Tony Khan & MJF on WCW Nitro’s Importance to Wrestling & AEW Dynamite Surpassing Nitro’s Episodes Total

Sports Illustrated held a recent interview with AEW CEO Tony Khan. One of the topics discussed included Khan’s thoughts about WCW Nitro’s importance to him as a wrestling fan growing up and its importance to the wrestling industry.

“I’m a big fan, and I grew up watching the shows, and Nitro was a huge part of my childhood. And long before Nitro, I watched WCW. And I wish I could say I watched it long after, but that was kind of the end of the run. And I certainly learned a lot watching those shows.

I think it’s where some of the most exciting, high flying, athletic wrestlers of all time broke in and broke in on TV and became mainstream TV stars across America. And those are some of the biggest wrestlers of all time now. And I think it really helped usher in a faster-paced, more exciting style of wrestling. And I do think that over the years of Nitro, some of the most exciting moments and memories in pro wrestling happened on the show. So, tons of positive memories of WCW Nitro from growing up.

I really, really, absolutely had so much respect for everything that it took to put Nitro on the air and keep Nitro on the air for all those years. And that’s why I think this is a really important milestone. It’s amazing what Nitro achieved. And to be on TNT for 288 weeks, I know how hard that is firsthand, it’s really hard.”

Khan also gave his thoughts about AEW Dynamite surpassing Nitro’s total amount of episodes with tonight’s Dynamite Spring BreakThru special.

“It’s a celebration of everything, and really all the wrestling. Looking back, over fifty years of wrestling on TBS specifically, and 30 years of pro wrestling on TNT, and now AEW is a huge part of that conversation. And this is a big milestone for TBS and AEW on Wednesday.”

Besides Khan, MJF also reflected on Twitter earlier today about Nitro’s importance to wrestling and Dynamite surpassing Nitro’s episodes total.

“What Nitro was able to achieve changed wrestling.

I’m proud of the fact that like Nitro (but longer 😉) Dynamite has managed to give both fans (from an entertainment standpoint) and professional wrestlers (from a fiscal standpoint) an alternative.

And to think none of this would be possible without me carrying the company solely on my back for all these years… You’re truly welcome.”

What Nitro was able to achieve changed wrestling.

I’m proud of the fact that like Nitro (but longer 😉) Dynamite has managed to give both fans (from an entertainment standpoint) and professional wrestlers (from a fiscal standpoint) an alternative.

And to think none of this…

— Maxwell Jacob Friedman™️ (@The_MJF) April 16, 2025