Tony Khan Addresses Criticism Of Adam Cole's AEW Booking

Since debuting in All Elite Wrestling at All Out back in September of 2021, Adam Cole has been a featured performer on AEW programming as part of The Elite and he has had high-profile feuds with the likes of Jurassic Express and Christian Cage, and Best Friends and Orange Cassidy. 

His alliance with The Young Bucks as The Superkliq has also become increasingly awkward as Kyle O'Reilly, Bobby Fish and now Jay White have appeared on AEW TV. 

Prior to Wednesday's edition of Dynamite, though, Cole had been kept away from the AEW World Championship picture, something that drew criticism from sections of AEW's fanbase. 

Tony Khan addressed that criticism while speaking to PWInsider ahead of Dynamite and the AEW President argued the former ROH World Champion had been one of the promotion's "biggest drawing wrestlers."

"The Adam Cole that's here has main evented numerous Dynamites and Rampages, has been one of our biggest drawing wrestlers. The Adam Cole vs. Orange Cassidy programme is one of the biggest drawing programmes we've ever had in the history of AEW. They have done big numbers on every show they've been on, and it's been a big part of our rating success in recent months, has been the matches they did with each other," Khan began.

"Before Orange Cassidy and the Best Friends, Adam Cole wrestled a number of matches also against Jungle Boy. He beat Jungle Boy. Of course, Orange Cassidy and Jungle Boy, both number one contenders. He beat both of them and he's beaten everybody else he's wrestled in a sanctioned match, including a lot of main events.  So wherever he's been before this, he's never been presented to as wide of an audience as consistently as a main event wrestler.   

"Now bringing back Kyle O'Reilly and Bobby Fish creates some questions about their relationship and also how that affects Adam Cole's friendship and partnership with The Young Bucks. I think that's a very interesting stuff to keep an eye on going forward, but there's no question to me, Adam Cole's one of the most important wrestlers in this company. And his programme with Orange Cassidy was huge for us and his programme with Jungle Boy before that was also really big for us and he's been in a number of big matches since he arrived and in every single match, he's been in he has won it. The Lights Out Match being an exception to that, but that was not a sanctioned match, did not go on his record... all the great matches and all the great wins he's had, I don't think that's going to slow him down at all," Khan continued.

"We saw on Rampage, he looked better than ever. I thought his promo was very strong and I expect more of that from him, convincing performances, strong promos. So he is a very highly regarded person who has been incredibly valuable since he arrived in AEW."