Tony Khan has expressed that he would welcome Charles Barkley to AEW television with open arms if the NBA legend shows interest. Khan, currently making media appearances to promote Sunday’s AEW All In pay-per-view at Wembley Stadium in London, shared these thoughts during an appearance on the Dan Le Batard Show. He discussed AEW’s relationship with Warner Bros. Discovery and ongoing media rights negotiations.
While Warner Bros. Discovery is set to lose the NBA and its iconic Inside the NBA franchise, co-host Charles Barkley remains committed to the company for the foreseeable future. This has sparked speculation about Barkley potentially appearing in AEW, following in the footsteps of Shaquille O’Neal, who wrestled on AEW Dynamite in 2020. Khan mentioned that he believes Barkley is a wrestling fan and recalled the AEW crew presenting the Inside the NBA team with AEW Championship belts.
Khan praised Shaq, not just for his work in AEW but also for the kind of person he is. If Sir Charles is interested in stepping into the unpredictable world of professional wrestling, Khan is “absolutely” willing to make it happen.
I don’t know what the future of the NBA holds, but Charles Barkley, as far as being one of the top hosts in all of sports and being one of the most entertaining people in all of television, I think he adds to any sport he’s involved in.
If he wanted to come to AEW, we would love that. Absolutely, I would encourage that and support that."
- Tony Khan
