The ongoing rivalry between WWE and AEW reached a new level as the former took direct shots at AEW President Tony Khan. The heat was turned up on social media, with the official WWE account on Fox seizing an opportunity to throw shade at AEW.
It all started when the Jacksonville Jaguars announced the availability of playoff tickets, prompting WWE on Fox to retweet the news with the infamous Kurt Angle face meme. This sly move was a subtle dig at AEW, which has been grappling with attendance issues at their recent shows.
However, the jabs didn’t stop there as the USA Network’s account joined the fray. After a wrestling journalist’s tweet discussed Jinder Mahal and Seth Rollins’ RAW segment and their NXT history, the official USA Network account fired back with a cheeky question: “What was the cagematch rating?” This comment alluded to recent reports revealing that Tony Khan uses unconventional sources, like Cagematch ratings, to gauge AEW’s success rather than solely relying on traditional TV ratings.
Moreover, even during the AEW Worlds End media call, Tony Khan expressed his reliance on diverse feedback sources, including platforms like Cagematch.
Tony Khan has yet to officially comment on the intent behind these social media interactions. However, it’s clear that WWE is looking to capitalize on AEW’s current vulnerabilities.
Looking back at Tony Khan’s shots against WWE
Back in October, AEW Dynamite went head-to-head with a robust WWE NXT lineup in order to vie for record-high ratings. To entice viewers, both promotions declared the initial 30 minutes of their broadcasts commercial-free, and AEW added a ten-minute overrun to boost their ratings.
Rumors circulated that Triple H and Shawn Michaels aimed to convey a message to Tony Khan, suggesting he had a considerable distance to cover in the competition. Responding to this, AEW President Tony Khan utilized Twitter to call out Triple H and Shawn Michaels, urging them to tune in to Title Tuesday. Accompanying his message was an image bearing the words “Bald A**hole.”
Not stopping there, Tony Khan also targeted WWE Founder Vince McMahon. When a fan expressed disinterest in watching Dynamite, Khan didn’t mince words in his reply, taking a significant jab at Vince, who has been in various controversies.
Despite AEW taking shots at the competition, WWE NXT still managed to surpass AEW Dynamite in the ratings.
