CM Punk's firing, top AEW stars' role - 5 biggest mistakes Tony Khan has made in 2023
AEW had a rollercoaster of 2023, filled with many ups and downs. While they had a decent start early on, several backstage controversies took all the headlines throughout the year.
The Jacksonville-based company has been able to bounce back following the controversies this summer, and Tony Khan might be working out a list of things he needs to do to bring AEW to the top next year.
However, Khan should also reflect on his mistakes throughout the year. Here's a list of all that Tony Khan erred on this year.
#5. Firing CM Punk meant cutting off a large fan base
When CM Punk returned to pro wrestling after seven years in AEW in 2021, he also brought his large fanbase with him, and if you liked him at his best, you should be able to tolerate him at his worst - Tony Khan was not able to.
Punk's AEW run was filled with controversies. First, he was involved in the infamous Brawl Out incident at last year's All Out pay-per-view, which saw him getting suspended from the company.
The former WWE Champion returned to the company after nine months only to get fired following another backstage incident at All In pay-per-view in Wembley Stadium in August.
This caused some bad publicity for the company, but it also opened a can of worms for everyone concerned, including WWE.
After The Straight Edge Superstar's sacking, there remains the news and rumors about where Punk will go next and a significant ratings decline for AEW.
#4. Not handling Collision the way it should be
AEW announced its third weekly programming, Collision, in June 2023. The show featured some big names on the roster.
However, the ratings of Saturday night show has been dwindling over the last few months. Sometimes, it seems like nobody can salvage the situation.
Matters worsened when a title match between MJF and Kenny Omega couldn't do anything for the ratings.
Khan was criticized for giving that match off for free TV, which didn't do anything for the ratings. The dwindle has continued, with Collision failing to rake in the ratings against shows like WWE NXT.
#3. Tony Khan needs to learn to capitalize on the momentum of AEW stars
This year, Tony Khan has lost one of the biggest female stars in the industry, Jade Cargill, as she jumped ship and signed with WWE in September.
Some fans think Khan should have worked towards keeping Cargill in the fray, as that would definitely make the women's division all the more interesting. There's also the aspect of TK not working out on the potential of current characters as well.
For example, The Devil is an arc that involves multiple wrestlers, but the reveal is still not done.
There are a few other AEW wrestlers who haven't yet been brought out to their best. One of their most 'over' wrestlers, Abadon, needs a big feud to dominate the roster, but that hasn't happened yet.
HOOK, who won his second FTW Championship in August 2023, is also looking for that big feud. Khan has also yet to utilize the AEW women's division.
#2. Tony Khan's announcements and teases seem to be underwhelming
Tony Khan wants to be the ultimate game-changer, and to this end, he makes announcements that seem big but end up being damp squibs.
For example, when Sting announced his retirement, Khan revealed that he had a surprise for the Vigilante.
That created hype, but the surprise was good old Ric Flair by Sting's side - and not even as a tag-team partner or something. Fans were definitely wishing for something much bigger.
#1. The Elite is still EVPs, and it isn't working
When Tony Khan started at AEW in 2019, wrestlers in management roles looked good - this was a franchise by the wrestlers and of the wrestlers.
The wrestlers seem to have a special place even in the internal workings of the company. Those optics took a beating when there was some disagreement between CM Punk and The Elite, comprising of Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks, 'Hangman' Adam Page, and two others, Brandon Cutler and Michael Nakazawa.
Those conflicts finally descended into a brawl between Punk and The Elite at All Out. The facts, rumors, and general theories of the brawl spilled all over the internet.
Post the brawl, Punk was cut out of the AEW, and The Elite escaped unscathed, leaving the audience wondering whether Khan is a powerful figure in AEW.
After all, Punk was 'sacked' for even being suspended for his misdeed - so why is The Elite still running strong? Did they do absolutely nothing wrong on that day?
What do you think? What should Tony Khan do next year to bring AEW to its biggest and brightest avatar? Tell us in the comments section.