Nick Khan: "WWE Is A Meritocracy, Everyone Has An Opportunity To Hit The Top"
WWE's Nick Khan says that despite negative press, the company is an even playing field.
A recent appearance on The Town with Matthew Belloni saw WWE president and chief revenue officer Nick Khan paint a utopian image of the market-leading wrestling promotion as a meritocracy for talent.
When asked about the myriad negative stories told by former WWE wrestlers following their exits from the company over the years, Khan attempted to draw a line between how former LA Lakers megastars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant were treated during their shared time on the iconic NBA franchise (h/t Figure Four Online/Wrestling Observer):-
"Everyone is treated humanely and deserves to be treated that way. I do think there are analogies with our company and other companies. Was Shaq treated better than any other player other than Kobe? Yeah. That's the way it is."
Continuing, Khan called WWE a "meritocracy", saying that everybody in the promotion had the opportunity to earn their way to the top of the pile:-
"It's the same way with us. It's a meritocracy. If you're at the top of the card, maybe you have a bigger dressing room than someone at the bottom of the card. Everyone has the same opportunity to earn their way there."
Nick's words conflict with those of countless wrestlers who have worked for WWE in the past, leaving on less-than-ideal terms, but his media savvy shines through in interviews like this. Many will take his statements at face value here, assuming that WWE is, indeed, a land of opportunity, and all talents have to do is rise up, work hard, and grab the fabled brass ring.
Now one of the most influential people in professional wrestling, Khan has been with WWE since bringing his extensive experience as a media executive to the promotion in August 2020.