Summary

Tony Khan says his public approach to WWE has changed as AEW has become more established.

Speaking on Coach & Bro with Jonathan Coachman & Vince Russo, Khan said the early years of AEW carried more of a rebel mindset, while the promotion now has a stronger identity and a fanbase that already knows what the company offers. He said that shift has influenced how he handles media appearances and public comments about the competition.

Khan's latest remarks fit with other recent reflections on AEW's growth, including his comments about how Chris Jericho chose AEW as a free agent during the promotion's formative period.

Quote from Tony Khan

"I changed my approach. At the beginning of AEW, there really was a collective rebel spirit. Now, I think AEW is very established and people know AEW has a quality product and a lot of fans. I do want to grow that fanbase, but the way I would do something now might be different than how I would have done it six or seven years ago. I also think it’s possible that Vince Russo, Vince McMahon, and DX could succeed by zigging at one point where I might succeed by zagging at another point. There are different ways to get to success and I’ve got my ideas and my way, but I can learn from different people. I might not incorporate every aspect of it, but I do want to hear your thoughts and ideas. I think the AEW fans would agree that I’ve refined my own media strategy, and people have seen me trying to take the high road. Some of it is the fact that I believe in taking the high road when possible. I feel like by taking the high road, that’s rubbed people the right way. I’m not saying I’m trying to kill people with kindness, but being nice to people has gotten me a long way, and I’ve been trying to do it more in recent years."

What Khan's comments mean for AEW

Khan is framing AEW less as a company fighting for attention and more as a promotion trying to strengthen its own brand. That matters because it suggests he sees long-term value in presenting AEW as an established alternative rather than keeping the focus on direct shots at WWE.

It also reinforces that AEW's messaging is evolving with the company itself. Khan did not rule out having strong opinions, but he made clear that he believes a more measured public strategy has helped the promotion connect better with fans.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.