WWE could have been sold to their rival promotion AEW, if Tony Khan’s bid was accepted back in 2023. Constant issues with Vince McMahon’s allegations led to various massive changes at WWE and the company being listed for sale. Various bidders entered the conversation before Endeavor won the rights to purchase WWE and make it part of their TKO branding with UFC.
However, Khan showed an aggressive mindset by trying to buy his competition with a private bid. Post Wrestling shared the following news they discovered today:
“In addition to Khan’s company and eventual winner Endeavor, the bidders were Formula One parent Liberty Media and private equity firm KKR. Liberty and KKR were widely understood to have made offers based on prior reporting and public filings. Khan’s Base 10 bid, however, is public for the first time.
Although Tony Khan is not mentioned by name in the complaint, Base 10 and All Elite Wrestling are, and their connection is made clear. The filing states: ‘Base 10 is the owner of All Elite Wrestling, a professional wrestling promotion that plainly would enjoy significant synergies with WWE.’”
Khan’s Base 10 company hoped to have a chance at purchasing WWE in the similar vein of Vince McMahon purchasing WCW at the end of the Monday Night Wars. Endeavor stepping in prevented him from having a realistic chance.
Why Tony Khan Wanted To Buy WWE
The Khan family holds a massive presence in sports after AEW emerged as another strong brand under their umbrella. Tony’s father Shad Khan has owned the Jacksonville Jaguars for many years and gives the family strong representation in the massively popular NFL.
Another sports project overseas features Tony as the Director of Football Operations and co-owner of Fulham FC in the soccer world. Two professional sports teams and AEW becoming a thriving brand after their recent television rights renewal makes the family a successful entity in the sports world.
WWE is still the biggest wrestling promotion and one of the top sports brands in the world. Khan not bidding would be a bigger surprise since the family has more than enough money to make such a purchase. Adding WWE would have made Tony the main prominent figure in pro wrestling and give the Khan family another valued asset to market.
Why This Is Better For Pro Wrestling
History has shown that wrestling is a lot worse when one person can monopolize the entire industry. Professional wrestling suffered a decline in general fan interest when McMahon purchased WCW and ECW to end his main competition in the early 2000s.
Khan owning both WWE and AEW would risk both promotions suffering from having one boss. Wrestlers also need separate massive companies to give them fair market value of pay. AEW is the first major promotion to challenge WWE since WCW and shows how much talent can benefit from the competition.
Recent metrics show AEW on an upswing to still give Khan a chance of challenging WWE as the top dog. Outside of two WCW years, WWE has been the premiere wrestling company since the 1980s. Khan is better off throwing his best shot against WWE instead of buying the competition.
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