Tony Khan Addresses Lack of Variety in Merchandise Stands at AEW Events

AEW has seen tons of changes and improvements over the past several years, whether it’s the production values or the in-ring product. However, many fans have criticized AEW for its lack of variety in merchandise stands and Tony Khan has now addressed the same.

AEW Forbidden Door was truly a memorable show from top to bottom but many fans criticized the merchandise stands at the pay-per-view, citing lack of variety and high prices.

While speaking on the Battleground podcast, AEW President Tony Khan was asked about the criticism regarding the merchandise stands at AEW shows. In response, Khan mentioned his hands-on approach to crafting compelling wrestling shows. He pointed out the positive reception to their recent episodes, including high praise for their Dynamite show, which some consider one of their best ever. Khan expressed pride in the company’s recent pay-per-view successes and strong TV ratings.

‘Well, you know, we have a COO who came in this year, it’s his first year, and he’s still making a lot of changes. Kocher Irby and I are very hands-on with the wrestling show, and I think we’ve been putting on our best wrestling shows recently. We’ve had our best run of pay-per-views, and the last episode of Dynamite last Wednesday is widely considered to be maybe the best show we’ve ever done. And I think a lot of people felt that way. Certainly, when you look at, you know, some of the reviews and the feedback we’ve gotten, a lot of people say that’s one of the best episodes ever in AEW and a great wrestling show. I’m really proud of it. Last week, of course, we had those Owen Hart tournament matches and then MJF’s betrayal at the end of the show.

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It was a really captivating night of wrestling. I’m very focused on the wrestling, as you can tell, every aspect of it, every wrestler in the company. I have a great group of people around me, on details, people pitching ideas, and at the end of the day, I’m responsible for putting a show and a format together, and an outline that’s a great show. We’ve had a great run of pay-per-views, and our TV has been very, very strong. Not only was last week one of the best episodes of wrestling we’ve ever done, but it was also a huge milestone for us to be the number one show on all of television in the 18 to 34 demo and overall the number one show on cable. And I think that’s really huge for us, and I am so obsessed and focused on the wrestling.”

Regarding recent changes, Khan mentioned the addition of a new COO Kosha Irby, who brings a wealth of experience in wrestling and sports enterprises, including a stint as CMO at Clemson University. He noted the significance of being the top show in the 18 to 34 demographic on television and praised the contributions of their new COO in enhancing AEW’s operations.

Khan also gave emphasis to his personal investment in the wrestling product, noting his collaboration with a dedicated team to deliver high-quality programming. He expressed optimism about the future and the impact of recent organizational changes on AEW’s continued growth and success.

”Kosha coming in is going to be great. These are the areas where I know he’s going to add a lot of strength. Not only does he have experience in wrestling and other sporting enterprises, but he was the CMO of Clemson when he, so to be the CMO of a great university, obviously, here at the Jaguars. I’m a big fan of Clemson University and their athletes. We have TRCN, and of course, our leader, our quarterback, our franchise star, Trevor Lawrence, is a Clemson man. And I’m a big supporter of it, and Dabo Sweeney is my really good friend and a big supporter of AEW and everything we do here in Jacksonville. So for Clemson, you know, to bring a huge stud like that, the CMO of a top university, one of the top college sports programs, he brings a lot of institutional knowledge. And also, he’s a wrestling guy. So these are the kind of things I think he’ll be able to, you know, make a really positive influence. And it’s his first year, and you know, that’s really good feedback.’‘

We will have to wait and see whether AEW will rectify their mistakes when it comes to merchandise stands in the future, as it is undoubtedly one of the company’s most glaring flaws right now.

What do you think of what Tony Khan had to say? Do you believe AEW will improve the state of their merchandise stands? Let us know in the comments section below!

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