Tag: Tony Khan

Tony Khan thinks his tweets are just fine for AEW, helping to ‘build engagement’

AEW boss Tony Khan gave his thoughts on debate over his social media posts.

When you’re the person who owns and runs your own wrestling company, you can post whatever the heck you want on social media. Tony Khan has certainly proven that, particularly over the last year or so.

Though it seems like a long time ago thanks to the crazy speed of the wrestling news cycle in 2024, it was just last month when Khan got into a combative exchange with USA Network on X (yes, the former Twitter), defending his push of Hook for a world title shot in AEW while dismissing the same thing for Jinder Mahal in WWE.

Earlier this month, Khan responded to the news that Rossy Ogawa had been dismissed from STARDOM with this semi-subtweet:

It’s not hard to find detractors and defenders for the way Khan conducts himself on social media. The former feel he should be above stuff like this and concentrate on running AEW, while the latter say it’s all in good fun and that it gets people thinking and talking about the company.

What does Khan himself say about his tweeting? He was asked about it by Adrian Hernandez, and while he didn’t really answer the question directly, he certainly doesn’t seem to see it as a negative (h/t Fightful for the transcription).

We’ve been able to promote the show and build engagement. Also, the company has a great presence. We have a great connection with the fans. We’ve been able to build real engagement at times. There is tangible proof of that and our huge TV ratings and the fact that three of the last four weeks, Dynamite has beat the NBA on ESPN straight up. We’ve had great success connecting with our fans. I think what we have going works really well.

It’s hard to argue with his strategy if you subscribe to the theory that any publicity is good publicity. There’s also an argument to be made that if you are the challenger in an industry with a heavily entrenched top dog, social media is one of the prime ways to ensure people find you relevant.

That said, there have been times when Khan has tweeted something and your first reaction is to wince. It doesn’t sound like that’s going to stop, which will continue to keep things interesting if nothing else.

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Don’t worry AEW fans, Tony Khan has no plans to ever wrestle

When asked if he would ever wrestle in AEW, Tony Khan gave a great answer: “I don’t think anybody really wants to see that.”

Let’s face it: If you were a wealthy person who owned a pro wrestling company, it would be hard to resist the temptation to make yourself part of the action. For AEW CEO, GM and head of creative Tony Khan, who grew up a wrestling fan, that allure must be powerful indeed.

Yet Khan has resisted drawing too much attention to himself on AEW programming since the promotion’s inception, appearing only to make announcements and every once in a blue moon as an authority figure. If you’ve been to an AEW show in person, you know the only time he’s likely to pop up is to hype up the crowd before it goes live or to thank fans for attending once the cameras are off.

As for getting in the ring himself, as other promoters have been known to do from time to time, Khan has absolutely no thoughts of that. He told the Levack and Goz podcast that he’d much rather have the fans focus on what he calls “the best wrestlers in the world” (h/t Fightful for the transcription).

I don’t think anybody really wants to see that. Not anytime soon. That’s not anything I think we’re going to do. I do think AEW has a great roster, the best wrestlers in the world. I would rather try to put the best matches and we have exciting rivalries building in AEW right now.

With all due respect to Khan, he’d likely need to start a cruiserweight division to compete in even if he did want to try his hand in the ring. Still, with the roster already stacked with talent, Will Ospreay on the way and Mercedes Moné and Kazuchika Okada likely joining the company soon too, there’s definitely no need for TK to change his stance — and honestly, that’s a good thing.

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AEW Dynamite preview 02/07/24: Tony Khan makes his latest big announcement

AEW Dynamite will also find either Hangman Adam Page or Swerve Strickland earning a world title shot at Revolution.

We haven’t even made it to Valentine’s Day yet, but it’s already been an eventful year in pro wrestling. Can tonight’s AEW Dynamite in Phoenix keep that momentum rolling? It may depend on the answer to the first question we have for tonight’s show …

What, or who, will be the subject of Tony Khan’s big announcement?

It might be time to cut Tony Khan some slack. While there is a certain amount of eye-rolling whenever AEW promotes a “big,” “huge” or “important” announcement, the truth is that he’s batting a decent average on them overall thanks to things like All In London, the Forbidden Door shows with NJPW and his purchase of Ring of Honor.

Will this one belong in that same rarified air? It’s possible if it’s the official word that Mercedes Moné is on her way in. Or it could be verification that Kazuchika Okada has been signed. Heck, what if it’s both?

It could also be something totally out of left field. That’s why we look forward to these even though there are occasions where they’re overhyped.

Can Sting win one more championship before he retires?

The end is now drawing incredibly close for Sting, whose final match is now less than a month away. That makes his tag team title shot alongside Darby Allin mean that much more, because barring something completely unforeseen, this will be his final chance to wear gold as a pro wrestler.

Despite being somewhat thrown together, Big Bill and Ricky Starks have been fine champs. But Sting has yet to taste defeat in AEW, and it would be strange indeed for him to do so now. The guess is that he and Darby get the titles, which means a Revolution showdown with the Young Bucks would turn into a championship farewell.

Can Hangman finally defeat Swerve?

Speaking of Revolution, there’s an AEW World Championship title opportunity on the line on Dynamite when Hangman Adam Page and Swerve Strickland meet for the third time. In a lot of cases this would be a rubber match, but not here as Strickland is 2-0 in their previous meetings.

Hangman would be an easy pick here normally to ensure the proper face-heel dynamic going against Samoa Joe in Greensboro. But it feels like Page might be slipping toward the dark side at the same time more and more fans jump on Swerve’s bandwagon. It’s going to be interesting to see how AEW plays this one.

Also advertised for AEW Dynamite in Phoenix:

  • Toni Storm takes on Red Velvet with Deonna Purrazzo on guest commentary
  • The CMLL vs. BCC feud continues with a six-man tag match
  • Chris Jericho steps in to battle Konosuke Takeshita
  • And it will all go more than two hours as Khan says he’s secured an overrun from TBS

Fired up yet? We are, which is why we’ll be recapping the action live here on Wrestling Junkie. Join us here on the site at 8 p.m. ET for the latest.

The top pro wrestling stories to watch in 2024

Here’s your guide for what to watch for in WWE, AEW and the pro wrestling industry in the year ahead.

To say 2023 was an eventful year in professional wrestling would be an understatement.

However, there is plenty of intrigue on the horizon in 2024. Here are the stories to watch as we enter a new year.

Tony Khan on Chris Jericho sexual harassment allegations: ‘Can’t speak to internet and unsourced rumors’

AEW head Tony Khan said he “can’t speak to internet and unsourced rumors” around Chris Jericho sexual harassment allegations.

As has unfortunately been the case with AEW pay-per-views more than once over the past 18 months, there was something of a dark cloud hanging over Worlds End on Saturday night on Long Island. Once again, they involved one of the company’s top stars.

In this case, it was serious though as of yet unsubstantiated allegations of sexual harassment against Chris Jericho, one of which involved a wrestler who left AEW suddenly several years ago. It definitely affected the reaction Jericho received at Worlds End, with noticeable booing any time he was involved in his eight-man tag team match and several signs referencing the allegations plainly visible on the broadcast.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Jericho did not take part in the post-event media scrum. Tony Khan did, of course, and AEW’s CEO, GM and head of creative was asked by PWI’s Kevin McElvaney fairly early in the conference what measures are in place to help AEW prevent or investigate sexual misconduct in the workplace.

Without going into details, Khan touted the “policy in place” and touted his belief that AEW has “the best safety record, I believe of any pro wrestling company in the world.”

Later in the scrum, Wrestling Junkie’s Phil Strum pressed Khan on whether Jericho specifically was “at any time under any internal investigation for sexual misconduct or any other type of misconduct over the course of his tenure in AEW.”

“I can’t speak to internet and unsourced rumors,” Khan said. “I think I spoke earlier to Kevin and mentioned the policy we have in place and the disciplinary process. We’ve always followed that and I believe AEW is the safest wrestling company in the world and we have the best track record for safety and I would hold it up to anybody and any time anybody has any kind of complaint, they have an open door, again, to say it to me or to anyone in the office and we would look into it any time.”

For some of AEW’s past incidents, including those involving CM Punk, Khan wasn’t able to speak about them for legal reasons. While that could certainly be true here, especially if there is an investigation of some type underway, this is a story with the potential to linger into the new year.

The biggest professional wrestling stories of 2023: CM Punk, TKO and more

From WWE to AEW and beyond, here were the things that stood out most in an eventful year in pro wrestling.

Take a deep breath, wrestling fans. The year 2023 is almost over.

It is understandable if you haven’t done that a whole lot over the last 12 months, as the industry has not provided many opportunities to take in a soothing sigh of relief.

There were many ups, quite a few downs, but all in all, 2023 was a banner year for professional wrestling that in hindsight will be fondly remembered as one of the most impactful in the history of the industry.

But before we look ahead to 2024, let’s take one last look back on the year’s biggest stories in professional wrestling.

What’s going under Tony Khan’s tree? 6 gifts for AEW this holiday season

In the spirit of giving, here’s a half-dozen things that would help AEW in 2024 and beyond.

Despite breaking world records, releasing a video game, and adding major names to its roster, AEW went through a lot in 2023.

It lost its top star and saw its ticket and television ratings decline. Even the video game game garnered middling reviews from critics and drew the ire of fans for its lack of depth and price.

So if there is any entity in professional wrestling that is in need of some holiday cheer, it is the good folks based out of Jacksonville. So while I was doing my holiday shopping, I made sure to save some imaginary cash for AEW.

Here are the six gifts AEW could use this holiday season.

Tony Khan hopes Sting becomes AEW ambassador in retirement: ‘He’s in many ways AEW’s greatest legend’

Even after Sting wraps up his wrestling career in 2024, Tony Khan sees a role for him in AEW.

Sting will retire from the ring at AEW Revolution in 2024, marking the end of his long and historic career in pro wrestling. He has held prominent spots in WCW, WWE, TNA and now AEW, but this will be his final chapter in the ring after decades as a performer.

The Icon joined AEW in its infancy, offering legitimacy to a company still trying to establish itself. Despite them starting with a plethora of big names, Sting stood out from the rest of the pack as someone who had seen and done it all in the business. He has since become one of AEW’s most prominent on-screen figures.

Now, it’s a matter of properly wrapping up a legendary career. When asked about the responsibility he holds in ensuring Sting ends on a high note, Tony Khan told Steve Hermon of BBC West Midlands that the Franchise definitely deserves a grand send-off. Additionally, Khan hopes that Sting will continue to be an AEW ambassador in the future (h/t Fightful for transcription).

I think it’s incredibly important for us to make sure Sting gets a great send-off. He absolutely deserves it. He’s a legend in wrestling, with decades of experience. Sting is beloved, and I’m very excited about Sting’s retirement tour, which has embarked. He’ll be finishing up at Revolution. Of course, Sting was a huge part of the original AEW All In at Wembley Stadium. When Sting came out to Metallica, what a moment. ‘Seek and Destroy’ will be something that will live on in perpetuity in the video library as a great moment. I hope Sting will come. He’ll be retired at that point, but I hope he’ll still come be an ambassador because he’s in many ways AEW’s greatest legend, and I think he’s one of wrestling’s greatest legends.

I’m working with him very closely and still overseeing what we do but also talking to Sting because I want to make sure it’s people he feels comfortable wrestling and people he wants to get in the ring with, matches he’s excited about. That’s how we’ve done it this whole time, and we’re gonna keep doing it because Sting’s final run has been I believe one of the great send-offs in wrestling so far. We’re over two-and-a-half years into that retirement run, and at the three-year anniversary of Sting’s comeback match, we’ll celebrate this great three-year run he’s had. He’s been undefeated in AEW, which is pretty amazing. Sting’s had about 20 matches in AEW, and to have that record, to be undefeated, it’s pretty incredible. If he can maintain that record going into Revolution, it’ll really be something to see if Sting can finish his career with that three-year undefeated streak.

Sting’s occasional appearances and representation of AEW at other events greatly would benefit the company, especially since they do not have a well-established history of talent like WWE or even TNA.

As the biggest name with a long-term presence with the company, having him make sporadic appearances, similar to WWE’s use of the Undertaker, wouldn’t be the worst thing. Sting remains a draw after all this time, and AEW can use him at its marquee events down the road.

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Tony Khan says CM Punk to WWE ‘not something I can legally talk about’

It’s not that AEW boss Tony Khan doesn’t want to talk about CM Punk returning to WWE, but that he says he can’t.

Any time there are seismic events that ripple across the pro wrestling landscape, there are perceived winners and losers. In the case, of CM Punk returning at Survivor Series, WWE is clearly basking in the attention he’s brought and the fascination over what might happen next.

(Not to mention the revenue his new t-shirt is likely already bringing in.)

One big question is whether Punk returning to WWE will be seen as the proverbial one that got away from AEW. Punk’s tumultuous time with that company is well documented, and ended with him being fired for cause in early September after a backstage confrontation that CEO, GM and head of creative Tony Khan said in the aftermath made him feel afraid for his safety and the safety of other employees.

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Yet Khan also spoke glowingly on multiple occasions prior to any of Punk’s suspensions of the positive impact he had on AEW from both creative and business perspectives. Surely, then, he must feel some type of way about seeing him show up on WWE programming, right?

It would be hard to believe he doesn’t, but as he told BBC reporter Steve Hermon, he also can’t discuss it at the moment.

Can’t talk about that, nor do I think it’s the time or the place. But I appreciate you asking, and I’m very excited about AEW All In Wembley Stadium. Not to dodge or duck your question, it’s just not something I can legally talk about.

There’s indeed some degree of irony that Khan is promoting next year’s All In London show after the straw that broke the camel’s back between Punk and AEW came at this year’s event at Wembley Stadium, threatening to overshadow what should have been (and in Khan’s eyes, still is) the promotion’s greatest day to date.

Still, Khan has not been shy about sharing his feelings about the biggest happenings in AEW whether they happen in full view of the public or behind closed doors, provided he’s able to do so. You get the feeling that he’ll discuss Punk when he can, even if that’s still down the road a bit.

CM Punk returning to WWE is indeed a loss for AEW

AEW did the right thing by parting ways with CM Punk, but that doesn’t mean his WWE return doesn’t hurt.

It really happened.

I personally didn’t think it would happen, but it actually happened.

CM Punk, who hasn’t appeared at a WWE event since 2014, showed up at the end of Survivor Series Saturday night. And the timing couldn’t be better for WWE. Not only because the show took place in Punk’s hometown, but his return comes just as the promotion is about to begin its build to the 40th edition of WrestleMania.

Whenever a transaction of this magnitude occurs, there are usually winners and losers. A clear winner here is WWE, as it lands a big star who has proven to be a driver of business outside of the company.

But speaking of outside of WWE, that brings to me the biggest loser in this case, and that is AEW.

I can already hear AEW fans fixing their mouths and keyboard fingers to clap back at my hot take with rebuttals such as Punk being a locker room cancer or Punk being injury prone during his most recent run.

And I hear you when you say that Punk’s abrupt and disgraceful departure from AEW was essentially addition by subtraction because it boosted locker room morale. But when it comes down to the dollars and cents of the matter, it’s still a net loss.

Punk wasn’t just the biggest star in AEW by name only. Tony Khan said himself during a press conference in 2022 that “No one wrestler has ever come in and made a bigger plus delta financial difference in the history of my company … Going into year four, no one person has ever made a more positive impact.”

Khan later shouted, “He’s the biggest part of financial success in the history of this company!”

How does losing that guy result in a net gain? Ask Philadelphia Eagles fans if losing Terrell Owens was a net gain for the team. Ask them if it was a good thing that the best wide receiver the team had since Mike Quick in the 1980s left the team and went to the hated Dallas Cowboys only to have more productive seasons. Their answer would be no. 

Like Punk, Owens was a massive pain in the butt. He clashed with teammates, coaches, and put on a press conference while working out shirtless in his driveway because he was sent home during training camp. 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RXqxsRPdHCA

But despite all of that drama and baggage, Owens produced on the field, and Eagles fans still love him until this day because of it.

Like Punk was for AEW, Owens was the biggest difference maker for the Eagles, whose lack of a No. 1 wide receiver caused them to lose three consecutive NFC Championship Games, including two at home. In Owens’ first season with the Eagles, he caught 77 passes for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns. If you’re not a football fan, that’s a great season, even by today’s standards. Owens did that while missing the final two games of the regular season due to injury.

The injury caused Owens to also miss the Eagles’ two playoff victories before the Super Bowl, but once he returned for the big game, he caught nine passes for 122 yards in a losing effort to the dynastic New England Patriots — on a broken leg.

Then the 2005 season rolled around and the relationship between Owens and the Eagles soured, leaving the team no choice but to deactivate its star receiver before the season was even over due to the situation becoming untenable. Sounds familiar?

The Eagles struggled to replace Owens once he was gone. Yes, the team drafted DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, DeVonta Smith and even got quality play out of Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor for a season or two, but I don’t think the Eagles didn’t truly replaced Owens’ production until they traded for A.J. Brown before the 2022 season.

How long will it take for AEW to replace CM Punk? Is it even possible? Who knows?

Regardless, Punk is now with the competition, and judging by the reaction on social media Saturday night, fans are very excited about what is coming next.

Has Punk’s attitude changed in the last three months since he was fired from AEW? Probably not, but that doesn’t matter as long as he is ready to work and is making a financial difference for the company. 

So yeah, AEW’s locker room might be a more harmonious environment, which is important. But harmony in the locker room won’t sell one ticket to a show. Stars like CM Punk do.