Tony Khan Explains How You Can Never Make Every Wrestler Happy

Tony Khan has shared a pearl of wisdom with anyone out there thinking that they can be a wrestling booker.

Tony Khan has been the owner, president and head booker (matchmaker) for AEW since its inception. Under his leadership and creative direction, AEW’s roster has swelled to 119 male and 34 female recognized active wrestlers.

With so many people under AEW contract, it is difficult to make everyone happy, which is the message Tony Khan has tried to promote to his fans.

With such a massive roster, it can be difficult if not impossible for any booker, regardless of experience, to ensure that everyone gets regular TV time. because of this roster size, many AEW fans have noted that company regulars and fan favorites like Eddie Kingston and Miro get minimal TV time.

Responding to these concerns, Tony Khan appeared on Grapsody hosted by Will Washington, Phil Lindsey and Righteous Reg to discuss this matter:

“You’re never going to keep everybody happy. Really, you have to focus on that. You have people that are going to be focused week to week. Eddie is a big part of [December 23 AEW Rampage]. There are dozens of wrestlers featured on Dynamite and Rampage every week.

Throughout those three hours, you see lots of names, but there are also dozens of names you aren’t seeing every week, and sometimes, they are silent about that, and sometimes there is a reason. Somebody is hurt, somebody is working on another project, they are being repackaged, or frankly, there are not enough slots in three hours.

On other sports teams, you don’t see it as much. It’s not common in the NFL for the backup quarterback to slight the coach because he’s not playing. It’s not common in the NBA for the backup point guard to slight the coach because he’s not getting minutes. I take it, and I take it with a smile and I’ll keep taking it with a smile.

It’s okay, I understand everyone wants to wrestle and everyone wants to do things. Everyone is coming from a different perspective. I don’t want to compare one person’s situation to another because it’s apples and oranges, but we have a lot of great wrestlers here and when they’re here, and when we can get everyone involved, I love that.”

Tony Khan has been a bit on the defensive as of late as he has been trying to justify his shows’ structures and presentations to more jaded fans. Most recently, he has responded to claims that AEW programs on the whole “lack storylines”.

h/t Fightful for the transcription