Tony Khan has been making moves behind closed doors with Paramount Skydance, and his latest trip to Los Angeles is raising questions about what AEW could have in the works.
The AEW President already confirmed he’s been speaking with David Ellison about the company’s future, but those conversations have now moved into another round of business meetings. Whatever happened in those meetings hasn’t been disclosed, but Khan’s reaction afterward has caught Dave Meltzer’s attention.
During the October 25, 2026 edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Meltzer revealed that Khan flew from Florida to Los Angeles on Friday, October 23, for meetings with Skydance. The AEW boss then headed to North Carolina for Collision, making the Los Angeles stop part of an already packed schedule.
“Tony Khan had meetings with Skydance yesterday, Friday. He went from Wednesday, which was — oh God, where were they? They were in Orlando, Miami or Gables. Actually, technically they were Coral Gables, Florida. Flew to LA for meetings and then, you know, flew to, I think it’s Winston-Salem tonight for Collision.”
Meltzer didn’t reveal who attended the meetings or what was discussed, but he did share what he learned about Khan’s reaction. According to Meltzer, Khan left the discussions in an unusually positive mood, even compared to his previous conversations about the relationship.
“And what I could say is, I don’t know any of the details yet, but I do know that he came out of the meetings extremely happy, much happier than he has been about this. He’s always been happy about this relationship. He’s always been beaming about it from day one. But he definitely came out of these meetings the happiest he’s been.”
The timing is worth paying attention to. Khan already confirmed during the October 17 AEW WrestleDream post-show press conference that he’d spoken with David Ellison multiple times about the company’s future. At the time, Khan said Ellison was enthusiastic about working with AEW.
“Yes, I’ve had a conversation with David Ellison about the future of AEW. I’ve had a few great conversations with David Ellison about AEW. He is very excited to be partnering with AEW.”
Khan also made it clear that he sees opportunities in the Warner Bros. and Paramount merger, particularly with AEW’s existing presence on TNT, TBS, and HBO Max. He argued that bringing those businesses together could provide additional resources.
“Skydance means Warner Brothers and Paramount under the same roof, and this means more exciting opportunities and more resources. Warner Brothers is going to be stronger. There were two great buyers, but this was the solution that made sense for so many reasons.”
But there’s another side to this situation. While Khan is meeting with Skydance executives, other wrestling programming connected to the company is facing cuts. Meltzer explained that Women of Wrestling is losing its television syndication arrangement, despite plans to produce another season. He also discussed the cancellation of a separate channel carrying Women of Wrestling and NWA programming.
Those decisions make AEW’s position worth watching. Skydance has already shown it’s willing to make changes to wrestling-related programming, but Meltzer indicated that Khan’s meetings didn’t appear to involve the same kind of reductions.
“But whatever it is, whatever the meetings were with Tony, it did not sound like anything cut back. And, you know, whatever it is, they seem like whatever they’re discussing with him means something positive going forward.”
That’s a significant distinction, but it doesn’t answer the biggest question: What exactly did Khan get out of these meetings? There’s no confirmed new television deal, additional AEW show, expanded streaming agreement, or financial commitment. Meltzer himself admitted that he doesn’t know the details, meaning there’s still a major gap between Khan’s reaction and what can actually be established about the discussions.
For now, Khan is keeping the specifics of his latest Skydance talks under wraps. His reaction may suggest the meetings went his way, but until something concrete comes out of them, there’s no telling whether AEW is looking at a bigger opportunity or simply protecting what it already has. With other wrestling programming losing distribution under Skydance, that’s a distinction worth watching.
What do you think Tony Khan is negotiating with Paramount Skydance behind closed doors? Is AEW positioning itself for something bigger, or is Khan trying to secure the company’s existing television future? Let us know your thoughts and leave your feedback in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
