Tony Khan alleges tampering by WWE

[Big Red Machine]

https://www.pwtorch.com/site/2023/02/13 ... ng-by-wwe/
BY ZACK HEYDORN, PWTORCH ASSISTANT EDITOR

February 13, 2023



Tony Khan says that WWE has tampered with contracts of AEW talent and that there is a “real war” going on between AEW and WWE.

In an interview with the Dan Le Batard show, Khan detailed alleged contract tampering by WWE and discussed competition between the two biggest wrestling companies in the United States.

“I can only speak to the challenges we’ve had and I got a lot of wrestlers coming to me and allege that WWE reached out to them to tamper with their contracts and ask them to break their contracts,” Khan said. “I can’t confirm that specifically. I can only tell you what the wrestlers have come to me and said. But I’ve had multiple wrestlers and staff report that to me. It was very disturbing and I’ve had to go out and try to put on good shows despite this alleged tampering. Stuff like that. But frankly, I don’t think it’s stopped us because the quality of the product and the quality of the shows is at an all-time high right now.

“The wrestling business is very dirty,” Khan continued. “I only know what people have come to me and alleged. But, I do know it’s a real war between AEW and WWE and the fans are interested in it and that was part of the original business model of AEW was I knew wrestling fans, frankly, are very interested in wrestling free agency and wrestling wars and I believe we could create a free agent market that is definitely a real thing now and that would be a big part of the story. Now, what’s interesting is the story that is the most real, the most intense and the most hatred in all of pro wrestling is that between the two wrestling promotions. I think we truly, truly hate each other and I think it makes for really exciting TV and it makes for an exciting wrestling war.” (h/t Post Wrestling.)

AEW will return to PPV on March with Revolution. The only announced match on the show at this time is MJF vs. Bryan Danielson for the AEW World Championship in a 60-minute Iron Man Match.