CEO of All Elite Wrestling Tony Khan spoke to amNewYork Metro Thursday during his visit to the Big Apple ahead of next week’s Grand Slam at Arthur Ashe Stadium, touching on the history of the company that has carved out a space for itself in the wrestling world that many once thought to be impossible.
With AEW set to take over the city on Wednesday, Sept. 25, Khan was in Midtown one week early, spreading the news of the extravaganza. Standing in the shadow of the iconic New York City Public Library on 41st Street and 5th Avenue amidst the hustle and bustle of tourists and native New Yorkers alike, the founder of the popular wrestling promotion said that he holds NYC near and dear to his heart, thanks, in large part, to the success and fan reception AEW receives when in town.
“I love New York. It’s a great city for all sports, including pro wrestling and football. I’ll be in New York doing both things. It’s an exciting time for me. I’m here today, we’re promoting this coming Wednesday night AEW Dynamite Grand Slam at Arthur Ashe stadium. It’s the biggest AEW dynamite of the year. It’s the biggest Wednesday night in all of AEW, and we’re coming up on the five-year anniversary the following week, celebrating all these things here in New York City,” Khan said.
AEW Grand Slam first came drop-kicking its way into Queens back in 2021 and has since become an annual staple that sees droves of fans lining up in Corona Park to catch a glimpse of the biggest matches on television each year. Khan credits the success to both the venue itself and the New York fans who he says has helped create some of the best moments in the promotion’s history.
In addition to one of the year’s largest wrestling events, AEW is also on the cusp of its five year anniversary. With Khan helming the company for almost half a decade, he revealed some of the moments that meant the most to him both as chief executive officer and, perhaps more importantly, as a fan.
“This year alone we’ve had so many of our best moments. We had the AEW World Tag Team Championship, when Sting and Darby Allin defeated the Young Bucks to become the World Tag Team Champions. Sting and Darby Allin, they retired undefeated. It was one of the greatest matches ever and I think it was one of the greatest nights of my life to have at Revolution in Greensboro,” Khan recalled. “I gotta say, maybe one of the greatest moments of my life personally was when Bryan Danielson wrestled the great champion Swerve Strickland at Wembley Stadium and Bryan Danielson became the AEW world champion. That was amazing.”
Even ahead of his role as leader, Khan himself is first and foremost a wrestling lover whose sheer excitement and passion for the industry shines through when he appears on stage. But being both the owner of AEW and the Jacksonville Jaguars leaves the businessman very little free time. While he admits it can be a burnout constantly being on the road, he also charges that it is that unbridled love and passion that keeps him going.
“I love wrestling, that absolutely helps. You know, it fuels the fire, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, loving pro wrestling and loving the business of it and loving the fans and loving the wrestlers. I love this,” Khan said. “We have a great staff of people, a great family we built in AEW and it starts with the fans who make this possible.”
Despite that love Khan told amNewYork Metro that he has no desire to step into the ring. In April Khan found himself gaining the ire of wrestler Jack Perry and even received a piledriver from the tag team the Young Bucks. This left Khan wearing a neck brace in subsequent appearances. When asked if fans could ever see him wrestle, Khan said he is not keen on the idea.
“I didn’t step into the ring voluntarily. I would hope to avoid such physical altercations in the future,” Khan said.
Although Khan said he was not happy about being slammed, it created a memorable moment for fans, something that he says AEW has striven to achieve over the years and something he believes they will see at Grand Slam on Sept 25. Khan teased that previously retired professional wrestler Nigel McGuinness could be facing current AEW champion Bryan Danielson in a dream match while Jon Moxley goes up against Darby Allin, and on the woman’s side Mariah May sets her eyes on Yuka Sakazaki.
“On Wednesday you can expect the best wrestling in the world, AEW is where the best wrestle,” Khan said. “And that’s why we bring it to one of the greatest places in all of sports: Arthur Ashe Stadium.”
Tickets for AEW Grand Slam on Sept. 25 can be purchased here.
