"Thank you Tony Khan" chants suddenly break out at WWE NXT Stand & Deliver 2025

Modified Apr 19, 2025 19:38 GMT

The AEW President [Image credit: Tony Khan on Instagram]

AEW President Tony Khan has been mentioned a lot within the confines of WWE over the last few weeks, but not always by name. However, at today's NXT Stand & Deliver Premium Live Event, the crowd sent its thanks to the All Elite Chief.

Ricky Saints and Ethan Page were formerly signed to All Elite Wrestling, but both are now competing in NXT. They squared off today for the NXT North American Championship at Stand & Deliver, and the crowd was obviously invested in the match—so much so that they felt the need to thank Tony Khan.

As Saints and Page grappled for control on the top turnbuckle, the audience broke into loud "Thank you Tony" chants, sending their sarcastic appreciation to the AEW President for releasing Ricky Saints earlier this year. Check it out in the clip below:

Expand Tweet

The NXT crowd has been especially snide toward Tony Khan in recent weeks, especially where Ricky Saints and Ethan Page are concerned. Mics have picked up fans chanting "Tony fumbled" in a nod to Page's lack of opportunities and Saints' months-long absence before their AEW departures.

Ricky Saints ultimately defeated Ethan Page to retain his NXT North American Championship. Whether the two will continue finding success in WWE remains to be seen.

About the author

Jacob is an AEW contributor and editor at Sportskeeda Wrestling. He has edited and published over 8,000 articles for Sportskeeda Wrestling in just over two years, and subsequently donned the hat of a contributor, demonstrating his commitment to continuous learning. His experience goes beyond wrestling, with five years as an editor for several independent publishing houses and three years as a captioning specialist.

Jacob's first memory of pro wrestling dates back to Sting vs. Ric Flair for the World Heavyweight Championship at Great American Bash 1990. He later began writing for a newsletter and blog at the University of North Texas, and his love of wrestling naturally led him to seek opportunities in the media.

His favorite wrestler is The Icon, as he feels Sting has evolved throughout his career on a parallel path with his own growth as a person. He was Jacob's childhood hero and teenage idol, and now he makes him less afraid of getting older.

Jacob ensures relevance and accuracy in his articles by working hard to maintain his ideals and objectivity without sacrificing his unique voice, inspiring other writers in the section to follow suit.

Jacob’s non-wrestling interests include Anime, video games, and fantasy novels.

Know More

Edited by Jacob Terrell