Tony Khan Advised to Step Back from Day-to-Day Operations

AEW President Tony Khan, known for his deep passion for professional wrestling, has faced various challenges over the years. However, his leadership skills have come under question recently for a wide variety of reasons.

While speaking on the Paving the Way podcast, Madusa talked about the infamous Brawl Out 2022 concerning CM Punk and The Elite. Madusa was asked why Tony Khan would allow CM Punk to belittle The Elite during the media scrum. Madusa stated that she would never let that happen.

Madusa talked about the dynamics of having active wrestlers in executive roles, noting that there is a significant difference between Vince McMahon and Tony Khan. She observed that when Vince McMahon enters a room, he commands respect and authority, while Tony Khan’s presence is met with a more casual response. She pointed out that Vince McMahon’s strong leadership has been crucial to WWE’s success, with him making decisive decisions for the company.

In contrast, Tony Khan appears to have numerous people advising him on various matters, which might affect his ability to make clear decisions. Madusa suggested that Tony Khan would benefit from isolating himself from the day-to-day advice and allowing others to handle their responsibilities, while he retains the final authority.

“You wouldn’t, you wouldn’t, and I don’t know why. Maybe Tony thought it was great; maybe he thought it was part of the show; maybe he didn’t realize how heated it was. I don’t know. Sometimes, see, that’s the difference. I feel knowing both men or having met them, there’s a big difference between Vince and Tony. When Vince walks into a room, everybody’s buttholes would pucker. Tony walks in the room, and they’re like, ‘Yo, what’s up?’ It’s a big contrast and a big difference in authority. Vince is authoritative, and however you want to say it, Vince and WWE wouldn’t be what they are if it weren’t for him. You knew, ‘No, this is his company; this is his business. I make the decisions, the big ones. If you don’t like it, talk to your producer or whatever.’ Tony, on the other hand, has so many ears and people telling him what to do and what’s good and what’s bad. The guy needs to isolate himself, repackage himself, and not be so available. Let him do his job, let other people do their jobs and run the show, and he can have the final say.”

Madusa commented on whether it’s wise to have active wrestlers in executive roles at AEW, comparing it to the historical involvement of figures like Vince McMahon, Pat Patterson, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker.

Madusa noted that while they had roles in the business, the board has traditionally been composed of family members. She mentioned that the closest parallel to this arrangement is Triple H’s position following his marriage to Stephanie McMahon, emphasizing that AEW’s situation would not be the same.

“I don’t know. It’s like asking Vince McMahon and Pat Patterson, or Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. The list goes on; they all had a part in the business in some way and in some capacity. But as far as the board, it’s always been the family, that’s it. I think the closest they ever got was him marrying Stephanie, and that’s where Triple H is now. It would never be that way.”

Madusa said Tony Khan has a great opportunity with AEW, and she hopes it succeeds because there are many talented people involved. However, she thinks having too many people in charge can cause problems and make things chaotic and stressful. She believes Tony Khan should step back from the day-to-day operations to handle things better. As long as certain people stay on the board or in executive roles, and unless enough board members can vote them out, Tony might have a tough time. Ownership shares might also add to the complexity.

“Tony has a good thing going there, and I would love to see it be successful because there are a lot of great players. But when you have a lot of monkeys running the circus, it’s never going to work out; it’s going to be chaotic, distressing, and uncomfortable. I really want it to do well, and I wish Tony would isolate himself from that. As long as those other guys are on the board or are vice presidents, unless you have a certain number of board members who can vote them off, you’re kind of stuck. Maybe they also have ownership or shares, which puts Tony in a tough position.”

Tony Khan also recently claimed that many people are trying to sabotage AEW’s success and Eric Bischoff called him out for claiming AEW is always under constant attack. Regardless, Tony Khan will handle AEW the way he wants to and it remains to be seen whether that will ever change.

What do you think of what Madusa had to say about Tony Khan’s leadership skills?

Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.