10 Unpopular Opinions About Tony Khan (According To Reddit)

Tony Khan is certainly a polarizing figure in the world of professional wrestling, despite the enormous positive he has brought to the industry with a new company in AEW that can legitimately challenge WWE. However, Khan has certainly got people split on him, and for all the good he provided there's no denying he's made a few mistakes along the way.

9 Backstage Tales About Tony Khan AEW Fans Should Know

Tony Khan can be a polarizing wrestling figure who has some fascinating behind-the-scenes AEW stories!

Professional wrestling is a very opinionated business, and Reddit is often the place where fans go to voice them. While it can lead to sensible debate and dialogue, it is also the home to some unpopular opinions that aren't necessarily shared by everyone, some of which happen to be about Khan himself.

10 Tony Khan Can't Create Stars

One User Doesn't Think He Can Make His Own Top Talent

AEW has brought in lots of younger wrestlers
Khan has focused on developing talent alongside experienced names
The likes of MJF and Britt Baker have become stars in AEW

There's no denying that Tony Khan has tapped into the free agent market over the years to sign a lot of established names such as Chris Jericho or Bryan Danielson. However, when starting a brand new company that is essential, but quechal believes: "He doesn’t know how to create stars."

However, when looking at the landscape of wrestling and seeing the likes of MJF, Darby Allin, Britt Baker, and Jade Cargill - all of which were truly established by Khan, it is hard to see that as an opinion shared by the wider wrestling community.

9 He's An Exceedingly Bad Booker

Tony Khan's Decisions Aren't To Everyone's Taste

He books every single AEW/ROH show
Khan does work with a small team to help book
He's known for listening to the ideas of his wrestlers

As a booker, Tony Khan has certainly made some mistakes during his time in the wrestling industry. However, the same could be said for anyone who has ever taken on that position, and for the most part Khan has done a good job with running AEW.

5 WWE Wrestlers Tony Khan Would Book Better (& 5 He Wouldn't)

When looking at WWE’s current roster, there are some wrestlers who would do better under the booking of Tony Khan, while others would regress.

He has managed to win awards for his booking abilities, therefore Dandelegion's belief that, "As a promoter/booker, he's exceedingly bad at his job," might be a little far-fetched.

8 Tony Khan's An Evil Billionaire

He's Been Pushed Into A Rich Stereotype

The Khan family is one of the wealthiest in the world
Tony Khan hasn't used his wealth as a gimmick yet
The Khan family money allowed AEW to become a company

There's no doubt that some people with a certain level of wealth can believe that they're able to get away with anything, which a lot of others look down upon. That is what Spacegoov seems to believe about Tony Khan, claiming, "He's a billionaire so while he doesn't seem evil he's inherited a lot of nasty traits from the crowd he runs in."

However, when compared to some of the other bookers throughout wrestling history Khan seems relatively vanilla. For the most part, his employees have only had positive things to say about how he treats people as well.

7 Being A Fan Isn't A Good Thing

Tony Khan's Passion Isn't For Everyone

Tony Khan used to fantasy book wrestling before owning a company
Khan would regularly attend wrestling shows as a fan
Khan can recall past events

Tony Khan is a huge wrestling fan, and he knows more about the industry than most people. That is clear whenever he speaks about the business, being able to pull out random facts from the past with ease, and that is something the majority of fans appreciate.

The fact he knows what it means to be a fan is seen as a positive for most people. However, No_While_835 simply believes: "If he wasn't wealthy, he'd be on here," implying Khan would just hang out on Reddit.

6 Tony Khan Is Overusing Legends

He Has Brought Plenty Of Veteran Names To The Company

Tony Khan has hired a variety of legends
He's given some legends title runs such as Billy Gunn
Other legends have also helped behind the scenes such as Arn Anderson

One thing that professional wrestling fans are always guaranteed to love is nostalgia, therefore StillInReseda's belief that, "they’re overusing legends (not the good ones that would draw new viewers)," isn't one shared by most.

Fans typically love seeing older wrestlers appearing, whether it's Jake Roberts in a managerial role, Jim Ross commentating, or Sting competing in matches, Tony Khan's use of legends has tended to go down well.

5 Pushing Orange Cassidy As A Threat Is A Bad Thing

Not Everyone Is A Fan Of Freshly Squeezed

Orange Cassidy is a two-time International Champion
He's the longest-reigning International Champion in history
Cassidy has been heavily featured in AEW

Orange Cassidy is someone that Tony Khan has been behind from the day he arrived at AEW, and he has given him countless opportunities. That has worked out well because Cassidy is massively over and delivers fantastic matches.

10 Things AEW Fans Should Know About CM Punk's Relationship With Tony Khan

There are crucial details about CM Punk's relationship with Tony Khan that shed light on the backstage dynamics that occurred in AEW.

However, StillInReseda also isn't happy about that decision from Khan. The user questioned how Khan can overlook people like Ricky Starks or Powerhouse Hobbs for Cassidy, but he's certainly someone who has earned his spot.

4 He's Not Using The Elite To Their Full Potential

People Want To See More From Kenny Omega & The Young Bucks

The Elite were key parts of AEW's inception
Omega is a former AEW World Champion
They are two-time AEW World Trios Champions

The Young Bucks and Kenny Omega played a key role in the creation of AEW to begin with, and since that point, they have been key parts of the show. Whether it is Omega's run as AEW World Champion, The Young Bucks dominating the tag team division, or the three of them enjoying a spell as AEW World Trios Champions, they've certainly had opportunities.

However, SourDoughBo believes, "Kenny and The Bucks can be used better." While all of their booking might not have been perfect, it's hard to argue that Tony Khan hasn't at least attempted to get the best out of them.

3 Tony Khan's Company Is The Minor Leagues

It Might Not Be #1, But Is AEW A Minor Promotion?

AEW's ratings are above other promotions outside of WWE
AEW has beaten WWE in the past with ratings
AEW is considered by most to be the #2 company in wrestling

Tony Khan created AEW with the idea of creating genuine competition for WWE in a bid to challenge and potentially become the number-one company in the business. While he hasn't quite been able to achieve that yet there's no doubt the company has provided genuine competition for WWE.

However, one user with a deleted name believes, "This is why AEW is considered the minor leagues," when discussing blading in the company. But the idea of AEW being seen as a minor league company is something that few fans would agree with, even if they disliked AEW as a company.

2 Tony Khan's Forbidden Door Policy Is Hurting AEW

One Reddit User Wants Him To Focus On His Own Roster

Tony Khan has worked with Impact Wrestling
He often brings one-off matches with outside talent regularly
He has created a working partnership with NJPW

Tony Khan's Forbidden Door policy to work with other promotions for one-off matches or even full PPVs has brought something completely different to the business. For most fans, it has added an element of excitement and unpredictability that has proven to be beneficial, creating dream matches nobody thought would ever happen.

AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door 2023: Every Match Ranked From Worst To Best

AEW and NJPW continued their epic partnership with the second-ever Forbidden Door event! How did the matches play out?

That policy isn't for everyone though as Riseofzeon stated, "Aew should stop pushing all the inter-company matches, it’s only hurting the overall brand."

1 Tony Khan Has Ruined MJF

One User Isn't A Fan Of His Babyface Turn

MJF turned babyface in 2023
His tag team run with Adam Cole proved to be a hit
MJF had the longest AEW World Championship reign in history

There's no doubt that MJF was a fantastic heel, a role that he did well for the majority of his career thus far in AEW. However, his partnership with Adam Cole led to a natural babyface turn, and it's a role that has suited him well as he has developed and remained a hit with fans.

While it was a major shift for him, Tony Khan has handled it well from a creative standpoint. But, according to one user (whose name has been deleted), "He’s ruined MJF as a character."