Nick LoPiccolo says Tony Khan’s biggest goal isn’t just running AEW—it’s controlling how the company is talked about online.
In a follow-up social media post, LoPiccolo claimed Khan has built a network around AEW designed to shape discussion across Reddit, Twitter and wrestling news sites. According to LoPiccolo, the goal is to protect AEW’s image and shut down anyone who threatens the preferred story.
“My belief is that Tony’s number one goal has always been to ‘control the internet.’ Not literally every account, but to control the conversation around AEW across Reddit, Twitter and the dirt sheets.”
LoPiccolo claimed certain people are made to feel close to AEW so they will defend the company, steer online discussion and attack critics without needing to be directly paid. He said the same tactics are used whenever somebody becomes a problem for the company. LoPiccolo pointed to repeated accusations involving mental health, drug use and instability as a way to make critics easier to dismiss.
“The strategy, as I see it, is to make certain people feel important, connected and useful so they’ll protect the company’s image, shape the discourse and attack anyone who threatens the preferred narrative, often without even being paid.”
“When somebody needs to be silenced or discredited, like me, that same network comes in handy.”
“You see the same language appear over and over. Call them crazy. Say they’re on drugs. Belittle them. Make false accusations. Make them seem unstable enough that nobody listens to them or pays attention to what they’re actually saying.”
LoPiccolo also claimed that intermediaries with ties to Khan have contacted him more than once and asked him to stop talking about AEW. He then said the situation has gotten so deep that it could eventually become its own Dark Side of the Ring episode.
“Yes, absolutely, and it has happened multiple times. I have screenshots of it, too. I still get asked by intermediaries with ties to Tony Khan if I can just lay off him for a while and stop talking about AEW.”
“There should really be a Dark Side of the Ring about it one day.”
LoPiccolo followed that by taking a direct shot at Khan and AEW, claiming they see themselves as being on the same level as WWE, TKO and Nick Khan.
“The main problem with this strategy, as it relates to me, is that TK and others think they’re on the same level as me. The same way they think they’re on the same level as WWE, TKO, Nick Khan, etc. They’re not.”
He also clarified what he means when he says communications were made “on behalf of AEW.” LoPiccolo named Bernie Cahill, Tony Khan’s partner and head of Activist Artists, while making it clear he is not claiming AEW formally approved every contact.
“For clarity, when I say ‘on behalf of AEW,’ I include communications I understand Bernie Cahill, Tony Khan’s partner and the head of Activist Artists, made to Paradigm regarding me between July 13 and July 16, 2025, and afterward.”
“I am not claiming AEW formally authorized every communication. I am describing how I understand those contacts in context.”
These are LoPiccolo’s claims, and he did not post the screenshots he says he has. Tony Khan, AEW and Cahill have not publicly responded to the latest accusations. LoPiccolo’s message is clear: he believes AEW’s online battle is not just about defending the company—it is about controlling the entire conversation around it.
Do you think AEW tries too hard to shape how the company is discussed online? Leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
