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AEW President and CEO Tony Khan recently expressed his views on the recent merger between WWE and UFC to form the TKO group and discussed its impact on the sport as well.
On September 12, 2023, the deal between WWE and UFC was officially finalized to merge both promotions to form the TKO group under the ownership of Ari Emanuel. This also means that Vince McMahon would officially no longer have full control over the Stamford-based promotion going forward.
Meanwhile, while speaking to Insider recently, the AEW CEO and President, Tony Khan, was also asked about the merger and how it will affect the pro wrestling industry. TK responded with the following:
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“It is fascinating. It will be interesting to see what happens in the world of sports, combat sports, and pro wrestling. I love pro wrestling, it’s an amazing business. I think there are a lot of really exciting things happening with sports media rights.” (H/T Ringside News)
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Ever since the merger, fans and the wrestling world have speculated a number of things regarding how the deal would change the pro wrestling business. Many also believe that WWE will get some MMA touch in the coming months. Only time will tell how the merger really affects the world's biggest wrestling promotion.
Tony Khan loves to compete with WWE
During the AEW Double or Nothing PPV media call earlier this year, Tony Khan opened up on his feelings about competing against WWE and how he is doing it in an ethical way:
“I think it’s been that feeling from day one since we launched the TV show, and it probably changed a little bit on April 14, 2021. It feels like the old days, in some ways. I’m always eager to compete in whatever arena I’m in, and I really love the competition in pro wrestling — as long as it’s done with some ethical standards." (H/T Wrestling Junkie)
Moreover, the Stamford-based promotion has definitely hit big with its merger with UFC, and only time will tell how the partnership affects AEW and other promotions going forward.
