5 times Tony Khan failed to sign a WWE Superstar

AEW has emerged as a viable alternative to WWE in the past six years. The Stamford-based promotion is no longer the only place to be, as All Elite Wrestling has become another major platform for talented wrestlers to carve out their legacy.

Since its inception in 2019, the Jacksonville-based promotion has made some massive talent signings. From Jon Moxley to Mercedes Mone, several prominent WWE stars have jumped ship to the TK-led company in recent years.

Despite Tony Khan being quite active in the free agent market, certain WWE megastars remained out of the grasp of the AEW President. There have been several instances in the past when TK failed to acquire a major wrestler, who was doubtful about his future with the Sports Entertainment Juggernaut.

Had the 42-year-old CEO signed these names, the promotion would have looked a lot different than it does in 2025. In this article, let's look at five times Tony Khan failed to sign a WWE Superstar.

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#5. Kevin Owens would have been a good fit for AEW

Kevin Owens could have made a huge difference if he had signed with AEW. In the past four years, the Jacksonville-based promotion has tried to acquire the services of The Prizefighter twice, but the veteran grappler turned down their offer each time.

It was reported a few months ago that Owens' deal with WWE was set to expire in the fall of 2024 or early 2025. Tony Khan had allegedly prepared to offer a lucrative contract to the former Universal Champion if the latter agreed to take his talents to his promotion.

However, the Canadian native chose to stick with the Triple H-led regime, which has shown great trust in the former United States Champion in the past three years. As per Fightful Select, Kevin Owens has re-signed with the Stamford-based promotion, and he is set to remain with Titanland for the next years.

Not being able to sign Owens comes as a huge miss for All Elite Wrestling. Tony Khan had been interested in bringing the Face of America to his company for a long time, but he failed to convince The Prizefighter to make the move.

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#4. Tony Khan could have stunned the wrestling world by signing WWE legend Randy Orton

Randy Orton has been associated with WWE for the past 23 years. However, The Legend Killer once teased cutting his ties with the Vince McMahon-led regime.

In October 2019, Orton posted an intriguing picture on his Instagram amid his ongoing contract negotiations with WWE. The Viper could be seen standing next to an "Elite" sign in the picture. To further make things interesting, The Apex Predator also tagged a number of stars and captioned the post "Tick Tock Tick Tock."

AEW could have sent the wrestling world into a frenzy if it had managed to sign Randy Orton. The Legend Killer is one of the biggest mainstream stars in the business, and he could have greatly expanded AEW's fanbase.

However, Orton was not satisfied with the money offered to him by TK, which prompted him to sign a long-term deal with WWE. The 14-Time-World Champion later had an X/Twitter feud with the AEW President, where Khan accused Orton of using AEW as leverage to get a better deal from WWE.

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#3. Bray Wyatt came close to signing with AEW

When we talk about the most creative minds in the history of pro wrestling, Bray Wyatt's name is bound to come up. The Eater of Worlds was known for his ability to tell a compelling story on television.

In July 2021, WWE made a shocking decision by releasing Wyatt from his contract. The incident was quite astonishing for the fans, as The New Face of Fear was considered a WWE lifer by that point.

As one of the most popular wrestlers on the planet, Bray Wyatt was always going to receive intriguing offers from top wrestling promotions. AEW also made a play for signing the former WWE Universal Champion during his year-long hiatus from the squared circle.

The Eater of Worlds had come incredibly close to inking a deal with the Jacksonville-based promotion. The company had even decided on a date for Wyatt's in-ring debut, but the conversations fell through at the last moment.

The former WWE Champion eventually came back to WWE at Extreme Rules 2022, which is considered one of the greatest wrestling returns of all time.

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#2. Johnny Gargano could have become All Elite in 2022

In December 2022, Johnny Gargano's contract with WWE expired. The Rebel Heart was written off WWE NXT after being assaulted by Grayson Waller.

Gargano would have fit like a glove on a world-class AEW roster. Many fans were excited about the possibility of the 5ft 10in star joining the Jacksonville-based promotion. As part of the Tony Khan-led company, the former NXT Champion could have engaged in dream matches with the likes of Bryan Danielson, MJF, Kenny Omega, and many more.

The 37-year-old star was reportedly in talks with several backstage figures in the Jacksonville-based promotion. Tony Khan, however, was not as proactive about acquiring Gargano's services, which eventually cost All Elite Wrestling a massive free agent.

The reigning WWE Tag Team Champion eventually returned to WWE in August 2022 to work alongside Triple H, who had recently become the new head of the creative team.

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#1. Cope could have joined All Elite Wrestling a long time

Cope [FKA Edge) made his shocking return to pro wrestling at Royal Rumble 2020. Nine years after announcing his in-ring retirement, The Rated-R Superstar came back to revel in the new era of pro wrestling.

Interestingly, the 51-year-old veteran had considered AEW as the place for his historic return at one point. The Ultimate Opportunist reportedly held talks with the Jacksonville-based promotion but eventually decided to not go ahead with the plan.

Although TK managed to sign the former TNT Champion in 2023, things could have been a lot different if Cope had arrived in AEW three years ago. Cope's return to pro wrestling is one of the most beautiful moments in wrestling history, and it would have led to a huge increase in the company's audience if the moment had taken place in AEW.

Nonetheless, The Ultimate Opportunist has been in the TK-led company for nearly 17 months. It has been a great run so far, and Cope could make it even more special by capturing the AEW World Title at Revolution 2025.