Ex-WWE Star Accuses AEW of Stealing His Business Model

Former WWE star Shane Douglas isn’t pulling punches—and now he’s accusing AEW of swiping phrases and concepts straight out of a business model he claims to have written years before the company even existed.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the wrestling veteran and former ECW World Champion claimed that key AEW slogans and structural ideas weren’t just familiar—they were his.

“In the buildup to AEW, I started hearing words and phrases that were very familiar to me. I had never heard the word ‘coaching’ or ‘coaches’ used in wrestling before… and phrases like ‘this isn’t your daddy’s wrestling,’ or ‘this isn’t going to be a home for ex-WWE wrestlers.’”

Douglas says those phrases weren’t just a coincidence. According to him, they came directly from a written business plan he pitched years ago for a promotion based out of Las Vegas.

“The reason those phrases sounded familiar is because I wrote them. I can show you the business model we pitched to several people.”

He claimed the version he circulated was deliberately incomplete—missing two key components he never committed to paper. That way, if someone did steal the idea, it wouldn’t fully work. Douglas compared the situation to a car missing crucial parts.

“There were two ingredients I did not put into the written business plan… they exist up here in my head. I did that on purpose. If you’re going to steal a car, make sure the engine is under the hood and the tires aren’t sitting on cinder blocks, or you won’t get very far.”

He added that AEW’s failure to capture long-term momentum, in his view, is because those missing “engine and tires” are still in his head—and without them, the company’s model feels incomplete. He hinted at being overlooked, especially given AEW’s massive spending.

“I watch AEW and hear those exact words and phrases used the way I wrote them. What’s lacking is the engine and the tires. I don’t know if that has anything to do with why no one reached out to me, but it does seem strange—especially considering how much money Tony Khan has spent. I can show you documents that predate any public talk of a company called AEW by about two years.”

Shane Douglas is clearly confident he planted the seeds for AEW’s philosophy long before it hit national TV. And while he’s not calling anyone out by name, he’s made one thing clear: he wants credit where credit’s due.

Do you think Shane Douglas has a case? Or is this just another “what if” story in the world of pro wrestling? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.