Subhojeet Mukherjee on October 8, 2025
Vince Russo isn’t holding back when it comes to his thoughts on AEW’s creative direction under Tony Khan.
During a recent episode of Wrestling Outlaws, Russo used Jake Hager’s run in AEW as an example of what he believes is the company’s biggest problem—Tony Khan’s obsession with making every wrestler happy.
Russo explained that in professional wrestling, not everyone can be the top star. He argued that when a promoter refuses to choose and instead tries to satisfy the whole roster, it destroys momentum for everyone.
“I think over there the problem is that Tony tries to make everybody happy. You cannot do that, bro, in professional wrestling. Absolutely not. Cuz everybody thinks—EC3 will tell you—everybody thinks they should be the top guy. And bro, if you don’t think you should be the top guy, you shouldn’t be in the business.”
He went further, pointing out that this approach has left many AEW wrestlers stuck in stop-and-start booking patterns that prevent anyone from truly breaking out.
“But the bottom line is, everybody thinks they’re the top guy, and there can only be one top guy. So he [Hager] had inconsistent booking at AEW, Chris, for different reasons. Because again, you know, Tony trying to appease everybody. That means, you know, this week I win, next week I lose, this week I win, next week I lose. Bro, you’re just not going to get anybody over that way, man. You’re just not.”
Russo’s critique plays into a larger debate about AEW’s creative strategy. While the company has an impressive roster of stars, critics argue that its booking has become repetitive and inconsistent, with too many wrestlers being protected instead of elevating one clear top attraction.
The former WWE writer made it clear: until AEW commits to pushing stars with consistent storytelling, no one will truly get over with fans the way they should.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
Do you agree that Tony Khan’s booking style is hurting AEW’s ability to build stars? Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment section below.
October 8, 2025 8:03 pm
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