According to former WWE manager Jim Cornette, AEW has the edge over WWE in one crucial area.
Tony Khan founded AEW in 2019, and Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks helped launch the promotion as EVPs. Since then, the Jacksonville-based promotion has risen to, at times, challenge WWE, as it has become the first major alternative product in the United States since WCW.
However, Jim Cornette explained a key difference in the business management of both WWE and their rivals, during a recent episode of the Jim Cornette Experience.
"They got the wrong Khan [Pronounced "con"] over there they got all kinds of cons but none of them are the right con," said Cornette. "The WWE product sucks swamp water we know that. It's boring as sh**. They're not clownish and unprofessional and over-the-top silly like AEW is, they're just boring, but they're making money hand over fist." (8:19)
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After conceding that WWE's product is lacking in quality, the former commentator justified the importance Nick Khan brings to WWE and noted that AEW could learn from him:
"Nick Khan's a f****** Hollywood guy," Cornette continued. "That's why they're talking with all these people, that's why they make money on every g***amn thing. That's why they have the power to mistreat all of their wrestlers because they're making a f****** fortune because this guy can get anybody from Nasa to Boris Yeltsin on a phone right now. Tony Khan had contacts but this is a whole another level." (10:23)
Check out the full clip below:
Jim Cornette has also criticized Tony Khan for his booking in AEW
Aside from the business side of things, Cornette regularly takes issue with Tony Khan's booking style.
Speaking on the Jim Cornette Experience, the wrestling veteran took issue with the matchmaking that resulted in the singles bout between Darby Allin and Jeff Hardy. The pair squared off in the Owen Hart Tournament quarterfinals in what had been viewed as a dream match from the moment Jeff made his AEW debut.
Their clash was made an Anything Goes Match during the show, and the two stars produced a wild contest that thrilled the fans. Cornette, on the other hand, felt the bout belonged on a pay-per-view with a greater story. He also slammed Khan's booking ability by calling him a mark.
Regardless, the competition between WWE and Khan's promotion continues to heat up. It'll be interesting to see how it unfolds from here on out.
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