AEW President Tony Khan spoke with WFAN Daily on a number of topics, including the company being referred to as a “challenger league” to WWE.
Khan said, “It would be great to create something that is the greatest media property in the world. That’s what the NFL is. And that’s what became of the merger and the great history that became, you know, the National Football League. But in wrestling, the fact is, AEW is the biggest challenger league since the AFL. We have good market share.”
On comparing the situation to NCAA conferences:
“I mean, like the Big 10 and the SEC, right? You’re going to compete and they’re going to slug it out. And that’s what you want to be. I mean, I think there’s room for both to exist. I think there’s room for both to compete. And then there’s the ACC and the PAC 12 and all kinds of great leagues too, just to compare. I want to be ahead, but it’s a constant fight. It’s 52 weeks a year. … In this industry, it’s a 52 week business. Wrestling is the only sport with no off-season.”
On what his take is on backstage drama surrounding people like Cody Rhodes and CM Punk leaving AEW:
“I think that it’s important to remember that every situation is its own unique thing, and that’s true in sports, and teams change. Relationships change, I’ve had a lot of great relationships with wrestlers and players in sports that have changed. Whether people still play for your team or not doesn’t mean that you don’t still like them. And that’s the most important nuanced thing to remember whether it’s wrestling, or football or entertainment or any walk of life, because we’re all professionals. And you know, we all step aside and punch out. And I don’t get much time to punch out, because I’m always doing AEW Wrestling, or NFL, or Premier League, or something… but I — you know, to be honest it’s hard to say.”
You can check out Khan’s comments in the video below.
