Tony Khan Has a Right To Be Angry
AEW
Let me preface this by saying that I enjoy watching both WWE and AEW. Tony Khan has made waves in the social media world for coming across as petty after losing to NXT this week. AEW Dynamite was forced to change nights due to the MLB Postseason and opening week of the NHL. AEW Dynamite aired on Tuesday night this week and went head-to-head with WWE’s ‘third brand’, NXT. Now, if you’re a wrestling fan, you know that NXT is strictly a developmental brand. They use lesser-known, younger, or under-utilized talent on the show. It has always been that way, except for a stretch where they signed a massive amount of independent wrestlers.
AEW Dynamite on a special Tuesday night episode did not perform really well. Granted, any show performing on a new night is expected to go down in viewership, but they went down quite a bit. It was Adam Copeland’s (aka Edge) in-ring debut. It was supposed to be a big show. I also want to add that they were also competing with the Orioles/Rangers Game 3 and the Blackhawks/Penguins game. Sidney Crosby vs. Connor Bedard. Bedard’s NHL debut. Ratings were expected to go down for both AEW and NXT. Well, they only went down for AEW. NXT had a higher rating than usual, but that wasn’t without help. They brought in some heavy artillery.
To combat AEW’s special move to Tuesday night, NXT brought out Asuka, Paul Heyman, LA Knight, Cody Rhodes, John Cena, and The Undertaker. Now, I don’t fault WWE whatsoever, but this is just petty to me. You really feel the need to squash the other company on a one night deal? At the end of the day, I know it is business, but come on. Undertaker has never showed up to NXT, also, having him there made no sense. Obviously, with the exception of Asuka, none of them were in actual matches, but they were heavily involved.
This brings me to my point. Tony Khan has a right to be mad about what transpired Tuesday night. Some are going to take his rants on social media over the last couple of days as being a sore loser and I get that, but WWE has always said that them and AEW isn’t a competition, when it is pretty apparent that they feel the opposite. Obviously, AEW doesn’t have the fire power that WWE has, but at the same time, why do they feel the need to unload legends and current stars on a random Tuesday night episode of the developmental show?
If AEW isn’t competition, why do you bring out Undertaker to choke slam Bron Breakker? Why do all of those people need to appear on a “random” Tuesday night? Why did they need to move a program to Wednesday night when AEW Dynamite debuted? Why did they feel the need to tamper with contracts? Seems to me like there is a competition. I see both sides of it. I really do, but Tony has a right to be angry. So, Tony Khan. Go off! Let it out! Nothing that I have seen you put out isn’t truthful.
Yacs