5 times AEW's Tony Khan called WWE out on social media
AEW President Tony Khan has never shied away from taking shots at WWE or those in upper management within the promotion. While some of it could be seen as playful banter, Khan has at times pointed out some serious things his competitors have fumbled.
The president of AEW hasn't always had a good reception to his Tweets, as seen during Big Swole's departure from the promotion. Khan is also known for his passionate responses in person, like when he defended CM Punk after comments made by Eric Bischoff.
That being said, the 39-year-old can usually be counted upon to share his opinions in public, even when they concern his company's primary competitor. Continue reading as we dive right into five times Tony Khan called WWE out on social media.
#5. Tony Khan calls WWE out for their Supersized Smackdown
In late 2021, WWE announced that for one night only, Smackdown would run for two and a half hours instead of the normal two. Due to timing, this effectively meant that Smackdown would bleed into Rampage for 30 minutes, putting the two shows head to head.
Leading up to the fateful Friday, Khan took to Twitter to acknowledge WWE's strategy and declare that he was ready to go to war and win:
"I saw you’re doing a half hour head-to-head with us. I can’t wait to finally beat your main show head-to-head. It’s been a long time coming. See you next Friday for#AEWRampage on @AEWonTNT!" - Khan Tweeted.
I saw you’re doing a half hour head-to-head with us. I can’t wait to finally beat your main show head-to-head. It’s been a long time coming. See you next Friday for #AEWRampage on @AEWonTNT!
While Smackdown won in overall ratings, Rampage shockingly had far more viewership in the coveted 18-49 demographic.
#4. Tony Khan calls out Nick Khan after alleged rumors of a relationship between WWE and NJPW
AEW is currently preparing for one of the biggest crossover events in wrestling history with AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door. However, early in 2021, rumors began spreading about WWE allegedly sowing seeds of a relationship with NJPW.
In the wake of the rumors, Tony not only addressed the subject but took a massive shot at Nick Khan, WWE's President and Chief Revenue Officer. The promo was shared to Twitter by AEW's official Twitter account:
"I think there's only room for one Khan in the wrestling business, Nick. And it's me! It's Tony Khan!" Khan said.
Ahead of tonight’s Live #AEWDynamite at 10pm ET/9pm CT, and #AEWDoN on ppv Sunday, AEW Owner/President @TonyKhan, aka the Forbidden Door, addressed rumors of a relationship between @WWE & @njpwglobal, + what this means to @AEW! Watch Dynamite tonight LIVE coming up on @TNTdrama! https://t.co/atFTSrvyqZ
The rumors seem to have proved unfruitful, as today it's Tony who managed to put together a deal with New Japan Pro Wrestling.
#3. Tony Khan takes a knock at WWE's Saudi-deal, Randy Orton gets involved
Before CM Punk signed with AEW, the star was involved with FOX as an analyst for WWE alongside other signed talent and commentators. Punk would take to Twitter to promote an upcoming interview where he'd address everything going on in the wrestling world.
At the time, WWE came under fire due to numerous stars being stuck in Saudi Arabia after one of their shows in the country. Tony took the moment as an opportunity to take a massive shot at the promotion:
@CMPunk @WWEonFOX @VinceMcMahon No one is safe? Sounds like a plane full of wrestlers in Saudi Arabia!
WWE Superstar and veteran Randy Orton would surprisingly get involved as he took shots at the AEW President. Unfortunately, this was a fight that The Viper would lose. Tony brought up an N-word slur controversy the star was embroiled in, which left Orton at the mercy of the comment section.
#2. Tony Khan celebrates the overall success of AEW despite what skeptics said
It's difficult to remember that AEW has only been on air for three years so far. WWE has been a promotion in the business since the 1950s, when it was still known as Capitol Wrestling Corporation.
Sources differ on whether or not the promotion was run by Vincent J. McMahon Snr. or his father, Jess McMahon in those days. Regardless, WWE has been around for longer than most of its current fanbase has been alive.
Despite this, within two years, AEW rose to such a height that it's considered a competitor to WWE. In light of the promotion's success, Tony Khan took to Twitter to celebrate as well as take a shot at WWE:
<2 years ago, our competitors said this is a marathon, not a sprint. They were right. They’ve also had a head start of >40 years & in <2 years we’ve made up more ground from scratch than anyone in wrestling history. Let’s FN GO TONIGHT. Let’s make #AEWRampage #1 on cable TONIGHT! twitter.com/TonyKhan/statu…
AEW has enjoyed both success and a number of setbacks since Khan's tweet last year. Regardless, the promotion is still growing and just celebrated its third anniversary a few months ago.
#1. Tony Khan alludes to WWE being behind alleged bot accounts
Before an April 2022 episode of AEW Rampage, Tony Khan would puzzle and shock fans when he took to Twitter to claim that bot accounts on Twitter have been trying to bring AEW down.
Not only did Khan take a shot at many of the accounts that seemingly exist to criticize AEW, the president alluded to the party behind it having deep pockets:
An independent study has confirmed that much of the staunch anti-AEW online community aren’t real individuals, it’s a staff running thousands of accounts + an army of bots to signal boost them. Look closely, these aren’t real people. Who’d pay for such a *wildly* expensive thing?
At this stage, the claims have not been verified or denied by either Khan or WWE. While Tony never outright mentioned WWE, there's no denying that the promotion is the only one with deep enough pockets to fund such a thing.