Tony Khan has once again hit the headlines over comments made about the competition.
On top of being the President of AEW, Khan also serves as an executive for the NFL team the Jacksonville Jaguars. With the 2024 NFL Draft taking place shortly after he was attacked on Dynamite, Khan made multiple appearances on the show while wearing a neck brace.
On top of discussing the attack by The Elite with NFL analysts, Khan touted the success of his own promotion and described it as one of the most successful start-ups in the past 5 years. Following up with some very controversial comments, Tony Khan described AEW as the Pepsi of pro wrestling before comparing WWE to Harvey Weinstein. Shocked by what was said, the hosts quickly moved on.
Speaking about Khan’s comments on Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alvarez stated that he had heard similar comments from both companies:
“I talked to people in both companies, and I will say this about what he said…
“I can tell you from talking to people in AEW – obviously the WWE people thought it was ridiculous that he said it – but I heard people in AEW saying the same thing. A lot of it.
“When people in WWE, and when people in AEW, who have a lot of friends in WWE, see Tony accusing the entire company – ‘The entire company is evil, we are battling an evil company’ – a lot of people take exception to that.”
“The truth is in the middle. It is not only Vince, but it is certainly not the entire company.”
Tony Khan Helping Charitable Cause
Khan has continued to wear the neck brace on every media appearance since and has reportedly continued to sell the injury even on closed sets. With Khan being advised not to travel to the upcoming taping in Winnipeg, it is unknown when he will decide to stop wearing the supportive device. However, following his appearances at the NFL Draft, Tony Khan confirmed that he would be auctioning off his neck brace for charity when it is no longer required.
In other AEW news, the company recently hired a new Director of Live Events.
Tony Khan has since provided a further comment on his controversial comparisons.
H/t to WrestleTalk.