Recent reports stated that WWE was reportedly in discussions with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) for a possible crossover. AEW President Tony Khan had quite a few things to say about the situation.
Ahead of AEW’s Friday Night Special Dynamite (5/28) ahead of Double or Nothing on Sunday, Tony Schiavone and Khan caught up backstage. Schiavone informed the AEW audience about the reported deal between WWE and NJPW before asking Tony his opinion.
Tony, known for swinging open the “forbidden doors of wrestling,” revealed he was aware of the talks between the two promotions. Khan then addressed WWE president Nick Khan directly, “Well, Nick, I have to say you have been talking NJPW for two months, you’ve gotten a lot done!
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“But in the last two weeks, I have Yuji Nagata, Ren Narita, and Rocky Romero on AEW. I have reunited Roppongi Vice. I had NJPW IWGP US Champion Jon Moxley defend the title successfully on our show, retaining it.”
Ahead of tonight’s Live #AEWDynamite at 10pm ET/9pm CT, and #AEWDoN on ppv Sunday, AEW Owner/President @TonyKhan, aka the Forbidden Door, addressed rumors of a relationship between @WWE & @njpwglobal, + what this means to @AEW! Watch Dynamite tonight LIVE coming up on @TNTdrama! pic.twitter.com/atFTSrvyqZ
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) May 29, 2021
He also revealed he had future plans with the NWJP for the US Title. “In fact, I think there’s only room for one Khan in the wrestling business, Nick… And it’s me, it’s Tony Khan. Not some “Khan Man” from Connecticut. Have a fun show tonight Nick! See you on Dynamite.”
The statement was so shocking that the shock showed up in the face of a seasoned veteran like Schiavone. All this went down on TNT while WWE SmackDown was live on Fox.
Did Tony Khan just start AEW vs WWE?
Tony Khan has been cordial with WWE throughout his tenure. He said how WWE shaped his perspective as a young wrestling fan. However, this statement on Dynamite comes out of nowhere.
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This is the first time Tony Khan’s AEW (or any promotion) has directly declared war on WWE. It should be noted that AEW has dragged WWE previously to promote themselves while the wrestling giant barely acknowledges AEW.
It should be noted that Tony and Nick are not related. But Tony definitely held some grievances against Nick. This declaration has sent the wrestling fanbase into a frenzy as expected.
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WWE is yet to respond to the atrocious declarations. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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