Will Washington has become a key figure behind the scenes in All Elite Wrestling, working closely with Tony Khan on creative direction, show planning, and internal coordination. But not everyone inside the company appears to be on board with his role.
During an appearance on BodySlam.net’s podcast with Famous Davis, Nick LoPiccolo claimed that some AEW talent haven’t embraced Washington’s presence — and in some cases, have gone as far as cutting off communication entirely.
“So by the way, I, you know, I had heard that a handful of my ex clients, I won’t say which ones, but a handful of them had him blocked on their phones and also on social media when they were employees at AEW. They thought he’s weird as f**. They didn’t know what he did except for sit in Tony’s office and just be Tony’s errand boy when he was hired. And again, I don’t want to be like causing myself any defamation or anything like that, but I was told by various different people that Tony said, he defended and said no, that Will is a very nice, very nice black boy. I’m not f*cking kidding. Very nice black boy. He can tell you the results of Monday Night Raw in 1995. He’s a nice black boy, I kid you not.”*
That claim stands in stark contrast to Washington’s publicly described responsibilities, which include participating in creative meetings, helping plan weekly programming like Dynamite and Rampage, and coordinating across multiple departments to maintain continuity. The conversation also touched on Washington’s connection to Swerve Strickland, adding to the discussion.
“Isn’t he Swerve’s cousin?”
LoPiccolo continued by questioning how Washington fits into AEW’s broader media ecosystem, especially when it comes to how information is shared externally.
“Will has been perceived… as feeding Fightful and feeding the dirt sheets… which is why Tony defends the dirt sheets so much as basically just giving out what Tony wants.”
The bigger takeaway isn’t just the criticism — it’s the suggestion that talent themselves may be distancing from someone working closely with management. If accurate, that could point to a disconnect between AEW’s internal structure and how it’s perceived behind the scenes.
At the same time, these comments reflect LoPiccolo’s perspective and what he says he’s heard from people connected to the company, while Washington continues to play a significant role in AEW’s creative and administrative process.
Do you think AEW talent blocking Will Washington says something bigger about backstage morale, or is this being blown out of proportion? Let us know your thoughts below.
