Summary

Tony Khan said he was caught off guard after TNA pulled Nic Nemeth and Leon Slater from upcoming matches against AEW talent.

Nemeth had been scheduled to face MJF at CAP Wrestling on May 1, while Slater had been set for a match with Ricochet at the WrestleCon Supershow. According to Khan, both AEW wrestlers had spoken to him about the bookings and told him the matches had been approved.

The situation adds another wrinkle to the recent tension around crossover bookings involving AEW and TNA talent. It also arrives during a week when Khan has been discussing AEW's broader position publicly, including how the company's growth changed the way he talks about WWE.

Khan's reaction to the canceled matches

During an appearance with David Shoemaker and Kazeem Famuyide, Khan said he believed everything had already been cleared before the plans changed.

Quote from Tony Khan

"I was surprised because with MJF and Ricochet, they both talked to me about the matches. I said it was okay and they both told me everybody had gotten it approved. I guess somebody on the other side must’ve changed their mind, which is fine, they are entitled to do that. It doesn’t really change what we’re doing in AEW, but I know Max and Ricochet were both looking forward to their respective matches. I guess something might’ve changed. It sounds like it did. Hopefully, those guys are able to figure it out and put those together because the fans want to see those matches."

What this means for AEW and TNA

Khan's comments make it clear that AEW did not view these outside bookings as a problem on its side, which leaves TNA's late decision as the central issue in this story. That matters because the canceled matches involved two notable inter-promotional attractions, MJF vs. Nic Nemeth and Ricochet vs. Leon Slater, that could have helped both the wrestlers and the independent shows attached to them.

It also suggests that any future AEW and TNA crossover appearances may be treated more cautiously unless both sides are aligned all the way through the final approval stage.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.