Eric Bischoff Blasts Tony Khan’s WWE Claims as “Comedy”

Tony Khan’s habit of talking up AEW’s progress compared to WWE isn’t winning him much respect from wrestling veterans—and Eric Bischoff is leading the charge in calling him out for it.

During a recent episode of 83 Weeks, Bischoff, alongside Raj Giri and Conrad Thompson, broke down why Khan’s claims that AEW is closing the gap on WWE are more damaging than helpful. While Conrad initially defended Tony Khan as simply being a promoter doing media rounds, Raj Giri argued that some of the AEW president’s hype just doesn’t land.

“There’s some things that are so easy to dissect and prove to be mostly untrue… it causes more discussion online where people are just laughing at the statement,” Raj explained.

Bischoff took it further, admitting that he used to do the same kind of overhype back in the early WCW days—but said it came at a cost he eventually learned not to repeat.

“You can’t afford to lose your credibility when it comes to business… You can say things that sound good to people who don’t know any better, but when people in the industry look at your numbers—and you’re negotiating a new deal—it’s comedy to those who know. That’s where it hurts your brand.”

And Bischoff didn’t stop there. He even threw longtime AEW supporter Dave Meltzer into the discussion.

“Dave Meltzer’s ridiculously obsessive support—to the point of delusion—of Tony Khan and AEW has done more to hurt that brand than help it.”

Raj added that Khan’s WWE comparison wasn’t even prompted during the interview, which made it even more questionable.

“He wasn’t even asked about WWE. He brought it up on his own. That’s the issue.”

Bischoff compared Khan’s media strategy with the more grounded approach TNA is taking as they move to AMC in January. He praised Carlos Silva and TNA’s leadership for keeping expectations realistic.

“Tony messed up by setting the bar so high—and he hit it, until he didn’t. Then the audience was disappointed.”

He made it clear that managing fan expectations is more important than short-term applause.

“Managing the audience’s expectation while continuing to grow is an art form. Promise and make sure you overdeliver—incrementally. Don’t try to do it in six months or one night.”

Eric Bischoff might be speaking from experience, but his message is blunt: Tony Khan’s loud optimism and Meltzer’s constant praise aren’t helping AEW in the eyes of the people who really matter—industry professionals, networks, and sponsors.

What’s your take on Bischoff calling Tony Khan’s WWE talk “comedy”? Is it fair criticism or just more noise from the outside? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

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