# Tony Khan - A great promoter and human being



## Shleppy (Jul 6, 2020)

We all may have disagreements with his booking, but keep in mind he's still a rookie at this and will only get better

The fact that a billionaire's son wants to help the wrestling industry is something we should all appreciate, he's been getting a lot of hate in here, and I understand the frustration, but this is a great man with a great heart

The way he scrapped his original show plans last minute for the Brodie Lee tribute show is to be commended and how he treated Jon Huber's family at the show deserves applause, this was a great moment and Jon Huber in heaven can be thankful that his family will be taken care of by the Khan's

Thank you Tony Khan


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## Claro De Luna (Sep 11, 2017)

You will never convince some on here the type of people the Khans are. I believe it is the muslim in them that makes them such decent people.


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## ShadowCounter (Sep 1, 2016)

Claro De Luna said:


> I believe it is the muslim in them that


is why Tony and AEW take so much non stop shit for a company that is barely a year old and has already so over performed they were granted a 6 year tv contract.


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## RubberbandGoat (Aug 9, 2016)

Khan is awesome. Everyone looks so comfortable and it seems like one happy family there. Those rumors of a toxic backstage were BS. The company isn’t perfect but i think they’ll be long term successful


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## JBLGOAT (Mar 24, 2014)

He needs to work harder to reduce in ring injuries.


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## Upstart474 (May 13, 2018)

Tony seems like a nice guy but nobody knows what happens behind closed doors.


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## BlueEyedDevil (Dec 26, 2019)

Tony was definitely a class act last Wednesday. It was a nice tribute to the life of Jon.


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## reyfan (May 23, 2011)

RubberbandGoat said:


> Khan is awesome. Everyone looks so comfortable and it seems like one happy family there. Those rumors of a toxic backstage were BS. The company isn’t perfect but i think they’ll be long term successful


The same thing happens with WWE shows, Vince stands on the stage with the talent when someone dies but there are backstage stories there too, the fronts they show on TV don't always reflect reality


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## zaz102 (Jul 26, 2011)

Seems like a good dude and got me into wrestling again. Kudos to him!

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## Chan Hung (Dec 28, 2011)

Agree that he seems like an overall good individual with good intentions. It's obviously debateable how good he is at booking etc..but his intentions and heart seem to be into it.


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## shandcraig (Mar 23, 2008)

Chan Hung said:


> Agree that he seems like an overall good individual with good intentions. It's obviously debateable how good he is at booking etc..but his intentions and heart seem to be into it.



Well said, i dont need to say snything!


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## Rookie of the Year (Mar 26, 2015)

The very existence of AEW is an indicator than Khan is a good dude. Here's a guy who has tons of money and a lot of successful ventures already, but being a long time wrestling fan, understood that the hardcore fanbase wanted an alternative, and he knew he had the means to make it a reality. Yeah, he wants to make money with AEW, but I genuinely think he's running it with the fans in mind first.

Khan has been a class act every step of the way. The only thing I haven't liked in the past year and a half was letting Matt Hardy continue at All Out. Hopefully he's learnt from that and we don't get a situation like that again.

The Brodie tribute show was the best one I've seen, with Eddie's being a close second. Anything that gets a grieving 8 year old boy to smile after losing his father gets a thumbs up from me.


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## shandcraig (Mar 23, 2008)

Upstart474 said:


> Tony seems like a nice guy but nobody knows what happens behind closed doors.


He's a good dude but i can guarentee drama will happen between him and evps


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## Ghost Lantern (Apr 11, 2012)

As a dad.....

look, I love this, 

This is special.


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## thorn123 (Oct 10, 2019)

He does seem like a nice guy. The Brodie tribute was top notch and his booking has been pretty good (7/10). Very happy to be an AEW fan.


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## deadcool (May 4, 2006)

Finally a thread that praises AEW's promoter for a change. 

It was a heart wrenching show and a touching gesture by Tony Khan to change the show like that to honor a good man who was taken away from this world at such a young age.


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## PhenomenalOne11 (Oct 2, 2016)

He seems like an ok human being, but as a booker? Fuck no. He still has a lot to learn as proven by the mediocre product right now.


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## Sidloo (Nov 14, 2020)

worst promoter playing with daddy money lets not forget he owes money and that nba fiasco


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## Ghost Lantern (Apr 11, 2012)

QUOTE="Sidloo, post: 78504535, member: 749459"]
worst promoter playing with daddy money lets not forget he owes money and that nba fiasco
[/QUOTE]

Not the place or time, 

This kid lost a dad. It was beyond cool that AEW did this. I have been a harsh critic, of AEW but not in this case. 

I gained newfound respect for AEW after watching this. This was great and special.


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## The Raw Smackdown (Jan 8, 2017)

It was nice of him to do what he's done for the business and Brodie's family.

However as someone else said we don't know what's going on behind the scenes.


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## Tell em' Hawk! (Sep 24, 2013)

JBLGOAT said:


> He needs to work harder to reduce in ring injuries.


A fair mount of that responsibility, lays in the hands of the talent and their skill levels, when I comes to executing/taking of the moves.


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## VIP86 (Oct 10, 2019)

when it comes to brodie lee's family
what AEW did to brodie lee's family is unbelievable, not enough good things can be said about it

but let's not get carried away with open statements like this
because then you will open the door for people to count all the negative things, and they won't be wrong

so let's just say he did a great job in this one, and move on


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## RubberbandGoat (Aug 9, 2016)

Why are people critical of AEW? The shows are entertaining and new people get to shine every week. I don’t see the problem. But that’s just me. It’s a breath of fresh air and after this weeks show they’ve earned my respect forever


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## Necrolust (Mar 4, 2015)

The Brodie tribute was great, and I honestly don’t get all the hate towards Tony, he’s given another alternative to WWE, hopefully forcing them to pick up the pace, and utilize the talent instead of hoarding them.
Is his product perfect? No, nothing usually is. But does it has an audience? Yes, most certainly. Is it done with his dad’s money? Yes, lucky guy. And I like that we have a promoter that really loves wrestling.


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## JasmineAEW (Oct 19, 2020)

What I like about Tony Khan is how he seems to promote a family atmosphere in AEW. For example, it seems that he invites his wrestlers to attend the Jacksonville NFL home games in his private luxury suites. If I were a wrestler, I’d think that’s pretty cool. It also helps the wrestlers to bond and socialize outside the pressures of Dynamite. 

He does have a temper, though. Tony Schiavone said it himself in one of his post-Dynamite shows.


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## Sidloo (Nov 14, 2020)

RubberbandGoat said:


> Why are people critical of AEW? The shows are entertaining and new people get to shine every week. I don’t see the problem. But that’s just me. It’s a breath of fresh air and after this weeks show they’ve earned my respect forever





Necrolust said:


> The Brodie tribute was great, and I honestly don’t get all the hate towards Tony, he’s given another alternative to WWE, hopefully forcing them to pick up the pace, and utilize the talent instead of hoarding them.
> Is his product perfect? No, nothing usually is. But does it has an audience? Yes, most certainly. Is it done with his dad’s money? Yes, lucky guy. And I like that we have a promoter that really loves wrestling.


The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend. -Robertson Davies
AEW fan in a nutshell


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## Necrolust (Mar 4, 2015)

Sidloo said:


> The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend. -Robertson Davies
> AEW fan in a nutshell





Sidloo said:


> The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend. -Robertson Davies
> AEW fan in a nutshell


There's something I believe wholeheartedly: Cynicism is the true refuge of the pseudo-intellectual, .. Cynicism is easy. Joy is an extremely advanced spiritual and intellectual tenet.
Craig Ferguson


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## LifeInCattleClass (Dec 21, 2010)

In basically 1 year of TV, he has out-booked many a ‘pro’

and just think that he’ll get better and learn from his mistakes

TK is boss


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## Pentagon Senior (Nov 16, 2019)

TK did a great job of the tribute show and does come across like a decent person. I'm thankful for him getting me excited about wrestling again.

He does have faults too and needs to improve the consistency of quality from week to week.



Necrolust said:


> There's something I believe wholeheartedly: Cynicism is the true refuge of the pseudo-intellectual, .. Cynicism is easy. Joy is an extremely advanced spiritual and intellectual tenet.
> Craig Ferguson


Nice, very true imo


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## LifeInCattleClass (Dec 21, 2010)

Necrolust said:


> There's something I believe wholeheartedly: Cynicism is the true refuge of the pseudo-intellectual, .. Cynicism is easy. Joy is an extremely advanced spiritual and intellectual tenet.
> Craig Ferguson


great quote - true as well


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## the_flock (Nov 23, 2016)

He's literally the worst promoter of the last decade. Oh look he did a dedication episode and hugged someone and milked the absolute shit out of the unfortunate situation, let's forget about all the dodgy shit they've done, let's forget about him swearing at fans on twitter.


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## Error_404 (Apr 12, 2016)

He earned my respect last week


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## rich110991 (Aug 27, 2020)

He’s awesome.


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## Chip Chipperson (Jun 29, 2019)

I will give giant kudos to the guy for what he did for Brodie Lee and Brodie's family. That is going above and beyond and he seems like a really good guy for doing that.

A great promoter and/or booker? No.


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## Hayabusasc (Dec 19, 2009)

Think he has done a great job so far - are there things he can improve on? Absolutely. Is he the worst promoter of all time? Not even close.


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## RainmakerV2 (Nov 8, 2017)

It was well done.


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## zaz102 (Jul 26, 2011)

Chip Chipperson said:


> I will give giant kudos to the guy for what he did for Brodie Lee and Brodie's family. That is going above and beyond and he seems like a really good guy for doing that.
> 
> A great promoter and/or booker? No.


He may not cater to your wants, but he has the #2 promotion in the US including on a top cable company and has been growing the audience in a niche market. Something that WWE (the best) couldn't do with their NXT brand which is the closest in comps.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## Chip Chipperson (Jun 29, 2019)

zaz102 said:


> He may not cater to your wants, but he has the #2 promotion in the US including on a top cable company and has been growing the audience in a niche market. Something that WWE (the best) couldn't do with their NXT brand which is the closest in comps.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


He's number 2 by default based on money and his fathers media contacts. AEW has 10 times (Or more) of the wage budget NXT has so of course it's going to beat NXT.


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## zaz102 (Jul 26, 2011)

Chip Chipperson said:


> He's number 2 by default based on money and his fathers media contacts. AEW has 10 times (Or more) of the wage budget NXT has so of course it's going to beat NXT.


You might be right about the first one, but they have been extended and getting a second show. I don't think a cable company would do that unless they saw potential. 

Also, my point wasn't that they're beating NXT, it was that they are trending up in the ratings whereas NXT (closest competitor) has been static.

Also, I do not know the wage budget. Do you have a link? I haven't watched NXT too much, but why do you think that NXT can't compete with their budget (talent, production, etc.)?

WWE also has the advantage of knowing what they're doing and cross-promotion. I would think they would make a good benchmark.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## DaSlacker (Feb 9, 2020)

He put pro wrestling back on TNT. 

Built a really neat roster featuring a lot of my faves (Moxley, Pac, Miro, Jericho, Cody). 

Introduced me to about 10 characters I've never seen before. 

Isn't jobbing out the good wrestlers. 

Brought back managers, including Jake Roberts to something more than a cameo. 

Shows built around 50 mins of in ring athleticism as opposed to backstage segments, 3 gimmick matches per show and a million swerves. Easier to follow due to this and only having 4 PPVs. 

That's good enough for me. Who gives a fuck about how much money he's blown - rich people spending cash fuels the economy.


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## AthleticGirth (Jul 25, 2020)

TK's one of the good guys. He set out to make AEW a family workplace and fans saw the results of that on Wednesday. It was a feel good show for fans saddened at the loss of Brodie Lee. The pure joy in -1's face after he smashed MJF over the head with a kendo stick was a beautiful moment.


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## Piers (Sep 1, 2015)

I'm convinced that if the locker room was toxic, we would already know about it. People in this company seem to have a lot more freedom than in WWE and I'm pretty sure guys like Moxley or Jericho would quit and point fingers if everything wasn't OK.


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## Dickhead1990 (Aug 31, 2016)

Khan is a new breed of leader, which is a breath of fresh air in the stagnant wrestling world that we've endured for too long. People that understand leadership and management may have noticed a trend towards employee well-being in the last few years, which is something that WWE never quite clocked onto. Khan clearly understands this well and is very good at building a team. People complaining that he has all of the money handed to him don't realise that money doesn't buy leadership skills or success.

As for the handling of the current situation, he's done a fantastic job - as did WWE for acknowledging his death too. The fact that he managed to lead his team to keep the whole thing quiet, in the interest of the family, in this day and age proves that well.


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## LifeInCattleClass (Dec 21, 2010)

They Call Him Y2J said:


> I'm convinced that if the locker room was toxic, we would already know about it. People in this company seem to have a lot more freedom than in WWE and I'm pretty sure guys like Moxley or Jericho would quit and point fingers if everything wasn't OK.


if you want to know about the lockerroom ethos - listen to Talk is Jericho this week - where everybody talks about Brodie

you can hear it is a close lockerroom


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## zaz102 (Jul 26, 2011)

LifeInCattleClass said:


> if you want to know about the lockerroom ethos - listen to Talk is Jericho this week - where everybody talks about Brodie
> 
> you can hear it is a close lockerroom


I found it interesting that I remember on an old 83 Weeks epsiode, Bischoff mentioned in 96-early 98 (before AOL Time Warner merger), WCW had a positive startup vibe where everyone was working together toward the same goal. On the AEW podcast, Sting and Schiavone said the same thing (even time period) and that AEW had the same feeling.

Typically, I find those comments to be BS, but considering Bischoff said something about the WCW vibe on an unrelated show made me think it may have merit.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk


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## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

Shleppy said:


> We all may have disagreements with his booking, but keep in mind he's still a rookie at this and will only get better
> 
> The fact that a billionaire's son wants to help the wrestling industry is something we should all appreciate, he's been getting a lot of hate in here, and I understand the frustration, but this is a great man with a great heart
> 
> ...


Let's be honest here, he got into wrestling because he saw the big TV contracts WWE got. The Brodie tribute was cool, but pretty standard as far as honoring an active fallen wrestler. Surely nobody would ever argue the McMahons are great people based on the Eddie Tribute show, they helped out Vickie, and the fact they employ a lot of wrestlers. That's not to say I think Tony is a bad person, but for fucks sake if you're going to make this argument at least come with something better than the bull shit examples you brought.


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## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

They Call Him Y2J said:


> I'm convinced that if the locker room was toxic, we would already know about it. People in this company seem to have a lot more freedom than in WWE and I'm pretty sure guys like Moxley or Jericho would quit and point fingers if everything wasn't OK.


This is the same locker room that used a man's death to down play criticism about a jobber getting paid. Same locker room that told JR to fuck off with your advice publicly. Same company that had a man lie about being knocked out in the ring as the match continued. Same company that lied about Matt having a concussion and why they let him continue a match. These are all things since August. The company is wrestling through and through.


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## Christopher Near (Jan 16, 2019)

Upstart474 said:


> Tony seems like a nice guy but nobody knows what happens behind closed doors.


Exactly. I see people say they hate vince mcmahon a guy they don't even know in real life. Never made sense to me


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## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

Dickhead1990 said:


> Khan is a new breed of leader, which is a breath of fresh air in the stagnant wrestling world that we've endured for too long. People that understand leadership and management may have noticed a trend towards employee well-being in the last few years, which is something that WWE never quite clocked onto. Khan clearly understands this well and is very good at building a team. People complaining that he has all of the money handed to him don't realise that money doesn't buy leadership skills or success.
> 
> As for the handling of the current situation, he's done a fantastic job - as did WWE for acknowledging his death too. The fact that he managed to lead his team to keep the whole thing quiet, in the interest of the family, in this day and age proves that well.


Is he a great leader because he's a great leader, or because he lets them do mostly what they want? We've seen him get in public spats with his NFL players. We've seen him lie about Matt having a concussion and being cleared to wrestle. Hell one of the big praises about him is sometimes after shows he orders food for the boys, because apparently catering is the height of good bossdom.


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## One Shed (Jan 7, 2014)

RapShepard said:


> Is he a great leader because he's a great leader, or because he lets them do mostly what they want? We've seen him get in public spats with his NFL players. We've seen him lie about Matt having a concussion and being cleared to wrestle. Hell one of the big praises about him is sometimes after shows he orders food for the boys, because apparently catering is the height of good bossdom.


What would you rather have? Healthcare or some snacks?


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## Dickhead1990 (Aug 31, 2016)

RapShepard said:


> Is he a great leader because he's a great leader, or because he lets them do mostly what they want? We've seen him get in public spats with his NFL players. We've seen him lie about Matt having a concussion and being cleared to wrestle. Hell one of the big praises about him is sometimes after shows he orders food for the boys, because apparently catering is the height of good bossdom.


One of the leadership styles is precisely to allow for autonomous creativity, which is the approach that he seems to be taking. This can be very successful with the right team. Compared to the type of leadership that wrestling fans seem to be accustomed to, micromanaging, which is deemed poor practice outside of an environment going through chaos.

At the end of the day, none of us work there, so we don't know what else he does for them. You have to remember though that there's more to leadership than just the one man.


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## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

Two Sheds said:


> What would you rather have? Healthcare or some snacks?


In the whole healthcare situation I think what made not having worse was the bull shit explanation of "well the wrestlers that have secondary roles in the office get it, and everybody else had it anyway so we don't offer it". Like the first part is a bull shit double standard. The second part it's like who are you trying to fool. We've all seen enough Go Fund me for wrestler surgeries and stuff to know that's unlikely he just happened to find all the privately insured wrestlers.


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## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

Dickhead1990 said:


> One of the leadership styles is precisely to allow for autonomous creativity, which is the approach that he seems to be taking. This can be very successful with the right team. Compared to the type of leadership that wrestling fans seem to be accustomed to, micromanaging, which is deemed poor practice outside of an environment going through chaos.
> 
> At the end of the day, none of us work there, so we don't know what else he does for them. You have to remember though that there's more to leadership than just the one man.


Of course none of us work there, but if we're speculating let's speculate. Vince micromanaging to death certainly leads to a bad environment for anybody who doesn't get special treatment. But Tony giving creative freedom in itself doesn't make him a great leader by default. 

Looking at other leaders in the company. We have 4 who have publicly lashed out over criticism in The Bucks, Omega, and Brandi. We have 2 accusations of bullying producers. 

Just off the things we see and hear their backstage situation sounds on par with other promotions. Which is ultimately fine as the perfect work environment doesn't exist. 

I'm simply saying surely "they get pizza parties and more creative freedom" is a low bar for great leadership and backstage environment.


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## Dickhead1990 (Aug 31, 2016)

RapShepard said:


> Of course none of us work there, but if we're speculating let's speculate. Vince micromanaging to death certainly leads to a bad environment for anybody who doesn't get special treatment. But Tony giving creative freedom in itself doesn't make him a great leader by default.
> 
> Looking at other leaders in the company. We have 4 who have publicly lashed out over criticism in The Bucks, Omega, and Brandi. We have 2 accusations of bullying producers.
> 
> ...


But it's not all about pizza parties and freedom is it? They've made a consistently popular show, despite restrictions with the pandemic - WWE's viewership overall has decreased during this time by contrast, NXT excluded. Plus, they've been given an extension to their original deal. Furthermore, they were planning a UK tour before the pandemic and are now launching another show and collaborating with two promotions at present. Their merch sells too, with Sting's selling out at a ridiculous rate. This is successful whichever way you spin it. Does it make it perfect? Not at all. Does it mean that they don't need to change up their game to continue to grow? Of course not, but nowhere can say that.

We've seen evidence that he is willing to pull the reigns back when something isn't going right. Note how he scrapped Brandi's terrible faction for example, as it clearly wasn't working. It's overly simplistic to say that he just let's them get on with it, because he clearly doesn't.

As for lashing out, they're inexperienced in their role, what do you expect? Plus, were any of these claims about bullying substantiated or just cries for attention?

I get that there have been legitimate issues with the Matt Hardy situation and injuries in general, but this has been true across the board at one point or another. As long as they put it right going forward, then that should deal with it.


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## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

Dickhead1990 said:


> But it's not all about pizza parties and freedom is it? They've made a consistently popular show, despite restrictions with the pandemic - WWE's viewership overall has decreased during this time by contrast, NXT excluded. Plus, they've been given an extension to their original deal. Furthermore, they were planning a UK tour before the pandemic and are now launching another show and collaborating with two promotions at present. Their merch sells too, with Sting's selling out at a ridiculous rate. This is successful whichever way you spin it. Does it make it perfect? Not at all. Does it mean that they don't need to change up their game to continue to grow? Of course not, but nowhere can say that.


Okay by this metric of results trump all then WWE has the best leadership in wrestling. After all they got the biggest TV deal, get the highest ratings in demo and biewership, sell the most merch, and have the most amount of fans. AEW has certainly been successful there's no if ands or butts about it. 




> We've seen evidence that he is willing to pull the reigns back when something isn't going right. Note how he scrapped Brandi's terrible faction for example, as it clearly wasn't working. It's overly simplistic to say that he just let's them get on with it, because he clearly doesn't.


On the flip he's let Jericho, do what he's done post title drop. But the point was mostly that yes people tend to enjoy jobs where they get more leeway, that doesn't necessarily make things more effective though. 



> As for lashing out, they're inexperienced in their role, what do you expect? Plus, were any of these claims about bullying substantiated or just cries for attention?


Inexperience is not an excuse for lashing out. It's certainly an excuse for growing pains and mistakes tho. 

As far as the claims being substantiated no because the claims were deflected. The first guy could've been a weirdo with inappropriate prior tweets and still got bullied on the job. The 2nd guy was bombarded with nows not the time since Brodie died and was then chastised by 3 wrestlers and tons of fans



> I get that there have been legitimate issues with the Matt Hardy situation and injuries in general, but this has been true across the board at one point or another. As long as they put it right going forward, then that should deal with it.


For sure things can certainly get better and should. Just as of now it seems very standard pro wrestling. Some good some bad.


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## Dickhead1990 (Aug 31, 2016)

RapShepard said:


> Okay by this metric of results trump all then WWE has the best leadership in wrestling. After all they got the biggest TV deal, get the highest ratings in demo and biewership, sell the most merch, and have the most amount of fans. AEW has certainly been successful there's no if ands or butts about it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


In terms of the point of WWE, you absolutely could claim that. This is what leadership measures at the end of the day. Arguably, they've also had a notable decline in viewership, so this is a sketchy one outside of a simplistic claim.

I thought the point was for Jericho to put over talent, something he did for many years prior to joining AEW. As far as I can see, he's done just that. It's probably best to keep him away from the main event scene to let the newer talent shine. Plus, do you remember his festival of friendship not so many years ago? This is the way Jericho is.

Inexperience isn't an excuse, it's a reason. The first claim, I can't recall what it was. The second one, the guy was an absolute idiot to do that when he did. Outside of a few social awkward members on here, I've yet to see anyone with a degree of common sense actually defend this. I hope he gets his money back if it's true, but this was not the time or place to try to deal with it for so many reasons. You do that at your job, you'll be asked to leave.


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## 3venflow (Feb 3, 2019)

All you can do is listen to what the workers say and it's nearly always very positive. Like this is what Ariane Andrew (ex-Cameron in WWE) said about when she worked AEW during the women's tag tournament.

_"Everybody there is so friendly. It's a different environment, people want to see you win there. It's such a family. Once I was able to go backstage, I was like, 'Damn, this is what life is about?' I love it. It's very different and I was not used to it. The experience was great. There are things I wish I could redo because we didn't have time to go over stuff but nothing is ever really perfect. As long as I can say I did my best, given the circumstances."_

Eric Bischoff:

_"It's hard to describe it but the energy was so positive, even though it was hard work, even where there were challenges - positive energy. When I went backstage at AEW two weeks ago, the first thing I noticed - these guys are actually having fun laying their ***t out. These guys are actually having fun trying to figure out how to lay the match out in a way that not only entertains the audience, obviously, but advances their story. 

"You could tell - I could hear some of the conversations, not that I was eavesdropping but sometimes you can't help it - I was walking by and these guys are working hard to get each other over. They're not just working hard to get themselves over, which you have to do, but when you get to that point and are coming at it a frame of mind that 'okay, how can I make my opponent look better than me?' And your opponent is looking to do the same thing... that's when the magic happens.

"I can't say enough good things about the talent, the energy backstage, the hospitality, the professionalism. It was really a great experience for me."_


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

Some people will give you the shirt off their backs and others will give you the shirt off their back if someone is watching.

I don’t know Tony Khan. Don’t care to. I will judge him on his output, and I’ve largely been unimpressed.

The Khans have dealings with all the worst kinds of people. Every criticism you can lob at Vince McMahon being a capitalist pig goes for Shad and Tony too. There are a lot of blood stains on their green.


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## Dickhead1990 (Aug 31, 2016)

The Wood said:


> Some people will give you the shirt off their backs and others will give you the shirt off their back if someone is watching.
> 
> I don’t know Tony Khan. Don’t care to. I will judge him on his output, and I’ve largely been unimpressed.
> 
> The Khans have dealings with all the worst kinds of people. Every criticism you can lob at Vince McMahon being a capitalist pig goes for Shad and Tony too. There are a lot of blood stains on their green.


That's capitalism for you, particularly in America! That's the way we get to have these nice things sadly.


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

Dickhead1990 said:


> That's capitalism for you, particularly in America! That's the way we get to have these nice things sadly.


No doubt, but I think the idea of the Khans being super-liberal nice guys is a branding decision. Well, it is when it comes to AEW.


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## the_flock (Nov 23, 2016)

They Call Him Y2J said:


> I'm convinced that if the locker room was toxic, we would already know about it.


We do, people are just choosing to ignore it.


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## the_flock (Nov 23, 2016)

3venflow said:


> All you can do is listen to what the workers say and it's nearly always very positive.


Ex WWE employee talks up rival company after being laid off shocker. 

People aren't going to shit on the company that are paying them or if they're looking for work. Those aren't the true stories, the true stories are from the people who leave that company. If say Jericho leaves and says how professional they were and how it was an incredible experience and they're all hard working, amazing guys, then you may have a point.


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## midgetlover69 (Nov 27, 2016)

Agreed on the last part. Biologically speaking, he for sure looks to be at least part human


----------



## the_flock (Nov 23, 2016)

Dickhead1990 said:


> Their merch sells too, with Sting's selling out at a ridiculous rate. This is successful whichever way you spin it.


Because they are a t shirt company, the only reason they brought Sting in was for his merchandise and so they could then have his license to put him in their games, no other reason, it's essentially stealing someone else's legacy to profit from it. Which they will more than likely do with other veterans as well. 

True success would be creating their own stars who sell out on merchandise and become household names, no one in AEW is doing that and likely never will.


----------



## the_flock (Nov 23, 2016)

zaz102 said:


> I found it interesting that I remember on an old 83 Weeks epsiode, Bischoff mentioned in 96-early 98 (before AOL Time Warner merger), WCW had a positive startup vibe where everyone was working together toward the same goal.


WCWs locker room was said to be extremely toxic. Unprofessional, no one knowing what the hell they were doing in management, clear factions backstage etc etc. If AEWs situation is similar, that's not good.


----------



## Dickhead1990 (Aug 31, 2016)

the_flock said:


> Because they are a t shirt company, the only reason they brought Sting in was for his merchandise and so they could then have his license to put him in their games, no other reason, it's essentially stealing someone else's legacy to profit from it. Which they will more than likely do with other veterans as well.
> 
> True success would be creating their own stars who sell out on merchandise and become household names, no one in AEW is doing that and likely never will.


And that's a negative because? Company does something to make money. Shocker!

WWE did the literal same thing with him.


----------



## Piers (Sep 1, 2015)

the_flock said:


> We do, people are just choosing to ignore it.


Are people getting bullied or mistreated backstage?


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

They Call Him Y2J said:


> Are people getting bullied or mistreated backstage?


It’s a clique. Some talent have chosen not to sign with them and they’re more honest about what it’s like. PJ Black is an example of that. CM Punk too. Gallows & Anderson. Do we know why Kylie Rae left yet?

The true stories are going to come out when people leave or don’t sign.


----------



## zaz102 (Jul 26, 2011)

the_flock said:


> WCWs locker room was said to be extremely toxic. Unprofessional, no one knowing what the hell they were doing in management, clear factions backstage etc etc. If AEWs situation is similar, that's not good.


If you listen to 83 Weeks, apparently it was not like that for the time when they were on their rise. It seemed like under the old ownership and when it hit its peak/AOL Time Warner merger that it changed. Sting and Schiavone said the same thing. Both said it was a very short time, but both said there was a different very positive vibe.


----------



## DaSlacker (Feb 9, 2020)

the_flock said:


> WCWs locker room was said to be extremely toxic. Unprofessional, no one knowing what the hell they were doing in management, clear factions backstage etc etc. If AEWs situation is similar, that's not good.


Early days of the NWO was said to have a positive locker room. What with new headliners coming in, Hogan turning heel, Hogan's old buddies being faded out, and young super talent wrestlers being pushed. Eddie, Chris and Dean were alligned to Arn and Ric in some way or another. The Giant was close to Hulk. Konnan had input so the cruiserweights were being showcased. Taylor and Sullivan were praised for their booking. Plus Eric Bischoff was throwing money around. 

It's telling that nobody was trying to jump to the WWF at that point in time. It was in early 98 when the rot started to set in. Initially there was hope Thunder and the third hour of Nitro would cement Booker, Jericho, Kidman etc as headliners.


----------



## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

Dickhead1990 said:


> In terms of the point of WWE, you absolutely could claim that. This is what leadership measures at the end of the day. Arguably, they've also had a notable decline in viewership, so this is a sketchy one outside of a simplistic claim.


Why's it sketchy? I'm using the same metrics you did to point out a positive for AEW leadership. You mention WWE viewership decline, but it's not like AEW is experiencing growth really. 



> I thought the point was for Jericho to put over talent, something he did for many years prior to joining AEW. As far as I can see, he's done just that. It's probably best to keep him away from the main event scene to let the newer talent shine. Plus, do you remember his festival of friendship not so many years ago? This is the way Jericho is.


What newer talent are shining in the main event? A one off then back to the midcard doesn't really do much. Hell you could easily argue that all the effort put into the OC feud has ultimately amounted to nothing. Can anybody say he's any better off than before the feud. If Tony wasn't going to push Cassidy to at least the TNT title, the Jericho losing a feud to OC probably shouldn't have happend



> Inexperience isn't an excuse, it's a reason. The first claim, I can't recall what it was. The second one, the guy was an absolute idiot to do that when he did. Outside of a few social awkward members on here, I've yet to see anyone with a degree of common sense actually defend this. I hope he gets his money back if it's true, but this was not the time or place to try to deal with it for so many reasons. You do that at your job, you'll be asked to leave.


The first was the guy who said he was bullied and made to hide from Cody. Told by producers Cody wasn't fond of him. He also had text evidence. 

Absolute idiot for what? First he didn't even bring the story to light Rip Rogers did, he just confirmed it and gave clarification. Brushing it off behind Brodie's death is a ridiculous thing people keep doing. He also doesn't work for them so saying yeah this company fucked me over and had asshole producers isn't outside the norm.


----------



## zaz102 (Jul 26, 2011)

DaSlacker said:


> Early days of the NWO was said to have a positive locker room. What with new headliners coming in, Hogan turning heel, Hogan's old buddies being faded out, and young super talent wrestlers being pushed. Eddie, Chris and Dean were alligned to Arn and Ric in some way or another. The Giant was close to Hulk. Konnan had input so the cruiserweights were being showcased. Taylor and Sullivan were praised for their booking. Plus Eric Bischoff was throwing money around.
> 
> It's telling that nobody was trying to jump to the WWF at that point in time. It was in early 98 when the rot started to set in. Initially there was hope Thunder and the third hour of Nitro would cement Booker, Jericho, Kidman etc as headliners.


Also, in case it wasn't clear, they both mentioned how it was an environment where everybody was trying to help each other to help the company. I'm not sure how you can spin that negatively.

That being said, you're 100% right that they better not run WCW like how it was ran most of the time. Bischoff talks about those times as well and provides insight.


----------



## DaSlacker (Feb 9, 2020)

zaz102 said:


> Also, in case it wasn't clear, they both mentioned how it was an environment where everybody was trying to help each other to help the company. I'm not sure how you can spin that negatively.
> 
> That being said, you're 100% right that they better not run WCW like how it was ran most of the time. Bischoff talks about those times as well and provides insight.


Tony Khan being so hands on is what will help in the long run. 

Though theoretically it should have been a safety net, WCW ultimately suffered through too much corporate structure. The guys above Bischoff didn't understand wrestling and below him there was a revolving door of too many cooks. Especially once Hogan, Nash etc were given guaranteed creative control. 

Dixie was just a mark for what she saw on TV and therefore gave all booking and creative decisions to those with such a polar visions - Dusty, Russo, Cornette, Hogan and Bischoff. 

Khan is a total smark (good thing and bad thing) without hands on experience. But he's smart enough to at least go all in on wrestling during the rights fees bubble. Plus, his EVPs all share a similar ideology. It's also 100% his baby - he can pull the rug from under those EVPs at anytime.


----------



## TheDraw (Jun 27, 2019)

Shleppy said:


> We all may have disagreements with his booking, but keep in mind he's still a rookie at this and will only get better
> 
> The fact that a billionaire's son wants to help the wrestling industry is something we should all appreciate, he's been getting a lot of hate in here, and I understand the frustration, but this is a great man with a great heart
> 
> ...


Eh...I'd rather save the "great human being lable for people that actually do thing a little more important than saving a wrestling company.

I get what you're saying though


----------



## Klitschko (May 24, 2020)

Jesus christ this tread title. Great promoter and great human being. He runs a pro wrestling company. He's probably a decent person like most people on this forum are. Don't make him out to be the second coming of Jesus. 

And as a promoter, he's decent. He's handled the covid hardship well, but he's also made some mistakes too.


----------



## Chip Chipperson (Jun 29, 2019)

3venflow said:


> All you can do is listen to what the workers say and it's nearly always very positive. Like this is what Ariane Andrew (ex-Cameron in WWE) said about when she worked AEW during the women's tag tournament.
> 
> _"Everybody there is so friendly. It's a different environment, people want to see you win there. It's such a family. Once I was able to go backstage, I was like, 'Damn, this is what life is about?' I love it. It's very different and I was not used to it. The experience was great. There are things I wish I could redo because we didn't have time to go over stuff but nothing is ever really perfect. As long as I can say I did my best, given the circumstances."_
> 
> ...


Lets be real here, those two were guests with Eric especially probably getting the star treatment because of his reputation in pro wrestling.

Cameron was there for one taping wasn't she? It's cool she had a good experience but that doesn't mean that's what the overall package is.

Lets ask Reby Sky how she felt about AEW's management on the PPV where her husband cracked his skull open on a concrete floor due to negligence and the match continued, lets ask Jim Cornette's friend who saw Tony Khan spending massive amounts of money on Hardy Vs Sammy in the cinematic match up what she thinks about AEW's management.

Hell, let's ask Dylan Bostic how he feels about AEW's management.


----------



## Piers (Sep 1, 2015)

The Wood said:


> It’s a clique. Some talent have chosen not to sign with them and they’re more honest about what it’s like. PJ Black is an example of that. CM Punk too. Gallows & Anderson. Do we know why Kylie Rae left yet?
> 
> The true stories are going to come out when people leave or don’t sign.


Kylie Rae quit Impact too. She has mental issues.








Kylie Rae Says She Is 'Unwell' & No Longer A Pro Wrestler


Kylie Rae was set to take on Deonna Purrazzo at Impact Wrestling's Bound For Glory event, but she didn't show up. Some of her friends and fans were




www.ringsidenews.com


----------



## kamaro011 (Jan 3, 2012)

Klitschko said:


> Jesus christ this tread title. Great promoter and great human being. He runs a pro wrestling company. He's probably a decent person like most people on this forum are. Don't make him out to be the second coming of Jesus.


Well, when you compared him to Vince. Tony is a Saint.

Being a nice guy should not be requirement it's a mandatory at this point, but that doesn't mean being nice is equal to be competent at your job and from what have i seen so far (the product) i think he is just disappointment.

All that hype and promises in the beginning, this is the best Tony Khan can do?


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

Never forget Dylan Bostic.


----------



## midgetlover69 (Nov 27, 2016)

#justiceforbostic RIP


----------



## yeahright2 (Feb 11, 2011)

Ehh. Tony is maybe a great person, I don´t know him personally. But great promoter? With his money and connections, and The Elite + Jericho, anyone can be a promoter on a show where everyone does whatever they want.


----------



## KingofKings1524 (Aug 27, 2007)

The Wood said:


> Never forget Dylan Bostic.





midgetlover69 said:


> #justiceforbostic RIP


Did he die?


----------



## DammitChrist (Apr 3, 2016)

KingofKings1524 said:


> Did he die?


They’re still upset because he didn’t get his money back yet.


----------



## USAUSA1 (Sep 17, 2006)

His wrestler dies from covid(don't believe the cover up) and he continues to run shows in Florida. Yup he is sure a great human being........


----------



## RainmakerV2 (Nov 8, 2017)

JR just said he died from complete double lung failure. Look, Im not a doctor, and Im not here to use his death to insult Tony Khan. But that doesnt seem like something that just happens overnight. Could someone who knows more about the body than me explain how a pro athlete has both lungs completely fail in a matter of a month? If Vince had a wrestler die of double lung failure during COVID there would be a hellacious shitstorm.


----------



## DammitChrist (Apr 3, 2016)

Didn't Brodie Lee's wife (Amanda) recently mention that he's been dealing with his lung condition for several years?


----------



## One Shed (Jan 7, 2014)

KingofKings1524 said:


> Did he die?





DammitChrist said:


> They’re still upset because he didn’t get his money back yet.


It is a really weird position to hold that someone should not be paid if they are alive.

If you had a coworker die at work and you were living paycheck to paycheck and your paycheck failed to show up, what would you do? Keep in mind the pay failed to show up before the person died and you had brought it up before that too which is what happened here.


----------



## Stellar (May 30, 2016)

I haven't really heard anyone speak negatively of Tony. In fact, there has been some positive things said.


RainmakerV2 said:


> JR just said he died from complete double lung failure. Look, Im not a doctor, and Im not here to use his death to insult Tony Khan. But that doesnt seem like something that just happens overnight. Could someone who knows more about the body than me explain how a pro athlete has both lungs completely fail in a matter of a month? If Vince had a wrestler die of double lung failure during COVID there would be a hellacious shitstorm.


I'm pretty sure that Brodie had been struggling with it for longer than a month. Longer than a few months. From what I read and heard he had been dealing with it for awhile. It simply got worse within the last few months. On AEWs unrestricted Podcast when Brodie was on it in early November he had talked about him struggling to complete a workout and had to stop. So that probably happened in October around the time that he lost to Cody and disappeared.

I'm no doctor either but it seems like this is something that went from being a minor concern for a long time to a huge concern recently. This actually makes me wonder if this was a reason why WWE wasn't using him.


----------



## RainmakerV2 (Nov 8, 2017)

DammitChrist said:


> Didn't Brodie Lee's wife (Amanda) recently mention that he's been dealing with his lung condition for several years?


Then why was he working during COVID? Seems to me if you sign someone who has lung issues and debut them during a pandemic, thats....not good? Both lungs completely failing doesnt seem like something that just happens in a month with no signs or symptoms. Again, not a doctor. Im genuinely asking.


----------



## KingofKings1524 (Aug 27, 2007)

Two Sheds said:


> It is a really weird position to hold that someone should not be paid if they are alive.
> 
> If you had a coworker die at work and you were living paycheck to paycheck and your paycheck failed to show up, what would you do? Keep in mind the pay failed to show up before the person died and you had brought it up before that too which is what happened here.


i wasn’t even close to insinuating that. The two posts I quoted made it seem like he was dead instead of being owed money.


----------



## One Shed (Jan 7, 2014)

KingofKings1524 said:


> i wasn’t even close to insinuating that. The two posts I quoted made it seem like he was dead instead of being owed money.


Then perhaps I misread your intentions. It made it seem like the guy should just be happy he had his life and what money he happened to be owed were just not important.

Now if someone had used the tragic death of someone as an opportunity to crap on that company, that would be horrible, but that is not what happened here.


----------



## KingofKings1524 (Aug 27, 2007)

Two Sheds said:


> Then perhaps I misread your intentions. It made it seem like the guy should just be happy he had his life and what money he happened to be owed were just not important.
> 
> Now if someone had used the tragic death of someone as an opportunity to crap on that company, that would be horrible, but that is not what happened here.


I honestly thought I missed something. Do these two posts not make it seem like something bad happened to him?

”Never forget Dylan Bostic”

”#justiceforbostic RIP”


----------



## One Shed (Jan 7, 2014)

KingofKings1524 said:


> I honestly thought I missed something. Do these two posts not make it seem like something bad happened to him?
> 
> ”Never forget Dylan Bostic”
> 
> ”#justiceforbostic RIP”


Yeah, I do not like the perceived false equivalency of the two events, I just think it is also ridiculous for everyone crapping all over the guy thinking he started complaining after Brodie died, which he did not. He did release a further explanation afterwards, but it was in response to people asking him about what had been brought up two days before on 12/25.


----------



## Pippen94 (Jan 10, 2020)

I don't know Tony personally so can't say. The op pointed out some very nice things aew has done, so for that Khan & the company should be commended. Most of the counter arguments seem to be over small twitter outrages


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

Dylan Bostic didn’t die. The tone was just picked up upon and followed as (dark?) comedy. Sorry about the confusion.

I think Amanda Huber coming out and stating that it definitely, absolutely wasn’t COVID both struck weird tones and is kind of exonerating. Why would she lie?

But can she even know? Some people carry without displaying symptoms. It also seems insane to be at work with a lung condition during a pandemic anyway. If Brodie knew, honestly, he SHOULD have stayed home. It sounds like the company knew, so they SHOULD have sent him home. It’s possible that Brodie wasn’t completely honest about his condition. He SHOULD have been and the company SHOULD have ways around that sort of stuff.

A lot of shoulds here that, when removed from the rawness of the incident, really do remind you of how scummy wrestling still is.

The WWE using these old legends comes to mind too. Nothing has happened yet, but if it does, that is going to be a shitstorm (and justifiably so).

It’s very possible (likely?) that Covid had nothing to do with Brodie’s condition and him passing was inevitable. But that doesn’t excuse AEW using him or just flirting with the possibility of that sort of fallout.

It does make me wonder who knew what in the WWE? If the WWE had Luke Harper largely benched because of this issue, and they were trying to talk him into taking $750k to sit at home and spend time with his kids, doesn’t that change the narrative of this completely? It’s becoming more and more obvious that Dave Meltzer doesn’t have the sources in WWE he once had. And medical issues are highly personal. What if it was a deal known by Vince, Triple H and Luke Harper and Harper wanted to work through it and they were like “NO!” because that’s insane for a publicly traded company. What if that extremely short program he worked with Erick Rowan against Daniel Bryan & Roman Reigns was _supposed_ to be a farewell match, and that’s why it only went for one match? We all thought it was just creatively pulled, because that’s the impression we got from Dave and Harper.

Imagine being bugged by a guy with a critical lung condition that won’t tell too many people about it because he wants to work through it, and you’ve just got to be the bad guy and say “No” even though no one understands.

If they did know. And if they didn’t, I’d ask WWE why they didn’t catch it either, because they’ve been through enough to have people bumping for them with severe medical conditions.


----------



## RapShepard (Jun 20, 2014)

The Wood said:


> Dylan Bostic didn’t die. The tone was just picked up upon and followed as (dark?) comedy. Sorry about the confusion.
> 
> I think Amanda Huber coming out and stating that it definitely, absolutely wasn’t COVID both struck weird tones and is kind of exonerating. Why would she lie?
> 
> ...


That's a lot of scenarios. I imagine the simplest, safest, and fairest assumption is that he has a condition that was under control then it came back with a vengeance.


----------



## Pentagon Senior (Nov 16, 2019)

The Wood said:


> Dylan Bostic didn’t die. The tone was just picked up upon and followed as (dark?) comedy. Sorry about the confusion.
> 
> I think Amanda Huber coming out and stating that it definitely, absolutely wasn’t COVID both struck weird tones and is kind of exonerating. Why would she lie?
> 
> ...


Are we really getting into speculation on who's to blame for Brodie's death? 

Sheesh


----------



## RainmakerV2 (Nov 8, 2017)

Pentagon Senior said:


> Are we really getting into speculation on who's to blame for Brodie's death?
> 
> Sheesh



No ones placing blame. Dont be so sensitive.


----------



## The Raw Smackdown (Jan 8, 2017)

I really don't think it matters if she's telling the truth or not at this point. Knowing isn't gonna do anything for anyone.


----------



## imscotthALLIN (Feb 18, 2015)

It’s strange to me that we’re currently living through a major worldwide pandemic, a wrestler literally disappears from tv after being a prominent figure for weeks on end, he ends up dying from lung complications of some sort but it’s unreasonable and rude for people to speculate if it was covid related. It might not be related in any way, but why is it so bad to question it?If he had a previous lung condition why was he wrestling during covid/with idiots like Jericho not taking it seriously in any way? Previous lung condition/diabetes/heart conditions + covid = not good.

Back to the question, Tony is a terrible booker/“owner”. Good person? Who knows. I picture him having a lineup of wrestlers out the door coming in with their ideas and every answer he gives is “good idea, I love it!” He had a chance to make something of AEW but he just decided to be as goofy as possible.


----------



## Not Lying (Sep 9, 2013)

Yes, he is. Tony is more genuine than most cynical losers who can't believe someone is just a good person because they themselves are selfish aholes.


----------



## 10gizzle (Oct 11, 2019)

The Wood said:


> Never forget Dylan Bostic.


Well that sure as shit will be impossible considering you bring this irrelevant outlier of an incident up constantly.


----------



## 10gizzle (Oct 11, 2019)

The Wood said:


> Dylan Bostic didn’t die. The tone was just picked up upon and followed as (dark?) comedy. Sorry about the confusion.
> 
> I think Amanda Huber coming out and stating that it definitely, absolutely wasn’t COVID both struck weird tones and is kind of exonerating. Why would she lie?
> 
> ...


I believe this belongs in the "Be the Booker" thread.


----------



## 10gizzle (Oct 11, 2019)

USAUSA1 said:


> His wrestler dies from covid(don't believe the cover up) and he continues to run shows in Florida. Yup he is sure a great human being........


Are you a doctor? What's the cover up?


----------



## Shock Street (Oct 27, 2020)

USAUSA1 said:


> His wrestler dies from covid(don't believe the cover up) and he continues to run shows in Florida. Yup he is sure a great human being........


Okay well... If he's dead then he can't exactly spread more covid then can he. Dumbass.


----------



## 10gizzle (Oct 11, 2019)

Shock Street said:


> Okay well... If he's dead then he can't exactly spread more covid then can he. Dumbass.


This is the kind of content we need more of around here.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

RapShepard said:


> That's a lot of scenarios. I imagine the simplest, safest, and fairest assumption is that he has a condition that was under control then it came back with a vengeance.


That would probably be the only scenario that doesn’t make me queasy. I dunno how much I trust wrestling to think that’s likely though. 



Pentagon Senior said:


> Are we really getting into speculation on who's to blame for Brodie's death?
> 
> Sheesh


No one is placing blame. You really do owe people an apology for trying to shift it like that. 



The Definition of Technician said:


> Yes, he is. Tony is more genuine than most cynical losers who can't believe someone is just a good person because they themselves are selfish aholes.


His family also has a lot of blood money.



10gizzle said:


> Well that sure as shit will be impossible considering you bring this irrelevant outlier of an incident up constantly.


It’s neither irrelevant or an outlier.


----------



## 10gizzle (Oct 11, 2019)

The Wood said:


> That would probably be the only scenario that doesn’t make me queasy. I dunno how much I trust wrestling to think that’s likely though.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Where is there a documented pattern of AEW not paying their staff or talent?

Where are the official facts behind the incident? 

Do you realize Tony Khan does not do the payroll for this company?

The only relevance this has is to someone looking for any conceivable, granule of reasoning to satisfy that urge of posting "FUCK AEW" for the thousandth time.


----------



## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

The Wood said:


> Imagine being bugged by a guy with a critical lung condition that won’t tell too many people about it because he wants to work through it, and you’ve just got to be the bad guy and say “No” even though no one understands.


Better yet, imagine jumping through the amount of fucking hoops you just jumped to exonerate Vince McMahon and WWE.

Goddamn you really will defend the devil to shit on AEW.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

10gizzle said:


> Where is there a documented pattern of AEW not paying their staff or talent?
> 
> Where are the official facts behind the incident?
> 
> ...


It’s happened to multiple talents. It doesn’t matter if Tony Khan does payroll or not. Speaking of irrelevant. 



bdon said:


> Better yet, imagine jumping through the amount of fucking hoops you just jumped to exonerate Vince McMahon and WWE.
> 
> Goddamn you really will defend the devil to shit on AEW.


How is that jumping through hoops. The WWE had him benched and he has apparently been dealing with this lung condition for years. He arrived in AEW within the last year.

You hate WWE, which is fine, but it’s not unreasonable to wonder if there is something behind them not using Luke Harper that we didn’t know, because Meltzer sucks at his job now.


----------



## Wolf Mark (Jun 5, 2020)

What they did with the kid was awesome but I feel like people can get easily mesmerized by what they see on TV. I know leaders of nations who enjoy kodak moments a little too much(esp. from my own country). There is something that can be said about people that do good deeds in shadows. We don't know anybody for real who are on TV, remember that. 

Now I don't know what being a "great promoter" has anything to do with this discussion. Somehow the OP decided to make this connection that TK was a great human being and a great promoter at the same time! Why? Cause he said so!


----------



## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

The Wood said:


> It’s happened to multiple talents. It doesn’t matter if Tony Khan does payroll or not. Speaking of irrelevant.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


So, what’s the excuse for the countless fucking others they don’t use, man? Goddamn. You hate AEW and will use the typical AEW fans’ Vince hatred as a ploy to prop the E, but I won’t be letting you make up random fucking fantasy booking bullshit to excuse Vince’s ass. Fuck that.

Fuck it! Ashley Massaro was asking to be treated the way she was, huh!? Vince was just trying to protect her from herself!!!


----------



## RainmakerV2 (Nov 8, 2017)

Its crazy that a wrestler in his 40s with a history of lung issues is working during a pandemic that mainly attacks the lungs, dies of double lung failure, and like, no one is questioning any of it because they did an awesome tribute show. (And they did.) Im not saying it was COVID related, thats none of my business, but just repeat what I just typed out loud to yourself.


----------



## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

bdon said:


> So, what’s the excuse for the countless fucking others they don’t use, man? Goddamn. You hate AEW and will use the typical AEW fans’ Vince hatred as a ploy to prop the E, but I won’t be letting you make up random fucking fantasy booking bullshit to excuse Vince’s ass. Fuck that.
> 
> Fuck it! Ashley Massaro was asking to be treated the way she was, huh!? Vince was just trying to protect her from herself!!!


I didn’t say shit about Ashley Massaro, so watch yourself. That’s way out of line and majorly exploitative in itself. Big difference between a talent not being used and a talent accusing a company of dismissing a rape allegation.

We’re hearing Brodie Lee has been dealing with this lung condition for years. The WWE, even if it is to protect their asses, presumably does physicals for all its wrestlers. That is how they caught MVP’s heart condition.

All I’m saying is that it seems likely WWE knew about the lung condition, and that more than likely plays into how they’re going to use him, if at all. And if working speeds up the damage it could have done, then maybe they were actually in the goddamn right on this specific incident.

What doctor is going to tell you to take bumps, putting yourself through the equivalent of several small fender benders on the reg with a lung condition? Come on now.

More than comparing this to Ashley Massaro (wtf?), it seems more appropriate to compare it with Kurt Angle in 2006, only instead of drug issues, it’s a guy just wanting to get out there with a condition when he possibly physically shouldn’t. 

I don’t have to high-five Tony Khan on letting the man do that, if that is what’s happened. I don’t know how I feel about it. Some would say Brodie has the choice to do what he wants to his body. Maybe the condition did seriously worsen overnight without wrestling taking a significant toll?

It just makes me fucking uneasy, because this sort of shit happens in wrestling way too much. And you know you can’t count on the “journalists” to report it accurately. Nor can you count on the fan narratives to give you an honest picture.


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## Danielallen1410 (Nov 21, 2016)

Oh look I’m reading this thread,first one ive read since i was banned (no idea why btw) and the loud mouth Aussie and the wood are shitting all over a positive thread for a change.


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## RainmakerV2 (Nov 8, 2017)

Danielallen1410 said:


> Oh look I’m reading this thread,first one ive read since i was banned (no idea why btw) and the loud mouth Aussie and the wood are shitting all over a positive thread for a change.



If it ruins your experience here, theres an ignore button.


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

Danielallen1410 said:


> Oh look I’m reading this thread,first one ive read since i was banned (no idea why btw) and the loud mouth Aussie and the wood are shitting all over a positive thread for a change.


Adding nothing of substance is probably why you got banned.

I’m not shitting on a “positive thread.” Positivity is subjective. If Tony Khan helps prop up oppressive regimes and is an active part of a system that exploits, some might consider it more positive to say “fuck that guy.”

It’s just doesn’t fit what you want to hear.

To clarify: TK is a public figure. He’s concerned with PR. At least a little of how he is treating the family is based around that. Maybe (hopefully) not all. But I don’t idolise millionaires who dip into their pocket and pull out $20 to wave around before placing it in the collection plate.


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## Danielallen1410 (Nov 21, 2016)

RainmakerV2 said:


> If it ruins your experience here, theres an ignore button.


Shouldn’t have to ignore. People shouldnt be in here constantly jumping on anything positive to shit on it for the sole reason of ruining people’s enjoyment.


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## RainmakerV2 (Nov 8, 2017)

Danielallen1410 said:


> Shouldn’t have to ignore. People shouldnt be in here constantly jumping on anything positive to shit on it for the sole reason of ruining people’s enjoyment.


No ones shitting on anything. Did they put on a great tribute show? Yeah. Do i believe Khan is a sincere dude. Sure. Is it justifed to ask questions about how this happened rather than just accepting "oh it came back with a vengeance, it just happened that way "? Absolutely.


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## 10gizzle (Oct 11, 2019)

The Wood said:


> It’s happened to multiple talents. It doesn’t matter if Tony Khan does payroll or not. Speaking of irrelevant.


Which talents?

When did these occurrences happen?

Were they remediated?

I know my tone may sound condescending but I'm genuinely curious because if AEW has developed a documented and habitual reputation to fuck honest working people out of their earned money, I will be the first person to stand here with you and say Fuck AEW. Fuck Tony Khan. Fuck Chad Glenn. Fuck Nik Sobic. Etc...


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## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

The Wood said:


> I didn’t say shit about Ashley Massaro, so watch yourself. That’s way out of line and majorly exploitative in itself. Big difference between a talent not being used and a talent accusing a company of dismissing a rape allegation.
> 
> We’re hearing Brodie Lee has been dealing with this lung condition for years. The WWE, even if it is to protect their asses, presumably does physicals for all its wrestlers. That is how they caught MVP’s heart condition.
> 
> ...


You’re the one placing blame on Brodie Lee, suggesting he couldn’t work in WWE was due to a lung condition that he said to hell with despite Poor Old Vince trying to pay and protect him.

That evil ok’ Tony Khan and big Bad AEW took advantage of the dying and sickly, right?


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## La Parka (Oct 28, 2008)

Danielallen1410 said:


> Shouldn’t have to ignore. People shouldnt be in here constantly jumping on anything positive to shit on it for the sole reason of ruining people’s enjoyment.


Here’s an idea.

If you don’t want people shitting on your opinions, maybe don’t post them on a public forum?


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## JeSeGaN (Jun 5, 2018)

La Parka said:


> If you don’t want people shitting on your opinions, maybe don’t post them on a public forum?


Doesn't that go against the point of a Forum? 

I'd rather say that if you can't _handle_ others shitting on your opinion, you should probably stay off the internet.


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

10gizzle said:


> Which talents?
> 
> When did these occurrences happen?
> 
> ...


Rip Rogers knows of two guys. One has publicly confirmed and was attacked for it. No, they haven’t been remediated. 



bdon said:


> You’re the one placing blame on Brodie Lee, suggesting he couldn’t work in WWE was due to a lung condition that he said to hell with despite Poor Old Vince trying to pay and protect him.
> 
> That evil ok’ Tony Khan and big Bad AEW took advantage of the dying and sickly, right?


I’m not placing blame on Brodie Lee at all. The dude wanted to work. His kid is obviously a big fan and wanted to see daddy wrestle. I get that. All I’m saying is that if he had a lung condition for years (as per Meltzer who at least talks to AEW), then WWE probably knew about it which explains why he was benched. Except it was never covered that way (and per Brodie Lee’s privacy rightfully so). WWE were “out of touch” and not letting the guy wrestle according to the narrative, which might need to be dropped if he had a potentially critical lung condition and wanted to live life in the fast lane working under a publicly traded company.

It’s an awkward situation. If Brodie Lee came to me with a lung condition and told me he wanted to work until he dropped dead, I can both empathise and also say that I wouldn’t have allowed it. Sorry, dude, not on my watch. Again, not sure what AEW or WWE actually knew. But when you are running a promotion that relies on the physical capacity of its performers, I think you are negligent if you _don’t_ know.

AEW gets a pass from me if they knew and doctors cleared him (legit doctors), and the condition worsened unexectedly. MVP is still working in the WWE despite his heart condition. They’ll get the same blame if he drops dead on their watch and it should have been avoided. Jerry Lawler hasn’t worked a match with them, to my knowledge, since Dolph stopped his heart. And that was apparently linked to trauma, not a condition, and he works outside the WWE, but that’s his business.

If AEW knew he had a condition and that working was not good for him, then it is absolutely on their heads that they allowed it. Makes them look outlaw. That’s all.


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## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

The Wood said:


> Rip Rogers knows of two guys. One has publicly confirmed and was attacked for it. No, they haven’t been remediated.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


What’s weird is going against Brodie’s version of his life in WWE and jumping to the conclusion that he was lying, and that WWE was just trying to protect him.


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## 10gizzle (Oct 11, 2019)

The Wood said:


> Rip Rogers knows of two guys. One has publicly confirmed and was attacked for it. No, they haven’t been remediated.


So - as per usual, no facts.

Gotcha.

How about the times he was paid to do nothing? Huh? Haven't seen you bring those up? Multiple instances of him being paid to sit around and do literally nothing. But naturally, that doesn't fit your FUCK AEW hobby. Rip Rogers tweets something 3 weeks ago and literally nothing since. This is what you go on?

And you defend this dirtbag who goes public crying about being disrespected and underpaid. Clearly he never learned how to be a professional.


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

bdon said:


> What’s weird is going against Brodie’s version of his life in WWE and jumping to the conclusion that he was lying, and that WWE was just trying to protect him.


If he was benched because of his lung condition, it is a very different story what we assumed as per Meltzer and the like. It just is. Doesn’t mean anyone is defending covering up rape, murder or anything else. 



10gizzle said:


> So - as per usual, no facts.
> 
> Gotcha.
> 
> ...


Actually, it is a fact that one alleged talent had come forward and confirmed it. I believe them.

Lol, him being paid to do nothing is AEW’s problem. If they want to be such a mess that they are going to bring talent in and then not use them, that’s on their head. But they better fucking pay.

Lol, do you know who Rip Rogers is? He was a top trainer in OVW and helped bring along the best workers over the past 20 years. Yes, let’s call him “unprofessional.” Or the kid he stood up for that just confirmed the story. Going public about being fucked over by an employer is not “unprofessional” by the way. Lick that boot harder, haha. It’s unprofessional to not pay your talent properly.


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## Chip Chipperson (Jun 29, 2019)

10gizzle said:


> How about the times he was paid to do nothing? Huh? Haven't seen you bring those up? Multiple instances of him being paid to sit around and do literally nothing. But naturally, that doesn't fit your FUCK AEW hobby. Rip Rogers tweets something 3 weeks ago and literally nothing since. This is what you go on?


In the entertainment world if you're hired and turn up you get paid whether you work or not.

I did some extras work on a film for 2 weeks, first day we had I think a 5-6 AM call time and we finished up at 9 PM. All we did that day was hang out, play cards, nap and get into costume. We all still got paid our day rate plus the overtime after 12 hours.

That's how it is. He was booked so if they decide on show day they don't have a spot for him but he's turned up anyway then yeah, he gets paid for nothing just like I did for those 15 hours or so.


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## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

The Wood said:


> If he was benched because of his lung condition, it is a very different story what we assumed as per Meltzer and the like. It just is. Doesn’t mean anyone is defending covering up rape, murder or anything else.


Yet you are STILL willing to call Jon Huber a liar.


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

bdon said:


> Yet you are STILL willing to call Jon Huber a liar.


He didn’t say shit about his lung condition. He kept it secret from basically everybody, which is fine and justifiable, but is a form of lying. If someone asks if you are well and you say “Yes” but you are secretly battling a life-threatening condition, you’re being a lot of things many might admire, but you’re not exactly being honest.

If Brodie Lee contracted his condition towards the end of his WWE stint, then it makes sense as to why he was largely benched after the Bludgeon Brothers run.

P.S. If the WWE didn’t know and still benched him just because they didn’t like him, that’s entirely their prerogative too. It’s tantamount to covering up rape. But to me it makes way more sense as to why you get, say, one tag match against Reigns & Bryan like that, then he’s gone, when the company knew what they were getting from him six years into a main roster run. The whole situation just seemed _weird_.

Moreover, if the WWE didn’t know about the condition, I’d fucking ask why. What are you fucking doing if you’re not testing out the lungs of your athletes? That’s a whole load of shit and shame on them if that’s not the case.


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## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

The Wood said:


> Moreover, if the WWE didn’t know about the condition, I’d fucking ask why. What are you fucking doing if you’re not testing out the lungs of your athletes? That’s a whole load of shit and shame on them if that’s not the case.


Kind of what they do. Shady fuckin’ shit. Why was Ashley Massarro’s rape allegations swept under the goddamn rug, man!? These are awful, evil fucking people. 

Why you want to pretend they are most likely NOT evil in this instance is beyond me, outside of some pent up frustrations at AEW to the point you are choosing the Devil you know vs the one you don’t.


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## The Wood (Nov 7, 2003)

bdon said:


> Kind of what they do. Shady fuckin’ shit. Why was Ashley Massarro’s rape allegations swept under the goddamn rug, man!? These are awful, evil fucking people.
> 
> Why you want to pretend they are most likely NOT evil in this instance is beyond me, outside of some pent up frustrations at AEW to the point you are choosing the Devil you know vs the one you don’t.


Reasonable. I agree that they are evil. Massaro, sex scandals, Snuka, Rita Chatterton, Saudi Arabia, Trump donations, on-air and backstage bullying, tanning salon incidents, etc. Not pushing Luke Harper doesn’t really rank up there for me. I’m not saying that the WWE isn’t evil. I’m just saying that I’m not sure I trust AEW either. This is wrestling and it’s full of scumlords.


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## bdon (Nov 12, 2019)

The Wood said:


> Reasonable. I agree that they are evil. Massaro, sex scandals, Snuka, Rita Chatterton, Saudi Arabia, Trump donations, on-air and backstage bullying, tanning salon incidents, etc. Not pushing Luke Harper doesn’t really rank up there for me. I’m not saying that the WWE isn’t evil. I’m just saying that I’m not sure I trust AEW either. This is wrestling and it’s full of scumlords.


Well, I don’t trust any billionaires, but I trust the wife. She doesn’t seem upset at anyone, not even Vince and WWE. The worst thing she had to say was that they didn’t feel Brodie could be more, he disagreed, and they parted ways.

I ain’t trying to imply not pushing someone is “evil”, but trying to convey that AEW is guilty of something that WWE tried to avoid is some BS. We have far more evidence against WWE being evil than we do AEW, Cody rHHHodes existing notwithstanding.


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## Chip Chipperson (Jun 29, 2019)

In regards to the Brodie situation we'll never know so it's not really worth arguing about. It's kind of in bad taste as well although Wood does bring up a good point.

I think we should let the man rest though.


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## Pentagon Senior (Nov 16, 2019)

Chip Chipperson said:


> In regards to the Brodie situation we'll never know so it's not really worth arguing about. It's kind of in bad taste as well although Wood does bring up a good point.
> 
> I think we should let the man rest though.


It's definitely in bad taste


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