AEW President, CEO, General Manager & Head of Creative Tony Khan says he will not “sit back and take this fucking shit” in regards to WWE running two Premium Live Events on Labor Day Weekend.
WWE ran Clash at The Castle on Saturday, and NXT Worlds Collide on Sunday for their Labor Day Weekend shows, the same weekend AEW has held All Out for the past few years. Khan noted during Sunday’s post-All Out media scrum that the pay-per-view was trending in the same range as AEW’s other pay-per-view sales this year, but he noted that they were dealing with a “crowded marketplace” this weekend, unlike in previous years.
Khan said:
“There’s a big difference between this year and last year. We were the first professional wrestling show and the only professional wrestling show on Labor Day weekend last year, and we were the third professional wrestling show of the weekend this year. I don’t think that’s a coincidence.”
“When I talk about things I wasn’t thrilled about, I was a little surprised we were the third professional wrestling show this weekend, and it’s probably a little bit more challenging in the marketplace when it becomes a little more crowded.”
“Our performance — in prior years, we never had this kind of competition. This was kind of a first for us in AEW to see this kind of a crowded marketplace. I’m not sure if this is what we’ll see from now on.”
“I am very happy with the numbers we did, given the competition we had.”
“The number is the number and I have to face the competition that is out there.”
Khan compared WWE running two events on Labor Day Weekend to WWE’s promotional tactics when competing with Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1980s. He said:
“When I compared myself to Jim Crockett Promotions this weekend, I think I got a taste of the same medicine Jim Crockett Promotions took, but I have a lot more fucking money than Jim Crockett did.”
“I’m serious. I’m not gonna sit back and take this fucking shit.”
Khan also commented on his relationship with WWE when asked about the recent allegations of contract tampering. He said:
“I’ve had a number of interactions with [WWE]. I’ve said a lot of nice stuff, and I don’t regret saying nice stuff because I’m super honest about pro wrestling. And when I saw good stuff there, I’ll be the first to say it. I am just not feeling the same love. I don’t want to get into it. I just haven’t felt the same reciprocation from them.”
“If it is, when the fight is brought, I will continue bringing fights of my own, and I have unique ways to do that. I have a lot of money to fight with.”
“And this is not a game to me. This is my life, and I don’t think it’s a joke, and I take it really seriously.”
For those who missed it, you can click here for what WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H had to say about AEW this past week.
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