Swerve Strickland has stated his belief that Tony Khan is a “player’s booker” who treats the AEW roster like professional athletes. The pay at the top of both WWE and AEW has been a topic of conversation since AEW’s inception in 2019, as several stars have looked to negotiate with both promotions to earn the most they can as a performer. While speaking to Baller Talk, Strickland spoke about the pay disparity between the two companies, noting that AEW pays better “by far.”
“AEW by far. Cause it’s guaranteed, and they got their select few up top that like top, top, top,” Strickland explained. “Like they’re just like untouchables. But a lot of those guys are starting to retire now so that’s starting to like—Cena just retired. AJ Styles just retired. Those are like the top top earners, like Taker can’t go no more. So that pyramid is starting to really get really pointy and small at the top.”
The Tony Khan Organizational System
Strickland compared Khan’s management of AEW to his executive roles with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham FC. He described the promotion as having a structured system similar to a professional football team, complete with organization and specialized coaches. This environment, according to Strickland, allows for better utilization of the talent based on their specific strengths.
“Tony Khan owns AEW. He’s also a part owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Fulham soccer team in the UK,” Strickland noted. “He treats the roster like talent, like not talent, but like athletes. You know, there’s player coaches, there’s organization, there’s system coaches. He’s a player’s booker. He’s in tune with his talent and his roster and where to put those guys and like, he utilizes us very well, and it’s like a scheme on a football team.”
AEW Growth and Future Outlook
Strickland credits Khan for knowing where he belongs and how to pay and motivate the roster effectively.
“Me and him gel very, very, very, very well because he knows my strengths,” Strickland said. “He knows where I belong. He knows how to utilize all his players in the right way. So, therefore, he knows how to pay them too and motivate them in certain ways. He’s—especially we’re only in year seven of the company… We did 80,000 seats in Wembley Stadium and we filled it.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Baller Talk with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
