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Tony Khan just answered the possibility if there could ever be a future collaboration between WWE and AEW. The AEW boss recently stated that any alliance with the Stamford-based promotion will depend on the ''circumstances.''
Collaborations are quite common between smaller wrestling promotions, where talent is shared between the companies. AEW is a good example of this, as the Jacksonville-based promotion has allied with various promotions like AAA, CMLL, TNA, and even NJPW. AEW and NJPW also conduct a pay-per-view called Forbidden Door to celebrate their collaboration.
For several years, WWE has closed its doors to outside performers and didn't collaborate with some of the smaller promotions in the world. However, the Stamford-based promotion seems to have changed its stance on collaboration. The promotion has allowed TNA Knockouts Champions such as Mickie James and Jordynne Grace to compete in the Royal Rumble Match in recent years.
AEW and WWE have collaborated in the past. The Tony Khan-led promotion allowed Billy Gunn to speak on stage for D-Generation X's Hall of Fame induction in 2019. The AEW honcho allowed Bryan Danielson, Chris Jericho, and Paul Wight to send pre-recorded messages for John Cena's 20th anniversary special on RAW two years ago.
Recently, Khan was asked about the potential for a massive collaboration between AEW and WWE during an interview with Comicbook.com.
"It's an interesting thought! It would depend on the circumstance,'' he said. [H/T: Comicbook]
Ricky Starks opens up on Tony Khan!
Ever since AEW's inception, Tony Khan has come under fire for various reasons by critics and fans. While people outside the company have criticized his leadership style, the stars in the Jacksonville-based promotion have nothing but nice things to say about their boss.
During a recent interview with Sportskeeda's Senior Editor Bill Apter, Rick Starks was all praise for Khan.
"He [Tony Khan] is a great dude! He really is. I've never met someone as nice as he is, and people always assume someone in that position is gonna be a certain way, and he isn't like that. He is a very, very sweet man, and people need to realize that we are a startup company. We are all just trying to figure this out," he said. [4:00 - 4:34]
It will be interesting to see if both WWE and AEW will put their differences aside for a collaboration in the future.
