AEW President Tony Khan has been at the helm of the company since the very first and is responsible for ensuring everything goes well in the company. With that said, he has been accused of overpaying AEW wrestlers to prevent them from leaving.
AEW is eager to re-sign Daniel Garcia as his contract will expire in October, but no new deal has been finalized yet. This has led to speculation that he might consider leaving the company. Adding to the drama, WWE is reportedly very interested in signing Garcia, which makes his situation even more uncertain.
On the other hand, AEW has already signed Swerve Strickland to a very lucrative deal. In fact, Stricklands new multi-year contract with AEW will keep him with the company until at least 2028, though the exact duration is not publicly known. This deal is seen as one ofthe most significant in AEWs history.
While speaking on Keepin It 100 with Konnan, Konnan explained that when AEW first started, WWE responded by overpaying wrestlers to keep them from leaving. However, WWE later realized they could save money by developing talent through NXT, leading them to release some of their higher-paid stars. According to Konnan, Tony Khan became frustrated when wrestlers left AEW, so hes now offering higher salaries to keep them.
Konnan questioned the value of keeping wrestlers like Swerve, noting that despite his efforts, Swerve hasnt significantly drawn more attention or fans. Konnan suggested that AEWs strategy involves overpaying wrestlers like Swerve and Daniel Garcia to retain them. He speculated that Swerve might stay with AEW to secure a lucrative contract, but could become a big star elsewhere in the future if he remains relevant.
Even Jim Cornette suggested that AEWs high salaries for wrestlers like Strickland do not match their revenue impact. Regardless, Tony Khan will continue to pay those talent whom he believes are worth keeping and thats unlikely to change anytime soon.
Whats your view on what Konnan had to say about Tony Khan? Do you feel Tony Khans method to keeping talent will harm AEW in the long run? Sound off in the comments section below!
