A recent episode of The Ariel Helwani Show featured AEW CEO Tony Khan as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Khan’s thoughts about WWE’s counterprogramming efforts against AEW.
“I do think it’s done on purpose and I understand it and it’s part of wrestling and I think we’ve seen a lot of it but I think other wrestling promotions that have been the challenger wrestling brand in our lifetime have seen a lot of it. Jim Crockett Promotions, which was the forerunner to WCW, saw a lot of this.
I do think that we’ve seen that kind of counter programming and those things and I understand and looking back at wrestling history, kind of expect that.”
Khan also gave his thoughts about how WWE’s efforts doesn’t frustrate him since it always works out for AEW in the end.
“I think it’s okay because for us it’s always worked out and we’re in a great position. It hasn’t ever been a thing where it’s cost us anything. And even when you do something like AEW All In Texas where we do the show in the afternoon, it really worked out for us great and it was one of the best days in the history of the company so…”
Khan also gave his thoughts about if he takes WWE’s efforts against his company personally.
“It’s something that is a part of the wrestling business and I definitely don’t take it personally. I think it’s no more personal to me than it was towards Jim Crockett or even maybe less so than it was with Ted Turner, or similar amounts as with Ted Turner. But definitely I think all of us have seen that kind of counter programming and could speak to that. And certainly with AEW, I’m very proud that we continue to really run strong and be that great challenger brand in pro wrestling.”
Khan also gave his thoughts about recent comments from Matt Hardy about his belief that WWE working with TNA Wrestling was due in part to AEW and its existence.
“I really like Matt and Jeff a lot. I loved working with them in AEW and I still love them very much. I respect that opinion a lot and I think it’s probably true. The fact that Matt said it, that’s really cool.”
Khan also gave his thoughts about WWE’s current partnership with TNA.
“It’s a very interesting collaboration. Matt hit the nail on the head and it makes sense. AEW is a very strong challenger brand. It’s not that unusual.”
Khan also gave his thoughts about if he took WWE’s partnership with TNA as a compliment to AEW.
“Absolutely. I remember when WCW was starting to do better, and Smoky Mountain was running Georgia, Vince McMahon called Jim Cornette and sent a bunch of WWF wrestlers to Smoky Mountain. I do think when you have a strong challenger brand, it’s not unusual to see the WWF collaborate with another company. I don’t take it personally. It makes some sense, looking at the wrestling playbook for the WWF.”
Khan also gave his thoughts about the recent discussion surrounding the potential sale of AEW’s broadcast partner Warner Bros Discovery to a new owner.
“I feel really great about AEW’s relationship with Warner Brothers Discovery. I think it’s a great situation where we’re one of those strong franchise on multiple channels and properties where AEW is very strongly figured in.
We’re becoming a bigger and bigger part as we grow. Now, it’s been six years of AEW, we’ve continued to become a bigger part of the Warner Brothers family so I feel like no matter what happens in the future, I think we will be a really important part of that family.”
Khan also gave his thoughts about him not being sure if AEW will pivot from their current pay-per-view price model for their events.
“I’m not sure. It’s a good question. I think with AEW, something I’ve been really conscious of and tried to stay consistent with is maintaining great prices for families or friends to come and watch the shows at an affordable price. The pay-per-view price for AEW has been consistent since day one, it’s the same price it’s always been to order the pay-per-views …
I think we have great model and we just signed a great media rights deal that I think even the most stringent analysts would say is a really strong deal for AEW and makes a lot of sense for us and also shows the faith that Warner Bros/TBS/TNT/HBO Max have in AEW.”
Khan also gave his thoughts about the fallout he had with CM Punk leading to Punk’s firing from AEW.
“If you look at the time before Phil came to AEW, we had a great run and we were having great times together. We’re having a great year right now with this roster and this is the best roster and the best AEW locker room. It feels like in and out of the ring, the combination, this is the best we’ve been. We also had great times together. It was clear when we started doing Collision, I wanted to reconcile and find a way to still do those things, I guess that wasn’t possible. I didn’t necessarily agree with everything (he said).”
Khan also gave his thoughts about him disagreeing with Punk’s past comments about people walk all over him and he doesn’t stand up for himself.
“I don’t agree with that, but everybody is entitled to their opinion. That’s feedback and fair if that’s how he feels. I didn’t agree with the description of the way things played out, and that’s okay. That’s all in the eye of the beholder, just like the whole situation. AEW is doing really well right now and I’m really happy with what the people on the shows are doing and it wasn’t the first time he and I disagreed, and it may not be the last, and that’s okay. I tried to reconcile, and I wanted to find a way for everybody to work together, it didn’t work, and that’s okay. It seems like everybody is happier and doing better right now. In AEW, everybody is really happy and this is the best the locker room has been since the Jacksonville lockdown days.”
Khan also gave his thoughts about how Punk’s recent backstage photo he posted on social media of himself, Jade Cargill, Ricky Starks, and Cody Rhodes all holding championships in WWE made him smile due to it reminding him of a past photo Rhodes and Jon Moxley took backstage in AEW.
“I saw that and I think AEW is having a great year and is in a fantastic place. The roster right now is delivering great shows and I’m proud of what the roster is doing right now. It did make me smile because it reminded me of Double or Nothing 2020, the first pandemic pay-per-view. Cody won the TNT Title, Mox retained the AEW World Title against the late, great Mr. Brodie Lee. After the show, Cody and Mox took a photo. I thought it was interesting and it shows how far in the mirror…..I remember the photo Cody and Mox took, I think I took it.
I have relationships with all four of them and they’re very different. I could talk for two hours about each of the four of them and why I like them and why I thought they were great in AEW, their matches, or how much I like them all as people. They’re all not wrestling in AEW anymore. It just reminded me of the photo in Jacksonville, taking that photo, and how it’s crazy how five and a half years have flown by.”
Khan also gave his thoughts about his decision to air the security cam footage of Punk’s backstage altercation with Jack Perry at AEW’s All In 2023 event on an episode of AEW Dynamite in April of 2024 after Punk’s description of what happened.
“I didn’t necessarily agree with the description of how it all happened. I didn’t necessarily agree with everything that was said in that interview about how things happened.
But also, it’s a TV show and it did a very strong number. So, for many reasons, I think that it made sense. And it was a thing that was advertised, and it got a lot of attention that did a very strong number. And also, it’s in the eye of the beholder.
I think the tape spoke for itself. And I think that I didn’t agree with how it happened. And obviously, it was a major part of why things were no longer able to continue with us, even though I would have liked to have been able to and it’s clear that I wanted to reconcile and do those things ..
I think AEW’s doing really well right now, and I’m really happy with what the people on the shows are doing. It wasn’t the first time that [Punk] and I disagreed about something, and it may not ever be the last. And that’s okay.
But I had tried to reconcile and I wanted to find a way for everybody to be able to work together, and that didn’t work. And that’s okay. It seems like everybody is happier and doing better right now. I know in AEW right now everybody is really happy.
Khan also gave his thoughts about what went wrong with Miro’s time in AEW leading to his departure this past February and his return to WWE this past April.
“Miro is a great wrestler and he was great in AEW. He was a TNT Champion. He and I just had, at times, different visions of things. That’s okay because everybody is entitled to different opinions and different ideas. That’s what this all is, different ideas. We just kind of drifted into different ideas of what we should be doing, and that’s okay. He worked in WWE before and that clearly was a good experience for him. He clearly was excited to go back, and he did go back. I wish him the best. That must make sense for him and why he wanted to do it.”
Transcript h/t: F4WOnline.com 1 & 2, Fightful.com 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, & 6
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