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It has been five years since AEW's inception and so far, the company has exceeded expectations. Not only do they possess a supremely talented roster, but they have organized shows in massive venues.
Although AEW has been doing well, they have their fair share of problems. Some of their biggest names like Adam Cole, Kenny Omega, Adam Copeland, and more are sidelined due to injury. Furthermore, images of arenas with empty seats appear on social media from time to time, for which the company faces constant criticism. Tony Khan has especially faced major trolling because fans are unable to figure out why he organizes shows in large venues despite attendance troubles.
Interestingly Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select recently explained why the company's founder is not changing his ways. He stated that running shows in big venues helps All Elite Wrestling with things such as amenities, mailing lists, parking, and more.
"I've asked about this a number of times and I've been given a number of reasons they book the venues they do. It's very common for music acts to book large venues and curtain them off as well. Amenities, how nice the venue is, ease of access, parking, mailing lists, the ability to open up additional sections, concession staff are all reasons AEW chooses to run bigger venues," said Sapp.
AEW President Tony Khan speaks on backstage drama
In recent months, AEW's reputation has taken a toll due to backstage drama and indifference. Due to this, they lost one of their biggest names, CM Punk, who returned to WWE after he quit the Jacksonville-based promotion. Interestingly, Tony Khan has made peace with the fact that over time, relationships change.
"I think that it's important to remember that every situation is its own unique thing, and that's true in sports, and teams change, relationships change," said Khan. (H/T Wrestling Inc.)
It remains to be seen what the future holds for All Elite Wrestling and Tony Khan.
