Tony Khan: WWE & AEW's Mutual Hatred Powers The Industry

Pro wrestling is officially hot again in 2024, with WWE breaking all sorts of records with WrestleMania XL, whilst All Elite Wrestling have signed some of the most exciting free agents in the industry as they push on to another mega Wembley Stadium event with All In 2024 in August.

Whilst the professional rivalry has brought out some of the worst in wrestling fans, it has also caused both companies to push harder against one another, with AEW President Tony Khan commenting on the relationship between the two companies in an interview with IndieWire:

“There’s a number of big factors that would play into why wrestling has seen such a great renaissance in recent years. I think it comes from the great competition in wrestling right now, and the fact that there are so many great stars competing right now.

“Everyone knows that the most real thing in wrestling is the competition between the companies. The companies hate each other, and it will be a natural resource that powers the industry. They want to beat each other and take everybody’s free agents, and that makes it interesting for everybody else,” said Khan.

Whilst true that competition creates a ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ scenario, that doesn’t mean that AEW and WWE could never work together, with Khan saying to Comicbook.com in a separate interview that any potential collaboration between the two companies would depend on the circumstances. AEW currently partners with several pro-wrestling companies, such as NJPW, AAA, and CMLL.