AEW President Tony Khan believes that the company’s storytelling in 2025 was some of its strongest yet, precisely because it stayed true to the brand’s identity.
In an interview on The Takedown podcast, Khan discussed his philosophy on booking, rejecting the criticism that AEW sacrifices narrative depth for in-ring action. He argued that the two are not mutually exclusive and that AEW’s “authentic” presentation allows for both.
“I think it’s best for AEW to tell stories and put on wrestling matches with a focus that is best described as authentic to AEW. I think we found a really great presentation when we launched into 2020, 2021,” Khan said. “There’s great stories that people could talk about at length if they’re AEW fans… Hangman and Kenny is a great example of that.”
Khan emphasized that he has made a conscious effort in 2025 to return to that initial vision, focusing on character relationships and logical progression centered around the competition itself.
“This year, I’ve been trying to make sure that the presentation is authentic to AEW. Not trying to be like any other wrestling company. We can take the best wrestling we have and focus on the characters… but with the focus on the wrestling. And you don’t have to sacrifice the wrestling to tell great stories.”
Khan pointed to MJF’s recent World Title win at Worlds End and the year-long arcs involving stars like Swerve Strickland as proof that the company is hitting its stride creatively.
