Tony Khan has weighed in on John Cena’s long-awaited WWE heel turn, stating that it will not impact AEW’s creative direction.
At WWE Elimination Chamber 2025, Cena shocked the wrestling world by attacking Cody Rhodes and aligning himself with The Rock, marking a dramatic shift in his character. The moment has been widely regarded as one of the most significant in wrestling history.
Speaking during a pre-Revolution media call, Khan was asked whether Cena’s turn would influence his company’s approach or prompt him to take a major creative swing in response. However, Khan dismissed the idea of making reactive changes.
“We’re really very happy with the shows right now. The quality of the shows has been tremendous, and we helped build a lot of excitement around the original Revolution by just doing great shows week in, week out. It worked so well for us, so I think if we do that here, it will pay off for us.”
While acknowledging AEW’s commitment to bold storytelling, Khan stressed that his company’s direction would not be dictated by WWE’s decisions.
“We do take big swings and do exciting things on the shows, and we have big developments, big moments, and I want to keep doing that, but I don’t want to change anything we’re doing just because another wrestling promotion has changed what they’re doing.”
Despite recognising the significance of Cena’s turn, Khan maintained that his focus remains firmly on his promotion’s upcoming event.
“There are exciting things happening all over the sport,” he said. “But one of the most exciting things and the thing I’m focused on, most excited for, is this Sunday, the AEW Revolution pay-per-view.”
Why Did Tony Khan Say He Won’t Make AEW A Publicly Traded Company?
Tony Khan said that he will never make AEW a publicly traded company and said the reason is simply that he doesn’t want to. Khan said that he is happy with how the family business is growing and wants to continue to build upon his successes as a young executive and one day pass the business on to his future family.
Following the shock John Cena heel turn, the original plans have been revealed.
H/t to WrestleTalk.com