Tony Khan Defends AEW WrestleDream’s Long Runtime After Fan Backlash

AEW WrestleDream gave fans hours of wild matches, surprises, and intense action—but not everyone was thrilled when the show pushed past midnight on the East Coast. Now Tony Khan is speaking out, defending the marathon event and making it clear he has no regrets.

While speaking to Z100 New York, Khan addressed the criticism head-on, reminding fans that time zones played a big role in how late the show felt. He revealed the event wrapped at 11:29 p.m. local time in St. Louis, which he believed was reasonable.

“It was 11:29 in St. Louis local time, so I thought it made sense. Here in the local time, we’ll definitely be out well before midnight — and even on Eastern time, it’ll be earlier. It’s just different time zones.”

Khan stood firmly behind the event and praised the talent for delivering under tough circumstances. Even with some top stars missing due to injury, he said the show still ranks among AEW’s best.

“But I absolutely loved the WrestleDream show from start to finish. I thought we had such a great night with so much great action, and I wouldn’t have changed a single thing about WrestleDream. It’s one of my favorite AEW events ever — pound for pound — especially with some injuries and top stars away. I thought this was the absolute best show we were capable of putting on, and I’m more proud of what we did at WrestleDream than almost any show we’ve done since the pandemic.”

Despite fan complaints online about fatigue and pacing, Khan made it clear that he’s sticking by the creative decision and doesn’t plan to make changes based on viewer burnout.

AEW continues to draw attention for going big—and long—with its pay-per-views. WrestleDream might have pushed the limits for some fans, but for Tony Khan, it was a near-perfect night.

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