscripted phrase can become a talking point, AEW appears to have a financial mechanism in place to keep that boundary from disappearing altogether.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.