Tony Khan On WWE Running Detroit Nine Days Before AEW: ‘We’re Very Focused On Just Doing The Best Shows We Can’

Tony Khan said at the Double or Nothing post-show media scrum that AEW is not focused on what WWE is doing when both promotions run the same market, pointing instead to the internal culture and fan connection as what’s driving the company right now.

Khan was asked whether he had anything special planned to “attack the market” when AEW runs Detroit on July 29-30 — nine days after WWE Raw at Little Caesars Arena. AEW’s shows will be held at the smaller Masonic Temple Theater.

“Right now, we’re very focused on just doing the very best shows we can with AEW. I believe, I think, in my opinion, it’s showing up. You can see everybody’s working so hard, and it feels like it’s really connecting with the fans. In the back too, it really feels like there’s a spirit that is as strong as it’s been maybe since the pandemic or ever. It feels like right now is as good of a connection between AEW backstage as a company and also the fans watching the shows.”

He added that AEW has not spent much energy thinking about competing promotions in recent years outside of partnership contexts.

“We really, for the last few years, have not thought a lot about what other promotions are doing unless it’s people we’re partnering with and going into events like Grand Slam Mexico or Forbidden Door and collaborating.”