Paul Wight has worked for both of them and says the difference is that Vince McMahon treated his roster like wrestlers and Tony Khan treats his like athletes.
Wight spent twenty-two years with WWE before signing with AEW in 2021, and was asked on TMZ’s Inside The Ring to compare the two men.
“Tony does things a lot differently, in the fact that Tony treats all the talent like he treats his professional athletes. Tony doesn’t treat his talent like wrestlers.”
“Vince treated his talent like wrestlers. He knew what they were. He knew when they were full of s***. He knew when they were scamming, because that’s the environment that I think Vince had to negotiate and deal with to make a success.”
He did not say either approach was better, and said the decision is not his to make.
“Tony has a plan on what he’s doing. He has a vision of how he likes things. There’s certain things, just like with Vince; there were certain things that Vince had. There’s none of this; there’s no two heels feeding a babyface in a comeback. Tony likes more matches. Tony doesn’t like the fourth wall.”
“Is it up for me to decide what’s best? No, it’s up for Tony Khan. He signs the checks. This is the vision of his company. What he wants, he doesn’t want a parent company of WWE. He wants his own unique brand, his own unique style, so that’s what he’s created. So my job is to get in there and help. Where do I fit in? How do I facilitate? How do I help?”
He did compare how each of them handles being disagreed with, using promos as the example.
“When our talents have promos, there’s not 14 writers running around with clipboards that are basically regurgitating what the office thinks your character should say because you’re a branded character that they printed out this for you to say. No, this is you. Tony Khan’s giving you the platform. Here’s your television. Here’s TNT. Here’s TBS. Here’s your opportunity to connect with your audience.”
“And he’s not going to tell you, oh my God, I can’t believe you did that. Oh my God, you should do this. You smeared s*** all over the business, which I’ve heard before in another place I worked at. That’s always a funny one. How do I do that?”
He summed up the difference in atmosphere in one line.
“I’m not worried about getting executed in the middle of the arena like before.”
He said AEW is currently the better environment for somebody starting.
“I think it’s more of a positive environment right now for younger talent to come to AEW and get a chance to explore and find things and develop themselves.”
He said the talent itself is not the variable.
“The athletes that are in the wrestling business today, personally, I think are some of the best athletes I’ve ever seen—just pure raw athletic ability. Women’s division is on fire. Men’s division, there’s so many talent that have so much athletic ability.”
“The only difference is presentation, and how they get their character across. How do they connect with the audience? What are they doing to connect within the limitations of the brand that they work for?”
Wight debuted for WCW in 1995 as The Giant, against Hulk Hogan, and joined WWE in 1999. He is the only man to have held the WWE, WCW, ECW, and World Heavyweight Championships. He signed with AEW in February 2021 and works there as a commentator and coach.
McMahon left WWE in January 2024. Khan founded AEW in 2019 and remains its owner, president, and head of creative; he also owns Ring of Honor and holds a stake in Fulham Football Club through his family.
