Tony Khan has gotten physical. This past Wednesday on AEW Dynamite, Jack Perry confronted the AEW President, asking for Khan to reinstate him to the company. Perry had been suspended since August 2023 for his involvement in a backstage altercation at AEW ALL IN: London that led to CM Punk being fired from the company. After hearing Perry’s positive AEW sentiments, Khan agreed to the reinstatement, which ended up being his death nail. Perry punched Khan in the stomach with a microphone, giving his stablemates in The Elite the opportunity to pick the scraps. The Young Bucks then set Khan up for a somersault piledriver, which upon execution left him unconscious.
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Khan sold the effects of the angle during the NFL Draft. When cameras panned to the Jacksonville Jaguars war room, Khan, who serves as the Jaguars’ chief football strategy officer, was spotted wearing a neck brace. Broadcasters acknowledged Khan’s brace by alluding to the AEW storyline that took place the night prior.
WWE’s Pat McAfee Reacts to Tony Khan’s AEW Storyline
Tony Khan’s injury angle caught the attention of WWE Monday Night Raw color commentator Pat McAfee.
During the NFL Draft, McAfee, who was hosting a special edition of his ESPN show, queued up the clip of the AEW President in the Jacksonville Jaguars war room.
“Wednesday night, he took a Meltzer Driver, I do believe,” McAfee said. “Guy’s got a broken neck and he’s battling through.”
Khan selling the injury reached far and wide on social media, as talent from across the industry praised the AEW founder for keeping kayfabe alive outside of the ring.
Wednesday’s attack on Khan begins what could be AEW’s biggest storyline to date. In the company’s five years of existence, AEW has yet to do a company-wide angle a la WCW’s NWO or WWE’s Nexus. This new version of The Elite seems to be poised to permeate their poison throughout the the promotion rather than just the tag division or midcard scene. It has been speculated that Khan being taken out will lead to the Young Bucks taking their Executive Vice President powers to the next level and running AEW programming completely before a “Team AEW” of sorts assembles to seize control back for Khan. With Kenny Omega, a former member of The Elite, returning next week, expect this angle to shift into full gear imminently.
