Tony Khan Upset People in AEW for Not Intervening in Kevin Sullivan’s Departure

AEW President Tony Khan has a lot of passion for professional wrestling, but a lot of his decisions when it comes to the company over the past year have led to a lot of backlash. In fact, Khan has upset people in AEW for not intervening in Kevin Sullivan’s departure.

Kevin Sullivan, the Vice President of Post-Production, found himself on the receiving end of a decision that led to his departure on Monday. The announcement of his exit came as a surprise to many within the company. The departure was handled by Mike Mansury, the Senior Vice President and Co-Executive Producer.

Kevin Sullivan got a ton of praise and had a good reputation in AEW for his role in building the post-production team in Nashville. He had been with the company since his transition from Impact Wrestling years ago. His departure marked a substantial behind-the-scenes, mostly in the negative direction.

Dave Meltzer, in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter, reported that the decision blindsided many in AEW. He added that Kevin Sullivan had no idea the pink slip was coming.

“Sullivan had no idea it was coming and was given no real explanation as to why, just that it was a Mansury decision.”

The report further revealed a lack of clarity regarding the hierarchical structure within the AEW division. People in production were unaware that Sullivan answered to Mansury. Criticism was also directed towards Tony Khan, with some expressing disappointment that the AEW president did not intervene to prevent Sullivan’s departure.

“Another day one guy gone. Sad. Great guy. Worked tirelessly since the beginning. Really understood the original mission statement and feeling/image we were going for.”

It is evident many people backstage in AEW can’t fathom why Tony Khan would allow Kevin Sullivan to get fired like that, especially after his contributions to the company. It remains to be seen what’s next in store for AEW now.

What do you think of this story? Are you shocked Tony Khan didn’t even try to stop the firing? Let us know in the comments section below!