All Elite Wrestling (AEW) has emerged as a significant player in the wrestling world, drawing upon the rich tapestry of wrestling history while carving out its distinct identity. It is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. AEW has become a significant player in the wrestling world, drawing upon the rich tapestry of wrestling history while carving out its distinct identity. It is considered to be one of the two biggest wrestling promotions in the world, the other being WWE.
The inception of AEW in the modern era aligns with the evolution of pro wrestling, which emerged as a form of entertainment in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, distinct from traditional competitive wrestling. All Elite Wrestling (AEW) emerged as a game-changer in the world of professional wrestling, igniting a new era of competition and entertainment. The official announcement of AEW's creation came at midnight Pacific Time on January 1, 2019.
Let's delve into the details of who owns and runs this wrestling powerhouse.
The Key Players: Shahid and Tony Khan
AEW is owned by Shahid Khan and ran by his son, Tony. Tony Khan serves as the President, CEO, GM and Head of Creative of AEW. Tony and his father, Shahid, were reportedly backing the promotion as lead investors.
Shahid Khan, owner of AEW. Image: Wikimedia Commons
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Tony Khan's leadership of AEW has received both praise and criticism. Tony Khan has final say on AEW booking.
AEW’s corporate disclosure statement confirms that the parent company of All Elite Wrestling LLC is Beatnik Investments LLC, and no publicly held corporation owns ten percent or more of its stock. All Elite Wrestling LLC is also incorporated in Delaware and recognizes Beatnik Investments LLC as its parent company.
Brandon Thurston has written about wrestling business since 2015. AEW was officially announced in January 2019 and had its inaugural event, "Double or Nothing," in May of the same year.
How AEW & Tony Khan Lost Its Way
The Rise of AEW
AEW was founded in 2019 by Shahid Khan and Tony Khan, with professional wrestlers Kenny Omega, Cody Rhodes, and Matt and Nick Jackson serving as initial co-executive vice presidents, following the success of the independent wrestling event All In in 2018.
AEW boasts a roster of highly skilled and charismatic wrestlers.
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They promoted and held an independent professional wrestling event called All In in September 2018, featuring wrestlers from ROH as well as other promotions. The event sold out in 30 minutes and had the largest audience in attendance for a professional wrestling show in the United States held and organized by promoters not affiliated with WWE or WCW since 1993. The event was attended by 11,263 people.
On November 5, 2018, several trademarks were filed in Jacksonville, Florida, that indicated the launch of All Elite Wrestling. Names filed for trademark included: All Elite Wrestling, AEW All Out, All Out, AEW, Double or Nothing, Tuesday Night Dynamite, AEW Double or Nothing, and several logos.
On January 2, 2019, Cody officially signed with the promotion as competitors as well as serving as AEW's co-Executive Vice Presidents, while entrepreneur, football executive, and longtime wrestling fan Tony Khan was announced as the president of the company. Cody's wife, Brandi Rhodes, was announced as the company's Chief brand officer on January 3, 2019.
On January 8, 2019, the company held its inaugural press conference on the forecourt of the TIAA Bank Field, where they announced talents that were going to perform as part of the promotion, including former ROH wrestlers the team of SoCal Uncensored (Christopher Daniels, Scorpio Sky, and Frankie Kazarian), "Hangman" Adam Page; independent wrestlers Joey Janela, and former WWE wrestler Chris Jericho. They also announced a working relationship with Chinese professional wrestling promotion Oriental Wrestling Entertainment (OWE).
On February 7, 2019, the group held a press conference where tickets were released for Double or Nothing.
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AEW's Television Presence and Expansion
Since October 2, 2019, AEW has produced a two-hour weekly television show, Dynamite, which is considered their flagship program and it airs live, with some exceptions. The show aired on TNT until December 2021, moving to TNT's sister channel, TBS, on January 5, 2022. The company also has two other weekly television shows, both on TNT: Rampage, a one-hour program airing since August 13, 2021, and Collision, a two-hour program that premiered on June 17, 2023. The company also has a quarterly special on TNT titled Battle of the Belts.
On May 15, 2019, AEW and WarnerMedia announced a deal for a weekly primetime show airing live on TNT, the network that formerly had broadcast WCW's Monday Nitro during the Monday Night War (1995-2001). In May 2023, AEW and WBD announced a third weekly television series-Collision-a two-hour program which would be broadcast on Saturday nights by TNT beginning June 17.
AEW Games
On November 10, 2020, the promotion announced AEW Games, the company's video game brand.
AEW's Commitment to Inclusivity
AEW is built to create moments of a lifetime - memorable, inspiring and spectacular - by providing our fans with the best wrestling matches and entertainment anywhere. AEW fully supports and celebrates our athletes and fans, regardless of sexual orientation, race, gender, religion or ethnicity - and we expect our fans and athletes to do the same.