AEW President Tony Khan recently reflected on his six-plus years running the company, opening up about what he considers to be his single best decision and his biggest, most painful regret. In a candid interview, Khan stated that sticking with Warner Bros. Discovery as a broadcast partner was his best move, while his biggest regret is “by far” not being able to feature the late, great Jay Briscoe on AEW television.
Tony Khan on His Best Decision: Sticking with WBD
Speaking on Barstool Sports’ My Mom’s Basement podcast, Tony Khan was asked to name his best decision since founding AEW. He pointed to the company’s long-standing and successful partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of AEW’s television homes, TBS and TNT.
“I think the best decision since starting AEW was sticking with our great partners at Warner Bros. Discovery,” Khan said. “We’ve got a great thing. And we were able to build it and grow it… That partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery has been a lifeblood of AEW.”
He specifically highlighted the new media rights deal signed at the end of 2024, which brought a live simulcast of AEW programming to the HBO Max (now just Max) streaming service, allowing the company to reach a new, younger audience that primarily consumes content through streaming.
His Biggest Regret: Not Getting Jay Briscoe on Dynamite
When asked about his biggest regret, Khan’s answer was immediate and emotional. He stated that his inability to get the legendary Jay Briscoe on AEW programming before his tragic passing in January 2023 is “by far” his biggest regret. At the time, The Briscoe Brothers were the reigning Ring of Honor World Tag Team Champions, but they were not allowed to appear on AEW on TBS or TNT due to a controversial homophobic tweet that Jay had made in 2013.
“I fought really hard to get Jay Briscoe on the show,” Khan said. “I fought really, really hard to get Jay Briscoe on the show, but I really wish I’d been able to have Jay Briscoe on Dynamite just one time. And he came to the show many times. That’s my biggest regret by far.”
A Different Time, A Different Management
Jay Briscoe had apologized publicly for his past comments on multiple occasions and had spent years atoning for his mistake, becoming a beloved and respected leader in the ROH locker room. However, the previous management at Warner Bros. Discovery (then WarnerMedia) refused to allow him to appear on their networks. Khan explained that this was a deeply frustrating situation for him and that he believes it would be a different story with the company’s current leadership.
“It was a different time. It was a different management, it wasn’t Mr. [David] Zaslav. I could have now literally gone to him,” Khan explained, suggesting the current CEO of WBD would have been more receptive.
Khan also mentioned that another major regret, though one he had no control over, was not getting more time to work with Brodie Lee before his untimely passing in 2020. Khan’s emotional and honest reflections provide a rare look into the challenges and heartbreaks he has faced as the head of a major wrestling promotion.
H/T to Fightful for the transcription. Thanks for checking out this article. Make sure to follow Jeff Jarrett and all things GFE on Facebook.