Tony Khan Open To Discussing Joint AEW X WWE Wrestling Show
Tony Khan on opening the most forbidden of forbidden doors: AEW to WWE.
All Elite Wrestling founder and CEO Tony Khan has stated that he is at least open to discussing the possibility of running a joint AEW vs. WWE pay-per-view, though he concedes that such a show is unlikely to happen.
Khan said as much during a recent appearance on The Masked Man Show for The Ringer. The promoter added that while such a prospect "wasn't crazy", it was a bold prediction.
Collaborating with other promotions has been an AEW hallmark since day one. Multiple connections with outside groups were announced when Khan's company came to life at a Jacksonville, Florida press conference in January 2019, and this has only escalated in recent years. Now enjoying working partnerships with Mexico's AAA, NJPW, and more, AEW is fresh off hosting its first full-on collaborative show, Forbidden Door, which was produced in conjunction with New Japan on 26 June.
WWE, meanwhile, is traditionally competition averse, having continually moved aggressively to run opposing companies out of business since Vince McMahon took power in the 1980s. This includes a number of tactics employed to stifle AEW's growth, though Khan's company has succeeded in establishing a foothold in the industry nonetheless.
Despite this, WWE has played reasonably well with others lately, at least at a granular level. IMPACT's Mickie James participating in this year's women's Royal Rumble and AEW stars appearing on last week's Raw to honour John Cena would be evidence of this, though the market leaders' attitudes towards competitors are long-established and deep-rooted.