Controversial Tony Khan Comments Unite Many In WWE & AEW
Tony Khan has had an eventful week and it seems his controversial comments regarding WWE have received some pushback from within AEW.
Just hours before Day 2 of the NFL Draft, Tony Khan – wearing a neckbrace – spoke to Mike Garafolo and Steve Wyche of the NFL Network. While Khan plugged AEW programming, he also took some shots at WWE as well:
AEW, we’ve been doing this for five years, we are the most successful sports start up since the AFL, pre-merger. There has not been a challenger brand that has gained as much market share as AEW in many many years. We are like the Pepsi of pro wrestling. We’re up against an evil juggernaut. WWE is our competitor, that’s who we’re facing.”
AEW, like the Pepsi of pro wrestling. WWE is like the Harvey Weinstein of pro wrestling. I’m really proud of what we do down here.
The line about convicted rapist and former Hollywood executive Harvey Weinstein received a lot of attention and not all of it was good.
WWE & AEW Stars Find Tony Khan Comments Ridiculous
Speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alvarez gave some insight into the reaction to Khan’s comments in both WWE and his own AEW, and it seems stars in both companies found some common ground:
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 has agreed to auction off the neckbrace that he has been forced to wear since being hit with a TK Driver by The Young Bucks in a shocking moment on Dynamite.