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When Tony Khan originally launched All Elite Wrestling in 2019, many critics scoffed and assumed it was nothing more than a vanity project
After all, Tony Khan was the son of a billionaire and already had a hand in two other major sports franchises, the Jacksonville Jaguars and Fulham F.C.
Longtime observers of the industry chuckled at the thought that this mid-30's whiz kid would be able to somehow, some way, do something that no one had done in nearly two decades: Build a promotion that could be a legitimate alternative to WWE.
Many thought that Khan would be a guppy in the ocean, in terms of the brutal world of pro wrestling. They figured that all the old sharks would just tear the kid apart, and that the industry as a whole would bleed him dry.
People in the grappling game like to use the term, 'money mark' for guys like Tony Khan. They still believe in the "carny mentality", and all like to fancy themselves as expert con men, who can grift any innocent fool out of their money. And they thought that Tony Khan would be no exception to that.
These same folks often liked to compare him to former TNA owner Dixie Carter, and said that he would suffer the same fate as she did. Once the wrestlers and others had drained him for as much as they possibly could, he would eventually go away.
Man, were they wrong.
Many people failed to realize the magnitude of the universe Tony Khan emerged from is on an even grander scale than the world of professional wrestling
This is not an example of some yokel who just wandered into the arena with an open checkbook. Being a part of the NFL, Tony Khan was already armed with a working knowledge of television network deals, mass marketing, and corporate machinations that the standard "rasslin promoter" does not normally possess.
To understand much of Tony Khan's acumen, one must only look at his father.
In the entrepreneurial American spirit, Shahid Khan went from being a Pakistani student in a foreign land, to a self-made billionaire and sports franchise owner. He used his intelligence, hard work and sheer will to do so. And he passed many of those attributes down to his son, Tony.
So that covers the 'dollars' side of things. Now let's cover the 'sense' of the wrestling business.
While many have questioned Tony Khan's booking of the company thus far (and there have been plenty of arguable mistakes), the one thing that he has shown he is strongest at is diplomacy. As of now, his organization is at the center of an intertwining of promotions.
In the past several weeks, AEW has engaged in working relationships with IMPACT, the NWA, AAA, and now, to cap it all off, New Japan Pro Wrestling.
If someone had told the average wrestling fan one year ago that all of these federations would be cross-promoting together all at the same time, they would either be foaming at the mouth, or tell you that you're crazy.
No way. That would be impossible.
But Tony Khan has made it possible. And it's given him the ability to position Dynamite as the one show out there where you literally never know who could pop up or what can happen.
Despite some questionable booking decisions early on, Tony Khan's ability to garner these deals has positioned AEW as the most exciting product on the landscape right now. He's not only been able to elevate the profile of his own company, but also those of the promotions that AEW is currently working with.
That's a win-win for everyone, and something no other promoter has been able to achieve in the modern era. He's literally formed an alliance that could excite any wrestling fan - no matter what company they have allegiance to.
Of course, no one can predict the future, but this strategy seems to be not only what's best for AEW, but also what's best for the pro wrestling industry, in general.
So, for all of those who once mocked Tony Khan? Who once said that he was merely a money guy with too much cash in his pocket? They might want to tune in on Wednesday nights over the weeks and months to come, and watch the stone soup that he and All Elite Wrestling are currently cooking up.
They say the smartest guy in the room is the guy who has the last laugh.
And right now, Tony Khan is the one doing the laughing.
