Tony Khan Unimpressed By AAA Betrayal

Tony Khan was left stunned by AAA.

During the company’s early years, AEW enjoyed a working relationship with AAA. This saw a talent exchange between the two promotions, and Kenny Omega even held the Mega Championship for over 740 days between late 2019 and November 2021.

Going in the other direction were stars such as Dragon Lee. However, it was his next career move that helped sour the relationship between the two promotions.

At an event in Mexico in December 2023, Lee teamed with his brother Dralistico to beat FTR and claim the AAA World Tag Team Championship. But immediately after winning, Lee announced that he’d signed with WWE and would start with the company a month later.

To top things off, WWE cameras were on hand to capture the moment Lee beat AEW’s FTR, and FTR’s name plate was still on the title belt as he celebrated.

The situation played out without the knowledge of AEW Tony Khan, who believed that it would be RUSH who was teaming with Dralistico.

Tony Khan Reflects On Dragon Lee Controversy

During a new interview with Q101, Tony Khan looked back on the incident and revealed he was totally taken by surprise. He described the situation as a “double cross,” revealing he was tipped off about something happening by FTR.

“I remember I was with Samoa Joe… and I talked to FTR, and they said, ‘there’s some kind of strange stuff going on here. And then right after Dynamite ended, that match went off, and they announced that Dragon Lee was signing with WWE… so it was really a double cross. And that would never happen now.”

Khan added that he doesn’t believe such an incident would happen during his current partnership with CMLL. He noted that any talent exchange between the two companies is a collaboration, not poaching.

“That’s one of those things that would never happen now, because of the way that Salvador [Lutteroth] and I are brothers. I have a very close relationship with them. I don’t believe he would ever betray me like that, and I would never betray him like that.

I would never go behind their back and take a wrestler from them. I think it would have to be collaborative.”

Back in June, AEW headed to Mexico to team with CMLL for Grand Slam Mexico at the iconic Arena Mexico. The event was immediately deemed a huge success, with Tony Khan describing a return as a “vitual certainty.”

Meanwhile, CMLL’s Mistico appeared at All In where he continued his rivalry with MJF.

H/t to Fightful