In a compelling new episode of Going Ringside, Scott Johnson sits down with AEW Owner Tony Khan for a wide-ranging conversation covering the company’s homecoming in Jacksonville, the star power of the AEW roster, and the boundary-breaking rise of stars MJF and Toni Storm into national pop culture.
AEW boasts one of the richest rosters in professional wrestling, but two names stand out for their recent forays into mainstream entertainment: MJF and Toni Storm. Tony Khan himself highlighted both as examples of AEW’s ability to nurture stars who are crossing into movie stardom while still excelling inside the ring.
MJF: Wrestling’s Hollywood Breakthrough
Tony Khan spoke passionately about MJF’s transformation from wrestling star to legitimate Hollywood actor:
“MJF’s a huge, huge wrestling star and now he’s becoming a star of movies. He got a great role playing Happy Gilmore’s son in Happy Gilmore 2. Happy Gilmore 2 is the most watched movie in America this year. And MJF’s a big part of the movie… He’s filming another movie right now. For AEW, the executives, we are proud of what MJF is doing.
Even if he’s not the most popular guy with some of the fans or the other wrestlers, he’s a huge part of AEW and he’s working really hard. He just had two incredible matches last weekend in two different countries.”
Khan didn’t shy away from MJF’s divisive persona.
“MJF’s not the most popular guy backstage… most of the wrestlers don’t really like him very much… but everybody is very impressed with what he’s doing. He is a really hardworking guy and I am very impressed with MJF. I think he’s an incredible wrestling talent when he focuses on the wrestling.
I think MJF is one of the best, but he always takes shortcuts. He’s always trying to cheat his way to the top. And I don’t even think he needs to… he’s really gifted wrestler and a student of wrestling, a student of acting now and he’s doing a great job with it.”
Toni Storm: Timeless Star Power
AEW’s Timeless Toni Storm represents a different kind of crossover excellence – one blending wrestling charisma with classic Hollywood stardom. Khan shared,
“She is an icon and I think that that iconic presence was always inside of her… She was at the time in her mid 20s yet she had this timeless presence that she was going to clearly have throughout her career. This aura, this way of speaking, all these things that Toni Storm brings.
She’s an incredible wrestler and she’s so charismatic and the fans respect her. This transition she’s made to timeless Toni Storm – she’s found the classic movie star inside of herself and she’s become the first wrestler… to be on TCM Turner Classic Movies. She is truly a timeless movie star, a timeless wrestler and a great, great charismatic presence.”
He also called her one of the biggest stars in wrestling and specifically praised her recent matches against Mercedes Monaet and her role in AEW’s “great 2025.”
Leadership, Multi-Tasking, and Surviving WWE’s Competition
As AEW continues to battle the global wrestling giant WWE—especially during overlapping live event nights—Khan reflected on the resilience and innovation that define AEW’s approach:
“We’re having a great year. We’ve been able to stick and move and make it work really well for us. There’s always going to be tough competition and in this sport, it’s very tough competition… We’ve really grown the audience in 2025. Not only have we added HBO Max and put new viewers on streaming, we’ve got more people watching the shows on cable than we did last year… It’s kind of the opposite of what the analysts had predicted when we started Simo Casting.”
Regarding his demanding schedule running AEW, the Jaguars, and Fulham FC:
“It’s really hard, but I do love it. I love the stuff I do. And I love being on call for football, for pro wrestling. I’m very lucky to work in the NFL and the Premier League and AEW. And all those things are going really well in 2025.
We’re having a great start to the Jags season. Fulham are off to a great start with their season. And AEW… it’s been a great 2025 for AW. I just want to work hard and keep working hard to keep it going strong for AEW and the Jags and Fulham.”
Tony Khan’s passion and vision for AEW shine through in this conversation – as does his pride in a roster that’s not just dominant in the ring but is making waves far beyond. MJF and Toni Storm exemplify the kind of crossover excitement AEW is building, and Khan’s relentless multi-tasking shows why the company stands tall against even the stiffest competition.
As AEW heads for its Jacksonville homecoming and celebrates six years of Dynamite, its future looks brighter—and more star-studded—than ever.