5 Ways AEW's Tony Khan Is A Great Wrestling Booker (& 5 Ways He ISN'T)

5. IS - He's a GREAT Matchmaker

Keith Lee
AEW

Not to wade through this b*llocks again, but on storytelling: professional wrestling matches are an effective means of telling stories in professional wrestling. Khan's angle work and character arcs will be assessed imminently, but matchmaking is integral to booking, and Khan is exceptional at it.

He has an almost psychic ability to determine which wrestlers share chemistry. He knows who to put against whom when a wrestler needs a showcase win.

Even thought it hardly worked long-term, Isiah Kassidy was the perfect opponent with which to launch Keith Lee, since Kassidy himself, with that terrified squeal and awe-inspiring vertical leap, was so great at being launched. That beal spot was awesome.

Khan pinpointed Darby Allin - a master of creating movement and sacrificing his body - as the best means of getting the most out of Samoa Joe. Joe rediscovered his dormant, frightening aura in that incredible series, using it to become the best version of himself.

While it was booked to drive Chris Jericho out of the building and into the path of Adam Cole, that Falls Count Anywhere match with Roderick Strong was another inspired idea. Strong's relentless ass-kicker versus Jericho's slapstick coward made for a wonderful dynamic. Nobody else fantasy booked it. Nobody thought it would drag the best out of both men. Khan knew it would be the best possible match both men could have together.

PAC was the ideal opponent with which to debut Orange Cassidy in singles competition. PAC as the miserable killer expressed the digust needed to make it all the more shocking, and exhilarating, when OC proved himself capable of firing up. PAC's bumping was amazing in that first Revolution match, too. He couldn't have done more to convey the idea that Cassidy, behind the smokescreen, was a skilled threat. AEW's short history is brimming with inspired matchmaking.

Khan has a wonderful roster to work with, but he knows which ones to match up as well as anybody ever.

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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!