Nick LoPiccolo Accuses Tony Khan of Retaliation After WBD Deal Criticism

Just two days after announcing his departure from Paradigm, powerhouse agent Nick LoPiccolo has wasted no time letting loose—and AEW’s Tony Khan is firmly in the crosshairs.

In a series of tweets posted on January 25, 2026, LoPiccolo addressed accusations from AEW fan accounts and called out what he claims is a long-standing smear campaign orchestrated by Khan himself. The former Paradigm executive, whose client roster includes CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, Jade Cargill, Liv Morgan, and over a dozen WWE stars, says he’s been targeted for months—and now that he’s free from agency constraints, he’s ready to speak.

It started with LoPiccolo addressing ongoing criticism from AEW-aligned fan accounts and media outlets, particularly Dirt Sheet Radio. He pushed back on the idea that he is “anti-AEW” and suggested that the backlash he’s received wasn’t organic at all.

“i am not anti aew. faceless accounts are bots, and in all probability paid for, most likely by tony khan. the reason ‘not being served catering’ is even a thing is bc tony irrationally took offense to a tweet that wasn’t meant to be critical of aew, and started paying faceless bots to attack me. sometimes it really is that easy to figure out. @DirtSheetRadio”

The context here matters. LoPiccolo has previously been targeted by online accounts after making comments questioning certain AEW narratives, including skepticism around the widely debated Warner Bros. Discovery rights fee numbers. His claim is that what followed wasn’t just fan outrage, but a coordinated campaign designed to damage his credibility.

When a fan responded by suggesting that he had damaged AEW’s public narrative and gotten under Tony Khan’s skin, LoPiccolo didn’t deflect. Instead, he leaned into the moment and made clear that his departure from Paradigm changed the rules.

“yep — and now i am unrestrained by paradigm and i can talk about tony. you didn't think that one through did you lol”

That single sentence reframed everything. This wasn’t just someone venting. This was someone implying that professional obligations had previously kept him quiet, and that those guardrails were now gone.

Then came the longest and most serious post — a detailed message accusing Tony Khan of leaking private information, attempting to control narratives, and reacting aggressively when LoPiccolo’s influence extended into spaces Khan didn’t expect. He began by referencing a specific date and incident involving Miro.

“how many hints do i need to give you before you realize i have known this is your game ever since september 20 2024 when you leaked that miro had asked for his release, only six hours after you met with him and told him you would grant it?”

The implication is clear: LoPiccolo is suggesting that sensitive talent matters were deliberately leaked to shape public perception. From there, Nick then pivoted to discussions involving a Jaguars-related documentary and why he believes AEW leadership became increasingly hostile toward him.

“the jaguars docu conversations only started after i had advised a group of talents to talk with bryan freedman (google him). there was no litigation. everything was handled correctly and it was handled professionally.”

“the jaguars documentary representation convos only ever came up again after tony freaked out or got paranoid that i exist in this space. and for what? bc i posted in june or july under meltzer that no one in hollywood believes the wbd deal is 5 million (meaning: all cash).”

This is where business and wrestling media collide. LoPiccolo is tying his alleged fallout with AEW leadership directly to his public skepticism about the legitimacy of reported AEW media rights numbers — a topic that has been fiercely debated within industry circles. Nick then claimed he wasn’t intimidated by alleged legal threats.

“i am pretty sure i laughed at the defamation threats july 16/17 and told that to megha, who didn't know i knew.”

Then came what may be the most aggressive challenge of all: an open invitation to legal action, framed as a dare to force disclosure.

“what are the headlines going to read? aew and jaguars owner tony khan sues the biggest agent in wrestling (and i do a lot more than just wrestling) over mean tweets? ok and then the very first thing i would do in discovery is compel the wbd deal that is ‘so sensitive’ and compel his cell phone records, as well as dave's and a couple others. let's go to discovery.”

That is not casual trash talk. That is a direct statement implying that legal scrutiny would expose information AEW would rather keep private. Nick then clarified that he isn’t interested in burning every bridge, especially when it comes to former colleagues at Paradigm.

“we don't need to do any of that. no one wants to listen to me over there and instead you just want to defame me and i am not going to let it happen.”

“the next time the jags documentary conversation came up was september 25. the immediate days before this, tony and others complained to paradigm and tony requested an audience with... i don't know? and if i did know i won't say it here because i don't want to cause any harm to my friends at paradigm.

This entire outburst lands at a moment when LoPiccolo is already in talks with film funds, production companies, and agencies about his next move, with reports stating that a formal announcement about his future is coming soon.

Right now, AEW and Tony Khan have not publicly responded. Does Tony Khan fire back? Does AEW ignore it? Or does this escalate further now that LoPiccolo says he’s no longer holding back? Only time will tell.

Do you think Nick’s going scorched earth or just setting the record straight? Should AEW respond or let it go? Let us know where you stand in the comments.