- WWE saw over 300,000 more viewers than AEW during their recent head-to-head matchup
- Both Cena and The Undertaker were soon on the WWE show to draw in viewers
- Former owner McMahon ran WWE for decades before being acquired
All Elite Wrestling president Tony Khan has caused a stir on social media with a series of tweets targeting rival WWE promotion.
Khan, who has helped build AEW from the ground up since its inception in 2019, seemed to focus on WWE since entering the wrestling business, making his own company their biggest competitor.
On Tuesday, AEW’s main show, Dynamite, went head-to-head with WWE’s NXT, the promotion’s developmental brand and its third show after RAW and SmackDown.
Dynamite was moved on Wednesday to accommodate the MLB playoffs, meaning that instead of standing alone, it had to compete with the largest wrestling promotion for viewers.
WWE’s ratings win left Khan, who is also involved in the ownership of Premier League club Fulham, clearly fuming, which he announced on X on Thursday.
AEW President Tony Khan has caused a stir on social media with a series of posts targeting WWE on X
Khan took aim at WWE legend John Cena, who appeared on the show in an attempt to boost ratings
Hall of Famer The Undertaker also appeared on NXT in the closing moments of the program
The post that attracted the most attention focused on WWE legends John Cena and The Undertaker, who appeared on NXT.
Aware that they would be facing off against AEW, WWE loaded their Tuesday card with the likes of Cena and The Undertaker, as well as popular stars LA Knight, Rhea Ripley and Cody Rhodes.
Overall, Dynamite has a total of 609,000 viewers, while WWE receives 921,000 – a real hammering – but Khan still found a way to target his rival.
“This week saw the end of two active decades of ratings from two great legends,” he posted. “With all due respect, until this week’s showdown with AEW vs. TBS and WWE on USA, neither John Cena nor Undertaker had ever been on a WWE show with less than 1 million total viewers + less than 400,000 in the demo.”
He also used his platform to take shots at former WWE owner Vince McMahon, who was recently investigated for allegations of sexual misconduct. He remains involved in the company.
In response to a post suggesting McMahon has “the power and influence to give them cheap shots,” Khan replied, “Yes. Vince would have used his power and influence to shoot a lot.”
Khan also took aim at former WWE owner Vince McMahon, who was recently investigated over allegations of sexual misconduct
He also took time to respond to some other users who seemingly tried to out him, and succeeded, while targeting NXT leader Shawn Michaels.
According to the Wrestling Observer, the belief within AEW is that Khan should distance himself from social media.
He has received a lot of criticism online, with some wrestling fans even suggesting that his words could drive fans away from AEW’s programming.
Dynamite returns to Wednesday nights next week and NXT remains on Tuesdays.
