4 mistakes Tony Khan must avoid making during head-to-head battle with WWE this year

Tony Khan gave birth to a challenger to WWE's monopoly as a pro wrestling giant when he founded AEW in 2019. The Jacksonville-based promotion celebrated its five-year anniversary with the 2024 edition of its annual pay-per-view, Double or Nothing, in May. Furthermore, it recently aired the 250th episode of its weekly flagship show, AEW Dynamite. The company, according to Khan, is in a strong position in terms of business amidst ongoing talks with network partner, Warner Bros Discovery, over its broadcasting future.

WWE, on the other hand, recently staged the 2024 iteration of Summerslam in Cleveland, Ohio. The premium live event has received considerable praise from audiences, as did Chief Content Officer Triple H for his work as the primary booker. Unfortunately for AEW, the Summerslam 2024 pre-show, along with the Summer Olympics, dealt a huge blow to the ratings drawn by its Saturday-night program Collision this past week.

Meanwhile, the so-called war between the two promotions will continue later this year as the October 8, 2024, edition of Dynamite is set to go head-to-head with NXT, notably on a Tuesday. The previous instance of such a programming clash in October last year saw WWE feature several top stars, including John Cena, The Undertaker, and Cody Rhodes, on the developmental brand, whereas Dynamite witnessed the AEW in-ring debut of Adam Copeland.

Ahead of AEW's upcoming battle against WWE, let us consider four mistakes that Tony Khan should steer away from.

---

#1: Tony Khan books no major title changes on Dynamite: Title Tuesday

The 2023 Title Tuesday edition of Dynamite featured multiple championship matches, two of which changed hands as Hikaru Shida dethroned Saraya for the Women's World Championship and Orange Cassidy reclaimed his prized International Title from Rey Fenix. Furthermore, Bryan Danielson defeated Swerve Strickland in a TNT Championship contender's bout. The episode also saw WWE legend Adam Copeland wrestle his first AEW match and defeat Killswitch.

All Elite Wrestling has since experienced an influx of new talent, including Will Ospreay, Mercedes Mone, and Kazuchika Okada. Given the wealth of stars the promotion currently possesses, the upcoming October 8 edition of Tuesday-night Dynamite will surely deliver several blockbuster championship matches, and hopefully, at least one major title change take place in order to compete against what is likely to be a loaded episode of NXT.

#2: Bryan Danielson is not featured in an important angle on Dynamite

During an interview earlier this year, Bryan Danielson stated that his AEW contract was set to expire in August and that he wished to wrestle his final match as a full-time wrestler at the Tacoma Dome in Washington at WrestleDream 2024. The American Dragon recently confirmed that he is not under contract with All Elite Wrestling weeks ahead of his AEW World Title match against Swerve Strickland at All In 2024. Last week on Dynamite, the former WWE Champion escalated the bout to a Title vs. Career match, which has raised question marks regarding its outcome.

Regardless of who walks out of Wembley Stadium as world champion, Bryan Danielson's All Elite journey could potentially conclude at WrestleDream. As such, Tony Khan has to book Bryan in a crucial segment on the go-home edition of Dynamite on October 8, which will incidentally emanate from Spokane, Washington. Such a segment would be all the more compelling if Danielson does win AEW's top prize at All In, which in turn could lead to Swerve Strickland regaining the belt at WrestleDream following a blockbuster confrontation with the 43-year-old legend on Dynamite.

#3: Tony Khan does not book any surprise returns on Dynamite

A number of key players in AEW are currently on the mend from injury, including Adam Copeland, Adam Cole, Keith Lee, Jay White, and Kenny Omega. While the promotion's currently active stars are more than capable of helping develop an exciting program, major returns, especially when unannounced, could result in a viewership spike that would aid Dynamite's ratings war against NXT.

Given that the October 8 edition of Dynamite will be the final pit stop before the WrestleDream Pay-Per-View, Tony Khan should consider bringing back one or more of its recently absent top stars to on-screen programming on the episode. The wrestler in question could be Omega, who reportedly had surgery in May and potentially could be sufficiently recovered for a television comeback by October. It could also be Adam Cole, who has been able to stand and walk on his own strength recently, or Copeland, who could make his return on Dynamite nearly one year following his debut at WrestleDream last year.

#4: AEW should refrain from taking shots at WWE during Dynamite

Earlier this year, Tony Khan reflected on the cut-throat competition prevalent in the wrestling world, especially between WWE and AEW. The 41-year-old sports executive is a polarizing figure among fans often because of his creative decisions, public statements, and especially his frequent social media shots at the Stamford-based company. Consider his response to NXT's ratings victory over Dynamite last year, when he took aim at The Undertaker and John Cena over their NXT appearance.

AEW, in general, is notorious for often firing shots at WWE on its programming. While such negative engagement can theoretically be helpful at times, more often than not, such strategies run the risk of providing further exposure to the rival brand instead of properly showcasing the company's own product.

Given the sheer volume of talent and momentum AEW is slowly building, it would arguably be in the promotion's best interest to refrain from taking shots at WWE when Dynamite runs against NXT in October. Tony Khan should instead focus his effort on crafting and promoting an excellent TV episode, something he has proven himself capable of, especially in recent weeks.

Fans will be eagerly looking forward to the resurrection of the Tuesday-night war between Dynamite and NXT later this year. It remains to be seen what AEW and WWE will have in store for their respective shows.