Nick Khan Driving WWE's Aggressive AEW Tactics

WWE President Nick Khan is leading aggressive competitive tactics against AEW, not TKO executives, who view AEW as insignificant compared to broader business goals.
Tony Khan publicly challenged Nick Khan in 2021 over WWE's talks with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, asserting AEW's dominance in the wrestling space.
Dave Meltzer criticizes WWE's current strategy as wasteful and counterproductive, arguing it risks painting WWE as a bully while strengthening AEW's underdog appeal.

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Dave Meltzer, speaking on the May 30 episode of Wrestling Observer Radio, identified WWE President Nick Khan as the primary figure orchestrating WWE’s competitive maneuvers aimed at AEW, rather than executives within TKO.

This isn’t coming from TKO. I don’t think Mark Shapiro or Ari Emanuel care about AEW at all. They don’t view them as a threat — they’re looking at UFC, Netflix, global expansion, that kind of thing. This is all Nick Khan. These counter-shows, these scheduled overlaps, these hit pieces — that’s Khan’s department. He sees AEW as competition, and he wants to keep them boxed in. But they’re going overboard now.
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This dynamic echoes past public interactions between the leadership of both companies. In 2021, AEW President Tony Khan directly addressed Nick Khan concerning WWE’s discussions with New Japan Pro-Wrestling. Tony Khan remarked,

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I read in the Observer today that New Japan Pro-Wrestling has had talks with WWE’s President Nick Khan. Well, Nick, I have to say—if you’ve been talking to New Japan Pro-Wrestling for two months, you’ve gotten a lot done. I’ve had New Japan Pro-Wrestling here in AEW. So I think there’s only room for one Khan in wrestling, and it’s me.
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Regarding the current situation in 2025, Meltzer criticized the perceived strategy as an inefficient allocation of resources.

They’re spending so much money on something that’s not even effective. I mean, do you really need to run the Great American Bash opposite All In? Or plant a dozen stories just to tweak perception? You’ve already won in terms of market share. It comes off petty.

Meltzer also suggested that these tactics could influence public perception.

People are starting to see WWE as the big bully. They’re not just beating AEW — they’re trying to humiliate them. And that makes the underdog look more sympathetic. And honestly, I don’t think it’s helping. AEW’s audience is loyal. If anything, WWE’s making them look like the bad guy in a fight they’ve already won.