AEW President Tony Khan spoke with the pro wrestling media on Thursday, September 24, 2026, to promote Saturday’s AEW All Out pay-per-view. Refresh the page for the latest updates.
Tony Khan opened the call with a few quick remarks before taking questions from the media.
Courtney Rice asked about the rivalry between “The Brawling Birds” Jamie Hayter and Alex Windsor and “Divine Dominion” Megan Bayne and Lena Kross, and whether the feud could continue after the show. Khan praised both the match and the rivalry, but stopped short of confirming what comes next.
Sean Radican then asked about the Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery deal and what it could mean for AEW’s future. Khan said he believes the deal is tremendous for AEW and gives the company a very bright future. Khan also pointed out that AEW is celebrating one year of pay-per-views streaming on HBO Max and said he’s excited about working with the new Paramount and Warner Bros. setup.
He admitted there was some uncertainty when Warner Bros. first merged with Discovery because he didn’t know many of the incoming executives. That concern quickly faded, though, as Khan said AEW became one of the properties the new leadership was “very interested in.” Khan added that the relationship eventually created even more opportunities for AEW, including the launch of AEW Collision.
Khan also talked about working with Paramount’s David Ellison, noting that the two are the same age and that Ellison is a pro wrestling fan. Khan said he plans to work very hard to make sure AEW fits into whatever corporate structure comes next, adding that he believes he has already proven himself to be the “ultimate corporate soldier.”
Jim Varsallone brought up Darby Allin and Steven Borden facing Kyle Fletcher and Kevin Knight to determine the No. 1 contenders for the AEW Tag Team Titles, while also asking about Steven joining the company. Khan said he first met Steven when he was playing tight end at the University of Kentucky and later brought him to Jacksonville for a tryout with the Jaguars.
Khan said that as Steven’s football career was winding down, Sting was getting back into wrestling, which helped spark Steven’s own passion for the business. He also recalled Steven and his brother Garrett being part of Sting’s final match, saying he got chills watching Steven in the ring and was excited when he decided to start training.
Khan described Steven as handsome, fun and engaging, while Dominic DeAngelo later asked how AEW plans to build him up. Khan said he is very excited to have Steven in AEW and called him an incredible young wrestler. Khan also praised Steven as a hard worker, a great listener and a great person. He again mentioned Steven’s looks and said it makes him happy to see how captivated fans have already become by him.
Jeremy Lambert asked Khan if AEW All Out is more like Mocha Joe’s or Latte Larry’s with WWE running across town. Khan immediately caught the Curb Your Enthusiasm reference and, staying on brand, pointed out that the show is available on HBO Max.
Khan clearly got a kick out of the question and said AEW would probably be Mocha Joe’s in this situation. For anyone who missed the reference, Larry David’s character got so angry with Mocha Joe that he opened Latte Larry’s right next door as a “spite store.”
Lambert also asked whether AEW sees a boost in pay-per-view buys when the pre-show main event carries directly into the PPV. Khan said they do, adding that it worked “fantastically well” the first time they tried it. Khan said AEW has used that strategy a few times since then, including at All In with the Casino Trios Royale.
Bill Bodkin asked about Will Ospreay’s entrance at All In. Khan called it awesome, saying AEW had the perfect video package to go with a great live moment.
Sully Khan asked about Tommaso Ciampa and what he still has to show fans on AEW television. Khan said Ciampa has been a fantastic addition to the company and praised both Ciampa and his All Out opponent, Kazuchika Okada, for having great years. Khan said he expects Ciampa and Okada to have a hard-hitting fight and called it one of the matches he’s most looking forward to at All Out.
Vivek Sharma asked if Persephone’s open challenge will be answered by someone already on the AEW roster or a new arrival. Khan kept the answer under wraps, saying the mystery is what makes the open challenge fun and that fans will have to watch All Out to find out. Sharma also asked how Mercedes Moné’s injury changed plans for All Out. Khan confirmed that Moné was originally scheduled to wrestle on the show.
Adam Barnard asked about Kofi and Austin Creed. Khan said he believes they are tremendous additions and noted that while he had been a fan of both as wrestlers, he didn’t really know them personally until recently. Khan also talked about the personality differences between them and their trios partner, Swerve Strickland. He praised Kofi and Creed as great individuals and a strong team, while also pointing out the positive impact they’ve had backstage.
Khan was asked whether AEW will still hold a Worlds End pay-per-view this year, especially with the final Saturday of the year falling the day after Christmas and the Jaguars playing on Sunday Night Football on December 27. Khan made it clear that Worlds End is definitely happening. He said AEW is already looking ahead and planning out the calendar for the end of the year.
He also pointed out that Worlds End is built around the conclusion of the Continental Classic, making it an important part of AEW’s year-end schedule. Khan recalled holding Worlds End last year, then traveling home for the Jaguars game before going back and watching the pay-per-view again. He said fans should stay tuned for an official update on this year’s Worlds End.
Andrew Baydala brought up how quickly All Out sold out and asked what has made 2026 such a strong year for AEW. Khan pointed to the awards the company won last year, but said he feels this year has been even better.
Khan said these are great times for AEW and noted that the company has posted its best pay-per-view numbers yet on HBO Max this year. He said he expects All Out 2026 to outperform last year’s show on the platform. Khan also said the 2026 editions of All In, Double or Nothing and Revolution all delivered their best numbers on HBO Max.
Lennard Surrao asked about Mara Sade potentially being the one to answer Persephone’s open challenge. Khan called her a tremendous young talent and said fans should stay tuned because “you never know.” He also described Sade as a very compelling young prospect and someone fans should keep an eye on.
Carlos Aguilar asked about MJF being ranked No. 1 in the PWI 500. Khan said it was incredible to see, called MJF a great choice for the top spot and said the honor is another feather in AEW’s cap.
Samantha Schipman asked about Khan previously mentioning meetings he had set up for Andy “The Butcher” Williams before his death. Khan said Williams had been interested in working behind the scenes with AEW. One idea Williams pitched was doing music shows in collaboration with AEW as a way to bring more music fans into wrestling. Khan said the idea really stood out to him and that he found it very compelling.
Khan said he and Williams met last month and had been working on the concept together. He felt Williams could help bridge the worlds of music and pro wrestling, and said Williams had several good ideas.
Khan also spoke about how difficult Williams’ death has been for people in AEW. He said Williams was very well liked backstage and described him as talented, humble and genuinely nice. Khan said he wanted AEW to give Williams a fitting tribute and added that he was very proud of the way everyone came together to make that happen.
He said Williams will be missed very much before wrapping up the media call with some final comments about All Out.
