Tony Khan believes 2025 has been a landmark year for AEW in its competition with industry leader WWE. As the year winds down, the AEW President made an appearance on the Battleground podcast to promote tonight’s episode of Dynamite from Fishers, Indiana. During the conversation, Khan shared his belief that his promotion has made significant strides in catching up to WWE in various business areas.
Khan feels that, as the “challenger brand” in the professional wrestling landscape, AEW has successfully narrowed the distance between itself and the market leader. “This has been an awesome year for AEW. We’re the challenger brand in pro wrestling, and I think we’ve really closed the gap in a very meaningful way in 2025 in a number of key metrics,” Khan said.
While he did not elaborate on which specific metrics—such as television ratings, attendance, or merchandise sales. Khan did not shy away from praising the wrestlers currently under contract, asserting that the quality of their output is unmatched.
“I think AEW is where the best wrestle. I think that we have the best roster of wrestlers in the world today. And we’re putting on consistently awesome shows,” Khan stated.
Khan noted that he is grateful for the continued support the brand receives from its fanbase, which has allowed them to continue operating at a high level. When asked to look into his “crystal ball” and predict what success would look like for the company five years from now, Khan noted longevity and stability for their core programming.
“I don’t have a crystal ball, but I can tell you my passion for this isn’t going anywhere. It’s been something I’ve been loving and dreaming to do for over 30 years. And now we’ve been doing it for six years in the real world — and I don’t ever want to stop with AEW,” he said. He added that an ideal future involves maintaining the current momentum:
“If we can keep doing the things we’re doing right now: having great pay-per-view shows, putting on great Dynamites on TBS, great Collisions on TNT, and keep this partnership with HBO Max going.”
Looking beyond the domestic market, Khan expressed a desire to take the AEW product to new global territories. He highlighted that the show currently airs in over 150 countries, but he sees physical touring as the next frontier. “Maybe hopefully go to some new countries, visit some new territories, expand… I think we continue visiting some of those places, breaking open new territories.”
Khan ended his thoughts by reflecting on the historical significance of AEW’s position. He believes that what the company is achieving as a number two promotion is something the industry has not seen in decades.
“And here in America, I just want to keep doing what we’re doing, because it’s amazing. To have a wrestling promotion that is a challenger company doing the things that we’re doing, some of them are unprecedented and some of them are things that have not been done in over 25 years.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Battleground Podcast with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can listen to the podcast on all major streaming platforms.
