Summary

Tony Khan said wrestling newsletters and media still provide more value than damage, even with the misinformation that can circulate around the business.

Speaking on the Marking Out podcast with MVP, the AEW president said there can be inaccurate reporting and self-serving information in wrestling coverage. Even so, he believes the overall effect is positive because that coverage helps fans discover wrestlers, promotions, and scenes they might not otherwise follow.

Khan pointed to the role newsletters played in introducing him to wrestling outside the United States, particularly in Japan and Mexico. During the same appearance, he also spoke glowingly about the Kazuchika Okada and Kenny Omega rivalry.

Quote from Tony Khan

"I think overall there is more help than hurt.

I think there can be, at times, misinformation or even disinformation where people put incorrect things out into the world in wrestling for their own benefit. I find that sometimes there’s a lot of truth in these stories, and sometimes there’s not. When you know things firsthand, it can definitely be interesting.

I do think there is a net benefit and a lot of good that comes from it. There’s so much wrestling in the world, and for me, this is where I learned a lot about international wrestling. We’re talking about Japanese wrestling, I first read about and learned about a lot of what was happening in Japan and in Mexico. I’m a big fan of lucha libre, and I learned a lot about it from wrestling newsletters.

So yeah, I absolutely think there are benefits. You can read about wrestlers, then go out and watch them, and they can be very influential on you. There are definitely positives and negatives, but I think the positives far outweigh the negatives when it comes to wrestling newsletters and wrestling media."

Khan later went on to say:

"There are different ethics in journalism, the sourcing and verification of rumors has a much higher standard in something like football than it does in wrestling.

The kind of sourcing you need to report what are essentially locker room rumors is very different. You don’t see legitimate football writers reporting those kinds of things. In wrestling, the journalistic standard is generally much lower when it comes to that sort of reporting.

But there are benefits from the coverage you get, just like in any other sport where you want top writers talking about what they see and giving their opinions.

I don’t always agree with football writers, and I don’t always agree with wrestling writers, but I respect that people follow something year-round, especially wrestling, which truly never stops.

If you follow the sport closely, whether it’s football or wrestling, it’s a similar situation. There are always going to be some writers who set a higher standard for their work and for their ethics."

What Tony Khan's stance means for AEW coverage

Tony Khan's comments reinforce that AEW's president still sees wrestling media as a useful part of the industry, even while openly criticizing weak sourcing around rumors. That matters because Khan is not dismissing coverage outright, he is drawing a distinction between reporting that helps fans follow the business and reporting that spreads unverified locker room talk.

Sources

As reported by NoDQ