Tony Khan open to welcoming WWE Attitude Era star to AEW
AEW President Tony Khan opened up about welcoming a WWE Attitude Era star to his company. The individual in question is Shane McMahon.
Shane-O-Mac has been a topic of discussion among fans since Jim Ross discussed the prospect of his addition to the Jacksonville-based company. The speculations continued to snowball after Conrad Thompson, Ross' podcast co-host, claimed that McMahon had reached out to AEW talent to "hypothetically" discuss the notion of his arrival at the promotion, although the assertion has since been brought into question by conflicting reports.
Fightful later reported that Shane McMahon was not currently under any contract with WWE. This led to further conjecture regarding the 54-year-old potentially inking a deal with All Elite Wrestling.
During a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Tony Khan was asked about the rumors surrounding Shane McMahon joining AEW. TK responded by claiming that while he had never met the former SmackDown Tag Team Champion, he held considerable admiration for the latter, both as an executive and as an in-ring performer. Khan further stated that Shane is "always" welcome to appear on All Elite Wrestling.
“I heard the rumor he might be interested. I’ve never met Shane, but we have a lot of mutual friends. I have a lot of respect for him as an executive and a professional wrestler. Shane is always welcome in AEW.” [H/T eWrestlingnews]
Jim Ross reiterated that Shane McMahon in AEW is not impossible
During a recent episode of Grilling JR, Jim Ross once again addressed the topic of Shane McMahon going All Elite. Good Ol' JR claimed that The Boy Wonder signing with All Elite Wrestling is not completely beyond the realm of possibility.
The veteran announcer did clarify, however, that the odds of Shane joining the Tony Khan-led promotion are not considerably high. He reiterated that the prospect of McMahon penning an agreement with AEW could not be entirely dismissed, asserting that the latter still loves the pro wrestling industry.
"It could happen... Oh, absolutely, it could happen... He's got great name identity; he's got people who recognize him. So, hell, I don't know. I would say it's a long shot, less than 50/50, that he would reengage in pro wrestling, but I can't say that it's impossible because it isn't. And he's a good guy, and he still loves the business." [1:23 - 1:58]
Ross went on to state that McMahon's arrival in All Elite Wrestling depended on whether Shane wanted to return to the business.
Shane McMahon made his last prominent appearance inside the squared circle at WrestleMania 39. Fans are keen to find out whether he will make his shocking comeback to the sport in All Elite Wrestling.