2024 hasn’t been a glorious year for Tony Khan and AEW. In a year where the WWE saw its biggest WrestleMania and sold-out arenas in a row, AEW has been struggling. The show’s numbers are declining, and so are the viewers in attendance. However, Khan has never spoken about it publically and only provides the positive side of things. In an industry where giants like WCW saw their doors close, one wrestling icon has some advice for Khan.
Vince Russo has been around the pro wrestling block, dipping his fingers in WWE, WCW, TNA, and Aro Lucha. With a career that began in 1992 and ended in 2014, Russo has seen it all and can tell when something is going wrong. Speaking to Sportskeeda WrestleBinge, he discussed AEW and Khan’s leadership over the company.
Russo discussed how, despite all of Khan’s attempts, nothing has been working to either grow the company or the numbers. This is where, according to Russo, Khan needs to implement a new tactic to tackle the issue. He also mentioned how Khan never talks about the negatives of AEW in media scrums.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Russo said, “We’re just not connecting with our audience. You know, we’re doing something wrong right now, and we need to go back and look at every single aspect of our business.” This is what Russo believes Khan should be doing. He continued, “As a consumer or a fan, at least now I’m like, okay, they recognize it, and they’re doing something about it.”
Tony Khan reportedly changed the script for AEW Double or Nothing leaving "most people" with no idea what they were doing until an hour or so before the show; "it legitimately is more like 2019 WWE than it is 2019 AEW."
"Tony switched the script on yesterday's PPV multiple times… pic.twitter.com/gWiNV7q6PX
— Cultaholic Wrestling (@Cultaholic) May 29, 2024
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Unfortunately, Khan is not someone to talk negatively about the company. During the interview, Russo also claimed that the AEW head honcho had stolen ideas from his playbook because he was desperate. Even hardcore AEW fans have called out the co-founder for including himself in the Young Bucks and Jack Perry storyline. Many called it a wasted PR stunt that didn’t get the attention they sought. AEW’s recent Double or Nothing PPV was also criticized for overbooking.
Tony Khan’s Double or Nothing PPV doesn’t stick the landing
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Celebrating the fifth anniversary of the company, AEW’s Double or Nothing took place where it all started, in Las Vegas. However, while some fans loved the PPV, a sizeable section of fans were unhappy. With twelve matches on the card, the night was set to be action-packed. While it delivered what it wanted to, fans were not happy with the booking.
Mercedes Mone won the TBS Championship in her first match, Adam Copeland reunited with Gangrel, and all hell broke out during the final Team Tony Khan vs The Elite match. The general fan reaction to the entire show was that it was bloated, and several matches had unnecessary distractions. This doesn’t seem good for the upcoming WBD and AEW media rights deal. What do you think of what Russo said? Do you agree with it? Tell us in the comments.
