Tony Khan's opens up about his father's initial reaction to him starting AEW

AEW President and CEO Tony Khan continues to revolutionize the wrestling business, as his company reached remarkable heights just over two years after it launched. While he continues to succeed, some fans keep wondering what his father, Shahid thinks about AEW. Tony recently shined some light on the matter when he looked back on the company's origin story.

Shahid Khan first rose to major prominence in the sporting world when he purchased the Jacksonville Jaguars of the NFL. He later acquired Fulham F.C., a soccer club. In 2019, Shahid and Tony Khan were announced as the leading financial backers of AEW.

Though the younger Khan has had a much more active role in the company's growth, Shahid's influence remains apparent, dating back to the days before AEW officially launched. In a recent interview with DAZN, Tony revealed his father Shahid Khan's initial reaction to him starting a wrestling promotion.

"There’s another interview that I did and it’s clear that my father thought it was a bad idea," sid Tony Khan. "But I always knew I had the drive, desire and knowledge to make it work. I back myself in a big way in these situations and I like to think that I’ve built up the business acumen to make AEW the best wrestling company in the world. When you have that fire inside you to make something work, then why would you listen to anyone else?

Despite his father's stance on AEW, Tony Khan believed in himself and went on to grow AEW into one of the top wrestling companies in the world.

Tony Khan on what AEW fans can expect going forward

Tony Khan also briefly discussed his plans for AEW, saying that fans should get ready for exciting things to come. Khan predicted that wrestling could soon heat up to the point where it could feel like the Attitude Era once again.

"I think wrestling fans should strap in for a big ride," said Khan. "We’re not there yet but I feel it’s close. Things are happening and I don’t think it’s going to be too long before wrestling fans are going to feel what I felt in the late 1990’s when WWE and WCW went at trying to provide the best entertainment possible."

AEW has had a fantastic 2021 so far, with the All Out pay-per-view doing record buy rates and culminating in the debuts of Adam Cole and Bryan Danielson. The company followed up this special show with its biggest gate yet at the Grand Slam show last month. With these outstanding events, the future is bright in AEW.

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