12 Things You Didn't Know Tony Khan BANNED In AEW
6. Conducting An Interview Without Permission
AEW is a company that exists to make good wrestling by people who want to see good wrestling, and if that reads as naive, think of the wrestlers the promotion has passed on. The ultimate irony of the "TNA can become the #2 promotion!" psy-op is that TNA only exists because the actual #2 promotion didn't want their talent.
Still, let's not be daft: AEW want to actually make some money and generally appear to be an organised outfit with its own house in order. If they appeared to be a shambles, the perception of the company - and its ability to generate trust, viewership and money - would be less than ideal.
As of 2022, an AEW talent had to clear any interview request with their employer for very boring and strict reasons. Certain disruptive outlets might twist a story and are vetted, sometimes even banned, for that reason. AEW are right to be paranoid; the media attack on its very existence is an ongoing (and pathetic) proxy war. It seems pointless - a wrestler can record their unfiltered thoughts 24/7 without being interviewed - but it can't hurt.
Back in March 2022, MJF took an interview with Ariel Helwani, and Khan was not happy. This, according to Fightful Select, led to a "heated" argument at a Dynamite taping. The timing is perhaps a bit suspicious - MJF was planning his Brian Pillman adventure ahead of the summer, and heat with his boss was a great way of legitimising that storyline - but it's an AEW rule nonetheless.