Rumor killer on Tony Khan banning AEW roster from competing during WrestleMania 41 weekend - Reports

AEW President Tony Khan broke a long-established directive of major wrestling promotions when he began allowing his company's talent to work for independent promotions while under contract. A new report has shed some light on the annual frenzy surrounding WrestleMania weekend and how All Elite Wrestling's stars fit into it.

While All Elite Wrestling allows its talent to work for outside promotions (provided the dates don't conflict with AEW's shows), Tony Khan still holds the right to approve or deny a wrestler's booking with an independent company or even to pull them from a date, which recently happened with Ricky Starks.

However, The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer recently reported that the company's "younger talents" aren't being allowed to work indie dates in Las Vegas during WrestleMania 41 weekend this year. That weekend is usually the busiest and most profitable time of the year for many smaller promotions.

According to Cassidy Haynes of Bodyslam.net, that isn't entirely true. Sources within the Jacksonville-based promotion claimed that there is no internal policy regarding WrestleMania weekend, and All Elite talent can be pulled from shows for a number of reasons.

Haynes's sources within several independent promotions claimed that multiple AEW stars had been pulled from WrestleMania weekend shows in the past, but others were still booked for those dates.

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Tony Khan may end a longstanding tradition due to WWE WrestleMania 41

Few could blame Tony Khan if he pulled his company's talent from WrestleMania weekend shows, as WWE has been aggressively counter-booking All Elite Wrestling lately, even hosting events during AEW pay-per-views in the same city.

This has forced some changes within the Jacksonville-based promotion, with Tony Khan & Co. holding the dates of major events for longer before announcing them. Additionally, recent reports have indicated that there have been internal discussions regarding the location of this year's Double or Nothing pay-per-view.

Double or Nothing has historically been held in Las Vegas (aside from the Pandemic Era shows), but with WrestleMania 41 being hosted in Sin City this year, All Elite Wrestling may abandon the tradition and look elsewhere.

WWE is in the middle of a historic hot streak, but AEW has been gaining back some of its lost momentum in the last few weeks. Whether the balance of power between the two promotions shifts in 2025 remains to be seen.