Tony Khan’s Honest Thoughts On WWE’s Tough Stance To AEW

WWE dramatically ramped up its counterprogramming strategy against its rival pro wrestling promotion AEW in 2025, with clear-cut moves to steal audience share and diminish the Jacksonville-based company’s visibility.

The most recent example this year was the Stamford-based promotion launching its new premium live event, WWE Wrestlepalooza, on the very same day All Elite Wrestling had scheduled its All Out PPV. To avoid going head-to-head with WWE’s primetime schedule, Tony Khan moved All Out to an afternoon slot, allowing fans to catch both shows and giving AEW a better chance to maintain its audience.

AEW Is Having “A Great Year,” Says Tony Khan

AEW President and CEO Tony Khan addressed the situation publicly in an interview with Going Ringside with Scott Johnson, stating that WWE’s moves have created tough competition but also pushed his company to innovate and hustle harder.

He emphasized that AEW has done well despite WWE’s tactics, noting stronger ratings for both Dynamite and Collision and a positive turnaround from past downturns. Tony Khan also stated that AEW is adjusting quickly and making savvy decisions so the product remains strong even under intense competition.

“Well, we’ve been having a great year. We’ve been able to stick and move and make it work really well for us. There’s always going to be tough competition, and this sport, it’s very tough competition, the kind of competition that makes you work really hard 52 weeks a year,” the AEW head honcho said.

Despite WWE’s efforts to monopolize attention and counter-program other AEW events (such as moving NXT specials to coincide with AEW’s own Title Tuesday shows), AEW has continued to grow its audience and push back against industry analysts who predicted a loss of viewers. More people are tuning in to AEW’s flagship shows than last year, showing that AEW’s fanbase remains loyal even as the competition escalates and schedules get crowded.