Ace Steel Blasts Tony Khan for Comparing Jon Moxley to Harley Race

Ace Steel isn’t staying quiet after hearing Tony Khan compare Jon Moxley to the late wrestling legend Harley Race—and his reaction lit up Instagram in a big way.

The drama started when Ringside News posted a recap of Tony Khan’s comments about Moxley during WrestleDream weekend. Steel reposted the article on his Instagram Story and didn’t hold back, tearing into the AEW President for what he saw as an out-of-touch comparison.

“Could be one of the dumbest and most blasphemous things I’ve ever read… utter crap… really infuriating… zero comparison.”

Ace Steel’s rage didn’t come from nowhere. He was personally mentored by Harley Race and has always spoken about Race’s legacy with deep reverence. To Steel, putting Moxley in the same sentence as Harley Race wasn’t just wrong—it was insulting.

So what did Tony Khan say to cause all this heat? During a podcast over WrestleDream weekend, Khan was asked who in AEW best reflects Harley Race’s legacy. He went straight to Moxley without hesitation.

“Yeah, it is Jon Moxley. He’s won the most championships. He’s traveled the world. He’s a hardened veteran. He’s from the Midwest. And he’s a straight shooter and he’s a great person who’s respected by his peers, who takes no gruff, and is so respected as a pro wrestling veteran.”

Khan even compared the in-ring style of Moxley to some of Harley’s most brutal matches.

“Many times in Jon Moxley’s matches, I’ve observed, it was like watching a great Harley Race match—or even some of Harley Race’s great matches in Japan remind me of some of the great Jon Moxley matches.”

And in his final remarks, Khan said that while Moxley is inspired by the past, he’s still one-of-a-kind.

“There’s a lot of great influences and great wrestlers that contribute to what Jon Moxley is—but he’s also an incredible, very unique personality in the world of pro wrestling. I think it’s really cool that he draws comparisons to such a great champion like Harley Race.”

This whole situation turned what should’ve been a harmless compliment into a personal war of words. When you’re dealing with names like Harley Race, emotions run deep—and Ace Steel made it loud and clear that some comparisons just don’t sit right.

Do you think Tony Khan crossed a line comparing Moxley to Harley Race? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.