Tony Khan was in a feisty mood during a recent interview, dismissing claims AEW is lagging behind WWE.
In a new Peacock documentary looking at Cody Rhodes‘ return to WWE, Triple H took the opportunity to throw some shade at AEW. While discussing Rhodes’ decision to return to WWE after helping launch AEW, The Game praised the star for taking the gamble after realising he didn’t want to be the face of a “secondary promotion.”
“To then take that gamble again and say ‘This is not what I wanted to be, I didn’t grow up dreaming of being the champion or the face of a secondary promotion, I wanted to be WWE Champion.'”
Of course, this isn’t the first time that Triple H has thrown a jab at WWE’s main rivals, having previously scoffed at claims that AEW “won” the so-called ‘Wednesday Night War,’ and called them a “pissant company” at the 2019 WWE Hall of Fame.
AEW boss Tony Khan has wasted little time in firing back in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel. Khan pointed to AEW’s success in the United Kingdom as proof that that the company isn’t “secondary” to anyone.
“We certainly won’t be the secondary promotion at All In. We’re No. 1 in the UK, on TV and with a record gate. I have a lot of respect for Cody. I know these weren’t his words, to be fair, but we’re not secondary in a lot of markets — for the first time in a long time, WWE has been secondary in a lot of markets… I’m proud of where we’re at and we’re not taking a backseat to anybody.”
Tony Khan Celebrating As The Elite Re-Sign With AEW
With AEW Dynamite 200 set to take place on August 2nd, Tony Khan kicked off celebrations early with confirmation that The Elite will be staying with AEW. It’s been confirmed that Kenny Omega, The Young Bucks and Adam Page have all signed new “multi-year” deals despite interest from WWE.