3 mistakes Tony Khan has already made with AEW in 2025

AEW is off to a rocky start in 2025. The Jacksonville-based promotion has witnessed several amazing moments in the past three weeks, but the company's weekly programming has had enough negatives to leave fans with a sour taste in their mouths.

The returns of top stars like Kenny Omega and Cope have greatly strengthened the promotion's roster. Tony Khan has built certain storylines involving names like Will Ospreay, Hangman Adam Page, Ricochet, and Swerve Strickland.

Unfortunately, Tony Khan also made a few booking blunders in the first month of 2025. Fans are not thrilled by TK's inconsistent booking, which many believe has negatively impacted AEW's growth. In this article, we will examine three mistakes Tony Khan has already made in 2025.

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#3. Having The Hurt Syndicate dethrone Private Party

Private Party lost the AEW World Tag Team Championship on the latest episode of AEW Dynamite. After a two-month-long reign, Isiah Kassidy and Marq Quen dropped their title against The Hurt Syndicate.

Many fans have said that the booking decision was poor, which significantly damaged Private Party's credibility. After waiting for their turn for five years, the duo dethroned The Young Bucks in October 2024 to win the prestigious titles.

While their victory was certainly a feel-good moment for the audience, their title reign was pretty lackluster. Kassidy and Quen were never the focus of AEW's weekly shows, making the tag team division an afterthought.

The duo only had two title defenses in two and a half months, showing that Tony Khan had no solid plans for Private Party. Kassidy and Quen's reign could have gained huge momentum if they had managed to beat Bobby Lashley and Shelton Benjamin on Dynamite.

Unfortunately, things did not go Private Party's way, as The Hurt Syndicate walked out of Dynamite as the new AEW World Tag Team Championship. The All Mighty and The Gold Standard did not need the tag team title to cement their dominance, as they were doing a great job as solo acts in All Elite Wrestling.

It was a mistake on TK's part to pit The Hurt Syndicate against Private Party in the first place, as neither team could have afforded a loss at this moment.

#2. Involving Jeff Jarrett in a World Title storyline

Jeff Jarrett recently announced that he has signed the final pro wrestling contract of his career. The Last Outlaw only has a year left as an active in-ring performer, and he wants to win some gold before he leaves the big stage.

Double J has set his sights on Jon Moxley's AEW World Championship and intends to fight The Purveyor of Violence very soon. The veteran was attacked by Claudio Castagnoli on the latest episode of Dynamite, further sowing the seeds for a rivalry between Jarrett and Moxley.

While The Last Outlaw is indeed a well-recognized figure in the wrestling business, he should not be involved in a World Title storyline at the age of 57. In the past three weeks, Jeff Jarrett has been involved in very long onscreen promos on Dynamite and Collision.

It is not a good look for Tony Khan as a booker. He is taking away television time from deserving young talents to develop a veteran who is way past his prime. Many believe that stars like MJF and Jon Moxley should be involved in better feuds on AEW television instead of dealing with Double J.

If Tony Khan intends to give a memorable farewell to Jeff Jarrett, he should book the former WWE Intercontinental Champion to win a mid-card title. Pitting Jarrett against The One True King is a bad idea, as the predictable outcome of this potential feud takes away any interest the fans could have developed.

#1. Overlooking the negative response of the AEW fans to the Death Riders storyline

Jon Moxley has been a loyal asset to All Elite Wrestling for years. He has stepped up every time the Jacksonville-based promotion has been in a tough spot. With his undeniable dedication to the Tony Khan-led company, The Purveyor of Violence earned the moniker of "Ace of AEW."

Unfortunately, Moxley's recent run as the AEW World Champion has left much to be desired. After dethroning Bryan Danielson at WrestleDream 2024, The Death Rider kicked off a movement to eliminate complacency from the AEW roster.

Moxley wanted young stars to step up to the occasion and become reliable assets to AEW. Once the biggest babyface in the company, Jon Moxley turned his back on the Tony Khan-led company so that he could rewrite the future of the promotion as per his own wish.

Unfortunately, the crowd has not been able to resonate with The Death Riders storyline. The repetitive angles and monotonous promos have not sat well with the audience, which has been reflected in poor television ratings and crowd attendance.

A champion who wanted to elevate the young stars now finds himself dealing with old veterans like Cope and Jeff Jarrett. The heel group's motivations are inconsistent, making it difficult for the audience to take them seriously.

Fans on social media have been quite vocal about the underwhelming title reign of Jon Moxley in the past three weeks. However, Tony Khan has not made any tweaks to the Death Riders story arc, as he is unwilling to pivot to a different creative idea.