12 Times AEW Was Better Than Literally EVERYTHING

3. When Tony Khan LISTENED

AEW Sting
AEW

Almost every promoter in the history of the medium has inflicted an unwanted wrestler upon their audience because the booker happened to like them.

Vince McMahon almost specialised in the practice. Bill Watts operated with galling nepotism when pushing his useless son Erik in 1992. Triple H is guilty of this (Solo Sikoa, Seth Rollins in the role of a top guy), and the inverse scenario of not pushing wrestlers the fans vocally wish to see more of (Bianca Belair has been under-utilised since July 2022). Gedo is practically defined by his stubbornness during these years of decline. Has Tony Khan ever burdened his audience for a significant amount of time? 

Jack Perry’s big push in 2024 counts, yes, but we’re entering rule-proving exception territory here - and Perry was written off TV when Khan eventually got it. He didn't dig his heels in. 

Tony Khan might have repeated the very mistakes he knew all too well not to make, as an intelligent super-fan - the sub-WWE skits of 2023 were ghastly - but he listens to, respects, and rewards his fanbase. If the fans dislike a certain direction, he will abandon it (even if he’s a little slow to implement the change, and should be more ahead of things generally). 

To cite two examples, after a dismal 2023, Khan implemented his own version of the G1 Climax, the round-robin Continental Classic, as an apologetic gesture. He should have known full well that the Money In The Bank cash-in gimmick wasn’t what AEW fans wanted for their alternative company, but has at least dropped it. One thing has remained consistent: Khan outright refuses to falsely advertise matches. 

If anything, Khan is guilty of doing far too much to appease his audience. The PPVs, while incredible, are invariably too long, and he is so intent on putting on excellent matches consistently that the dream match device no longer feels special. 

Better that than deliberately booking a mediocre product in stasis, knowing that he has already secured his audience.

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!