AEW President Tony Khan spoke with the pro wrestling media on Thursday, May 21, 2026, to promote AEW Double or Nothing this Sunday.
Tony Khan discussed Mick Foley joining AEW and said he is excited to have him involved. Khan said Foley will host the Double or Nothing pre-show with Renee Paquette, an idea Foley was happy about.
Khan said Foley is a longtime AEW fan and will bring value both backstage and on the broadcast. He also praised Foley’s wrestling career and books, saying he has been a big fan of Foley since he was a kid watching wrestling on TBS.
When asked if Foley could wrestle in AEW, Khan said he would not want to put Foley in a bad position. He said Foley would only be asked to wrestle if he felt physically able to do it.
Khan also talked about AEW working with the Minnesota Twins for the “Brawl at the Ballpark” event. He said he has relationships with people connected to the team and noted that his analytics business has worked with MLB teams. Khan added that Foley will not be at every AEW show, but the company plans to use his wrestling knowledge in different ways.
Khan also discussed AEW using unique venues and new social media ideas, including a TikTok pre-show for Dynamite. He said the idea came from Warner Bros. and added that he likes combining wrestling with different settings, such as the Fairway To Hell event.
Samantha Schipman asked how AEW will crown a new TBS Champion after Willow Nightingale relinquished the title. Tony Khan said it is terrible news that Willow is injured, especially because he was looking forward to having her compete at Double or Nothing in her home area. Khan said it is probably best for Willow to recover over the coming weeks. He added that he understands and respects Willow’s decision to give up the title.
Dave Meltzer asked Tony Khan if AEW will hold another pay-per-view between Forbidden Door and All In. He also asked about Bryan Danielson’s status. Khan praised Danielson’s commentary work and said AEW’s announcers do a great job stepping up for each other. He noted that Danielson and Taz both dealt with a lot of injuries during their wrestling careers, and long flights can be difficult for them. Because of that, Khan tries to have Danielson work more West Coast shows closer to home, while Taz works more East Coast shows.
As for the pay-per-view schedule, Khan said he is very interested in doing another AEW pay-per-view in July. However, he said he would only do it if AEW can maintain its usual level of quality.
Khan also talked about his longtime wrestling fandom after Dominic DeAngelo asked a question. Khan said he started watching wrestling when he was seven, began watching WCW when he was eight, and later became a tape trader at 22. He said he used to write wrestling shows when he was younger, and some of those ideas and philosophies still carry over into how he runs AEW today.
Brandon Thurston asked if AEW is profitable. Khan said AEW’s revenue is the highest it has ever been. He said he could not comment on every year-to-year expense, but said this will be AEW’s highest revenue year. He also talked about reinvesting in the company, launching new projects, and expanding internationally.
Sully Khan asked about Jon Moxley defending the AEW Continental Championship against Kyle O’Reilly at Double or Nothing. Khan spoke about Moxley’s evolution in AEW and how fans embraced him even more during the Continental Classic. He also brought up Moxley’s speech about AEW being the greatest.
Sean Ross Sapp asked if AEW All In will stay at Wembley Stadium every year or return to North America next year. Tony Khan said he has not decided yet. He said 2027 will be another big year for AEW, and the company plans to take big swings. Khan praised the fans in England and pointed to AEW’s strong attendance numbers there. He said the full 2027 calendar is not done yet, but AEW has some huge events coming up.
Bill Bodkin asked Khan to name the Mount Rushmore of Double or Nothing matches. Khan corrected him and noted that AEW has held eight Double or Nothing events so far. Khan said it was hard to come up with a list on the spot, but he may have one ready by the media scrum.
Jim Varsallone asked about Jim Ross, who said he would be at Double or Nothing while also dealing with medical testing. Khan said he loves having Ross at AEW shows. He praised Ross’s wrestling mind and commentary work, and said Ross was important to the launch of AEW. Khan said he feels loyal and thankful to Ross, and hopes Ross continues to overcome his health issues.
Leonard Surrao asked about Ronda Rousey. Khan said Rousey is a great fighter and is always welcome in AEW. He said he enjoyed working with her in ROH and having her at AEW Revolution. Khan also said Rousey is focused on her family and has been good to AEW.
David Bixenspan asked about MyAEW.com and whether fans are choosing annual plans or monthly options. Khan said he did not have all the data in front of him. He said the main focus in the United States remains Warner Bros. Discovery, but he has been told MyAEW is going strong. Khan said he will review the numbers after Double or Nothing.
Amy Nemmity asked about Darby Allin’s AEW World Championship reign. Khan said he is a fan of Allin and praised his wrestling mind. He mentioned Allin’s TNT Title reign, his 2024 Continental Classic run, and how an injury kept him out of the 2025 Continental Classic. Khan said Allin always brings strong ideas to his matches. Tony Khan also discussed the AEW World Championship title vs. hair match between MJF and Darby Allin.
Khan joked about MJF spending money on makeup and enjoying the finer things in life. He said MJF loves wrestling so much that he is willing to risk something important to him for a chance to win back the AEW World Championship.
Khan praised Allin as champion and said he has been great for AEW. He called the match the perfect main event for Double or Nothing and said Allin is the perfect champion for the company right now.
Khan closed the media call by praising AEW programming heading into the pay-per-view. He said AEW television has been tremendous recently and called Wednesday’s three-hour block the best content the company has produced. Khan also said he plans to stay as long as needed to answer questions from the media after Double or Nothing.
