The advent of All Elite Wrestling in 2019 on some level split the pro wrestling fans in North America into two. On one hand, you had an established fandom of WWE loyalists who’d spent decades swearing by their favorites. On the other hand, you had curious fans wanting to give AEW a chance.
Years later, the line between the two sets of fans has remained thick. Not only fans, but we’ve seen wrestlers from the two promotions taking shots at each other as well, including AEW president Tony Khan, who hasn’t been shy about taking subtle digs at WWE. But when it comes to welcoming fans, Khan is all for it.
Tony Khan Is All In for WWE Fans Who Want To Follow AEW
With AEW going through its ups and downs over the years, its fan base has stood strong. Many see themselves as completely different from those who overwhelmingly support WWE.
As such, the prevailing belief is that the AEW fandom is a closed circuit. However, Khan isn’t in favor of this. To him, AEW is open to any fan of wrestling.
Taking to X, a fan asked, “Lately fed fans are asking questions about AEW and wanting to watch it. Should we gatekeep this promotion or letting them in?”
Khan was there to respond to the query and urged the fan not to gatekeep.
He wrote, “Please gatekeep nothing, sir. Please welcome these people to AEW with arms wide open.”
While this may seem like a straightforward message of inclusivity, it comes at an interesting time.
Please gatekeep nothing, sir.
Please welcome these people to AEW with arms wide open.
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) June 3, 2025
There has been a growing frustration among WWE fans about the company’s booking, especially after WrestleMania 41. John Cena’s heel turn has failed to catch fire, the tag team division (particularly on RAW) has floundered, and so has the midcard talent. On top of this, the recent releases of fan favorites like R-Truth and Carlito have led to resentment amongst WWE fans.
Khan’s message could be a way to cater to those disgruntled fans and welcome them to the AEW product. Plus, with WWE targeting head-to-head competition with Khan’s promotion, it seems to be the right thing to do.
Khan Responds to WWE Counter-Programming AEW PPVs
Last week, on May 25, AEW held its annual pay-per-view extravaganza, Double or Nothing. At the same time, WWE ran its NXT: Battleground premium live event on Peacock.
Talking during the Double or Nothing post-media scrum, Khan addressed this issue.
“It’s pretty consistent, I’d say it’s the most consistent event head-to-head scheduling I’ve seen since Jim Crockett Promotions, so a lot of scheduling that went that way. I can tell you, this will go a lot differently than that did,” he stated decisively.
For now, these clashes look set to continue with AEW’s All In going head-to-head with NXT’s The Great American Bash on July 12. Khan hopes that his latest message will resonate with WWE fans and they tune into AEW to see what’s cooking.