2025 marked a standout year for AEW, widely regarded as the company’s best since its inception in 2019, even surpassing the fan-favorite year of 2021. This success is largely attributed to AEW President and CEO Tony Khan, who began the year by overhauling the creative process to reconnect with his original passion for booking wrestling shows. In a recent interview with John Alba from Sports Illustrated’s The Takedown, Khan reflected on his tendency at the end of 2024 to consider too many ideas, which he felt slowed decision-making.
Khan explained, “While collaboration is valuable, as a decision-maker there is such a thing as too much collaboration.” He shared that he has streamlined the creative process by skipping meetings between shows and instead working independently on the show outlines himself. This approach came after Khan competed in the 2024 Continental Classic tournament and realized he preferred having full control over the creative direction – a strategy he plans to continue.
Despite taking a more hands-on approach, Khan emphasized that he still values input from producers, agents, and especially talent behind the scenes. He listens to their feedback but reserves final control over the show’s overall structure. “I like hearing ideas, but when creating a show outline, it’s not meant to be a collaborative effort,” Khan said. He reverts to the methods he used in 2020 and 2021, highlighting that the best creative collaboration happens directly between him and the wrestlers, with fewer intermediaries.
Khan summed up that while character development in pro wrestling thrives on collaboration, it’s crucial that this occurs within a solid outline he puts together himself. The process of shaping AEW’s schedule is, in his view, much more efficient when he works solo rather than with a large team.
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Fan Take: Tony Khan’s shift to a more focused creative process is significant for AEW fans as it promises more cohesive storytelling and fewer diluted ideas in the product. This move could reinforce AEW’s reputation for innovative wrestling while ensuring that the vision stays clear and consistent, potentially raising the bar for the entire wrestling industry.
