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

2. ISN'T - He Takes FOREVER To Do Certain Things

Miro Chuck Taylor
AEW

Tony Khan has developed a bizarre, counterproductive and often laughable habit of taking absolutely forever to pay certain things off. Anticipation is the ultimate promotional tool - the audience is meant to luxuriate in the prospect of something happening - but that only really works for something as special as Cody Rhodes Vs. MJF.

Miro and Kip Sabian spent months feuding with Best Friends in 2020 as, all the while, Tony Khan had a match graphic ready the very second any two members of the roster interacted for longer than a second.

Whatever happened to the Young Bucks refusing the FTR handshake? Does that tie into that point about Khan's fecklessness and lack of authority?

Does Eddie Kingston still need to "deal with" Jon Moxley, or?

The effect is twofold: the audience is bored of the match before the bell rings, and the characters are difficult to take seriously since they only jump or take revenge on their rival when the booker can be arsed to do it.

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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!