12 Things You Didn't Know Tony Khan BANNED In AEW

9. Taking Drinks And Food From The Crowd

AEW Dynamite Holiday Bash MJF
AEW

This was a funny rule to apparently implement, in July 2023, on a company-wide basis. The Fightful report stated that "taking food or drinks from guests in the crowd" was forbidden. Why would this have to be specified...? 

Well, that's because, at Revolution 2023, MJF got himself in a bit of bother during his classic Iron Man World title match against Bryan Danielson. MJF spotted a mother and child in the crowd. Now, even if what he thought was in the container was in the container, what MJF did was not exactly a wise move. It's hard for a heel to generate true heat in this era, but that's not necessarily because the heels are bad at their jobs, or because they don't go far enough. The psyche of the general public no longer exists as it once did. There are too many real things to hate. And, when a heel does do something that gets people pissed off, it becomes such an exhausting discourse cycle that fans stop caring about the incident altogether. 

MJF throwing water on a kid would have been pretty heinous to begin with, but what he didn't know is that the child's guardian was actually drinking a different clear liquid: tequila. The fan was livid, and AEW had to offer an impromptu backstage meet-and-greet in order to control the situation.  

It's just funny to have this rule communicated to the entire roster - "this goes for everyone!" - with everybody staring a hole through a sheepish MJF. It's also funny that, being AEW, the rule didn't last long: MJF threw a fan's beer in their face in February 2025.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!