Tony Khan recently sat down for an in-depth interview with MMA journalist Ariel Helwani on Tuesday’s episode of The Ariel Helwani Show.
During the discussion, the AEW President spoke at length about WWE counter-programming AEW, CM Punk’s infamous backstage fight in AEW and his decision to air it on AEW TV and more.
Featured below are some of the highlights from the interview where he touches on these topics with his thoughts. Also embedded below is a complete video archive of the discussion.
On the decision to air the CM Punk backstage fight footage on AEW TV: “I didn’t necessarily agree with the description of how it all happened. I didn’t necessarily agree with everything that was said in that interview about how things happened. But also, it’s a TV show and it did a very strong number. So, for many reasons, I think that it made sense. And it was a thing that was advertised, and it got a lot of attention that did a very strong number. And also, it’s in the eye of the beholder.”
On if he wants to refute anything CM Punk said: “I think the tape spoke for itself. And I think that I didn’t agree with how it happened. And obviously, it was a major part of why things were no longer able to continue with us, even though I would have liked to have been able to and it’s clear that I wanted to reconcile and do those things.”
On where AEW and CM Punk since their split: “I think AEW’s doing really well right now, and I’m really happy with what the people on the shows are doing. It wasn’t the first time that [Punk] and I disagreed about something, and it may not ever be the last. And that’s okay. But I had tried to reconcile and I wanted to find a way for everybody to be able to work together, and that didn’t work. And that’s okay. It seems like everybody is happier and doing better right now. I know in AEW right now everybody is really happy.”
On WWE counter-programming AEW: “I do think it’s done on purpose and I understand it and it’s part of wrestling and I think we’ve seen a lot of it but I think other wrestling promotions that have been the challenger wrestling brand in our lifetime have seen a lot of it. Jim Crockett Promotions, which was the forerunner to WCW, saw a lot of this. I do think that we’ve seen that kind of counter programming and those things and I understand and looking back at wrestling history, kind of expect that. I think it’s okay because for us it’s always worked out and we’re in a great position. It hasn’t ever been a thing where it’s cost us anything. And even when you do something like AEW All In Texas where we do the show in the afternoon, it really worked out for us great and it was one of the best days in the history of the company. It’s something that is a part of the wrestling business and I definitely don’t take it personally. I think it’s no more personal to me than it was towards Jim Crockett or even maybe less so than it was with Ted Turner, or similar amounts as with Ted Turner. But definitely I think all of us have seen that kind of counter programming and could speak to that. And certainly with AEW, I’m very proud that we continue to really run strong and be that great challenger brand in pro wrestling.”
(H/T to F4WOnline.com for transcribing the above quotes.)
