AEW
Since the inception of All Elite Wrestling, fans and critics alike have speculated on the management structure behind the scenes. In professional wrestling history, specifically during the Monday Night Wars, “creative control” clauses became a controversial topic. These clauses famously allowed top stars in companies like WCW to veto storylines or match outcomes, often leading to disjointed booking and backstage politics. While appearing on a recent episode of the Battleground podcast, AEW President Tony Khan addressed this sensitive topic head-on, clarifying exactly who holds the final say in his promotion. This has been something Mercedes Mone has been accused of.
The Final Say Lies With One Person
Khan was emphatic that despite the rumors of a “wild west” environment, the ultimate authority rests solely with him. He explained that while the environment is open, the contractual power of creative control is not handed out to talent.
“There’s no creative control. Only I have it. No wrestler has that. And there’s a lot of freedom to work with the staff and the coaches and the wrestlers together and come up with ideas. And I am one of the most collaborative people on the planet. And that’s how I’ve been able to succeed in multiple sports and build the greatest sports analytics engineering firm in the world, True Media, where we service 29 out of the 30 major league baseball teams.”
This distinction is vital for the long-term health of the promotion. By retaining final veto power, Khan aims to avoid the pitfalls of previous eras where top talent could hold championships or storylines hostage. However, he was quick to note that avoiding creative control clauses does not mean ignoring talent input.
Fostering a Collaborative Environment
Khan detailed that the creative process in AEW is designed to be a group effort, even if he holds the keys. He emphasized that the best version of his product emerges when wrestlers feel empowered to pitch their own narratives, provided those narratives fit the wider direction of the show.
“I love working with partners all over the world, media partners, and in wrestling. I think we are really collaborative and when AEW at its best, that’s what it is, the wrestlers coming in with ideas, I come in with ideas, we work together and that’s what I love.”
This philosophy has allowed characters to evolve organically, with wrestlers like Jon Moxley, The Elite, and Chris Jericho historically having significant influence over their presentation without possessing a “trump card” in their contracts.
High Stakes Tonight at “Maximum Carnage”
This collaborative booking philosophy will be on full display tonight, January 14, 2026, as AEW presents a special Dynamite: Maximum Carnage from Phoenix, Arizona. The card features high-stakes booking decisions that will shape the road to Revolution. In the main event, MJF defends his newly reclaimed AEW World Championship against Bandido, a match that has fans buzzing about the clash of styles. Perhaps most notably, Kenny Omega makes his return to AEW programming tonight, a creative move that undoubtedly required significant collaboration between The Cleaner and Khan to ensure it fits the current landscape dominated by the Don Callis Family. Additionally, the tag team division sees a major four-way contender’s match involving The Young Bucks and JetSpeed, proving that the creative engine in AEW is moving at full speed as the new year begins.
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