In the six years since AEW was established, not many wrestlers have transitioned to WWE. However, Nick Khan believes that might change soon. Ahead of this weekend’s WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, the WWE president appeared on The Bill Simmons Podcast. When asked about AEW, Khan praised their impressive talent roster, stating, “In terms of the other wrestling promotional company, they have a lot of talented wrestlers and we’re happy about that. When contractually, they’re available to be talked to and have conversations with, assume a number of them will come over.”
However, his comments included a reference that many interpreted as a jab at AEW’s owner, Tony Khan (no relation). “Nothing but respect for the father who finances it and owns the Jaguars and all those other things,” Nick Khan remarked, alluding to Tony’s father, Shahid Khan.
Despite the sly remark, Khan’s statements are significant as they suggest WWE is monitoring AEW wrestlers under contract. Since AEW’s debut in 2019, WWE has only signed a few former AEW stars, with Cody Rhodes and CM Punk being notable exceptions.
Aside from Rhodes and Punk, WWE’s acquisitions from AEW have mostly been secondary talent like Penta, Jade Cargill, Andrade, and Rey Fenix, along with developmental talents such as Ricky Saints, Ethan Page, and Lexis King. Although Khan didn’t mention specific names, reports have linked former AEW women’s champion Mariah May to WWE. Additionally, ex-WWE stars Aleister Black and Rusev are expected to rejoin after their time in AEW.
Ultimately, the excitement of the “Monday Night Wars” between WWE (then WWF) and WCW in the late-1990s and early-2000s was the thrilling experience of watching wrestlers switch promotions. While such moments have been rare in the WWE and AEW rivalry, Khan’s comments suggest that may soon change.
