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Since AEW’s inception in 2019, there’s no doubt that company President Tony Khan set his sights on some of the biggest stars to leave WWE, having signed talent such as Adam Copeland, Bryan Danielson and Toni Storm. When Eric Bischoff was running WCW in the late 1990s, he followed a similar tactic by signing WWE’s most popular performers, like Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall. However, over the years Khan has prided himself on AEW being different than WCW and Bischoff, but according to WWE Hall Of Famer Bully Ray Dudley on “Busted Open Radio,” how both promoters operate is nearly identical.
“AEW and Tony Khan have shown that they are more like Eric Bischoff and Vince McMahon’s WWE then they want to admit that they are. Tony did exactly what Eric did, went after all of the WWE stars. Him and Eric Bischoff are one of the same.” Throughout this year, WWE has counter-programmed AEW at every opportunity imaginable, and Bully Ray feels that Khan would do the same if he was in their position. “I’m sure Tony Khan would be doing to the WWE what the WWE is doing to AEW if he could, but Tony Khan has money, he doesn’t have leverage.”
Bully continued to share his thoughts on talent that returned to WWE after wrestling in AEW, stating that Khan’s fanbase is to blame for helping make two of the biggest stars in WWE today.
“They seemed to love CM Punk and they seemed to love Cody [Rhodes] until they decided that they didn’t want to love them anymore,” Bully explained. “The AEW fanbase drove out of AEW two of the three biggest stars in the WWE right now … there’s no argument against it.”
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Busted Open Radio” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
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