Tony Khan Articles - Page 2

When AEW pulled Ricky Starks from his announced GCW bookings, it felt like a major shot from Tony Khan at the independent promotion and one of its most prominent stars, Effy, for publically criticizing the decision to run Ring of Honor Final Battle at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Petty? Potentially so, but less than a week […]

When news broke that Ricky Starks, fresh off an attention-grabbing promo at GCW Dream On just hours before AEW Full Gear, was being pulled from all appearances for the promotion by Tony Khan and company, it generated all sorts of headlines from fans and haters alike. Some applauded TK for standing on business, accusing Effy […]

When the Costco Guys took the ring during the final match of Full Gear Zero Hour, it earned a massive pop from AEW fans in the arena and watching along from home. Sure, this was the textbook definition of a gimmick match, with QT Marshall making it his mission to make his former New Jersey […]

After six weeks of buildup and anticipation, Jon Moxley wrestled his first title defense of his fourth reign with the AEW World Championship in the main event of Full Gear, taking on Orange Cassidy in their third-ever singles match. Widely billed as a match for the “soul” of AEW, OC fought tooth and nail to […]

When Tony Khan announced that the Costco Guys would go from being ringside guys at AEW All Out to featured performers on Full Gear Zero Hour, it divided the internet. On one hand, the opportunity was set up perfectly; “Big Boom” AJ has a history of wrestling on the New Jersey independent wrestling scene, and […]

As AEW prepares for its final “OG 4” Pay-Per-View of the year, Full Gear, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, the eyes of the professional wrestling world, at least for a moment, turned their eyes a few miles northeast to East Rutherford, where, in a venue incredibly called the American Dream Mall, long […]

While Cody Rhodes has been a member of the WWE Univers for years now, holding the elite honor of being WWE Champion in his first reign, fans still have one question above all others: what the heck happened at the end of his run in AEW? Did he have a falling out with Kenny Omega, […]

When Bobby Lashley officially left WWE to test the open market of wrestling free agency, most fans had more or less the same assumption: the “All Mighty” was AEW bound. On paper, it made sense, right? Lashley could stay in WWE and continue to work a limited schedule or return to TNA and go on […]

When Samantha Irvin shocked the professional wrestling world by announcing her exit from WWE as Monday Night RAW‘s ring announcer, one narrative immediately came into focus: she should follow her finance Ricochet to AEW. On paper, it makes sense, right? Irvin is one of the very best ring announcers in the game, her betrothed looks […]

With their massive media right deal officially on the books, the biggest piece of intrigue surrounding AEW isn’t what the Blackpool Combat Club has planned for the promotion, if fans will get to see Bryan Danielson again, or who will dethrone John Moxley but instead, whether fans will get to see Shane McMahon in Tony […]

After committing multiple segments on the go-home edition of Dynamite to the arrival, return, and fallout of Daniel Garcia officially spurning WWE for a long-term contract with AEW, Tony Khan did a victory lap of sorts during the WrestleDream media call. Discussing the process of keeping Garcia on the roster despite heavy interest from WWE […]

After weeks and weeks of questions surrounding his pro wrestling future, with AEW reportedly booking a loss to MJF at All Out because of his contract status, Danial Garcia has officially made his pick between remaining in Tony Khan’s company or leaving for WWE to become the new face of NXT. Taking the ring in […]

After months and months of anticipation, it finally happened: Tony Khan and AEW have officially announced a new media rights deal between the promotion and their long-term home, Warner Brothers Discovery. While the terms of the deal haven’t been officially announced in AEW’s initial press release, the number is reportedly “valued at upwards of $150 […]

Seemingly any time WWE announces a new set of releases, be it developmental guys like Von Wagner or top-end talent like Matt Riddle and Bobby Lashley, fans will declare some version of the following statement: AEW bound. Now granted, there is some truth to this statement, as Tony Khan has been willing to sign wrestlers […]

Normally, when an AEW Pay-Per-View comes to an end, the real show begins, as the promotion kicks into media scrum time, which has grown from a quick opportunity to ask talent questions to a certified Tony Khan tour de force that can run half as long as the actual show. Typically, the media personalities who […]

When WWE fans look to discredit more than a member of the AEW roster, the first line they’ll throw around to discredit the promotion is that it’s full of ex-WWE guys. Jon Moxley? Sure, he’s a massive star in AEW with one of the best resumes in the promotion’s history, but he was also Dean […]

While AEW All In didn’t have the debut of Becky Lynch, Bobby Lashley, or any other former WWE World Champion, with the biggest fresh face being the “Highlight of the Night,” Ricochet, there was one big-time return Tony Khan booked that impacted the show more than the Grizzled Young Veterans, Jamie Hayter, or even Nigel […]

After forming one of the most entertaining storylines in all of AEW alongside the likes of Luther, Mina Shirakawa, RJ City, and, occasionally, Ben Mankowitz from Turner Classic Movies, Mariah May and Toni Storm finally took the ring in the second match of All In to not only decide who can call themselves the Women’s […]

Before AEW was recording huge gates at Wembley Stadium, partnering up with the Texas Rangers for an American Stadium show – All In: Texas – and finding unique ways to build their brand, like partnering up with Warner Brothers Discovery to present TNT Overdrive, the biggest shot Tony Khan cooked up to get his show […]

As AEW prepares for its biggest show of the year, All In, at Wembley Stadium, the biggest storyline surrounding the promotion isn’t the retirement of Bryan Danielson, the past sins of Swerve Strickland, the confusing booking of the Young Bucks, or even the Revolutionary War between MJF and Will Ospreay but instead the contract status […]

When Warner Brothers Discovery announced that it was debuting a new show, TNT Overdrive, that, while not technically an AEW-branded show, would heavily feature members of the promotion, it got fans intrigued. How, they wondered, would the show work? Would it be Ridiculousness but with Will Ospreay and Willow Nightingale hosting shows? Or was there […]

When news broke that Shane McMahon had met with Tony Khan about AEW, it garnered some pretty incredible reactions from around the professional world. Some wondered if McMahon would formally sign with the promotion, while others asked if this was nothing more than a way to juice up the hype cycle, but the prevailing thought […]

After taking it on the chin from Darby Allin during Blood & Guts, and by taking it on the chin, I mean being coerced into a TNT Championship match at All In via fear of being burned alive, Jack Perry attempted to get back at Sting’s former tag team partner via a special video package […]

When it comes to professional wrestling, few performers are as widely respected as AEW’s Bryan Danielson. A 28-time champion who has held gold (almost) everywhere he’s wrestled in his professional career, Danielson has become a top guy in WWE, a top guy in AEW, arguably the top guy ever in Ring of Honor, and through […]

After making all sorts of headlines for having a meeting with Tony Khan in the lead-up to the final AEW Dynamite of July, Shane McMahon released a statement to Bully Ray on Busted Open Radio on the situation to hopefully clear things up regarding his relationship with the promotion. *spoiler alert* Shane-O-Mac said nothing to […]

After weeks of rumors, fantasy bookings, and “What If” scenarios, Tony Khan officially took the first step toward getting a McMahon back in a professional wrestling ring by meeting with Shane McMahon ahead of the July 31st edition of Dynamite. Now obviously, this picture, initially posted by WrestleTalk, quickly took the internet by storm, with […]

When news broke that the NBA was officially leaving TNT Sports for Prime Video in 2025 – even if the exact details of the situation have become somewhat murky – fans of professional wrestling were left with one major question: what does this mean for AEW? Would the promotion suddenly become more of a priority […]

When Jinder Mahal, now known as the “Maharaja” Raj Dhesi, formally announced that his 90-day non-compete clause with WWE had officially expired on July 18th via his social media, it garnered plenty of positive interactions on social media. Call it the meme-ification of his character, with his “Don’t Hinder Hinder” catchphrase taking the internet by […]

When Mariah May signed with AEW last November, Tony Khan announced her addition to the roster on social media, with the relatively by-the-numbers statement ending with a simple phrase: AEW is All About Mariah. Now at the time, this was a tad unusual, but few fans took it too seriously, as they were either excited […]

When Dijak officially announced to the professional wrestling world that he was not going to return to WWE after spending the last seven-and-a-half years with the promotion, fans wondered where he would land next. Would he sign with AEW and continue the trend of Black and Gold NXT guys jumping from one promotion to the […]

With Forbidden Door officially in the rear-view, Tony Khan sat down with reporters to discuss the state of the promotion, their future media rights contracts, and All In, which is shaping up to be one of the biggest shows of the year for any wrestling company. And yet, while TK and company have already sold […]

In the lead-up to his much-anticipated match with Anthony Bowens and Hiroshi Tanahashi against The Elite, Kazuchika Okada, and the Young Bucks at Forbidden Door, fans had a feeling hometown hero Max Caster would cut a big-time promo in his return to Long Island, but what would he say? After taking Ls from the “Rainmaker” […]

When commentator Jim Ross put it out into the ether that he would like to see Shane McMahon sign with AEW, calling the deal just crazy enough to work, it sent the professional wrestling universe into an absolute tailspin and earned major attention for Tony Khan’s company. Would AEW actually sign the son of Vince […]

After beginning AEW with an emphasis on a sports-based presentation, one of the most popular wrestlers in Tony Khan‘s company now has a truly fantastical presentation in “Timeless” Toni Storm, the AEW Women’s World Champion, whose gimmick is straight out of Turner Classic Movies. Discussing how he’s built such a unique storyline up in an […]

After watching Ricochet take an absolute beating at the hands of Bron Breakker, being thrown through the real glass windshield of a rental car in a move that must have had CM Punk clutching his pearls, the vast majority of the greater wrestling fandom – minus Pat McAfee – assumed that the “Highlight of the […]

A few days removed from a fantastic time-limit draw against the Blackpool Combat Club that saw FTR come mere moments away from a statement victory against Claudio Castagnoli and a returning Wheeler Yuta, Dax Harwood took to social media to issue an apology to AEW, Tony Khan, and all of his fans, but for what […]

When Kevin Kelly was relieved of his duty as the play-by-play announcer on AEW Collision, rumors swirled about why it happened and, frankly, why it took Tony Khan so long to pull the proverbial trigger. Initially announced for the show as part of a two-man booth with Ring of Honor legend Nigel McGuinness, Kelly quickly […]

After hinting at a special Mercedes Mone-related QR code on AEW Dynamite earlier in the day, Tony Khan released the first hint into this new project at the bottom of the show’s first hour, a pseudo commercial on the podcast asking fans to scan the code to follow the “CEO” along on her journey. Did […]

As AEW enters into its fifth year of operation, one of the big questions surrounding the promotion regards the absence of one of its biggest “homegrown” stars: Ricky Starks. That’s right, Starks, the former FTW Champion and one-half of the former AEW World Tag Team Champions, has been MIA from television since March when he […]