AEW has worked with several promotions over the past few years and that includes TNA Wrestling. However, it appears Tony Khan has been criticized for his he used to put down TNA during their partnership with AEW.
The partnership between TNA Wrestling and AEW, which lasted from 2020 to early 2021, marked a significant crossover of talent between the two promotions. Wrestlers like Kenny Omega, Luke Gallows, Karl Anderson, Christian Cage, and others moved between IMPACT and AEW during this period. Kenny Omega notably held both the IMPACT and AEW World Heavyweight Championships simultaneously, highlighting the collaborations impact on wrestling storylines and championships.
Matt Hardy on his Extreme Life of Matt Hardy podcast talked about the dynamics of this partnership and the approach taken by AEW President Tony Khan. Hardy emphasized the importance of giving credibility to ones opponents, even in a competitive context. He mentioned how Tony Khans paid ads often portrayed AEW as superior to TNA, which was a deliberate approach to building AEWs brand against its competitor.
Hardy acknowledged that while promoting ones own promotion over another is a common tactic in wrestling, theres also value in acknowledging and respecting the competitions strengths. He suggested that recognizing the credibility of the opposition can enhance the overall storytelling and make the wrestling narratives more compelling for the audience.
Matt Hardy also recently addressed accusations of having bad blood with AEW after his exit. Tony Khan also took inspiration credit for TNAs current partnership with WWE. Regardless, AEW is currently focused on their partnership with NJPW, CMLL and STARDOM and thats all that matters to Tony Khan at the moment.
Do you feel Tony Khan went too far in putting down TNA during AEWs partnership with the promotion? Sound off in the comments section below!
