27-05-2025
AEW President Tony Khan Calls Out WWE Counter Programming
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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AEW Double or Nothing on May 25 featured a ton of excellent matches, including Mercedes Moné vs. Jamie Hayter, "Timeless" Toni Storm vs. Mina Shirakawa, and Will Ospreay vs. Hangman Adam Page.
However, this wasn't the only professional wrestling event happening that weekend. WWE scheduled both Saturday Night's Main Event and NXT Battleground for 5/24 and 5/25, respectively.
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This isn't the only occasion WWE has done this. Recently, WWE announced that the next Saturday Night's Main Event and Evolution 2 will be on July 12 and July 13, the same weekend as All In, AEW's biggest show.
WWE just announced that...
- Saturday Night's Main Event will take place on July 12 in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Evolution 2 will take place the next day, July 13, at the same venue.#SNME — EliteRockerz 𝕏 (@EliteClubS0B) May 25, 2025
Naturally, fans and experts have begun recognizing WWE's counterprogramming against AEW. And AEW president and co-founder Tony Khan is calling them out.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 01: (L-R) CM Punk, President of All Elite Wrestling Tony Khan and Britt Baker, D.M.D. attend TBS's AEW Dynamite Los Angeles Debut After Party at The Forum on June 01, 2022...
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 01: (L-R) CM Punk, President of All Elite Wrestling Tony Khan and Britt Baker, D.M.D. attend TBS's AEW Dynamite Los Angeles Debut After Party at The Forum on June 01, 2022 in Inglewood, California. Morefor Warner Bros. Discovery
During the media scrum for AEW Double or Nothing, Khan was asked about WWE constantly scheduling shows against AEW's biggest events.
Khan compared the situation to when Vince McMahon would do the same tactic against Jim Crockett Promotions before it was eventually sold to Ted Turner and became WCW.
"It's pretty consistent," Khan said. "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."
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This isn't the only comparison a figure from AEW has shared about WWE recently.
AEW star Will Ospreay has controversially stated that when it comes to in-ring work and technical acumen, AEW runs circles around WWE.
"Because we smoke them in every field of wrestling," Ospreay said. "Mate, we're just better."
"Like, I respect them. I respect every single one of them there, they're all vets, they all know what they're doing, they're great at their job, they understand getting people on their feet, but we are so much more of a better wrestling company than them. Our guys smoke them every single day of the week."
They've got good guys like GUNTHER. They've got great guys like Orton. They've got good guys like Chad Gable. I respect all of them. ...But on our worst day, we smoke all of you guys."
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