In a recent turn of events, Tony Khan once again found himself at the center of attention with his latest remarks concerning WWE. The president of AEW stirred up quite a storm among fans and wrestlers alike on social media, and fresh insights into the reactions have emerged.
Khan’s appearance on the NFL Network, aimed at promoting the 2024 Draft of the National Football League, coincided with WWE’s Draft, garnering significant attention. Holding the position of Chief Football Strategy Officer for the Jacksonville Jaguars, owned by his father, Khan made multiple appearances on football programming, sporting a neck brace to sell the attack from The Elite on AEW Dynamite.
During his stint on the NFL Draft Kickoff show, he smoothly integrated plugs for TNT and TBS while clarifying that he fell victim to the “Tony Khan Driver” from The Young Bucks, not the “Meltzer Driver” as dubbed by his EVPs.
The lifelong wrestling enthusiast didn’t hold back in his critique of WWE, branding them as the “evil juggernaut” that AEW is contending with. Khan’s comparison likening AEW to Pepsi and WWE to Harvey Weinstein, the disgraced movie executive, raised eyebrows and sparked speculation regarding potential fallout, especially given his appearance on an official partner’s program, the NFL.
While WWE has recently inked its first-ever licensing deal with the NFL, spanning multiple years, reactions from the network to Khan’s interview seemed surprisingly positive, with indications suggesting that network officials were content with the attention garnered, despite the controversial remarks aimed at WWE.
From NFL Draft Kickoff on @nflnetwork: #Jaguars and @AEW exec Tony Khan joins us to give an update on his condition after taking the brunt of a Tony Khan driver he says he should’ve seen coming. pic.twitter.com/bugAkQ8Ho3
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 26, 2024
Swift and intense reactions flooded online platforms following Khan’s comments, with a notable surge in backlash from AEW supporters. Notably, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff weighed in on the matter, engaging in a public spat with Khan, highlighting the ongoing tensions between the two figures.
As Khan’s controversial remarks continue to reverberate across the wrestling community, the absence of any public response from WWE officials leaves room for speculation on how this latest development might unfold.
