Nick Khan Says WWE Is Ready to Sign AEW Talent When Their Contracts Expire

Nick Khan isn’t losing sleep over AEW—and he’s already looking ahead to scooping up some of their stars.

The WWE President appeared on The Bill Simmons Podcast and addressed the conversation around AEW as competition. While he didn’t throw any punches, Khan made it clear that WWE is keeping tabs on the roster across the street—and ready to make moves when the time is right.

“In terms of the other wrestling promotional company, they have a lot of talented wrestlers and we’re happy about that,” Khan said. “When, contractually, they are available to talk to and have conversations with, assume a number of them will come over.”

He didn’t mention AEW by name, but there was no question who he was referring to. Khan even nodded to AEW’s financial backer, saying, “Nothing but respect to the father who finances it and owns the Jaguars and all those other things.” That’s a reference to Shad Khan, while AEW is run day-to-day by his son, Tony Khan.

AEW has become a major player in the industry since launching in 2019, offering talent a strong alternative to WWE. Plenty of free agents have taken the AEW route, while others—like Cody Rhodes and Jade Cargill—have already made the leap back to WWE. According to Khan, more moves like that could be coming soon.

Whether it’s strategic timing or just quiet confidence, Khan’s comments send a clear message: WWE isn’t threatened—they’re watching and waiting.