Tag: Tony Khan

Tony Khan says Paramount acquiring WBD will be ‘great for AEW’

Posted on by Josh Nason

While the deal has yet to be closed, AEW head Tony Khan is looking forward to the day when Paramount Skydance officially acquires Warner Bros. Discovery.

While in New York to promote Sunday’s Double or Nothing pay-per-view in Queens, New York, Khan appeared on a short segment on Bloomberg TV‘s The Close to talk about AEW business.

During that conversation, he was asked about the changes given Paramount’s business relationships with WWE owners TKO, but Khan remains positive the merger will be a positive for his company.

“I am very excited about Paramount acquiring WB and Paramount and WB coming together. This is going to be great for AEW,” later answering “100%” when asked if he thinks Paramount will stick by AEW post-merger.

During the conversation, he reiterated past statements about his strong relationship with Paramount head David Ellison through their NFL ties.

The current AEW/WBD domestic rights deal runs through 2027 with WBD holding a one year extension option. There is currently no wrestling programming on Paramount Plus or its current networks.

“With the power of HBO Max and Paramount Plus together, it’s more buyers for our PPVs and more people watching the AEW shows. I think it will make TBS and TNT stronger cable channels with Paramount and David Ellison coming in,” Khan said.

The proposed acquisition is making its way through the process now with more hurdles for both sides to overcome.

Tony Khan says Mance Warner wasn’t pulled from independent date by AEW

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Update:

Mance Warner has since wrote on social media that AEW did not ask him to pull out of this show, saying his rate was never agreed upon.

“Want to clarify this situation. AEW did not ask me to pull out of this show. my rate was never agreed upon. I sent $400 to the promoter to cover the flight costs. I am sorry to any fans who were looking forward to seeing me at AAW. With transparency, I made a decision to withdraw from the show to avoid any % chance of travel issues or any fuck ups ruining a big opportunity. I hope y’all can understand,” he wrote.

Original story:

Tony Khan is disputing a promotion that says Mance Warner was pulled from their show by AEW.

AAW Wrestling initally announced on Friday that Warner had been pulled from their event set for Friday night in Merrionette Park, Illinois.

“Mance Warner will unfortunately NOT be appearing at #AAWHomecoming per AEW’s request,” they wrote on social media. “We are immediately restructuring the show accordingly and will announce updates as soon as possible.”

Soon after, however, Tony Khan said that Warner was free to do the show.

“That’s the first that I’ve heard of this, and it’s the first time anyone in AEW’s office has heard of it.
He is welcome to do your show,” he wrote.

AEW Double or Nothing is this weekend

The news comes as AEW’s Double or Nothing event is set to take place in Queens, New York. While Warner hasn’t appeared on AEW television for some time, he has made appearances in Ring of Honor as recently as the tapings that took place on May 18.

Warner and his wife Steph De Lander made news back in March when they abruptly quit TNA. De Lander said it was due to TNA’s medical team not clearing her to return to in-ring action, despite De Lander saying that her neck was “100% healed” after undergoing neck fusion surgery the year prior. Both have since made appearances for GCW and other independent promotions. 

Tony Khan says AEW revenue is ‘highest it’s ever been’ with their ‘strongest financial outlook ever’

Posted on by Josh Nason

While Tony Khan didn’t say whether AEW is profitable in 2026, he did reveal that the promotion’s revenue “is the highest it’s ever been” and “the strongest financial outlook for the company ever.”

Khan was asked the profitability question during Thursday’s pre-Double or Nothing media call and in his answer, he discussed how he is reinvesting back into the company with a number of project at what he perceives as the right time.

“I’ll continue to reinvest in the business, developing new platforms and trying to open up new territories to grow the company in the future. We’re launching some new projects and some international developments that will require investment that I think are very smart moves,” he said.

“Probably the biggest takeaway is the growth of the company and looking at how much we have been able to expand our revenue and how much we are strongly positioned for the future of AEW. I think now is the perfect time in growing our revenue to reinvest in the business and, perfect timing with us going into Double or Nothing, to double down on AEW for the future because AEW will be around for a very, very long time.”

He did not disclose what the actual revenue number was. AEW is a private company with a minority stake (under 10%) owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. He has said in the past that their biggest revenue source is their domestic TV rights deal with WBD. That deal runs through the end of 2027 with a one-year extension option held by WBD, although that could be owned by Paramount Skydance if the WBD merger goes through.

Tony Khan responds to AEW profitability questions, TBS title plan, July PPV & All In 2027 on media call

Posted on by Josh Nason

AEW head Tony Khan was asked a variety of questions during Thursday’s pre-Double or Nothing media call including questions on the company’s profitability, if they are having a new pay-per-view in July, the TBS title’s future and more.

The full audio from the call can be found here along with this breakout on his comments on Mick Foley’s wrestling future in AEW.

AEW profitability

Khan was asked by Wrestlenomics’ Brandon Thurston about if AEW is profitable. Khan said that AEW revenue is “the highest it’s ever been,” but that he couldn’t comment on where every expense currently is. He said that with the revenue, it has been the perfect time to “double down” and reinvest in AEW including digital and international projects that will continue to both grow the company in the future.

The TBS title plan

Khan was asked what the plan is for the now-vacant TBS title. He said that will be addressed after Double or Nothing.

A new July pay-per-view?

Asked about the rumored new AEW PPV for July, Khan said that is something he is “very interested in” but only if it was “additive” to the product, noting that adding one would be potentially lucrative.

Where will AEW All In be in 2027?

Asked if All In will return to Wembley Stadium again in 2027, Khan said he doesn’t have his schedule planned for next year but will continue to take “big swings” with the yearly event. He reiterated that he is very excited for this year’s show in London.

For the entire call and other questions & answers, click here.

Mick Foley’s AEW debut announced for Double or Nothing

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Mick Foley’s AEW debut is officially set for this Sunday night.

After it was reported last week that AEW was interested in working with Foley, Tony Khan sent out a tweet today announcing that Foley will have a role at Double or Nothing. He will co-host The Buy In pre-show for the event alongside Renee Paquette.

Khan did not state whether Foley has signed an AEW contract, though he did refer to Double or Nothing as being Foley’s first night in the promotion.

“Before #AEWDoN, watch the The Buy In FREE before the ppv THIS SUNDAY! Your new co-hosts are
@ReneePaquette & Mick Foley!,” Khan wrote. “Foley’s coming back to TBS, where he ran wild as Cactus Jack! Don’t miss his first night in AEW on Sunday + see you for Wednesday Night #AEWDynamite TONIGHT!”

The Buy In starts at 7 p.m. Eastern and will be carried on AEW’s social platforms, HBO Max, Amazon Prime, and more.

Mick Foley and MJF angle? —

Whether Foley will make any kind of appearance on the pay-per-view itself is unknown. Double or Nothing is being held in his home state of New York, and the main event will pit fellow Long Island native MJF against AEW World Champion Darby Allin in a hair vs. title match. Potentially setting the stage for a future interaction between the two, MJF insulted Foley in a media interview this week. Any angle between them would likely have limited, if any, physicality from Foley given the concussion issues he’s dealt with. The Hardcore Legend suffered a concussion in 2024 that led to him calling off plans to return for one final match.

MJF reacted to today’s announcement:

Foley, 60, announced in December 2025 that he was parting ways with WWE due to the company’s close ties with President Donald Trump. Foley remains under a WWE Legends contract that is set to expire next month.

MJF says AEW boss Tony Khan has become ‘incredible leader’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

MJF is proud of the evolution AEW founder Tony Khan has made as a boss in recent years.

To promote AEW Double or Nothing 2026, MJF returned to The Ariel Helwani Show for an interview on Tuesday. The conversation opened with MJF discussing the interview Helwani conducted with Khan in November 2025. There had previously been heat between Khan and Helwani, but that appearance marked a turning point where Khan has become more willing to answer questions and engage with outlets that may have been unfavorable to AEW.

“No interview is ever going to be as good when I’m not in the room. But for an interview that didn’t have me in it, it was a good watch,” MJF said about the Helwani-Khan interview. “And I also think it showed the evolution, frankly, of my boss as an interviewee. I think he faces questions head-on. I think that he took all your questions on the chin and answered them in a very professional manner. I think he continues to be incredibly professional, even when bullsh*t is happening around him and lies are being spread. So, yeah, I’m happy for him.”

MJF might be referring to the issues between AEW and TNA there, given that he has called out TNA President Carlos Silva for “lying” after Silva claimed that AEW had tried to come at TNA by airing against Impact and blocking TNA from some venues.

He also could be referencing last week’s report that WWE believes AEW won’t get a new TV deal from Paramount in 2027, which Khan said “could not be further from the truth.”

MJF says Tony Khan has leveled up as a leader —

Like with all interviews he does, MJF largely kept kayfabe while speaking with Helwani, taking most of the credit for the success AEW has had this year. But MJF also offered genuine praise for Khan, saying he’s become one of the best minds in wrestling and an incredible leader.

“Yeah, man,” MJF responded when asked if Khan has evolved as a boss. “The fact of the matter is, look, do I love the guy? No. But I love money. And I also love seeing my company do well, and we’re white hot right now. Now, is that all because of me? There’s an argument to be made there, there’s an argument to be made there. But I also am willing to say that Tony Khan — in case you’re unaware, he’s a billionaire — and for him to be a billionaire and to decide to, with his money and his time, when he could be sticking with the futbol thing or the other football thing that’s in America that’s the type of football that I prefer, and he could just be doing that. But he decided to start a professional wrestling company because he’s so passionate about professional wrestling and he loves professional wrestling.

“And he’s become one of the best minds in wrestling, man. And he’s been a great leader. You can talk all of the sh*t you want about him. Why? I don’t know. Because he gave you an alternative so you wouldn’t only be eating one type of food. You have options now. I don’t know why anybody would be mad about options…

“I think he’s become an incredible leader too, man. He always was, but I just think he is really, really just — as we all do, we level up, we evolve as we age.”

A two-time World Champion, MJF has the chance to reach the summit of AEW again when he challenges Darby Allin at Double or Nothing this Sunday. It’s a hair vs. title match where MJF will be forced to shave his head if he loses.

Tony Khan rejects WWE speculation on TV deal, talks New Day possibly coming to AEW

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Tony Khan and other wrestlers spoke to the media following ROH Supercard of Honor.

Notably, Khan brought up something from the latest issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter regarding people within WWE believing AEW wouldn’t get a TV deal from Paramount when their current television deal expires at the end of 2027. Khan denied those reports while saying he chooses to turn the other cheek regarding the constant speculation.

“I saw a report today saying somebody in WWE is telling people within WWE talking about AEW’s next TV deal and talking about what we’re doing. And I was surprised by that and I’ll say what they said could not be further from the truth and they’re entitled to their opinions,” he said. “I’ve been trying to be respectful to them and try to conduct myself as a gentleman and then for them to go on background and spread these things…I’ll just turn the other cheek, and maybe a couple of years ago I wouldn’t have done it like that.”

Khan also briefly mentioned Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods, who recently departed WWE. Khan said he couldn’t comment because they are still under contract to the company. However, he did say they were great wrestlers, and would say that under any circumstances.

Deonna Purrazzo, Outrunners & Dalton Castle, Red Velvet, Mark Davis, Athena, and Khan all spoke to media following Supercard of Honor on Friday. Here are the highlights:

ROH wrestlers

  • Deonna Purrazzo said that having three women’s titles in ROH was “beyond her wildest dreams.” She’s excited to create what Women’s Pure Rules wrestling looks like in the future.
  • Khan seemed interested in the idea of an all pure wrestling-style HonorClub show, but also brought up the idea of a lot of Pure rules matches on one show, including eliminator bouts.
  • Outrunners & Dalton Castle talked about their Six-Man Tag Team title win on Friday. Castle said this was the one that meant the most to him, while the Outrunners pointed out this was their first title win in either AEW or ROH.
  • Red Velvet said she was excited to face Willow Nightingale on AEW Collision. She said all she needs is space, opportunity, and three seconds.
  • Mark Davis said he was open to any and all challengers for the National title.
  • He also said it was difficult at first to break out as a singles star but there’s nothing else in the world he’d rather do, so it’s been great. Also called Kyle Fletcher one of the best wrestlers in the world.
  • Athena, Diamante, and Billie Starkz all continued teasing dissension with one another.
  • Regarding the Owen Hart Foundation tournament, Athena said she is focusing on building herself up so she knows who she thinks she is and will soon be ready to take over AEW, it is her time and she is tired of waiting.
  • She also mentioned she wanted to surpass Bruno Sammartino’s WWE Championship reign of seven years, saying that was the goal to reach.

Tony Khan

  • Khan said this year’s SuperCard of Honor marked four years since he started with the company and paid tribute to Jay Briscoe, saying he thinks about him every day.
  • Said Lio Rush is doing a fantastic job, it’s been really cool to watch him develop and there’s an audience for what he does.
  • Khan talked more about the visa issues with Mortos and Komander, saying they still haven’t gotten their appointments yet. He again brought up the idea of defending the titles in Mexico.
  • When talking about the upcoming Sammy Guevara/Darby Allin match on Collision, Khan told a story about a Daily’s Place episode during COVID where only ten people were allowed in the building, saying that Sammy Guevara and Kenny Omega went over 25 minutes in the main event.
  • He said ROH’s move to Jacksonville has been great for the locker room and this group of younger talent. 
  • Regarding an ROH television deal, he said they have a great set of wrestlers and champions and the way media is moving right now, there are more opportunities for ROH than ever before. He brought up ROH’s successful subscriber numbers. He got offers to put ROH on cable before, but it has to be the right situation. He is excited for Paramount to be merging with Warner Bros. Discovery, saying “you couldn’t ask for better management,” while putting over David Ellison. He painted HBO Max and AEW as challenger brands.
  • Said Zayda Steel really stepped up and also put Persephone over, saying it was unfortunate she got injured at the hands of the Triangle of Madness. 
  • Khan reiterated that his new approach lately has been turning the other cheek, saying that he thought about Jesus more following Jay Briscoe’s death and has tried to apply that to his life. He says he’s not perfect but still tries to apply it.

Tony Khan thinks Nielsen ‘does a tremendous job in interesting times’ of changing methodology

Posted on by Josh Nason

Even though it feels that the ratings methodology employed by Nielsen changes by the week, AEW head Tony Khan says he had a lot of confidence in what he gets from them.

During a Thursday media call to promote Friday’s Supercard of Honor show, Khan was asked about the ongoing situation with Nielsen’s new methodology and what he relies on as well as if he is getting any key insight from the new MyAEW platform.

Khan chose to take the high road in complimenting the longtime TV ratings provider and gave some insight in how he uses their data.

“I think Nielsen does a great job and I have a ton of respect for them. They are still the top in the industry and provide the best insights and information. I typically look at their data frequently throughout the week for AEW Dynamite and AEW Collision for the United States,” he said.

I think Nielsen does a tremendous job in interesting times as they develop the methodology, but I do have a lot of confidence in them,” he said.

As part of that answer, he also said the new MyAEW service has given the company “fascinating data” for their international audience but it’s a much different strategy from the U.S. He didn’t provide any details on what data and information their partner, Kiswe, provides.

Tony Khan gives timeline for Sareee & Persephone to compete in AEW Owen Hart tournament

Posted on by Josh Nason

On Wednesday’s AEW Dynamite, the full bracket for the women’s Owen Hart Foundation tournament was revealed with several surprises including debuting Japanese stars Sareee and Hazuki in addition to reigning CMLL Women’s Champion Persephone.

However, with Sareee saying Thursday that she was taking a month off for “neck maintenance” and Persephone out of action to the point she had to be pulled from Friday’s ROH Supercard of Honor, it raised questions as to both woman’s health for the tournament that begins next weekend.

AEW head Tony Khan was asked about their status during the Supercard of Honor media call Thursday and said that both are expected to wrestle in the tournament as planned. However, he said their quarterfinal matches will likely take place in June as opposed to right away, noting that the finals of the eight-woman tournament aren’t until late-June at Forbidden Door.

Our Bryan Alvarez reported Thursday after the call that as of Wednesday night, all women in the tournament were expected to compete.

Sareee is scheduled to face Skye Blue while Persephone is slated to go one-on-one with the aforementioned Hazuki of Stardom on the left side. Both matches are on opposite sides of the bracket. Persephone last wrestled on the April 22 Collision in a tag team match after which she was sidelined indefinitely. She was tabbed for the first-ever women’s Survival of the Fittest match at Supercard of Honor before being pulled.

Tony Khan on AEW’s future with Jazwares: ‘It’s possible there could be a change’

Posted on by Josh Nason

AEW head Tony Khan addressed the company’s future with toy manufacturer and designer Jazwares on a media call Thursday, strongly hinting toward a change down the line.

Khan was asked about his relationship with the company by our Dave Meltzer during the Ring of Honor Supercard of Honor media call after a report emerged this week that the entire AEW division of the Jazwares were laid off last Friday.

Khan said AEW has had a great relationship with Jazwares for many years, but “I do think it’s possible there could be a change and that could potentially be a positive change for AEW and the fans” before saying he couldn’t comment any further beyond what he already said.

The two sides have been working together since 2020, but rumors about issues began in September 2024 on Reddit, resulting in Jazwares Chief Brand Officer Jeremy Padawer telling Matt Cardona’s Major Wrestling Figure Podcast in a statement that “we are making AEW product in 2026.”

Will Ospreay reveals Tony Khan covered cost for neck surgery: ‘It was more expensive than my f**king house’

Posted on by Rosanne Raphael

Will Ospreay revealed restrictions on in-ring moves after his neck injury and gave Tony Khan a shoutout for covering the surgery cost.

Ospreay told Forbes that following his surgery he has certain limitations on his in-ring agility. He explained that they prevent him from performing high-risk moves like the shooting star press, or any move that requires significant arching that could apply pressure on the neck area. 

“It’s mainly my range of motion right now. There are so many things where I just don’t feel comfortable doing certain tricks anymore, so I’ve kind of knocked them on the head. For example, I won’t do a shooting star press anymore because that required me to really put my head back and get a good arch, and I just can’t do it anymore.”

Ospreay admitted that the fear of never wrestling again crossed his mind during recovery. 

“I mean, that always kind of creeped in, but I knew I was going to do everything physically possible to make this go as quickly as possible and get back in the ring. It was always a conversation, and I had great phone calls with my surgeon, Dr. Wallace, who deserves the biggest shoutout because he’s given me a second chance at having a career doing this.”

He expressed how years ago an injury of this magnitude was sufficient to sideline a wrestler for good. Ospreay extended gratitude to AEW President Tony Khan for covering the cost for his neck surgery. 

“I mean, 10 years ago, this was the type of thing that medically disqualified you from wrestling. So the fact that medical science has come so far, man, I’m just grateful and so blessed. And I must give the biggest shoutout to Tony [Khan] for paying for that surgery because the moment I saw that f**king bill — bro, it was more expensive than my f**king house. It was crazy.”

After undergoing surgery for two herniated discs, Ospreay returned to AEW Revolution after six months away. He targeted Death Riders and competed in his first match back on the March 18 edition of Dynamite against Blake Christian. 

Daddy Magic reveals when Tony Khan came up with Anarchy in the Arena name

Posted on by Jake Skudder

Anarchy in the Arena has become somewhat of a staple of the AEW Double or Nothing PPV event. There may not be one taking place this at this year’s event (we’ll find out in the coming weeks), but it was recently revealed how the Anarchy in the Arena name came together after the success of the Stadium Stampede matches during the pandemic.

Daddy Magic Matt Menard recently appeared on the What Happened When podcast to revisit the Anarchy in the Arena match from DoN 2022. During the podcast he revealed when Tony Khan first mentioned what the branding for the match would be, as it not longer made sense to use Stadium Stampede.

Menard confirmed that Khan came up with the name about a month before DoN 2022 took place, wanting to keep up the ‘tradition’ of having a big multi-man match that echoed the ‘Stampede.

Where did Anarchy in the Arena come from?

“I remember there was a Dynamite in the lead up to this [DoN 2022]. It was maybe a month before, and we had just confirmed that the match was going to happen, that there was going to be a multi-man” Menard would begin.

“We didn’t know what we were going to call it, because it’s not going to be Stadium Stampede…since we’re in an arena, this and that. I remember Tony [Khan] just spurting [it] out. We’re waiting to go out, so we’re in gorilla, and he [Tony] just goes, ‘arena anarchy, arena anarchy.’ That was the first time I’d ever heard the phrase. He switched it to Anarchy in the Arena and that was it.”

If you use any of the quotes from this article then please link back to this page with a credit to F4WOnline for the transcription

Bully Ray urges Tony Khan to sign released WWE name

Posted on by Jake Skudder

Former ECW, TNA and WWE star Bully Ray has urged Tony Khan to sign a WWE talent who was let go as part of the WWE Releases and cuts this past week.

Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray claimed that Zoey Stark is someone that All Elite Wrestling should be looking to sign when her 90-day clause is up. The main reason for this being that her getting released whilst out with a knee injury is a great way to garner sympathy for her from the off:

“If you’re Tony Khan, and you invite Zoey Stark in, what’s the first thing you allow her to do? Here you go sister, here’s a microphone, you’ve got five minutes. Go tell your story, go make people love you, and if you tell your real story, not only will they love you for your determination, and your passion, and your drive, but they will hate the WWE for letting you go. It’s right there on a silver platter for Tony. You don’t have to do any work. Wait 90 days, sign the girl to a contract, end of story. And Zoey is good in the ring, she’d be good for your women’s division,”

Credit to WrestlingNewsCo for the transcription

Zoey Stark Injury and WWE Release

Stark was still out from a torn ACL, MCL, and Meniscus when her release was announced, which happened during a match on the May 19 episode of Raw in 2025. Our own Bryan Alvarez confirmed that she had been recently cleared for an in-ring return before getting cut from the WWE roster on April 24th just after WrestleMania 42.

FAQs and Context

What injury did Zoey Stark have?

Stark suffered a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus during a match on the May 19th 2025 episode of RAW. The injury kept her on the shelf for nearly a year, with Bryan Alvarez reporting she’d only recently been cleared for an in-ring return before her release was announced.

What is the WWE 90-day non-compete clause?

Released main roster WWE talent are typically held to a 90-day non-compete period before they can sign with another promotion and NXT talent are held to a 30-day. For Stark, that means she wouldn’t be eligible to debut elsewhere until late July 2026 at the earliest.

When could Zoey Stark debut for AEW?

If she did sign with AEW, the earliest she could realistically appear would be after her 90-day clause expires in late July. There’s no current confirmation she’s heading to AEW as Bully Ray’s comments are a pitch, not a report.

Has AEW signed Zoey Stark?

No, and there’s been no announcement from either side. Bully Ray’s Busted Open comments are speculation about what AEW should do, rather than reporting on anything that’s actually in motion.

Tony Khan names international cities he’d like AEW to run

Posted on by Ian Carey

AEW President Tony Khan revealed some potential future cities he would like to bring AEW to.

During a recent interview with the Battleground podcast, Khan spoke about wanting to bring AEW events to more international cities, as well as possibly bringing pay-per-views to U.S. markets where the company has previously run television.

Khan said:

“We’ve had some awesome events in England. We’ve traveled England and anytime we go back there, I absolutely love doing that.”

Khan specifically mentioned Guadalajara, Mexico, as a city he’d like to bring AEW to.

“There are a lot of great cities in Mexico that we have not been to yet. We’ve been to Mexico City, but I think there are more opportunities. Guadalajara is a great town.

There are other cities in America after all these years where maybe we’ve done a TV, but we haven’t had a pay-per-view yet.”

AEW debuted in Mexico last June with joint shows alongside CMLL. The company is also believed to be returning to the country later in 2026 for another AEW Grand Slam Mexico event.

The AEW President also noted that the company has yet to run events in many major European countries.

“There are also a lot of big international cities. There’s never been AEW in France, Italy, Germany. These are great markets for pro wrestling and where there are lots of AEW fans.”

The full interview with Tony Khan on the Battleground podcast is available below.

Ric Flair ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if Tony Khan buys WWE one day

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Ric Flair wouldn’t be surprised if we someday end up living in a world where WWE is run by Tony Khan.

During his appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show on Wednesday, Flair — who is under contract with AEW — praised Khan as one of the best people he’s ever known. With all of the money the Khan family has, Flair believes they could end up buying WWE one day.

“Tony Khan is one of the greatest people I’ve ever met in my life. And you know what, I wouldn’t be surprised — because he has the money to do it — if he doesn’t buy WWE one day,” Flair said. “The Khan family’s got more money than God, you know that, right? That $9 billion price on the WWE is nothing to Shad Khan.

“But more than that, Tony’s provided an opportunity for guys who would never get a chance to work anywhere else, because the WWE is a very difficult, very selective organization. And Tony has offered all of these opportunities. And he pays the guys good. All he cares about is making a product and making sure that people are happy. He’s a very personable guy.”

Khan did make a nearly $7 billion bid for WWE when the company was up for sale in 2023, but Endeavor ultimately won out in that process and now runs WWE and UFC under the same umbrella in TKO Group.

Also in the Helwani interview, Flair said he’s a fan of AEW star MJF — who Flair says used to have a little bit of an ego problem but has now calmed down.

“He had a little bit of an ego problem, but he’s calmed that down now,” Flair said about MJF. “When I see him, it’s like, ‘Hey, Mr. Flair’ and sh*t like that, you know what I mean? He used to blow by me like I was just… But it’s a whole different world. And I’m very, very proud of his success, as I am all of the guys there. They have a lot of great talent there.”

Flair only makes very sporadic on-screen appearances for AEW despite being under contract. He was originally brought into the company for Sting’s retirement tour and a brand deal with his Wooooo! Energy drink.