Tony Khan has weighed in on the wrestler safety debate.
The discussion about dangerous moves and the need for talent to protect themselves became a topic of conversation again recently when William Regal made a post highlighting the dangers of the sport. The post made the day after the latest AEW PPV led to some negative reaction from tribalistic fans, but a number of wrestlers from AEW and other promotions have since shown support for Regal's view.
The AEW President was asked for his opinion on the whole matter and the risks in AEW during an appearance on The Mark Hoke Show. Khan first discussed the inherent risk that is present in every match before mentioning how there has been no career-ending injury in AEW since its inception:
“Pro wrestlers are always taking hard-hitting and high-risk chances. That’s one of the things that makes pro wrestling so exciting. In AEW, we’ve been able to have all of these great events, and we’ve never had a career-ending injury like that from our wrestling."
I Don't Think AEW Is Any Different: Tony Khan
Tony Khan proclaimed that his promotion is not different than any other wrestling company in the world. He also noted that there have been instances in AEW where he has stepped in to protect talent when needed:
"I don’t think that AEW is any different than any other wrestling promotion in the world. The wrestlers want to do their very best and sometimes a promotion will step in. AEW and I have at times stepped in and said, ‘I can’t do that. I don’t think that’s a good idea.’ I don’t want to do that every day or every match, but there are times where it comes up."
The wrestling executive later brought up his experience of managing the Jacksonville Jaguars into the discussion. He explained that in every sport, you have to strike a balance between doing things to protect the health of your athletes and making the whole thing work.