WWE news: Shahid Khan declares war on Vince McMahon by funding AEW
FULHAM and Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan is going head-to-head with WWE’s Vince McMahon.
The Pakistani-American billionaire, who failed in a bid to buy Wembley Stadium last year, has confirmed he is the lead investor in the newly-formed All Elite Wrestling.
EX-WWE star Cody Rhodes will serve as Executive Vice Producer of AEW and tag-team duo The Young Bucks announced last week they were also working for the company after leaving Ring of Honor and New Japan Pro Wrestling.
The trio successfully organised, funded and produced the epic All In independent pay-per-view in September.
Now they are setting out in trying to challenge WWE after Khan confirmed he would be backing the outfit, which will be run by his son Tony Khan.
In a statement sent to , he said: “I am the lead investor, a supporter and a backer of All Elite Wrestling, and I anticipate great things today and into the future for AEW and everyone who has worked passionately on this week’s launch.
“I know AEW will be welcomed by wrestling fans here in the US and throughout the world who are ready for something new and authentic. AEW will work hard to deliver on that promise.
“As important, I am the father – the proud father – of Tony Khan, who will serve in a leadership role at AEW during the 2019 launch and in the years ahead.”
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And in what will be worrying news for the McMahon’s, Khan vowed to bring the world’s best wrestling talent to AEW.
He added: “Tony will assemble a great team to take AEW over the top, for the benefit of everyone who loves the wrestling industry, while continuing to serve in his current capacities with the Jaguars and Fulham.
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“AEW will operate as an organisation completely independently from my other interests. It will not deter attention or divert resources from any of my businesses, teams, projects or investments.
“At the same time, AEW will enjoy the same full commitment I given to everything and everyone in my life – my family and friends, my business and, in recent years, to sports, hospitality and now entertainment.”
Tony Khan added: “AEW will launch with a roster of the top wrestlers in the world. While they’ll clash in what will be some of the most intense and fast-paced contests ever sanctioned in the squared circle, they’ll also share a common goal: to make this the true golden age, to make this the greatest time ever to be a wrestling fan.
“Likewise, as a business, by treating our wrestlers with respect and warmth, we also seek to make this the golden age for the performers themselves.
“I urge everyone who believes in what we’re doing, or wants to believe in dreams coming true, to support AEW by spreading the word and passing the wrestling bug onto someone else. My message: Get in on the ground floor with AEW today and help lead our movement to grow the wrestling community and ensure that the voices of the wrestling fans, their creative minds and their remarkable ideas, will always be heard.”
The move comes with McMahon attempting to rival Khan in the American football world by reviving his own XFL promotion next year.
The XFL ran for one year in 2001 which McMahon conceded was a "colossal failure", but will return in 2020 with eight teams.
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