Tony Khan On Buying WWE – “We’re Capable Of Making The Big Purchases”
Tony Khan has discussed potentially being in the hunt to purchase WWE and says that he and his family are “capable of making big purchases.”
News of a potential sale of WWE gathered steam when Vince McMahon forced his way back onto the company’s Board of Directors before being installed as the Executive Chairman. Reports suggested WWE was on the verge of being sold to the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund but these proved to at the very least premature with the Saudis said to still be “in the hunt” for a sale.
It then emerged that AEW owner Tony Khan and his father Shahid Khan may well be in the pool of potential buyers, with some suggestions that the two wrestling companies could merge.
Speaking on The Maggie and Perloff Show, Tony Khan was asked about potentially buying WWE and admits he’s interested that there could be a sales process in play:
“I am interested in the news that there is potentially a sales process and certainly, I think we’ve shown, when there are acquisitions and transactions, we’re capable of making the big purchases, whether my dad steps up with the (Jacksonville) Jaguars or Fulham FC in the Premier League and he’s done such a great job building up the club and putting resources into it and we’re playing football at a high level.”
“With AEW, we’ve shown that we can build a company. Even when I purchased Ring of Honor, that’s a very different thing than WWE, but Ring of Honor is a company with 20 years of history and I really have enjoyed running it and we’ve shown that we’re at all time highs in terms of every business metric since we relaunched it and it’s only going to get better. AEW is my main focus, but certainly, when that news is out there, it’s very interesting.”
“Stay tuned to AEW Dynamite and AEW Rampage, you never know when I’m going to address something. On the other hand, it’s very preliminary to talk about that process. If there is a process there, which it sounds like there may be, I’m interested in being part of it.”
Khan revealed that he didn’t have a relationship of any kind with Vince McMahon but has spoken to Stephanie McMahon numerous times:
“No, I don’t have any relationship with him. I’ve talked with Stephanie and have had good conversations with Stephanie, but I don’t know Vince at all.”
Khan then did not that he has not spoken to Stephanie McMahon in quite some time so couldn’t pass comment on her resignation:
“I can’t speak to it. I haven’t talked to her in a long time and I can’t speak to what is happening there.”
Tony Khan had the unenviable task of breaking the news of Ring of Honor icon Jay Briscoe’s death on the 17th of January at the age of just 38.