Tony Khan Exposed for Habit of Holding Late-Night Meetings and Giving No Real Answers

Jake Hager didn’t hold anything back when asked what really happened at the end of his AEW run—and the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion dropped a grenade on Tony Khan’s creative leadership.

Speaking on Unscripted, Hager described a company in chaos, run by a boss who wouldn’t listen—even to his top stars. When asked point-blank about walking away from AEW, Hager aimed straight at the top:

“To get to the end of the career and to have someone like Tony Khan who’s been in this business a cup of coffee and doesn’t really know—he can’t make himself a sandwich, let alone write a storyline that will last…”

According to Hager, the problem wasn’t just Khan’s lack of experience—it was his refusal to let anyone challenge him.

“He’s got contributors—yes-men that help him write his storylines—but there’s no one there that could tell him no.”

That power vacuum, Hager claimed, left talent completely out of the loop creatively, especially after Cody Rhodes left AEW. Rhodes, who helped shape AEW’s original identity, reportedly brought structure and direction. After he exited, everything changed.

“Everything changed after Cody left… it just became a free-for-all.”

And if you wanted to pitch anything? Good luck catching Khan at the right time.

“You were at the building at like 1 a.m., 2 a.m. after the show was done… You were waiting in line because he had so many other important things going on and you never got his full attention.”

Hager said when he finally did get a meeting, Khan would often respond with vague, dismissive replies.

“He would give you some kind of bulls— response like, ‘Oh, I see you in a tag team with Sammy Guevara.’ Like, I don’t really see you doing that.’”

For Hager, AEW’s internal communication breakdown wasn’t just frustrating—it was career-altering. A company once filled with hope and energy had become a place where even veterans couldn’t be heard.

“What do you do?” he asked bluntly. “You would have to know Tony to know how I’m speaking about him.”

With AEW under constant scrutiny and fan perception shifting, Hager’s words hit hard—especially when they echo the growing chatter about backstage disorganization and creative disconnect inside the company.

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