"We have the best young wrestlers in the world" - AEW chief Tony Khan takes a dig at WWE
Tony Khan recently took a dig at WWE's Performance Center while addressing fans moments before the AEW Dark: Elevation tapings began.
This week's AEW Fyter Fest Night 2 took place in Garland, Texas, after which the promotion taped the upcoming edition of Dark Elevation. Before the tapings began, AEW head-honcho Tony Khan walked out and hyped up the crowd by revealing which stars would be in action.
He stated that Jungle Boy would wrestle in the opening match, while PAC and Chuck Taylor would square off in the headliner. Khan also revealed that Eddie Kingston would guest commentate the latest episode of the YouTube exclusive show.
During the address, Tony Khan also referenced WWE, saying that, unlike their competitor, AEW doesn't have a Performance Center. He added that AEW Dark and Dark Elevation are the promotion's PCs and claimed AEW has the best young wrestlers in the world:
“Thank you for being here,” Khan said. “We’re just getting started. I want to tell you a little about what’s coming. The first match we’re going to have features one of the top wrestlers in AEW. His name is Jungle Boy. We’re gonna have some great matches, including PAC vs. Chuck Taylor as the main event of Elevation. That’s a huge match. Ladies and gentlemen, we don’t have a Performance Center in AEW. This is our Performance Center. We have the best young wrestlers in the world and this is where we showcase them.” (H/T - WrestlingInc)
AEW President Tony Khan has taken shots at WWE before
The post-AEW Fyter Fest Night 2 moment wasn't the first time Tony Khan took a dig at WWE. Khan has referenced WWE on several occasions, pointing out the fundamental flaws in the company's programming.
One such instance was earlier this year in May when Tony Khan slammed the trope of constant rematches and disqualification finishes in WWE. He further accused the promotion of false advertising matches and segments many times.
Khan stated that AEW makes a conscious effort not to depend on any of these tropes. This has allowed the promotion to build more goodwill among its core fan base.
Do you think AEW tends to go overboard by referencing WWE? Sound off in the comments section below.