AEW: Redefining an Industry

It seems that entrepreneurialism runs in the Khan family blood. Tony Khan, son of billionaire entrepreneur Shad Khan, has spent his life capitalizing on opportunities and pursuing his passions. His latest endeavor involves spandex, a four corner ring and maybe just a tad more showmanship than a typical Jacksonville Jaguars game. After much speculation, on January 1, 2019, Khan’s new professional wrestling company, All Elite Wrestling, entered the arena.

Since then, AEW has made a lot of waves in the industry, attracting top tier talent from all over, most notably from other wrestling companies. With multiple sold-out events across the country and a just-announced prime-time spot on TNT, AEW is poised to set a new bar for the entire industry.

“I don’t want to compare ourselves to any other wrestling company,” said Tony Khan in an interview on Chris Van Vliet’s YouTube Channel. “We are AEW. We are doing things differently.”

The core of AEW is its commitment to the wrestlers from the top down. While Khan is the president and CEO of the company, the Executive Vice President roster features Cody Rhodes (pro-wrestler and son of WWE hall-of-famer Dusty Rhodes), Matt and Nick Jackson (tag-team brothers known as The Young Bucks) and Kenny Omega (2017 Sports Illustrated Wrestler of the Year). These four, called The Elite, serve as both in-ring performers as well as on the executive board.

Tony Khan and Kenny Omega on the red carpet of the WarnerMedia Upfronts on May 15, 2019 in New York City.

With Khan and The Elite at the helm, AEW debuted its first live event on May 25, 2019 with its “Double or Nothing” showdown. The event sold out almost immediately, filling the MGM Grand Garden Arena to capacity. It also had the largest audience for an American pro wrestling show not affiliated with WWE or WCW since 1993. And the media took notice, as ESPN, CBS Sports and other outlets marked the event a resounding success.

In an article for CBS Sports, Brian Cambell wrote about the event: “From the blood and tears exchanged by the Rhodes brothers to the theatrics and aerial exploits of Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and The Lucha Bros, this felt very much like a historic card that boldly announced new competition for the long-time industry leader WWE.”

AEW is reinventing the world of wrestling in interesting ways. The direction of the company is moving, rightfully, towards a classification of the in-ring talent as employees. This includes various benefits and healthcare packages depending on the level of involvement in the company, generous compensation for all in-ring talent and a commitment to covering in-ring injuries for wrestlers.

While the details of any benefits packages are still in early phases, the news of this has shook up an industry where the standard has always been to treat wrestlers as independent contractors without benefits. For many, having health insurance for pro wrestlers seems like a necessity in a profession where body slams in rings are about as common as paper clips in cubicles. In general, AEW’s approach to putting the wrestlers happiness and well-being first has become an attraction for both the top talent and for fans of the league.

“I think happy wrestlers only encourages happy fans…” said EVP Cody Rhodes in an interview with Breaking Kayfabe (h/t to Wrestling Inc).

Rhodes then went on to note the importance of open communication between the management and talent in AEW. This, he says, will help keep talent nurtured, supported and will hopefully begin the path to a higher profile industry.

This direct communication and support is a new development for the industry, and another way for AEW to set themselves apart from competitors like WWE. In fact, numerous former WWE stars are jumping onboard the AEW train, including Chris Jericho, Jon Moxley (Dean Ambrose in WWE), Shawn Spears (Tye Dillinger in WWE) and Pac (Neville in WWE). All in all, AEW’s roster contains approximately 45 wrestlers coming from WWE and numerous other national and international promotions. With better benefits, commitment to the fans and wrestlers first and the overall excitement for the new league, AEW is causing a lot of commotion in the pro wrestling world.

With the success of AEW’s first two events, they already have a huge presence in the market. Their live events continue to sell out, and a lot of the hype is coming from their viral marketing push. Chief Brand Officer, Brandi Rhodes, is pushing the new message and tone of AEW to all corners of the industry. And fans are loving it. At the most recent event, “Fight for the Fallen”, a fundraising effort for Jacksonville’s Victim Assistance Advisory Council (VAAC), AEW raised approximately $150,000 with the help and support of the 5,000 fans in attendance.

Building on its successful live events, AEW is geared to launch a new weekly prime-time spot on TNT with a deal that was struck earlier this year with WarnerMedia. The show will debut on October 2, 2019, pointedly, the same week as WWE’s fall debut of “SmackDown Live” on Fox. WWE has returned the slight, scheduling pay-per-view shows on the same date at AEW’s next live event, “ALL OUT”. But as the tension grows between the veteran wrestling company and the youthful newbie, AEW is poised to take every hit and keep on rolling.

The journey to get here for Khan didn’t happen overnight. It was, of course, full of planning, setbacks and coordination with the many people involved. Khan, though, has grown up realizing the value of perseverance and dedication to continued success.

“I remember Tony receiving his “I-got-it-over-ball” for the first time serving the tennis ball over the net when he was around seven years old,” said UCC Tennis Pro, Dave Fauble. “It wasn’t easy for young kids, but, if they were determined and practiced often, all of them found that it only took one time to realize it was possible.”

That determination is a key driver to all Khan’s endeavors, past, present and future. And it certainly is key for AEW. The fans are excited, the wrestlers are excited and it seems that the future is written in bright neon lights for the fledgling wrestling company.