Tony Khan On AEW Exceeding His Expectations Two Years In, ECW’s Role In His Wrestling Fandom

In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Tony Khan discussed AEW exceeding his expectations two years in, ECW’s role in his wrestling fandom, and much more. Here are some of the highlights:

Tony Khan on AEW being further along than he thought it would be two years in: “I certainly had aspirations for AEW to hit certain heights, but we’re further than I’ve ever dreamed. We’ve signed Bryan Danielson, CM Punk, Adam Cole and Sting all in a one-year period. We’ve added legendary names like Christian Cage and Matt Hardy, and stars of the present—Andrade El Idolo and Malakai Black—and the development of the women’s division, especially being joined by Ruby Soho and Thunder Rosa. We’re really proud of where we are after two years, and we’re so grateful that the roster worked so hard through the pandemic.”

On the role ECW played in his wrestling fandom: “At that point in my life, I was transitioning between schools. I was about to attend this great academic high school in Illinois, but I didn’t want to leave my friends from my old school. My parents really wanted me to have that opportunity, and they said if I went willingly and tried my hardest, they’d do something in return that meant a lot to me. So that was easy for me because I wanted to go to the ECW Arena. I’d been trading tapes for over a year and a half, and I was 13 when I went to the ECW Arena. I made so many great friends there, including people I still keep in touch with. So for us to celebrate our two-year anniversary in one of the greatest wrestling cities in the world in Philadelphia, with such a stacked card, that means a lot.”